The Disney Look... to the Past! (March 29-April 4)

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: March 29-April 4

April 2, 2007 - Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor opens at Magic Kingdom Park

In Disney•Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.," the energy providers for the creature-filled city of Monstropolis learn that laughter is ten times more powerful than a scream. So they've converted their scare floor into a 400-seat "laugh floor," and the monsters of stand-up are putting on a comedy show in hopes of collecting your chuckles. Mike Wazowski emcees this live, fully interactive experience, and Guests are invited to text in their jokes for possible use in the show. You might even get to chat with one of the talented brutes on the bill, or just end up on the receiving end of their barbs, if you're "that guy." Located in Tomorrowland, the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor uses similar technology to Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot, with hidden cameras and microphones in the theatre allowing Guests to become part of the show. The monsters love to improv and riff with the audience, so no two trips to the Laugh Floor are ever quite the same.

March 29, 2002 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Rookie"
With baseball season starting this week, fans and major leaguers alike are dreaming of decimating change-ups, deep home runs and chasing down the pennant. All that Jim Morris dreams of is another chance to become a big league pitcher. As a high school science teacher and baseball coach in his mid-thirties, his prospects would seem pretty bleak, but Jim's players urge him to show off his stuff at a Tampa Bay Rays tryout. The scouts are stunned when his fastball clocks in near the 100 MPH mark, better than he threw in his playing days before injuries ended his career prematurely. Jim becomes the unlikely recipient of a minor league contract, working his way through the farm clubs until late in the season, when the Rays call him up to the majors. Now baseball's youngest rookie in four decades, Jim is determined not to let this second chance go to waste. Based on a true story, "The Rookie" stars Dennis Quaid as Jim, with Angus T. Jones ("Two and a Half Men") playing his young son.

Also this week in Disney history:

March 29

1998 - Disney hosts an event in New York City's Central Park for the opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

2002 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Rookie"

March 30

1997 - The ESPN Wide World of Sports box office officially opens

2007 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Meet the Robinsons"

March 31

1958 - The Grand Canyon diorama is added to the Disneyland Railroad

1999 - Touchstone Pictures releases "10 Things I Hate About You"

2000 - Touchstone Pictures releases "High Fidelity"

2002 - Primeval Whirl opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom

2012 - The Disney Fantasy sets sail from Port Canaveral on its maiden voyage

2012 - Storybook Circus opens as the first phase of New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park, with an expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant and reimagined Barnstormer featuring The Great Goofini

April 1

1974 - Pioneer Hall opens at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

1995 - Blizzard Beach opens at the Walt Disney World Resort

April 2

1940 - Walt Disney Productions becomes a publicly traded company, offering stock for the first time

1954 - Walt Disney announces plans for Disneyland Park and the "Disneyland" television show

1993 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Adventures of Huck Finn"

2004 - Disney releases the animated feature "Home on the Range"

April 3

1966 - Midget Autopia closes at Disneyland Park

1994 - Frank G. Wells, president of The Walt Disney Company, dies in a helicopter accident

April 4

1994 - Michael Eisner assumes the presidency of The Walt Disney Company following Frank Wells' death

1995 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "A Goofy Movie"

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

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