January 21, 1955 – The Dairy Bar Opens in Disneyland
“Nature’s most nearly perfect food.”
On January 21, 1955, the Dairy Bar opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland area. Sponsored by the American Dairy Association, it was a mix of a presentation about the future of milk and milk delivery and a quick service restaurant serving milk in a small dining room. The area did not prove to be as popular as other future-looking presentations within Tomorrowland, and was closed on September 1, 1958.
January 20, 1936 – Adriana Caselotti Records First Tracks for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
“Adriana happened to pick up an extension and, while listening to her father’s conversation, chimed in, ‘Listen to me – wouldn’t my voice do?’ Indeed it did, and, over the next year, her voice was tested, songs were recorded, and the Disney animators studied her gestures for inspiration.”
On January 20, 1936, 18-year-old Adriana Caselotti recorded her first tracks as the title character in what would become the animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Caselotti was chosen out of over 150 girls that auditioned for the part, as Walt Disney believed she sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl, which is exactly what he needed. Caselotti was paid $20 a day to play Snow White, earning $970 for her time overall, equivalent to almost $17,000 today.
January 19, 2010 – Disney Announces New Destination Resort Aulani
“The name Aulani, for you mainlanders, means ‘the place that speaks for the great ones’ or ‘the place that speaks with deep messages,’ and it reflects our company’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the great culture and traditions of these magnificent islands.”
On January 19, 2010, Disney announced the new family destination located on the Leeward Coast of O’ahu, officially named Aulani: a Disney Resort and Spa. Aulani, named from the Hawaiian word meaning “the place that speaks with deep messages,” was originally scheduled to have 360 hotels rooms and 481 two-bedroom villas reserved for the Disney Vacation Club, and had an original opening date of fall 2011. The resort would eventually be opened on August 29, 2011, with a grand opening ceremony held on September 23.
January 18, 1958 – The Pet Boarding Facility Ken-L-Land Opens
“‘Man’s best friend’ has not been forgotten when the family visits Disneyland, thanks to Ken-L-Ration’s deluxe Pet Motel, Ken-L-Land.”
On January 18, 1958, the pet boarding facility Ken-L-Land opened just outside the Disneyland main gate. It was a place where families, who had traveled miles to get to Disneyland, could leave their pets rather than leave them in the parking lot. Sponsored by Ken-L-Ration dog food from the Quaker Oats Company, pets were fed exclusively from the brand, with a full day’s boarding and a can of food costing 25 cents. Ken-L-Ration’s sponsorship lasted until 1967; the sponsorship and name of the kennel changed over the years, including sponsorship by Kal Kan with the name change to Kennel Club in 1968 to 1977, sponsorship by Gaines with name change to Pet Care Kennel in 1986 to 1991, and sponsorship by Nestle’s Purina in 1993, with the name change to Disneyland Kennel Club.
January 17, 2007 – Beauty and the Beast Broadway Show Announces Closing
“Beauty and the Beast has meant so much to me, both in remembering the joy of creating the animated film and seeing how audiences have embraced it on Broadway for all of these years.” – Composer Alan Menken
On January 17, 2007, the long-running Disney Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast was announced to be closing come July 29th after 13 years of performances. This closing was to make way for Disney’s next musical venture, The Little Mermaid, which would be premiering at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 3rd. After its closing, Beauty and the Beast ended its run with 46 previews and 5,464 performances.
January 16, 1942 – The Donald Duck Short Film The Village Smithy is Released to Theaters
“That’s me – a mighty man, I say!”
On January 16, 1942, the Donald Duck short film The Village Smithy premiered in theaters. It was directed by Dick Lundy.
The short begins at the Village Blacksmith, with Donald hard at work, reciting a poem about how strong he is as a blacksmith. He runs into a problem with the rim he placed around a wheel does not stay smooth, and ends up chased around the building. He then tries to nail the metal rim down, but it busts apart and leaves Donald with a bolt around his tail. He gives up and decides to get to his next task: shoeing Jenny the donkey. Jenny at first appears docile, and as Donald tries to find her the right kind of shoe, she becomes more irate. As Donald attempts to shoe her, she sneaks away from him, tricking him into hammering his anvil instead. As he tried to pull her out from behind a crate, he realizes too late that he is pulling on a rope connected to a barrel of horseshoes, which land on his head. Having had enough, Donald attempts to pull her up from the floor, and gets an idea using a board and his anvil to prop her up. Unfortunately, this only propels him into a barrel of water. Angered, he grabs some smoke from the stove and uses it to make her sneeze, propping her up as he intended. As she sneezes, however, she kicks him into the stove, and ends up stuck on a pole where he continuously sneezes from the smoke.
January 15, 1986 – The Living Seas Pavilion Opens in Epcot
“Snorkel with over 6,000 sea creatures, including sea turtles, angelfish, eagle rays and sharks in our massive aquarium.”
On January 15, 1986, the newest pavilion in Epcot’s Future World, The Living Seas, opened in Epcot. The area focused on the ocean and its mysteries, with guests able to watch a film about the importance of the ocean, view exhibits, and even take a chance to dive into the largest salt water take in the world. In 2006, more Finding Nemo elements were added to the area, including the attraction The Seas with Nemo & Friends. A special dining experience can also be found this pavilion at the Coral Reef Restaurant, where guests can dine right next to the salt water tank and spy a turtle as they eat.
January 14, 2014 – The FastPass+ Service Rolls Out in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
“Select, Reserve, Go!”
On January 14, 2014, the new FastPass+ service was rolled out in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park. This new service aims to streamline ride reservations for both on- and off-site guests, and eliminating the legacy FASTPASS services that created paper tickets. Guests could go to one of four FastPass+ kiosks (Pete’s Silly Sideshow, Diamond Horseshoe, Stitch’s Great Escape, and Mickey’s Philharmagic) and choose up to three experiences within the park. Magic Kingdom was the second park to implement the new FastPass+ program, with Animal Kingdom being the first after starting in January.
January 13, 2007 – Johnny and the Sprites Premieres on Disney Channel
“I was just Johnny ‘til I walked through that door, but I’m not just Johnny anymore!”
On January 13, 2007, the live-action show Johnny and the Sprites premiered on Disney Channel. The show, created for preschoolers, features songwriter Johnny T, who discovers a magical world of sprites in the backyard of his great-uncle’s home. The show had originally been shown as five-minute shorts between commercial breaks on Disney Channel, but its overwhelming popularity helped give the show a full-season go ahead. The show was created by and stars John Tartaglia, who is best known for starring in the Broadway musical Avenue Q; the show also features other prominent Broadway composers and actors, including Gary Adler, Bobby Lopez, and Sutton Foster. The show also stars Heather Asch as Root, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Ginger, Tim Lagasse as Basil, Carmen Osbahr as Lily, and Natalie Venetia Belcon as Gwen.
January 12, 2014 – Frozen Wins Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature
“This is a first for Disney Animation, so we might have a toast tomorrow that might go all day.”
On January 12, 2014, the 71st Golden Globes were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Nominated for two awards, the Disney animated feature film Frozen walked away with the award for Best Animated Feature, beating out fellow nominees The Croods and Despicable Me 2. Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee accepted the award on behalf of all those who worked on the film.
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