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.
March 1, 1999 – The Animal Kingdom Attraction Kali River Rapids Opens
“Adventure awaits!”
On March 1, 1999, the thrill ride attraction Kali River Rapids opens in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park. The attraction takes guests on a whitewater rapids adventure through the Chakranadi River, exploring scenery found in the heart of Asia. Guests sit inside a wooden pagoda that seats 12 and go up a 90-foot knoll, pass by several waterfalls, go through a raging current, and cascade down a 20-foot plummet near the end of the attraction. Guests are warned that they will get soaked on this attraction, so it is best to ride when the weather is warm. The attraction, like many others in this park, carries the message of being kind to the environment, as illegal logging is destroying nature and leaving hazardous materials in their wake.
February 27, 2007 – Muppet Mobile Lab Has its Test Run in Disney’s California Adventure
“Would you like to help run a battery of tests on all these people?”
On February 27, 2007, the audio-animatronic attraction Muppet Mobile Lab had its first test in front of the public at Disney’s California Adventure. Similar to Push the Talking Trash Can, the audio-animatronic “mobile lab” featuring Muppet characters Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker travel around the park, interacting with guests with the use of special features. Muppet performer Dave Goelz, who created the character of Bunsen, was brought to Glendale to assist with the project, making sure that the Imagineers portrayed the characters correctly. The figure was also tested in Walt Disney World and Hong Kong Disneyland.
February 26, 1998 – The All Star Café Opens at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex
On February 26, 1998, the All Star Café opened at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports Complex, almost a year after the complex opened. It was part of a chain of restaurants developed by Planet Hollywood International and invested in by sports legends, including Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Wayne Gretzky. Disney acquired the lease to the Wide World of Sports Complex restaurant in 2000. The franchise itself was not successful, and Disney closed the café in September, 2007. In November of that year, it opened again as the What’s Next Café, before becoming the ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill in 2010.
February 20, 2000 – Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant Opens in Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney
On February 20, 2000, the Downtown Disney restaurant Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant opened in Walt Disney World. Originally Captain Jack’s Oyster Bar, which served drinks and seafood appetizers since the marketplace’s opening in 1975, the restaurant expanded on the seafood theme, with tables facing the waterfront of the Downtown Disney area. The restaurant closed in August, 2013, due to the expansion of the Disney Springs project.
February 12, 2012 – The Fantasyland Attraction The Barnstormer Opens at Walt Disney World
“Climb aboard a wacky stunt plane and become a part of The Great Goofini’s daredevil act.”
On February 12, 2012, the New Fantasyland attraction The Barnstormer Featuring the Great Goofini opened in Walt Disney World. Featured in the Storybook Circus area, the attraction is a rebuild of the 1996 Toon Town attraction of the same name. The roller coaster is built as a perfect attraction for kids, with small drops that take guests around Storybook Circus and, true to Goofy’s form, through a billboard for the attraction.
February 8, 2001 – The Thrill Attraction California Screamin’ Opens
“The biggest blast on the Boardwalk!”
On February 8, 2001, the thrill attraction California Screamin’ opened in Disneyland California Adventure. The roller coaster was made to be reminiscent of the wooden roller coasters of the Boardwalk, and is the longest steel looping coaster in the world; it is the fastest roller coaster at the Disneyland resort. Guests are taken up an incline of 120-feet before plunging into the ride. Pictures are taken of guests at a specific point in the ride, and are available for purchase at the end of the ride. Although the ride whizzes by quickly, guests are given an aerial tour of Paradise Pier, stretching out for a little over a mile.
February 2, 1992 – The Casual Dining Restaurant Boatwright’s Dining Hall Opens in Walt Disney World
“Bona fide bites in the Big Easy.”
On February 2, 1992, the casual dining restaurant Boatwright’s Dining Hall opened in Walt Disney World. It was originally part of the Dixie Landings Resort, which was combined with the Port Orleans Resort in 2001; the restaurant and the gift shop Fulton’s General Store remained as they were after this merger. The restaurant is only open for dinner and features New Orleans style cuisine, ranging from dishes called Crescent City Gumbo to Boatwright’s Jumbalaya. The restaurant is also themed like a shipbuilding company, complete with hanging lanterns and wooden hulls.
January 29, 2012 – The Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon Takes Place in Disneyland
“Tinker Bell, pixie dust, and a magical run through Never Land!”
On January 29, 2012, the inaugural run of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon was held, hosted by Disneyland and the city of Anaheim. The race was announced on April 19, 2011, after several clues were released to the public over a series of weeks. Racers were taken through Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, as well as several Anaheim landmarks. This race matches the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World as being a women-specific runDisney race, with the mission of promoting fitness and an active lifestyle to women, complete with an expo featuring the newest running products tailored towards women. With over 10,000 runners, it was one of the largest endurance events geared towards women of the time. The winner of the race was Kellie Nickerson from Albuquerque, New Mexico, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 52 seconds.
January 15, 1975 – The Thrill Ride Attraction Space Mountain Opens in Walt Disney World
“Hurtle through the cosmos to the edge of the galaxy and back!”
On January 15, 1975, the Tomorrowland thrill ride attraction Space Mountain opened in Walt Disney World. The attraction traces its creation to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, with its popularity proving to Walt and WED that thrill attractions did have their place in Disneyland. Space Mountain was then conceived, but forced aside when Imagineers ran into problems of design and space, but was brought back and built for Walt Disney World. RCA was contacted to sponsor the attraction, which provided additional funding to complete the attraction. The attraction is an indoor rollercoaster set in the dark, with a space theme to add to the interest. The popularity of the attraction has seen versions built in other Disney parks: Disneyland (opening May 4, 1977), Tokyo Disneyland (opening April 15, 1983), Hong Kong Disneyland (opening September 12, 2005), and Disneyland Paris (opening June 1, 1995).
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