The Disney Look... to the Past! (June 7-13)

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: June 7-13

June 12, 1994 - Sunset Boulevard officially opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Located just off Hollywood Boulevard, the park's first expansion area took many design and architectural cues from the legendary Los Angeles strip known worldwide for its entertainment and nightlife. And this stretch has become a Walt Disney World Resort destination in its own right, as home to four of its most popular attractions. With the opening of Sunset Boulevard, "Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage" moved into the newly-rebuilt Theater of the Stars, where it remains a Guest favorite well into its third decade of performances. In July of that summer, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened up the street, with its lightning-struck façade looming 13 stories and 199 intimidating feet above the park. In 1998, the nighttime spectacle "Fantasmic!" opened in the new Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, and in 1999, Guests entered G-Force Records for a limo ride like no other aboard Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

June 9, 2006 - Disney-Pixar releases "Cars"

Lightning McQueen, a hot-shot rookie racecar with his eyes on winning the Piston Cup, unexpectedly winds up detained in the quiet Route 66 town of Radiator Springs en route to the championship race. As he meets the town's eclectic residents, including Sally (a flashy blue Porsche), Doc Hudson (a gruff Hudson Hornet who's hiding a secret), and the friendly tow truck Mater ("Like tuh-mater, but without the 'tuh,'") Lightning learns it's the journey in life that matters more than the destination. Inspired by a cross-country family road trip taken by director John Lasseter, the seventh full-length Pixar Animation Studios film yielded another box-office smash, which was followed by the international espionage-filled sequel "Cars 2" in 2011. Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park celebrates its first anniversary on June 15, and the animated spinoff "Planes" takes flight in theatres on Aug. 9.

Also this week in Disney history:

June 7

1940 - “Mr. Duck Steps Out” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts

1946 - “Squatter’s Rights” (Mickey & Pluto cartoon short) debuts

1975 - Mission to Mars opens at Magic Kingdom Park 

1988 - The Manatee Research Exhibit opens at The Living Seas in Epcot 

2002 - The animated series “Kim Possible” debuts on Disney Channel

2012 - Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop opens at Disney California Adventure Park

June 8

1951 - The animated short “Test Pilot Donald” debuts

1956 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Great Locomotive Chase”

June 9

1934 - Donald Duck makes his debut in the cartoon “The Wise Little Hen” 

1997 - Bistro de Paris becomes Les Chefs de France at Epcot

2012 - Wonderground Gallery opens in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort

June 10

1960 - Pack Mules Through Nature’s Wonderland opens in Frontierland at Disneyland Park 

1998 - BET Soundstage Club opens at Pleasure Island

June 11

1977 - The Main Street Electrical Parade debuts at Magic Kingdom Park

1993 - The Motor Boat Cruise closes at Disneyland Park 

1994 - Tomorrowland Transit Authority (formerly the WEDway People Mover) opens at Magic Kingdom Park

2007 - Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opens at Disneyland Park

2010 - The nighttime water spectacular “World of Color” debuts, and the Silly Symphony Swings attraction opens at Disney California Adventure Park

June 12

1942 - “Donald’s Garden” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts

1957 - Monsanto House of the Future opens at Disneyland Park

1996 - Miles the giraffe is the first animal to arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom facilities

June 13

1931 - “The Delivery Boy” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts 

1998 - Leaders host the grand opening of Mickey’s Retreat, formerly the Little Lake Bryan Cast Recreation Area

2012 - Carnation Café reopens at Disneyland Park with an expanded indoor and outdoor seating space

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

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