The Disney Look... to the Past!

Today we'll begin a weekly look into the past of the Disney Company, Parks and resorts!

Here's this week's look to the past! From the Walt Disney Company. All rights are reserved.

This Week in Disney History: May 24-30

May 30, 2003 - Disney•Pixar releases Finding Nemo

Hard to believe, there was once a time we hadn't swum beyond the drop-off with Marlin, spoken whale with Dory or shredded the EAC with Crush. Tracing a timid clownfish's journey across the Pacific Ocean to reunite with his son, Finding Nemobecame the highest-grossing Disney animated movie of all time and firmly entrenched Pixar Animation Studios as a filmmaking powerhouse. Its resonant themes about friendship, family and perseverance, combined with arresting visual sequences and instantly quotable dialogue ("Fish are friends, not food!") garnered co-directors Andrew Stanton (Wall•E) and Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) Pixar's first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

So immediate was the cultural impact of Finding Nemo that the characters quickly found their way into Disney Parks. Turtle Talk with Crush, an interactive chat with the totally rocking sea turtle, premiered at The Living Seas in Epcot in 2004 and has since bowed at three other Disney parks. Two years later, the rest of the gang moved in as the pavilion became The Seas with Nemo & Friends, with the former seacabs becoming "clamobiles" taking guests deep into the underwater world. 2007 saw three more additions - the innovative larger-than-life puppetry of Finding Nemo - The Musicaldebuted at Disney's Animal Kingdom; continental Europe grabbed shell aboard Crush's Coaster in Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris; and new life was breathed into a Disneyland Park classic as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened in Tomorrowland.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 24 1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson presents a Congressional Gold Medal to Lillian Disney, commemorating Walt Disney's "distinguished public service and outstanding contributions to the United States and to the world" 2004 - Toontown Online, a new internet multiplayer game from Disney Interactive, debuts May 25 1983 -  Pinnochio's Daring Journey opens at Disneyland Park May 26 1986 - Spaceship Earth reopens at Epcot featuring a new narration by Walter Cronkite 1990 - Mickey's Starland (formerly Mickey's Birthdayland) opens at Magic Kingdom Park 2006 - Disney-Pixar's Cars premieres at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC May 27 1933 -  The Silly Symphony short "Three Little Pigs" debuts 1948 -  Walt Disney Pictures releases Melody Time 1977 -  Space Mountain opens at Disneyland Park 1985 -  Epcot hosts the Presidential Inaugural Parade for Ronald Reagan 1995 -  Casey's Corner opens at Magic Kingdom Park May 28 1960 - Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland opens in Frontierland at Disneyland Park 1966 - "it's a small world" opens at Disneyland Park 1994 - Disney's Wilderness Lodge opens at the Walt Disney World Resort 1999 - The Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Magic Kingdom Park May 29 1990 - The Sorcery in the Sky fireworks show debuts at the Disney-MGM Studios 1991 - Tokyo Disneyland welcomes its 100 millionth guest 2009 - Disney-Pixar releases Up May 30 1936 - "Thru the Mirror" (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts 1953 - "Don's Fountain of Youth" (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts 1967 - Groundbreaking is held for the construction of the Walt Disney World Resort