- April 7
- The name of the Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree at Walt Disney World is changed back to Diamond Horseshoe Revue. [228.124]
- April 12
- The 'Ohana restaurant opens in the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World. [228.366]
- April 22
- The Empress Lilly riverboat closes in Walt Disney World. Three restaurants on the ship close: Steerman's Quarters, Fisherman's Deck, and the Empress Room. [228.164] [1342.38]
- May 15
- The California Grill restaurant opens on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. Former name was Top of the World. [228.75]
- May 18
- The Walt Disney World Food and Beverage division invites Disney executives to preview changes in Disney cuisine. [322.44]
- May 27
- The Casey's Corner shop opens in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Former name was Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner. [228.83,96]
- June
- Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom re-opens after a complete refurbishment. [222.131] (February [226.171])
- The Astro Orbiter attraction opens in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [228.31]
- June 18
- The Lifetime cable network airs a preview of the Wedding Pavilion at Walt Disney World, and shows the first wedding held there. [501.601]
- June 20
- The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter attraction opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [228.170]
- June 28
- The Main Street Athletic Company shop opens on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [228.306]
- (month unknown)
- The name of Epcot at Walt Disney World is changed to Epcot '95. [228.165]
- The You and Me Kid shop in the Disney Village Marketplace at Walt Disney World closes. [501.626]
- July 15
- The Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion opens at Walt Disney World, on an island near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. [228.171] [501.601]
- August 2
- Theme parks at Walt Disney World have a delayed opening, at 11:00 AM, due to Hurricane Erin threatening the area. [412.1]
- October 12
- Walt Disney World welcomes its 500-millionth guest, Michelle Davis. [259.28] [501.596] [1073.172] (October 13 [210.18])
- November 22
- The Toy Story Parade premiers at the Disney-MGM Studios, in Walt Disney World in Florida. [91.39]
- November 28
- The Walt Disney World Speedway is dedicated at Walt Disney World. The one mile long track was built in a corner of the Magic Kingdom parking lot. [501.597]
1996
- January 1
- Delta Air Lines discontinues sponsorship of the Delta Dreamflight attraction in Walt Disney World. The attraction name changes to Take Flight! [228.122] [1342.33]
- January 12
- The US government purchases the Shades of Green hotel at Walt Disney World from Disney. [501.493]
- January
- The Vacation Club Resort hotel at Walt Disney World is renamed Disney's Old Key West Resort. [501.584]
- January 26
- The first car race is held at the Walt Disney World Speedway, a Formula Ford 2000 support race. [501.597]
- January 27
- The Walt Disney World Speedway hosts the Indy Racing League's Indy 200 car race. [501.597]
- February 9
- The Disney Institute opens at Walt Disney World, in Florida. [86.13] [210.181] [230.31] [228.131]
- February 13
- The GM Preview Center opens in Future World at Epcot at Walt Disney World. [501.620]
- June
- The Toontown Hall of Fame opens in Mickey's Toontown Fair at Walt Disney World. [501.564]
- The Tangoroa Terrace restaurant in the Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World closes. [501.539]
- (month unknown)
- The Celebration Golf Club at Walt Disney World opens. [230.37]
- Celebration city on Walt Disney World property in Florida opens. [228.85]
- The Richard F. Irvine Riverboat attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is renamed Liberty Belle. [501.470]
- Disney releases Walt Disney World at Home: Garden Magic on videocassette. [501.595]
- Al Weiss becomes president of Walt Disney World. [501.601]
- July
- The Boardwalk resort area opens at Walt Disney World. [228.62]
- September 15
- The Universe of Energy pavilion in EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World is updated, incorporating Ellen's Energy Adventure. [501.581]
- September 28
- The Grand Prix Raceway in the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World is renamed Tomorrowland Speedway. [501.563]
- October 1
- Canada issues a postage stamp depicting Winnie the Pooh at Walt Disney World, for the 25th anniversary of the park. [648.89]
- October 3
- The World of Disney shop opens in the Disney Village Marketplace at Walt Disney World. [501.620]
- October
- Disney's Boardwalk officially opens in Walt Disney World, near Epcot. [765.B1]
1997
- January
- Walt Disney World issues new $1, $5, and $10 Disney Dollars. Each carries the Walt Disney World 25th anniversary logo, and each denomination features a different park landmark. [851.20]
- February 7
- At the Walt Disney World Speedway, the Richard Petty Driving Experience begins offering driving and passenger rides in stock cars. [501.597] [764.S5.3]
- February 28
- The ABC TV network airs Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party. [501.597]
- March 1
- The #5 locomotive, the Ward Kimball, begins operation at the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. [328.391]
- April
- At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, King Stefan's Banquet Hall restaurant re-opens under the name Cinderella's Royal Table. [225.36]
- (month unknown)
- At the Grand Floridian Resort in Walt Disney World, the Flagler's restaurant is replaced by Citricos restaurant. [235.22]
- The Spoodles restaurant opens at the BoardWalk resort in Walt Disney World. [232.80]
- August
- The Coronado Springs resort opens in Walt Disney World. It has nearly 2000 rooms, and surrounds a 15-acre lagoon. [230.22]
- September 1
- The Sunshine Pavilion attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World closes for renovations. [501.530]
- November
- The Downtown Disney area opens in Walt Disney World. [232.31]
1998
- January
- Cinderella Castle Cake is returned to its original Cinderella Castle appearance in Walt Disney World. [651.86]
- (month unknown)
- The Enchanged Tiki Room - Under New Management attraction opens in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [501.530]
- April 21
- An opening ceremony is held for Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. [408.1]
- April 22
- Disney's Animal Kingdom opens to the public at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. [235.18] [238.403] [409.5] [1073.182] [1342.22]
- May 22
- DisneyQuest opens at Downtown Disney West Side in Walt Disney World. It provides five stories of high-tech attractions, including Explore Zone, Create Zone, and Replay Zone. [409.4] (June [257.73] [658.129])
- June 19
- Disney's Mulan Parade premieres in the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. [409.4]
- October 7
- The Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin attraction opens in the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. [250.28] [409.4] [757.83] [1342.33]
- October 15
- The Fantasmic! show premieres at the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. [409.5]
- November 22
- The Hollywood & Vine Cafeteria of the Stars opens in the Disney-MGM Studios theme park at Walt Disney World. [411.2]
- December 23
- The Cirque du Soleil begins performing in Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World. [250.30]
1999
- January 15
- Disney's All-Star Movies Resort opens in Walt Disney World. [410.2]
- January 24
- The Walt Disney World Speedway hosts the Indy 200 car race. [250.98]
- March 17
- The Test Track attraction opens in Future World in Epcot. [395.42] [1342.35]
- April 8
- Discovery Island at Walt Disney World closes. [1342.36]
- July 29
- The Rock 'N' Roller Coaster attraction opens in the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World. [249.28]
- September 14
- At 2:00 PM in Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot close early, due to Hurricane Floyd approaching the Central Florida coastline. Other areas close at 3:00 PM. [412.1]
- September 15
- For the first time in its 28-year history, most of Walt Disney World is closed for the day, due to the threat of Hurricane Floyd. Disney's Animal Kingdom re-opens at 12:00 PM for resort guests. [412.1]
- October 1
- The Walt Disney World Millenium Celebration begins, which will run for fifteen months. [412.5]
- The IMAGINATION! pavilion opens in Epcot at Walt Disney World, presented by Kodak. Formerly at this location was Journey into Imagination. [413.1]
- The Journey Into Your Imagination attraction opens in the IMAGINATION! pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World. [413.1]
- December 31
- Illuminations 2000 debuts in Epcot at Walt Disney World. [249.26]
2000
-
- Walt Disney World raises entrance ticket price by US$2 to US$46 per day for adults, US$37 for kids. [788.8]
- April 28
- In Walt Disney World, the seventh annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is held, until June 11. [326.16]
- April 29
- Michael J. Fox adds his handprints to the collection at the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. [259.33]
- May 8
- Walt Disney World hosts the Global Children's Summit for The Millenium Dreamers over three days. 2000 students from around the world are selected to participate based on achievements. [259.60] [326.16]
- (month unknown)
- At Walt Disney World, the Disney's Dixie Landings Resort merges into Disney's Port Orleans Resort. [325.20]
2001
-
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction opens in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [321.20]
- April 1
- The Main Street Electrical Parade at Walt Disney World makes its last run. [321.20]
- April 2
- Spectromagic re-starts in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [321.20]
- April
- The attraction Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It! opens at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. [324.B2] [327.18]
- April 16
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge opens at Walt Disney World. [321.19,26] [367.28] [394.19]
- April 20
- The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival begins, running for six weeks. [321.20]
- May 22
- Disney holds a dedication ceremony at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World. [327.24]
- July 25
- Comedy Central airs the South Park TV show in the USA. An amusement park shares many similarities to Disneyland and Walt Disney World: main street, haunted mansion, mine train, fast passes, paddlewheeler and sailing ship and island, log ride. [1209]
- September 1
- The River Country water park at Walt Disney World closes. [1342.36]
- September 11
- Following four plane crashes in the US, Michael Eisner and Robert Iger decide to stage an orderly closing of Walt Disney World, and not open Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure for the day. [745.371] [1300.157]
- October 1
- Walt Disney World begins the 100 Years of Magic celebration of Walt Disney's birth. [322.26] [327.14]
2002
- March 8
- Disney's Pop Century Resort opens at Walt Disney World. [366.22]
- June 1
- The Journey Into Imagination with Figment attraction re-opens in Epcot Center at Walt Disney World. [394.28]
- July 1
- Disney's Beach Club Villas resort opens at Walt Disney World. [394.32]
- August 1
- The Once Upon a Toy shop opens in Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World. [394.32]
- August 22
- The Official Disneyana Mystery convention is held at Walt Disney World, over three days. [394.32]
- November
- The Epcot Seas Aqua Tour opens at Epcot in Walt Disney World. [652.26]
2003
- January 5
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US.
- A child says the family gets to go to Florida. The days asks if they're going to Disney World.
- A scene shows the marquee of "EFCOT CENTER" with a sign under reading "WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS BOOKED".
- When flying a plane over the site, the dad says "It's even boring to fly over it.".
- At the end, a character jumps over a wall into what he calls "Disney World", in which a Disney-style castle can be seen.
- He frets that a churro costs $14, but pays anyway.
Disney theme park references:
- The Future Sphere (Spaceship Earth),
- Transportation Pavilion (World of Motion Pavilion),
- Honey, I Squirted Goo on the Audience! (Honey, I Shrunk the Audience),
- Great Moments with Mr. Eisner (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln),
- The Home of Tomorrow (Monsanto House of the Future),
- a restaurant with menu items from around the world,
- fireworks and laser light show over a lake (Illuminations, World Showcase).
[995]
- March 30
- The first Walt Disney World In-Line Marathon is held, through Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Boardwalk Resort, and Epcot. [414.25]
- October 8
- Mickey's PhilharMagic 3-D film opens in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [415.19] [1248.43]
- The fireworks show Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams premieres at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. [652.28]
- October 9
- The Mission: Space attraction opens in Epcot at Walt Disney World. The attraction cost US$150 million to build. [366.22] [483.24] [650.14] [652.28] [745.431]
- (month unknown)
- The Intrepid Traveler releases the Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets book, by Steven Barrett. Price is US$11.95. [651.77]
- Bowman Books releases The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World book by Cara Goldsbury. Price is US$19.95. [651.77]
- November 18
- Seventy-five plaster Mickey Mouse statues go on display in Walt Disney World. The art show is entitled Celebrate Mickey: 75 Inspearations. The statues were created by celebrity artists, to honor the 75th anniversary of the film debut of Mickey Mouse. (The statues will later go on a tour across America, to be auctioned off for charity at Sotheby's in New York.) [651.18] [652.29]
2004
- April 25
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US.
- The dress-up character resembling Eeyore from Walt Disney World is run-over by a car; the character's actor says "Everything happens to Eemore.".
- A character in Miami tells an old man "If you take a woman [to Epcot], she will be yours.".
[1026]
- May 27
- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens in Walt Disney World. [414.20] [665.20]
- (month unknown)
- Zagat releases its Survey of U.S. Family Travel Guide: Sites & Attractions, Restaurants, Lodging. Walt Disney World has several top rated attractions:
- #1: Magic Kingdom,
- #2 Epcot,
- #6 Disney-MGM Studios,
- #8 Disney's Animal Kingdom.
[1100.96]
- November 16
- The Turtle Talk with Crush attraction opens in Epcot at Walt Disney World. [756.15] [914.6]
- The Stitch's Great Escape attraction opens in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The location formerly housed The ExtraTerrorestrial Alien Encounter. [754.21] [756.27]
2005
- September 30
- (to November 13) The 10th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is held at Walt Disney World. [914.9]
- October
- The Walt Disney World Resort begins the "Strive for Five" initiative to reduce energy consumption by 5 percent property-wide. [1262.7]
2006
- April 7
- Expedition Everest opens in Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The 2.5-hectare attraction features a 1.6km train ride with a 24m drop. [1227.F11]
- October 16
- Disney announces it is phasing out unhealthy food served in its parks, and cutting back on licensing characters promoting snacks with excess sugar and fat. [1047.33]
2008
- February 19
- At Walt Disney World, Epcot's Spaceship Earth officially re-opens after a major makeover, with new sponsor Siemens. [1210.29]
- June 27
- Disney announces it will close all six Pleasure Island clubs, to be replaced by other shopping and dining options. [1224.30]
- September 27
- All six nightclubs close in Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World. The areas are to be replaced by other shops and dining restaurants. [1220.48] [1224.31]
2009
- February 12
- Grand opening of The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. [1242.57] [1245.19]
- April 19
- The Space Mountain attraction at Walt Disney World closes for refurbishment. [1245.11]
- May 1
- Kidani Village opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World, part of Disney's Vacation Club. [1246.50]
- The Animal Kingdom Lodge building in Walt Disney World is renamed Jambo House. [1246.50]
- May 6
- Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration officially opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [1246.42]
- May 31
- The Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World closes. [1245.10]
- July 3
- The Hall of Presidents officially re-opens in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, with new speeches by Barack Obama and George Washington. [1247.16]
- August 4
- The Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort opens in Florida, part of Disney's Vacation Club. [1246.17]
- September 12
- At Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, announces Fantasyland at Walt Disney World will undergo an extensive transformation and expansion, tripling in size by 2013. [1293.33]
- October 3
- A ticker-tape parade is held for Buzz Lightyear at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World to celebrate his return from 15 months in the International Space Station. [1293.21]
- October 14
- The Sum of All Thrills attraction opens at Epcot's Innoventions, the first ride for that building. [1293.15]
- November 13
- Space Mountain at Walt Disney World re-opens after seven months renovations, for a few hours per day for fine tuning. [1293.14]
- November 22
- Grand re-opening of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World after seven months renovations. [1293.14]
2010
- January 29
- At Walt Disney World in Florida, IBM's redesigned "Smarter Planet" exhibit opens in Innoventions of Epcot. [1103]
- March 3
- (to May 16) The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is held at Epcot Center. [1293.13]
- June 6
- (to August 14) Summer Nightastic is held at Walt Disney World, with special evening events. [1312.22]
- September 7
- Final ride of Star Tours at Hollywood Studios in Florida by Disney's D23 club members. [1312.18]
- September 14
- (to November 1) Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom hosts "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". [1312.35]
- October 2
- Last live stage performance of High School Musical 3: Senior Year in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. [1312.15]
- October 22
- Start of new street show Disney Channel Rocks in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. [1312.15]
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