Retro Disney World Podcast

In this mini-episode (or is it an infomercial?), we discuss our upcoming RetroMagic 2025 event, coming to the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World the weekend of September 26-28, 2025. Tickets are available at https://retromagic.net How much would you pay to see Imagineer Tony Baxter? $700?! $900?! How about $185!!! BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!! How about the creative and technical leads responsible for The Living Seas pavilion, Tim Delaney and Kym Murphy? BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!! ·  A charming feature of Main Street USA, we'll take a deep dive into Walt Disney World's Penny Arcade. Arcade expert Todd Tuckey of TNT Amusements will join a panel transporting you to the cool, dark haven of novelty games of yesteryear with rare photographs of the arcade, a look at some of the vintage games that resided in the space and where some of them live on today · Historian Hastin Zylstra will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the Lake Buena Vista townhomes and their California origins including their connection to Disneyland. This oddball slice of Walt Disney World history is one you won't want to miss. · Author and historian Foxx Nolte will revisit Lake Buena Vista shopping village. Before Disney Springs, Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island this quaint shopping and dining oasis was a charming beacon for locals and tourists alike.  You'll learn about its diverse offerings and its real-life counterpart its design was based on. ·        Disney Legend Tom Nabbe will reunite with members of the opening day monorail crew from October 1971. You'll hear tales and travails of the early years of the Highway In The Sky. Panelists to be announced. · A panel of “opening crew” and executives for Walt Disney World in 1971 and EPCOT Center in 1982 will join us to reveal behind-the-scenes stories from their storied careers. Steve Baker, whose 23 year career with Disney began opening the parking lots and bus transportation in October 1971 and concluded as EPCOT Center's Development Director will join us. Jim McCaskill was on the opening day crew in 1971 and his final role saw him overseeing relationships with corporate sponsors like MetLife and Siemens. Steve and Jim are confirmed guests for this event. More panelists to come. · It's Time To Get Things Started: The Muppets at Walt Disney World. Some of the men and women behind Muppetvision 3D and the Here Comes The Muppets stage show at Disney-MGM Studios will join us to remember the early Muppets-Disney partnership in Florida. Guest panelists to be announced. · Showtime! – From the LBVHistory Archives: We've been putting aside photographic, film and video clips that left us so gobsmacked they had to be saved to share with a live audience. Historians will join us as we look at some lesser remembered bits of Walt Disney World completely forgotten or never before seen on film. · The Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village returns for guests to peruse our archive of artifacts, set pieces, souvenirs and memorabilia from Walt Disney World's past.  Authors, artists, historians and VIP's will meet and greet attendees during the scheduled breaks · More panels, guests and experiences to be announced.   DON'T DELAY, ORDER TODAY!!! OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY!!!  

This month, we discuss and listen to the music of Epcot Center. Todd, Brian, JT, How, and our listeners told us their favorite songs from the park, and How goes into the history of each of them and the attraction or show they came from.  Along the way, you'll discover lots of things you may not have known about the music you've enjoyed listening to for years, including how the Epcot entrance loop ripped off sections of music from rock groups of the '70s. You'll also hear the uncut version of "Closer to You," the song from AT&T's "Age of Information" exhibit that predicted the future with incredible accuracy.

This month Brian leads a discussion about banking at Walt Disney World and everything guests had to do to pay for their transactions at the parks and resorts before debit card terminals and Magic Bands became ubiquitous. Cash was king, but Traveler's Checks and personal checks were also common before Walt Disney World began allowing credit cards. We'll reveal how they worked, their benefits, and their frustrations. We also dive into the history of Disney's relationship with its original banking partner, Sun Bank. Find about their full-service branches located in each of the parks and near Disney Springs, including the beautiful late-1880s-styled bank on Main Street which is now the Chamber of Commerce, and why we think the bank vault is still there. If you're a cast member who can confirm or deny our hunch, send us an email! Todd also takes us into the many advancements in banking technologies that make paying for things in the park easier and more worry-free today.   

This episode is about a long-lost art form that used to be very prominent at Walt Disney World. The idea of lugging camera equipment around, having it serviced at WDW, and even developing your pictures all on-site are almost laughable this day in age. When we look back through history, Walt Disney World is brought back to us from family photos and film/video. Depending on your era, the method could vary drastically and so did the technical aspects. In this episode, we dive into nearly every aspect of capturing the memories of your trip. With different sources, being professional resources and personal stories, this episode should hit with anyone who has captured their trip on some sort of film. The theme parks were very different 50 years ago, including things like a bank, card shops, flowers to purchase, and even furniture. Disney took on the memory business and you could do everything from bringing all your own equipment to renting on site. Film purchases, VHS tapes, servicing your camera and more; the different parks and resorts had an immense list of services and supplies for everyone. Nowadays, you are lucky to find a disposable camera, which we dare you to locate… We try our best to not get into the weeds too much, but at the same time you will get a little bit of a techy history in this episode, which is almost needed if you did not live in this era. As you listen to this one, drop us a note about your experiences with the camera centers or even having Walt Disney World develop your photographs in under an hour. Enjoy!

In this episode, we are taking you back a number of years to a lost episode! We spent some time many years ago speaking with Tad Stones, a Disney animator who worked for the company from 1974-2003. The problem is this edit fell through the cracks and went into podcast purgatory. We are here to resurrect it and get our conversation with Tad Stones out so you all can listen. This conversation begins with EPCOT Center and some of the different items he had his hands on. We get into World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, and more. The EPCOT perspectives from these early days are fascinating and surprising at the same time, as most of this is not the major highlight of Tad's Disney career. Tad also gets into a fun story about meeting George Lucas in the early 1980s, eating fried chicken, and even giving a little foreshadowing about the prequels. Either way, this is such a cool interaction and story that we are so excited to share with you. Tad has such a unique perspective on the early EPCOT years, digging into development, planning, and how it all came together. Tad has been a major part of Disney animation, which is one of his biggest claims to fame. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Ducktales, Hercules, & Atlantis are all credited to Tad, which is unbelievable if you think about it. While we were hoping to have Tad at RetroMagic back in 2023, we are hoping there is a chance we can have him at a future event so listeners can have the opportunity to meet him. While this episode has been many years in the making, we hope you all have enjoyed the time with Tad Stones.

We are down a man this month, as How has been working on rebuilding his house and dealing with hurricane fallout. We begin this episode with a special message from How and we hope he will be back for Episode 94. This episode focuses on Birnbaum's guides, which still exist to this day. Join us as we embark on a nostalgic journey, exploring how these iconic travel guides shaped the way fans experienced Disney parks from the 70s to the 90s. We'll discuss some unique aspects, behind-the-scenes insights, and personal anecdotes from our own Disney adventures using Birnbaum as our guide. Whether you're a lifelong Disney enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this podcast will transport you back to the enchanting world of Disney, one Birnbaum Guide at a time! The guides have changed over the years and when you locate a vintage copy, the notes and highlighted items are always fun, as we discuss in this episode.  We get into guides from the 80s, how they have changed to the current day, and also dive into the kid editions. Birnbaum was the bible for some people before/during/after their WDW vacation, similar to the way you currently subscribe to your favorite blog or park-related social media account. As you listen to this episode, you may want to search eBay sooner rather than later, as the prices and availability may change for an old guide as people start searching after listening. Between all of us here at RetroWDW, we have a decent collection of these and have nearly every year represented. Sometimes things changed, other times it rolled over for multiple years and editions. Throughout this episode, we hoped to capture the magic of vintage vacation planning and also how it used to be. We really all had no idea other than what we heard or what we learned from a travel agent. Birnbaum Guides really made it possible for someone to learn all about WDW while still keeping their sanity planning that trip.

Join us in this captivating episode of the RetroWDW Podcast as we explore the rich history of the Japan Pavilion at EPCOT. From its stunning architecture to the immersive cultural experiences it offers, we delve into the origins and evolution of this beloved destination. Discover how the pavilion has celebrated Japanese traditions, cuisine, and artistry over the years, while also examining its significance within the broader context of EPCOT's mission to promote international understanding. Whether you're a Disney aficionado or simply curious about the intersections of culture and entertainment, this episode promises to be a delightful journey into the heart of the Japan Pavilion. Tune in and let's take a stroll through time together! How leads us this month with a deep dive into every aspect of the pavilion, its history, and how it has changed over the years. We refer to this video from 1983, A Visit to EPCOT Center, which has some very early footage of the Japan area. The dining experiences have changed over the years and we get you an entire walkthrough of how the place used to be. We discuss a letter from John Lennon, recommending a Japanese restaurant. Most of us have hit up the various establishments in the Japan area and share some experiences from the different menus and locations. Overall, the Japan pavilion has much more to offer than you first realize when walking through. The shopping and dining experiences more than makeup for the lack of attractions and rides. One of the true original pavilions that has the original World Showcase feel to it, allowing you to explore the unique culture of Japan. Hope you enjoyed this in-depth walkthrough and history of this one of a kind pavilion.

For our main topic this month, we decided to dig into the always-present and always-sought-after contest connecting to Walt Disney World. If we all think back, I am sure you all have seen, heard of, or attempted to win some sort of contest either at Walt Disney World or at home trying to win a trip to WDW. JT takes the lead on this one and begins with the group telling us about a contest they have each won, in one form or another. To follow this up, we reached out to listeners and fans to see what they have won. We had lots of great responses, including the ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Play It!' prizes that Jared supplied us to showcase at the various events we hold. Another fun one we heard about was Eric and the story about winning a Segway Scooter at EPCOT; amazing! The mother of all prizes though, the infamous Night in the Castle during the Year of a Million Dreams. Everyone wanted this one and we tracked down a real person who actually won and spent the night in the castle. Ian joins us from Intercot, which we have a little history with, and gives us the entire story on how this all came to be. Brian gives us his experiences with this contest and we all chime in on how big of a promotion this was. Hearing how big of a deal this was, it is amazing nothing like this has happened in recent years for all the anniversaries. For the next portion, we go through a massive assortment of contests, ads, promos, and even local contests that connect with Walt Disney World. Some of these contests are very obscure and interesting, which we take deep dives into. Overall, these things are an absolute blast to look back on and we hope we do most of them justice by discussing them in detail. We did not hit them all by any means, but we would like to hear from you. Have you won a contest that got you to WDW? Did you enter one and get the consolation prize? Either way, let us know! This was a fun episode and we hope you have enjoyed this journey with us through contests at Walt Disney World.

Brian takes this lead for this episode and we are super excited to get into all of the areas where computers innovated and impacted the first couple decades at Walt Disney World. After awhile, computers became common all over, but through the 70s & 80s, these innovative pieces of tech helped WDW in many ways. We start off with some pre-opening documentation, which is on DisneyDocs. RCA had a huge plan for the communication system of the entire property, so be sure to dig into this doc, it is amazing! Next up is communications and we discuss the switchboard inside Cinderella's Castle, which actually was a real thing. We also get into the water monitoring in Reedy Creek, which were powered by solar panels, relaying information to a satellite dish in space. The entire process is insane and super innovative for the era. Brian and How get into the old DACS system, how this worked, and even discuss some of the old school techniques used at Disneyland and the World's Fair. Brian mentions the Honeywell 516, which is insanely vintage and absolutely massive.  Take a look at this thing! Brian also digs into the changes in cash registers because in the early days, they were super archaic. After a little time though, they got upgraded to a newer and fancier register from NCR.  We also discuss our own experiences with early tech at home, home computers, and more. The world has changed so much and this old stuff in the home was so neat for the time. The big change in computers at WDW took place at EPCOT Center. The computers turned towards the guest and were not just used to run things behind the scenes. Sperry, Bell, General Motors, and nearly every sponsor at EPCOT attempted to incorporate advanced technology into their exhibits. Brian also talks about how they filmed the movie D.A.R.Y.L. at EPCOT Center, which is a fun movie from 1985. If you watch the following clip, you can match up what Brian is saying from an old Twitter conversation, as they filmed this scene right at EPCOT. For another look at some of the computers at EPCOT, take a look at this video on our channel. This episode has been a blast to record and we hope you enjoyed it too! Be sure to ask any questions or share any computer memories you have from Walt Disney World.

Welcome back to another episode and this time, we have a special guest for this ‘half episode', Foxx Nolte. Foxx has been in the Disney community for years and has been a trailblazer in all things Disney history. For this episode, we are excited to have the ‘Queen of Lake Buena Vista' joining us to talk all about her latest book, Hidden History of Walt Disney World. This book is filled with a treasure trove of tales and stories curated by Foxx, which were hand-picked and organized in an entertaining way. Todd and the fellas touch a bit on an earlier episode where we got into the old stories told to us about Bay Lake & the various watercraft duties. Check out Episode 8 if you haven't already! One of the main discussion points that Foxx brings up, is the 44,000 word limit in this book. As she states, she had to ‘cut the crap', which makes this a very fun read that comes in somewhat short snippets. You get the information, you digest it, and you keep going without going too far into the weeds. If you remember, Foxx also wrote Boundless Realms a few years back. Her sense of history and record keeping is right in line with how most of us think; this history has to be documented and recorded before it is forgotten or lost. We love that and hope she continues to record these stories and memories before it is too late. We get into one story in particular, all about a packing house. During the construction of Walt Disney World, they utilized a closed-down packing house to build ride pieces and set items. Foxx dug deep into this little bit of history, getting down to the type of windows in each building, shed designs, and when these places were shut down. One big issue she has run into is the history is murky due to so many people moving in and out of the area. This book also hits on the old ticket system, which allowed Disney to see which rides drew in the crowds and allowed you to adjust the maintenance schedules based on use. Another fun chapter is all about McDonald's in the parks, which if you don't remember when this was a thing, you need to get into this bit of Disney history as it was a magical time. Overall, this was such a fun read and a fun interview. We hope you take some time to pick up a copy and enjoy it the next time you are traveling to WDW, heading on a summer road trip, or even sitting by your favorite resort pool. Huge thanks to Foxx Nolte for sharing copies with all of us and for spending time with us on this episode.

For the main topic this month, we head back to Pleasure Island for more fun and excitement. This is Part IV and if you haven't enjoyed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3, we highly recommend you take a listen back as these were recorded years ago!  How gives us a little recap of how each episode went in the past. The story on this episode though is changes. How gets us into each club and how they changed after a few years, including themes and names. These include Cage, The Wildhorse Saloon, 8-Trax, Planet Hollywood, Motion, Fulton's Crab House, BET Club and more. We go through our memories of each of the various iterations and also what we thought of them over the years. The interesting aspect we get into here with Pleasure Island is that it evolved frequently and for the most part, was done to keep people attending and trying to find that club that hit. This episode also has us reflecting on fads of the era from Wine Coolers, The Chicken Dance, Zima, Planet Hollywood, and line dancing. Even though this area has come and gone, we discuss where it went and how it went out. Many of us have memories of the big changes in the end and we even discuss the unused concept of Hyperion Wharf. Pleasure Island was a fun concept that worked in many areas and did not work in others. How has promised us a Part V episode about Pleasure Island, so make sure you message him if you are interested in hearing even more history on ‘PI'. Thanks for listening!

For Episode 88, we are ready to Ride the Movies! Universal Studios in the late 80s brought their A-Game to central Florida and Back to the Future: The Ride was one of their top attractions.  For this episode, we solely focus on Back to the Future and go from start to finish, from development to closing. How is our lead this month and for all of us having experienced this, the movie quotes are plentiful and the ride experiences come from all directions. We initially get into why this ride came to be and how it was somewhat of a mess to start. The entire ride system was pretty groundbreaking for the time, really capturing all of us as parkgoers. Before you get too far into this though, if you have not seen Back to the Future, we recommend you pause the episode and check it out. We go through the entire facility, the pre-show, and even the ride mechanics. The neat part about this ride is many people have documented it over the years, including the BTTF Bluray's that include the ride in a somewhat remastered format. The ride was so timeless in that you really felt as though you were stepping into the movies which we all know and loved. As How guides us through the spacetime continuum, we are given tons of descriptive visuals and walkthroughs about the entire ride.  For reference, we touch on the Back to the Future Visual Guide, which has a full history on this ride as well. As we wrap up this episode, let us know your thoughts on the ‘Good Neighbors' episodes and if you would like us to branch out more often. While this won't be done regularly, we are always interested in the history of Central Florida and all the fun tourist spots in the area. Thanks so much for listening!

This mini-episode is a compliment to our 2022 holiday episode.  We promised we'd eventually track down the fellow responsible for bringing the Lights of Winter to EPCOT Center.  Brian and Todd talk to Jim Heffelfinger whose 20 year career with Walt Disney World began as stage manager at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review at Pioneer Hall (where he met and shares a great story about our friend Billy Flanigan). Over the next two decades he worked with Disney Legend Ron Logan and the rest of the entertainment team to bring Christmas as we know it to EPCOT, Fantasmic to Florida, the Muppets to Hollywood Boulevard, the holidays and a parade to Animal Kingdom and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights to Disney-MGM Studios. Some of his shows, like Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage are still running today much as he designed them while others are very fondly remembered. This is a fun interview where you'll learn a lot and, of course, we ask him for memories of Ron Logan and Dick Nunis and invite him to a future RetroMagic event. Jim Heffelfinger is an unsung hero of holidays in Walt Disney World and many beloved live shows. Enjoy the interview.

Welcome to Episode 87 of the RetroWDW Podcast: Hungry For Hollywood - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. Listener Mail We open the mailbag monthly and are ready to hear from you. Be sure to reach out with questions, stories, memories, and more. You never know if your letter will be read on a future episode: podcast@retrowdw.com Our first letter is from Mike and he is curious about a particular stairway at Magic Kingdom. We need some experts out there to help Mike out with this stairway and what happened to it.... Amy is our next letter and she is a new listener, welcome! Amy gives us some great information about working at The Disney Institute and how she was able to take courses for free as an employee. Thanks for the fun stories Amy. Another Amy, another letter. This Amy is talking about Episode 32 which was all about Universe of Energy. She gives us some information on the dinosaur song we spoke of, which can be heard here. Enjoy! Sylvia is up next and she is curious as to what happened with the Cigar Store Indians from Magic Kingdom. We give some insight into those and where they might have ended up. She also wanted to know where this photo was taken... Thanks for your letter Sylvia! Emily is the next note we received, she was showing off her Dreamfinder Watch, which you can still get for yourself or as a gift. Visit our LBV History page for more information. Paula wrote in with another vintage family photo taken on Main Street. We have been collecting these gems where you dress up and it looks old timey. Thanks Paula! Finally, our last letter is from Donna and she speaks about the Room with a Skew and how her son loved playing in there. Donna is a former Gold Key Member along with Todd and she has some fighting words for Brian, which leads to a little history about The Pretzel Belt. Who knew? Main Topic Buckle up because we are going back to Hollywood, well the way it was in your memories, but never was. Brian is leading us through the early years of food and drink at the Disney-MGM Studios. One of the last great theme parks on Disney property and one that always has fascinating stories coming to us about the opening days and how things were drastically different when compared to now.  We get to go through the different eateries that existed in the early years, including the Hollywood Brown Derby. How as very disappointed that it wasn't in the shape of a derby hat. We also discuss the Echo Lake restaurants, highlighting that the Fifties Primetime Cafe and the Hollywood and Vine cafeteria share a kitchen. The team discussed the unique dining experience offered at these restaurants and the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our handy Birnbaum's guide is utilized throughout the episode, as is our good friend Reimund Pitz, who you may remember joined us during RetroMagic 50. Take a trip with us and Reimund around the Disney-MGM Studios, discussing each restaurant and how each menu has been changed over the years. We lost a ton of great options over the years and we even get a little history along the way about why some of these changes have happened. We hope you enjoy! RetroMagic Updates We are so glad so many of you could make it to our most recent event all about EPCOT Center and the 40 year anniversary. The videos from the event will be posted to our YouTube channel soon, but please take a minute to listen/watch our live recap we did a few weeks ago. Enjoy! Click Here To View RetroWDW Film Archive To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. RetroWDW Merchandise Post-Show Fun Join us next time for another amazing episode of the RetroWDW Podcast! Read for another movie night? Subscribe on YouTube & hit that notification bell so you are ready. Check out SpectroRadio for all their WDW music, including Throwback Thursday at 9am. Click Here to donate to the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society and join us on a future episode! Check out our friends at Mouse Adventure to see where you can join them next on a super fun adventure: Mouse Adventure

We take you back to an attraction and for our fans that wanted us to go way back, we are going way back. The Mickey Mouse Revue which opened October 1, 1971 last about nine years closing in the fall of 1980. How is leading us this month which only means one thing: we are going super deep into this topic. He begins by going over the homophone of Revue vs. Review and also how little is out there on the Mickey Mouse Revue. This attraction was located where the current Mickey's PhilharMagic is playing each day, so you can get a feeling as to how this played and where it was in the 70s. Throughout this episode, we walk you through the history and how the show plays out from start to finish. We recommend you watch the following video, just so you can get a visual of this attraction. How also gets us into how the attraction felt, which I appreciated very much because many of us have not seen this one in person. The voice of Mickey is discussed from this episode and it is not one of the better versions… This quirky and unique show has lots of small details and stories that really make it unique. As we dig into the history of this one you are really going to be blown away as to how this whole thing played out. Finally, we get into what happened after the doors closed in 1980 and where the entire thing ended up, with some recent updates! We hope you enjoy this look back at this unique attraction.

So our last episode, Episode 84: Disney Vacation Club, we dug into the history of the vacation club and the original resort. Throughout this episode, we were able to discuss our personal experiences with DVC and also our opinions. While going over all of the details in Episode 84, we asked for your feedback and your own opinions on DVC. You as the listeners did not disappoint! We had an amazing response and received tons of great messages. Throughout episode 84.5, we dig into all of these messages. As we state at the start of the episodes, we received numerous emails with varying levels of detail. All of us especially liked the amount of detail in some of these that broke down facts, figures, and even the needs of your family. While these slowly trickled in over the month, we felt the need to bring them all to a ‘mini-episode' which ends up running just about two hours. If you are a DVC member, a prospective member, someone who rents points, or even a WDW vacationer who has no interest in DVC, this episode will speak to all of you. We thank all of our listeners who decided to write in and give us their experiences, you made this episode possible. Join us next time as we get back into the theme parks and bring you another episode real soon!

Welcome to Episode 84 of the RetroWDW Podcast Episode 83.5 - Tammy Tuckey - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. Main Topic For episode 83.5, we have a special guest joining us and we are so excited. Tammy Tuckey who has joined us in the past for numerous events and happenings is on the show to discuss her new album, Glowing in Timeless Places. If you need a refresher, Tammy joined us during RetroMagic with Ali Olmo back in 2019. They entertained us all with a great duet of Two Brothers, which is from The American Adventure. Be sure to enjoy this amazing performance after the episode ends. Tammy was able to join us once again, but this time at RetroMagic 50. How ran a great panel with George Wilkins and Tammy, which was absolutely perfect. Tammy was able to sing classic Disney World songs while George gave tons of backstories and information. Again, be sure to take this one in after the show. Before we get into Tammy's new album, she released 'You'll Find Me on Main Street' back in 2018. Another amazing album filled with great Disney songs, all sung by our talented guest. Tammy joins us for this episode to do our usual discussions and also catch up with what she's been working on since RetroMagic 50. Her new Album, Glowing in Timeless Places was recently released and features 11 amazing songs from Walt Disney World. What is great about this episode of our Podcast is you get some behind-the-scenes information about the various songs while getting to hear parts of the new album as we go along. We also get into various cover albums Disney has released over the years, which you no doubt have heard before. There were some that were released though that we really had no idea existed. This episode is a ton of fun and a good change of pace from what we normally do. Instead of hearing us go on and on, the songs are intertwined into our discussions with our special guest. Huge thanks goes out to Tammy Tuckey for joining us and for sharing her amazing talents with us and our listeners. Be sure to check out her website for more information: www.tammytuckey.com

For our main topic, we take you back to the late 80s and early 90s and get into the history of the Disney Vacation Club. We all know what the vacation club is nowadays, but how did it start, and why? In this era of Walt Disney World, things were much different, and the concept of a timeshare at Disney World seemed impossible. Disney decided to change this and tackled the concept of taking ownership in their properties. The Disney Vacation Club Resort was the original, changing names to Old Key West as it is called now. To kick this one off, we get into some personal stories about timeshares, how people get picked to purchase, some of the trickery that has occurred over the years, and more. As we move along, the episode discusses what Old Key West was upon opening. How actually spent some time there in the early years, describing how different it was compared to now. Take a look at this video from May of 1992. If you look at Old Key West on an aerial view, you can really take in what they were going for back then. The resort is basically built around the golf course and it sits on the Sassagoula River, which makes the entire feel of the resort unique at the time of the build. We discuss how this one feels when you compare it to the newer properties, where Old Key West is very much more like a community and less of a resort type of thing. Finally, we get into what went wrong for them at the start, running into development problems and where they went from there as a company. DVC is still going strong but it has changed to what it is now. The perks back then were much better and they slowly have chipped away at what made DVC an interesting proposition back in 1992. Either way, this portion of Disney history and how this adds to the WDW property is an interesting one. We all have stayed at DVC properties but none of us are members. What is it like being an official Disney Vacation Club member? Have you found it to be a good value? Do you regret the purchase? We would love to hear from you and what this has done for you and your family. Thanks so much for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this look at the early years of DVC.

In this episode, we go back to the mid-1980s when Michael Eisner decided to bring The Chautauqua Institution's blend of enrichment, entertainment, and fun back to Florida with a “uniquely Disney” touch. Originally conceived to be part of Celebration, The Disney Institute opened in February of 1996, offering “Discovery Vacations” where guests could choose from a variety of classes on the topics of Culinary Arts, Design Arts, Entertainment Arts, Environment, Lifestyles, Story Arts, and Sport and Fitness.

Welcome to another episode of the RetroWDW Podcast. We have quite a few things in the works, but we felt it was best to put those aside and focus on a Disney Legend who recently passed, Rolly Crump. If you remember back to 2019, the crew from The Lake Buena Vista Historical Society made the journey to California to meet with Rolly. What was initially planned as a quick Q&A, turned into a multi-hour interview with a film crew to properly document this influential imagineer. For this episode, we are using the audio from our YouTube Live event where we honored and discussed Rolly. Throughout this episode, you will hear from our usual team but also special guests Ryan Ritchey, Jeff Heimbuch, and Michael Crawford. Each guest on this episode has a unique connection and perspective with Rolly, which leads to an amazing bunch of stories and memories. Rolly was one of a kind and the main idea that came out of this was his amazing personality and warmth toward fans of his work. We will never forget Rolly and we hope with this episode, you will get a taste of just how amazing a person he was.

We are heading back into the golden dome which is known as Wonders of Life. Over the months, we have taken you through many different episodes all about Wonders of Life including: Body Wars/Making of Me, the pavilion and sponsorship, the original concept, and finally the heated debate on the Magic Kingdom toll plaza sign. As we continue into this amazing pavilion, this episode we decided to take a deep dive into the classic show, Cranium Command. We could not have done this episode or concluded with Wonders of Life without involving some guest stars. This is a huge deal and we are super excited to welcome @bunny_wars and @DreamFinderGuy. Brian welcomes our two guests into the episode and we get a brief history of their EPCOT love, Wonders of Life experiences, and also how they are preserving the history of Wonders of Life. As we get started, make sure as you listen you check out the Wonders of Life Archive. Bunny and DFG have an amazing passion for the pavilion and also Cranium Command. They have spent hours upon hours digging up old resources, history, and tons more. You are going to really enjoy everything they have to offer throughout this episode. As a duo, Bunny & DFG get us started by going through the preshow of Cranium Command. We get to hear all about this attraction from their vast archive, which includes cast member interviews and pulling facts from old documents in their archive. The history of Cranium Command is very interesting in how it changed throughout its development. DFG does a great job explaining how the versions changed when exchanging hands between Disney and Colossal Pictures, which is very interesting. We also get into scripts and movie format of the show that was never made. Wonders of Life had many of the attractions tucked away, Cranium Command was no different as the pavilion tried to promote discovery. As you look at the history of this show, the entryway did change over the years to draw people in. We continue on throughout the show, going nearly line by line and scene by scene. The celebrity connection on Cranium Command was one of the most beloved parts and we dig into each of those. Cranium Command is such an amazing show experience, which makes this episode nearly two hours. Bunny & DFG have been amazing throughout all of this, offering us facts and info that none of us have heard before. Make sure you listen to this one twice; the details are immense and you are going to want to take notes for your next viewing of the attraction. We hope you have enjoyed this visit back to Wonders of Life and throughout this journey inside Cranium Command. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year again, and the RetroWDW crew is here with another festive holiday episode. Brian takes up back to the Walt Disney World in the early 1990s when the seasonal festivities shifted their focus from the Magic Kingdom to EPCOT Center. He tells us about Epcot's much beloved “Lights of Winter” musical light show and its European origins, as well as other early holiday offerings at the park. Then we make a stop at each of the monorail resorts and finally the Disney Marketplace and Pleasure Island. From chestnuts roasting on an open fire to electrical boat shows, the 1990s made WDW visitors' seasons bright. 

Welcome to Episode 79: Wonders of Life Part III, which focuses on Body Wars & Making of Me. We continue on this epic journey through the golden dome and we have even more for you throughout this episode. Our entire crew is here to take us through these attractions, but also joining us is Dr. Bill who was one of our top donors to the historical society. He will be sitting in on this episode and also giving us some real-world experience when it comes to the human body and Wonders of Life. We start you off by going through the mailbag, which is filled with tons of good questions and memories. If you would like to join in on that fun, send us a message: podcast@retrowdw.com   For our main topic, we get into Body Wars, which is one of those lost attractions that has a love-it-or-hate-it type of memory for most past guests. The theming is on point we dig into how accurate this really was, thanks to Dr. Bill. Now keep in mind, the questions keep coming as we take full advantage of having a medical professional on the show this month. We discuss the star power throughout this attraction and if you have not seen this firsthand, you really need to do a ride-through on YouTube.   The second half of this episode, How digs into The Making of Me. We learn all about the production, who some of the creative minds behind it were, and so much more. This is a super interesting concept and idea for EPCOT and Walt Disney World that was unique and also informative. The entire thing really fits in well with this pavilion and attraction. Thank you so much for joining us this month and we hope to see you again soon for Episode 80!

This is a great episode How has in store for you all this month, filled with busted myths, detailed descriptions, and so much more. The Wonders of Life Pavilion was originally developed back in the 70s and if you didn't catch the earlier episode, take some time to listen back by clicking here. We are going to step foot into the infamous golden dome, which if you poll people nowadays, odds are most have never seen these attractions or taken a ride on the Wondercycles. This 100,000-square-foot pavilion that is 65 feet tall was set back in a way that almost didn't invite you in like the other EPCOT pavilions. The dome concept though was super clever and useful for what they had in mind, which seems to be low maintenance and not overly expensive to build when compared to something like World of Motion. How gets into the METLife sponsorship and some of the other options that were discussed at WDI for this. One of the major things we have had in the works for quite a long time – the entrance signs over the years. Initially, there was a very slick looking archway that you walked under to enter. After some years, the arch was gone in favor of a more standard sign that was basically on a stick. What happened to the arch though? We dig into this and for your viewing pleasure, we have written up a thesis on the topic. Throughout this episode, How breaks down each little section that you could partake in over the years. This includes everything from Coach's Corner to the Sensory Funhouse and more. The pavilion really had a late 80s/early 90s mall feel with the street lights, natural lighting, and live plants inside. Brian even gives us a very detailed look at the various food options that were in the pavilion over the years, which has a unique history in itself. The entire Wonders of Life complex housed many favorite attractions for EPCOT Center guests over the years, but like many things in this style, the mini attractions did not have the engagement that would get you back into the pavilion again on another visit. For that matter, the pavilion itself was not something that would make you want to revisit EPCOT. These duties were still done by all of the heavy hitters in the park. Either way though, we hope you enjoy this look back inside Wonders of Life and make sure you throw on your teal and pink, in honor of this gone but not forgotten attraction.

Our main topic this month is all about Wonders of Life. With this being Part I, we are just going to scratch the surface about all this pavilion and attraction had to offer. This pavilion is actually still around, the golden dome that is next to Mission: Space, Guardians of the Galaxy, and it also served as a festival center from time to time over the years. How is leading us here in our journey through Wonder of Life, starting us off in 1976. How actually reads to us some of the original sponsorship concepts presented for the EPCOT Project, which are quite fascinating. Rolly Crump was named the show lead on this project and along with Dr. Lewis, following the mindset “If it's a ton of fun, and an ounce of information, we've reached the teachable moment”. The group settled on the eight health habits, which seem to have been lost to history. How gives us his best estimate based on what he found in his research. Using these habits, attractions and shows were developed. As How goes through the early concept pieces for Wonders of Life, we connect the various concepts to the actual attractions that came about. Ideas never really went away and some actually made it to the final show as the years went by. The Tooth Follies is a comical idea that didn't seem to make the final cut, but what a name and also imagine sitting inside the actual mouth. We also discuss the early versions of Body Wars and how they were developed. How gives us so much good info as we can easily compare the development of all these attractions to what really came to be. Part II and probably Part III will be covering all of the attractions you know and love, so please remember to subscribe and get ready for these upcoming episodes.

This month, we take you through the glorious two-hour special that is The Walt Disney World Fourth of July Spectacular from 1988. This is a commentary on the entire special, which is on YouTube currently on many different channels. Here is the link we used: Click Here. As we go through this discussion, we look at each section, analyzing how things have changed and also how the special seems just a bit off. The entire show is filled with celebrity appearances, song and dance numbers, testimonials, and even the Beach Boys. We notice many instances of synergy within the company and even some super early shots of Disney-MGM and the backlot/Streets of America in 1988. Todd leads us on this one as we get into who is who throughout the special. We hope you enjoy this Fourth of July special as we take you back to 1988 and a different era for the Walt Disney Company. Enjoy!

On this episode, we are joined by Disney entertainer Ray DeForest. Ray spent many years in Walt Disney World entertainment and has a large number of stories and tales we are so excited to hear.  Throughout this episode, we discuss how Ray got his start with the Walt Disney Company in Washington, DC, and then how he made his way to central Florida. As you will learn, Ray was a pioneer in WDW entertainment, working in everything from characters, dancing, performing in the two theme parks, and more. We also hear some great side stories about flying in ‘The Mouse', where the entertainment offices are, and also how he was able to beat the heat performing in front of the castle. Ray has two areas of performance that caught our attention though; The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and the opening day celebration at EPCOT Center. Ray talks with JT in detail about these two exciting but different opportunities he was given at Walt Disney World.  If you have ever seen any of the guide books with photos of the opening of EPCOT Center, you have seen Ray on stage ushering in the 21st Century in 1982. The Hoop-Dee-Doo segment of this interview has Ray sharing some fond memories, giving a few secrets, and also paying tribute to some other amazing cast members. Ray shared with us a number of great photos from his time at Walt Disney World. He really was part of something special back then and we are so lucky we were able to discuss all of this with him. To find Ray online, take a look at the following sites: – Doris Dear: YouTube, Instagram, Website – Ray's Instagram

The Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure was one of the early attractions at the Disney-MGM Studios that opened in late 1990, following the success of the film Honey I Shrunk the Kids which opened in 1989. Before we start, let's read a small blurb from a WDW press photo: ‘A Big Ride For Little Tykes: Kids who visit the ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure' can climb on board an extra-large sized ant, just like in the hit movie! The gigantic scaled backyard play area is the newest addition to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park and has made a ‘big' impression on park visitors. With three-story-tall blades of grass, lifeboat-sized cereal bits, and a twenty-foot tall paper clip, the re-creation of the movie set allows guests to experience the special effects of movie-making firsthand (1991)' In this episode we start with the film itself and the success of this movie. Back then, this movie was made way different and it lent perfectly to the Disney-MGM Studios and the reason for the park attractions. We dig into the ride from start to finish, including the location at MGM-Studios and how each little part of this attraction was presented. If you attended this as an adult or a child, you had different experiences. As a kid, it was an amazingly cool playground that made you really feel like you were in the movies. As an adult, it was a chance to take a minute to relax, and most times, the adults participated with their kids, which is awesome. This entire attraction lasted until 2016, which is insane if you think about it. We also get into some rehabs that occurred, which saw some new add-ons put into the play area due to sponsorships and partnerships. Some items were needed while others were very specifically placed for a reason. Overall, this was super close to an opening day attraction for MGM-Studios and everyone treats it as one of the originals from that park, which it felt like. Nowadays, this is currently Galaxy's Edge and there really is nothing left of it. We hope you enjoy this look back on this classic attraction that took the concept of a playground and ramped it up to an eleven. 

After months of planning and organizing, RetroMagic 50 has come and gone. Over the long weekend, all of us had an amazing time putting on this event and we hope everyone that attended enjoyed themselves. When an event like this starts to take shape, we have a rough idea as to how we want the day to go. We also have learned from our past events, trying to include what people like, enjoy, and even request. Throughout all the planning though, we try to create an event that we would want to attend. In this short episode, we recap the entire weekend from start to finish: the behind-the-scenes stories, our reactions to how things went, and so much more. If you were able to attend RetroMagic 50, this episode will be a great follow-up to the whirlwind day we all experienced back in April. If you did not make it to RetroMagic this time around, we will be posting up our event videos on our YouTube channel soon. Please make sure you are subscribed and ready to enjoy these amazingly edited videos. Finally, we want to thank all of our volunteers who made this event possible. The list is massive and without you: hotel bookings, transportation, set-up, cleaning, organizing, folding, building, welcoming, passing out, and more would not have happened. Thank you so much for your help during the event and also leading up to RetroMagic 50. We hope everyone enjoys this mini-episode recap and be sure to check back for normal episodes soon; we have so many great topics coming your way.

In this episode, we are taking you back to EPCOT Center and more specifically, the Norway pavilion and Maelstrom. How has been hard at work researching and also editing this episode together for your listening enjoyment. We hit on the 1988 television special, starring Willard Scott. If you have never seen this, take a minute after you listen to the episode to enjoy this: Grand Opening of Maelstrom The high seas Viking adventure was billed as a stormy boat ride with tons of excitement, danger, and thrills. Many articles were written to describe how amazing this ride was going to be and the hype machine was up and running at full speed. This really was the first thrill ride at EPCOT Center, so they played that angle as much as possible. How guides us through so many neat aspects about how this ride came to be, including the items the sponsors wanted to see on the ride. You have to remember how these early EPCOT Center rides came to be and how they were funded. This was a very different era at Walt Disney World that we all know and love, but things came to be in an entirely different way. Throughout this episode, we hit on everything from the woodwork colors, how the queue changed a bit, which imagineers actually worked on this project, and so much more. One fun fact, this ride was designed entirely on computers through CAD and no hand-drawn items were used to help create the track layout. As we get through this episode, we spend a good amount of time discussing the closure of this ride. This is one of the more recent closures of a classic attraction that can be debated for hours. Were you one of the fans that did not want to see this go? Are you happy with the replacement? We get into all of this at length, as we feel it is an important part of the history of Maelstrom. This ride truly had that 80s EPCOT Center feel that lasted into the 2000s and beyond, until Frozen was a hit. We appreciate you taking the time to listen to the history of Maelstrom and we hope you enjoyed this super detailed look at the classic EPCOT attraction.

As we get started on our main topic, get out your old pamphlets, flyers, books, magazines, and leaflets. This month we are talking all about planning your Walt Disney World Vacation from the early years all the way up to the mid-90s. The ways this has changed over the years is fascinating when you dig into all the details and ways to book. Todd takes the lead for Episode 74, digging into old planning guides and comparing them to some of his own trips, especially his 1980 visit. Throughout this episode, you are going to notice a world of vacation packages that you might have never heard of before. Everything from small trips to massive all-inclusive style trips with camcorders and meals included. The inflation calculator is brought out often so we can get a somewhat accurate comparison to what we have nowadays. We were super curious if one of our listeners would be sitting down with their slide rule and spreadsheets to compare what the best deal was and when it took place back then... Todd also digs into some tickets and options for each package back then, which we discuss how you went about booking in the 70s and 80s. There was no internet and there was no google to check on what was being offered. The options seemed to be always changing and always evolving, which isn't too different when compared to trips of today. As always, we also go off on a bit of a tangent about rental cars, vehicles in the 70s/80s, and of course the Chevrolet Citation. While we were talking, Brian remembered the old Citation commercial and he also reminisces a bit about his mid-80s rental car being an Oldsmobile Calais. This episode led most of us to dig into our ephemera boxes again to compare notes and also look at the various vacation packages that we seem to overlook for more exciting imagery over planning details. Do you have anything unique in your piles at home? Send them in so we can add them to the archive of ephemera on the site. Also, take a look at our gallery of ephemera that is loaded with tons of great stuff.

Let us take you back to the New Years Eve of old as we run through all the events of the past and their included musical numbers! Nearly 50 clips of the hottest-bands at the time, and some wash-ups as well!

Welcome to Episode 71.5 of the RetroWDW Podcast: 50th Anniversary Memories - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. We hope you stick with us through 2021 as we bring you some great content that will take you back to WDW each month. For this episode, we are focusing on you the listener, and all the feedback you sent us from Episode 71. The outpouring of memories was overwhelming and we felt we needed to showcase this on an episode. While we do not have time to get through everyone, this episode features many of you and also what you had to say. If you enjoy memories, you won't want to skip this one. We get into lots of great stories that were shared with us and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Main Topic / Listener Mail For this main topic, the plan is to give you a short synopsis of each letter we discuss. This should help guide you through this episode and also give you a letter or two to look forward to if the topic matches your interest.  Jim: Discusses visiting the parks with his children, which changed his magical experience, including the Crystal Palace character meal. The WDW sign was a huge hit for his children and they even moved to Florida. Jim is also a fan of just sitting on a bench too! John: To start, reminds us that the shells from the Polynesian are Puka Shells. John also brings up 'South of the Border' signs which appear on the highway. He remembers staying at Fort Wilderness, staying on the Jack Rabbit Run Loop, and of course the boat/train whistle. Craig: Gives us some great examples of the legendary WDW customer service, including freebies and meeting Mickey. Craig also praises Lego Land for its customer service. We all get into our stories about freebies and how it's the little things that make a big difference. Claudia: Starts with some phases of the trip/visit. Also, Claudia gets into the past visits with people who have passed on. She also gets into closed-down attractions and also spoilers before visiting an attraction. Finally, she discusses WDW customer service. Matt: Sent us a story about customer service at Fort Wilderness. The bed was too soft and at 8pm, cast members drove over to fix the situation in an unimaginable way. Great story Matt! Ramon: Really enjoyed Episode 71 and he felt it was so nice to be unscripted. He will be traveling to Fort Wilderness soon and puts Episode 71 in his top three. Michael: Felt the last episode was somewhat therapeutic and also made him think a bit at the end. When getting into where things are heading for the parks, maybe we are not the target audience anymore... Michael also gave us a call! Thanks, Michael! Scott: Sent this through Instagram, Scott really enjoyed Episode 71. Thanks for your kind words about our show and past episodes. We discuss our different visits, history, and trip experiences. @JLBNerdy: Episode 71 brought her to tears and she is going in November, taking her niece for the first time. We hope you have a fabulous trip! Josh: Joined the show around the time of our Horizons episodes, playing catchup ever since. Happy 50th to you Josh! Andrew: This is another voicemail and Andrew tells us about ordering a cake on Main Street, taking that cake to the Contemporary, then enjoying the Electrical Water Pageant. This is amazing and we all would love to spend our birthday like this. Bob: Discusses major news events that occur when you are in the parks. Bob also defends Todd and the Gold Key Package, which of course is for high rollers only. Todd vows to cover this on a future episode or movie night. @JustEllenIGuess: Would like to hear more stories and loved the format of our last episode. We work to keep it real, research the memories to verify them and also keep it respectful. Brian still thinks 20k is a boring ride! @ServoIsNaked: Discusses Tiny Mic and plans to sit on the lip-shaped couch interviewing anybody and everybody once we set that up. This refers to Mariah Carey and her couch requests for the castle stay. Scott: We get another voicemail and Scott loved everything WDW. His first visit wasn't until 1994, but it was like a dream come true. 24 trips later and he still loves every aspect of his WDW vacations. Justin: We heard from Justin on the Retro Line, he shares a sad memory. His mom took him to WDW when she was battling cancer and he has many fond memories from his trips to WDW. Special people connect us to the parks. Nathan: Wrote to us about How and his disgust for Champion's Gate Traffic. This is great! We even get Walt talking directly to How, which is hilarious. We also get a live look at the traffic near Champion's Gate. Michele: A WDW College Program student, we hear about a special walkway between Universe of Energy & Mission Space. This was a favorite place for Michele to sit, enjoy a coffee or donut and just relax. We all discuss our favorites around the property. Joe: Another voicemail and this one is about his memory from 1985 at Fort Wilderness. They drove from NJ and went for a walk at night, stumbling upon Chip & Dale roasting marshmallows. Joe also leaves another message, this time all about a celebrity encounter. We would like to wrap up by letting everyone know that our little podcast, run by four random guys that randomly met, has passed one million downloads. This is awesome and we are so thankful that so many of you have decided to download our show and join us as we share memories each month. The news of a million is still tough to comprehend, but we love doing this for our listeners and also sharing memories with you. RetroMagic Fifty Tickets are on sale now! We announced our RetroMagic 50 VIP List and we cannot wait to see you on April 24, 2022. Should you have any questions regarding this upcoming event, please send us a message so we can help you out. Click Here To Purchase Tickets Tickets are going quickly and you will not want to miss out on our next big event. 2021: Year Two of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. Post-Show Fun Join us next time for Episode 72, as we get things back to normal for a full-on attraction-based episode. We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready.  Click Here to donate to the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society Follow along for updates on RetroMagic 50

Listener Mail The mailbag is full and ready to sift through. Be sure to reach out with questions, stories, memories, and more. You never know if your letter will be read on a future episode: podcast@retrowdw.com Brian is up next with a celebrity sighting at WDW. He spotted Mick Foley at Cinderella's Royal Table, tried to snap a photo and made a minor mistake… This is a great story and we would love to see that photo! Katie wrote us about Mariah Carey and what she required to stay in the castle. This leads to a major tangent about couches, which of course is why you tune in to the RetroWDW Podcast. We heard from Michael Landis about the infamous Monorail Pilots License – if you have never seen one of these, check it out. Obviously, these aren't around anymore, but this was a neat perk of riding upfront in the monorail. Miranda has a question – When did the Plaza Restaurant inside the Magic Kingdom open up at the current location? Joe, among many others, reached out about our challenge in regards to celebrities appearing in more than one attraction. We discuss a few of these that were emailed to us, along with some other ideas listeners had. Main Topic As we get started, this episode will be a little different than what you are used to. For the 50th Anniversary, how do we celebrate that at RetroWDW? We bounced many ideas around, including lists, top 50, sharing memories, and even going back to cover the various anniversary specials. Brian gets us started discussing the way things used to be, which all of us can do for hours on end, you the listener included. Each of us has stories and special things that we remember from the past fifty years. Experiences, memories, family trips, events; we all have so many things to share and reminisce about. This episode is all about that. Throughout Episode 71, we don't sit on just one topic or park. Many of the stories are personal and lead to more tangents, but we think you're really going to connect and relate to many of these observations from the past fifty years. As we worked our way through this recording, it's tough to bring together fifty years of vacationing. The kingdom has so many things for so many people, including us. We are always looking for what's next, our future trips, and making memories. This podcast is all about memories at Walt Disney World, even if they are super detailed and take us all down a rabbit hole. From Episode 71 all the way back to Episode 1, this show, website, videos, and our events have added another layer of WDW to all of our lives. As we continue to add to our individual and group stories about trips to WDW, we hope you continue to join us each month. RetroMagic Fifty We have set our date for the next big Lake Buena Vista Historical Society event: RetroMagic 50. We will all be back at Walt Disney World in 2022 for this weekend-long event which takes place April 23-24. Please click the following link to sign up for ticket sale information and notifications. We hope to see you all real soon!

Corrections & Comments We start off this episode with some corrections and comments from the last couple of months. Jim is our first correction, which was very similar to some others we received. We were all corrected on our Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman relationship history, which we wrongly stated they met during Far and Away filming. It was actually on the set of Days of Thunder - thanks for helping us out with that one. How gives us some insight into the 2003 Adventurer's Club from an anonymous source. This person saw the backside of the genie head bureau, cast wardrobe, and offers up some backstage secrets regarding The Adventurer's Club. If you didn't catch last month, be sure to listen to our podcast focusing mostly on this club. Listener Mail The mailbag is full and ready to sift through. Be sure to reach out with questions, stories, memories, and more. You never know if your letter will be read on a future episode: podcast@retrowdw.com Jeremy scanned some photos from 1986 and shared them with us. He has tons of good stuff you have to check out. CLICK HERE to see his photo collection - Thanks Jeremy! Andy is up next with a small Disney connection story. Douglas Cuddle Toys made the small plus toys we spoke about during our Crescent Lake Episode. Andy happened to be in the neighborhood and stopped by. He shared a photo with us and we really appreciate that. Thanks Andy, great find! Tom from Detroit wrote us about the Adventurer's Club, discussing the falling bar stool gag. He experienced this joke at The Safe House bar, which sounds like a blast. Check it out Next up, we heard from Mitch. He discusses the Jekyll & Hyde Bar in NYC. We discussed this in the episode and How gives some more comparisons. John Kuzner wrote us about Antique's Roadshow and how they had a display with 'dolphins'. These are super similar to the Dolphin Resort dolphins we have all seen, so take a look and see what you think. Photo1  Photo2 Darryl wrote in regarding some great footage from 1974. We would LOVE to restore this footage, so fingers crossed you still have the film... Let us know! podcast@retrowdw.com Finally, Robert C wrote in about actually roller skating at XZFR. We want to hear more Robert, so let us know of any stories, memories, or things that happened at XZFR. Robert also hit on the much-loved opinion about the Adventurer's Club we discussed last episode. Giveaway - 'Decade' Todd picked our random winner of 'The Disney Decade' - Jennifer is our winner! Congratulations and we hope you enjoy the book. Main Topic This month, we take you back to the early days of the Disney-MGM Studios. When the park first opened, it was mostly show and attraction-based with less emphasis on rides. You may have noticed before we got to the main topic here, but this episode sounds a little bit different. We are recording in and this adds an amazingly fun layer to this episode, which is all about sound. Todd starts us off with our old friends at Birnbaum, most importantly 1989. This attraction was not very well known at the start as most people really didn't know what was going on in this show building. How as at Disney-MGM Studios on opening day, which we discussed in Episode 10. In the early days of the Disney MGM-Studios, movies and technology were used in much different ways compared to how they are now. Even our podcast process is so much more advanced than most everything at the studios back in the day. Sound design, engineering, and effects all had their own 'movie magic' way about them. Even to this day, the sound design makes or breaks a movie. If done properly, it makes for an outstanding movie experience and also have created some timeless sound effects over the years. The Monster Sound Show was an attraction that allowed park guests to experience this process in a fun way that put them right in the action of movie-making. Such a perfect attraction for those early days at the studios. As a group, we discuss the involvement of David Letterman, which was somewhat an odd fit for the time period. At the same time though, we go over all the aspects he was used for in this attraction, including a Top Ten List. Todd leads us through this attraction which includes many sound gags for you, the listener. If you have never experienced this attraction in person, this episode will help you paint a great picture in your mind. What is amazing about the Monster Sound Show is that it starts Chevy Chase and Martin Short. Two SNL alums and also two actors who are in so many classic comedy films of the 80s and 90s. The timing of them being in this attraction is perfect. As we get through this attraction, don't forget to visit Soundworks post-show. The documentation of this area is very limited, so if you have any photos of video of this post-show area, let us know. This area is also where we learn about the styrofoam head that How brought into the parks in an attempt to capture the audio of some of these small post-show audio gags. Overall though, if sound and movies are your thing, you would have really enjoyed this attraction and area overall. The movie-making business back in the 80s was featured in so many unique ways throughout this theme park. We hope you got a sense of this attraction through clever audio and everything in stereo.

Welcome to Episode 69 of the RetroWDW Podcast: Pleasure Island Part II – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. We hope you stick with us through 2021 as we bring you some great content that will take you back to WDW each month.  Enjoy! Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top-tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Joie is up first this month – sharing a photo collection of every page from ‘The Magic of Disneyland & Walt Disney World' from 1979. Click Here to see all this hard work – thank you!! Joie also shared packaging from Todd's infamous “Squeaky Mickey”. This is HUGE! From 1978, this mickey toots his own horn, blows bubbles, and party favors. Take a look at this! Big thanks to Joie for the fun mail items this month. We spoke about Squeaky Mickey on Episode 7 and Episode 8. Our next message is from Michael Landis. He decided to reach out and ask about SMTV: Space Mountain TV. Here is a video for reference. We get into what the point of this was, including Crazy Larry! This is a great flashback to the 90s and New Tomorrowland. One item from that refurb that is possibly lost in your memories. Michael notes that it was very similar to a cross between MTV and Nickelodeon of the time.  The preshow videos were tied to the Fedex Sponsorship with took effect in 1993, more research on who created the video loop is needed. The video loop continued to run, minus the Fedex ads after 2003 when the Fedex sponsorship ended, until around 2009 when the queue was remodeled. Lindsay writes in to share about another Tom Cruise experience. She was working in the College Program in 2012 and was assigned to Cinderella's Royal Table, on the date she was supposed to be taking a cast tour of the Dream Suite, Tom Cruise and his daughter ended up booking the room and her tour was canceled.  She goes on to say that Tom ordered some food from the kitchen and other staff members from the restaurant took it up to the suite. People magazine covered the stay Cody then asks about the Epcot confusion of the East/West sections of Future World. Since Epcot was built on a north/south orientation with the entrance at the northern end of the park, it was decided to use the compass points for east and west for the two sides of CommuniCore and the Pavilions. Cody then asked about expansion of the monorail system asking if it was mostly the cost, the cost of creating new monorail lines was the main issue along with the flexibility of busses being another important factor. Cody's last question was about when the ability to ride in the front of the monorails went away, which was stopped after the fatal monorail crash the evening of July 5th 2009 near the Magic Kingdom. Our last letter comes from Tobias a new listener to the podcast who might have had another celebrity encounter. He tells the story of a park closing in 1983 being brought into the Magic Shop at the Magic Kingdom where he was asked to see and assist several magic tricks being presented by someone who was dressed like Michael Jackson but called himself Michael Jason.  If anyone knows of any of the magicians who might match this memory please let us know. Main Topic Welcome back to Pleasure Island! This is part three of our trilogy, which could possibly have a part four in the near future. We have been all over for our first two episodes, Part I & Part II. For this episode though, we are going to dig into two of the more famous Pleasure Island venues, The Comedy Warehouse & The Adventurer's Club. The Comedy Warehouse We begin with The Comedy Warehouse, which is actually the current location of STK. How leads us once again, starting off with typefaces, logos, and Brian also gets things going with a short history of comedy in the 70s & 80s. This is a super interesting look at the warehouse which discusses the concept art and also the club atmosphere, which is pretty much lost to history. One super interesting part of How's take on this club is the use of props and Disney items. I absolutely love how they tied all of this into the Comedy Warehouse. Finally, How drops the bomb on us that the show was totally scripted and wasn't standard, open mic comedy. The show actually made fun of Walt Disney World. We have a video on our YouTube Channel, and you can check that out right here. The outside of the building was themed to a warehouse with corrugated metal siding and sporting various editions of the signage until one with chattering teeth and mixed letting on the Warehouse section were used from that point on. Brian leads a brief discussion of the expansion of comedy clubs in the late 70's into the 80's.  Before this period comedians were relegated to opening acts, but suddenly various clubs were being opened in major cities nationwide. The expansion of cable channels started to push major comedy specials which lead to more comedy clubs opening. The entrance to the club was near the West End Stage with the queue running outside the club.  A temporary popup bar originally served those waiting, later a bar named Laughers was built to handle drinks for people waiting in the queue outside which was outside. Inside the theater there were three sections, floor, mid and balcony areas which could hold up to 290 guests, each seating row had stools to sit on and a pathway behind where the waiters could come and provide food and drinks. The concept art showed a couple of different possible stage setups, the warehouse ended up having a large number of rare and unique Disney props all over the walls.  Although most comedy clubs of the time would just have several stand-up comedians perform each night with a couple of clubs devoted to Improv, the Comedy Warehouse opened with a stage show called Forbidden Disney which was set up to make fun of all aspects of a Disney Vacation.   The show was written and directed by Tom Sherohman who also worked on some of the Adventures Club and Wonders of Life skits. The show was over 60 minutes in length and presented as a show inside a show, the performers were stuck in line elsewhere, but the staff needed to start the show.  The show featured three main vacationers, a Father who wanted to do everything, a Mother who wanted to take it easier and a Daughter who didn't want to be there at all. The first version of the show lasted about a year, between management's hesitation at running the show and the lack of interest from repeat Pleasure Island visitors.   Various segments of the show were still included after the change to an improv show. Chris Oyen, who moved to the Orlando area in 1990, was responsible for the direction for the new Improv style shows The Improv format continued to draw crowds until the closing of the Pleasure Island clubs in 2008.  In later years the warehouse would just sometimes have show normal stand up shows instead of improv.  One of the regular most memorable improv show techniques was to use a phone that would ring one of the phones at the end of the rows of the audience and build a song based on the feedback from the call.  Most of the other skits would take the random suggestions from the audience to build their comedy routines The comedy warehouse cast has reunited a number of times since the club closed, including some holiday shows at the Hollywood studios.  After a brief discussion of which hosts had visited the club during it's years of operation before we head across the west end to the Adventures Club. The Adventurers Club An all-time fan favorite that led to Mr. Toad level protest and outrage when it closed. It was patterned off the NYC Explorer's Club from the early 1900s. This dinner theater/dinner show/theme bar/everything else you want to refer it to was something different when compared to all the other clubs. Improvised characters, animatronics, multiple rooms, and multiple floors all went together to make this a super fun experience. As a group, we all get into our own personal experiences with The Adventurer's Club. Each of us went in different eras and also have different opinions on the club. Todd has an especially fun story that connected his family to the club and it sounds like it was a great time. We have a few different videos on our YouTube channel, which you can check out here and here. While the Adventurer's Club has left us, the memories are everlasting for many, many fans. As stated earlier in the Podcast, there seems to be the need for a fourth part of the Pleasure Island saga. This could very well end up as a box set on your bookshelf in the future! As always, when How gets into things the details are immense and the stories are plentiful. Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoyed this almost finished journey through Pleasure Island. The entrance to the Adventures Club started as a very plain building before remodeling in the early 90s.  The club was modeled after New York's Explorers Club which was founded in the early 1900's as well as other adventure style clubs of that era. The backstory for the club was that it was New Years Eve 1937 and the club was holding an Open House for all of those interested. Guests would enter on the second floor and pick up a schedule for the events of the evening.  The events would be split between the mask room, treasure room, the salon and the Library which was the largest room in the club. The Mezzanine level had numerous artifacts and black and white photos as well as some seating areas, there was a small bar on this level with an elevator and staircase that lead down to the main floor. The Main Salon was the central area of the club with the primary bar located here.  The bar had a number of themed alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as some special bar stools that could be slowly lowered by the bartenders.  On one of the walls of the Main Salon was the Yakoose an animatronic mounted head that would come to life during the night and talk with the guests or Babylonia who was a large stone face puppet on the opposite wall.  The final character in the main salon was Colonel Critchlow Sunchbench who would interact with the other Adventure's Club cast as well as lead the new inductees in the club song. There were two small rooms off of the Main Salon, the Mask Room and the Treasure Room.  Inside the Mask Room, two large masks at the front of the room, Arnie and Claude talked, while other masks in the room moved their eyes, moved and laughed.  In the Treasure Room who would find the genie Beezle who's head would appear and float around in one of the cabinets. The largest room on the first floor was the Library a two-level space where the grand piano has crashed down from the second floor killing the pianist who haunts the piano as Fingers Zambezi.  The shows in the Library were usually held around every 40 minutes or so and included shows such as: Welcome Party Radio Broadcast The Balderdash Cup Competition The RadioThon The Hoopla – which was the final show of the evening There was a regular cast of characters at the Club, the actors could and would change characters throughout the night, the usual characters included:             Pamelia Perkins – Club President.             Otis T. Wren – Club Treasurer and ichthyologist             Hathaway Browne – Aviator, and the club's resident innuendo-making ladies' man.             Fletcher Hodges – Absent-minded Club Curator, he is said to have “mounted every object in the club.”             Graves – Club Butler.             The Maid             Marcel – A man in an ape suit   The Adventures Club offered Club Memberships for a reasonable fee per year bringing in more and more locals who would return weekly or more often to partake in the club's activities. One of the downsides of the Club was some of the confusion, which may have been planned, that new people would feel walking into the Club, seeing the schedule and having no idea what any of it meant.  When the main show was going on in the Library the club was rather dead, a explanation video or something else to help first-timers might have been helpful. A discussion was held about the locals who held a great fandom of the adventures club in comparison to other group event fandoms such as the Rocky Horror Picture show. The Jekyll And Hyde Club in New York City has a similar intent to the concept of the Adventures Club with different rooms and different events happening during the dining experience.  The closest experience still left at Walt Disney World would be the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen which has different themed rooms with various artifacts and jokes found throughout the building. The Adventures Club, along with the rest of Pleasure Island, closed on Sept 27th 2008,  the cast reunited for one last performance and “membership renewal” during the 2014 D23 Destination D event at the Contemporary Resort

Join Todd and Brian for a special announcement from the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society!

Welcome to Episode 68 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Magic Journeys - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. We hope you stick with us through 2021 as we bring you some great content that will take you back to WDW each month.  Enjoy! Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top-tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Our first letter is from Andy all about the Mannequins - he goes through this photo, explaining what each piece of hardware does. This is super helpful and also neat to look back; the system also included the classic 3.5" Floppy Disk! Going back to September, Jason sent us a tweet about his trip to WDW. So many good shots of the topics we have discussed over the years. Thanks, Jason! John touched base with us about the Mardi Gras parade items and props sitting in Port Orleans: French Quarter. Brian gives us the full story on this one and the connection is amazing. We also heard from Jacques, giving even more insight into this whole thing. Mr. Mardi Gras comes up and we love this back story. Thanks, everyone! We heard from Colleen on Instagram and she shared with us a super neat cup from Pleasure Island. These aren't very common to see anymore but we absolutely loved that you shared this with us! Dane wrote us about 'The Guide to Tomorrowland' - This was from way back in Episode 26: Tiny Bubbles. We included this item in our giveaway for the year - click here to read it! We got a letter from Carla regarding the Retro Food episode we recently did. She had quite a few corrections and insight into some restaurants in WDW. Phil wrote in about a friend who does high-profile celebrity security. Apparently, Tom Cruise used the services during a visit to WDW. This trip had many great stories and experiences, which Phil shared with us. Thank you so much Phil; this was great! Giveaway We have a copy of 'Walt Disney World: The First Decade' to send to one lucky winner. Send us an email with the subject line Decade to contest@retrowdw.com - we will pick a random winner from the entries to get this hardcover book from the 80s. Good Luck! Main Topic This month, we take you back to EPCOT Center and as far back as opening day. Magic Journeys: This is one of those short-lived attractions that most have not seen, but if you did, you get it. This was extremely high tech, advanced and the effort level that went into this is absolutely insane. Todd takes the lead, giving us a bit of history and why this whole thing came about. We hear from Murray Lerner, including original audio and interviews looking back at the creation of this film. Overall though, this film was intended to see the world through the eyes of a child. Of course, we get the technical reasons as to why 3D works and what is actually happening with your eyes. The 'how' of this film is something you really won't believe. Two whole years in the making with computer graphics, 75mm film, multiple frames on top of one another - the making of this film is a treasure trove of facts and figures. We also include clips from our interview with Mark Eades. He played a major role in creating this film, helping with the setup, and also was integral in making sure it worked. We also discuss the film made with the Dreamfinder, Ron Schneider. He goes into how they had to create a preview film all about Magic Journeys, just to have something in the theater for opening day. RetroMagic Fifty We have set our date for the next big Lake Buena Vista Historical Society event: RetroMagic 50. We will all be back at Walt Disney World in 2022 for this weekend-long event which takes place April 23-24. Please click the following link to sign up for ticket sale information and notifications. We hope to see you all real soon! 2021: Year Two of The Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.

Join us for a continuation of Episode 33 where we dive deeper into the Retro Food and Restaurants of WDW! You're not going to want to miss our meandering tour of Lake Buena Vista and our deep dive into the WDW restaurant book from 1981! Grab a snack, we know you'll be hungry for more!

Welcome to Episode 65 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Pleasure Island - Part 1" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. We hope you stick with us through 2021 as we bring you some great content that will bring you back to WDW each month.  Enjoy! Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top-tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Dan, The Person of the Century, wrote in about the Swan & Dolphin. He shared an amazing photo with us that you have to see! Jennifer is up next. She picked our collective brains all about the 'walkways around the world'. This has been newly updated, but we get into the history of this whole thing.  Jake wrote us with a random family picture, trying to locate where they were standing at WDW. We love doing this and seeing if we can figure out where you are. Send them our way! Our friend Randy wrote in about being a performer at WDW. He actually worked the old breakfast show at Fort Wilderness. Randy informs us all about Melvin The Moose. Check out Episode 3 from way back in the archives. The next email on the list is from Ed who informed us about a Christmas present he received from the Swan/Dolphin group. Take a look! Erik wrote us regarding the specific scent of the Yacht Club. Like most WDW Resorts, there is a unique smell. Erik says he pinpointed this to Axe Body Spray! Judge for yourself. Angela wrote us on Instagram about a Figment inflatable. This opened a huge can of worms which we discuss. Here is a link we found related to the discussion. Todd wants to share a bit from Kevin regarding the FAA, the Dolphin/Swan and some info regarding the height of these buildings. Finally, Brian wants to bring up our friend BJ Major and all of the recent notes sent our way. Thank you for bringing us back and keeping our back catalog running! Giveaway Results Foxx Nolte sent us a copy of her book, Boundless Realm: Deep Exploration Inside Disney's Haunted Mansion Our contest winner Isabelle Carlton! How will be sending this your way - congratulations! Main Topic This month, we are taking you back to the mid-late 80s. Pleasure Island has quite the history and How will get us started in 1967... Surprised? Then you must be new here. How is planning to take his time and get you into the why of how this all came to be. We have to add, that this episode took an extra week of planning, so apologies for the delay. Throughout this episode, we dive into the early years of Pleasure Island. If you have ever gone, even towards the end, this episode will really give you a good picture as to how this place looked when first opened. The differences, hours, pricing, and so much more will probably surprise you. Some of the offerings that were there opening day very quickly changed, while others ended up sticking around for the duration. The aspect of theme restaurants is discussed, as are the different clubs and how they changed. We even get into a bit of a discussion trying to place ourselves at the various buildings that exist currently, relating to what was once there on the island in 1989. This was a unique time for Walt Disney World as many new offerings were coming online, Pleasure Island being one of them. So stick with us on this one as we take you back to the early years. Don't forget to read all the plaques too....

Welcome to Episode 64 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Crescent Lake" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. We hope you stick with us through 2021 as we bring you some great content that will bring you back to WDW each month.  Enjoy! Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Dane wrote in about a 1976-1977 channel guide at the Contemporary, which we discussed during our Project 90 episode. Kevin is next up and he found an amazing brochure from the 15 Years of Magic promotion! Kurt sent us a great little piece from the Polynesian that has all of the character autographs.  Thanks for sharing this Kurt, amazing piece of history from 1985! Our next letter is from Nate and he discusses the Houston airport Wedway Peoplemover. Such a fun take on this historical piece that is connected to Disney. Huge thanks to everybody that called in during our New Year's Eve call-in event. That was so much fun to hear from you all! Finally - Jared.  This is an amazingly detailed and long cast member take from working at Alien Encounter. This is amazing and you have to take in all of the unique details Jared sent our way. Giveaway Time Foxx Nolte sent us a copy of her book, Boundless Realm: Deep Exploration Inside Disney's Haunted MansionIf you would like to win a copy of this book, send us your name - contest@retrowdw.com - use the subject line "Spooky"....Best of luck and thanks for the amazing book Foxx! All entries due 2/8/2021. Main Topic We take you to Crescent Lake this month and we couldn't be more excited. This area is an entire vacation in itself, housing multiple resorts, restaurants, boating and so much more. If you are a regular to this area or your home resort is over here, this episode will be right up your alley. Most of us have stayed in at least one of these resorts with varying opinions. Throughout this episode, we will get into the history, mindset and much more throughout the era these places were constructed.  Everybody has a part in this episode with Brian starting us off regarding hotel occupancy and why this area was even needed. Throughout the episode, we touch on design and architecture. This was key in the development of the Swan & Dolphin, which created many urban legends, myths and pre-internet 'fan chatter'. We have searched all over for a variety of sources to debunk or prove these rumors, so you won't want to skip these parts as we discuss. Yesterland provided us with some of these details this month, along with lots of digging into newspaper articles from back in this era. The Dolphin has a super unique design, with an almost unusable peak. Learn the secrets of this area and at the same time, take a look at the presidential suite up top!In the past, we have touched on Yacht & Beach Club through various letters and discussions. Going to the Wayback Machine, we found this great site that isn't too vintage, but the pictures scream 1991 by their coloring and also just the old decor of the Yacht/Beach. This site is definitely worth a look, as it is the original from the architect, Robert A.M. Stern. We also discuss how Michael Eisner and how he had his hand in much of this, mostly the Yacht & Beach. Almost two years ago, David Carver reached out to confirm the freshwater fish in Stormalong Bay - he happened to be staying there when they were having issues.  Read the full text right here - thank you David! Any trip to Crescent Lake isn't complete without a visit to the Boardwalk Inn. Our original Boardwalk vacationers give us their take on this resort and we all had one gripe regarding the layout. During this time, we talk about some of the various venues at the Boardwalk, like The Attic and what that is all about. We also get into an amazing discussion with a former tram driver who made his rounds before the Boardwalk arrived. One fun fact of these trams: they used to be the ones that drove guests around Fort Wilderness, which is super cool to hear!  Take a look at this video, which shows the route around the area. This episode is full - covering about five resorts, transportation, attractions and so much more. We hope you enjoy and let us know if you have any fun stories from Crescent Lake. 2021: Year Two of The Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. Next Month Join us next time for Episode 65, where we take you back on another fun episode about WDW history! We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

Welcome to Episode 63 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Project 90" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. This month, Ted Linhart joins us as one of our top tier donors - this episode is guided by Ted and his amazing set of documents. Last month we hit Thunder in Paradise pretty hard with multiple episodes. Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Scott Jensen is first with some great pics of Hogan's Beach Shop, which is actually in Clearwater and the Orlando area. Thanks Scott! Stephen Myers also wrote in about Thunder in Paradise, saying him and Terry have discussed his time at WDW often. Thanks Stephen! Norris is up next - he wrote in about a vehicle on WDW property that has a mickey head tread pattern. JT is digging into this a bit and found they are made by Trelleborg. We are hoping for more info soon... Tracy wanted to know if we had any Space Mountain under construction photos, as her father worked on the ride.  We found a few, so just do a quick search on our site for "Space Mountain Construction" - this should be a fun rabbit hole to go down. Mark wrote in complimenting the big three-part Horizons Podcast series. He has a great story about Walt Disney Elementary School, which is near him. Dane wrote us about a vintage map from the late 70s and it is so cool! Thank you so much Dane! Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is called Beautiful Beulah, it is from Summer Magic starring Hayley Mills & Burl Ives - Thank you for all the guesses and emails! We have a winner! Congratulations Carolina Nedal - you will get some RetroWDW & LBVHS Pins! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - All entries are due 1/11/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic This month we get into Project 90. Ted Linhart is with us and ready to go with this amazingly important and topical document put together by RCA. We start you off with the history of RCA, how they connected with Disney and what the point of this document is. You have to imagine that back in the late 60s & early 70s, Disney was embarking on an entirely new concept of vacationing with Walt Disney World. Now before you get to into this, you might want to look at the document, and we will make it very easy for you to look at on Ted's site.Click Here For The Project 90 DocThe plan, as you can see above, is incredibly in-depth and really is taking the hospitality industry to another level. Nearly every aspect of the RCA corporation is put into use with WDW, and it is all fully outlined in this doc and this episode. The communication systems, security, charging and so much - all linked up and it sounds so seriously 2013 with the invention of the Magic Band. We go through most of this and discuss, so you might want to have the doc pulled up to flip through the pages as we talk.  If you imagine the era, what vacationing was like in the 60s/70s, and then also picture the commitment this would require by Disney, it is all super ambitious and neat for the era.We would like to thank Ted for joining us once again - he always brings something unique and fun to the show and what is great about his mission, you can all join him. Take a look at his site, Disney Docs, where everything is organized and cataloged for your enjoyment.  We hope you enjoyed this month's episode and also wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Main Topic In the last episode, we took you back to the early 1990s and discussed the filming and history of Thunder in Paradise! Now we've got an exclusive interview with Parker Rabe who's father was the brains behind the custom modified Wellcraft Scarab boat was the pilot for the series as well!. Parker recalls filming locations, boat details, and even his interaction with the cast on set! Don't mess with Thunder! 2020: The Year of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. Next Month Join us next time for Episode 63, where we take you back on another fun episode about WDW history! We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

Welcome to Episode 62 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Thunder in Paradise" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between. Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Shane is first with a comment about Alien Encounter. He was curious if Tyra Banks was the only host for the pre-show at Alien Encounter. Miranda sent us some new ephemera which is a 'Vacation Kingdom' brochure from 1984. Take a look at these! Our next write-in was Daniel, who discusses the talking elevator at The Contemporary Resort. He sent us a photo of the elevator and Daniel also has one at his office building. Jared wrote us a touching story about his father and attending RetroMagic. We love hearing those stories and Jared has some great memories to remember. We heard from Gary regarding Tomorrowland and an area just past DreamFlight. We have the picture here and think you should take a look. Joe Barlow, our turnstile inspector, wrote in about the radio loops asking where they transmitted from. The group explains all of this and how everything worked years ago. BONUS: We had a tweet about the AAA Comfort Lounge! Interesting area we don't know much about.. Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is from Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Hollywood Studios - Thank you for all the guesses and emails! We have a winner! Congratulations Jason! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting an LBVHS & RetroWDW Pin, including bonus swag. All entries are due 11/17/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic This month...what can we say. Hulk Hogan is in the building. Well not yet, but hopefully soon. Instead, we are taking you to Paradise - Thunder in Paradise! Our crew takes a deep dive into this show that was almost entirely filmed on the property at Walt Disney World. The idea behind this show was a takeoff on Baywatch and various other 90s action stylized tv shows. We love watching these episodes though and trying to analyze where they filmed the show. We get into the reason behind the show, production, storylines and so much more. Each member of the group has seen this show at various stages and years, so we all have a little bit to add. As we progress into this main topic, we get into the various episodes and discuss locations.  Some are absurd and others are cleverly done. The production team really had free rein to go wherever they needed including the Magic Kingdom, all over the Seven Seas Lagoon, The Grand Floridian and so much more. The one thing we are all curious about though, who was vacationing at WDW during the filming? We would love to see some behind the scenes footage of Thunder driving around the Rivers of America... Enjoy this super random but super topical episode all about one of the more major film/tv productions that occurred at Walt Disney World. 2020: The Year of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. Next Month Join us next time for Episode 63, where we take you back on another fun episode about WDW history

Main Topic Welcome back to another mini-episode, filled with Radio Loops. We had a number of these sent in from fans, listeners and others who were thinking there might be a podcast someday that wants to share these. To start, we go way back to 1995 and this loop has an amazingly catchy theme song at the beginning of the broadcast. Quality is AM and if you are playing this in your car, this will give you all the feels of a car from the past. This loop includes ticket tips, cleaning up with Jiminy Cricket, AAA tips, and even current room rates. With this being a mini-episode, we run about 25 minutes and wrap up with the 'exit loop', which gives directions, thanks you for coming and so much more. The range seems to be an issue, as this one is not super clear and seems to almost cut out - but it's super cool to hear this once again.  We hope you enjoy this mini-episode of radio loops and can't wait for you to listen to our next full episode that will be coming soon.  2020: The Year of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.   Next Month Join us next time for Episode 62 where we take you back on another fun episode about WDW history! We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

Comments & Corrections We start this month with some sports, weather and candy updates. The Disney World stuff will come eventually, we promise. Big update on the old school turnstiles around the parks. Carla Carle gave us the full report with pictures – thank you!! The Kugel Ball is huge – literally! We’ve been getting updates on local Kugel Balls, pictures are being sent and we love seeing this. How gives us some more information on the Tomorrowland palm trees. We discuss some of the manufacturing, history, and theories on these things. The story goes on…. Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode. Downey wrote in asking about the talking elevator at The Contemporary Resort. We discuss this being a real thing and also the 80s/90s talking craze. Keith touched base this month regarding Birnbaum’s, which we cite often. Keith actually worked on the books – thanks so much for writing Keith. We heard from Andie regarding injuries on Alien Encounter. Her mother had some issues on this ‘ride’ and we’re curious who else has been injured on Alien Encounter? Bill wrote in about being in the College Program and how he collected Alien Encounter flyers, which helped promote the ride. These are so amazing and we’re so glad you saved these and scanned them for us. Our final note is from Neuro, he gives us some fun acronyms for EPCOT. Good stuff Neuro! Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is from the Space Mountain exit queue – Thank you for all the guesses and emails! We have a winner! Congratulations Chuck Jordan! If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting a 2016 WDW Poster Art Calendar. All entries are due 10/12/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic We are staying in Tomorrowland this month, but zeroing in on a specific attraction that is no longer with us: Alien Encounter, or the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter if you are using its full legal name. This one came online back when Tomorrowland had the major overhaul in 1995 and is a fan favorite. X-S Tech is hosting a demonstration at the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center and everyone is invited, including you! How leads us this month with lots of history, first-hand experiences, and also the two versions. With this being Part 1, we focus on the versions and what everything looked and felt like. One of the first things everybody notices are those porthole type windows; they had a tint to them that really didn’t allow you to see in, which created some questions right from the get-go outside. We learn about why there is a manhole cover lifted and also why the massive yellow tower is on top of the building. The story elements were plentiful and most of them went unnoticed. This attraction was designed to draw in those teenagers and pull them back from Universal. It was high energy and extreme – which is what the Magic Kingdom needed for that particular crowd. Now this attraction had two versions – we include them both in this episode comparing the similarities and differences. The first show is missing a bit to connect some dots and the second gets darker and creepier. How explains how the pre-show undergoes a major change across the versions as well. If you never had the chance to go on Alien Encounter, this episode will paint a pretty good picture with lots of audio clips and on-ride sounds. We also get into answering lots of why questions as a group, as we all took a spin on this one over the years with varied success and enjoyment. We hope you have a good time with us back in Tomorrowland of the 90s!

Welcome to Episode 60 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Tomorrowland '94" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!  While you are listening, please browse through our entire album of ephemera. We have tons in there and if you click this link, be ready for an adventure that could take up an entire evening. Also, let us know if you have any images you would like to add to this collection, as we are working to make it very comprehensive.  Comments & Corrections Last month we had the great food and menu episode and the response was great. Thanks for all the feedback and items shared relating to food stories, menus, and anything else. It sure was fun to sift through and see how much everybody enjoyed it! Huge thank you for all the ephemera that was sent in. We got tons of great items and this will all be added to the site soon. Your time and effort is appreciated! Our good friend @bioreconstruct let us know about an add-on for a 43" monitor he found on Amazon that has the old school infrared beams. He also found it being used in Imageworks inside Epcot. A friend of the show, Joe called in to discuss Disney Dollars - this is a great story! Thanks Joe! Turnstiles came up during the last episode and where they are still located. Joe Barlow wrote in with instructions on how to lock them and he also issues an apology.  Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Carla wrote in regarding the turnstiles and where they are still located - thanks Carla! Miranda, AJ, and Joe - You three are featured in the listener mail section with some solid ephemera. We discuss this during the show and they are super cool so I had to put them up high for everybody to see. Thank you and enjoy! Eric wrote in the same day as the show and his librarian and archival skills are insane! We are all super jealous and need you to come to organize ours! Take a look.. We had a favor to ask for this episode regarding Birnbaum's - Joe Siler was among many others that reached out to us with some solid scans.  Thanks Joe, we appreciate your help!   Listener Ephemera Gallery [ngg src="tags" ids="ep60ephemera" display="pro_sidescroll"]   [listenerfeedback] Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is from Muppet Vision 3D - Thank you for all the guesses and emails! How gives us a little bonus, telling you all about the extended queue at muppet Vision. We have a winner! Congratulations Natalie B!  - you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera! - hope you enjoy! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 9/7/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic For this month, we are discussing a major overhaul of a land at the Magic Kingdom. Many of the lands have slowly evolved and changed, but Tomorrowland had a major change with nearly everything being touched in 1994. Brian & How start us off at Disneyland in 1983 with the expansion of Fantasyland - bringing comparisons to our main topic. All of these major refurbs work towards making the park appealing to a new audience - which is why the funds were sent to the Magic Kingdom and Tomorrowland. We are basing this episode off a major press release which we just acquired.  As we work through our initial discussions about Tomorrowland, our FIRST podcast episode is brought up, and I guess way back when we discuss early Tomorrowland - if you are brave and want to hear our early stuff, here you go: Episode One-Planning for Tomorrow. 1994-95 Disney Press Release - New Tomorrowland Featuring... Alien Encounter So we basically learn that in the late 80s and early 90s, Disney learns that you can't build a land that needs to be updated every other year, especially when you call it Tomorrowland. EPCOT ran into this problem a bit and the original Tomorrowland just had so much trouble keeping up with technology. This overview episode of the entire land covers nearly everything from design and lighting to ride updates and add-ons. The signage is discussed, as this was one highlight for some of the guests. We also get into sponsorship changes and how this land impacted each of us, as I'm sure you will pick a side on if you really liked this update or not. At one point in this episode, we discuss The Timekeeper, which we did an entire episode on - click here. The new arcade that was installed right next to Space Mountain was massive. It has many games, prizes, and just a fun, Tomorrowland arcade feel. We hit a bit on the Penny Arcade, which we discuss in Episode 47 of the podcast - check it out. We spend considerable time discussing the infamous Kugel Ball, or germ ball as Todd calls it. These are more common than you think and this one has gone through some changes. It seems like there wasn't a ride or attraction that was left alone and this includes The Carousel of Progress. We go through some of the changes that made this what it is today. Throughout the episode, we have some great sound drops and audio clips. That 90s Tomorrowland background loop makes this one fun to listen to overall. We hope you have fun going back to the mid-90s and we want to know - what is your favorite memory of this 'new' land at Magic Kingdom? Send us a message and tell us!  Enjoy! 2020: The Year of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.   Next Month Join us next time for Episode 61, we are staying in Tomorrowland but taking you into Alien Encounter. It will be ExtraTERRORestrial! We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

Kat Cressida is a renowned voice actress and respected Disney historian whose connection with Disney began with her father’s work with WED and Disneyland in the 1970s. She is known not only for bringing characters to life in Disney Parks ("Little Girl Lost" in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story's Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl in shows and attractions worldwide and Constance Hatchaway, the 'Black Widow Bride' in The Haunted Mansion) but also for top AAA video game titles (Marvel Heroes, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, The Wolf Among Us, Fallout 76) as well as animation (Toy Story titles, Dexter’s Laboratory, Phineas and Ferb). Kat began her career as a Shakespeare major at UC Berkley, became a cast member at Disneyland, and after a successful on-camera career, transitioned into full-time voicer. Besides her career achievements in voice over, she’s also a professional keynote speaker – addressing pediatric cancer and patient advocacy  – leveraging her recovery from fatal cancer to help others navigate the health care system. In 2019, she gave a well-received TEDTalk at UCLA on the value of playtime. In this episode, we speak with Kat about her personal connection with Disneyland, both as a frequent visitor and eventual cast member, the beginnings of her professional involvement with Disney Parks recording scratch tracks and "walla" (background crowd sounds) for Imagineering, and her eventual casting as "The Black Widow Bride," Constance Hatchaway, in the 2006 revision to the Haunted Mansion's attic scene. Our rollicking conversation touches many topics; including fans' love for the Constance character, the effort made to make the new character be a seamless addition to the classic attraction, and plans for the Orlando Mansion uncovered during her research for the character that never came to be. We also learn about the fascinating preparation and vocal techniques Kat uses for voice-matching Hollywood celebrities in films, which she leverages to bring Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl from the "Toy Story" films to life in attractions and shows in the Disney Parks worldwide. For incredible daily deep Disney history and trivia, be sure to follow Kat on social media: Twitter - @KatCressida Instagram - @KatCressida Facebook - @kat.cressida