September 20, 1926 – The Alice Comedy Alice’s Monkey Business is Released to Theaters
On September 20, 1926, the Alice Comedy Alice’s Monkey Business premiered in theaters. It was the 33rd Alice Comedy released, and the 17th to feature Margie Gay as Alice. The short has since been considered a lost film.
September 19, 1966 – Walt Disney Holds Final Press Conference
“Walt’s plan for the picturesque area, located about equidistant from Los Angeles and San Francisco, provides for year-round recreational activities by people of all ages and athletic abilities.”
On September 19, 1966, Walt Disney held what was to eventually be his last press conference. Walt, who had not been doing well for the past few months, was announcing his plans for developing the Mineral King Valley as a ski resort. Inspired after the filming of Third Man on the Mountain, Walt had been developing the ski idea for several years. In 1965, after the United States Forest Service called for bids on the Mineral King Valley, Disney won the thirty-year lease by bidding $35 million. Walt quickly set to work to create plans for the January 1969 due date, which included fourteen ski lifts, a self-contained village, two hotels, a heliport, and many other amenities. Walt also forbade vehicles from the area, preferring that guests park at the entrance and be taken into the valley by other means. The press conference also featured California Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, with Walt and Brown making their statements. Afterwards, Walt rested a moment inside the general store before taking photos Brown then heading back to Visalia. Less than three months later, Walt would pass away, and the plans for the area fell through due to opposition to the development of the property. Mineral King Valley then reverted back to the parks service in1978, when Congress annexed it back to Sequoia National Park.
September 18, 1992 – The Sitcom Series The Golden Palace Premieres on CBS
“Thank you for being a friend.”
On September 18, 1992, the sitcom series The Golden Palace premiered on CBS. The series was a sequel to the hit series The Golden Girls, with three of the cast returning for this series (as character Dorothy Zbornak left at the end of The Golden Girls). This series features the characters buying and running a hotel in Miami. While the original series ran on NBC, CBS won a bidding war to air a full season of The Golden Palace. However, the show didn’t fare as well as its predecessor, and was cancelled after one season. The series starred Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Don Cheadle as Roland Wilson, Cheech Marin as Chuy Castillos, and Billy L. Sullivan as Oliver Webb.
September 17, 2004 – Eleven New Inductees are Named Disney Legends
“We owe so much to this group that represents the best of Disney – their work is the arc that connects Disney’s history with our success today.”
On September 17, 2004, the newest group of Disney Legends were honored at a special ceremony at the Disney Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The ceremonies were presided over by then CEO Michael Eisner, who originally created the honor in 1987. The honorees that were present participated in the handprint ceremony, with their handprints then hung in the plaza for all to see. Among those honored were film and television producer Bill Anderson, actor Tim Conway, Imagineer Rolly Crump, Imagineer Alice Davis, actress Karen Dotrice, actor Matthew Garber, ABC Chairman of the Board Leonard Goldenson, Imagineer Bob Gurr, conductor and orchestrator Irwin Kostal, Imagineer Ralph Kent, and animator and story man Mel Shaw.
September 16, 2006 – The Animated Series Handy Manny Premieres on Playhouse Disney
“Hola, Handy Manny’s repair shop, you break it, we fix it!”
On September 16, 2006, the educational animated series Handy Manny premiered on the Playhouse Disney programming block on Disney Channel. The series featured Latino character Manny Garcia, a handyman that works in the multicultural neighborhood of Sheetrock Hills to fix various problems. The show helped teach children problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, as well as basic Spanish words and phrases. The series ran for 113 episodes, and was created by Roger Bollen, Marilyn Sadler, and Rick Gitelson. The series featured Wilmer Valderrama as Manny, Carlos Alazraqui as Felipe, Dee Bradley Baker as Turner, Nike Futterman as Stretch and Squeeze, Tom Kenny as Mr. Lopart and Pat, Kath Soucie as Dusty, Fred Stoller as Rusty, Nancy Truman as Kelly, and Grey DeLisle as Flicker.
September 15, 2012 – The Little Mermaid Wing of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Opens
“Be surrounded in the artistry, enchantment, and magic of Walt Disney and Disney-Pixar movies.”
On September 15, 2012, the fourth and final wing of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in Walt Disney World opened. The wing, themed after the animated feature film The Little Mermaid, joins areas themed as The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. The Little Mermaid wing features 864 rooms designed in the animation style of the “Under the Sea” sequence from the film, and also has a giant pool known as the Flippin’ Fins pool.
September 14, 2002 – The Animated Series Disney’s Fillmore! Premieres on ABC Kids
“Fillmore – I’m on it.”
On September 14, 2002, the animated series Disney’s Fillmore! premiered on the ABC Kids programming block. The series revolved around main character Cornelius Fillmore, a teenage delinquent with a choice of redemption through his work with the Safety Patrol at X Middle School. The series was cancelled after two seasons with 26 episodes released, and has since attracted a strong, loyal fanbase. The series was created by Scott M. Gimple, and featured Orlando Brown as Cornelius Fillmore, Tara Strong as Ingrid Third, Horatio Sanz as Horation Vallejo, Lauren Tom as Karen Tehama, Danny Tamberelli as Joseph Anza, Kyle Sullivan as Danny O’Farrell, and Wendie Malick as Dawn S. Folsom.
September 13, 1999 – Discover Magazine Acquired by Disney
“Science for the curious.”
On September 13, 1999, Disney acquired the science magazine Discover, which was originally created by Time, Inc. The magazine was originally created in 1980 by Time Magazine editor Leon Jaroff, who discovered that Time would sell the most issues when the cover featured a something scientific. The magazine changed hands several times before the Disney acquisition, in which Disney added it to the Disney Publishing group and moved the main office to join Disney’s in Burbank. Disney would eventually sell the magazine to Bob Guccione Jr. and other private equity partners in 2005.
September 12, 2005 – Hong Kong Disneyland Opens
“Enter a magical kingdom inspired by fairy-tale dreams and explore 7 lands…filled with beauty, excitement, and Disney Characters.”
On September 12, 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland opened after the initial groundbreaking ceremony on January 12, 2003. It took six years to create the park, as the ground it stands on required a special agreement between Disney and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as some reclamation work on the property. The park is the eleventh Disney park in the world, and incorporates the familiarity of the American Disney parks with the Chinese culture prevalent in Hong Kong; some of these cultural aspects include the removal of the number 4 through the parks and hotels (as the number in Chinese sounds like the word for death), and use of a feng shui master to help position the buildings and attractions. The park consists of seven separate lands, with Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land being exclusive to this park. President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company Bob Iger was on hand to welcome the park to the Disney family, alongside Vice President Zeng Qinghong of China. The castle of the park is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, based on the original castle in Disneyland Park, California.
September 11, 2000 – The Reality Series House Calls Premieres on UPN
“Buena Vista is thrilled to be the distribution arm for this innovative reality show.”
On September 11, 2000, the new reality series from Buena Vista Television, entitled House Calls, premiered on UPN. The series, created through a distribution deal with Chris-Craft/United TV, features psychiatrist Dr. Irvin Wolkoff, who visits patients in their homes and counsels them on a variety of issues, with Wolkoff guiding them to a solution by the end of the episode. The series ran until 2001, with 88 episodes in total produced.
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