The Disney Look to the Past! (Dec. 23 - Jan. 5)

Today we have a special edition of our weekly feature to share with you! We hope you will enjoy it:
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This Week in Disney History: December 23, 2011-January 5, 2012

Dec. 25, 1950 — Disney airs its first television show

Sponsored by Coca-Cola and airing at 4 p.m. on NBC, “One Hour in Wonderland” was the first television program produced by Walt Disney. Starring as the host of a Christmas party on the Studios lot, Walt Disney used the show as a promotional vehicle for the upcoming “Alice in Wonderland” (1951), sharing a first look at the film and introducing the voice of the title character, 12-year-old Kathryn Beaumont, who wore the dress she modeled in reference films for the animators. Also appearing was Bobby Driscoll, who later starred with Beaumont in “Peter Pan” (1953), plus performances by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the jazz band Firehouse Five Plus Two, which was composed of Walt Disney Studios personnel, including Ward Kimball, Harper Goff and Frank Thomas. Four years later, Walt would premiere his first regular television series, "Disneyland," for ABC.

Also this week in Disney history:

Dec. 23
1954 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
1987 — Touchstone Pictures releases “Good Morning Vietnam”

Dec. 24
1955 — Mike Fink Keel Boats open at Disneyland Park
1970 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Aristocats,” the first full-length animated cartoon completed without Walt Disney’s involvement
1971 — Flight to the Moon opens at Magic Kingdom Park

Dec. 25
1957 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “Old Yeller”
1963 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Sword in the Stone”
2002 — Miramax Films releases “Gangs of New York”
2004 — Miramax Films releases “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”

Dec. 26
1941 — “The Art of Self Defense” (Goofy cartoon short) debuts
1947 — “Pluto’s Blue Note” (Pluto cartoon short) debuts

Dec. 27
1940 — “Pantry Pirate” (Pluto cartoon short) debuts

Dec. 28
1998 — Character breakfast at Fulton’s Crab House closes at the Walt Disney World Resort

Dec. 29
1995 — Hollywood Pictures releases “Mr. Holland’s Opus” in Los Angeles

Dec. 30
1890 — Raymond Arnold Disney, Walt Disney’s brother, is born
1928 — “The Gallopin’ Gaucho” (Mickey short with sound) premieres in New York

Dec. 31
1936 — Walt and Lillian Disney adopt their second daughter, Sharon Mae Disney
1992 — 8TRAX nightclub opens at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island within the Walt Disney World Resort

Jan. 1
1888 — Walt Disney’s parents, Elias Disney and Flora Call, wed in Akron, Fla.
1943 — “Der Fuehrer’s Face” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1959 — Fantasyland Autopia opens at Disneyland Park
2000 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “Fantasia 2000”

Jan. 2
1937 — “The Worm Turns” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1977 — Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland closes at Disneyland Park
1996 — World of Motion closes at Epcot
2001 — Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort welcomes its first Guests

Jan. 3
1964 — Disneyland’s 10th Anniversary TV special airs on “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”
1984 — The Astuter Computer Revue closes at Epcot
1994 — Kitchen Kabaret closes at Epcot
2001 — The Downtown Disney District soft opens at the Disneyland Resort

Jan. 4
1936 — “Mickey’s Polo Team” (cartoon short) released
1989 — Sunkist Citrus House closes at Disneyland Park
1994 — The Disney Inn closes at the Walt Disney World Resort (to become Shades of Green)
1996 — Disney shareholders approve the acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC
1999 — Disneyland Paris begins accepting the new euro currency (aka “E-day”) in the form of credit cards, checks and travelers checks
2003 — The final performance of the “Polynesian Revue” takes place at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
2010 — Honey, I Shrunk the Audience closes at Disneyland Park

Jan. 5
1935 — “The Tortoise and the Hare” (Silly Symphony) is released
1998 — Take Flight (longtime Tomorrowland attraction, originally titled If You Had Wings) closes at Magic Kingdom Park

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And this is all! See you again on January 9, 2012, with a new edition of "The Disney Look... to the Past!"

The photo and the information here reported are subject to the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved.