Just more Stuff,,,,,

[Born 2 Fish]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cost Disney over $1.5 million and nearly bankrupt
the company!
Yet, the film grossed over eight million dollars internationally
when originally released!




Kinda puts the rate of inflation into perspective when you consider that couldn't even hire Johnny Depp to play the Pirate movies for less than $20 million (not including all the other actors and the movie itself !!)

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Disneyland's 5-ton, 10-foot high petrified tree stump in Frontierland was an "anniversary present" that Walt jokingly gave to his wife, Lillian. She later donated the tree to the park, where it was given its spot overlooking the Rivers of America.

____________________________________

In 1934, Fifteen months after its release, Disney's short Three Little Pigs has grossed $150,000. (A movie theater ticket sells for about 5 cents.)

I reck'n that would be a box office hit by todays standards

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Aug.28 1989 at Disney-MGM Studios Jim Henson (who is making a special appearance to announce his pending partnership with the Walt Disney Company) and Kermit the Frog leave their imprints & signatures on the courtyard of The Great Movie Ride.

Disney's The Muppet Show at DHS is one of my all time favorites AND it's in some of the best 3-D ever !!
I LOVE THAT SHOW !!

___________________________________

Also , on this day Aug. 28 , 2003
A test run of the Magic Kingdom's newest attraction
Mickey's Philharmagic takes place at Walt Disney World.

Love that show too !!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Aug.29 , 2008 , direct from the Beijing Games where he won a record eight Gold Medals, world champion swimmer Michael Phelps celebrates his unprecedented achievement with an all-American homecoming parade in his honor at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. (This is the second such event for Phelps who was also honored following the 2004 Summer Games.)

__________________________________

Aug.29 2010,
Doug Parks of Gotha, Florida - the man widely believed to be the very first Doug Parks at Walt Disney World - passes away at age 60. An entertainment Cast Member for 39 years, he began working at WDW when the park debuted in 1971. It was Parks who stood at Roy O. Disney's side at the formal dedication of the Magic Kingdom on October 25, 1971. Standing 4 feet, 7 inches, Parks was the perfect size to play Mickey.

"For four decades, Walt Disney World was a better place thanks to Doug and his contributions." -Walt Disney World Resort President Meg Crofton

May he rest in peace.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

As early as 1963, Walt Disney sent his brother Roy, with several close friends & associates to find a place where he could build a new park. His team traveled across the country in secrecy. Several areas were considered, among them St. Louis, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Niagara Falls. Walt's team eventually set their eyes on
... Florida !

And oh how happy we are they picked Florida !!!

__________________________________________

Aug.30, 1908,
Actor Fred MacMurray is born in Kankakee, Illinois (though he was raised in Wisconsin). His Disney film credits include The Shaggy Dog (1959), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Bon Voyage (1962), Son of Flubber (1963), Follow Me, Boys! (1966), and The Happiest Millionaire (1967). MacMurray was one of many celebrities who took part in Walt Disney World's three-day opening festivities in October 1971. Television fans know him as Steve Douglas from the classic sitcom My Three Sons (which ran from 1960-1972). In 1987 MacMurray was the very first recipient of the Disney Legends award.

Watched "My Three Sons" as I grew up,,LOVED that show !

Fred passed away November 5, 1991, may he rest in peace.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

And speaking of hurricanes,
on Aug.31, 1985 at 5:00 PM, the Walt Disney World Resort closes, due to advancing Hurricane Elena. The eye of Elena will remain essentially stationary this day off the Florida coast (near the town of Cedar Key) but will continue to intensify. The fifth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, Elena first developed near Cuba from a tropical wave.

And on this date, Aug.31 2005, the Walt Disney Company announces it will pledge $2.5 million to aid relief and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

________________________________________________


1965:
The U.S. Forest Service announces it has received six bids to develop a ski resort on Mineral King in California. A $35 million proposal from Disney is one of two leading candidates. Disney's proposal includes up to 27 chair lifts (with capacity for 11,400 seats per hour), hotels for up to 3,000 guests, and ten-story underground parking for 3,600 cars. (The resort will never be built.)

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Happy Sept 1 ,2011

September begins on the same day of the week as December every year.


Why ? Because there are 91 days separating September and December, which is a multiple of seven (the number of days in the week). No other month ends on the same day of the week as September in any year.

____________________________________________

World Showcase in Epcot originally opened with 9 nations surrounding the World Showcase Lagoon. These nations were Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, the United States of America, Italy, Germany, China, and Mexico.

 

[luckycharm19335]

Now, that is interesting!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

1950:
Children's Fairyland, USA (the first theme park created to cater to families with young children) opens on the shore of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The park will be nationally recognized for its unique value and even Walt Disney will visit often to gather ideas. He will later hire Fairyland's first director, Dorothy Manes, to work at his park! (Today known as simply Children's
Fairyland, the park continues to delight children and their parents with whimsical storybook sets, gentle rides, friendly animals, wonder-filled puppet shows, and inspired live entertainment.)

______________________________________

1979:
The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction opens in Disneyland's Frontierland. The "wildest ride in the wilderness" takes guests careening through dark caverns and abandoned mines. Imagineer Tony Baxter modeled the attraction after the scenery of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The exciting Big Thunder Mountain replaces the more sedate Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland.
(A second Big Thunder will open at Disney World in November 1980.)

"Hang on to them hats and glasses cuz this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!" -Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

 

[Born 2 Fish]

On this day, Sept.3 ,2009,
At about 12:45 AM Disney Wonder rescues a 34-year-old man at sea who had fallen off a Carnival Cruise Lines ship during the night. While on its way into Port Canaveral, Disney's crew heard a call for help and plucked the man from the ocean off the Florida coast even before the Coast Guard arrived. The man was aboard The Sensation, a Carnival Cruise Lines ship returning from the Bahamas.

____________________________________________

Imagineer Yale Gracey's Haunted Mansion tombstone reads:

Master Gracey laid to rest,
no mourning please at his request, Farewell


Sept. 3 1910, Imagineer Yale Gracey, best known for his brilliant special effects in the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean park attractions, is born in Shanghai, China (his father was an American Consul). Master Gracey, whose name can be found on tombstones outside the Disneyland and Disney World mansions, gets his name from Yale! Gracey first worked as a layout artist on such features as Pinocchio and Fantasia before becoming a special effects and lighting artist at Walt Disney Imagineering (then called WED).


"I started working with Yale Gracey in 1959 on all the illusions. Yale was a genius and all I did basically was just sort of build the boxes for him and help him build the illusions." -Imagineer Rolly Crump

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Set.4, 2009:
Disney World hosts the very first Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party of the 2009 season at the Magic Kingdom.

How many of you have been to one of these parties ?
We have, very cool !
____________________________________________


In 1976, Disney aired a patriotic TV special entitled America on Parade, hosted by legendary comedian Red Skelton.
America on Parade was also an actual parade that ran in the parks to commemorate the United States Bicentennial.

Red Skelton was one of my top all time comedians, was genuinely funny and family oriented. He had a TV series for many years , and as a family we would all gather round to watch.

 

[MedicBill]

Set.4, 2009:
Disney World hosts the very first Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party of the 2009 season at the Magic Kingdom.

How many of you have been to one of these parties ?
We have, very cool !

Going to my first this year! Im pretty excited about it

 

[2goofycampers]

Going to my first this year! Im pretty excited about it

What's your costume gonna be ?

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Sept.5 , 1994
Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction "temporarily closes" at the end of this day. Opened since October 14, 1971, the attraction was held inside one of 14 submarines, each with a capacity of 38 passengers. It was based on Disney's first big-budget live-action 1954 movie, which starred Kirk Douglas and James Mason. (The film was inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel.) Almost 2 years later Disney will officially call the attraction forever closed. Some of the submarines will be sunk off of Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Caribbean.

____________________________________

Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life stands 145 feet high. An international team of
artisans were brought together to design and implement the carving of nearly 400 animals in it's intricate framework!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

There are enough of the famous "Mouse Ear" hats sold each year at Walt Disney World to cover the head of every man, woman, and child in Pittsburgh,,or Tampa !

__________________________________


Did you know that Sleeping Beauty's Castle features a real, working drawbridge, though it's only been lowered twice -- Disneyland Park's opening day, July 17, 1955, and again in 1983 to unveil the newly remodeled Fantasyland.

 

[MedicBill]

What's your costume gonna be ?

I havent decided yet. Im getting kinda round in my old age so I may just throw on an orange shirt and be a pumpkin

 

[Born 2 Fish]

1984:
Morocco - the first new World Showcase pavilion to be added to the original roster since the park's 1982 opening - debuts at EPCOT. Located between France and Japan, the Morocco pavilion re-creates the architecture and atmosphere of Casablanca, Fez, and Marrakech. It is the first country in World Showcase sponsored by the government and not a corporation. The king of Morocco actually sent his royal craftsmen to lay all the tile work, carvings and paintings in the pavilion!

 

[2goofycampers]

Interesting, I thought they were all sponsored by the country.

 

[MedicBill]

Sept 8, 1998

A very sad day in Disney History...... The Walt Disney World attraction Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is permanently closed. On this day work begins on Mr Toad's home as it will become The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. One of the park's opening day attractions, it was modeled after the Disneyland attraction. Despite the ride's popularity and many protests, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride entertained guests for the very last time yesterday.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Sept 8, 1998

A very sad day in Disney History...... The Walt Disney World attraction Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is permanently closed. On this day work begins on Mr Toad's home as it will become The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. One of the park's opening day attractions, it was modeled after the Disneyland attraction. Despite the ride's popularity and many protests, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride entertained guests for the very last time yesterday.

And I for one really miss that ride,,Mr Toad was one of those "must do, rides" that Denise and I always made it a point to do. ( I know, silly, right? but we loved it)

_________________________________________

Sept.8,1943,
Engineer and noted pioneer in computer graphics Alvy Ray Smith is born. Receiving his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University in 1965, ten years later he was recruited to join the new Computer Graphics Laboratory at New York Institute of Technology, one of the leading computer graphics research groups of the 1970s. There he worked alongside a young computer scientist named Ed Catmull (who later became president of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios).
When their work was brought to the attention of George Lucas, they were hired away to start the the Lucasfilm Computer Division ... which eventually became Pixar.