By Michael Aronson – 04/10/06

This Week In Disney

April 10:

• 1927: A rabbit is born! Today, Walt Disney delivers his first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, “Poor Papa”, to Charles Mintz, a man who would later be instrumental in taking the character away from Walt - which of course spurred the creation of certain mouse. Recently, new Disney CEO Bob Iger, regained the rights to Oswald bringing him home, to the Disney family.
  
  
• 1964: With the impending opening of the New York Wold’s Fair, Walt Disney arrives in New York City to personally inspect the installation of the four exhibits to be produced by Disney. The four exhibits will leave a legacy not only to the Fair, but to the Disney Parks worldwide with The Ford Magic Skyway (Primeval World/World of Energy), The Carousel of Progress, The Illinois Pavilion (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln), and It’s a Small World.
  
  
• 1988: The day the music ended as ‘America Sings’ closes at Tomorrowland in Disneyland. Many of the characters would later find homes at Star Tours and Splash Mountain.
  
  
• 2001: An official groundbreaking ceremony takes place today in Ohio on a small, two-story brick building. While the the currently existing building looks hardly more than an old abandoned building, it was the birthplace of mice (by legend, one of whom a former proprietor befriended), pixies, castles and dreams. This building at the corner of 31st and Forest Street was the home of Laugh-O-Gram studios, the first animations studio owned by Walt Disney. Incorporated in 1922, the building has been the focus of the ‘Thank You Walt Disney’ organization who have worked to raise the funds to restore the building and establish a Disney museum on the site. For more information, go to: http://www.laughograms.com
  

April 11:

• 2003: At the Disneyland Resort, two new attractions open, ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ and ‘Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage! ‘. A quiet day.

April 12:

• 1925: On a very good day for Roy E. Disney, Roy Oliver Disney marries Edna Francis. The ceremony takes place at his brother Robert’s house in Los Angeles, California.
  
  
• 1993: guest number 10.5 million, passes through the gates of Euro Disney.
  
  
• 1997: It’s Carl Barks weekend at Walt Disney World in celebration of the 96th birthday of Scrooge McDucks father.

April 13:

• 1954: Happy Birthday Glen Keane. Begining as an apprentice under some of Disney’s ‘Nine Old Men’, Glen will go on to animate such memorable characters as ‘Elliot the Dragon’, ‘the Beast’, and Ariel in ‘the Little Mermaid’.

April 14:

• 1969: Another Academy Award for the Disney trophy case as ‘Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day' wins an Oscar for Best Animated Short.

April 15:

• 1983: Disney Theme Parks go international as Tokyo Disneyland Opens. Arguably the most technologically advanced of all the Disney Parks, the resort now includes the lush DisneySea Theme Park become one of the most beautiful of all Disney destinations.