January 23, 1995 - Walt Disney World
Plans for the Walt Disney World Speedway are officially announced. Construction on the racing facility will begin later in the year on a site located near the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. The speedway will also be home to one of the largest "hidden" Mickey's around - best seen from aerial photos.
Did you know that Disneyland's Mark Twain Riverboat, a July 17, 1955 opening day attraction found in Frontierland, was at the time of its' construction, the first functional paddlewheel steamship built in America in over 50 years? The 105 ft long, 150 ton ship was constructed in two different locations, and then transported to the still-under construction theme park site. The hull was constructed at Todd Shipyards in the nearby Long Beach/San Pedro port, and the body was built in Burbank at the Disney Studios. They were assembled together in the park's dry dock, "Fowler's Harbor" on the southwest edge of the Rivers of America. The Mark Twain embarked on its' maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, four days prior to the park's Grand Opening, during a private party to celebrate Walt & Lillian Disney's 30th wedding anniversary.
