June 19, 1985 – The Fast-Food Facility Yumz Opens in Disneyland
Image credit: http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/
On June 19, 1985, the fast-food facility Yumz opened in Disneyland’s Videopolis area. It served as Videopolis’ snack bar, serving pizza bread, nachos, and soft drinks. When the area started showing “The Spirit of Pocahontas,” the name of the snack bar became Meeko’s.
June 18, 1988 – The Petting Zoo Grandma Duck’s Farm Opens in Walt Disney World
“Minnie Moo, who lives at Grandma Duck’s Farm at Mickey’s Starland, was born sporting the familiar Disney corporate symbol as a ‘birthmark’ on her hide.”
On June 18, 1988, the petting zoo area Grandma Duck’s Farm opened in Walt Disney World’s Mickey’s Birthdayland area. Sponsored by Friskies, the area was best known for being the home of Minnie Moo, a cow with a Mickey Mouse-shaped mark on her hide. The name Grandma Duck came from the comic book character of Donald Duck’s grandmother. The area closed on March 11, 1996, and Minnie Moo was moved to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
June 14, 1985 – Card Corner Opens in Disneyland
On June 14, 1985, the greeting card shop Card Corner opened on Disneyland’s Main Street. The shop sold cards from Gibson Greetings, the nation’s third largest greeting card company; it also served as the official Disneyland information and registration center. Gibson had a long relationship with Disney, owning a greeting card shop from July 17, 1955 to 1959. Card Corner closed in October, 1988.
June 13, 1996 – The Specialty Shop The Sanctuary of Quasimodo Opens in Disneyland
On June 13, 1996, the specialty merchandise shop The Sanctuary of Quasimodo opened in Disneyland’s Fantasyland area. The shop replaced the Disney Villains shop (which itself replaced Briar Rose Cottage, Mickey’s Christmas Chalet, and Merlin’s Magic Shop). The Sanctuary of Quasimodo was created to promote the animated feature film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and featured a vignette in the window of Quasimodo ringing the bells of Notre Dame. The shop closed on February 9, 1997, and was replaced by the Knights Shop.
June 4, 2006 – The Musical The Lion King Closes at the New Amsterdam Theatre
“Till we find our place on the path unwinding, in the circle, the circle of life.”
On June 4, 2006, the Broadway musical The Lion King held its final performance at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City. The show had been at the theatre since October 10, 1997, and was lauded for its imaginative interpretation of the animated feature film source. The production, fortunately, was not closed permanently; the show was to be transferred to the Minskoff Theatre, while the production of Mary Poppins would be taking its place at the New Amsterdam. The Minskoff Theatre underwent some custom renovations to accommodate the incoming production, and the show opened in the theatre on June 13th. As of 2019, the Minskoff Theatre is still home to The Lion King.
June 2, 2003 – Disney’s Toontown Online Officially Launches
“Ever wonder what it’d be like to live life as a toon?”
On June 2, 2003, the online community game Disney’s Toontown Online officially launched. The game was a multiplayer online role-playing game, and was developed by Disney’s Virtual Reality Studio, Schell Games, and Frogchildren Studios. Users could create their own toon avatar, and battle against antagonists called Cogs. There was also an early social media component to the game known as “SpeedChat,” with pre-approved phrases that users could use to chat with other users. The game was officially shut down on September 19, 2013.
June 1, 1997 – The Disneyland Parade The Lion King Celebration Ends
“Oh, I just can’t wait to be king!”
On June 1, 1997, the Lion King Celebration parade ended its run in Disneyland. The parade, starting on July 1, 1994, was notable for being the first parade to feature Audio-Animatronic figures outside of stationary attractions. It was also a combination parade and stage show, as the parade would stop at various intervals on the route and perform songs from the film, ending each performance with a version of “Circle of Life” while an Audio-Animatronic Simba let out a roar from the Pride Rock float. The parade also featured actors dressed as birds performing acrobatic stunts and remote-controlled animals.
May 25, 1983 – The Specialty Store Mickey’s Christmas Chalet Opens in Disneyland
Image credit: http://duchessofdisneyland.com
On May 25, 1983, the specialty Christmas store Mickey’s Christmas Chalet opened in Disneyland’s Fantasyland area. The shop sold Disney-themed Christmas ornaments and décor year round until it closed on May 17, 1987. The store could be seen as a promotional shop for the featurette Mickey’s Christmas Carol, which was released in December of 1983.
May 24, 2017 – The Captain’s Grille Closes in Walt Disney World
On May 24, 2017, the Captain’s Grille restaurant closed in Walt Disney World’s Yacht Club Resort. It opened on January 1, 2008, replacing the Yacht Club Galley, and featured classic seafood dishes that matched the nautical theme of the resort. It served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with dishes ranging from smoked salmon on a toasted bagel, New England-style lobster roll, and buttermilk fried rock shrimp. The restaurant was replaced by the Ale & Compass Restaurant on November 4, 2017.
May 22, 1999 – The Nighttime Parade SpectroMagic Ends Original Run
“And now, the Magic Kingdom proudly presents, in a million points of musical light, the magic words of Disney…in SpectroMagic!”
On May 22, 1999, the Magic Kingdom nighttime parade SpectroMagic ended its run. It began on October 1, 1991, as part of the park’s 20th anniversary celebrations, replacing the Main Street Electrical Parade (which had been sent to Disneyland Paris). SpectroMagic took the lights of Main Street Electrical Parade and multiplied it, adding more fiber optic elements and including over 45 Disney characters, such as Roger Rabbit, Chernabog, and the Three Little Pigs. The parade also featured a new song: “On This Magic Night.” The parade was brought back to the park on March 26, 2001, and officially ended its run in 2010.
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