Here you are this week's look to the past of the World, the Land and the Company!!:
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This Week in Disney History: Feb. 5-11
Feb. 8, 2001: Disney California Adventure opens
After six years of planning and three years of construction, the first official guests stepped through the turnstiles of Sunshine Plaza to experience three distinct lands inspired by the beauty and diversity of California: Golden State, featuring the hang glider attraction Soarin' Over California; a Hollywood Pictures Backlot that takes visitors into the magical world of Disney film-making; and Paradise Pier, a Victorian-inspired beachfront boardwalk anchored by the roller coaster California Screamin'.
Now in the midst of a dynamic transformation, the park added the nighttime water show World of Color in 2010, and the new attraction The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure is set to debut later this year. Read more about the first 10 years of Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort Line beginning Feb. 8.
Feb. 8, 2006: Disney reacquires Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from NBC Universal
Before there was Mickey Mouse, there was Oswald - the lighthearted, long-eared star of 26 silent cartoons made by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks from 1927-1928. Walt lost the rights to distributor Universal through a contract loophole, but rebounded quickly after unveiling another lighthearted, round-eared character in "Steamboat Willie." Universal continued producing Oswald shorts until 1943, when the series was discontinued. Sixty years later, Disney reacquired the rights to Oswald in a deal that also moved sportscaster Al Michaels from ABC to NBC, setting the stage for Oswald's biggest role yet - a costarring role in Disney Interactive Studios' "Epic Mickey" video game for Nintendo Wii. Oswald plays the first resident and de facto leader of Wasteland, a world of forgotten cartoon characters. When Mickey Mouse is pulled into Wasteland, he and Oswald must work together to keep the evil Shadow Blot from destroying Wasteland completely.
Also this week in Disney history:
Feb. 5
1953 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Peter Pan"
1992 - "Beauty and the Beast" is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture
Feb. 6
1859 - Elias Disney (Walt Disney's father) is born
1943 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "Saludos Amigos"
2009 - "it's a small world" reopens at Disneyland Park with 29 Disney and Pixar characters incorporated into the attraction
February 7
1940 - Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" premieres in New York City
1997 - The Richard Petty Driving Experience debuts at the Walt Disney World Resort Speedway
February 8
1952 - The Disney animated short "Lambert, the Sheepish Lion" debuts
February 9
1986 - The 3-D film "Magic Journeys" closes at Epcot
1996 - The Disney Institute learning campus opens at the Walt Disney World Resort
February 10
1960 - The Stagecoach Line attraction closes at Disneyland Park
February 11
2000 - Walt Disney Pictures releases "The Tigger Movie"
2003 - Disney receives 44 Academy Award nominations, including 13 for "Chicago"and 10 for "Gangs of New York"
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