Disney | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/disney/RSS feed for DisneyenMon, 27 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000Walt Disney Visited a Ford Factory in 1948. What He Witnessed There Laid the Groundwork for What Would Become Disneylandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/A new book argues that the film producer's trip to the River Rouge plant in Michigan inspired him to embrace the power of automation when designing the first Disney theme parkMon, 27 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/Disney Was in Distress During the Late 1940s. Then ‘Cinderella’ Came to the Rescue and Saved the Company From Financial Disasterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/disney-was-in-distress-during-the-late-1940s-then-cinderella-came-to-the-rescue-and-saved-the-company-from-financial-disaster-180987886/Over 75 years after its release, the film is still connecting with animators and audiencesWed, 17 Dec 2025 17:00:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/disney-was-in-distress-during-the-late-1940s-then-cinderella-came-to-the-rescue-and-saved-the-company-from-financial-disaster-180987886/How Davy Crockett, the Rugged Frontiersman Killed at the Alamo, Became an Unlikely American Herohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-davy-crockett-the-rugged-frontiersman-killed-at-the-alamo-became-an-unlikely-american-hero-180987140/During his lifetime, Crockett—who went by David, not Davy—shaped his own myth. In the 20th century, his legacy got a boost from none other than Walt DisneyMon, 18 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-davy-crockett-the-rugged-frontiersman-killed-at-the-alamo-became-an-unlikely-american-hero-180987140/Carrots Can't Help You See in the Dark. Here's How a World War II Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Mythhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/carrots-cant-help-you-see-in-the-dark-heres-how-world-war-ii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-28812484/The British government claimed that eating carrots helped its fighter pilots shoot down German planes at night. In truth, the Royal Air Force relied on top-secret radarTue, 13 Aug 2013 12:08:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/carrots-cant-help-you-see-in-the-dark-heres-how-world-war-ii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-28812484/On This Day in 1993, Production Began on This Groundbreaking Movie That Transformed Hollywood Foreverhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-this-day-in-1993-production-began-on-this-groundbreaking-movie-that-transformed-hollywood-forever-180985852/With “Toy Story,” computer animation began its rise to dominanceSun, 19 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-this-day-in-1993-production-began-on-this-groundbreaking-movie-that-transformed-hollywood-forever-180985852/Happy Public Domain Day! Popeye, 'Rhapsody in Blue,' 'The Sound and the Fury' and Thousands of Other Captivating Creations Are Finally Free for Everyone to Usehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-public-domain-day-popeye-rhapsody-in-blue-the-sound-and-the-fury-and-thousands-of-other-captivating-creations-are-finally-free-for-everyone-to-use-180985744/On January 1, 2025, copyrights will expire for books, films, comic strips, musical compositions and other creative works from 1929, as well as sound recordings from 1924Mon, 30 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-public-domain-day-popeye-rhapsody-in-blue-the-sound-and-the-fury-and-thousands-of-other-captivating-creations-are-finally-free-for-everyone-to-use-180985744/Inside Disney's Controversial Plan to Open a Theme Park Inspired by American Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-disneys-controversial-plan-to-open-a-theme-park-inspired-by-american-history-180985150/In the early 1990s, historians and the public alike questioned how Disney's America would accurately and sensitively document the nation's thorny pastMon, 30 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-disneys-controversial-plan-to-open-a-theme-park-inspired-by-american-history-180985150/What the Changes to Splash Mountain, Now Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Reveal About How Americans See Themselveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-changes-splash-mountain-tianas-bayou-adventure-reveal-about-how-americans-see-themselves-180984630/Originally based on themes from the 1946 film "Song of the South," the Disney World attraction debuted in Florida in June. The Disneyland version will be unveiled in California later this yearFri, 28 Jun 2024 19:15:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-changes-splash-mountain-tianas-bayou-adventure-reveal-about-how-americans-see-themselves-180984630/What Made Jim Henson, the Visionary Behind the Muppets, One of the Nation’s Most Beloved Cultural Figureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-made-jim-henson-the-visionary-behind-the-muppets-one-of-the-nations-most-beloved-cultural-figures-180984447/Museum collections and a new documentary on Jim Henson’s life and career reveal how his creativity cemented his legacyFri, 31 May 2024 11:00:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-made-jim-henson-the-visionary-behind-the-muppets-one-of-the-nations-most-beloved-cultural-figures-180984447/How Engineers Created a Flying 'Star Wars' X-Winghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-engineers-created-a-flying-star-wars-x-wing-180984301/The starfighter-outfitted drone was the first remotely piloted aircraft of its kind and size approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for public demonstrationFri, 03 May 2024 20:10:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-engineers-created-a-flying-star-wars-x-wing-180984301/