The Disney Look... to the Past! (July 13-19)

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the weekly feature known as "The Disney Look... to the Past!"
Enjoy reading all of the following interesting facts about the Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Movies, and more:
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This Week in Disney History: July 13-19

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, taking viewers for the first time into the Disneyland worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy. They also welcomed a slew of celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Debbie Reynolds and Fess Parker. The problems off-camera were many, like 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. But Disneyland Park captivated the imagination of the entire planet, 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, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, with a fifth scheduled for opening in 2015 at Shanghai Disney Resort in China.

July 17 – Splash Mountain opens at Disneyland Park (1989) and Magic Kingdom Park (1992)

Troubles getting you down? Need to find your laughin’ place? Then pack your bag and leave home with Brer Rabbit on this log flume adventure. Problem is, you can’t run from trouble – there ain’t no place that far – and before long, Brer Fox and Brer Bear will have you in their clutches. To keep from becoming rabbit stew, you’ll plunge 52 feet down Chickapin Hill into the watery briar patch below. Splash Mountain retells the animated portions of Disney’s “Song of the South” (1946), which was adapted from the folk tales of Joel Chandler Harris. The attraction opened on Disneyland Park’s 34th anniversary in the newly renamed Critter Country, featuring more than 100 Audio-Animatronic figures including some from the former “America Sings” show in Tomorrowland. Exactly three years later, Splash Mountain opened to Guests in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park, with reimagined show scenes and wider side-by-side logs, but the same climactic drop of its Anaheim counterpart.

Also this week in Disney history:

July 13
1925 – Walt Disney and Lillian Bounds are married in Lewiston, Idaho
1935 – The animated short “Mickey’s Garden” debuts
1955 – Walt and Lillian celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary aboard the Mark Twain at Disneyland Park, followed by dinner at the Golden Horseshoe July 14
1934 – The Silly Symphony short “The Flying Mouse” debuts
1975 – Disney leaders announce plans for Epcot
1978 – American Egg House restaurant opens at Disneyland Park

July 15
1994 – Walt Disney Pictures releases “Angels in the Outfield”
1995 – The Disney Wedding Pavilion opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
2005 – Space Mountain reopens at Disneyland Park with a rebuilt track and new special effects
2005 – Turtle Talk with Crush opens at Disney California Adventure
2011 – Walt Disney Pictures releases “Winnie the Pooh”

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”
1996 – Disney announces plans to open Disney California Adventure Park
2009 – Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar retires after 54 years of service

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
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

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Thank you for reading, and have a great rest of your week!

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