Walt Disney Parks and Resorts - Timeline

Timeline

• 1954 – Plans for Disneyland in Anaheim, California are released to the public.
• 1955 – Disneyland is dedicated by company founder and namesake Walt Disney on July 17 and opens on July 18. Disneyland Hotel opens on October 5 in Anaheim, California.
• 1959 – Matterhorn Bobsleds, Submarine Voyage, and the Disneyland Monorail System, the first major expansion of Disneyland, opens on June 14.
• 1965 – Plans for the Florida Project (what would become Walt Disney World) are released to the public in November.
• 1966 – It's a Small World opens at Disneyland on May 28. New Orleans Square opens at Disneyland on July 24. Walt Disney dies on December 15.
• 1967 – Construction on Walt Disney World begins.
• 1971 – Walt Disney World begins operation on October 1 with Magic Kingdom, two resort hotels, and a campground. The complex is dedicated soon after by Roy O. Disney.
• 1972 – At Disneyland, Bear Country opens March 4 and the Main Street Electrical Parade debuts June 17.
• 1976 – The first water park at Walt Disney World, Disney's River Country, opens on June 20.
• 1978 – Plans for Walt Disney World's second theme park, Epcot, are released to the public.
• 1979 – Construction begins on EPCOT Center.
• 1982 – EPCOT Center opens on October 1.
• 1983 – The first international Disney resort and theme park, Tokyo Disney Resort and Tokyo Disneyland, open in Urayasu, Japan.
• 1984 – Michael Eisner is named Disney's CEO and begins an aggressive expansion of Disney's theme parks division.
• 1985 – Disney begins a licensing agreement with MGM, giving Disney the right to use the MGM name and logo for the third park at Walt Disney World.
• 1988 – Construction on Euro Disney Resort begins. Bear Country is renamed Critter Country at Disneyland.
• 1989 – Walt Disney World's third theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, opens on May 1, and its second water park, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, opens on June 1. Splash Mountain opens on July 17 at Disneyland.
• 1990 – Espace Euro Disney opens to show the public a preview of Euro Disney.
• 1992 – The second international Disney theme park, Euro Disneyland, opens as part of Euro Disney Resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France on April 12. Fantasmic! opens at Disneyland on May 13.
• 1993 – Mickey's Toontown opens at Disneyland on January 24.
• 1994 – Euro Disney Resort and its theme park, Euro Disneyland, are both renamed Euro Disneyland Paris in June, and then Disneyland Paris in October.
• 1995 – Disney announces plans for Walt Disney World's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom. The third water park at Walt Disney World, Disney's Blizzard Beach, opens on April 1.
• 1996 – Walt Disney World celebrates its 25th anniversary on October 1.
• 1997 – Disney announces Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort.
• 1997 – Festival Disney, the shopping, dining and entertainment complex at Disneyland Paris, is renamed Disney Village.
• 1998 – Disney announces a five-year plan to open a new theme park at each of its resorts across the globe, beginning with the opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom on April 22. Submarine Voyage closes at Disneyland on September 9. The Disney Magic begins operation on July 8.
• 1999 – Plans are announced for a new resort in Hong Kong. The Disney Wonder cruise ship begins operation on August 15.
• 2000 – Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel opens at the Disneyland Resort on December 15.
• 2001 – Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa opens at the Disneyland Resort on January 2. Downtown Disney opens at the Disneyland Resort on January 12. Disney California Adventure Park opens at the Disneyland Resort on February 8. Tokyo DisneySea opens at Tokyo Disney Resort on September 4. River Country closes on November 2. "100 Years of Magic" Celebration begins to commemorate Walt Disney's 100th Birthday.
• 2002 – Walt Disney Studios Park opens as the second theme park at the renamed Disneyland Resort Paris. The first park is renamed Disneyland Park.
• 2003 – Construction on Hong Kong Disneyland begins. "100 Years of Magic" Celebration ends and "Where Magic Lives" campaign begins.
• 2005 – "Where Magic Lives" campaign ends. Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary as part of a worldwide jubilee among all Disney's theme parks worldwide; Hong Kong Disneyland Resort opens September 12 on Lantau Island, Hong Kong; Walt Disney World announces that River Country will remain closed permanently.
• 2006 – The Happiest Homecoming on Earth ends, and the Year of a Million Dreams promotional period at Disneyland and Walt Disney World begins.
• 2007 – The Year of a Million Dreams promotion is extended another year. A $1 billion expansion/renovation of Disney California Adventure Park is announced to be completed by 2012. Disneyland Resort Paris celebrates its 15th anniversary. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opens at Disneyland Park on June 11.
• 2008 – Disneyland Resort Paris' 15th birthday is extended and Tokyo Disney Resort celebrates its 25th anniversary. Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World is renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios. Two new cruise ships are announced for the Disney Cruise Line.
• 2009 – Year of a Million Dreams ends and What Will You Celebrate? promotion begins at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney announces a new resort, Shanghai Disneyland, expected to open in 2016 on the Chinese mainland, and announces that the Disney Cruise Line's new ships will be called Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Disney lays off 1,500 cast members. Disney announces plans for a Fantasyland expansion for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom to begin construction January 2010 and finish in phases. Phase 1 is to be completed in 2012, while Phase 2 is to be completed in 2013.
• 2010 – Give a Day, Get a Disney Day campaign promotes volunteerism in the US. Disneyland Resort celebrates its 55th anniversary. Walt Disney World introduces its Summer Magic campaign, and the Main Street Electrical Parade reappears at Magic Kingdom. Disneyland Resort Paris changes its name back to Disneyland Paris and begins construction of a new land in Walt Disney Studios Park: Toy Story Playland, which opened in August 2010. The Disney Dream cruise ship finishes construction ahead of its maiden voyage on January 26, 2011.
• 2011 – What Will You Celebrate? promotion ends. Let the Memories Begin marketing campaign begins, using new enhanced video projection technology to project images of park guests on Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and on "It's a small world" at Disneyland Park. Disneyland celebrates Soundsational Summer promotion. The Disney Dream begins service in late January and Disney Cruise Line announces the maiden voyage of the Disney Fantasy to be March 31, 2012. Groundbreaking for Shanghai Disneyland takes place on April 8. Walt Disney World celebrates its 40th anniversary on October 1.
• 2012 – Cars Land opens at Disney California Adventure Park on June 15. Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort held "One More Disney Day" where Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park stayed open for 24 hours. On March 2, the Disney Fantasy was christened in New York City.