Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Tomorrowland Additions

January 15, 1975 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Space Mountain opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  A space-themed indoor roller coaster, originally envisioned by Walt Disney for Tomorrowland at Disneyland in the 1960’s, the technology to build it simply didn’t yet exist when Walt dreamed it up.  The first official ride is taken by Colonel James Irwin, the pilot of the Apollo XV Lunar Module on Apollo XV.

Also opening on this day in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom is the Carousel of Progress, an attraction relocated to Florida from Disneyland in California, tracing 100 years of innovations in electricity. The attraction had a home in Tomorrowland at Disneyland from 1967 – 1972, but it originally debuted at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.  It features a rotating carousel, whereby the guests are seated and rotate around the various stationary stages where an audio-animatronics family showcases American life from the days before electricity to the present.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - International Gateway Opens

January 12, 1990 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

The International Gateway opens at EPCOT Center. This new second entrance allows guests staying in the various Epcot area resort hotels access to the park without having to take a bus to the front of the park.  The new entrance is located between the United Kingdom and France pavilions in World Showcase.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's 35th Celebration

January 11, 1990 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland kicks off its 35th anniversary celebration.  Reuniting in front of the Main Street Train Station for the first time since the 1955 Grand Opening live broadcast on ABC TV are all three of the original broadcast hosts:  Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan to kick off the anniversary celebration featuring the all-new Party Gras Parade, with New Orleans-style floats and 40-foot-tall balloons of famed Disney characters in their best party styles: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Roger Rabbit.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Star Tours Debuts

January 9, 1987 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Star Tours opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, occupying the space once occupied by Adventure Thru Inner Space. A flight simulator ride based on George Lucas’ Star Wars film trilogy, it is the park's first attraction not to use Disney-designed imagery. The opening celebration lasts for 60 hours and guests are given a Star Tours Watch when they enter the park. 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disney-MGM Studios Changes

January 7, 1992 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Disney-MGM Studios debuts the all-new Voyage of The Little Mermaid, a multi-media presentation, replacing Here Come the Muppets. The new show is a 17-minute experience, featuring a unique combination of special effects, film clips, live performances and innovative puppetry.

January 7, 2008 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Disney-MGM Studios is now officially called Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Featured Foto Friday - Mr. Ray at Art of Animation

Mr. Ray at Disney's newest resort, Art of Animation at Walt Disney World.  It's just one of many oversized icons around the resort.  This new value-level resort includes both traditional rooms and family suites.  It has 4 phases: Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's Tencennial

January 3, 1965 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland observes its tenth anniversary with a Tencennial Parade.  On television Walt Disney introduces a host of new attractions coming to the theme park on his “Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color” Sunday night program. He is joined in this episode by the first Disneyland Ambassador, Julie Reihm, whom he refers to as Miss Disneyland.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Grand Californian Hotel Opens

January 2, 2001 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

The Disneyland Resort unveils its’ brand new Grand Californian Hotel, built on the former parking lot of Disneyland as the company has transformed the original Disney park into a multi-park, multi-day destination.  The new hotel features 2 full-service restaurants:  Storytellers Cafe & Napa Rose, and the Whitewater Snacks quick-service snack bar, as well as high-end rooms and service.  It is the company’s first domestic theme park located inside a Disney theme park – the all-new Disney’s California Adventure opening in February 2001, and features a private entrance directly from the hotel into the Condor Flats area of the theme park.   

Featured Foto Friday - Stitch's Bakery at the Boardwalk

Stitch finds a home at the Boardwalk Inn in this delightful Gingerbread creation, one of several found at numerous Deluxe and DVC resorts at the Walt Disney World Resort.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Candlelight at Disneyland

December 21, 1958 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland presents the very first  Candlelight Processional Parade. Hosted by actor Dennis Morgan, it is performed on Main Street, U.S.A. and in Town Square. The event was conceived by Dr. Charles Hirt of the University of Southern California School of Music and features a large choir from schools invited from around Southern California to proceed down Main Street while singing Christmas carols prior to the re-telling of the birth of Jesus in front of the Train Station in Town Square.  (This event will become a Christmas-season tradition at the park, and later be copied at Walt Disney World in 1971, where it would also become a Christmas-season tradition).

Featured Foto Friday - Osborne Family Lights

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Roy O Disney Passes Away

December 20, 1971 – Burbank, CA

Roy O. Disney, Walt's older brother and lifelong business partner, and co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, passes away at the age of 78 from a cerebral hemorrhage.  Roy served as the company's Chief Executive Officer (1929–1971) and President (1945–1971). While Walt was the creative man, Roy was the one who made sure the company was financially stable - and it was Roy who made sure that Walt’s last dream came to fruition.  Roy made sure that the company pressed forward with Disney World, but even taking it a step further and renaming the project Walt Disney World so that the world would always remember whose dream it truly was. With both Disney brothers gone, the board of directors for the first time will have to turn outside the Disney family for leadership. 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Test Track

December 19, 1998 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Test Track opens in Epcot’s Future World at Walt Disney World, on the site of the former World of Motion attraction.   (Epcot will host a Grand Opening dedication later in March 1999.)

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Candlelight Processional

December 18, 1971 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Walt Disney World's very first Candlelight Processional is held.  Modeled after the Candlelight Processional that has been a staple of Christmas season entertainment at Disneyland since 1958, the processional travels up Main Street, U.S.A. from Town Square to the forecourt of Cinderella Castle where a performance featuring a mass choir of 1,200 carolers from across Florida takes place, with movie star Rock Hudson narrating the Christmas story. 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Walt Disney Passes Away

December 15, 1966 – Burbank, CA

Walter Elias Disney passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital of acute circulatory collapse, as a result of lung cancer, just ten days after his 65th birthday.  The flags on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland are flown at half-staff, as the park opens at Lillian Disney's request to honor her belief that Walt would have wanted the show to go on.  Walt's 74-year old brother Roy determines to postpone his retirement in order to pursue Walt's last dream, the recently announced construction of Walt Disney World in Florida.

December 15, 1973 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction officially opens in Adventureland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Housed in a golden Spanish fort called Castillo Del Morro, it is located in the all-new Caribbean Plaza expansion area of Adventureland.  It is based on the original attraction of the same name which opened 6 years earlier at Disneyland and features 125 Audio-Anamatronics (comprised of 65 pirates & villagers and 60 animals).  Guests ride in batueax through flumes filled with 155,000 gallons of water, and unlike the Disneyland original go down one 14-foot drop instead of two drops, which is due to the higher water table in Florida than Southern California.

December 15, 1989 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Star Tours officially opens at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World. It is the first attraction to open in the park's new Backlot Annex area.  Based on the successful Star Wars franchise of movies, it is Disney's 3rd version of the attraction, having first opened at Disneyland in 1986 and Tokyo Disneyland in July 1989.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disney's POP Century Resort Opens

December 14, 2003 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

After many delays  Walt Disney World's newest-value level resort, POP Century Resort finally opens for business.  The resort is located at 1050 Century Drive, near the Disney-MGM Studios theme park and the expansive Wide World of Sports complex.  It features 2,880 guest rooms.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel

December 12, 2000 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

The Disneyland Pacific Hotel re-opens as Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. The 502-room hotel has been brightly painted and decorated to reflect a new beachfront theme, and soon will offer hotel guests a private entrance into the Paradise Pier section of the all-new theme park located directly across the street, Disney's California Adventure, which is currently under construction on the site of Disneyland’s former parking lot. (Disney California Adventure would celebrate its’ Grand Opening February 8, 2001).

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland Pacific Hotel

December 11, 1995 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

The Disneyland Pacific Hotel – formerly known as the Pan Pacific Hotel - opens in Anaheim under Disney ownership. The hotel was originally built and owned by Japan-based Tokyu Group, and opened in 1984 as the Emerald of Anaheim, in 1989 renamed the Pan Pacific Hotel when Tokyu merged its Emerald and Pan Pacific hotel divisions. The Walt Disney Company purchased the hotel in 1995 renaming it the Disneyland Pacific Hotel, again renaming it in December 2000 to its’ current name, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.

Tuesday Trivia - Candlelight Processional

The Candlelight Processional first premiered at Disneyland in December 1958.  This parade of of carolers illuminates the Magic Kingdom with the glow of a thousand candles and the music of a thousand voices, as the performers process down Main Street, U.S.A. to then mass in front of the Train Station, with the "Living Chistmas Tree" at the center (made of participants from the Disneyland Employee Choir). 

© Disney

Flashback Friday - Country Bear Jamboree Christmas Show

As we turn back time on this Flashback Friday, we take a glimpse at the seasonal overlay for the classic bruin show - the Country Bear Jamboree Christmas Show.  This special seasonal overlay appeared at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, bringing a bit of holiday cheer to update and refresh an old standby every December.