The Disney Look... to the Past! February 17-23

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of "The Disney Look... to the Past!" Enjoy:
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This Week in Disney History: February 17-23

Feb. 17, 1998 – Groundbreaking for Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios

You've scored a tour of G-Force Records to visit the legendary rock band Aerosmith. But just as you arrive, their agent shoos the band out of the recording studio — they've got a concert to get to! Don't worry; Steven Tyler and Joe Perry wouldn't leave their fans hanging. They’re giving you a lift to the show in a super-stretch limo, and this is no ordinary ride. It revs from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, twisting through three inversions while zipping by L.A. landmarks like Beverly Hills and the Hollywood sign. You get to the concert, and the band gives you a knowing wink from onstage. Another ride in that limo? Wait a minute; we love that idea. Aerosmith worked with Imagineers to produce the soundtrack, contributing eight classic songs that pump through each limo's 125-speaker, 32,000-watt onboard audio system. Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster was also an opening-day attraction at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris in 2002.

Feb. 23, 2010 – “Captain EO Tribute” opens at Disneyland Park

At the height of his career, Michael Jackson collaborated with “Star Wars” producer George Lucas and “The Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola on a 3-D space epic for Disney. First opening in 1986 at Epcot and Disneyland Park, “Captain EO” stars Jackson as the leader of an intergalactic brigade, captured after crash landing on a strange planet and forced to confront an evil spider-like queen (played by Anjelica Huston). EO uses the power of music to subdue her subjects and change their world for the better. Jackson contributed two songs for the feature, “We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me,” while composer James Horner wrote the score. The film closed at Epcot in 1994 and at Disneyland Park in 1997, making way for “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.” More than a decade later, “Captain EO” returned to Tomorrowland, presented in its original theater with a new 70-millimeter print and improved sound, thanks to acoustical enhancements. The film has also reopened at Epcot, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, giving Disney fans another chance to watch the “King of Pop” light up the screen.

Also this week in Disney history:

Feb. 17
1995 – Walt Disney Pictures releases “Heavyweights”
2004 – Disney announces the purchase of The Muppets from The Jim Henson Company

Feb. 18
1960 – The Winter Olympics opening ceremony, produced by Walt Disney, is held in Squaw Valley, Calif.
2000 – The “45 Years of Magic” parade and “Believe… There’s Magic in the Stars” fireworks show debut at Disneyland Park

Feb. 19
1985 – Mickey Mouse visits China in commemoration of Disneyland Park’s 30th anniversary

Feb. 20
1986 – WED Enterprises is renamed Walt Disney Imagineering

Feb. 21
1997 – The first Club Disney opens in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Feb. 22
1996 – Disney.com launches on the Internet
2009 – “Wall-E” wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film

Feb. 23
1935 – “The Band Concert” (first Mickey Mouse short in color) debuts
1939 – Walt Disney receives a special Academy Award for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
2004 – “Snow White – An Enchanting Musical” debuts at Disneyland Park

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Thank you very much for reading, and have a great Disney Day!

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