Today In Disney History: Peter Pan is Released

Disney’s animated classic Peter Pan had its official world premiere on this day in 1953, at the Roxy Theatre in New York City. The film marked Disney’s 14th animated feature and brought J.M. Barrie’s beloved story of Neverland, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook to the screen in full Technicolor. Peter Pan would go on to become one of Disney’s most enduring animated films, praised for its music, characters, and adventurous spirit, and remains a Disney classic.

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, produced by Walt Disney and featured the voices of Bobby Driscoll (as Peter Pan), Kathryn Beaumont (as Wendy Darling), Hans Conried (as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling), Bill Thompson (as Mr. Smee), Heather Angel (as Mrs. Darling), Paul Collins (as John Darling), Tommy Luske (as Michael Darling), Candy Candido (as Indian Chief). It was narrated by Tom Conway.

Josh D’Amaro Named Next CEO of The Walt Disney Company

On February 3, 2026, The Walt Disney Company officially selected Josh D’Amaro as its next Chief Executive Officer, marking a major leadership transition for the entertainment giant. D’Amaro, a longtime Disney executive and current Chairman of Disney Experiences, will succeed Bob Iger as CEO effective March 18, 2026. 

D’Amaro’s appointment follows a unanimous vote by Disney’s Board of Directors. With nearly three decades at the company, he brings extensive experience across Disney’s theme parks, resorts, cruise line, consumer products, and global experiences operations. Under his leadership as head of the Experiences division, Disney has seen substantial growth and expansion in parks and attractions worldwide. 

Bob Iger, who returned to the CEO role in 2022 after a brief retirement to steady the company, praised D’Amaro’s deep understanding of the Disney brand and his ability to blend creativity with operational excellence. Iger will remain with Disney as a Senior Advisor and board member through the end of 2026 to support the transition. 

In a simultaneous leadership move, Dana Walden—Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment—was named President and Chief Creative Officer, a new role that positions her to focus on the company’s creative and storytelling efforts and report directly to D’Amaro once he takes the helm.  

Today In Disney History: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree Premiered

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree was released by Walt Disney Productions on this day in 1966. This animated featurette marked the big-screen debut of A.A. Milne’s beloved characters, including Pooh, Piglet, and Christopher Robin, in a classic Disney animated format. The short film was released as a double feature along with The Ugly Dachshund. It later became part of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, released on March 11, 1977. 

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, produced by Walt Disney and featured the voices of Sterling Holloway (as Winnie the Pooh), Junius Matthews (as Rabbit), Bruce Reitherman (as Christopher Robin), Clint Howard (as Roo), Barbara Luddy (as Kangaroo), Ralph Wright (as Eeyore), Howard Morris (as Gopher), and Hal Smith (as Owl). It was narrated by Sebastian Cabot.

Today In Disney History: Disney Acquires Rights to Zorro

On this day in Disney history, Walt Disney Productions acquired the television rights to the character Zorro from writer Mitchell Gertz. This deal set the stage for the classic Disney’s Zorro TV series that debuted in 1957 and became one of the studio’s most beloved live-action shows, running for 78 episodes and helping solidify Disney’s presence on television in the 1950s.

Today In Disney History: The Disney Inn Becomes Shades of Green

On this day in Disney history, The Disney Inn at Walt Disney World was leased by the U.S. Department of Defense and eventually renamed Shades of Green. The resort was dedicated to serving active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. The name honors the various “shades of green” worn by U.S. military personnel and the resort continues to operate as an Armed Forces Recreation Center on Disney property. 

Today In Disney History: Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas Retire

On January 31, 1978, two of Walt Disney’s most celebrated animators, Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, officially retired from The Walt Disney Company. Both were part of Walt’s famed Nine Old Men, the core team of animators behind some of Disney’s most beloved classics — including Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, Cinderella, and Peter Pan. After their retirement, Johnston and Thomas continued to influence the animation world through lectures, consulting work, and co-authoring the influential book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, which remains a cornerstone reference on the craft of animation. Both men were honored as Disney Legends in 1989. 

In Memoriam: Catherine O’Hara (1954-2026)

Catherine O'Hara, the Emmy Award-winning actress who starred in "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" as Kate McCallister, as well as in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," where she voiced Sally, has passed away at 71. O'Hara was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She started her acting career in 1974 as a cast member of The Second City (an improvisational comedy group) in her hometown of Toronto. 

Her Disney (and Disney-adjacent) filmography includes,  "Dick Tracy" where she played Texie Garcia, "Betsy's Wedding" where she played Gloria Henner, Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" where she voiced Sally as well as Shock of Lock, Shock, and Barrel, "A Simple Twist of Fate" where she played Mrs. Simon, "Tall Tale" where she played Calamity Jane, "Chicken Little" where she voiced Tina (the alien mom), "Brother Bear 2" where she voiced Kata, "Frankenweenie" where she voiced Susan Frankenstein, weird Girl, and Gym Teacher and "Elemental" where she voiced Brook Ripple. Additionally, she provided the voice of Morgana in a 2016 episode of "Sofia the First". She served as the narrator for the EPCOT attraction "Canada: Far and Wide," a 360-degree panoramic film located in the Canada Pavilion. 

Episode 199 - From Oozma Kappa to the Scare Floor

Welcome to Episode 199 of the Talking Disney Podcast.

In this episode, we talk about the MiceChat Gumball Rally quickly approaching, Disneyland Handcrafted is out, Zootopia 2 is available on digital, plus much more. We continue our journey of watching and discussing the Disney-Pixar animated films, with Monsters University. 

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Today In Disney History: IllumiNations Debuts at Epcot

IllumiNations debuts at EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort on this day in 1988, replacing Laserphonic Fantasy. The 14 minute nighttime spectacular featured striking fireworks and laser show, set over the World Showcase Lagoon, became one of the park’s most beloved evening traditions, combining pyrotechnics, music, and choreographed lighting to celebrate global unity and storytelling.

“Good evening, and welcome to World Showcase. Tonight we are pleased to present a visual journey, an international fantasy of music and light. We're about to embark on a sparkling abstract expedition around World Showcase. With the music as your passport, we'll discover sights and sounds from colorful ports of call. And to celebrate our journey, the countries will be united by the festive elements of water, fire, and light. And now, let your imagination be your guide, as EPCOT Center proudly presents IllumiNations.”

IllumiNations represented a major evolution in Disney Parks entertainment, broadening the idea of what a nighttime spectacular could be at Walt Disney World. Instead of relying solely on fireworks, it introduced a synchronized, story-centered presentation crafted to be experienced from all sides of the lagoon. That approach paved the way for the more narrative‑rich nighttime shows that later emerged across Disney parks around the globe.

It would have its final show on September 20, 1996, replaced by IllumiNations 25 (A) on September 21, 1996. 

Today In Disney History: Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Released

Walt Disney’s sixteenth animated feature film Sleeping Beauty is released on this day in 1959. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Film Distribution.

Sleeping Beauty tells the story of Princess Aurora, a young royal cursed at birth by Maleficent to fall into an eternal sleep on her sixteenth birthday. Raised in secret by three good fairies—Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather—Aurora grows up unaware of her true identity until fate draws her back to the kingdom and into the path of the curse. When Maleficent’s spell is fulfilled, the fairies rally to protect the realm and guide Prince Phillip on a perilous quest to defeat the evil fairy. Through courage, love, and magic, the curse is finally broken, restoring peace and awakening Aurora to her happily ever after.

Directed by Clyde Geronimi (Supervising Director), Eric Larson (Sequence Director), Wolfgang Reitherman (Sequence Director), Les Clark (Sequence Director) and produced by Walt Disney. Starring the voices of Mary Costa (Princess Aurora), Bill Shirley (Prince Phillip), Eleanor Audrey (Maleficent), Verna Felton (Flora and Queen Leah), Barbara Luddy (Merryweather), Barbara Jo Allen (Fauna), Taylor Holmes (King Stefan), Bill Thompson (King Hubert). Directing Animatirs included Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, John Lounsberry, Frank Thomas. 

We talked about Sleeping Beauty on Episode 65 (Click Here) of the Talking Disney Podcast