The Disney Look... to the past! (July 16-22)

It is Monday once again. What does it mean? It means that it is time to check out our weekly section, that takes a glimpse at the past of the Walt Disney Company:

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This Week in Disney History: July 16-22

July 17, 1955 - Disneyland Park opens in Anaheim, Calif.

On 160 acres where orange groves once grew, 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, the magical place Walt Disney dreamed of as he watched his two daughters ride the Griffith Park carousel first opened for an international media preview. Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings and future president Ronald Reagan brought the fun live to a nationwide audience on ABC, welcoming guests, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Debbie Reynolds and Fess Parker, while taking viewers for the first time into the Disneyland worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy. Though the problems off camera were many, such as ladies' high heels sinking into freshly-poured asphalt, no functioning water fountains on a sweltering 101-degree day and more than 17,000 guests crashing the gates with counterfeit tickets, Disneyland Park captivated the imagination of many around the world, welcoming more than 1 million guests by its seventh week of operation. The design of Disneyland Park is reflected in four other "Magic Kingdoms" in Orlando, Fla., Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, with a fifth scheduled for opening in 2016 at Shanghai Disney Resort in China.

July 21, 1999 - The first Disney's FASTPASS is given out at Kilimanjaro Safaris

Suppose you'd like to venture through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, but the posted wait time is two weeks. (Disclaimer: the Kilimanjaro Safaris line never has been remotely close to two weeks; this is strictly a hypothetical situation.) No sweat - veer right from the entrance and swipe your park ticket at Disney's FASTPASS distribution kiosk. This complimentary service saves your spot in line at some of Disney's most popular attractions, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the park - shopping, dining, watching shows - or even riding a ride while you're technically waiting for another ride. Best of all, you skip the standby line and enjoy a minimal wait once their "return time" arrives. Disney's FASTPASS debuted at Disneyland a few months later when "it's a small world" issued the first ticket on Nov. 19.

Also this week in Disney history:

July 16
1954 - "Dragon Around" (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1993 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Hocus Pocus"

July 17
1943 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Victory Through Air Power"
1989 - Splash Mountain opens at Disneyland Park
1992 - Splash Mountain opens at Magic Kingdom Park
1996 - Disney announces plans to open Disney's California Adventure Park
2009 - Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar retires after 54 years of service and is honored with a window on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park

July 18
1932 - The animated short "Mickey in Arabia" debuts
1955 - Disneyland Park opens to the general public for the first time
1965 - Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opens at Disneyland Park
1978 - The Lake Buena Vista Office Plaza (now SunTrust Building and home to Disney offices) opens across from the Downtown Disney Marketplace at the Walt Disney World Resort
1997 - Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort becomes Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

July 19
1940 - The Donald Duck animated short "Put-Put Troubles" debuts
1946 - The Pluto animated short "The Purloined Pup" debuts
1950 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Treasure Island," the first all-live-action Disney film and the first Disney film produced in England

July 20
1951 - The Donald Duck animated short "Lucky Number" debuts
1985 - The 200 millionth guest visits the Walt Disney World Resort

July 21
1939 - The Mickey Mouse animated short "The Pointer" debuts
1950 - The Pluto animated short "Pests of the West" debuts
1986 - Disney leaders announce plans for Pleasure Island at the Downtown Disney Area at the Walt Disney World Resort

July 22
1955 - Rocket to the Moon opens at Disneyland Park
1955 - Candy Palace opens on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park
1994 - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror officially opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios

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Thanks for reading, and have a great day!