1889:
Humorist, newspaper columnist, and actor Robert Charles Benchley is born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He starred in the 1941 Disney feature film The Reluctant Dragon, giving a loose tour of the then-new Walt Disney Studios facility in Burbank, California. Benchley is best remembered for his contributions to The New Yorker,
where his essays, sometimes topical - sometimes absurd, influenced many modern humorists. (Robert is the grandfather of Jaws writer Peter Benchley!)
1904:
British film and radio actor Tom Conway, the narrator of Disney's 1953
classic film Peter Pan, is born in St. Petersburg, Russia.
1925:
Disney's Alice comedy Alice the Jailbird is generally released. After stealing a pie, Alice
and Julius are put on a chain gang, where they escape with the help of a friendly ostrich.
1941:
Original Mouseketeer Don Underhill is born in Alhambra, California.
He was hired for the first year of the Mickey Mouse Club based on his dancing skills.
1955:
Filmmaker Bruce Reitherman, who as a youngster voiced Christopher Robin in The
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mowgli in The Jungle Book, is born in
Burbank, California. He is the son of Disney animator/director Wolfgang Reitherman.
1963:
"Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" airs on the NBC-TV series
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.
Composer-conductor Oliver Wallace passes away in Los Angeles, California.
Born in London in 1887, he moved to the U.S. after completing his musical training. In 1936 he
joined Disney Studios, and quickly became one of the most important composers in the studio
for such short animated films as Mickey's Trailer, Good Scouts, and Donald's Cousin Gus. Over the course of his 27 years at Disney, his work also included such feature films as Dumbo (for which he won an Oscar for Best Score in 1941 along with composer Frank Churchill), Victory Through Air Power, Alice in Wonderland,
Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Lady and the Tramp. Starting with the 1948 Seal Island, Wallace also specialized in musical accompaniments for Disney documentaries, including nearly all the films for the "People and Places" series and some of the "True Life Adventures." He will be named a Disney Legend in 2008.
1967:
An article about Disneyland's new Pirates of the Caribbean attraction
runs in LIFE magazine. Anyone For Yo-Ho-Ho? appears in the entertainment section.
1983:
A special fountain is presented to Tokyo Disneyland by Walt Disney Productions.
"Cinderella's Fountain" is in commemoration of the park's 5-millionth guest.
1996:
At Epcot, the Universe of Energy reopens. It now stars comedian
and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. (The original Universe of Energy
pavilion itself was an innovation in energy technology - its entire roof was covered in
photovoltaic solar panels that partially powered the ride vehicles.) The new DeGeneres version now features
Bill Nye 'The Science Guy,' TV game show host Alex Trebek, and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Although called
Ellen's Energy Crisis, the attraction will later be re-named Ellen's Energy Adventure.
1998:
Walt Disney Home Video hosts the first-ever "Canine Carnival" in celebration of the
much-anticipated video re-release of Disney's "Lady and the Tramp," at Los
Angeles Griffith Park. Attending celebrities and their pooch pals include Charlton Heston, Lorenzo
Lamas, and Leeza Gibbons.
The soundtrack to the Disney/Pixar A Bug's Life, featuring
the music of Randy Newman, is released on Walt Disney Records.
Still I Can't Be Still, Idina Menzel's debut album, is released on Disney's Hollywood Records. It was while wowing audiences in the original production of Rent, that Menzel was offered a record deal with Hollywood Records. (After selling less than 10,000 copies in the US and missing the Billboard 200, Disney put the album out of print, and she was dropped from the label. However, demand for the album will grow significantly after Menzel's rise to fame with her Tony-winning performance in Wicked, and will be subsequently re-released in September 2005.)
Another World, the second studio album by Queen guitarist Brian May, is released in the
U.S. by Disney's Hollywood Records. Recorded at his home studio after the completion of the last Queen
album, Made in Heaven, the album was released in the UK on June 1, 1998.
1999:
Most of Walt Disney World remains closed due to the public threat of Hurricane Floyd. Heavy rains and strong winds hit Central Florida in the morning. Only essential employees are asked to
report to work and guests who are staying at Disney's campgrounds are given shelter at the convention center at the Contemporary Resort. It is the first time in Disney's 28-year history that it has been forced to close almost all of its parks. When the hurricane's impact is not as great as expected, officials decide to open just Animal Kingdom from
noon to 8:00 p.m., for resort guests only. (The rest of Disney World will reopen the following day.)
2000:
Tokyo Disneyland celebrates Respect For The Aged Day (a national holiday in
Japan) with a dance party for guests age sixty and older.
Disney's Hollywood Pictures releases "Duets," featuring the ensemble cast of Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti, Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Huey Lewis and Angie Dickinson. Six strangers from all walks of life have one thing in common... a passion for karaoke. In this road-trip comedy, three pairs of people converge on the $5,000 Grand Prize Karaoke Contest in Omaha, Nebraska, searching to find something they don’t have in their lives. Directed by Bruce Paltrow (father of Gwyneth), he spent several years trying to get the project started.
The film was produced outside Disney's main production channels and was acquired and financed by Buena Vista Film Sales and was distributed through Hollywood Pictures. This was the only time Gwyneth Paltrow and her producer/director father Bruce worked together on a film project. Actors Huey Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti, and Maria Bello all perform the songs featured in the film, while professional vocalist Arnold McCuller sings all of Andre Braugher's parts.
2001:
Disney's ABC-TV replaces The Peacemaker a 1997 movie about a terrorist plotting an attack in New York City, with the romantic comedy Hope Float
(in response to the September 11th terrorist attack).
Playhouse Disney debuts a new animated interactive series titled "Stanley." Based on the series of children's books written by Andrew Griffin, "Stanley" teaches a wide variety of issues preschool children face, including change, growth, rules, and dealing with others. Each episode centers on an animal that deals with or helps explain the issue Stanley is grappling with. The show is produced by the Nashville-based Cartoon Pizza and developed for television by animator/cartoonist Jim Jinkins. The voice cast features Jessica D. Stone as Stanley, Charles Shaughnessy as Dennis the goldfish, Shawn Pyfrom as Lionel (Stanley's older brother), and Khylan Jones as identical twins Marci & Mimi. The series will run through November 2004.
The animated sitcom The Proud Family debuts on Disney Channel. Created by Walt Disney Animation Studios animator Bruce W. Smith and produced by Jambalaya Studios, the show focuses on fourteen-year-old Penny Proud (voiced by Kyla Pratt) as she attempts to gain her independence while facing typical teenage experiences in junior high. The series will run through August 2005.
2002:
Tony Anselmo, Disney animator and the voice of Donald Duck, appears at
Walt's Barn in Griffith Park, California. Fans at the event (hosted by The Carolwood Pacific
Historical Society) are able to purchase and have Anselmo sign a copy of his The Disney Poster Book.
Season 2 of the interactive series Stanley premieres on Playhouse Disney.
2004:
Tokyo Disneyland's 2-month long celebration "Disney's Halloween" begins.
The stage musical Mary Poppins (produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh) opens for previews in England at the Bristol Hippodrome. (Regular performances will begin
3 days later.)
2005:
Disney releases the Platinum Edition DVD of Cinderella the same day the El Capitan's limited engagement of the 1950 classic kicks-off with a special filmmakers' panel.
Featured are Ilene Woods-Shaughnessy (the original voice of Cinderella), June Foray (the voice of Lucifer the cat),
Lucille Bliss (the voice of stepsister Anastasia), and legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston.
2006:
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held for the first time this season at Walt Disney World.
The 3-day Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend kicks off in Anaheim. The 13.1-mile route takes runners through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks.
Actor Dylan Riley Snyder replaces Daniel Manche as Young Tarzan in Disney's Broadway musical Tarzan.
1997:
Downtown Disney West Side premieres in Florida. The 66-acre addition is Disney World's third
shopping, dining, and entertainment zone and features Wolfgang Puck Cafè, House of Blues, Bongos Cuban Cafè,
Virgin Megastore, plus an expanded AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatres. This waterfront district is the largest of the
three Downtown Disney areas - which include Pleasure Island and the Marketplace.
(Downtown Disney began life on March 22, 1975 as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village.)
1928:
A session to record sound for Steamboat Willie takes place in a New York
studio (at this time there are no sound facilities on the West Coast). Walt Disney has gathered a 17-piece orchestra and three sound effects professionals to record music and sound fx for his Mickey Mouse short. The day is filled with problems as the orchestra finds it difficult to play in synch with the animated film. By the end of this session, a frustrated Walt has spent $1,000 at the studio ... and has nothing to show for it. More preparation is needed before a second attempt is made.
 | ||||
The trip around the
Walt Disney World Railroad
is 1 1/2 miles
or about
20 minutes.
1958:
The Disneyland Viewliner, a narrow gauge, miniature train running since June 1957,
shuts down forever. Billed as "the fastest miniature train in the world," it was the park's first attempt at mass-
transit. Two separate trains, designed and built as scale replicas of General Motors' futuristic Aerotrain, traveled
along a figure-eight track through parts of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. (The Aerotrain was a streamlined
trainset introduced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in the mid-1950s.) The Tomorrowland train featured
cars that were named for the planets, while the cars of the Fantasyland train were named after various Disney characters. The Disneyland Monorail System will take the place of Viewliner in June 1959.
1857:
William Howard Taft, the twenty-seventh United States President
(1909-1913), is born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1921, he became the 10th Chief
Justice of the United States, thus being the only person to have served in both offices. Visit
him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.
2008:
It is reported that the first center in eastern Africa designed to rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce orphaned gorillas back into the wild will begin construction later this month
in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund will provide funding
toward initial operating expenses for the facility. In addition, experts from Disney’s Animal Programs will provide
materials and in-kind services to assist with development and construction of the center, help relocate the current orphaned gorillas and provide educational opportunities for students and the community.
WDW's Disney Dining Experience is re-named Tables in Wonderland. It is a dining discount program for eligible Florida Residents and Annual Passholders.
The Cosmos Rocks, the first (and only) studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers, is released in the U.S. on Hollywood Records. It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Roger
Taylor, and Paul Rodgers.
High School Musical 2 Deluxe Dance Edition is released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. It is a 2-disc special edition of the 2007 film.
SEPTEMBER 15
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
SEPTEMBER 15
| ||||
| ||||
1944:
Disney's Goofy short How to Play Football is released.
Directed by Jack Kinney with animation by Art Babbitt, Goofy (in multiple roles) plays all the
positions on both teams to demonstrate the sport. The Goofies of Taxidermy Tech take on the
Goofies of Anthropology A and M ... with hilarious results.
| ||||
2009:
The World Premiere of the groundbreaking documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty
takes place at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film (directed by Don Hahn)
chronicles the revival of Walt Disney Animation beginning in the 1980s and the start of the decade-long Disney Renaissance. The Disney Renaissance refers to the era when the Walt Disney Animation Studios returned to making successful animated films mostly based on fairy tales.
Breathing Underwater, the second album by American singer Marié Digby, is
released worldwide through Disney's Hollywood Records (although Amazon has
been offering it since September 7).
Also released through Hollywood Records is Fashionably Late, the debut album by the band Honor Society (and the first album to be released under Jonas Records).
| ||||
Downtown Disney West Side debuts
Disneyland Viewliner shuts down
2010:
Radio Disney kicks off the third season of N.B.T. (Next Big Thing). A 10-week search for musical talent and hosted by on-air personality Jake Whetter, Radio Disney and Disney Channel audiences will
be invited to look, listen and vote for their favorite artists. Every two weeks, a new artist will be introduced with a winner being announced December 3. Amber Lily, a 13-year-old pop and R&B singer-songwriter from San
Francisco, California is introduced on this day with her single, "222L8."
"Ollie was a madman, funny, eccentric, noisy, unexpected, and loved by everyone. He was
caustic, satiric, looked like a little Bantam rooster, and never let anyone get the best of him.
He was primarily an improvising musician with a great sense of music, and from his years of
playing organ to silent movies he was able to match music to any piece of action."
-Disney Animator Frank Thomas on Composer Oliver Wallace
| ||||||
2012:
Starting this day, Disney World guests can dive "under the sea" with Ariel and
become part of her world when "The Little Mermaid" Wing at Disney's Art of
Animation Resort officially opens. The resort’s 4th and final phase, this value property features a
larger-than-life Ariel overlooking "The Little Mermaid" courtyard and 864 standard hotel rooms.
The 14th annual Walt Disney's Hometown Toonfest takes place in Marceline, Missouri (Walt's boyhood home).
| ||||||
"There are two kinds of people in the world, those who believe there are two kinds of people in the
world and those who don't." -Robert Benchley
September 15
"Okay, but can we stop at a mini mart for some snacks? I have a tendency to get hungry
after a couple million years." -Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen's Energy Adventure)
2015:
The first Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of 2015 kicks off at Magic Kingdom,
Walt Disney World. It will be held on select nights through November 1.
1981:
Actor, voice actor, comedian, writer & director Ben Schwartz is born in New York City.
He voiced the title character in the Disney XD animated series Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Stuffy the
dragon in the Doc McStuffins spin-off TV series The Doc Files, and Dewey in the 2017 Ducktales reboot. He was
also a vocal consultant for BB-8 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. (TV fans know him best for his role
on the sitcom Parks and Recreation.)
1995:
Hollywood Pictures releases the comedy-drama film Unstrung Heroes, directed by Diane Keaton and starring Andie MacDowell, John Turturro, Michael Richards, and Maury Chaykin. A 12-year-old boy, striving to cope with the impending death of his mother must leave her
and his genius father and live with his crazy uncles in 1960s Los Angeles.
1988:
Actress/singer Chelsea Kane is born in Phoenix, Arizona. She is known for her role as Stella Malone in the Disney Channel sitcom television series Jonas and the role of Riley Perrin in the Freeform sitcom, Baby Daddy.
1993:
Season 3 of the ABC-TV sitcom Home Improvement kicks off with the episode "Maybe, Baby." Based on the stand-up comedy of Tim Allen, Home Improvement centers on Tim "The Toolman" Taylor (host of the home-improvement show "Tool Time"') and his wife Jill and their 3 sons.
2020:
Disney+ is launched in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.
1910:
Animator and film director Charles August Nichols is born in Milford, Utah. Starting his career at the Disney Studio, he worked on such feature films as Pinocchio (animating the villainous Coachman) and Alice in Wonderland. He also served as a film director for such animated shorts as Mickey Down Under, Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, and Plutopia. Moving on to Hanna-Barbera, he directed television episodes of The Jetsons, Jonny Quest and The Flintstones.
2021:
As Disney continues to prepare for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, a special dedication ceremony is held to dedicate the Mickey and Minnie Fab 50 statues in front of Cinderella Castle to WDW Cast Members past, present, and future.
1961:
Actor, director, puppeteer and writer of children's television, Noel MacNeal is born in New York City. He was the voice and puppeteer of Bear on Bear in the Big Blue House, a series for Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney that ran between 1997-2007. His credits include Rabbit for The Disney Channel's
Emmy Award-winning series The Book of Pooh and the ABC series Dinosaurs. (MacNeal has also performed Mrs. Snuffleupagus and various Snuffleupagus relatives on Sesame Street.)
