References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.

1956

January 4

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring the film When Knighthood Was in Flower, part one. The film was previously released as The Sword and the Rose in theaters. [370.393] [501.606]

January 8

• The Mickey Mouse Club Circus in Disneyland closes. [20] [228.322] [1300.278]

January 11

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring the film When Knighthood Was in Flower, part two. [370.393] [501.606]

January 12

• The Silhouette Studio shop opens on Main Street in Disneyland. [1300.373]

January 15

• The Phantom Boats attraction in Disneyland closes (temporarily). [1300.327] (Tomorrowland Boats [501.563])

January

• On a rainy weekend at Disneyland, Walt Disney describes his ideas for a skyway, monorail, submarine ride, and mountain sled ride. [267.203]
• The first Sunday color comic page of Scamp is published. [113.19] [501.486]

January 18

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring "A Tribute to Joel Chandler Harris". Included is the "Tar Baby" sequence from the film Song of the South. [370.393] [501.571]

January 21

• The American Dairy Association Exhibit (Dairy Bar) food facility opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [1300.46] [1378.168]

February 1

• The Mule Pack attraction in Frontierland at Disneyland closes. [1235.20]
• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled A Day in the Life of Donald Duck. [370.393] [1378.177]

February 8

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Survival in Nature. [370.393] [501.531]

February 15

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Our Unsung Villains. [228.376] [370.393]
• Disney releases the fifth People and Places film, Sardinia. [23] [85.349] [501.485]

February

• Walt Disney is awarded the Audubon Society Medal. [74.24] (1955 [56.29])
• The Mickey Mouse Club TV show reaches more total viewers than any other daytime program. [1336.69]
  vvv advertisement vvv
  
  ^^^ advertisement ^^^
  
• Disney re-releases the film Fantasia to theaters. [15] [25] [35.11] [37.54] [34.295] [370.45] (1955 [23])
• The board of directors of Walt Disney Productions approves a 2-for-1 stock split. [34.294]

February 18

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film No Hunting for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.477]
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Switzerland for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Two Reels. [39.477]
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Men Against the Arctic for an Oscar Award in the category Documentary, Short Subjects. [39.477]

February 19

• The Keller's Jungle Killers exhibit of jungle animals opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [228.273] [1300.231]

February 24

• Disney releases the Donald Duck film Chips Ahoy to theaters. Chip 'n Dale also appear. [16] [23] [49.268] [85.349] [1378.134]

February 29

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring "A Trip through Adventureland" and the film Water Birds. [370.393] [501.572] [910.25]

March 7

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled On Vacation. [228.370] [370.393]

March 14

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring the film Stormy the Thoroughbred. [370.393]

March

• The Court of Honor exhibit at Disneyland closes. [1300.117]
• Our Future in Colors exhibit opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [1300.314]

March 17

• The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards an Emmy award (Best Action or Adventure Series, 1955) to the Walt Disney Studio for the Davy Crockett series on the Disneyland TV show. [41.47] [59.50] [83.822] [84.991] [228.118,161] [369.312]
• The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards an Emmy Award (Best Producer of Filmed Series, 1955) to Walt Disney for the Disneyland TV show. [41.49] [59.50] [83.823] [84.991] [228.161] [369.312]

March 21

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards an Oscar (Documentary, Short Subjects) for the film Men Against the Arctic. [13] [23] [38.264] [39.477]
• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled The Goofy Sports Story. [228.213] [370.393]

March 23

• Jimmy Starr's Show Business Souvenirs shop opens on Town Square at Disneyland. [1300.225]

March 24

• The Astro-Jets ride opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [1300.54] [1378.45]

April 4

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Where do the Stories Come From?. [370.393] [501.606]

April 5

• The Bathroom of Tomorrow attraction opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, sponsored by the Crane Company. [9] [26] [1300.68] [1378.160]

April

• Disney releases the 16-mm film I'm No Fool with a Bicycle for educational use. It includes Jiminy Cricket. The film was previously shown on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. [23] [228.251]
• Disney releases the 16-mm film I'm No Fool with Fire for educational use. It includes Jiminy Cricket. The film was previously shown on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. [23] [228.251]

April 27

• Disney releases the special animated film Hooked Bear to theaters. Humphrey the bear and Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore are featured. [16] [23] [85.349] [228.240]

May 12

• The Horseless Carriage (red) begins operation on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.242] [1300.261]

May

• Disney releases the 16-mm film You - and Your Five Senses for educational use. It includes Jiminy Cricket. [23] [501.626]
• Disney releases the 16-mm film You - the Human Animal for educational use. It includes Jiminy Cricket. [23] [501.627]

May 30

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker, showing the making of the film The Great Locomotive Chase. [370.394] [1378.69]

June 16

• The Tom Sawyer Island attraction opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [26.89] [501.562] [1300.422]
• The Tom Sawyer Island Rafts begin operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [4] [26] [228.407] [1300.347]
• The 3-D film (with 3-D glasses) 3D Jamboree opens in the Mickey Mouse Club Theater at Disneyland. [23] [501.553] [939.88] [1300.280]
• The Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction begins operation in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.526] [939.92] [1300.398]

June

• The Guild of Variety Artists awards Walt Disney lifetime membership for his "increasing efforts to discover new ways to keep the greatest number of people in the field of show business gainfully employed." [34.236]
• Disney releases the film The Nature of Things, The Camel, with Jiminy Cricket. [23] [228.351]
• Disney releases the film The Nature of Things, The Elephant, with Jiminy Cricket. [23] [228.352]

June 20

• Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film The Great Locomotive Chase to theaters in the US. [13] [23] [49.267] [50.139] [74.67] [79.132] [111.356] (June 8 [228.217] [370.132])

June 23

• The Skyway to Tomorrowland begins operation in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.504] [757.36] [1300.375]
• The Skyway to Fantasyland begins operation in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.504] [757.36] [1300.375]

June 26

• The Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.408]
• The Mule Pack ride at Disneyland reopens as the Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules. [9] [26] [225.408] [228.378] [1235.20] [1300.297]

(month unknown)

• The Hollywood Foreign Press Association awards a Golden Globe award to Disney for the Disneyland TV show. [369.313]
• General Mills offers free rings in its Sugar Jets cereal boxes. The rings feature likenesses of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Peter Pan, Snow White, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. [245.47]
• General Mills features an acetate 78 rpm phonograph record on its Wheaties cereal boxes. Records include Chip 'N Dale, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. [245.47]
• The "Dell Color Comics" comic book Bongo and Lumpjaw is first published. [113.329]
• Card Walker becomes a vice president of Walt Disney Productions. [194.5451]
• The National Board of Review awards a Best American Film award to Disney for the The African Lion. [369.72]
• Disneyland begins using "D" tickets for certain attractions. [26] [193.16] [501.557] [939.34]
• The Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show debuts over Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. [20] [26] (1957 [19] [228.174])
• In Disneyland, a railroad station is added to Fantasyland. [228.137]
• Disney re-releases the film Bambi to theaters. [25] [228.40] (1957 [1378.58])
• Disney re-releases the film Song of the South to theaters. [25] [370.78] [501.513]
• The Guatemalan Weavers shop opens in Adventureland at Disneyland. [228.220]
• Dell Publishing Company produces Dell Color Comics comic book #763, Grandma Duck's Farm Friends. [113.333]
• The Oaks Tavern restaurant opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [228.364]
• The Sierra Club makes Walt Disney an honorary life member in gratitude for his films on wildlife. [482.30]
• The Walt Disney Music Company releases its first record, A Child's Garden of Verses on the Disneyland record label. [501.593]
• The Casa de Fritos restaurant in Frontierland at Disneyland moves to replace the Marshal's office. [1300.95]

July 2

• The Rainbow Caverns Mine Train attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. The attraction cost US$400,000 to build. [9] [26] [228.408] [328.286] [939.74] [1300.348]

July 4

• The Indian War Canoes attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.254] [1300.215]

July 8

• Disney releases the Donald Duck film How to Have an Accident in the Home to theaters. [16] [23] [85.349] [228.245]

July

• Walt Disney attends "Walt Disney Day" in his childhood hometown of Marceline, where he dedicates a public swimming pool that is part of a ten-acre park named in his honor. [34.236] [327.30]
• The Phantom Boats ride returns to Disneyland (for about a month). [1300.327]
• Actor Kirk Douglas sues Walt Disney for use of home movie footage of Kirk and his two sons at Walt Disney's home. (The suit is later dropped.) [34.237]

July 17

• Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Davy Crockett and the River Pirates to theaters. The film is a compilation of episodes five and six from the TV series. [13] [23] [49.267] [74.86] [79.134] [111.344] (July 18 [113.289] [370.134] [1378.175])

July 18

• Disney releases the live-action short film Man in Space to theaters. [23] [85.349] [228.309]
• Disney releases the animated short film Jack and Old Mac to theaters. [16] [23] [85.349] [228.261]

July 23

• The Junior Autopia ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.269] [1300.230]

July 27

• Disney releases the Humphrey Bear film In the Bag to theaters. Ranger Woodlore also appears. [16] [23] [85.349] [228.253]

July 30

• The Mineral Hall shop opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [228.333] [1300.286]

August

• The Main Street Omnibus #1 begins operation in Disneyland. [9] [228.369]

August 18

• The Carnation Plaza Gardens eatery and entertainment area opens on the hub at Disneyland. [1300.335] [1378.119]

August 22

• The Carefree Corner guest registration area opens on Main Street in Disneyland. [1300.90] [1378.118]

September 7

• The Keller's Jungle Killers show gives its last performance at Disneyland. [228.273] [1300.231]

September 12

• The ABC TV network begins airing the third season of the Disneyland show, featuring "Antarctica, Past and Present". [370.394] [1378.37]

September

• Buena Vista Films releases the film Yang Kwei Fei (Most Noble Lady) in theaters in the US. [74.218] [111.411]

September 19

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled The Great Cat Family. [228.217] [370.394]

September 26

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Searching for Nature's Mysteries. [370.394] [501.490]

October 3

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring the film Rob Roy, part one. [370.394]

October 4

• Disneyland welcomes its five millionth guest. [26] [910.27] [1300.313]

October 10

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring the film Rob Roy, part two. [370.394]

October

• Disney releases the 16-mm film I'm No Fool as a Pedestrian for educational use. It includes Jiminy Cricket. The film was previously shown on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. [23] [228.250]
• The Phantom Boats of Tomorrowland closes, the first attraction removed from Disneyland. [939.97] [1300.326]

October 17

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Goofy's Cavalcade of Sports. [228.213] [370.394]

October 24

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring Behind the Cameras in Lapland, and the film The Alaskan Eskimo. [370.394] [1378.69]

October 31

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled The Plausible Impossible. Included is the animated pencil test of the "soup eating sequence" rejected for the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. [228.390] [370.394]

November 6

• Disney releases the animated short film A Cowboy Needs a Horse to theaters. [16] [23] [85.349] [1378.159]
• Disney releases the live-action short film Cow Dog to theaters. [23] [85.349] [190.50] [1378.159]
• Buena Vista releases Disney's True-Life Adventure film Secrets of Life to theaters in the US. [13] [23] [49.267] [74.136] [79.137] [370.137] [501.491] (Secret of Life [111.391])

November 7

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, featuring Cameras in Samoa, and The Holland Story. [370.394] [1378.112]

November 11

• Walt Disney appears as a guest of the TV show, What's My Line?. [83.709]

November 14

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Along the Oregon Trail. This is a behind the scenes look at the filming of the film Westward Ho the Wagons. [370.394] [1378.26]

November

• Walt Disney is named the recipient of the Screen Producers Guild's Milestone award for a lifetime of great professional achievement. [34.241]

November 21

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled At Home with Donald Duck. It is a compilation of cartoons. [370.394] [1378.45]

December 12

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Pluto's Day. [228.393] [370.394]

December

• The Horseless Carriage (yellow) begins operation on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.242]

December 19

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled the 1956 Christmas Show: A Present for Donald, including portions of the film The Three Caballeros. [370.394]

December 20

• Disney releases the sixth People and Places film, Disneyland, U.S.A., to theaters. [23] [85.349] [228.138] [1300.138]
• Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Westward Ho the Wagons to theaters in the US. The film is based on the novel by Mary Jane Carr. [49.267] [50.300] [79.138] [113.289] [501.603] (December 25, 1957 [111.408]) (Westward Ho, The Wagons [13]) (Westward Ho, The Wagons! [23]) (Westward Ho! The Wagons [56.77] [84.898]) (Westward Ho The Wagons! [74.149] [370.138] [1300.138])

December 25

• Disney releases the seventh People and Places film, Samoa, to theaters. [13] [23] [85.349] [501.483]

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