Walt Disney Productions was quite busy in the 1960s. The company was dominated by Walt’s newest project, Disneyland, and the creation of a real futuristic city, EPCOT.
Even though Disneyland did get most of the attention, many other assets of the company grew with fury. Animation was revolutionized by a new process which illiminated the “inker;” and Theme Park technology expanded with the invent of “audio animatronics”
Below is a summary of Walt Disney Productions during the 1960’s:
5-19-60
Walt Disney cast Hayley Mills especailly for this part. This film began her career in America, and with Disney. This also began her long career with Disney.
When she first came to America, Walt Disney gave Hayley and her family a personal tour of Disneyland.
When they visited the Matterhorn (brand new to the park), they went in the back entrance (to skip the line). The Cast Member said “hey, you can’t come in here mister!”
“Oh, no, no, they’re with me,” replied Walt.
The Cast Member replied “Who do you think you are Mister? Walt Disney?”
Walt replied, “Well, a mater-a-fact, I am.”
1-25-61
In this film, a experimental animation process was used. Developed by Ub Iwerks (long term Disney Employee), the system copied animation onto Celluliod Acetate. This new Xerox process was used for many films after this.
4-22-64
At the New York 1964-65 New York World’s Fair Disney sponsored Ford, GE, Pepsi, and Illonios in their featured exhibits.
Some attractions from the fair were moved to Disneyland afterward. Such as:
-The Carosel of Progress
-“it’s a small world”
-Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and
-The WEDway PoepleMover System.
12-25-63
Another film with xerox inking. This is the classic story of an elderly Magician (wizard) taking on an apprentise, who happens to be destined as King Aurthor.
8-27-64
Famed for it’s songs, and story, this has been considered the best moneymaker film for Disney in the 1960’s.
This film not only succeeded in theaters, since it’s release, nearly $44,000,000 in rental videos.
12-15-66
On December 15th, 1966, Walt Disney passed away at 9:35 a.m. of an acute circulatory collapse
3-18-67
Originally planned as a walk through attraction, where guests would look at wax models of Pirates, and noble figures. However, in the middle of planning Disney became involved in designing attractions for companies in the 1964-65 World’s Fair.
During this time, WED (the company that design Disneyland attractions), learned and advanced their technologies through the financing of American companies for the New York fair.
As designers came back to working on “Pirates,” they decided that a walk-through would be low in capacity. Thus they took technology from “it’s a small world” and applied it to the system in “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
By having boats, pushed through a flume, by small motors on a track, the attraction could put thousands of people through the ride in little time.
10-18-67
This film was the film that decided the fate of Disney Animation forever. Because it immediatly followed Walt Disney’s death, many people at the company were worried it might fail.
At the time, before Walt passed away, the accountants were totally that animated features were too expensive. Walt almost abandond all animation productions to put more money into his other projects. Luckilly, however, the features were not illimated.
It is a good thing that the Jungle Book was so popular. It really created goals for the Walt Disney Productions to shoot for, since the loss of their founder.
8-9-69
This house sat empty at Disneyland’s New Orleans Square for 2 years before finally opening. It was planned in part of a 10 Million dollar addition to Disneyland. The new “land” deamed “New Orleans Square” would feature typical architecture, and attractions that compliment that the design.
