2002:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers with head coach Jon Gruden begin their
first summer training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Florida.
1922:
The first Laugh-O-Gram cartoon Little Red Riding Hood is released. A silent black &
white short, it is written, produced, and directed by Walt Disney and animated by
Rudolph Ising. It is considered Walt's first full-length short cartoon as prior to this only minute-long cartoons
have been produced.
1933:
Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon Old King Cole, directed by David Hand, is released.
1938:
Disney's Donald Duck cartoon The Fox Hunt is released.
Donald and Goofy go fox hunting - only to catch a skunk!
Journalist Peter Jennings is born Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served as the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005. Despite dropping out of high school in the 10th grade, Jennings transformed himself into one of American television's most prominent journalists. In October 2006, The Walt Disney Company (which bought ABC in 1996) posthumously named Jennings a Disney Legend, the company's highest honor. He was the first ABC News employee so honored.
1941:
Actor David Warner, who appeared in Disney's 1982 Tron as Ed
Dillinger/Sark and the Voice of Master Control Program, is born in
Manchester, England. Although often cast as villains, Warner actually narrated
both the 1997 direct-to-video Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher
Robin and the 1999 television special Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You. Warner's
voice can be heard on a 1993 episode of Dinosaurs and two episodes of Buzz Lightyear
of Star Command in 2000. In 2018 Warner portrayed Admiral Bloom in the musical fantasy Mary Poppins Returns.
He passed at age 80 in 2022.
1998:
The Parent Trap (a remake of the 1961 film originally starring Hayley Mills) is released.
Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson star as a divorced couple who separated shortly after their identical twin daughters' birth. Lindsay Lohan stars (in her film debut) as both twins, Hallie Parker and Annie James, who are fortuitously reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth.
1999:
Walt Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
opens with a special, invitation-only party, with Aerosmith as the guests of honor at Disney-MGM Studios. An enclosed steel roller coaster ride, it is located at the end of Sunset Boulevard. Invited guests are treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet and bar, and get a chance to ride the roller coaster with a member of Aerosmith. (Rock 'n' Roller Coaster will officially open to the public the following day.)
2000:
To mark the first anniversary of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Walt Disney World takes 80 Corvettes and forms the signature guitar in the Disney-MGM Studios parking lot.
2005:
The family stage show Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh launches a U.S. tour in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. The new interactive and three-dimensional production is produced
by Field Entertainment, Inc.
Disney's live-action film Sky High, starring Kurt Russell
and Kelly Preston, is generally released in U.S. theaters.
The story describes the beginning of freshman year for Will Stronghold
(played by Michael Angarano) at Sky High School, a school for young
superheroes that floats somewhere in the sky. Will's parents pose as
suburban real-estate agents Steve and Josie Stronghold, but they are
really the Commander (Russell) and Jetstream (Preston), two of the
most famous and powerful superheroes! The cast includes Danielle
Panabaker as Layla Williams (Will's best friend and love interest), Mary
Elizabeth Winstead as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Grayson & her alter ego
Royal Pain, Patrick Warburton as the voice of Gwen as Royal Pain,
Steven Strait as Warren Peace, Dave Foley as Jonathan Boy, Kevin
McDonald as Professor Medulla, and Tom Kenny & Jill Talley as Mr.
and Mrs. Chester Timmerman. Sky High is directed by Mike Mitchell,
and written by Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.
At Disneyland,
Tomorrowland was originally designed to be
a small scale city of the future. When the park opened in 1955, Tomorrowland
represented the distant
future of 1986.
1957:
Time magazine runs "How To Make A Buck" - an article about Walt Disney's success.
2007:
Disney's lavish Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast plays its final performance
(at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City). The show first debuted on Broadway
in 1994 on April 18 (three years after the release of the animated movie) at the Palace Theater. The
Broadway production closes to make way for Disney's next musical venture, The Little Mermaid.
The Disney-owned Power Rangers begin a 15-city tour in San Diego in celebration
of their 15th anniversary.
1955:
Illustrator and comics artist Dave Stevens is born in Lynwood, California.
Best known for creating "The Rocketeer" comic book and film character, Stevens was the first to win
Comic-Con International's Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award in 1982. His Rocketeer character first
appeared in a back-up feature of Pacific Comics' "Starslayer" #2 and was released as a feature film by Walt Disney
Pictures/Touchstone Pictures in 1991. In his early days, Stevens drew storyboards for Hanna-Barbera's animated TV shows, including "Super Friends" and "The Godzilla Power Hour," where he worked with comics and animation veteran Doug Wildey. Later he worked in animation and film, joining the art studio of illustrators William Stout and Richard Hescox in Los Angeles, where he worked on storyboards for George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and pop singer Michael Jackson's video "Thriller." Stevens' lush figure work, particulary when rendering the female form, coupled with his elegant brush line, brought him much acclaim far beyond the confines of comic books. Sadly, he passed at the age of 52 in March 2008.
2008:
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake located near Chino Hills (just east of Los Angeles) in
Southern California strikes at 11:45 AM, resulting in the evacuation of all attractions
at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Most attractions are reopened by the evening.
JULY
JULY 29
JULY 29
THIS SITE MADE
IN THE
USA
Today is National Lasagna Day
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1930:
The Mickey Mouse short The Shindig, directed by Burt Gillett, is released. Mickey,
Minnie, Horace, and Clarabelle are off to a wild barn party. There Mickey plays the harmonica and dances with
gigantic Patricia Pig, then joins Minnie in a duet on "Pop Goes the Weasel." It is first cartoon where Clarabelle is
named on-screen.
"I do expect a lot of myself. I'm a harsh critic because I know what I'm capable of." -Dave Stevens
1966:
Disney's live-action comedy feature film Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. - starring
Dick Van Dyke and Nancy Kwan - is generally released in the U.S. A comedic twist on
Daniel Defoe's classic novel Robinson Crusoe, Dick Van Dyke plays a U.S. Navy pilot who becomes a
castaway on a tropical island. Character actor Richard Deacon (known from TV's "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Leave It to Beaver") provides narration.
Playing in front of Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. is the short Run, Appaloosa, Run. Narrated by Rex Allen,
Run, Appaloosa, Run tells the story of how a youngster and horse work together to overcome adversity.
Film, stage, television and voice actor Richard Steven Horvitz is born in Los Angeles, California. His Disney voice credits include Dave the Barbarian (Ned Frischman), Elena of Avalor (Ocho), Fish Hooks (Ninja), Kim Possible (Aviarius), Mulan (Chinese Soldier / Zhencha ), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Frollo's Soldiers). Best known for his work in the Power Rangers franchise, you may recognize him as the voice of Green Grapes in the Fruit of the Loom commercials.
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2011:
The removal of the Golden Gate Bridge facade at Disney California Adventure is completed. An iconic remnant of the original concept of the park, the removal began 10 days earlier, with work
taking place over night after the theme park closed. California Adventure is in the midst of a project to re-theme the
park to give it more of a Disney feel.
The Salt Lake Home Builders Association hosts the 65th
Annual Salt Lake Parade of Homes (today through August
14) at the Herriman Towne Center development. The longest
consecutive running Parade of Homes in the United States, it features a real-life
replica of the house from Disney/Pixar’s Up. Built by the Bangerter Brothers (a
custom-home building company), the house is painted in vibrant sherbet shades,
and comes complete with Carl and Ellie’s hand-printed mailbox and custom-made
garden hose reel. The brothers sought the blessing of Disney Entertainment
Group before proceeding, and received the company’s approval to do some
Walt Disney-style "imagineering" of their own!
July 29
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
1988:
The romantic drama Cocktail, directed by Roger Donaldson and written by Heywood
Gould, is released by Touchstone Pictures. About a young New York City business student,
Brian Flanagan, who takes up bartending in order to make ends meet, the film stars Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown,
and Elisabeth Shue. Cocktail is based on Gould's semi-autobiographical novel published in 1984. He had worked
as a bartender in New York from 1969 to 1981 to support his writing career. The film is distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures.
1935:
Voice actress Joan Gerber is born in Detroit, Michigan. Best remembered for voicing Freddy the Flute for H.R. Pufnstuf (a popular live-action Saturday morning Sid and Marty Krofft series), her Disney credits included the television movie DuckTales: Treasure of the Golden Suns (1987), the series DuckTales (1987), the feature film DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), and the series Goof Troop (1990).
2017:
At Disneyland, the Mark Twain Riverboat along the Rivers of America reopens after being closed since January 2016. It had been temporarily shut down for the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
1983:
Actor & novelist David Niven passes away at age 73 in Switzerland. His Disney credits include the 1977 Candleshoe, playing the multiple roles of of Mr. Priory, Mr. Gipping, Colonel Dennis and John, and the 1976 comedy No Deposit, No Return as J.W. Osborne.
Actress Tania Gunadi is born in Indonesia. Her Disney credits include episodes of Even Stevens, the films Pixel Perfect and Go Figure, and the animated series The Lion Guard.
1987:
Actress Genesis Rodriguez is born in Miami, Florida. She provided the voice for Honey Lemon in the 2014 animated Big Hero 6 (2014) and the 2017 Big Hero 6: The Series.
1990:
Actor Matt Prokop is born in Victoria, Texas. He is best known for his role as Jimmie "The Rocket Man" Zara in High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
2016:
Disney's animated series Doc McStuffins: Toy Hospital kicks off season 4 with the 2-part episode "Welcome to McStuffinsville".
2014:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the soundtrack album for the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy, is released by Hollywood Records. Featuring the songs present on Peter Quill's mixtape in the film, the collection includes such 1970s hit tunes as "Hooked on a Feeling" (by Blue Swede), "Go All the Way" (by The Raspberries), and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (by Elvin Bishop).
Also released on this day is Guardians of the Galaxy (Original Score) featuring 29 tracks composed by Tyler Bates.
Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United, a direct to video animated film by Marvel Animation, is released on Digital HD, On-Demand, and Disney Movies Anywhere (a streaming platform). Heroes United is a series of direct to video films from Marvel Animation and the first from its own studio outside any joint ventures.
1953:
Fashion consultant, television personality, actor, voice actor, and author Tim Gunn is born in Washington, D.C. The voice of Baileywick, the castle steward in the Disney Junior television show Sofia the First, he also narrated the ABC sitcom Mixology, and appeared in episodes of ABC's Ugly Betty and Disney Channel's The Replacements.
1972:
Actor Wil Wheaton is born Richard William Wheaton III in Burbank, California. His
Disney credits include Bennett Hoenicker in Flubber, voicing Skurg in the animated Jetix series Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Commander S'leet in Miles from Tomorrowland, and Michael Korvac in Guardians of the Galaxy. He also played Ehrich Weiss/Young Harry Houdini in the television film Young Harry Houdini. Perhaps best known for portraying Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, his film roles include Stand By Me and Neverland. Fans of The Big Bang Theory know Wheaton for playing a fictionalized version of himself.
