1933:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Ye Olden Days and the Silly Symphony cartoon Father Noah's Ark are both released. In Ye Olden Days (directed by Bert Gillett) Mickey and his friends put on a
musical play in Medieval times. Mickey plays a wandering minstrel who saves Princess Minnie from having to marry
Dippy Dawg (later known as Goofy), the Prince of Poopoopadoo! The Silly Symphony short, directed by Wilfred
Jackson, is a musical retelling of the Biblical story of Noah and the ark.
2005:
A fifth grade class from Sonoma County's El Verano Elementary School are honored
as environmental heroes at the Disneyland Resort. Teacher David Neubacher and his students are awarded the honor during a special ceremony (which is part of Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge program).
Disney's Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama debuts on Disney Channel.
Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, it is the second TV film based on the animated television series Kim Possible. Kim has to find a date for the junior prom, and is horrified at the suggestion that she might miss out on a
proper date with one of the `fanciable' guys because she spends too much time with her friend Ron Stoppable.
The voice cast includes Christy Carlson Romano as Kim, Will Friedle as Ron, Nancy Cartwright as Rufus (Ron's pet
naked mole-rat), John DiMaggio as Dr. Drakken (Kim's nemesis), and Nicole Sullivan as Shego (Drakken's sassy & sarcastic sidekick).
Choreographer & dancer Onna White, who worked on the 1977 Disney animated-live action feature Pete's Dragon, passes away in California. Over her career she collected an amazing 8 Tony Award nominations and worked on classics like The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie.
Disney's Broadway hit Beauty and the Beast plays its 4,500th performance!
The Phil of the Future episode "Corner Pocket" debuts on Disney Channel.
1939:
The British mouse-mag Mickey Mouse Weekly introduces the Lone Ranger (already popular with American kids through radio) to its readers. A free Lone Ranger mask is included in the issue. A fictional masked ex-Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West, the Lone Ranger will be turned into a hit television series on ABC during the early 1950s. (A feature film by
Disney was released in 2013.)
1941:
Original Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie is born in Montreal, Canada. Auditioning for The Mickey Mouse Club in March 1955, she was hired, and appeared on the program for all three seasons of its original run. She was the leading female singer and starred in the serial "Corky and White Shadow" during the first season. In the third season, she appeared in the serial "The New Adventures of Spin and Marty" with Tim Considine and David Stollery. A naturalized U.S. citizen in September 1956, she also recorded albums of songs from Disney animated films, such as Alice in Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty. She was cast as Dorothy in a musical number from the proposed live-action Disney film Rainbow Road to Oz on an episode of the Disneyland television series in September 1957. The movie was never made, and after The Mickey Mouse Club stopped filming in 1958, her short acting career neared its end.
1962:
The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
airs "Von Drake in Spain."
1974:
Walt Disney World's Treasure Island (later to be called Discovery Island) opens to the public. Located on Bay Lake behind the Contemporary Hotel, the 11.5-acre island features wildlife (such as birds, reptiles, and mammals). A beached hull of a sailing ship on the island's southwest shore and a light pirate theme (complete with Cast Members in costume) set the stage for this "tropical island paradise."
1997:
Disney's Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face Off, an animated film, is released direct-
to video. A compilation of three episodes from the animated television series Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, it
features the voices of Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, April Winchell, Tony Jay and Dennis Franz.
2000:
Two San Francisco Bay Area student robot teams join with a New Jersey team to win the FIRST ("For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology") national robotic games championship held at Walt Disney World's Epcot in Florida. The NASA-sponsored competition involves 268 robots from high schools across the nation.
2001:
The classic 1924 silent film Peter Pan returns to Disney's El Capitan Theatre, with organist Chris Elliott providing live accompaniment to the film. Also on the bill is a celebration of Walt Disney's 100th birthday that includes rare screenings of two 1922 animated shorts, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots, along with family home movies and previously unseen footage. (Walt Disney is said to have admired the 1924 adaptation of James M. Barrie's Peter Pan and purchased it in 1938 when he began development of his animated feature.) Disney film restoration expert Scott MacQueen hosts the afternoon event.
2002:
Disney Online announces the launch of a new advertising format that expands
upon the traditional banner ad. "The Magic Banner," will engage guests with
animated designs in a single, enlarged ad space at the top of the page.
Orman James Tucker - an employee of Walt Disney and Technicolor
during the late 1930s early 40s - passes away in Valencia, California, at age 88.
Actress Skai Jackson is born in New York City. Disney Channel fans know her as Zuri Ross on both the series Jessie and Bunk'd, and on an episode of Good Luck Charlie.
2006:
Disneyland Paris launches its newest attraction, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast - located in the park’s Discoveryland. This revolutionary attraction features spinning vehicles and hand-held laser guns allowing guests to shoot at targets and rack up a score which is displayed on the dashboard of each "Space Cruiser." It is the final Buzz Lightyear attraction to open, as every Disney park in the world now has a version of it (starting with WDW's Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin first opening back in 1998).
Walt Disney World's
now extinct Treasure Island (later known as Discovery Island) was a sanctuary for dozens of birds, reptiles, mammals, and other
non-avian species.
1985:
Monday
The 107th White House Easter Egg Roll, one of the oldest and most
unique traditions in U. S. presidential history, takes place the day after Easter
Sunday. This year's event includes Disney and one of its' most outstanding artists and Imagineers Bill Justice.
Fifty of America's best artists - including Justice - have been asked by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to paint
Easter eggs. Justice has also been asked to design the cover for the event's program and to illustrate four pages of
Disney line art for children to color. He attends the Easter Egg Roll along with a costumed Mickey Mouse!
2004:
A memorial service is held at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City for the late actor Jason Raize. Raize, the original adult Simba in the Broadway musical The Lion King, had passed at the age of 28 last February. In summer 2000, Raize and Jessica Simpson starred in a Disney Channel special called Jessica Simpson and Jason Raize in Concert. The concert was filmed in Disneyland and featured Raize singing "You Win Again," "I Can Make It Without You," and "NYC." Raize also provided the voice of Denahi for the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear.
"Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret - curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." -Walt Disney
2008:
Thousands of Disneyland park guests gather around King Arthur's Carrousel to watch
Disney's top brass dedicate a special carousel horse to legendary performer Julie
Andrews. "Jingles," the lead carrousel horse, commemorates Andrews' service as the theme park's ambassador during
its 50th anniversary, as well as her contributions to the company over the past 44 years (Andrews played the lead role in
Disney's feature film Mary Poppins). Jingles features a hand-painted, colorful jewel-tone palette including embellishments
of gold leaf horseshoes. A miniature, one-of-kind replica of Jingles is also presented to Andrews on this day.
Unfold, the debut solo album by singer/songwriter Marié Digby is released through
Disney's Hollywood Records. The album features the singles "Umbrella" (a cover of the Rihanna hit), "Say It
Again" and "Stupid for You".
APRIL 8
APRIL 08
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
Ye
Olden
Days
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1998:
At Disney-MGM, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (which began construction last month) sets the record for the largest "concrete pour" at a Walt Disney attraction! On this day, the gravity building's mat foundation is poured.
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A
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1973:
Disneyland's Main Street Opera House debuts The Walt Disney Story (presented
by Gulf Oil) with special guest Mrs. Lillian Disney Truyens. A biography of Walt Disney's life,
the 23-minute film (which features rare footage) is narrated by Walt himself from interview recordings. Also on
display - photographs from family archives, a collection of memorabilia, and national and international awards
presented to Walt over his lifetime. The Walt Disney Story replaces Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (although the
two shows will later be combined into one single attraction). The Walt Disney Story will be officially dedicated May 6.
Film producer Dan Lin is born in Taipei, Taiwan. Best known for producing Warner Bros.' The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Lin also produced Disney's animated Lilo & Stitch, and the live-action Aladdin.
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In Memory of Annette Funicello (1942-2013)
Disney's Pest Management frequently inspects and monitors the pest and beneficial populations across the Walt Disney World Resort property. To help aid in the control of the pest populations, WDW will sometimes release over ten and a half million beneficial insects (such as ladybug beetles and lacewing larvae).
1963:
Although nominated for 3 Oscars, Disney is shut out at the 35th Academy Awards.
Disney's Bon Voyage is edged out by The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm for Best Costume Design,
Color and Lawrence of Arabia for Best Sound. Disney's A Symposium on Popular Songs loses out to The Hole
for Best Short Subject, Cartoons.
1949:
Disney's Donald Duck short Sea Salts, directed by Jack Hannah, is released. In this
cartoon, instead of being enemies, Donald and Bootle Beetle are good friends who reminisce about old times at sea.
Season 8 Episode 25
"I am very honored to have been asked to provide so much artwork for the White House. This has been one of the most wonderful experiences in my
life. I can't believe all the attention I got. It's nice though, after working for so long, to have it topped with a trip to the White House!" -Bill Justice
1984:
Actress Kirsten Storms is born in Orlando, Florida. Her Disney credits include the title character in Disney
Channel's 1999 original movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (which had the largest rating for any Disney Channel original movie at the time) and the sequels Zenon: The Zequel and Zenon: Z3. Storms' voice credits include Belle's Tales of
Friendship, Sing Me a Story with Belle, and Kim Possible (as Bonnie Rockwaller). She also appeared in the 1999 Disney
Channel Original Movie Johnny Tsunami and a 2003 episode of That's So Raven.
(Fans of General Hospital will know Storms from her role of Maxie Jones.)
Taran Noah Smith, a former actor widely known for his role as Mark Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, is born in San Francisco, California.
1946:
Film and television actor Stuart Pankin is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His Disney/Hollywood credits include Arachnophobia (1990) as Sheriff Lloyd Parsons, 3 episodes of the animated series Aladdin (1994), Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997) as Gordon Szalinski, the ABC sitcom Dinosaurs (1991-94)
as the voice of Earl, 3 episodes of Hercules: The Animated Series (1998-99), the Disney Channel movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999) as Commander Edward Plank, returning to the role for Zenon: The Zequel (2001), 3 episodes of That's So Raven (2003–04), an episode of Higglytown Heroes (2004), playing the Commander one last time for Zenon: Z3 (2004), an episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2005), an episode of The Suite Life on Deck (2008), and one episode of Girl Meets World (2015). Although Pankin is known for comedy roles and game show appearances, he has also appeared in numerous television commercials.
2010:
Toy Story 3 is featured in Apple's iPhone OS 4 Event with Steve Jobs demoing a Toy Story 3 themed iAd written in HTML5 (the next major revision of HyperText Markup Language).
2013:
Actress, singer and Disney Legend Annette Joanne Funicello passes away from complications from multiple sclerosis at the age of 70. Beginning her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve, Funicello rose to prominence as one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. Born in 1942, Funicello was discovered by Walt Disney when she performed as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake at a dance recital at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank, California. After the Mickey Mouse Club, she remained under contract with Disney for a time, with television roles in Zorro, Elfego Baca, and The Horsemasters. Her
Disney film credits include such classics as Babes in Toyland, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, The Monkey's Uncle
and The Shaggy Dog. Although uncomfortable being thought of as a singer, Funicello had a number of pop record hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, mostly written by the Sherman Brothers and including: "Tall Paul", "First Name Initial",
"O Dio Mio", "Train of Love" (written by Paul Anka) and "Pineapple Princess". They were released by Disney's Buena Vista label. Her 1960 pop song "Pineapple Princess" (which appeared on the LP album Hawaiiannette) was later used on the soundtrack of Lilo and Stitch 2.
April is 1964/65 New York World's Fair Month
1994:
Hollywood Pictures releases Holy Matrimony, a comedy directed by Leonard Nimoy
and starring Patricia Arquette and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (in his feature film debut).
The film tells the story of a beautiful thief, hiding in a small, isolated religious community, who marries a young boy
in order to retrieve a hidden fortune. The cast also includes Tate Donovan, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and John Schuck.
It will be the final feature film directed by Nimoy.
2018:
Chuck McCann, a film, television, stage and voice actor, passes away at age 83 in Los Angeles, California. A comedy giant to a generation of kids who grew up watching his children's shows in the
New York metropolitan area during the 1960s, the Brooklyn-born McCann relocated to Los Angeles in the 1970s where he began getting voice work for cartoons. McCann's Disney credits include DuckTales, The New Adventures
of Winnie the Pooh and TaleSpin. He also appeared in the 1974 feature film Herbie Rides Again, and voiced Santa in the 2004 Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas. Originally hired by WED as the voice of Dreamfinder (for Epcot's Journey into Imagination), McCann left the project before it was completed. (He was replaced with Ron Schneider.)
1968:
Actress Patricia Arquette is born in Chicago, Illinois. She voiced Beaver in the 2001 animated Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure and Harmony’s Mom in the 2019 animated Toy Story 4. Arquette portrayed Kathy O'Hara in Touchstone's 1994 Ed Wood, Miss Katherine "Kissin' Kate" Barlow in Disney's 2003 Holes, and Betsy "Havana" Iggins in Hollywood Pictures Holy Matrimony - released on this day in 1994. (Television viewers will recognize Arquette from the supernatural drama series Medium.)
2011:
Major construction work begins on Shanghai Disneyland Park in China.
1981:
Actor Taylor Kitsch is born in British Columbia. He starred in Disney's 2012 science fiction
live-action film John Carter.
2014:
Can't Blame a Girl for Trying, the debut extended play by singer Sabrina Carpenter,
is released by Hollywood Records.
2020:
ABC's Modern Family (which won the Emmy for Best Comedy five years in a row) wraps up its 11-season run on television with a one-hour finale.
2009:
The Region 4 DVD of High School Musical 3 is released.
2003:
My Degeneration, the fourth studio album by the punk rock band Flashlight Brown, is released on Disney's Hollywood Records. The band's first major-label release, it is produced by Rob Cavallo
(primarily known for his production work with Green Day).
1999:
Actress Emma Rose Lima is born. Her voice credits include Enchanted, Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest, and Brave.
