The Disney Look... to the Past! (March 8-14)

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 8-14

March 13, 2005 - Crush ‘n’ Gusher opens at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

Water slides tend to be a downhill proposition, but if you’d like to try defying gravity, grab a raft and venture inside the abandoned tropical fruit processing center near the shores of Hideaway Bay. Climb the steps towards one of three 400-foot slides: the Banana Blaster, Coconut Crusher, or Pineapple Plunger, and hang on tight. Torrents of white water will send you shooting up roller coaster-like inclines, over sudden drops and through hairpin turns en route to a splashdown finale. This family friendly “water coaster” is the only ride of its kind in Central Florida, with water jets that pump 1,350 gallons of water per minute to propel riders uphill. AquaDuck, aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, also uses this system to deliver white-knuckle thrills for Disney Cruise Line Guests.

March 10, 2009 - Disney launches D23

“Are you 23?” was the question that had Disney fans guessing for weeks - and circling March 10 on the calendar. Unveiled on this date, D23 is the first official community for Disney fans in company history; the “23” refers to 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his studio in Burbank. Members receive the quarterly collectible magazine Disney twenty-three, delivering the ultimate insider’s perspective, as well as access to exclusive special events, gifts and merchandise. Two editions of the D23 Expo have been held at the Anaheim Convention Center, featuring new attraction first-looks, world-premiere screenings and celebrity appearances from Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson and many others. The event returns to Anaheim this August, and D23 is gearing up for its first international expo, coming to Tokyo Disney Resort this October.

Also this week in Disney history:

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

March 9
1984 - “Splash,” the first film released under the Touchstone Pictures banner, debuts
1985 - Main Street Electrical Parade debuts at Tokyo Disneyland
1994 - “Ellen” debuts on ABC as “These Friends of Mine”
2012 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “John Carter”

March 10
1978 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Return from Witch Mountain”
1996 - Fulton’s Crab House opens at the Downtown Disney Marketplace
2006 - Disney releases a remake of “The Shaggy Dog,” starring Tim Allen
2009 - Disney launches D23, the official community for Disney fans

March 11
1977 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”
2010 - Disney music composers Richard and Robert Sherman receive a window on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park

March 12
1999 - Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf opens next to Blizzard Beach at the Walt Disney World Resort

March 13
1969 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Love Bug”, the highest grossing film of the year

March 14
1960 - The CircleVision 360 film “Circarama” closes at Disneyland Park
1998 - The stand-alone McDonald’s restaurant near Blizzard Beach opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
2008 - Pixar Play Parade opens at Disney California Adventure Park
2008 - Block Party Bash officially debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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

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