March 8, 1986 – The Fantasyland Attraction Alice’s Tea Party Opens in Tokyo Disneyland
“Let the tea party begin!”
On March 8, 1986, the Fantasyland attraction Alice’s Tea Party opened in Tokyo Disneyland. It is similar to the Mad Tea Party attraction that opened in Disneyland in 1955. The Tokyo Disneyland attraction features the Doormouse in the center tea cup. The attraction lasts about a minute and a half, and seats up to four people per tea cup.
January 10, 1988 – The Animated Series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Premieres on Disney Channel
“He’s round and he’s fuzzy, I love him because he’s just Pooh Bear, Winnie the Pooh Bear, looking for fun, chasing some honey bees.”
On January 10, 1988, the animated series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh premiered on the Disney Channel. It ran for four seasons, with 50 episodes in total. It would go on to win the Emmy Award for Best Daytime Animated Program twice, once in 1989 and once in 1990. The series starred Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh, Paul Winchell as Tigger, John Fiedler as Piglet, Ken Sansom as Rabbit, Hal Smith as Owl, Peter Cullen as Eyeore, Michael Hough as Gopher, Tim Hoskins as Christopher Robin, Nicholas Melody as Roo, and Patty Parris as Kanga.
The first episode, “Pooh Oughta Be in Pictures,” begins on a dark and stormy night in a gloomy castle, with the characters of the Hundred Acre Wood being chased through the dark halls. It turns out that Christopher Robin has just been imagining things while avoiding eating his carrots. After eating the carrots, he’s allowed to go see a scary movie called Birdzilla, scaring Piglet before they even go in. Piglet gets so terrified that he knocks over almost everything in sight as he tries to flee, including Christopher Robin, who is laden down with snacks. Piglet jumps into Pooh’s lap after seeing a scary spider in the film, causing Pooh’s candy to drop to the floor. As Pooh and Piglet search for the candy, Piglet gets caught in a web of gum, believing it to be from the spider. Unfortunately, as Pooh tries to free Piglet, the two get caught in the gum until Christopher Robin frees them. Piglet continues to be terrified by everything in the movie theater. Tigger and everyone try to cheer Piglet up with a song about how the monsters aren’t real.
The movie’s parts are assigned, with Pooh playing the hero, and Tigger playing the monster
The next day, everyone talks about the film, and Christopher Robin proposes that they all make their own monster movie. Pooh will be playing the hero thanks to a hero scarf, while Tigger will play the monster. Piglet would rather sit out, but the gang convinces him that his role is very, very important: he will be the one chased by the monster. Tigger heads off to get his costume – a giant carrot – and heads back to the group. Rabbit is in his garden, pulling out his carrots, when Tigger stops by. Rabbit is terrified of the “giant carrot,” and thinks that the carrot is going to attack him and has eaten Tigger. Unfortunately, Tigger can’t undo the costume’s zipper and prove that he’s just Tigger, but when he asks for help, Rabbit has already fled. Rabbit then enters the movie set and screams that he’s seen a monster, and when Tigger arrives, everyone else runs away, thinking the monster is real. Tigger chases them through the woods, but the group stops running after a while, thinking they should try and save Tigger from the giant carrot.
Pooh comes up with a plan, and when Tigger arrives, the plan goes awry due to fear, but Tigger is able to break free after he falls in the hole. Rabbit is beyond relieved to find that it’s just a costume. Piglet walks away, dejected, sad that he was too scared to help the others, especially Pooh, and claims that no one needs a friend who’s always afraid. That night, Piglet is still upset, but is surprised when Pooh stops by to visit with a present: the hero scarf. Piglet refuses, as he still thinks Pooh shouldn’t be friends with a fraidy-cat. Pooh leaves the scarf behind, and heads off to get advice from Christopher Robin, when he gets caught up in the costume and calls out for help. Seeing the hero scarf, Piglet decides to go and save Pooh. Piglet crashes down a hill, but manages to save Pooh. The next day, when making the film, Piglet now gets to play the hero, while Pooh plays the one getting chased.
December 3, 1980 – The Groundbreaking Ceremony for Tokyo Disneyland is Held in Urayasu, Japan
“Tokyo Disneyland remains an unfading source of pride.”
On December 3, 1980, the groundbreaking ceremony for the first international Disney theme park, Tokyo Disneyland, took place in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. After the agreement to build the park was signed in April of 1973, nine employees from the Oriental Land Company were sent to California to study Disney Park operations. Up to 150 people would travel to Disneyland to study park operations before the ceremony. A special Shinto purification ceremony known as Kiri-Nusa-San-Mai (切麻散米) was held on the site on December 3, which involves rice and salt to cleanse the land before construction. A press conference was also held, with up to 250 members of the media in attendance, adding to the expectations that this park would bring upon opening. Construction then began in January of 1981m and the park opened almost two-and-a-half years later on April 15, 1983.
November 30, 1988 – The Live-Action Series Good Morning Miss Bliss Premieres on the Disney Channel
“There’s nothing quite like the first day of school: fresh faces, new clothes, and summer memories.”
On November 30, 1988, the live-action sitcom Good Morning Miss Bliss premiered on the Disney Channel. The series was cancelled after five episodes, with thirteen episodes having been completed; the series then moved to NBC and was retooled as Saved by the Bell, which became a huge hit for the channel. Good Morning Miss Bliss featured stories about teachers and students, while the latter focused on just the students. The episodes of Good Morning Miss Bliss were added to Saved by the Bell’s syndication later on. The series was created by Sam Bobrick, and featured Hayley Mills as Carrie Bliss, Dennis Haskins as Principal Belding, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers, Max Battimo as Mikey Gonzales, and Heather Hopper as Nikki Coleman.
The first episode, “Summer Love,” begins at John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the new school year having just started. Zack Morris greets his friends Mikey and Screech, and brags about hanging out with a ninth grader all summer long, as he pretended he was in the ninth grade as well. His other friend Nikki is rather critical of Zack’s lies, but her friend Lisa argues that everyone lies in the matters of summer love. Carrie Bliss, their teacher, is talking with her fellow teachers about their schedules, and she talks with Principal Belding, who asks her to cover for him at the PTA meeting, but she declines, as she has a date. As Miss Bliss helps a new student to their classroom, they run into Zack in the hallway, and he is shocked to see that the new girl is Karen, the girl he met at camp. The two nervously chat, and Zack comes up with more lies to tell her to cover for the fact that he isn’t a ninth grader. Things get worse when Miss Bliss tells him that he’ll be announced as the eighth grade representative at the assembly that afternoon, but he shockingly announces that he resigns.
Zack sits with Karen, trying to keep up the charade that he’s in the ninth grade
During lunch, Zack eats with Karen, while Belding joins Miss Bliss at her table. He again tries to guilt her into taking his place at the PTA, but with no avail. Zack and Karen run into Lisa and Nikki, with Nikki trying to ruin Zack’s lie surreptitiously. As the bell rings, everyone heads to class, but Miss Bliss asks to talk with Zack for a moment. She asks him why he turned down being the student council representative, and he comes clean. Zack’s worried that Karen will dump him if he tells the truth, but Miss Bliss tells him that she’ll find out sooner or later. He tries to tell Karen the truth, but chickens out when she invites him over while her parents are away that weekend. Unfortunately, Karen finds out the truth on her own, and she walks away angrily. As Miss Bliss sits in her classroom, Belding once again tries to convince her to take his place at the PTA meeting, but she turns him down again.
That night, Miss Bliss is getting ready for her date when her friend Tina arrives. Miss Bliss tries to get Tina to leave, but her date arrives before Tina can leave. Fortunately, she sees herself out, and Miss Bliss and her date enjoy their evening. As she goes to get dessert, Zack arrives at her backyard. He confides in her that Karen dumped him. Miss Bliss takes time from her date to help Zack, and she helps him understand that this kind of pain is a part of life. Her date walks in on them talking, and when he says that he has to go, she tries to convince him to stay, thinking that her life as a teacher scared him away. Fortunately for her, he just had an emergency at work, but would love to see her again, and thinks she’s a wonderful teacher.
November 23, 1988 – Critter Country Opens in Disneyland
“…a cast of backwoods critters, including geese, frogs, raccoons, possums, bees, and alligators offer up their own slice of southern hospitality during your adventure.”
On November 23, 1988, the area Critter Country opened in Disneyland. The area is one of eight lands within the park, and was originally known as Bear Country (opening in 1972), named for the area’s most popular attraction Country Bear Jamboree. When Splash Mountain was being built in 1988, the name of the land was changed to reflect the overall number of critters inhabiting in the new attraction and the several existing ones. The land also includes The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes; it also lends itself as a great viewing area for Fantasmic!, which is held in the neighboring land Frontierland. The Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country provides a special dessert package, giving guests a dessert sampler and a Fastpass ticket for Fantasmic! in a specialty viewing area.
November 21, 1986 – The Souvenir Shop The Star Trader Opens in Disneyland
On November 21, 1986, the Disneyland souvenir shop The Star Trader opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Formerly The Character Store, which opened in 1967, it was remodeled to be the shop for the Star Tours attraction, and boasts a large amount of Star Wars merchandise that can only be found in the Disney parks. It was remodeled in 2011, coinciding with the upgrades to the Star Tours attraction, with an addition of an X-Wing fighter, along with other special Star Wars themed surprises.
October 19, 1989 – The Thrill Attraction Body Wars Opens in Epcot’s Future World
“A high speed thrill ride into the heart of adventure!”
On October 19, 1989, the thrill ride attraction Body Wars opened in the Wonders of Life Pavilion, then located in the Future World section of the Epcot park. Guests board a shuttle, and in an attempt to rescue Dr. Cynthia Lair from inside a human body, they will be “shrunk” and sent inside on an adventure through several systems in the body, including the cardiovascular and the respiratory systems. Tstarred Tim Matheson as Captain Braddock, Dakin Matthews as Mission Commander, and Elisabeth Shue as Dr. Cynthia Lair. The attraction used the same simulation technology was used on Star Tours. The ride, along with many other attractions in the Wonders of Life Pavilion, was closed on January 1, 2007.
September 18, 1986 – The Film Attraction Captain EO Premieres in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland
“We are here to change the world.”
On September 18, 1986, the film attraction Captain EO premiered in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. This was the second opening of the film, as it originally opened in Walt Disney World’s Epcot on September 12 of the same year. This film, a musical science-fiction adventure, replaced the Magic Journeys 3D film, and had a budget of almost $24 million. The film is considered one of the first 4D films, meaning that it not only uses the 3D film technique, but adds another dimension with in-theater effects, including lasers and smoke. The plot involves Captain EO and his crew of space creatures who battle the Supreme Leader and her army of darkness using the power of music and dance. Lead actor Michael Jackson wrote two songs for the film: “Another Part of Me” (which would later appear on the album Bad), and “We Are Here to Change the World.” The movie closed on September 1, 1996; it reopened on July 1, 2010, to honor the legacy of Michael Jackson after his death, and closed again on June 30, 2014. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Rusty Lemorande, and executively produced by George Lucas. The film starred Michael Jackson, Anjelica Huston, and Dick Shawn.
September 7, 1984 – The Morocco Pavilion Opens in Epcot’s World Showcase
“Savory cuisine and sprightly belly dancing transport you to the heart of Morocco.”
On September 7, 1984, the Morocco Pavilion was added to Epcot’s World Showcase; it was the first country to be added since the showcase’s opening. It is also currently the only area to be sponsored by its home country, and includes an information center for the Moroccan National Tourist Office. Characters Aladdin and Jasmine are available to meet at certain times in the pavilion. The pavilion is home to Restaurant Marrakesh, which gives guests a taste of famous Moroccan delicacies such as roast lamb, couscous, and bastilla. Guests to the pavilion can also shop for clothing, jewelry, and rugs, as well as learn how to belly dance and how to make couscous.
August 25, 1989 – The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Opens in Walt Disney World’s Disney-MGM Studios
“Cheer on Indy and Marion as they perform amazing stunts with blazing special effects to demonstrate movie-making magic.”
On August 25, 1989, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular opened in Walt Disney World’s Disney-MGM Studios (now known as Hollywood Studios). Guests are taken behind the scenes of the hit film series to learn how the special effects and stunts are performed. A select number of guests are picked from the audience to act as extras, wearing costumes to fit the scene. After the show, guests can stick around to take pictures with Indy.
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