Monday, March 7, 2016

Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World’s 10th Anniversary

By Keith Mahne




Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary is a 1982 television special that celebrated Walt Disney World's "Tencennial" anniversary in 1981. Join us today as we travel back to 1982 and celebrate Walt Disney World's 10th anniversary all over again...








The show begins with the family departing for Walt Disney World in a musical montage before meeting up at the resort as the Gatlin Brothers perform at Fort Wilderness's Pioneer Hall. We then get two truly bizarre musical numbers. Dean Jones and Ricky Schroder have a painful duet about familial estrangement, and Dana Plato and Michele Lee go shopping at the Contemporary Resort Hotel. Afterwards, John Schneider sings an odd little number on the lawn of Cinderella Castle. We then get some very rare footage of the Contemporary Resort's "Top of the World" restaurant in the 80s, and have a completely unnecessary flashback.




Yeah, that's Michael Keaton at the Contemporary Resort.




As the special wraps up, we're treated to what might be the single strangest medley in the history of television. After all, it's Walt Disney World - the place so magical it'll make your child give up his calculator forever...you'll soon see what I mean.

The special aired on January 21st, 1982 on CBS. Let's watch now the "odd" adventures of Dean Jones and Michele Lee, with their TV children Ricky Schroder and Dana Plato, as they visit Walt Disney World in this obviously early 80's type special, Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary...Enjoy!

(For your viewing pleasure, please remember to pause the Disney Avenue Music Player above prior to playing the video below if you are on a desktop computer.) 











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Keith Michael Mahne is the owner and editor of Disney Avenue and the host of the Disney Avenue Podcast. He has made countless trips to the Walt Disney World resort since his first trip in 1989 at the age of four. Keith has a strong passion and respect for Walt Disney, the parks and resorts, and the men and women who help create them. He started Disney Avenue as a way to inform and entertain readers and to repay all those who make dreams come true every day.

You can find all of Keith's articles here.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post. My husband is one of the boy scouts who float across the screen at the 42:45 mark singing with Ricky Schroder. I had heard the stories, but seeing the clip made our day. Thanks!

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    1. Danette, that is wonderful to hear!! So you heard about him being in it but never saw it until now? That is why we do what we do! Thanks for sharing!!

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  2. The Disney Documentary Hour segment here on Disney Avenue is one of my favorites. I love the old TV specials. Thanks again for bringing us back to such amazing Disney memories.

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