The Disney Look.. to the Past! (May 10-16)

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: May 10-16

May 12, 1932 - Goofy makes his debut appearance in “Mickey’s Revue”

During this classic Mickey Mouse animated short, an unidentified dog with a raucous laugh yuks it up at the on-stage antics of Minnie Mouse, Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar, much to the rest of the audience’s chagrin. The inimitable chuckle made such an impression on Walt Disney and his staff that they paired him with Mickey and others characters in further shorts throughout the 1930s. The Mickey Mouse newspaper comic first identified him as Dippy Dawg, but when he starred in his first solo animated short, “Goofy and Wilbur” (1939), he officially received the name we know him by today. First voiced by Pinto Colvig, Goofy is often bumbling, silly and prone to pratfalls, and in moments of confusion is quick with his trademark “Gawrsh!” But he can also play a devoted family man, intelligent and charismatic, and is perhaps best known for his series of “How To” shorts, illustrating his one-of-kind perspective on everything from driving a car to setting up a home theatre. In recent years, Goofy has been a fixture on Disney Junior’s “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” and also starred in the animated series “Goof Troop,” which introduced his good-natured son, Max.

May 13, 2009 - Disney•Pixar's "Up" debuts at the Cannes Film Festival

Cranky septuagenarian Carl Fredericksen wants to fulfill his lifelong dream of travelling to South America, just like his childhood hero, explorer Charles Muntz. Driven by the memory of his late wife, Ellie, he sends his house soaring by attaching thousands of helium balloons. There's just one small problem: talkative 9-year-old Russell, a Wilderness Explorer working on his "assisting the elderly" badge, accidentally gets taken along for the ride. As they negotiate jungle landscapes, encounter endangered birds and talking dogs (squirrel!), Fredericksen learns that adventure is indeed out there - but also that some of life's best stuff is the boring stuff. Directed by Pete Docter, "Up" notched Pixar's fifth Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, along with only the second nomination of any animated film for Best Picture. Docter also directed "Monsters, Inc." (2002), whose prequel "Monsters University" lands in theatres June 21.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 10

1929 - “Skeleton Dance,” the first Silly Symphony cartoon, debuts

2006 - The musical “Tarzan” opens in New York City at the Richard Rogers Theatre

May 11

1935 - The Silly Symphony short “Water Babies” debuts

2002 - Bill Peet, author and storyboard artist credited with writing Disney’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” and “The Sword in the Stone,” dies at age 87

May 12

1956 - The Horseless Carriage opens at Disneyland Park

1967 - The cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista are chartered by the state of Florida to perform municipal functions within the Reedy Creek Improvement District (clearing the way for construction of the Walt Disney World Resort)

May 13

1933 - “The Mail Pilot” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts

1992 - “Fantasmic!” debuts on the Rivers of America at Disneyland Park

1997 - The Magic Kingdom II ferryboat at the Walt Disney World Resort is renamed the Richard F. Irvine

May 14

1923 - Walt writes Margaret J. Winkler in hopes of her distributing the Alice Comedies film series (first correspondence with his future distributor)

May 15

1928 - Walt Disney’s animated short “Plane Crazy” is first screened

1972 - The Frontierland Train Station opens at Magic Kingdom Park

1987 - Disneyland Park introduces Disney Dollars currency

1995 - The California Grill opens at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

May 16

1990 - Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, dies at age 53

1991 - “Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D” debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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

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