The Disney Look... to the past! (May 14-20)

Let's take a look at the history of Disney's World, Land and Company! What happened this week:

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This Week in Disney History: May 14-20

May 15, 1987 - Disneyland Park introduces Disney Dollars currency

Disney Dollars are the currency of style at Disney parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line and The Disney Store. Uniquely designed sets of Disney Dollars have been released to guests every year between 1987 and 2009, and special-edition Disney Dollars have become prized collector items for events such as the opening of Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland Park, the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, Walt Disney's 100th anniversary and Mickey Mouse's 80th anniversary. During the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland Resort, a special-edition $50 Disney Dollar bill was available to guests throughout the celebration. Also for the 50th anniversary celebration, Disney artist and Disney Legend Charles Boyer designed a special-edition $50 Disney Dollar, some of which he personally signed, that are still revered collectables by those who were able to purchase them. Disney Dollars are great souvenirs for casual guests and rabid Disney fans.

May 20, 1996 - Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course opens at the Walt Disney World Resort

A hush falls over the gallery on the 17th hole. With dessert on the line, a single stroke separates two fierce competitors. The first golfer tees off, sending the ball caroming around Sorcerer Mickey toward the hole, as enchanted brooms armed with water buckets douse the unsuspecting gallery below. Such are the distinguished traditions of Fantasia Gardens, where two 18-hole courses challenge mini golfers of all skill levels. The easier Fantasia Gardens course is themed to the classic 1940 Disney film, "Fantasia," with each hole inspired by one of its musical suites or animated sequences, and great shots can trigger musical cues or special effects. For more advanced golfers, Fantasia Fairways offers 40-to-75-foot holes that resemble regulation courses with rolling terrain, natural hazards and sand traps.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 14

1923 -- Walt Disney writes Margaret J. Winkler in hopes of her distributing the Alice Comedies film series (first correspondence with his future distributor)

2002 -- Disney Interactive announces Kingdom Hearts, an action, role-playing game mixing characters from the world of Disney and Square Enix's Final Fantasy series

May 15

1928 -- A sneak preview of "Plane Crazy," the first animated short featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, takes place in Los Angeles

1972 -- The Frontierland Train Station opens at Magic Kingdom Park

1995 -- The California Grill opens at Disney's Contemporary Resort

May 16

1990 -- Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, dies at age 53

1991 -- "Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3-D" debuts at the Disney-MGM Studios

May 17

1964 -- "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair" airs on "Disney's Wonderful World of Color"

1991 -- Disney's Port Orleans Resort opens at the Walt Disney World Resort

1991 -- Touchstone Pictures releases "What About Bob?"

2004 -- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens at the Walt Disney World Resort

May 18

1951 -- "Plutopia" (Pluto cartoon short) debuts

2003 -- Disney-Pixar's "Finding Nemo" debuts at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles

2009 -- Wayne Allwine, Disney Legend and voice of Mickey Mouse, dies at age 62

May 19

1934 -- "Gulliver Mickey" (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts

1960 -- "Pollyanna," Hayley Mills' first film for the Walt Disney Studios, is released

1971 -- Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes open at Disneyland Park

1984 -- Pvt. Donald Duck receives an honorable discharge from the United States Army (after being drafted in a 1942 short)

2000 -- Walt Disney Pictures releases "Dinosaur"

2007 -- The premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is held at Disneyland Park

May 20

1973 -- Tom Sawyer Island, the Plaza Swan Boats and the Richard F. Irvine riverboat open at Magic Kingdom Park

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Thanks for reading!

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