The Disney Look... to the Past! (Feb. 24-March 8)

Good afternoon OTPN Readers! Today we have a special edition of the great feature "The Disney Look... to the Past!" We hope you will enjoy all these very interesting facts about the Walt Disney Company:

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This Week in Disney History: Feb. 24 - March 8

Feb. 29, 2004 – “Finding Nemo” wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film

Hard to believe, but there was once a time we hadn’t ventured beyond the drop-off, spoken whale with Dory, shredded the EAC with Crush or conquered the bubbles of Mt. Wanahakalugi. But Marlin, a timid clownfish from the Great Barrier Reef, is forced out of his comfort zone when his son, Nemo, gets scooped up by a scuba diver for a dentist’s aquarium. As he keeps swimming across the Pacific Ocean, legend of his dad’s epic journey reaches the entrapped Nemo, and his fellow tank members help him make a break for Sydney Harbor to reunite. With resonant themes about friendship, family and perseverance, combined with arresting visual sequences and instantly quotable dialogue — “Fish are friends, not food!” — “Finding Nemo” firmly entrenched Pixar Animation Studios as a filmmaking powerhouse. It earned the first of Pixar’s six Oscars to date for Best Animated Feature Film, and co-directors Andrew Stanton (“Wall•E”) and Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) have each notched additional wins in the category.

March 4, 1989 – “Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers” debuts on Disney Channel

No case too big, no case too small — when you need help, just call. Thirty-three years after the release of their last short, Chip ‘n’ Dale returned to action in a new animated television series as the head of the Rescue Rangers detective agency. Always on point with his bomber jacket and fedora, Chip is the de facto leader, while Dale keeps things loose with his Magnum, P.I.-esque Hawaiian shirt and laid-back attitude. Joining the duo are Gadget Hacketwrench, team pilot and chief inventor; Monterey Jack, an adventurous Aussie with a love for cheese; and Zipper, a housefly with uncanny strength and unwavering dedication. “Rescue Rangers” ran for 65 episodes over two seasons, although reruns continued in syndication as part of the Disney Afternoon programming block until 1993. Gadget is the namesake of Gadget’s Go Coaster, part of Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park.

March 3, 1995 – The Indiana Jones Adventure opens at Disneyland Park

An ancient temple has been discovered deep inside Adventureland, tempting those who dare enter with eternal youth and earthly riches. As you board your transport and venture into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, remember two things: don’t look into the eyes of Mara, and watch out for anything that slithers. Catapulting riders into the action-packed “Indiana Jones” film series, this high-tech, off-road thrill ride continued the long-standing collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and George Lucas, which includes “Captain EO” and Star Tours. Built upon the former Eeyore section of the Disneyland parking lot, sharp observers can spot a remnant in the queue’s “film room.” Tokyo DisneySea invites Guests on an expedition with Indy into the perilous Temple of the Crystal Skull, and the film series’ explosive stunts are recreated live at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

Also this week in Disney history:

Feb. 24
1939 – “The Practical Pig,” a Disney’s Silly Symphony cartoon, debuts
1985 – Disney Clothiers, Ltd. opens on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park
2008 – “Ratatouille” wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film

Feb. 25
1938 – “Boat Builders” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1965 – “Mary Poppins” receives 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture
Feb. 26
1998 – Official All Star Cafe opens at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex
2006 – “The Timekeeper” CircleVision film permanently closes at Magic Kingdom Park

Feb. 27
1992 – Elizabeth Taylor holds her 60th birthday party at Disneyland Park
1996 – Walt Disney World Resort announces it will host Atlanta Braves spring training beginning with the 1998 season
1998 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park passes its first inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, officially licensing the park to exhibit animals

Feb. 28
1993 – “Bonkers" debuts on the Disney Channel
1996 – The Walt Disney Company acquires Gordo Cay, a Bahamian island that will become Castaway Cay for Disney Cruise Line
2004 – The Earl of Sandwich Shop opens in Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort

Feb. 29
1940 – “The Ugly Duckling” (Silly Symphony) wins an Academy Award for Best Short Subject film (cartoon)

March 1
1924 – “Alice’s Day at Sea,” the first Alice Comedy, debuts
1996 – Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, part of the Disney Vacation Club, opens
1996 – Walt Disney World Resort officials dedicate the Disney Institute
1999 – Maharajah Jungle Trek debuts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

March 2
1976 – Magic Kingdom Park welcomes its 50 millionth Guest
1976 – The Fort Wilderness Kennel opens at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
2009 – Ceremony marking the start of construction on the Disney Dream, third Disney Cruise Line ship, takes place at the Mayer Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany

March 3
1995 – Walt Disney Pictures releases “Man of the House,” starring Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas

March 4
2007 – Muppet Mobile Labs, an interactive, Audio-Animatronics demonstration featuring Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, debuts at Disney California Adventure Park

March 5
1983 – Journey into Imagination, the attraction starring Figment and Dreamfinder, opens at Epcot
1991 – The Canadian television miniseries “Avonlea" debuts on Disney Channel
2010 – Walt Disney Pictures releases “Alice in Wonderland,” directed by Tim Burton

March 6
1980 – “Kraft Salutes Disneyland’s 25th Anniversary,” featuring Danny Kaye, Annette Funicello and Michael Jackson, airs on television

March 7
1936 – The animated short “Mickey’s Grand Opera” is released
2008 – Imagineer and Disney Legend Bob Gurr receives a window on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park
2010 – Disney-Pixar’s “Up” wins Best Animated Feature Film at the 82nd Academy Awards

March 8
1983 – President Ronald Reagan makes his first of two visits to Epcot while in office, addressing and greeting international students working at World Showcase
1986 – Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice’s Tea Party open at Tokyo Disneyland
1999 – “Disney’s Doug Live!” stage show debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (replacing SuperStar Television)
2002 – “Disney's Around the World," a new shop featuring items from Disney theme parks around the world, opens at the Main Street Cinema at the Magic Kingdom Park

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Thank you for reading, and have a great day!

All information and photos are subject to the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved.