May 19, 1931
Donald’s Cousin Gus

At the start of Donald’s Cousin Gus, Donald is just sitting down to a large feast when he’s disrupted by a loud knock at his door. There, standing on his porch in a bowtie and top hat is Donald’s cousin, Gus Goose. Gus even has a note from Donald’s Aunt Fanny to prove his identity and to assure Donald that Gus “don’t eat much.” Boy, was Donald in for a surprise. Within seconds, Gus makes his way inside and manages to consume an extraordinary amount of food. Donald is at first amused, as Gus’s antics and appetite are largely comical. It isn’t long before his amusement is replaced with annoyance, however, as he realizes there’s nothing left for his own supper − everything Donald reaches for, Gus quickly consumes. Donald tries to suppress Gus’ insatiable appetite, but after meeting with no success, he eventually gives up for good.

May 18, 1995
Agreement Finalized to Purchase 25 Percent of the California Angels

Singing cowboy Gene Autry began his movie career in the 1930s, eventually making more than 100 films. Although his theme song was “Back in the Saddle Again,” Gene felt just as comfortable in a baseball dugout and was the founder of the team now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. On this day in 1995, Michael Eisner scored big points with Disney’s baseball fans when he announced that The Walt Disney Company had agreed to purchase 25 percent of what was then known as the California Angels. The Company acquired the rest of the team after Gene Autry’s death and remained the owners until its sale in 2003. During the initial deal with Disney, the 86-year- old Gene Autry was delighted and stated, “I could not be more pleased that the company that bears my friend Walt Disney’s name and that is also dedicated to the creation of family entertainment is now a part of the Angels organization.”

May 17, 1991
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Opens at Walt Disney World

Stroll cobblestone walkways as you listen to the smooth jazz backdrop and breathe in the sweet smell of magnolia blossoms in the air. Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, themed after the French Quarter in New Orleans, opened with 432 guest rooms, a restaurant called Bonfamille’s Café, two quick-service diners, and the Doubloon Lagoon, a pool area built around a massive sea serpent. The guest rooms are situated along landscaped lanes overlooking the Sassagoula River, which is a boat ride away Downtown Disney. The Dixie Landings Resort, which opened the following year, was eventually combined with Port Orleans on April 1, 2001 and was split into two sections, known as Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside.

May 16, 1989
Animation Cel and Background from Orphan’s Benefit Sells

In 1934, the Mickey Mouse cartoon short Orphan’s Benefit was released, the first time Mickey, Donald and Goofy were featured together. With an audience of mischievous mice orphans, Master of Ceremonies Mickey Mouse introduces Donald Duck for some recitations, followed by Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow and Goofy performing some acrobatics. Donald Duck returns to the stage, only to be taunted by the orphans, including one who uses a simple mechanical device with a boxing glove at the end to sock the duck. Pause. Fast forward to this day in the year 1989, and the original cel and background used to create that single frame in the short is up for auction. An unidentified Canadian buyer pays $286,000 for the 10″x12½” black and white cel setup. But, the buyer wasn’t satisfied with just one treasure; he purchased a cel and background of the wicked witch from Snow White for $121,000, and a cel setup of the Prince kissing the film’s heroine for a mere $68,200.

May 15, 1908
Disney Legend Joe Grant is Born

Joe Grant, a writer, artist, character designer and head of the fabled Disney Model Department, who joined the Company in 1933 and was still working four days a week at the Disney Studio when he passed away in 2005, was born in New York City on this day in 1908. One of the Company’s great creative minds, Joe co-wrote the screen story of Dumbo and played a major role in the development of such early classics as Fantasia and Pinocchio. After leaving the Company in 1949 to start his own business, he returned in 1989 and lent his talents to such films as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. Chicken Little, the last film Joe worked on, was also dedicated to him. In Neal Gabler’s Walt Disney: The Triumph of the Imagination, Joe provided fascinating insight into what made a story like Dumbo, which he adapted from a slim children’s book, so perfect for the big screen. “The story was clear and air-tight to everyone involved in the project,” he remembered. We didn’t do a lot of stuff over due to the story-point goofs. There were no sequences started and then shelved, like in Pinocchio. Walt was sure what he wanted and this confidence was shared by the entire crew.” Joe was named a Disney Legend in 1992.

May 14, 1923
Walt Writes to Margaret Winkler Looking for Distributor for Alice’s Wonderland

An innovator right from the start, Walt Disney had an idea of taking a live-action character, Alice, and placing her in an animated land of cartoon characters. Animated characters had been seen in live-action worlds, but this technique was a first. On May 14, 1923, Walt wrote to film distributor Margaret Winkler, hoping that she would take an interest in his unfinished short film, Alice’s Wonderland, a pilot for a series of short Alice comedies. Winkler agreed to distribute Alice, and 56 Alice films were produced. The contract, signed on October 16, 1923, stipulated to a starting payment of $1,500 for each reel. That event became the official start of what is now known as The Walt Disney Company, and the year 1923 became the inspiration behind the name of our fan community, D23.

May 13, 1933
The Mail Pilot is Released

That daring pilot, Mickey Mouse, stars in The Mail Pilot, which was released on this day in 1933, telling the chilling tale of his journey to fly the mail across the land. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet will keep the postmouse from his appointed rounds… and he encounters them all. But, the real challenge occurs when he encounters that dastardly mail bandit (Pete) who will stop at nothing in his attempts to sabotage delivery, even if it means taking the life of our hero. Will Mickey safely deliver the mail to his adoring fans awaiting their deliveries, or will this be the demise of the heroic postal carrier? Thanks to Mickey’s quick thinking and skillful flying, the mail bandit’s plans are foiled, when Mickey dexterously lands safely and the villain is captured in a mail bag, where he will no doubt be delivered to the prison via express mail.

May 12, 1956
Main Street Horseless Carriage Debuts at Disneyland

From the Haunted Mansion omnimovers to the monorails, Bob Gurr was responsible for the design and construction of countless vehicles in the Disney parks. For the Main Street Horseless Carriage, Bob recalls, “Their idea was that they would go and buy some antique cars and sort of refurbish them in order to have some vehicles on Main Street. Roger (Broggie) and I went out to a place in San Bernardino where there was a crazy old guy in a black suit… and he had maybe 150 old cars, all kinds, a lot of them in very poor condition. He was trying to make a deal with Walt that he would sell him some of those cars and the studio would find somebody to overhaul them and then use them as ride vehicles.” It didn’t take long for Bob to decide it would be more beneficial to build their own antique cars from scratch. “By that time I had picked up just enough knowledge to know how to find parts, how to source parts, how we can marry stuff together, so very quickly we came up with the idea of what we then called the ’03 antique car, the red car at Disneyland.” That car made its debut at Disneyland on this day in 1956.

May 11, 1929
Margaret Kerry was born

On this day in 1929, a pixie-like actress named Peggy Lynch was born. She began her acting career at the age of four, and as a teenager she was cast in the 1948 musical comedy film If You Knew Susie, with Eddie Cantor and Joan Davis. The popular singer, Eddie Cantor, decided that young Peggy needed a new stage name, and came up with the name Margaret Kerry. Just a few years later, Walt Disney was searching for a nimble mime/dancer/actor to be filmed as a live-action reference for animators working on the character Tinker Bell in his upcoming animated film, Peter Pan. Margaret soared into the job as the model for what is perhaps the most iconic Disney character besides Mickey Mouse. But this was not the first time that “Tinker Bell” and “Peter Pan” appeared together. Back on If You Knew Susie, Margaret worked with young Bobby Driscoll, Disney’s voice of Peter Pan. And if you’ve ever wondered what Tinker Bell might have originally sounded like, just listen to the red-headed mermaid in the film… that’s Margaret’s voice.

May 10, 2006
Tarzan Stage Production Officially Opens on Broadway with Josh Strickland as Tarzan

On this day in 2006, Tarzan swung onto Broadway stages with Josh Strickland in the title role of the ape man and Jenn Gambatese as his loyal mate Jane. The lavish production at the Richard Rodgers Theatre featured a score by Phil Collins and was complete with lush, fanciful scenic and costume design, intricate uses of animation and projected images and acrobatic dancers and aerialists. The Broadway version of the show took its final bow on July 8, 2007 after 486 performances and 35 previews. Photograph courtesy of Joan Marcus, 2006.