Peter Pan On this day in 1953...

On this day in 1953, Walt Disney’s Peter Pan premiered in theaters as the 14th Disney Studios’ Animated Classic feature film.

The film starred Bobby Driscoll as the voice of Peter Pan, Kathryn Beaumont as the voice of Wendy and Hans Conried as the voice of Captain Hook. Peter Pan was the final Disney animated feature film distributed by RKO Radio Pictures before Walt Disney founded his own distribution company.

Music from the film

The most popular song from Peter Pan is “You Can Fly!” which was written by Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain. The song can be heard around Disney theme parks as well as in the popular Fantasyland attraction Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland Park,Magic Kingdom Park, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Shanghai Disneyland.

Peter Pan & Wendy at Disneyland during Storytime

Characters from the film

Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee can be found around Disney theme parks greeting guests. All four characters also make appearances in many of the Disney theme parks parades and other entertainment offerings. And, Tinker Bell starts many of the fireworks nighttime spectaculars at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park by flying in the sky above the theme park.

On special occasions, the Lost Boys have also made an appearance in the Disney theme parks. And most recently, Peter Pan’s Never Land opened as a new area at Tokyo DisneySea theme park with two new attractions and a new restaurant. Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure attraction takes guests on an epic 3D immersive adventure through Never Land to rescue John from Captain Hook and his band of pirates. And Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies allow guests to help Tinker Bell deliver parcels and packages to various locations throughout the fairy valley, each reflecting a different season.

The new dining experience in Peter Pan’s Never Land is Lookout Cookout, a counter service restaurant created by the Lost Kids. This restaurant, which also serves as a hideout for the Lost Boys, was made from parts of a shipwreck that had washed ashore in Never Land.

Watch the movie

To celebrate the 72nd Anniversary of Walt Disney’s Peter Pan which was released on February 5, 1953, you can stream the film on Disney+ at any time with a paid subscription. And even though the film is no longer being produced on Blu-ray and DVD, you can still find a two-disk Platinum Edition of Walt Disney’s Peter Pan on Amazon.com.