The Disney Look... to the Past! (May 3-9)

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: May 3-9

May 6, 1988 - Norway opens in World Showcase at Epcot

Those who seek the spirit of western Scandinavia will find peril and adventure in the eleventh World Showcase pavilion, but they’ll also find the beauty and charm of a nation whose history and culture are shaped by the seas. Built with support from the Norwegian government, four different styles of Norwegian architecture are incorporated into the pavilion, including a reproduction of the 13th century Gol stave church in Hallingdal, Norway, where rare Viking artifacts are on display. The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, modeled after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo, serves authentic Norwegian cuisine for lunch and dinner, while letting Guests enjoy breakfast with the Disney Princesses in a medieval castle. Cultural representatives from Norway serve as Cast Members at these and other locations, including Kringla Bakeri og Café and The Puffin’s Roost, wearing traditional bunad costumes reflecting rural and folk influences. After a dedication on June 3, the pavilion opened its signature attraction, Maelstrom, on July 5, 1988. This journey aboard a Viking ship through the history of Norway features an encounter with mythical trolls, who send riders plunging backwards towards a waterfall and into the North Sea.

May 5, 2004 - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opens at Disney California Adventure Park

At the end of Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood Land is the Hollywood Tower Hotel, a shining beacon for the showbiz elite. On a stormy Halloween night in 1939, five guests were aboard an elevator when lightning struck the tower, causing mysterious forces to take control of the cab and send it plunging into another dimension. The hotel has been closed ever since, but you’re invited to venture inside its condemned halls, through a two-story boiler room with dripping pipes and ethereal voices, for a ride in a maintenance service elevator. Fasten your seatbelt, because what happened that fateful night lies beyond the deepest, darkest corner of your imagination - and drops faster than gravity from the 13th floor. Inspired by the classic CBS television series “The Twilight Zone,” the Tower of Terror was the second such attraction to open at a Disney Park after the original at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The California attraction features a new show scene from its Florida counterpart, and at 199 feet, the attraction is the tallest building in the Disneyland Resort’s hometown of Anaheim, Calif.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 3
1926 - The El Capitan Theatre opens in Los Angeles, Calif.
1931 - “The Moose Hunt” (Mickey short with first appearance of Pluto by that name) debuts

May 4
1949 - “Seal Island,” the first True-Life Adventure, debuts
2005 - Disneyland Park closes to the public for a media event prior to launching its 50th anniversary celebration
2012 - Marvel Studios releases “The Avengers”

May 5
1986 - Country Bear Vacation Hoe-Down, a new version of the Country Bear Jamboree, opens at Magic Kingdom Park
2005 - The “Happiest Celebration on Earth” begins at Disney Parks worldwide, commemorating Disneyland Park’s 50th anniversary

May 6
1940 - The Walt Disney Studios moves from Hyperion Ave. in Los Angeles to its current location in Burbank, Calif.
1973 - Lillian Disney helps dedicate “The Walt Disney Story” at Magic Kingdom Park
1990 - The final episode of “DuckTales” airs on television
1991 - The Walt Disney Company becomes part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average

May 7
1950 - The first engine runs on the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, a model train line in the backyard of Walt Disney’s home in California (later providing inspiration for Disneyland Park)
2011 - Disneyland Park hosts the world premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
2011 - The final Walt Disney World Grad Nite event is held in Magic Kingdom Park

May 8
1998 - Lagoona Gator, a new Typhoon Lagoon character, is introduced to the water park
2000 - The Millenium Dreamers Celebration, featuring 2000 kids from over 90 countries, begins at Walt Disney World

May 9
1947 - “Sleepy Time Donald” (cartoon short) debuts
1953 - “For Whom the Bulls Toil” (Goofy cartoon short) debuts
1991 - Disney announces plans to build WESTCOT at Disneyland Park
2012 - ABC’s “Modern Family” debuts the episode “Disneyland” (shot on location at Disneyland Park)

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

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