This Week in Disney History: July 12-18, 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:
July 17 – Splash Mountain opens at Disneyland Park (1989) and Magic Kingdom Park (1992)
Troubles getting you down? Need to find your laughin’ place? Then pack your bag and leave home with Brer Rabbit on this log flume adventure. Problem is, you can’t run from trouble – there ain’t no place that far – and before long, Brer Fox and Brer Bear will have you in their clutches. To keep from becoming rabbit stew, you’ll plunge 52 feet down Chickapin Hill into the watery briar patch below.
Splash Mountain retells the animated portions of Disney’s “Song of the South” (1946), which was adapted from the folk tales of Joel Chandler Harris. The attraction opened on Disneyland Park’s 34th anniversary in the newly renamed Critter Country, featuring more than 100 Audio-Animatronic figures including some from the former “America Sings” show in Tomorrowland. Exactly three years later, Splash Mountain opened to Guests in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park, with reimagined show scenes and wider side-by-side logs, but the same climactic drop of its Anaheim counterpart.
Both versions of the attraction will soon be completely reimagined to include characters from The Princess and the Frog as well as a new storyline. Additional information about this project can be found by clicking here.
Also this week in Disney history:
July 12
1967 - The WEDWay PeopleMover opens at Disneyland Park
1989 - Star Tours opens at Tokyo Disneyland
2016 - Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ opens at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World
July 13
1925 - Walt Disney and Lillian Bounds are married in Lewiston, Idaho
1935 - The animated short “Mickey’s Garden” debuts
1955 - Walt and Lillian celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary aboard the Mark Twain at Disneyland Park, followed by dinner at the Golden Horseshoe
July 14
1934 - The Silly Symphony short “The Flying Mouse” debuts
1975 - Disney leaders announce plans for Epcot
1978 - American Egg House restaurant opens at Disneyland Park
2012 - Grizzly Gulch opens at Hong Kong Disneyland
July 15
1994 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Angels in the Outfield”
1995 - The Disney Wedding Pavilion opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
2005 - Space Mountain reopens at Disneyland Park with a rebuilt track and new special effects
2005 - Turtle Talk with Crush opens at Disney California Adventure
2011 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Winnie the Pooh”
July 16
1954 - “Dragon Around” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
July 17
1943 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Victory Through Air Power”
1955 - Disneyland Park opens for an international media preview (now considered opening day)
1989 - Splash Mountain opens at Disneyland Park
1992 - Splash Mountain soft-opens at Magic Kingdom Park
1996 - Disney announces plans to open Disney California Adventure Park
2009 - Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar retires after 54 years of service
July 18
1932 - The animated short “Mickey in Arabia” debuts
1955 - Disneyland Park opens to the general public for the first time
1965 - Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opens at Disneyland Park
1978 - The Lake Buena Vista Office Plaza opens across from the Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) Marketplace
1997 - Disney’s Grand Floridian Beach Resort becomes Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
PHOTO: © Walt Disney World Resort. All Rights Reserved.
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