November 23, 1989 – The Sweets Shop Delizie Italiane Opens in Epcot
On November 23, 1989, the specialty sweets shop Delizie Italiane opened in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion within the World Showcase. It features Italian favorites, such as world-famous Perugina chocolate bars and Baci chocolates with hazelnuts wrapped in love notes, along with other Italian chocolates and candies. The store is sponsored by Perugina, and took the place of Arcata d’Antigiani.
November 17, 2011 – Toy Story Land Opens in Hong Kong Disneyland
“And you can experience the feeling of being shrunk to the size of a toy in Andy’s backyard to play with your favorite Toy Story friends.”
On November 17, 2011, the Toy Story themed area Toy Story Land opened in Hong Kong Disneyland. It was the first of three themed areas of the park, with Grizzly Gulch opening in 2012, and Mystic Point opening in 2013. Based on the hit series from Pixar, the area gives guests the feeling of being one of Andy’s toys. There, guests can meet characters Woody and Jessie, join the Toy Soldiers in a “boot camp,” or ride RC on a fast-paced roller coaster ride.
November 13, 1998 – The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall Opens in Tokyo Disneyland
“Let the banquet begin!”
On November 13, 1998, the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall opened in Tokyo Disneyland’s Fantasyland. Themed after the animated feature Alice in Wonderland, the restaurant features Western cuisine, featuring flank steak with a Japanese-style sauce, swordfish steak with a tomato caper sauce, and heart-shaped strawberry mousse. The restaurant is set up buffet-style, making it easy for guests to select their dish for a quick dining service.
October 30, 1996 – Buzz Lightyear’s Pizza Planet Restaurant Opens in Disneyland Paris
“Hungry Space Rangers needn’t worry, as Buzz Lightyear is to the rescue with an out of this world all-you-can-eat buffet.”
On October 30, 1996, the buffet restaurant Buzz Lightyear’s Pizza Planet Restaurant opened in Disneyland Paris’s Discoveryland area. Designed after the restaurant in the Toy Story series, guests can help themselves to servings of pizza, pasta, salads, and a variety of desserts, with help from Space Rangers in brightly colored outfits.
October 19, 2008 – The Disney Musical Tarzan Debuts in Hamburg, Germany
“Du hörst etwas aus der Ferne rufen, zwei Welten, eine Familie.”
On October 19, 2008, the third international production of the musical Tarzan opened in Hamburg, German, at the Neue Flora Theater. It was jointly produced by Walt Disney Theatrical and Stage Entertainment. The first run of the musical featured Anton Zetterholm as Tarzan and Elisabeth Hübert as Jane; the pair were the winners of the reality program Ich Tarzan, Du Jane, with producers looking for the leads of the show. The production ran for five years, and a cast album was released.
October 18, 2008 – The First Foreign Production of Mary Poppins Premieres at Sweden’s Göteborg Opera
“The unconventional governess from the children’s books, which were made into a film and then a musical, now flies into the Göteborg Opera with her magical umbrella.”
On October 18, 2008, the first international production of the hit musical Mary Poppins opened in Göteborg, Sweden, at the Göteborg Opera. The production was externally licensed by Disney Theatrical to Josef Weinberger Limited, with the production being translated into and fully performed in Swedish. The original Swedish production featured Linda Olsson as Mary Poppins and Magnus Borén as Bert. The production closed on March 14, 2009.
October 11, 2008 – The Russian Version of the Musical Beauty and the Beast Opens
“Record ticket sales and huge interest from the media demonstrate that the Russian theatre-going audience is really looking forward to seeing this brilliant and highly entertaining show.” – Producer Dmitry Bogachev
On October 11, 2008, the first Russian-language production of a Disney musical, Beauty and the Beast, opened in Moscow’s MDM Theatre. Disney Theatrical Group worked with Stage Entertainment to bring the show to Russia almost fifteen years since the show originally began on Broadway. Igor Ivanov, cast as the Prince, won his role through a reality program called Find Your Prince. Actresses Natalia Bystrova and Ekaterina Guseva shared the role of Belle.
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 4, 1913 – Chairman of the Oriental Land Company and Disney Legend Masatomo Takahashi is Born
“Thanks to Masatomo, for years to come, families around the Asia-Pacific region will experience the delights of Disney and its magical theme parks.” – Roy E. Disney
On September 4, 1913, Masatomo Takahashi was born in Fukushima, Japan. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1939, and began working at the Riken Heavy Industries Company until Japan’s entry into World War II; he then served as an Army interpreter, serving in areas such as Shanghai and New Guinea. Once the war ended, he began working at Kenzai Company, Ltd., working up the management ranks from executive managing director to eventually becoming its president. In 1961, Takahashi left Kenzai to join the Oriental Land Company (OLC) as its senior executive managing director, mainly working in the area of land reclamation with fisherman. Takahashi had always had a dream of bringing Disneyland to the children of Japan and, after becoming the president and representative director of OLC in 1978, he approached the Walt Disney Company with his idea: building a Disney theme park in Japan’s capital city of Tokyo. After the creation and success of Walt Disney World, the idea was given the greenlight, and contracts were signed in 1979. Takahashi was steadfast on the idea that this wasn’t to be an Asian version of the popular Disney park, but a park similar to those in the United States. In 1983, his vision was fulfilled when Tokyo Disneyland opened to great success. For his unwavering vision, Takahashi was honored as a Disney Legend in 1998. After becoming the chairman of OLC, Takahashi continued to develop and expand his idea, creating the idea that would soon become Tokyo DisneySea, located in Tokyo Bay. Takahashi passed away on January 31, 2000, with Tokyo DisneySea opening on September 4, 2001.
August 8, 1995 – The Canada Premiere Production of Beauty and the Beast Begins in Toronto
“It’s the biggest, most spectacular musical to come to Toronto, ever.”
On August 8, 1995, the Canadian production of the hit Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast opened at the Princess of Wales Theater in Toronto, Canada. It was one of the earliest international productions of the show, following Australia’s version in July of the same year. The original cast included Kerry Butler as Belle, Chuck Wagner as Beast, Dan R. Chameroy as Gaston, Cliff Saunders and Lefou, and Terry Doyle as Maurice. The musical ran until 1998.
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