October 17: Birth Of A Legend

On this day in 1925, Disney Legend Jack Wagner - often referred to as the official voice of Disneyland and Disney World - was born in California. He recorded all of the parks announcements up until the early 1990s (vocal cord surgery forced him into retirement).
His association with Disney goes back to 1955 when he was invited to Disneyland's debut. In the early days Wagner did guest announcements and narrations for parades and special programs. It wasn't until 1970 that he came on board full time as Production Consultant.
Probably his most famous Disney World announcement ...
"Please stand clear of the doors; por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas."

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October 16: 85 Years Ago Today

On this day in 1923, the Disney Brothers Studio was founded by Walt and his older brother Roy in Hollywood, California. The reason ... the Disney brothers on this day signed a contract with a cartoon distributor for their Alice Comedies.
Within 3 years the company changed its name to the Walt Disney Studio. But on December 16, 1929 the original partnership formed in 1923 was replaced by Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. (plus three other companies - Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Reality and Investment Company - were also formed).
These 3 companies were all merged into Walt Disney Productions in 1938 and in 1940 the studio moved to its present location in Burbank, California.
It wasn't until 1952 that WED Enterprises (later named Walt Disney Imagineering) was formed to design Disneyland.
The following year Retlaw Enterprises was formed to control the rights to "Disney," and Walt Disney Studios Motion pictures to distribute feature films.
In 1957 Walt Disney Productions went public.
But in 1968 Walt Disney Productions was changed to Walt Disney Enterprises. It would stay that way until 1986 when the company's name was changed to The Walt Disney Company.
Today one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world ... it all started as an equal partnership between 2 brothers 85 years ago.

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October 15: This Day's LIFE

On this day in 1971, LIFE magazine ran a cover story on the opening of Disney World. The 50-cent issue (dated October 15) featured a color photo of 1,500 Disney employees in front of Cinderella Castle.
The article "Disney Moves East" began on page 44 with a night shot of a crowded Main Street, USA (by photographer Yale Joel). LIFE informed readers: "The new site is Florida, but the air is pure old Disney."

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October 02: There is a 6th dimension, beyond that which is known to man ...

On this day in 1959, "Where Is Everybody?" the very first episode of The Twilight Zone television series aired.
This episode (written by Rod Serling) tells the story of a man named Mike Ferris (played by actor Earl Holliman) who finds himself alone in a strange and apparently deserted town. Ferris is dressed in an Air Force jumpsuit - but has no recollection of how he came to be in this town. Although he discovers signs of life - food cooking on stoves & cigarettes burning in ashtrays - he can't find any people ... yet feels as if he is being watched. As he grows more unsettling, Ferris collapses at a street crossing and presses a button labeled "WALK." The walk button is actually a panic button and it is revealed that Ferris is an astronaut who has been confined to an "isolation room" for testing! The town is a complete hallucination.
The Twilight Zone eventually became the inspiration for Disney's popular Tower of Terror theme attractions. An inspection sticker outside the Tower's elevators (in Florida) has the number 10259 on it. 10259? October 2 '59 ... perhaps in reference to this very first episode?!

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October 01: A Day For Celebrating

On this day in 1971 Walt Disney World opened its doors for the first time. Over the years October 1st became the day for kicking off Disney World anniversary celebrations. The very first Disney World anniversary celebration started on this day in 1981.
On October 1, 1982 EPCOT (Disney World's second theme park) first opened. Even Disney World's Caribbean Beach Resort debuted on this day in 1988.
In 1999 a little website called This Day in Disney History first appeared.
Here's to many more October 1st celebrations!

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Sep 14: Broadway's Belle #14

On this day in 2004 actress Brooke Tansley first stepped into the role of Belle in Disney's Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast. She became the 14th actress to play the lead role on Broadway (replacing Belle #13 - Christy Carlson Romano).
Originally from Waterbury, Connecticut, Tansley had made her Broadway debut in Hairspray. (She was the first actress from Waterbury to star on Broadway since Rosalind Russell in the 1953 production of Wonderful Town.)
Her Disney connection goes back to childhood, when Brooke and her brother Scott won a trip to Disney World.
Her run as Belle was to last just until January ... but was extended twice into September 2005.
Fans of TV's Law & Order may recognize her from the finale of season 6 - in which she played a character named Belle.

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Sep 13: The Velvet Fog-Disney Connection

On this day in 1925, jazz singer, composer, arranger, actor & drummer Mel Tormé was born in Chicago, Illinois. Nicknamed the Velvet Fog, he is probably best known for co-writing "The Christmas Song" (often referred to as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire").
A child prodigy, Tormé first sang professionally at age 4 in a Chicago restaurant! Between 1933 and 1941 he acted on radio serials and wrote his first song ... at age 13. While still a teen he sang, arranged, and played drums in a band led by Chico Marx (of the Marx Brothers). In 1943, Tormé made his movie debut in Frank Sinatra's first film Higher and Higher. Tormé went on to write some 250 songs, of which many became jazz standards.
Tormé's connection with Disney goes back to the 1948 live-action So Dear To My Heart, in which his song "County Fair" was used in. During the 1970s Tormé appeared numerous times at the Top of the World - a restaurant/show room once located at the top of Disney World's Contemporary Resort (today known as the California Grill). In 1996, he recorded and released the album "A&E: An Evening With Mel Tormé Live From the Disney Institute." In 2006 his timeless tune "The Christmas Song" was used in Disney's live-action holiday feature The Santa Clause 3.
Although Mel passed in 1999, the Tormé-Disney connection continues today as his son James (also a respected jazz singer) has performed with his trio at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Click HERE for more September 13 Disney history.