The Disney Look... to the Past! (October 15-21)

As every week, here you are the latest edition of our weekly feature that takes a look into the past of the Walt Disney Company! Enjoy:
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This Week in Disney History: October 15-21

Oct. 15, 1998 — “Fantasmic!” debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
After premiering along the Rivers of America at Disneyland Park in 1992, this nighttime spectacular starring Disney heroes and villains made its way to the Walt Disney World Resort. Revamped for the purpose-built Hollywood Hills Theatre at the end of Sunset Boulevard, the show stars Mickey Mouse, who uses his imagination to conjure up exciting fantasies as classic Disney animation plays on super-sized water screens. However, the mouse’s imagination gets the best of him, and the fun quickly turns into an overwhelming nightmare, with appearances from Disney villains punctuated by pyrotechnic effects and water cannons. In the end, Mickey reminds everyone that this is hisdream, defeating the forces of evil and leading a fireworks-filled finale from atop a six-story mountain. Earlier this year, “Fantasmic!” received a complete reboot for its debut at Tokyo DisneySea, utilizing massive water floats, new technology and characters for an in-the-round presentation along Mediterranean Harbor.

Oct. 18, 1967 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Jungle Book”

Saying “The Jungle Book”was based loosely upon the 1894 anthology of stories by British author Rudyard Kipling is a bona fide understatement. Walt Disney famously told co-writer Larry Clemons, “The first thing I want you to do is not to read this.” The 19th and final full-length animated feature personally supervised by Walt finds the young boy Mowgli, raised by wolves deep in the Indian jungle since infancy, being led by the panther Bagheera back to the “man village” to protect him from the Bengal tiger Shere Khan. Mowgli does his best to evade Bagheera, meeting up with the laid-back bear Baloo and attempting to join Col. Hathi’s elephant brigade along the way. The soundtrack features several classic songs, including “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You,” which includes Louis Prima’s trademark trumpet sound and jazz croon as the party-loving orangutan named (what else?) King Louie.

Also this week in Disney history:

Oct. 15
1923 — Walt Disney receives a telegram from film distributor Margaret Winkler, offering to pay $1,500 each for the first six of Disney’s “Alice” films
1932 — “Touchdown Mickey” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1984 — American Journeys opens at Magic Kingdom Park

Oct. 16
1923 — Walt Disney signs a contract to produce a series of short “Alice Comedies,” marking the founding of the Disney Brothers Studio (later renamed The Walt Disney Company)

Oct. 17
1937 — Huey, Dewey and Louie (Donald Duck’s nephews) debut in the Walt Disney comic strip
2007 — Disney announces plans for a major renovation of Disney California Adventure Park, including a new area called Cars Land

Oct. 18
1926 — “Alice the Fire Fighter” (Alice cartoon short) debuts
1979 — A stage version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premieres at Radio City Music Hall

Oct. 19
1955 — “The Story of the Silly Symphony” debuts on the “Disneyland” television series
1989 — Wonders of Life pavilion soft-opens at Epcot

Oct. 20
1931 — “The Fox Hunt” (Silly Symphony) debuts
1995 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “Frank and Ollie”
1997 — “Bear in the Big Blue House” premieres on Disney Channel
2008 — Blue Sky Cellar opens at Disney California Adventure Park

Oct. 21
1951 — “Fathers are People” (Goofy cartoon short) debuts
1982 — Epcot leaders dedicate El Rio del Tiempo at the Mexico pavilion

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See you next week, with a new edition of "The Disney Look... to the Past!" Thanks for reading!

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