The Wonderful World of Disney

1954 - 1990

The Disneyland Story

27th October 1954

Episode 1

Walt Disney introduces the show that will be a Sunday-night tradition for over 40 years, Disneyland. In this episode, he introduces upcoming season previews, plus movies that are to be coming out soon. The second half of the show is all about Mickey Mouse, Disney's first creation.

Alice in Wonderland [1951]

3rd November 1954

Episode 2

The 1951 Walt Disney animated film is the basis of this episode.

Prairie/Seal Island

10th November 1954

Episode 3

James Algar explores the lives of animal habitats as captured on film. The next portion is the 1948 True-Life Disney movie, Seal Island with Winston Hibler narrating about the habitat of the fur seal.

The Donald Duck Story

17th November 1954

Episode 4

It's all about Donald Duck here as his career is highlighted.

So Dear to My Heart

24th November 1954

Episode 5

The 1949 Disney movie is highlighted in this episode. Jeremiah is a young boy who owns a black lamb named Danny the Ram. Jeremiah wants to enter Danny into the spring fair, not out of pride for his pet but for the material gain of winning a ribbon. But alas, the fleece-bearer flees from home, leaving Jeremiah devastated. Jeremiah prays to God asking to be reunited with his runaway ram. In return, he promises to love Danny forever, and forsake any thoughts of using him to win ribbons.

A Story of Dogs

1st December 1954

Episode 6

Walt Disney takes us behind the scenes on the making of his new animated feature Lady & the Tramp.

Operation Undersea

8th December 1954

Episode 7

This is a look into the making of the theatrical feature 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Davy Crockett: Indian Fighter

15th December 1954

Episode 8

This is the first of five stories of the legendary Davy Crockett. In it, Davy and his friend Georgie Russel go off to fight the hostile Creek Indians.

A Present for Donald

22nd December 1954

Episode 9

In this Christmas episode, Donald Duck gets a movie projector and a film reel of a penguin who wants to be free of the frozen climate.

Beaver Valley/Cameras in Africa

29th December 1954

Episode 10

In teh first part, Walt Disney presents a famous animal photographer named Alfred G. Milotte, who presents clips of his African trip that has stunning stories about the African elephant and the lion. The second part deals with the beaver habitat as displayed in the 1948 True-Life Adventure film, Beaver Valley.

Treasure Island [1950] (1)

5th January 1955

Episode 11

Young Jim Hawkins is caught up with the pirate Long John Silver in search of the buried treasure of the buccaneer Captain Flint, in this adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Treasure Island [1950] (2)

12th January 1955

Episode 12

Young Jim Hawkins is caught up with the pirate Long John Silver in search of the buried treasure of the buccaneer Captain Flint, in this adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Monsters of the Deep

19th January 1955

Episode 13

Walt Disney takes us into the world of the sea with its many creatures.

Davy Crockett: Goes to Congress

26th January 1955

Episode 14

In the Second episode of the Davy Crockett trilogy, Davy, George and their families settle in Tennessee. Davy goes to town to file his claim, and he gets into it with a bully named Big Foot Mason. When Mason is beaten, the judge asks Davy to be the new lawman.

The Wind in the Willows

2nd February 1955

Episode 15

Kenneth Grahame is the subject of this episode as we take a look at the short film of ""The Wind and the Willows"", as seen in the movie The Reluctant Dragon from 1941.

A Progress Report/Nature's Half Acre

9th February 1955

Episode 16

The first half of this epsiode is dedicated to the construction of the new Disneyland theme park in Anaheim.

Calvacade of Songs

16th February 1955

Episode 17

Walt Disney shows us the importance of music in motion pictures. We also get a behind the scenes peek at the music made for the forthcoming movie Lady and the Tramp

Davy Crockett: At the Alamo

23rd February 1955

Episode 18

The final chapter of the Davy Crockett trilogy begins when Davy and George make friends with a cheating gambler named Thimblerig. It is Thimblerig that gets Davy and George to go to Texas to fight the Mexicans at the Alamo, an ill-fated mistake for Davy.

From Aesop to Hans Christian Andersen

Episode 19

Classic storytelling comes to life with Disney animation.

Man in Space

Episode 20

"Man in Space" is an episode of Disneyland which originally aired on March 9, 1955. It was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball. Later, it was edited into a featurette to play in theaters, accompanying Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. This Disneyland episode, was narrated partly by Kimball and also by such famed scientists as Dr. Willy Ley, Dr. Heinz Haber, Dr. Wernher von Braun and Dick Tufeld of Lost in Space fame. The show talks briefly about the lighthearted history of rockets and is followed by discussions of satellites, a practical look at what spacemen will have to face in a rocket and a rocket takeoff into space. An adaptation of the episode was published by Dell as Four Color #716 in 1956, scripted by Don R. Christensen with art by Tony Sgroi. It was actually a "novelization" in comic book form of two Walt Disney television programs, "Man in Space" and "Tomorrow the Moon". Also found as a 1956 UK reprint as "A World Distributors Movie Classic" and a 1959 combined reprint with the other 2 Dell Comics adaptations of "Man in Space" films as "Walt Disney's Man in Space".

The Pre-Opening Report from Disneyland

Episode 21

The big day of the grand opening of Disneyland is almost here, and Walt Disney is making plans to ensure that the park will be safe and ready for its first guests on July 17, 1955.

Dateline: Disneyland

Episode 22

No overview available.

Top Cast

Action & Adventure Animation Documentary Kids Family

Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC, Wednesday night, October 27, 1954. The show, which was hosted by Walt Disney until his death and then from 1996 to 2002 by then-CEO Michael Eisner (with one-off hosts or no hosts during other periods) has since aired continually as either a weekly program or an irregular series of specials on several networks and streaming services, most recently on ABC and Disney+. The show is the second longest showing prime-time program on American television, behind its rival, Hallmark Hall of Fame. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame was a weekly program only during its first five seasons, while Disney remained a weekly program for more than forty years.

Watch Providers 🇬🇧

Currently no watch providers

Production Companies

+1 more

Full Cast

Michael Eisner Image

Michael Eisner

Self - Host

Full Crew

Jim Cruickshank

Producer

Jim Milio

Executive Producer

Andrew Solt

Executive Producer

Susan B. Landau

Executive Producer

Mark Hufnail

Producer

Ron Miller Image

Ron Miller

Executive Producer

James Orr

Producer

Susan F. Walker

Producer

Phil Savenick

Producer

Walt Disney Image

Walt Disney

Producer

showData