16 Disney anniversaries to celebrate in May 2022
There are a number of Disney anniversaries taking place in May 2022 from theme park debuts to film premieres to Broadway to a special birthday for Goofy.
The first major anniversary is the continuation of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary with the opening of the first Frontierland Walt Disney World station.
While the Walt Disney World Railroad opened to the public when Walt Disney World opened on Oct. 1, 1971, there was only one station in the park, near the entrance at Main Street, U.S.A.
On May 1, 1972, the second station, opened in Frontierland Station across from Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. The station remained until November 1990 when it was demolished to make way for the new Splash Mountain attraction. The current station opened in December 1991.
May 4, 2012: Marvel’s “The Avengers” premieres. (10th anniversary) – This was the last Phase One film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first Marvel film to reach $1 billion in ticket sales.
May 5, 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 premieres. (5th anniversary) – While we await the third installment of the film to come in 2023, we celebrate the 5th anniversary this year.
May 5, 1987: First Disney Dollars sold at Disneyland. (35th anniversary) – Disney’s first currency, the Disney Dollar debuted at Disneyland with bills bearing the mages of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other characters. The dollars, which were and one for one exchange for the U.S. dollar. While Disneyland started on May 5, the first dollars were sold at Disney World in EPCOT on Oct. 2. In 1992, Disney Stores starting using the dollar. On May 14, 2016, Disney stopped distributing and printing the currency, but is still accepting them if presented.
May 9, 1955: Kermit the Frog first appearance. (67th anniversary) — The loveable Kermit the Frog makes is first appearance in the premiere of Sam and Friends on local Washington, D.C., television station WRC-TV. The show that was taped and aired twice daily and later on weeknights. The show ended in 1961.
May 12, 2017: Nemo & Friends SeaRider opens at Tokyo DisneySea. (5th anniversary) — The simulator ride at Tokyo Disney Sea is based on “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory.”
May 12, 2017: Happily Ever After fireworks show premieres. (5th anniversary) — The fan-favorite Happily Ever After fireworks debuted at Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The show featured the latest fireworks and pyrotechnics and original animation. The show ended on Sept. 29, 2021 to make way for the current show “Disney Enchantment.”
May 13, 1992 – Disneyland’s Fantasmic! debuts. (20th anniversary) — Disney’s popular and longest-running nighttime spectacular, debuted on the Riivers of America in Disneylandn 1992. “Fantasmic!” is an emotional extravaganza of colorful Disney-animated story scenes, choreographed to an exciting musical score and highlighted by the 45-foot-tall, fire-breathing Maleficent dragon.
May 18, 2012: Meet Merida at Fairytale Garden at Magic Kingdom opens. (10th anniversary)
May 20, 1997 – New Amsterdam Theatre opens (25th anniversary) —Disney opened the newly restored New Amsterdam Theatre in New York with a concert version of Alan Menken and Tim Rice’smusical “King David.”
May 25, 1932: Goofy makes his first (90th anniversary) – Goofy made is first appearance in “Mickey’s Mickey’s Revue,” the 41st Mickey Mouse film, but was then known as Dippy Dawg. It wasn’t until later in the year, and a little makeover that he was called Goofy in the short “The Whoopee Party. “
May 26, 2017: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” film premieres. (5th anniversary)
May 27, 1977: Disneyland’s Space Mountain opens. (45th anniversary) – When the opening ceremony took place, the ceremony was attended by the original crew of Project Mercury: Captain Scott Carpenter, Colonel Gordon Cooper, Senator John Glenn, Captain Walter Schirra, Admiral Alan Shepard and Donald “Deke” Slayton, along with Betty Grissom, widow of former Mercury and Apollo 1 astronaut Gus Grissom.
May 27, 1977: Disneyland’s Starcade opens. (45th anniversary) — The Starcade opened the same day as Space Mountain as an arcade. It ceased as a video arcade in 2015.
May 27, 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission BREAKOUT! opens (5th anniversary) — The Tower of Terror at Disneyland California in Disneyland was re-imagined as the new Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! It has six different adventures. Each of the adventures comes with its own song from the 1960s, 1970s or early 1980s. Each song accompanies a different version of the escape scenario, with a corresponding ride profile and visuals.
May 27, 2017: Pandora—The World of Avatar opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (5th anniversary) — It will be five years since The two new rides are Avatar Flight of Passage, which will allow guests to fly on a banshee over the world of Pandora and the Na’vi River Journey, which will send guests down a mystical river hidden within a bioluminescent rainforest.
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