This Week in Disney History: June 28-July 4, 2020

There’s always a great, big, beautiful tomorrow at The Walt Disney Company, because every day is tied to a milestone in the heritage and rich history of a company that has been entertaining millions of people every year. Published every week, this interesting series features highlights from all the divisions of The Walt Disney Company. Let's see what happened this week:

June 29, 1974 - “America Sings” opens at Disneyland Park

Get ready for a musical joyride through American history, led by one of the biggest Audio-Animatronic casts ever assembled. Sam the Eagle is your master of ceremonies for this four-act show in Tomorrowland, where animals croon American standards spanning from “Camptown Races” and “Polly Wolly Doodle” in the deep south, through “See You Later Alligator” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll” in modern times.

Debuting two years before the country’s bicentennial, the feel good sing-along took place in the former Carousel of Progress theater, with audiences seated along the outer ring rotating through each show scene. When the show ended in 1988, many of the “America Sings” characters became the cast of Splash Mountain, opened the following year. After being “Closed to Imagineer a Brand New Attraction,” Innoventions opened in this space in 1998.

Also this week in Disney history:

June 28

1988 - Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opens

1995 - Main Street Athletic Club opens at Magic Kingdom Park

2003 - Disneyland Park hosts the world premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”

June 29

1974  -  America Sings opens at Disneyland Park

1996 - Mickey’s Toontown Fair opens at Magic Kingdom Park

2007 - Disney-Pixar releases “Ratatouille”

June 30

1950 - “Motor Mania” (Goofy cartoon short) debuts 

1976 - The Kingdom Queen ferryboat joins the Walt Disney World Resort fleet 

2008 - The Innoventions Dream Home opens at Disneyland Park

July 1

1933 - The animated short “Mickey’s Gala Premiere” debuts

1966 - Primeval World opens at Disneyland Park 

1975 - WEDway PeopleMover opens at Magic Kingdom Park 

1994 - Innoventions opens at Epcot

1994 - The Lion King Celebration parade debuts at Disneyland Park

1996 - Disney’s BoardWalk Resort opens at Walt Disney World

1998 - Touchstone Pictures releases “Armageddon”

1998 - The Disney Magic cruise ship departs from Italy, bound for America

2011 - Goofy’s Sky School (formerly Mulholland Madness) opens at Disney California Adventure Park

July 2

1956 - Rainbow Caverns Mine Train debuts at Disneyland Park 

1967 - Carousel of Progress, Peoplemover, Rocket Jets and Tomorrowland Terrace open at Disneyland Park

1972 - Magic Kingdom I and II ferryboats debut at the Walt Disney World Resort

1986 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Great Mouse Detective”

1993 - Aladdin’s Oasis Dinner Show opens at Disneyland Park

2010 - “Captain EO” reopens in Future World at Epcot

July 3

1985 - Tinker Bell makes her first flight at the Walt Disney World Resort 

2008 - The Mark VII Monorail Red opens to Guests at the Disneyland Resort

July 4

1956 - Indian War Canoes (now Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes) open at Disneyland Park

1975 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Apple Dumpling Gang”

1984 - “American Journeys" (Circle-Vision 360 film) debuts at Disneyland Park

1987 - Big Thunder Mountain opens at Tokyo Disneyland Park 

1996 - The Disney-designed town of Celebration, Fla. officially opens

2001 - Disney’s Electrical Parade debuts at Disney California Adventure Park

2009 - The Hall of Presidents reopens at Magic Kingdom Park, featuring a new Audio-Animatronic figure of President Barack Obama

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