Castaway Cay & Tom Hanks

Castaway Cay, a private island in the Bahamas purchased by Disney to use as a stopover for its cruise line ships, was originally known as Gorda Cay. Gorda Cay was used for filming - the beach scene where Tom Hanks first encounters Daryl Hannah in Splash was shot on the island.

Spaceship Earth

Epcot's iconic Spaceship Earth weighs 16 million pounds!

One of the most recognizable structures at Disney World, it is not only the centerpiece and main focal point of Epcot, but also the name of the attraction housed within the 18-story geodesic sphere.

First Audio-Animatronics featuring an Human Figure

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was the first Disney-created attraction to feature an Audio-Animatronics human figure.

The attraction made its debut at the 1964 World's Fair.

The Minnie's Voice

Marcellite Garner, from Disney's ink and paint department, was the original voice of Minnie Mouse (starting in 1928).

She can be heard in such shorts as The Karnival Kid, Mickey's Orphans, and Mickey's Surprise Party. (Thelma Boardman took over thevoice in 1940.)

Holiday Lights to LEDs

In 2008, Disney World converted 430,000 incandescent holiday lights to LEDs, saving an estimated 1.1 million kilowatt hours throughout the holiday season, which is enough to power 61 homes annually!

that's just like it is inside the space shuttle

"When you're lying on your back and see all the smoke billow up around the windows before you rocket off, that's just like it is inside the space shuttle." 

-Winston Scott 

(retired astronaut) 

on Epcot's Mission: SPACE

Walt Disney World's STOLport in Action [Oct. 22, 1971]

Down in Florida, inaugural service to Walt Disney World's own airport STOLport, by both Shawnee and Executive airlines, begin. The occasion is marked by a lunche on ceremony, with the state of Florida presenting Disney with STOLport license No. 1. A group of local and state politicians and officials are on hand, as well as executives from the airlines. Disney announces that STOL service will commence with around 26 flights daily.

 

 

A single airstrip located not too far from the Contemporary Resort, the Lake Buena Vista STOLport, consists of a 2000-foot runway (and plans for a terminal building). Disney has high hopes for the service. (Unfortunately by December 1972, the idea of affordable short-range air routes became completely impractical and STOLport closed.)

A rare picture of the Lake Buena Vista STOLport in action, 1971

Walter Elias Disney's Passaport

In August 19, 1965...

Walt Disney is issued a passport for an upcoming trip to London, England.

Haunted Mansion's Stretch Room

In Disneyland's Haunted Mansion you descend in the stretch room. But in Walt Disney World's Mansion, you remain still while the ceiling rises above you!

Just 2 days to celebrate Haunted Mansion's Anniversary :)

750 "Hippies" infiltrate Disneyland

August 06, 1970

A bizarre occurence takes place at Disneyland when 750 "Hippies" and "Radical Yippies" infiltrate the park, and take over the Wilderness Fort. They raise the Vietcong flag and pass reefers out to passersbys.

Later, they march in a Main Street parade, and sing their own lyrics to "Zipadee Doo Dah" ("Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Mihn is going to win..."). More conservative park guests try to drown them out by singing "America the Beautiful." Before the confrontation can heat up, a platoon of Anaheim Police officers in full riot gear pour into the park from backstage areas! A riot is adverted and Disneyland vice president of Operations Dick Nunis orders the park closed at 7:10 PM. For many years afterward Disneyland will selectively enforced a "dress code" at the park, occasionally refusing admission to "long-haired hippies".  (This unusual incident is the only time an outside security force has ever made a full-blown public appearance at the park.)

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Vinylmation of the Day

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Disney Fun Fact of the Day

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Today's Past in Disney History

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This Day in Disney Parks History

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Disney Tales [5 Weekly tales]

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The Disney History

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Disney Pin of the Day

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Marcio Disney Digital Media

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The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney [August 1963 issue of National Geographic]

The August 1963 issue of National Geographic featured "The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney," a 49-page article by Robert De Roos.

It also featured a rare photo (taken by Thomas Nebbia) of Walt, his wife and their grandchildren in the Disneyland Fire Station apartment ... a photography first!

Next, you will see a PDF file with the complete article. Please, be patience and wait to load!

 

The Princess Diaries & Mary Poppins

The Princess Diaries was Julie Andrews first movie with Disney since Mary Poppins. 

 

Anne Hathaway was hired for the role of Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who discovers that she is the heir to the throne of Genovia, because director Gary Marshall's granddaughters saw her audition tape and said she had the best "princess hair."

This Day in Disney History

2001:

Disney's romantic comedy The Princess Diaries, starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, opens in theaters. Directed by Garry Marshall, it is a screen adaptation of Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name.

40th anniversary of Disneyland

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Disneyland, Disney created a series of 41 collector cards, one for each year the park had been open. A card for each year represented an event or an attraction. The cards were handed out to visitors to the park starting with the "1955" card on January 21,1995 and ending March 2, 1995 with the "1995" card.

 Tomorrow is Disneyland's Birthday :)

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ºoº Marcio Disney Family Sites Network ºoº

Disney's Dream Makers

http://sites.google.com/site/marciodisney/

Disney Picture of the Day

http://marciodisneypictures.blogspot.com/

Vinylmation of the Day

http://vinylmationoftheday.blogspot.com/

Disney Fun Fact of the Day

http://tinyurl.com/MDFunFact

Today's Past in Disney History

http://tinyurl.com/PastDisney 

This Day in Disney Parks History

http://thisdayindisneyparkshistory.blogspot.com/

Disney Tales [5 Weekly tales]

http://sites.google.com/site/marciodisney/disney-tales

The Disney History

http://thehistoryofdisney.blogspot.com/

Marcio Disney Blog

http://marciodisney.blogspot.com/

Disney Pin of the Day

http://pinoftheday.blogspot.com/

Marcio Disney Digital Media

http://sites.google.com/site/marciodisneydigitalmedia/

Space Center Houston by the Imagineers

Space Center Houston (the official visitor's center of NASA's Johnson Space Center) was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Space Center Houston is located at 1601 NASA Parkway in Houston, Texas.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Disney's Fantasia began production as a short called The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Because of the effort and costs, the Disney brothers realized that they could never make their costs back if they released it as a short. It was decided that a "Concert Feature" should be made.

Peter Pan and Walt's Nine Old Men

Peter Pan was the final Disney animated feature released through RKO and the final Disney film in which all members of Walt's Nine Old Men worked together as directing animators.