Major Disney anniversaries to commemorate in 2021
The year 2021 brings Disney fans a big milestone: the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. The gates of the Magic Kingdom opened to guests Oct. 1, 1971. At the time, the whole of Disney World was arrayed around the Monorail — the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts, connected by the highway in the sky.
But the golden anniversary of the Magic Kingdom is far from the only milestone to mark this year. We will also mark the 15th anniversary of Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, and the 30th anniversary of both “Beauty and the Beast” and the Disney Vacation Club. And somehow, Donald Duck’s nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, are 83 years old.
There are many more attractions, movies and events reaching round-number milestone anniversaries this year. Plus, we’ve included some big Disney birthdays. Here’s what’s coming in 2021.
January
Jan. 1, 1888: Elias Disney and Flora Call are married in Acron, Fla., a town in eastern Lake County. They are the parents of Walt and Roy Disney. (133rd anniversary)
Jan. 1, 1966: Walt Disney serves as Grand Marshal of the Tournament of the Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. (55th anniversary)
Jan. 2, 2001: Disney opens the doors to its Grand Californian Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. (30th anniversary)
Jan. 4, 1996: Stockholders approve Disney merger with Capital Cities/ABC. (25th anniversary)
Jan. 5, 1986: The Biscuit Barrel in the United Kingdom Pavillion at EPCOT closes. It becomes The Country Manor. (35th anniversary)
Jan. 6, 2016: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights closes for the last time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after being a holiday staple display for 20 years. (5th anniversary)
Jan. 7, 2008: Disney-MGM Studios changes its name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (13th anniversary)
Jan. 8, 1936: Walt Disney is decorated with France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor. (85th anniversary)
Jan. 12, 2001: Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort officially opens. (20th anniversary)
Jan. 15, 1986: The Living Seas Pavilion opens at EPCOT. (35th anniversary)
Jan. 16, 2011: Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom begins operation. (10th anniversary)
Jab. 18, 1882: A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, is born. (139th anniversary)
Jan. 19, 2011: The Disney Dream is christened at Port Canaveral. (10th anniversary)
Jan. 20, 2006: High School Musical makes its first bow and breaks all Disney Channel records, with its soundtrack going platinum. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 23, 2006: Monsters, Inc.: Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction officially opens at Disney’s California Adventure. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 24, 2006: Walt Disney Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger announces Disney will acquire Pixar in a stock transaction worth about $7.4 billion. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 25, 1961: 101 Dalmations is released. (60th anniversary)
Jan. 26, 2011: Maiden voyage of the Disney Dream. (10th anniversary)
Jan. 27, 1996: The Walt Disney World Resort hosts an Indy 200 race in the new Walt Disney World Speedway. (25th anniversary)
Jan. 31, 1956: A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh passes away at the age of 74. (65th anniversary)
February
Feb. 6, 1986: Walt Disney Productions officially changes its name to The Walt Disney Company. (35th anniversary)
Feb. 8, 2001: Disney’s California Adventure opens to the public. (20th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 2006: The Walt Disney Company re-acquires the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from NBC Universal in a trade allowing football analyst Al Michaels to contract with NBC. (15th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 1996: Final FCC approval of and filing of merger documents for completion of the acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. (25th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 1996: The Disney Institute opens at Walt Disney World. (25th anniversary)
Feb. 12, 2011: Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey, a walk-through and Meet & Greet attraction at Mickey’s Toontown Fair, Magic Kingdom closes. (10th anniversary)
Feb. 16, 1991: The stage show Dick Tracy Starring in Diamond Double-Cross at Disney-MGM Studios gives its last performance. (30th anniversary)
Feb. 22, 1996: Disney Online launches Disney.com on the World Wide Web. (25th anniversary)
Feb. 24, 1996: The Spirit of Pocahontas show at Disney-MGM Studios gives its last performance. (25th anniversary)
March
March 1, 1996: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort opens in South Carolina. (25th anniversary)
March 4, 2016: Zootopia premieres. (5th anniversary)
March 15, 2020: Walt Disney World closes at the end of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the seventh time in history Disney World has closed its doors. (1st anniversary)
March 24, 2006: Hannah Montana debuts on Disney Channel. (15th anniversary)
April
April 2, 2016: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set at Disney’s Hollywood Studios close to eventually make way for Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (5th anniversary)
April 7, 2011: Official groundbreaking of the Shanghai Disney Resort. (10th anniversary)
April 12, 1996: James and the Giant Peach is released. (25th anniversary)
April 14, 2016: Groundbreaking for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (5th anniversary)
April 15, 2016: The live-action version of The Jungle Book premieres. (5th anniversary)
April 15, 1938: Huey, Dewey and Louie debut in the short “Donald’s Nephews.” (83rd anniversary)
April 15, 1971: The last of 337 concrete beams completing the six-mile long monorail system for Walt Disney World is placed and the first Martin-Marietta Mark IV Monorail train is lowered onto the beam. (50th anniversary)
April 16, 2001: Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort opens. (20th anniversary)
May
May 5, 2006: Disney closes on the purchase of Pixar Animation Studios. (15th anniversary)
May 6, 1991: The Walt Disney Co. joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (30th anniversary)
May 6, 2016: Captain America: Civil War premieres. (5th anniversary)
May 9, 1955: Kermit the Frog first appears in the premiere of Sam and Friends on local Washington, D.C., television station WRC-TV. (66th anniversary)
May 12, 1932: Goofy makes his first appearance in “Mickey’s Revue.” (89th anniversary)
May 17, 1991: The French Quarter at Port Orleans Resort opens. (30th anniversary)
May 20, 1996: Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course opens. (25th anniversary)
May 27, 2016: “Frozen—Live at the Hyperion” opens at Disney’s California Adventure. (5th anniversary)
May 27, 2016: Alice Through the Looking Glass premieres. (5th anniversary)
May 29, 1991: Guest No. 100 million welcomed at Tokyo Disneyland. (30th anniversary)
June
June 7, 1940: Daisy Duck makes her first appearance in “Mr. Duck Steps Out.” (81st anniversary)
Jun 8, 2006: Cars is released. (15th anniversary)
June 9, 1934: Donald Duck makes his first appearance in “The Wise Little Hen.” (87th anniversary)
June 15, 2001: Atlantis: The Lost Empire premieres. (20th anniversary)
June 16, 2016: Shanghai Disney Resort opens. (5th anniversary)
June 17, 1971: Disneyland welcomes guest No. 100 million. (50th anniversary)
June 17, 2016: Finding Dory premieres. (5th anniversary)
June 17, 2016: Soarin’ Around the World opens at Epcot and Disney’s California Adventure. (5th anniversary)
June 18, 1996: The Haber family is the first to move into their new home in Celebration, Fla. (25th anniversary)
June 19, 1971: Walt Disney World opens its own post office, with its own Zip Code: 32830. (50th anniversary)
June 20, 1976: River Country, Disney’s first water park, opens at Walt Disney World. (45th anniversary)
June 21, 1996: Hunchback of Notre Dame is released. (25th anniversary)
June 21, 2016: Frozen Ever After opens at Epcot. (5th anniversary)
June 24, 2011: Cars 2, from Pixar, premieres. (20th anniversary)
June 24, 1893: Roy O. Disney is born. (128th anniversary)
July
July 1, 1996: Disney’s BoardWalk and BoardWalk Villas opens at Walt Disney World. (25th anniversary)
July 2, 1986: The Great Movie Detective is released. (35th anniversary)
July 10, 1981: Fox and the Hound is released. (30th anniversary)
July 11, 2020: Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom reopen to the public with new health and physical distancing guidelines after being closed effective March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. . (1st anniversary)
July 15, 20201: EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopen to the public with new health and physical distancing guidelines after being closed effective March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (1st anniversary)
July 15, 2011: Winnie The Pooh film premiers. (10th anniversary)
July 17, 1996: Disney announced plans for Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim. (25th anniversary)
July 28, 1951: Alice in Wonderland is released. (70th anniversary)
August
Aug. 17, 1941: Walt and artists leave on a goodwill trip to South America. (80th anniversary)
Aug. 29, 2011: Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, opens in west Oahu’s Ko Olina Resort & Marina. (10th anniversary)
September
Sept. 4, 2001: Tokyo DisneySea opens. (20th anniversary)
Sept. 5, 1927: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit makes his debut in “Trolley Troubles.” (94th anniversary)
Sept. 5, 1930: Pluto makes his first appearance in “The Chain Gang.” (91st anniversary)
Sept. 11, 2001: Following the terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and in the skies of Shanksville, Pa., Disneyland and Walt Disney World close without incident. While the parks closed, the resorts remained open. (20th anniversary)
Sept. 26, 1991: Hyperion Books publishes its first book. (30th anniversary)
Sept. 30, 1971: The Preview Center for Walt Disney World closes. (50th anniversary)
October
Oct. 1, 1971: The Magic Kingdom opens to the public at 10 a.m. Attendance for the first day is 10,442. Opening day attractions included the Country Bear Jamboree, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Hall of Presidents, the Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan’s Flight, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tomorrowland Speedway, Walt Disney World Railroad, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. The Contemporary and Polynesian resorts also opened on this day, as did the Monorail connecting them to the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Oct. 2, 1971: The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat begins operation on the Rivers of America in the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Oct. 3, 1971: The Peter Pan’s Flight attraction opens in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Oct. 14, 1971: The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Oct. 21, 1941: Dumbo is released. (80th anniversary)
Oct. 23, 1971: A three-day gala Grand Opening ceremony for Walt Disney World takes place. (50th anniversary)
Oct. 25, 1971: Roy O. Disney reads his dedication to Walt Disney World backed by the world’s largest marching band with 1,076 instruments plays “76 Trombones” and a 1,500-voice choir singing “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
“Walt Disney World is tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney … and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place … a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn – together.”
— Roy O. Disney
Oct. 25, 1971: The Electrical Water Pageant starts its journey on the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney World. (50th anniversary)
November
Nov. 2, 2001: Disney’s River Country closes for the last time. (20th anniversary)
Nov. 2, 2001: Monsters, Inc. premieres. (20th anniversary)
Nov. 4, 2016: Doctor Strange premieres. (5th anniversary)
Nov. 18, 1996: Debut of Radio Disney on the ABC Radio Networks. (25th anniversary)
Nov. 18, 1928: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse make their debut in “Steamboat Willie.” (93rd anniversary)
Nov. 22, 1991: Beauty and the Beast is released. (30th anniversary)
Nov. 23, 2016: Moana premieres. (5th anniversary)
Nov. 25, 1996: The Main Street Electrical Parade makes its final appearance at Disneyland. (25th anniversary)
Nov. 25, 1971: The Circle Vision 360 film America the Beautiful opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
December
Dec. 1, 1971: The #4 locomotive, the Roy O. Disney, begins operation in the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Dec. 5, 1901: Walt Disney is born. (120th anniversary)
Dec. 8, 1941: The U.S. Army moves onto the Disney Studio lot. (80th anniversary)
Dec. 15, 1966: Walt Disney passes away. (55th anniversary)
Dec. 16, 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premieres. (5th anniversary)
Dec. 20, 1971: Roy O. Disney passes away, less than three months after the opening of the Magic Kingdom. (50th anniversary)
Dec. 20, 1991: Disney’s Vacation Club Resort opens. The first DVC resort, it will be renamed Old Key West Resort in 1996. (30th anniversary)
