Newsletter 23 July 2007

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Yavn Speaks!

Same as in the Newsletter 16 July 2007

Community Reminder

1. Everyone LOVES a prize – the promise of rare items and other VMK goodies are a wonderful thought, but remember when you enter a trade, a "Cute or Boot" or Pay to Play room you might be scammed.

2. Pay to Play rooms – where you pay to play a game and it's up to the room owner to award the prize – are extremely questionable. Starting immediately we will no longer allow these rooms in VMK.

3. It's against the VMK Values to create or open ANY type of 'relationship' room (rooms that include words like 'meet,' 'pick,' 'get,' 'find,' 'have,' 'taken,' etc.) in VMK. You'll be warned and possibly banned for opening any type of room that promotes this activity.

VMK reserves the right to update and/or revise the VMK Values and House Rules wihout notice. Please make sure you periodically review the VMK Values and House Rules for the most current game guidelines. Worried about being banned? Then ALWAYS USE GOOD JUDGEMENT when playing VMK. Treat other players as you would like to treated, don't use foul language or take part in bad behavior - any activity like this will get you banned, in many cases, permanently.

For more information or a reminder of what's acceptable in VMK refer to the VMK Values page.

Account Problems

Have you tried logging into VMK after a few months only to find your VMK account has been deleted?

Because of the size of our community we have to delete accounts that are inactive for more than 6 months to make room for new players - so if you haven't played in a while, be sure to log in every now and then (even if just for a few minutes) and keep your account active!

Disney H2O

See Newsletter 4 June 2007

Nemo 101

It's Nemo Month in VMK!

Celebrate the launch of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland! This month in VMK, Nemo-themed events, games and undersea fun!

For more information on The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction at Disneyland check out Nemo at Disneyland.

All hands! Prepare to dive!

• When the original submarine ride launched in 1959 at Disneyland, the gunmetal gray submarines ran on diesel - today's yellow submarines are powered by electricity, making The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage a "green" attraction.
• The original subs were built to last a lifetime, literally - and as a result the ride still uses the original eight submarines.
• To keep the color from fading on the coral reefs, Imagineers didn't paint the reefs but instead actually sprayed recycled glass on the rock face with an organic epoxy for a longer lasting and more vibrant effect.
• Finding Nemo won an Oscar in 2003 in the Best Animated Film category.
• Finding Nemo is not the only Disney film that features a character named Nemo. In fact, Nemo's name was inspired by the 1954 Disney live-action classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, in that film actor James Mason plays Captain Nemo, the commander of the submarine Nautilus.
• During the 1960's, sets from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were placed at Disneyland as an attraction for Guest to explore. One prop from the film is still at Disneyland - Captain Nemo's pipe organ is in the Haunted Mansion Ballroom.
• In Finding Nemo, a group of fish sing a few lines from the song, "A Whale of a Tale." This song was originally sung in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Event Info

Host Event Highlights – This weekend! July 21st & 22nd

Summer FUN Days Every Tuesday & Thursday in July

NEW! Room Makeovers Every week!

Check the Community Calendar for more events, details and event times.

Host Event Highlights – this weekend!

Saturday – HOST_Lily would like your help in her Finding Nemo Quest. Sunday – HOST_Phinny wants you to remember that while playing her Fish are Friends Quest that fish are friends not food!

Summer FUN Days

Tuesdays & Thursdays in July

Play the in-game Pirates game on Tuesday's or the in-game Haunted Mansion game on Thursday's and get double rewards! That's right Summer FUN Days give you chance to get double game credits for these games so play often.

Room Makeovers

New every week!

Each week we select two VMKer's at random for a Room Makeover, then our talented team of Room Designers review the rooms and put thier design skills to work! We post the results here, including BEFORE and AFTER pics - plus tips you can use to make your own rooms better!

Submit your room for a Makeover using Contact Us. And now your Room Makeover HOST...

Ashelycattt

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming, this week Room Makeovers are back! And now the HOST with the most…

HOST_Sparky

Hey everyone, this week I was looking for a room that had the beginnings of something great, I found that in Ashelycattt's room. She really likes the Alice in Wonderland pieces but didn't know quite what to do with them. This sounds like a job for HOST_Sparky!

So whenever you're building a room from scratch (or making over a new one) you need an idea or theme for it - we decided to create a carnival room! For a carnival atmosphere, we wanted something a little wild, and what could be better than Alice Ride stuff?!

First let's make a picnic area. Using ALR Painted Rugs we mark off an area for picnicking. ALR Purple Logs, Blue Barrel Chairs, and a Blue Typhoon Lagoon Crate outlined with ALR Long Shrubs and ALR Butterfly Mushrooms all help to create the perfect picnic spot right by the Epcot Fountain!

If guests are going to picnic, they'll want a place to get food! So we place ALR Red Rugs down and surround them with a Churro Cart, Disneyland Retro Pennypress, and Aquarium Watercooler. ALR Short Shrubs and ALR Shrub Arches accent the area. Now her friends can line up for some good eats.

BEFORE. Going down the Rabbit Hole.

AFTER. Opening the door to a new world.

Finally, a carnival isn't a carnival without rides – so we created our own version of the Mad Hatter Tea Cups! How'd we do that? By using Waterslide Pieces and Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Start Pieces, we made the water rafts go 'round and around. By placing a Cyan Tea Cup, ALR Red and Blue flowers and Small Mushrooms in the center of the whirlpools, the theme is carried throughout the ride. And to make the entrance extra special, we added ALR Card Guard Arches.

Now Ashleycattt has a fun place where she and her friends can eat and be merry – or just relax! Thanks for letting me makeover your room – have fun!

Top 5 FAQs

VMK's Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions for the week

For more answers to other Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the VMK FAQs.

1. Why can't I tell my friends in VMK what grade I just finished in school or give other personal information about myself?

Finishing any grade is a huge accomplishment and from everyone at VMK, CONGRATULATIONS! But part of keeping VMK safe means keeping your personal information to yourself.

Nobody should ever know where you live, how old you are, or even what grade you just finished. IT DOESN'T MATTER if you know the person outside of the game – it is against the VMK Values to give out ANY personal information. (This includes if you're home alone from school, or the state where you live.) You will get banned for doing this.

Keep your identity – and VMK account – safe, never give out personal information on VMK!

2. Can you tell me about the VMK Staff? Who are they?

Despite their appearance, VMK staff members are NOT kids but actually adults trained specifically to handle VMK. VMK Staff may look like you in the game (with cool Mickey ears) but they're actually more like school teachers - in fact, many of the VMK Staff are teachers, or have been teachers, which is why they choose to be VMK Staff: because they like to teach and help kids.

With that said, VMK Staff should be treated like you would treat a school teacher: with respect. Because although the VMK Staff is there to help and keep you safe, they also must step in when you're not playing safely or following the VMK Values or game guidelines.

Also keep in mind the VMK Staff are very, very busy working to keep you safe and make sure VMK runs smoothly - so while it's ok to say hello, ask for a picture or some cool magic, don't be rude to them, misbehave or report false information. If you do, you could get banned and in VMK bans are like being sent to the principal's office - and nobody wants that.

VMK Staff are adults trained to help you and keep the community safe - so please treat them with respect. In fact, treat EVERYONE in VMK with respect; it's more fun to play that way.

3. I keep using the Call for Help Tool and I keep getting a message that says "Press the ignore button!" Is anyone helping with my problem?

Yes, someone is responding to your problem. Just because a moderator sends you a message telling you to please use the "Ignore" Button, it doesn't mean the moderator is ignoring your problem! The moderator is asking you to ignore the other player because the moderator may be investigating the situation or helping another player. Using "Ignore" is the easiest and best way to stop the problem from getting worse.

4. What happens if you send false reports to VMK Staff members?

If you send a false report you could get banned. Yes, we want you to report players that aren't following the VMK Values (no, you won't get banned for reporting someone - if your report is indeed real), but DO NOT send false reports. Our Moderators and Staff research your report and if we find you've reported something which isn't true, you'll get a warning (which goes against your account), and you possibly could be banned. (The VMK Staff is very busy and are working very hard to keep you safe – so don't send them on a wild goose chase, it's not a good use of their time.)

Report ONLY things that HAVE happened, not what you think or assume someone has done, and report the issue IMMEDIATELY! If VMK Staff don't appear it doesn't mean the situation isn't being monitored or looked into (remember, we see everything that goes on in the game, and don't have to physically be in the game to do so) so you don't need to re-report it, leave the room and play in another room. VMK Staff researches all reports.

'''5. I've sent in a problem using Contact Us but no one has replied - why haven't I heard from anyone?'''

We respond to every email we get within 24 hours - but some email providers (like AOL.com, Hotmail.com, msn.com, Comcast.net, Cox.net, rr.net and Earthlink) block our responses.

If you use any of the email providers listed above, or haven't gotten a response from us, this is the reason.

Some email providers have Spam Filters that automatically block email from an unknown source and you have to tell the program (the email application) to allow email from that source. To get email from VMK, go into the preferences for your mailbox and allow mail from: [email protected]. (Please note, this email address DOES NOT receive email except via the Contact Us form.)

You also have the option to submit an alternate email address in the Contact Us tool (this option is under the Send Details box) if your provider won't take our replies. We suggest setting up another email account, like yahoo.com to get our replies.

Yeti's Tips & Tricks

From 25 July 2007

You've got questions, Yeti has answers.

The Yeti is back and ready for action! Here to provide game tips, answer your questions and make you a better VMK player in general, the fur-covered guru of VMK gaming, Mr. Yeti!

I don't have to tell you how hot it is this summer! I've been cooling off inside while playing VMK, by the looks of it, so have you! We've got lots of players in the Kingdom, so remember to be nice to other players while helping out new ones too! But hey, you can't stay in front of the computer all day, take breaks from VMK and get out and enjoy the sun! Just remember, wear sunscreen! Now, let's get to those questions:

Finding the Submarine Reward Card

The Reward for the Finding Nemo Sumarine Voyage Quest – the Tomorrowland Submarine Wall.

Mr. Yeti, a few weeks back I got a Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Quest from Disneyland but it didn't have the reward card on it. Where can I get the card?

The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Quest was available in preview, when the Quest was in preview it did not include a card. (Yavn mentioned this a few weeks back in the Newsletter.) We released the Quest as an early preview to give Guest a taste of what was to come. The Quest that is distributed in the line for The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland now includes the card – but this Quest (and Reward) is only available at Disneyland for a limited time, so get them before they're gone!

Can't I redeem the Quest without the card to get the reward? How do I do that?

You don't "redeem" this Quest like you did previous Quest at Disneyland. Why? A couple of reasons: 1.) The preview was meant as a preview, so this early version did not have a card. 2.) The answers are printed on the Quest. 3.) VMK Central (the redemption center) is no longer at Disneyland.

Hidden Mickey's

Yeti, I finally completed the Hidden Mickey Quest, but I didn't get the same rewards as my friends, what happened?

If you're referring to the pdf's that you print out and take to the Park and redeem for a virtual reward, those rewards have been retired. But stay tuned, announcements of other cool prizes for those games and Quest are on the way!

Hidden Mickey's can be anywhere – use your camera to find them!

Remember VMK revises and changes prizes to keep things fresh and fun. For instance, new items replace old ones, rare items are retired and new attractions or lands are introduced. Like the Disney Theme Parks, the Virtual Magic Kingdom is constantly changing to address the growing demands of our players.

Play it Safe! Don't Get Banned!

Since it's summer and we're all having fun, I want to take a minute and remind you to – behave yourselves! Especially when you're playing VMK. Nothing will give you the summertime blues like getting banned from VMK, so here are a few tips to keep your visit to the Kingdom safe and keep you from getting banned!

• Always be respectful and aware of other players.

Your actions (or chat) might offend other players, if another player reports you, our moderators and community mangers must look into the situation – so be careful of what you say or do.

• Play like a parent or teacher is watching you.

If you're doing something that they wouldn't approve of, in chat or otherwise, it's most likely VMK does not approve of it either.

• NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION OF ANY KIND. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM VMK.

This includes, but is not limited to, your location, your email address, your real name, age or other personal info, myspace page, AIM info or your phone number.

It doesn't matter if you think you know the person or they've been on your friends list for a long time, it's against the VMK Values. But you shouldn't even do this on unofficial forums or message boards, because aside from being against game guidelines, it's just not safe.

• Be safe instead of being sorry.

If you're not sure if what you're doing is right, it's better to be safe than sorry and not get yourself into a sticky situation – don't take part in any activity you think might get you banned.

If you're not sure what will get you banned review the VMK Values, they're guidelines for safe play. Remember VMK are always updating and revising these guidelines to meet the needs of our growing community – so be sure to review the VMK Values from time to time.

Alright then, that about does it for now, but I'll be back soon with more VMK tips and tricks! Enjoy your summer and have fun out there!

Push's Trash Trivia

In the film Finding Nemo he went looking for Nemo, who is he?

Know the answer?

Send your answer in using Contact Us. Be sure to have your VMK registration info with you and select Push's Trash Trivia from the drop down menu.

From the correct answers we randomly select three players as the winners and send them a cool prize.

Hurry – only entries submitted by the close of game on Friday will be accepted.

Here's the answer to last weeks Push Trivia question:

Question: This famous captain led the crew of the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, who is he?

Answer: Captain Nemo.

Starring Kirk Douglas as whaler Ned Land and James Mason as Captain Nemo, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a "Whale of a Tale" released in 1954.

An under-water adventure - in Technicolor!

In the film, sailors set off to find out what's sinking whaling ships only to find the cause (a giant squid) is much more than they bargained for. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was not only a technical achievement for Walt Disney Studios but the inspiration for many filmmakers (including the makers of Pixar's Finding Nemo) for years to come.

Up until the late 1960's props for the film could be seen at Disneyland. One prop from the film still remains at Disneyland – Captain Nemo's pipe organ is in the Haunted Mansion Ballroom.

James Mason, as Capatin Nemo, stands in front of a concept drawing for the submarine "Nautilus".

Did you know: You can still see props from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Disney - MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In the attraction (a tribute to Walt Disney), "One Man's Dream," there's a diving suit and model used during filming.

Here are the 3 lucky (and randomly picked) players that sent in the correct answer for our last week's question!

funcat

AceMysteryQueen

HarborKat

Congratulations! You've won a limited edition Push Trivia Pin!

Top Players

What makes a Guest Room award-worthy?

Guest or Game Rooms that stand out show originality in concept and design. It could be a use of conventional furniture in unconventional ways, the use of a theme or color, or humor.

How can I nominate someone?

Got a cool Guest Room you want the Kingdom to know about? Do you know someone that has a great hangout spot and want to tell the world? Then nominate yourself or someone else for Best Game, Best Guest or Best Quest.

It's easy – just click on the Contact Us link at the bottom of any VMK webpage and follow the prompts, then select 'Nominate the Best.' It's that easy! The VMK staff will review the player rooms and Quest nominated and post the winners here!

MichealJ wins top honors this week in the Best Guest Room category.

Game rooms that get the nod offer a new game idea or a new twist on an old favorite. In all rooms we look for room owners who welcome everyone with a smile and show a willingness to answer questions about their room.

Check out this week's Best Guest Rooms and Best Game Rooms.

Best Guest Rooms

Welcome to the Big Apple! Tall buildings, bridges and fun for all! Come see the great views or take a tour by monorail around MichealJ's Free 50th Mickey's Central Park!

Best Game Rooms

BestSamanthaStar asks Can You Face The Kraken? as she spins the generators to see who moves forward or who will pick another pirate to move. Arrggh! Good luck!

Best Player Quests

In the Lilo And Stitch Trivia Quest! Do your best to help CL_smalld catch all the escaped experiments. But watch out for Gantu!

Players who have been previously recognized for their design talents will receive the VIP award.

VMK Cards

AWESOME NEW REWARDS!

Get the Mickey Mouse Television by correctly completing 3 or more Quest at Disneyland or Walt Disney World – then redeem the code in-game for this cool virtual prize! Check out the VMK Rewards Card Checklist and make sure you have all the VMK bling! What cards do you have in your collection?

Scam Alert

Use caution when Trading!

Before you complete a trade take a second and review your trade window! This is very important! You want to make sure the item, or items, you are trading for are actually inside the trade window before you accept the trade!

To do this, scroll all the way to the bottom of the trade window, confirm the items are there and then - once you're satisfied the trade is fair - accept the trade.

REMEMBER: It's up to you to keep track of your stuff and your trades! If you knowingly enter into a trade and get scammed because you didn't check the trade window, we cannot be responsible that you didn't get your stuff.

Scamming of any kind will get you BANNED!

It's great to have a popular room in VMK, but it's not OK to get players into your room by scamming. Pretending to have an item that you don't have, in order to get players to come into your room, is considered a scam and you can be banned from VMK!

Beware of "free rooms".

There are some players that advertise their rooms as "free," but when you enter them, they force you to pay up or get booted from the room. Beware of these types of rooms and report players who engage in this kind of activity.

Pay to Play = Ban from VMK

Starting on Monday, 6.25.07, Operating Pay to Play Rooms (charging Players for entry to a room or a game) will get you banned from VMK. Previous rules on scamming have NOT changed: ANY Player Scam, will result in an automatic and PERMANENT ban. (Exchange items in a fair trade, and remember, do not loan your items.)

Everyone LOVES a prize – the promise of rare items and other VMK goodies are a wonderful thought, but remember when you enter a trade, a "Cute or Boot" or Pay to Play room you might be scammed.

Pay to Play rooms in particular – where you pay to play a game and it's up to the room owner to award the prize – are extremely questionable. That's why starting immediately VMK will no longer allow these rooms in VMK.

Scamming is equal to theft and a violation of the VMK Values. If you scam someone in VMK, this will lead to your account being automatically and permanently banned. Having your parents Contact Us to get your account re-activated won't work, because if you can't play by the rules and follow the VMK Values, we don't want you in the game.

Remember, don't let yourself get scammed. As the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don't "loan" your stuff and if a room owner refuses to show you their "Cute or Boot" prize or rare item, or you feel they don't really have the prize, leave the room. There are lots of other games to play and things to do in VMK!

Staff impersonation is NOT allowed in VMK!

Impersonation is never allowed in VMK. If a player says they are VMK Staff, make sure they're wearing the orange Mickey Pin and wearing either red (for Staff and HOSTS) or blue (for QA) Mickey ears.

VMK Staff will always wear the orange Mickey Pin.

You can always spot STAFF and HOSTS because they wear red Mickey ears.

You can identify a Community Leader by the 'CL_' at the beginning of their name and their blue wizard hat pin.

Remember, VMK Staff will never ask you to trade any items. If you have other questions check out the FAQs page!

Safety Corner

Game Guidelines Change – Stay Informed.

Has it been a while since you've signed into VMK? Make sure before you re-enter the Kingdom that you review the VMK Values and any updated game guidelines.

To address the needs of our growing community we often update our game guidelines – it's up to you to review the Values and guidelines and make sure you know what is and isn't allowed in VMK before you play. For more recent updates to the VMK Values review the Safety Corner and Scam Alert sections here in the Newsletter.

Don't Dictionary Dance

The VMK Dictionary is in place for a reason. If you "dance" around the dictionary to say something you shouldn't, you could get banned.

Bad words have no place in VMK and neither do words that sound or read like bad words (but are spelled differently). The VMK Dictionary will never allow players to use bad words. "Dancing" around the VMK Dictionary to use bad words (or words that aren't in the dictionary) in chat could get you banned.

Help is always available.

The VMK 'Call For Help' button is easy to use and always accessible – just click on the HELP button on the lower right of the VMK player window. At VMK we encourage you to let us know if anything unsafe or suspicious catches your attention. If it's not in line with VMK Values, please report it!

Tip: Remember the 'Call For Help' is like VMK's 911. So while we encourage you to use it, please only do so for serious player issues. And like 911, using 'Call For Help' to report false information will get you in trouble too, so make sure you're reporting the incident or player accurately.

If you do have a serious problem, tell us immediately! The faster you use the 'Call For Help' button to make us aware of a problem, the more effective we can be in taking care of the issue. So please, tell us immediately if you have a serious problem and help make VMK a fun and safe place for everyone.

VMK Safety & Security

Remember to review the VMK Values and game guidelines. New rules include that Pay to Play rooms are no longer allowed. As always, violence or inappropriate subject matter of adult nature will NOT be tolerated and involvement in this activity will result in a ban of your VMK account.

VMK is NO place for negative behavior. Have fun, make friends, play games and chat, but please keep in mind VMK must always be a safe and appropriate place for Players of ALL ages.

Please help keep VMK just like the Disney Theme Parks - a safe, fun and magical place for everyone!

Respect other players. Scams (theft), violence, giving out personal information or discussing adult content (sexual or otherwise), vulgarity or inappropiate behavior have NO place in VMK.

Keep It Private - Guarding Your Personal Information

Schools out! We know you're all excited about being at home instead of the classroom and VMK is a great, creative way to spend your summer days. Just remember when playing, giving out personal information, such as telling people you're at home alone, is NEVER okay in VMK.

Giving out ANY personal information - your real name, where you live, contact information, grade level, age, and yes, even if you're at home by yourself. Giving out this information – in ANY form, is in direct violation to the VMK Values and WILL GET YOU BANNED.

You should understand that the minute you provide others with your personal information, your personal safety could be at risk.

VMK is a fun place, but it's also a BIG place, with people from all over�so just to keep it safe, keep personal information to yourself and out of VMK. You're best bet is to keep your personal identity and information secret - like a superhero - it can help you avoid a ban and it can keep you safe.

If you have a question about what is or isn't okay, you can ask us using Contact Us.

Quests

In-Park Quests!

THE NEW FINDING NEMO SUBMARINE VOYAGE QUEST!

The Finding Nemo Quest - exclusively at Disneyland's Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage for a limited time.

PLAY THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN QUEST!

Have a swashbuckling adventure at the Magic Kingdom - search for the answers hidden in the attraction and earn the Pirates Fortress Room for VMK!

Print-From-Home-Quests

Going to Disneyland® Park or Magic Kingdom® Park? Take a Quest with you! Play in-Park and win cool prizes!

<strong>Tomorrowland Quest</strong>! This out-of-this-world adventure is fun and rewarding. You can win a Inner-Space Suit Magic Spell for your virtual character.

<strong>High School Musical Quest</strong>! Watch the movie, visit the Parks and answer all the questions to win cool stuff!

Get the <strong>Thrill Seekers Quest</strong> for the Walt Disney World® Resort here!

Contact Us Tips

Problems? Contact Us!

When you use Contact Us to ask a question or report an issue, please be aware of the following:

If you use AOL or EarthLink for e-mail, you won't receive our response, as AOL e-mail filters block our replies. Please provide an alternative e-mail in the Contact Us form where it asks for your e-mail address.

Some Spam Filters will automatically block e-mail from an unknown source unless you tell the program to allow it: To get email from VMK, allow mail from [email protected]. (Please note this email address does not receive e-mail except via the Contact Us form.)

Dateline Disney

Events that shaped the Walt Disney Company

July 17

1955: Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California to invited Guest and media. Walt Disney originally envisioned it as "Mickey Mouse Park," and planned to locate the Park on a tiny eight acre plot across from Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. As ideas for the Park grew a larger location was selected about 45 miles south in the orange groves of Anaheim.

Disneyland has changed a lot over the years, a testament to Walt Disney's commitment to constantly entertain and amaze Guest. He was once quoted as saying, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

However, of the 25 opening day attractions several still remain at Disneyland today, including Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

"To all who come to this happy place - welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

– Walt Disney at Disneyland's dedication, July 17th, 1955.

1989: The dedication ceremony for Splash Mountain is held at Disneyland for invited guest and selected press. In attendance are Disney's CEO Michael Eisner, actors Jim Varney and Nick Stewart (the voice of Brer Bear), Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Mickey Mouse. They officially turn on the water pump to the attraction which will open to the public the following day.

July 7

2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opens in theaters nationwide, it will ransack the box office and become one of the highest grossing films of all time. At the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Captain Jack Sparrow invades the attraction as Walt Disney Imagineers add Captain Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbosa to the attraction. The ride is also enhanced with dynamic digital sound and new effects.

1997: The Disneyland Monorail begins a revised operating schedule (traveling in only one direction) to help workers constructing a new theme park called… Disney's California Adventure.

1976: Starring Ed Asner, Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Tom Bosley, Dick Van Patten, football great Johnny Unitas and a mule, Disney's live-action comedy Gus kicks its way into theaters. The live-action film follows the antics of a field goal kicking mule named Gus and his rise to fame with the California Atoms football team.

That's right, he's a field goal kicking mule and the league's leading laugh scorer!

1971: Animator and technical genius Ub Iwerks passed away in Burbank, California. Ub (whose real name was Ubbe Ert Iwwerks) first met Walt Disney in 1919 when the two worked together as commercial artist in Kansas City. When Walt moved to California and started his animation studio, Ub was his first employee. Ub animated the first Mickey Mouse short, Plane Crazy in two weeks, producing over 700 drawing for the cartoon a day.

Ub Iwerks, animator and Disney Legend 1901–1971

In addition to his animation expertise, Mr. Iwerks was also a technical wizard and built the world's first Multiplane Camera in 1933. He is also credited for helping create the photography process used to blend live action and animation for such films as Three Caballeros, Song of the South and Mary Poppins. Ub Iwerks was honored as a Disney Legend in 1989.

June 29

2007: Ratatouille is released to theaters nationwide. It's Pixar's eighth animated feature film. Directed by Brad Bird (the creative force behind The Incredibles), Ratatouille, (pronounced rat-a-too-ee) follows the adventures of a rat named Remy as he dreams of becoming a famous French chef. The film features the voices of Patton Oswald (as Remy), John Ratzenberger, Janeane Garofalo, Brad Garrett and Petor O' Toole.

1974: America Sings debuts at Disneyland in Tomorrowland's Carousel Theater. The attraction features over 100 Audio-Animatronic figures and replaces the General Electric Carousel of Progress – which is relocated to Walt Disney World.

1908: Disney Legend John Hench is born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mr. Hench started with the Walt Disney Company as a story artist in 1939 and would eventually become the senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering.

John Hench, Disney Legend 1908–2004.

During his 65 years with the company (the longest of any Cast Member) he personally witnessed the creation of almost every Disney theme park and animated feature. He contributed to such classics as Dumbo, Fantasia and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Among his many other accomplishments, he was also responsible for designing Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World and the original designs for Space Mountain.