Sep 11: Speaking of history ...

I am surprised and somewhat disappointed in the lack of attention Patriot Day received from Disney fan sites this year. I always associate Disney with American pride and Americana. Obviously so did Walt ... think of all the theme park attractions that are based upon American history.
I didn't expect lengthy paragraphs about Patriot Day to be posted on Disney fan sites, but an American flag icon or some such image or reference to Patriot Day would have been nice to see. Sometimes it's so much more than just about vacation photos and personal theme park opinions.
On the other hand the fact that most hop into The Hall of Presidents because of its air conditioning instead of its presentation ... I guess this lack of interest shouldn't really surprise me.
This Day in Disney History isn't about opinions but (hopefully) accurate facts and interesting anecdotes about Walt Disney and his company. I rarely give my personal opinions about events, movies, theme parks, etc. - but today I needed to vent. Today I needed to take my website (which is a hobby that I am passionate about) and my American pride and mesh them together. Thanks for reading.

To see how the events of September 11, 2001 affected Disney click HERE.

August 22: Skeletons Night Out

On this day in 1929, Disney’s first Silly Symphony cartoon short The Skeleton Dance was released. Voted #18 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons (in 1994) the short features four human skeletons dancing and making music around an eerie graveyard.
Composer Carl W. Stalling (a pioneer and Disney’s first musical director) supplied the music and actually first suggested the idea for a series of musical one-shot cartoons to Walt at a gag meeting in 1929. The Skeleton Dance is notable for being the first animated cartoon to use non-post-sync sound.
Although Ub Iwerks is given credit as the short’s animator – he was assisted by Wilfred Jackson and a very young Les Clark (who would go on to become one of Walt’s “Nine Old Men”).

Click HERE for more August 22 Disney history.

August 21: A Bear's Beginning

On this day in 1921, an 18" high Alpha Farnell teddy bear from Harrod's in London, England was given to Christopher Robin Milne on his first birthday. Christopher was the son of writer A. A. Milne. The bear was first named Edward Bear before being commonly known as Winnie-the-Pooh. (This is the exact bear that in 1987 was put on display at The New York Public Library.)
The manufacturer of this now famous teddy can be traced back to 1840 in Notting Hill and John Kirby Farnell – who made small textile goods such as tea cosies, pin cushions and pen wipers. But it was Agnus Farnell (John's daughter) who began making soft toys in 1870 with the backing of her father and Henry her brother.
After their father’s death in 1887 Agnus and Henry moved the company to Acton and leased an 18th century house "The Elms" where they set up a soft toy business - originally using rabbit skins to make the toys! The company is believed to have produced its first Teddy Bear in 1908. In 1921, J. K. Farnell became a private limited company. That same year Agnus set up the Alpha works next to the existing Farnell factory and produced bears designed by Sybill Kemp.
Alpha Farnell bears were sold in most major stores, including Harrods in London.

Click HERE for more August 21 Disney history.

July 24: Brains, Brawn and Beyond

On this day in 2005,

Walt Disney Pictures’ Sky High - directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, & Mark McCorkle - had its premiere at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, California.

The story of fourteen-year-old Will Stronghold (played by Michael Angarano), the son of two famous superheroes - Steve and Josie Stronghold (Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston), Sky High received generally favorable reviews and earned just under $64 million in the U.S. alone.

The plot surrounds Will who attends a school in the sky for superheroes called Sky High, despite the fact that he has no superpowers … and is hiding this fact from his parents.

Sky High Original Soundtrack was released two days later on July 26. It featured covers of songs from the 1980s performed by modern day acts.

Click HERE for more July 24 Disney history.

July 22: A Dimension Of Sound - A Dimension Of Sight

On this day in 1994 the Disney World attraction The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened at Disney-MGM Studios (today called Disney's Hollywood Studios).
Commonly referred to as simply Tower of Terror, the attraction is a simulated free-fall thrill ride based on a television series created by Rod Serling. It is themed to resemble a fictional inn called Hollywood Tower Hotel which was "struck by lightning" on October 31, 1939. The story of the hotel is adapted by elements of the original Twilight Zone anthology series (which first aired in 1959).
At 199 feet tall, the Tower of Terror is the second tallest attraction on Disney World property (Expedition Everest is taller by a half-a-foot).

Click HERE for more July 22 Disney history.

July 02: Debuted Today

On this day in 1964, Disney's live-action feature The Moon-Spinners premiered. (It was generally released on July 8.)
Based on a suspense novel by English novelist Mary Stewart, the film starred Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach, Peter McEnerey, Pola Negri, Joan Greenwood, and Irene Papas. Negri (who portrayed Madame Habib) - retired at the time, was convinced by Walt himself to return to the screen for one last time.
The film centers around Nikky Ferris (played by Mills) and her Aunt Francis (played by Greenwood) who take a trip to the Greek island of Crete. The two vacationers get mixed up with a jewel thief (played by Wallach), romance, and murder!

Click HERE for more July 02 Disney history.

July 01: Main Street Fixture

On this day in 1911, Charles David "Bub" Thomas was born in Lewistown, Montana. A singer, entertainer, nightclub owner, and painter/sketch artist, Bub was one of the original Dapper Dans of Walt Disney World.
Bub and his fellow harmonizers, Jerry Siggins, Bob Mathis, and Dick Kneeland first began entertaining at the Florida resort while it was still under construction. The Dapper Dans were present on October 1, 1971 along with composer Meredith Wilson, the grand marshall of the opening day parade, for the Magic Kingdom's debut.
Bub was a fixture on Main Street for 25 years (during which time many of the members of the barbershop quartet changed). Sadly Bub was killed in a car accident in Orlando on January 28, 1997.

Click HERE for more July 01 Disney history.