It’s a new year, which means the Disney press and publicity photos in my personal collection have gotten … well … a year older and are even more vintage!

For our first installment of Disney Vintage Photos for 2023, we present photos depicting scenes on land, sea and air. Most originated from Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. In general, most of these photos have a “celebration” theme … birthdays, anniversaries, maiden voyages and just good times in general.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE SET TO MARK 25 YEARS OF OPERATION

Ever since Disney Legend Jack Lindquist came up with the idea of celebrating Disneyland’s 10^th anniversary in 1965 – he called it Tencennial – the Walt Disney Company has made it a habit of going all-out whenever a special birthday and anniversary rolls around.

There’s one special occasion coming up this year that hasn’t gotten much attention … at least not yet.

On July 30, the Disney Cruise Line will mark its 25^th year of operation.

That’s right. On July 30, 1998, the Disney Magic set sail on its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Fla., to the Bahamas, with stops at Nassau and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

That’s the Magic, top photo, heading off on that inaugural voyage. Notice how the ship was not quite finished – its funnels were still in need of work.

The Magic was built by Fincantieri Marghera Shipyards in Italy. The ship was constructed in two pieces, with the bow built at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard and the stern assembled at their Marghera shipyard [keep that in mind the next time you’re sailing on the Magic in rough waters!]

The ship’s interior features an Art Deco style, while its exterior design is comprised of a distinctive black, red, yellow and white color palate … just like Mickey Mouse’s outfit.

After spending its first 10 years sailing almost exclusively in the Caribbean, the Disney Magic has sailed extensively throughout Europe, as well as up and down the East Coast, over the last 15 years.

The Disney Magic’s “godmother” is Patricia Disney, former wife of Walt Disney’s nephew, the late Roy E. Disney.

A little more than a year after the Magic debuted, its sister ship, the Disney Wonder [bottom photo], set off on its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral on August 15, 1999.

The Wonder also was built at the Fincantieri Marghera Shipyards … but in one piece. Its interior features an Art Nouveau style and it, too, uses the same exterior colors.

The Disney Wonder’s “godmother” is Tinker Bell.

Like its sister ship, the Disney Wonder has been a world traveler: It has sailed through the Panama Canal many times, as well as along the West Coast, with stops in Hawaii, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera.

Later this year, the Disney Wonder will be offering sailings out of Sydney, Australia.

AN EGG-STRA SPECIAL HOLIDAY PARADE

Walt Disney World has always been a place where holidays occupy center stage. Indeed, Halloween and Christmas take on added meaning when you celebrate them at Walt Disney World.

In the photos above, Easter gets that egg-stra special treatment along Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.

In the photo left, snapped in 1985, a group of dancing penguins escorts a float carrying Mary Poppins, Bert and The Dapper Dans.

That year’s Happy Easter Parade was featured during a special Easter TV program broadcast on ABC-TV on April 7.

In the photo right, Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny and their colorful helpers – indeed, pastels were the predominant color scheme – entertain guests of all ages during Mickey’s Main Street Easter Parade in the Magic Kingdom in the year 2000.

PLEASURE ISLAND WAS ALL ABOUT CELEBRATIONS

Pleasure Island, Walt Disney World’s adult-oriented entertainment district, was all about celebrating good times.

For instance, every night at midnight, Pleasure Island would ring in the “new year” with a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown and a booming display of fireworks.

In the photo above, taken in 2000, party-goers give New Orleans a run for its money as they get together for a boisterous Mardi Gras celebration. The five-night festivities included parades, authentic Cajun and creole cuisine, and extravagant balls.

Pleasure Island, which required a separate admission, was located in what was then known as Downtown Disney. It was conceived to give adults a place to party, laugh and dance during the wee hours … all after spending a long day in the theme parks.

The area opened in 1989 and ran through 2008, when Disney decided to completely revamp the shopping/dining/entertainment district into what is now Disney Springs.

LOOK! UP IN THE SKY! IT’S A … DUCK?!

When it comes to finding that perfect souvenir, the World of Disney Store in Disney Springs is THE place to shop.

World of Disney opened in 1996 in what was then known as the Downtown Disney Marketplace. It was touted as “the largest Disney shopping experience on Earth.”

There was more than 50,000 square feet of retail space divided up into 12 themed areas.

Although it has been refurbished and re-imagined over the years, World of Disney remains a must-do for Disney aficionados looking for a treasured keepsake.

In the photo above, taken in 2001, Donald Duck navigates a nostalgic airship dangling from the store’s interior, complementing its adventure-travel theme.

HIGH-FLYING HOT-AIR CHARACTERS ON A MISSION

Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday in 1996 was cause for celebration … and two very special hot-air balloons were called into service.

“EarForce One” and “Zip A Dee Doo Duck” are seen here hovering over the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World before heading off on a cross-country journey.

The two beloved Disney characters would leave WDW and float away on a celebration tour of the country, stopping off at 55 major cities across the United States … all to honor the mouse that started it all.

Of course, there were special celebrations in the Disney theme parks worldwide that year, but bringing Mickey and Donald to a hometown near you made the party that much more personal.

THE EVOLUTON OF THE DISNEY STUDIOS THEME PARK

The Walt Disney Company famously started with a mouse … the success of Mickey Mouse helped catapult the fledging Disney animation studios into an entertainment juggernaut.

When the Disney/MGM Studios opened in 1989, its philosophy was to give guests an inside look into movie and television production.

And for many years, the park stayed true to that mission, with shows, attractions and adventures that allowed guests to take a deep dive into all aspects of the medium: Sound shows, stunt demonstrations, backstage tours, costuming, the celebration of classic movies and a look into what it was like during a typical TV station’s day.

During those early years, scenes from TV shows and movies, as well as TV commercials, were filmed at the Studios.

In recent years, the park – now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios – has drifted away from behind-the-scenes adventures to a more attraction-based theme.

In the photo above, taken in 1989, we see a “typical” day along New York Street, all being captured by film crews: Cars occupy the street, and people walk along the sidewalks as smoke billows from one of the “buildings” [the buildings were, in fact, just facades]. Firefighters are on the scene to help quell the “blaze.”

Alas, New York Street is no more. The space is now occupied by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

WACKY TIMES AT FORT WILDERNESS

When Disneyland, and later Walt Disney World, were conceived, one of the many goals was to give guests a glimpse into what life was like during the days of the rootin’, tootin’ Wild West.

The Diamond Horseshoe in Disneyland and the Golden Horseshoe Jamboree in WDW gave folks a taste of what a rowdy saloon show, circa the late 1800s, was like.

Walt Disney World, given its “blessing of size,” took it a step further with the creation of The Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue.

The nightly dinner show, held in Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, is one of the most popular entertainment options in all of Walt Disney World.

The Pioneer Hall Players put on a show that’s filled with corny jokes, toe-tapping music and good food.

Chuck Schmidt is an award-winning journalist who has covered all things Disney since 1984 in both print and on-line. He has authored or co-authored seven books on Disney, including his Disney’s Animal Kingdom: An Unofficial History, for Theme Park Press. He also has written a regular blog for AllEars.Net, called Still Goofy About Disney, since 2015.

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