The Disney Look... to the Past! (October 5-18)

Hello, and welcome to this special latest edition of the weekly feature known as "The Disney Look... to the Past!" Enjoy reading the following interesting facts about the Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Movies, and more:
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This Week in Disney History: October 5-18

Oct. 11, 2003 - The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closes at Magic Kingdom Park

Come inside the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center and seize the future with X-S! This mysterious corporation from another planet has invited you to witness a demonstration of its newest technology, an intergalactic teleportation system. But inside the secured laboratory, the demonstration goes wrong, and a menacing, carnivorous alien is accidentally beamed in. It escapes, and the chamber plunges into darkness. In-house special effects and binaural sound embedded into the seats make it feel like the menacing alien is on the prowl. Opened in late 1994, Disney Imagineers and George Lucas partnered to create this intense, darkly humorous sensory thriller, which utilized the former Mission to Mars theatres. The attraction reopened in 2004 as Stitch's Great Escape, which uses many of the same effects, but thankfully, Experiment 626 is hungry for chili dogs instead of people. Skippy, the cuddly alien criminal who gets teleported during the pre-show, played a similar role in Alien Encounter.

Oct. 14, 1971 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea opens at Magic Kingdom Park

Walt Disney's 1954 adaptation of the Jules Verne undersea adventure was a box office blockbuster, and the Submarine Voyage at Disneyland Park was a hit upon its 1959 opening. For Magic Kingdom Park's debut in 1971, both classics were blended together to create an all-new voyage through liquid space in Fantasyland. The fleet of 12 Nautilus submarines is among the most iconic ride vehicles ever created for Disney parks, designed by Imagineer George McGinniss, who modeled his work after Harper Goff's Victorian-themed production designs from the film. The subs took divers on a perilous journey through an 11.5 million gallon lagoon, surviving run-ins with mermaids, sea monsters and a giant squid. Closed in 1994, the attraction site is now part of the Enchanted Forest in the expanded New Fantasyland, opening this December. Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea is heavily influenced by Jules Verne's storytelling, and features its own 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea dark ride.

Oct. 15, 1932 - "Touchdown Mickey" debuts

With bowl season and the playoff picture taking shape, Mickey Mouse must feel nostalgic this time of year, remembering the game where he established himself as one of the finest running backs in animated history. Squaring off against Pete and his bruising Alley Cats, Mickey leads his Manglers to an astonishing come-from-behind victory, scoring three touchdowns in the final four minutes. Though Mickey defies the laws of physics, gravity, and many basic rules of the game to do it, there was clearly offensive holding and unnecessary roughness by the Alley Cats, so the refs probably decided those were offsetting penalties. "Touchdown Mickey" was directed by Wilfred Jackson, the prolific "Nine Old Men" animator credited on 35 Disney shorts, and co-director of multiple features including "Cinderella" (1950) and "Peter Pan" (1953). Goofy, who called the contest on the radio, later starred in a silly yet informative look at the game in the short "How to Play Football" (1944).

Also this week in Disney history:

Oct. 5
1932 - "Touchdown Mickey" (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1949 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad"
1955 - The Disneyland Hotel opens
1996 - The American Film Institute Showcase is officially dedicated at Disney's Hollywood Studios
2002 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Tuck Everlasting"
2008 - Miley Cyrus celebrates her 16th birthday during a private event at Disneyland Park
2011 - Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Pixar chief executive and Disney board member, passes away at age 56

Oct. 6
1983 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Never Cry Wolf"
1989 - A new Disneyland Park marquee sign, colored pink and blue, debuts at the Harbor Blvd. entrance

Oct. 7
1991 - The Disney Vacation Club preview center opens
1994 - Touchstone Pictures releases "Ed Wood"
1995 - Disneyland Paris links up a communications line with the Mir Space Station
1998 - Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin opens at Magic Kingdom Park

Oct. 8
1989 - The Contemporary Cafe' opens at Disney's Contemporary Resort
1993 - The Disney-owned Mighty Ducks of Anaheim play their first NHL game at the Anaheim Pond (now Honda Center)
2003 - "Mickey's PhilharMagic" officially opens at Magic Kingdom Park
2010 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Secretariat"
2010 - The nighttime street party ElecTRONica debuts at Disney California Adventure Park
Oct. 9
1942 - "The Olympic Champ" (Goofy cartoon short) debuts
1988 - "The Magical World of Disney" debuts on NBC
2003 - The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner, along with NASA and HP leaders and two astronauts onboard the International Space Station, officially dedicate Mission: SPACE at Epcot
2003 - "Wishes," the new fireworks show, officially opens to Guests at Magic Kingdom Park

Oct. 10
1929 - "The Barnyard Battle" (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1931 - "The Barnyard Broadcast" (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1952 - "Trick or Treat" (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1957 - The first episode of "Zorro" premieres on ABC

Oct. 11
1946 - "Bath Day" (Figaro cartoon short) debuts
1959 - Rainbow Caverns Mine Train closes at Disneyland Park
1982 - Epcot leaders dedicate the American Adventure
1998 - Journey Into Imagination and Image Works close at Epcot
2003 - The last regular performance of "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks is held at Magic Kingdom Park

Oct. 12
1986 - The Golden Horseshoe Revue (show) closes at Disneyland Park after 47,250 performances
1995 - The 500,000,000th Guest visits the Walt Disney World Resort
2008 - Sun Wheel closes at Disney California Adventure Park (reopened in 2009 as Mickey's Fun Wheel)
2009 - George A. Kalogridis officially becomes president of the Disneyland Resort

Oct. 13
1950 - "Bee at the Beach" (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1987 - Actor Fred MacMurray ("The Absent-Minded Professor") becomes the first Disney Legend
1997 - The LEGO Imagination Center opens at the Downtown Disney Marketplace (Walt Disney World)

Oct. 14
1938 - "Farmyard Symphony" (Silly Symphony) debuts
2009 - Sum of All Thrills opens in Innoventions at Epcot

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
1984 - American Journeys opens at Magic Kingdom Park
1998 - "Fantasmic!" debuts at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Oct. 16
1923 - Walt Disney signs contract to produce a series of short "Alice Comedies," marking the founding of the Disney Brothers Studio (and The Walt Disney Company)
1989 - Epcot hosts Cast previews of the Wonders of Life pavilion

Oct. 17
1937 - Huey, Dewey and Louie (Donald Duck's nephews) debut in the Walt Disney comic strip
2007 - Disney officially 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
1967 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Jungle Book," the last animated feature Walt supervised
1979 - A stage version of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premieres at Radio City Music Hall

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

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