This Day in Disney History: December 9
Welcome back to our trip through the history of the Walt Disney Company. Today we are looking at the events on this day in Disney history- December 9.
December 9th featured the opening of a fan favorite restaurant, the debut new Broadway style show, and Disney purchased an NHL franchise? Lets get going!
The Night Before Christmas Released (1933)
On this day in 1933, the Silly Symphony cartoon The Night Before Christmas as released.
Based on the Clement C. Moore poem of the same name, the new cartoon features Santa delivering the toys he made in 1932’s Santa’s Workshop.
Disney Gets an NHL Franchise (1992)
On this day in 1992, Disney was awarded a franchise by the National Hockey League.
The team would eventually be known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
The name of the franchise came from the 1992 Disney hockey movie The Mighty Ducks. Disney would also create an animated series based on the franchise’s mascot Wildwing.
In 2005, Disney sold the Mighty Ducks franchise, and the team was consequently rechristened the Anaheim Ducks.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (1994)
On this day in 1994, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe opened in Tomorrowland.
The new counter service restaurant would be billed as “the first Earth restaurant franchise from outer space”.
Cosmic Ray’s is best known for being the home of alien lounger singer Sonny Eclipse.
Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular Debuts (2002)
Finally, on this day in 2002, Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular debuted at Disney’s California Adventure.
The new Broadway-style show as based on the 1992 animated film Aladdin. The production ran form 2002 until 2016, when it was replaced by a new Frozen show.
A version of Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular continues to be performed on the Disney Cruise Line shops Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish.
That’s all for this day in Disney history- December 9th! Be sure to come back tomorrow as we continue our further look at Disney’s past.