2003:
Disney's 10K Classic, a race throughout the World Showcase at Epcot, takes place. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the official race beneficiary. Florida native Matthew Dobson finishes first, beating out nearly 2,000 runners!
1911:
Disney Legend and producer Bill Anderson is born in Smithfield, Utah. Credits during his 44 years with Disney include the Disneyland and Zorro TV series, and such live-action features as The Barefoot Executive, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and The Shaggy D.A. Also dedicating 24-years of service to Disney's board of directors from 1960 to 1984, Anderson started out wanting to be an actor!
1955:
The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV.
Today is Anything Can Happen Day.
"The Adventures of Mickey Mouse" the 26th overall episode of Disneyland airs on ABC. Walt Disney discusses the career of Mickey Mouse and presents several cartoons.
1986:
The Golden Horseshoe Revue in Disneyland's Frontierland officially closes. The show, written by Wally Boag and Donald Novis, has been running since July 1955! On this night the show (which holds the Guinness world record for "greatest number of performances of any theatrical production") features Betty Taylor, who played Sluefoot Sue for 30 years, the longest-running cast member.
1995:
Walt Disney World welcomes its 500-millionth guest ... Michelle Davis!
1997:
INTERCOT - a Disney fan website - comes online. Within 4 years it will become one of the most frequented visited Disney World information sites on the web.
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Honey We Shrunk Ourselves"
featuring Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski.
Disney Channel debuts a new episode of Muppets Tonight with
guest star Pierce Brosnan.
2001:
Disney World's Fantasyland closes early to the general public for a
special charity fundraising event. From 4PM to 11PM, a "Fantasyland Fun-A-Thon" to
raise money for the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women takes place.
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Facts of Life" debuts on Disney Channel.
Drummer Rick Marotta appears as a special guest star.
The Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown II: Kalabar's
Revenge, the first sequel to the Halloweentown series, debuts.
Touchstone Pictures releases the comedy feature Corky Romano, starring
former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan.
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2006:
Disney CEO Robert Iger addresses the campus of Ithaca College (in Ithaca,
New York). A 1973 graduate of Ithaca, Iger calls his years at the college formative and says his television-radio
education and classes with Rod Serling, creator of “The Twilight Zone” and a former professor at the college,
allowed him to appreciate the importance of creative freedom and independence.
2007:
A ceremony announcing the 2008 Walt Disney World Ambassadors is held at Animal Kingdom. T.C. Newman (from College & CareerStart Recruiting who began her Disney career in Disneyland Entertainment and has been at the Walt Disney World Resort since 2001) and Kerri MacPherson (from Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Sales who joined the Disney team 13 years ago through the College program at the Magic Kingdom's Outdoor Foods) are chosen.
Disney Channel premieres a new series called Wizards of Waverly Place with the episode "The Crazy Ten Minute Sale." The series focuses on the three Russo
children who, on the surface, seem to be normal teens ... but are actually wizards in training.
Alex (played by Selena Gomez) and her brothers Justin and Max are competing within their
family to be the best wizard, as he or she will get to keep their powers as an adult. The
debut episode, directed by Fred Savage, is watched by 5.9 million viewers.
1998:
Disney's 75th anniversary Online Special Events presents an online chat with Virginia Davis - the original Alice in Disney's Alice Comedies!
2008:
Today is the final day of operation for the Sun Wheel, an attraction at Disney California Adventure. Although inspired by Coney Island's 1927 Wonder Wheel, this opening-day attraction differed from conventional Ferris wheels. The Sun Wheel's 16 orange and purple gondolas ride on interior
rails so that they slide inward & outward as the wheel rotates. It will reopen with new theming in 2009 as
Mickey's Fun Wheel.
Animal Kingdom's
Tree of Life has
hundreds of intricately
carved animal images.
Ten artists and three Imagineers worked full-time for 18 months to create the animal carvings on it!
OCTOBER 12
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THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
OCTOBER 12
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2000:
The late Cliff Edwards (the voice of Jiminy Cricket) is among the 10
inducted as Disney Legends.
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"Gini was a very special lady who always took great pride in the historic role she played in our studio's history. In fact, she liked to remind everyone that it all started with Alice, not Mickey Mouse."
-Roy E. Disney on Disney Legend Virginia Davis
2000 Disney Legends
2008 WDW Ambassadors announced
2009:
George Kalogridis, who previously oversaw Anaheim theme parks’ operations, takes
over on this day as the new president of the Disneyland Resort. Kalogridis, age 55,
replaces Ed Grier, who announced his retirement last week and had his last day Friday October 9. For 38 years,
Kalogridis has worked at the company, starting as a busboy at the opening of the Contemporary Resort at Walt
Disney World in Florida, serving as a general manager of the Grand Floridian Beach Resort, and rising up to
EPCOT's vice president.
Walt Disney World Resort welcomes another male calf to the giraffe herd at
Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Weighing 153 pounds, Bolo is born to second-time mother Big Girl, who first
birthed a female calf in November 2005. Bolo is the second baby giraffe to be born in the last 7 days at Disney's
Animal Kingdom.
Laura Michelle Kelly reprises her role of Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam
Theatre on Broadway. An Olivier Award-winning English actress and singer who originally achieved
critical acclaim in 2004 for the role of Mary in London, Kelly takes over the role on this day from Scarlett Strallen.
SEASON 2 EPISODE 5
1990:
Touchstone Pictures releases the comedy Mr. Destiny, starring Jim Belushi. Unhappy
Larry Burrows (Belushi) sees what his life could've been like, had he made that winning home run as a teenager.
2010:
Disney's touring version of the smash hit Broadway musical
Beauty and the Beast begins performances at the Majestic Theater in
San Antonio, Texas (through the 17th).
Over in Anaheim, two Orange County residents are named Disneyland Resort ambassadors during a ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. For two years (starting January 1) René Torrico, 29, and Jolie Hales, 28, will serve as representatives of Disneyland at community and company events, including visiting children at hospitals.
Disney Cruise Line is named the top cruise line by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine at the 2010 Readers' Choice Awards ceremony in New York City. Samantha Brown, renowned travel expert and television host on The Travel Channel, presents the award to Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz at the gala.
Disney World’s Animal Kingdom welcomes Willow, a one-year-old giraffe calf.
Willow was transferred from the Virginia Zoo to DAK based on the recommendation of the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
2005:
Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger announces the availability of Disney- and ABC-owned TV show episodes through Apple Computer's online iTunes store. This makes Disney the very first to license TV episodes for download on Apples iTunes Store. Desperate Housewives, Lost, Night Stalker, That’s So Raven, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are the first shows available.
