Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Walt Disney's anthology series may be been conceived as a way to help finance and promote his theme park, but it became much more than that. Along with animation and family-friendly fare the show aired documentaries about nature, space travel, and atomic energy. Disney introduced US TV's first Hispanic heroes with the serialized stories of the real-life Elfego Baca and the fictional tales of Zorro. Over a nearly 30-year run the show had six different names, aired on all three major networks, and helped sell a lot of tickets to that theme park. Disney moved its attention to their cable channel when the series ended in 1983, but a few years later they would be back on broadcast tv, though it wasn't really the same show. Over its 29 years Disneyland etc only had two themes composed for the series; most of the time the show used music from Disney productions, with 'When You Wish Upon a Star' the most prominent.
00:00 Opening titles, 'Disneyland'.
01:09 Opening titles, 'Walt Disney Presents'.
01:31 End credits, 'Walt Disney Presents'.
01:57 Opening titles, 'The Wonderful World of Color'. In 1961 the show moved to NBC where color tv was making its first big splash. The theme is by Disney stalwarts Richard and Robert Sherman.
02:33 End credits, 'The Wonderful World of Color'.
02:56 Opening titles version a, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
03:52 Opening titles version b, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
04:49 End credits, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
05:20 Opening titles: "Disney's Wonderful World'. A new theme was used for just one season. It was composed by John Debney and John Klawitter.
06:01 Opening titles: 'Walt Disney'. The show aired its final two years on CBS.
06:28 End credits: season one.
07:06 Introductory sponsor plug.
07:45 Original commercial.
08:43 Sponsor plug, end credits with movie promotion.
Special hat-tip to @keepingwaltindisney where you can find an extensive collection of classic Disney tv episodes (many more than on Disney+). Some of the clips scene here are from this channel, which any Disney aficionado should visit.
Walt Disney's anthology series may be been conceived as a way to help finance and promote his theme park, but it became much more than that. Along with animation and family-friendly fare the show aired documentaries about nature, space travel, and atomic energy. Disney introduced US TV's first Hispanic heroes with the serialized stories of the real-life Elfego Baca and the fictional tales of Zorro. Over a nearly 30-year run the show had six different names, aired on all three major networks, and helped sell a lot of tickets to that theme park. Disney moved its attention to their cable channel when the series ended in 1983, but a few years later they would be back on broadcast tv, though it wasn't really the same show. Over its 29 years Disneyland etc only had two themes composed for the series; most of the time the show used music from Disney productions, with 'When You Wish Upon a Star' the most prominent.
00:00 Opening titles, 'Disneyland'.
01:09 Opening titles, 'Walt Disney Presents'.
01:31 End credits, 'Walt Disney Presents'.
01:57 Opening titles, 'The Wonderful World of Color'. In 1961 the show moved to NBC where color tv was making its first big splash. The theme is by Disney stalwarts Richard and Robert Sherman.
02:33 End credits, 'The Wonderful World of Color'.
02:56 Opening titles version a, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
03:52 Opening titles version b, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
04:49 End credits, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.
05:20 Opening titles: "Disney's Wonderful World'. A new theme was used for just one season. It was composed by John Debney and John Klawitter.
06:01 Opening titles: 'Walt Disney'. The show aired its final two years on CBS.
06:28 End credits: season one.
07:06 Introductory sponsor plug.
07:45 Original commercial.
08:43 Sponsor plug, end credits with movie promotion.
Special hat-tip to @keepingwaltindisney where you can find an extensive collection of classic Disney tv episodes (many more than on Disney+). Some of the clips scene here are from this channel, which any Disney aficionado should visit.
