The Disney Look... to the Past! (December 13-19)
Hello Orlando Theme Park News Readers, and welcome to the newest edition of the weekly feature known as "The Disney Look... to the Past!"
As always, we hope you will enjoy reading all of the following interesting facts about the Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Movies, and more. If you have any questions about this material, feel free to contact us or leave a message at the end of this post. Thank you!:
As always, we hope you will enjoy reading all of the following interesting facts about the Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Movies, and more. If you have any questions about this material, feel free to contact us or leave a message at the end of this post. Thank you!:
This Week in Disney History: December 13-19
Dec. 14, 2003 - Disney’s Pop Century Resort opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
If you’re old enough to remember 45 RPM records, platform shoes, Rubik’s Cubes or (gasp!) floppy disks, then celebrate your nostalgic side at this Value Resort located near ESPN Wide World of Sports. The “Pop” is for pop culture, and outside the 10 Guest buildings housing 2,880 rooms are larger-than-life recreations of some of the most “Remember when?” inducing cultural curios of the 20th century, including Disney characters, a Big Wheel and an enormous foosball table. You can also find food and souvenirs at Everything Pop, or chill out at one of the resort’s three pools. The “classic” pop culture references span from the 1950s through 1990s, and the resort was originally planned to have a second “legendary” phase, highlighting milestones from the first half of the century. This development eventually became Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, opened earlier this year.
Dec. 15, 2004 — Fess Parker honored with a tribute window at Disneyland Park
What better way to recognize the “king of the wild frontier” than with a window, the highest honor at Disneyland Park? On this day in 1955, “Davy Crockett Indian Fighter,” first in a five-part miniseries on the 19th-century Tennessee lawman and tragic hero of the Alamo, debuted on the “Disneyland” television series on ABC. Fess Parker, above, right, who was working primarily as a contract actor in B-movies, caught Walt Disney’s attention and was selected by him for the title role. Besides singlehandedly bringing the coonskin cap to national popularity, Fess appeared in other Disney films including “The Great Locomotive Chase” and “Old Yeller.” He also was instrumental in promoting Disneyland Park and appeared in the opening day television special, and was named a Disney Legend in 1991. Fess’ window can be found in Frontierland above Pioneer Mercantile.
Dec. 13
1940 - “Fire Chief” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1971 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”
Dec. 14
1935 - “Broken Toys” (Silly Symphony) debuts
1961 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Babes in Toyland”
1973 - The Golf Resort (now called Shades of Green) opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
1986 - Big Thunder Barbecue opens at Disneyland Park
2003 - Disney’s Pop Century Resort opens
Dec. 15
1966 - Walt Disney passes away at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Los Angeles
1973 - Pirates of the Caribbean opens at Magic Kingdom Park
1989 - Star Tours opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
1991 - Frontierland Train Station opens at Magic Kingdom Park
1995 - Pizza Planet opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
1997 - Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop opens at the Downtown Disney Marketplace
2000 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “The Emperor’s New Groove”
2004 - Fess Parker (“Davy Crockett” actor) is honored with a tribute window in Frontierland at Disneyland Park
Dec. 16
1952 - WED Enterprises is founded (later renamed Walt Disney Imagineering)
1977 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Pete’s Dragon”
1978 - “The Small One,” an animated featurette, debuts
1997 - Lillian Disney (Walt Disney’s widow) passes away
2009 - Roy E. Disney (son of Roy O. Disney and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company) dies at age 79
Dec. 17
1931 - “The Ugly Duckling” (Silly Symphony) debuts
1932 - “Mickey’s Good Deed” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1990 - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
1994 - Snow White’s Adventures opens with new scenes and a storyline at Magic Kingdom Park
2010 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “TRON: Legacy”
Dec. 18
1985 - Disney and the French government reach an agreement to build a theme park in Marne-la-Vallée
Dec. 19
1999 - Tomorrowland Speedway becomes Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at Magic Kingdom Park
________________________________________________________________________________________________All photos and information subject to the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved.
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