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Explore every episode of the podcast Retro Disney World Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for Retro Disney World Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
97 Music of EPCOT Center16 Apr 202502:15:12

Take a deep dive into the music of the original EPCOT Center, including:

  • How the Epcot entrance loop ripped off music from rock bands Alan Parsons Project and Trickster
  • Hear the original, longer version of "Closer to You," the song from AT&T's "Age of Information" exhibit that predicted the future with incredible accuracy
  • Composer George Wilkins' favorite piece of music that he wrote for Epcot
  • The arranger who worked on Bob Moline's Epcot songs, including "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)." Hint: he went on to compose the music for a Spaceship Earth rehab

Join us as Todd, Brian, JT, How and our listeners reveal their favorite songs from the many eras of Epcot and we reveal behind-the-scenes details about each of them and the beloved attractions they came from.

96 - Banking at Walt Disney World19 Mar 202502:29:40

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. 

 
89 Pleasure Island - Part IV27 Mar 202401:57:26

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 1Part 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!

25 - Anniversary Special14 Dec 201601:50:18

Welcome to Episode 25 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Anniversary Special" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections- To start this episode, we discuss things that scare us at WDW. Mike wrote in and said he used to be scared of Tick-Tock Croc on Peter Pan's Flight. Kate was scared of Body Wars due to her fear of shrinkage. Hipster Mickey wrote in telling us about being scared during the Studio Backlot Tour. Next up, Brian recaps his visit to the old Golf Resort. Currently, known as Shades of Green, Brian was able to worm his way over there and see what still exists. BJ Major sent us an Epcot Film which was absolutely amazing.

Listener Mail - We had lots of great letters sent in this month. Bernie wrote us to discuss character meet & greets and how it has changed over the years. Brian remembers a paper mache Pete's Dragon and also a walk-around dog from the Shaggy DA. For questions, comments and concerns, please write us - podcast@retrowdw.com

The Orange Bird Film - One of our holy grail films was released a few weeks back and we discuss as a group. The Orange Bird is back in amazing color and he even does a dance for you. We talk about the different types of bird head and give our opinions on which is best. Hope you enjoy the film and check back for more soon...we have lots of rare films that will be released very soon.

Main Topic - This episode is all about anniversaries, including our own! How starts us off with year one then quickly moving into the five year anniversary and tencennial. The fifth is when things got serious; this includes waterski shows, Boardwalk & Baseball and many other amazing events.  Who out there still has their "I'm a Winner" Visor? The Earforce One was another 15th anniversary special item along with the famous ticket system, giving almost every person who entered a prize. This included the Chevrolet Cavalier(one per day), pins, stickers, park tickets and of course the visor. The 15th was absolutely epic!

Prize Pot - Our year end prize is huge! Included are: An Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook, 1984 Disney News Magazine, The Walt Disney World Explorer CD Rom, expired Discovery Island Tickets, a Frontierland Viewmaster Slide, the WDW Tencenial Coin, a WDW Pocket Protector, and finally the RetroWDW Pin Collection.

Congratulations go out to Wes Hansen! He was randomly selected from over 600 entries to receive this years big prize! Congratulations Wes!!

More Main Topic - How takes us back to the 20th anniversary! The infamous Castle Balloon was featured during this anniversary. How also got to see Michael Eisner, again... We also hear about 20 things that debuted for the 20th. Great walk down memory lane for this crazy annivesary. Brian discusses the Florida Legislatures Weekend and his amazing intvitation of the fold out Empress Lily. Brian takes us into the 25th, a topic that he has a huge amount of information on. This includes the two TV Specials, which includes Drew Carey eating a turkey leg. The unbelievable Castle Cake is discussed in great detail. So much mid/late 90s goodness with tons of highlights. If you still have your "Guest of Honor" pin, show your 25th anniversary pride - these things sure do bring back memories. Brian has a favorite shirt from this anniversary, showcasing the two castles. The how-to on this whole castle is super interesting. To round out the 25th, we bring on our buddy Matt to discuss to the road show, The Maigical Memories Tour.

RetroWDW Merchandise - Fantasy Pins are here! We have a great set of custom pins for sale now. Be sure to get your pins and add them to your collection as these are limited time and won't be around forever. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug- www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us in January for  Episode 26 where we take you back to a time when you could journey under the sea...

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

 

 

 

 

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

24.5 - Destination: Retro29 Nov 201600:46:36

Welcome to Episode 24.5 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Destination: Retro" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Main Topic - Todd, Brian and JT are back to give you a recap of the Destination: D Trip and some other highlights. We discuss the D23 event, some interesting findings brought to our attention and also talk about the Lake & Lagoon Tour. 

The RetroWDW Lake and Lagoon Tour - The tours were a great success! We had seven boats go out over two days and they were filled to the max. The different sights and locations were all discussed in detail and on this episode, we give you a little recap of the different stops. Thank you so much to everyone who was able to join us, we plan to release some audio versions of the tours very soon. This way you can take your own journey on Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon.  

Dinner with Tom Nabbe and David Coolidge - We had two very special guests of honor at dinner and afterwards Tom told us monorail stories as we rode the restort beam in search of the elusive missing beams!

ReeseRileyReview -  A big RetroWDW Hello to Reese and Riley! We were special guests on Episode #8 of the ReeseRileyReview! - Be sure to follow the girls (@ReRiReview) and listen and watch their shows as they review Disney Resorts and more!

RetroWDW Merchandise - Fantasy Pins are here! We have a great set of custom pins for sale now. Be sure to get your pins (retrowdw.com/pins)  and add them to your collection as these are limited time and won't be around forever. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug- www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us very soon for Episode 25 where we take you to the 25th Anniversary Celebration! Brian is super pumped to tell you all about this entire experience, in honor of our 25th episode. 

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

24 - The Golf Resort01 Nov 201601:22:57

Welcome to Episode 24 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "The Golf Resort" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections- To start this episode, we discuss some emails regarding the Carousel of Progress. Animatronics, the father figure and lots of detail from the whole group.

Listener Mail - Chad wrote us mentioning he purchased some shirts from us. We also get into Chad's question about the Gold Key Vacations, which Todd has first hand knowledge of. We also got some tweets this month, discussing World Key and which attractions might have scared us. For questions, comments and concerns, please write us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner from last month, Suzanne Gill, she guessed "Journey Into Imagination". Suzanne won a the brochure and Vacationland package! If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the first Walt Disney World Cookbook: Cooking with Mickey. Send your guesses by November 28, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pot slowly built over the course of 2016.

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook, 1984 Disney News Magazine, The Walt Disney World Explorer CD Rom, expired Discovery Island Tickets, a Frontierland Viewmaster Slide, the WDW Tencenial Coing, a WDW Pocket Protector, and new this month........the RetroWDW Pin Collection! The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - For this month, we talk Golf. The Golf Resort is one of those early attractions that most people have never heard of. We take you back to the origins of golfing at WDW. Big thanks to George Taylor, Foxxy, and Passport to Dreams; we used some of their expertise to guide this podcast.  Brian starts us off by explaining how this resort came to be and from there we head into the Trophy Room for some eats and also delve into room sizes. This little known location, which is gone but not forgotten now, is truly going take you back. We all learned lots during this episode and we hope you do too, enjoy!

RetroWDW Merchandise - Fantasy Pins are here! We have a great set of custom pins for sale now. Be sure to get your pins and add them to your collection as these are limited time and won't be around forever. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug- www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

The RetroWDW Lake and Lagoon Tour - Much faster than anticipated, the Lake & Lagoon Tour sold out in record time. We are accepting standby reservations, which will basically be a waiting list, in case an opening pops up or if we have the ability to open up another boat tour.  Thank you so much for your tour reservations and we are super excited to take this cruise with you all! We will all be around all weekend during Destination D, so please check our social media accounts for postings on where we will be and how you can meet us all.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us very soon for Episode 25 where we take you to the 25th Anniversary Celebration! Brian is super pumped to tell you all about this entire experience, in honor of our 25th episode. 

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

23.5 - Dave Perillo at Wonderground Gallery19 Oct 201600:30:19

Welcome to a special episode of the Retro Disney World Podcast! We talk to illustrator Dave Perillo in the latest installment of our series of occasional bonus episodes featuring interviews with subjects we think will interest you. Dave is a Philadelphia-based artists whose work has been featured on retro-styled merchandise for Disney with a focus on attraction artwork. He will be appearing this weekend at Disney Springs in the Wonderground Gallery section of the Marketplace Co-Op store. Dave shares stories of his history with Disney parks and how his love of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride has influenced some of the merchandise you’ve been able to purchase over the years.

Dave’s artwork runs the spectrum of pop culture interests.  If there’s a fan community out there for pop culture media there’s a good bet Dave has done some artwork that will be of interest to you.  Star Wars, Airplane!, Disney, The Simpsons, classic cartoons and advertising — you name it.  Dave’s whimsical artwork and Mary Blair-influenced style is sure to delight and amuse.

Listen to our interview and follow Dave on Twitter and Instagram @montygog

Dave will be at Disney Springs at the Marketplace Co-Op this weekend October 21st and 22nd from 5 PM - 8 PM and on Sunday October 23rd from Noon to 3 PM.

Check back with us very soon for Episode 24 where we take you to The Golf Resort in honor of our old buddy, Arnold Palmer.

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

23 - Carousel of Progress03 Oct 201601:53:25

Welcome to Episode 23 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Carousel of Progress" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections- We start off learning the origins of the Captain Jack's Restaurant name and then move onto some more information about the Lake Buena Vista toy stores.

Listener Mail - Lincoln writes in asking about Walt Disney biographies, we got a tweet from Senor Peanut with pictures of Pablo Escobar visiting Disney World, How tells us about World Key ending and finally we got a question regarding Walt Disney World mail order. For questions, comments and concerns, please write us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner from last month, Robert Burke, he guessed "Delta Dreamflight". Robert won a copy of the Progressland Brochure! If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win some 20th anniversary brochures and guides. Send your guesses by October 17, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pot slowly built over the course of 2016.

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook, 1984 Disney News Magazine, The Walt Disney World Explorer CD Rom, expired Discovery Island Tickets, a Frontierland Viewmaster Slide and new this month........the WDW Tencenial Coin and....a WDW Pocket Protector! The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - For this month, we discuss all things Carousel of Progress. We take you back to the General Electric days and start you off with a bit of history. The journey starts right after Disneyland opens and follows us up to the version we all see today. You are really going to enjoy this main topic filled with sound clips, effects and tons of snipets to remind you of this attraction has changed over the years. We even get our fans in on the show, playing your version of the theme song from your call ins. One of the most classic attractions in Disney Parks history is our main topic this month; enjoy the show!   

L’Omelette Superb Avec Jambon 6 eggs 2 tbls butter 1/4 cup milk 6 slices pre-cooked ham Salt & Pepper Instructions Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Season to taste. Add milk to egg mixture. Dice ham - set aside. Heat butter in skillet, add eggs. Let cook until eggs coat entire pan. Add ham. With spatula, fold over 1/2 omelette. Let cook approximately three minutes. Remove and serve

RetroWDW Merchandise - The Lake Buena Vista Whatchamacallit merchandise is finally ready! We had a slight delay on the design work, but we are ready to release this to you along with some other extra special items. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

The RetroWDW Lake and Lagoon Tour - Much faster than anticipated, the Lake & Lagoon Tour sold out in record time. We are accepting standby reservations, which will basically be a waiting list, in case an opening pops up or if we have the ability to open up another boat tour.  Thank you so much for your tour reservations and we are super excited to take this cruise with you all! We will all be around all weekend during Destination D, so please check our social media accounts for postings on where we will be and how you can meet us all.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us very soon for Episode 24 where we take you to The Golf Resort in honor of our old buddy, Arnold Palmer.

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

 

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

22.5 - David Coolidge talks Lake Buena Vista15 Sep 201600:35:03

Welcome to Episode 22.5 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "David Coolidge talks Lake Buena Vista" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

We recorded an interview with David Coolidge and due to timing and length, it didn't make it into Episode 22. So we figured we'd release a special Bonus episode of our interview!

David Coolidge (http://www.davidcoolidge.com/) is an American Watercolor Realist and in this episode Todd and How sit with David and discuss how he was one of the first people ever to display his art at Lake Buena Vista. David gives some insight to how his show came to be and what the shopping village and vacations villas were like in the early years including shopping, a giant silver Taj Mahal, water taxis and trombonist Herbie Green!

During our chat, we discover that David did use the original Polynesian waterfall as the subject of one of his paintings and we will announce shortly on how you can get a giclee print!

Here is an album of David's photos from Lake Buena Vista and we've also restored some of David's personal films from his trips

Swan Boads and Adventurelande Shari Lewis, Top of the World Show Magic Kingdom and Mickey Mouse Review 1975 Lake Buena Vista RetroWDW Merchandise - All new design this month that incorporates the LBV Whatchamacallit! Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

The RetroWDW Lake and Lagoon Tour - Take your lunch break at Destination D this year and join the RetroWDW Podcast crew for a tour around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon! Tickets go on sale 9/25/16 at 12:00pm. These will sell out quick, so make sure you don't miss out! Click here for information on the tour and how to purchase tickets.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us very soon for Episode 23 where we take you back to the Carousel of Progress!

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

22 - Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village02 Sep 201601:39:25

Welcome to Episode 22 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections- We get back to the basics this month, focusing on our regular routine. The mystery of RJ McBean is solved and debunked. We also shed some light on what happened to the penny arcade games, how you can play them now and finally how some of them have changed states... Lots of great information during our comments and corrections this month.

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner from last month, Phil Speck, he guessed "Big Rock Candy Mountain". Phil won a copy of Disney U! If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a Progressland Brochure, from Ted Linhart. Send your guesses by September 20, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pot slowly built over the course of 2016.

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook, a copy of '84 Disney News, The Walt Disney World Explorer CD Rom, expired Discovery Island Tickets and new this month........a Frontierland Viewmaster Slide! The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - For this month, we take you back to the original years of the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. You will find it absolutely amazing how much has changed, grown and updated since the early days. As a group, we go through the different stories while sharing memories of the different visits we've had. The architecture is discussed along with watercraft and even menswear. Great topic with lots of great history, hope you enjoy!

Directly from Todd's personal archive: A video from 1989 of the Disney Village

RetroWDW Merchandise - All new design this month that incorporates the LBV Whatchamacallit! Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

The RetroWDW Event - Join the RetroWDW Podcast crew for a 1 hour tour of Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon! Take your lunch break at Destination D this year and join the RetroWDW Podcast crew for a tour around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon! Tickets go on sale 9/25/16 at 12:00pm. These will sell out quick, so make sure you don't miss out! Click here for information on the tour and how to purchase tickets.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

Check back with us very soon for Episode 23 where we take you back to the Carousel of Progress!

Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts..We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

21 - Listener's Choice Q&A27 Jul 201601:24:20

Welcome to Episode 21 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Listener's Choice Q&A" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Q&A- This month we took a call for all of your questions; things you want to know, different things you remember and even some memories that we have forgotten about.

- We start off in Epcot discussing Figment and the Imagation Pavillion. The discussion also moves onto Spaceship Earth regarding continents projected with lasers!

- RJ McBean is discussed with binaural audio and also our MGM Studios Opening Day Episode.

- The Bay Hill Cottages and where Roy stayed, not Roy's Cabin, during the construction. How & Brian have some seriously detailed information on this.

- Todd's book is discussed and compared to the current generation of WDW, analyzing his old tips and tricks.

- The Dreamfinder book, written by Ron Schneider - From Dreamer To Dreamfinder - We had a listener ask about this title and we give you some history on Ron.

- The anniversary cakes are discussed and also mass cake serving to park guests. 

Thank you so much for all of your questions, this is just a small sampling of the topics we discuss from our listeners. Not everyone made it to the show, but thank you so much for contacting us. Please contact us with your questions, comments and concerns; we love hearing from you - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Huge number of correct responses this month. Congratulations to our winner, Christina , he guessed "Spectromagic". Christina won the Disney News issue from 1985. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a copy of Disney U, a book all about Disney University. Send your guesses by August 15, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook, a copy of '84 Disney News and new this month........a copy of The Walt Disney World Explorer CD Rom AND expired Discovery Island Tickets! The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Listener Trivia - We gave you the listener, a chance to answer a number of easy and super difficult trivia questions.  In this episode, you hear our own How Bowers attempt the same questions our listeners did... See how he did and also see which listener won! Our listeners win some 3D printed items; a peoplemover car & EPCOT Center Logos. Thanks for playing along, hope you were able to answer some of these great questions. 

Interview with Ted - Ted Linhart is in the studio to discuss his passion, Disney documents.  We hear all about his website, The History of Disney Parks Documents.  Ted has an amazing collection you have to check out.  Hope you enjoy our interview with him.

RetroWDW Merchandise - Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

The RetroWDW Event - November 19-20, D23 will be hosting an event at Walt Disney World. Our group is planning an event that weekend where you can interact with us, look at some vintage WDW artifacts, host a guest and even record a live podcast. This is all in the planning stages and we will be ironing out the details over the coming months. We are planning The Retro Disney World Lake & Lagoon Tour with your favorite hosts, showcasing all of the vintage pieces that are still there. Some of the final details will be shared with you on our next episode, promise!

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com.

Check back with us very soon for Episode 22...... Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts... Thank you!

20 - America on Parade21 Jun 201601:10:05

Welcome to Episode 20 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "The Deluge" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections - We were sent lots of extra information on The Living Seas, even a voicemail.  On the podcast, we bring up some new facts and extra things that were brought to our attention.

Listener Mail - This month our mail was crazy good. Tons of great feedback, stories and extra information. We appreciate everyone that gets in touch with us to share memories and stories. Everything from Kitchen Kabaret updates, Living Seas follow-ups and even some new information regarding evening cruises with new restrooms being installed. Please contact us with your questions, comments and concerns; we love hearing from you - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

RetroWDW Merchandise - How has designed a fourth of July, Retro Epcot themed piece of merchandise. This is based all around the "build your own flag" touchscreen game that used to be in Epcot. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Audio Rewind - Huge number of correct responses this month. Congratulations to our winner, Tom Yoder, he guessed "Space" from Horizons. Brian won the All-Star Movies plastic mug set. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a mint copy of 1985 Disney News, courtesy of Joel. Send your guesses by July 12, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish, Tomorrowland Handbook and new this month; a copy of '85 Disney News donated by our listener Joel. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - In the spirit of the summer, How takes us back to the 70s and the world famous America On Parade.  This vintage parade wasn't seen by many, including most of us, but it is such an interesting piece of history. Learn all about the giant sandwiches, large headed characters and everything else that made this craziness happen. We have a great video to accompany this months podcast, take a look on the Retro Disney World YouTube Channel.

The RetroWDW Event - November 19-20, D23 will be hosting an event at Walt Disney World. Our posse is planning an event that weekend where you can interact with us, look at some vintage WDW artifacts, host a guest and even record a live podcast. This is all in the planning stages and we will be ironing out the details over the coming months. We are planning The Retro Disney World Lake & Lagoon Tour with your favorite hosts, showcasing all of the vintage pieces that are still there.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming! 

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com.

Check back with us very soon for Episode 21...... Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts... Thank you!

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

19 - The Deluge: The Living Seas24 May 201601:47:32

Welcome to Episode 19 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "The Deluge" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Comments & Corrections - How addresses the Haunted Mansion bullet holes, Todd reads notes from an old family vacation related to a restored film which also includes some more information about the reuction in size of the Grand Prix Raceway.

Listener Mail - This month we received a ton of mail! Mike Forrester sent us a rare picture from his time on an evening cocktail cruise from the contemporary. We also heard from Aaron Davis and a great story about potentially having Michael Jackson, the king of pop, serve him a Mickey ice cream bar. Finally, we locked down some blue mayonaise photographs from our friends at Wedway Radio. Please contact us with your questions, comments and concerns; we love hearing from you - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

RetroWDW Merchandise - To coordinate with our main topic this month, How has designed some "Water Elevator" themed items. These capture the spirit of the world famous Hydrolator portion of the attraction. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Audio Rewind - Huge number of correct responses this month. Congratulations to our winner, Brian Blake, he guessed "Another Part Of Me" - one of the songs that played in Captain EO, during the exit. Brian won the Pirates of the Caribbean glass mug. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the plastic mug set. Send your guesses by June 13, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set, a Disney Glass Candy Dish and new this month; a copy of the Tomorrowland Handbook. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - For this month, we take you back to Epcot Center. It's been awhile since our last stop in Future World, so we thought it was time to discuss The Living Seas. We learn about some of the early origins and history of the sponsorship. The pre-show is discussed along with the famous Hydrolators. Throughout the show, we discuss what has changed and what has stuck around in the new version of the attraction. Finally, we look all around the exhibits and attractions after you exit your Seacab.  Hope you enjoy the trip back to Seabase Alpha!

The RetroWDW Event - November 19-20, D23 will be hosting an event at Walt Disney World. Our posse is planning an event that weekend where you can interact with us, look at some vintage WDW artifacts, host a guest and even record a live podcast. This is all in the planning stages and we will be ironing out the details over the coming months. Stay tuned for more info and please contact us if you would be interested in attending.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming!

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 20...... Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts... Thank you!

88 - Back to the Future: The Ride21 Feb 202401:55:57

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!

18.5 - RetroWDW is a guest on the George & Tony Entertainment Show16 May 201601:38:38

We've got something special for our listeners! Todd & Brian were recent guests on the George and Tony Entertainment show where we go through the history of RetroDisneyWorld.com, the podcast, our films and more! Our listeners will love the detail, background and some unknown facts about our show!

Be sure to give George and Tony a listen at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/george-tony-entertainment/id886806400?mt=2

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 19, where we take you back to Epcot Center...but you the listener can help us decide what pavilion to explore. Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts... Thank you!

18 - Nowhere in Particular: Mr Toad's Wild Ride19 Apr 201601:14:28

Welcome to Episode 18 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Nowhere in Particular" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Dedication - Since our last episode was released Todd's Mother passed away...he offers up a short little story and a dedicates this episode to his mom [Photo Right, Todd and his Mom in 1980]

Survey - Todd discusses the survey results done by you, our listeners. We thank you for being honest, giving us feedback and helping us guide future episodes. Such a great way to help make our show better for the listeners.

Listener Mail - Our first piece of mail is from Singapore; Mark asks us about the General Motors "Make Your Own Magic" promotion. How refers back to our World of Motion episode and also gives some more insight. Next, we here from Mark Starr, asking if we remember the blue mayonaisse. Brian informs us of some other colored condiments at Cosmic Ray's. Brian also mentions a tweet from Kate, regarding a 1994 Magic Kingdom Map. Kate was asking about the Timekeeper building and Brian gives us the full story. Please contact us with your questions, comments and concerns; we love hearing from you - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

RetroWDW Merchandise - How is releasing an amazing collection of Mr. Toad ride vehicle names, which will be color coordinated on shirts and other various items. You will be able to dress up like your favorite toad car! These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Audio Rewind - Huge number of responses this month - Amazing turnout and 97% of you got it correct! Congratulations to our winner, Tammy Norman, she guessed Cranium Command. Tammy won a copy of "Together in the Dream". If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the glass Pirates of the Caribbean Mug from the late 80s. Send your guesses by May 16, 2016 - All answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag, an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set and new this month; a glass candy dish from the 1970s. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry.

Main Topic - This episode, we get back to the good stuff. How is bringing us back to a gone but never forgotten attraction, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. If you don't know Mr. Toad, he was located in the Magic Kingdom in the spot of Pooh. This is one of the original classics that is sorely missed and we get a great intro from Rolly Crump by Brian. How takes you through the ride from start to finish, leaving no detail out. If you are one of the original fans who misses this amazing ride, this episode will take you right back in time with a perfect visualization and even sound! If you sent in a question to How about Mr. Toad, listen carefully as you may hear your question in this episode. Hope you enjoy this month's main topic!

The RetroWDW Event - November 19-20, D23 will be hosting an event at Walt Disney World. Our posse is planning an event that weekend where you can interact with us, look at some vintage WDW artifacts, host a guest and even record a live podcast. This is all in the planning stages and we will be ironing out the details over the coming months. Stay tuned for more info and please contact us if you would be interested in attending.

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming!

Sign-Off - Todd signs off this episode with a few more words about his mom and we all learn how she was the illustrator for his book, WDW Made Simple. A sweet ending takes us out as Baby Mine from Dumbo is played.

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 19, where we take you back to Epcot Center...but you the listener can help us decide what pavilion to explore. Tweet at us, send us a Facebook post or message, tag us on Instagram or email us your thoughts... Thank you!

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

17 - From Vinyl Chairs to Elephants and Hippos22 Mar 201601:21:26

Welcome to Episode 17 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "From Vinyl Chairs to Elephants and Hippos - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Listener Mail - A listener named Joy Johnston wrote in and gave us some very positive feedback. She offers up a great reminder of all the amazing history located throughout the website. Tons of great pictures, info and history. Our next piece of mail was from Kelly Wise, who shares with us the story of finding a ton of vintage construction photos. Her grandfather worked at WDW, she found the pictures recently and of course they blew up online. This is a great little piece of history we are so happy she shares with us. Our crack team of photo restoration experts plan to give these the full treatment; recoloring and making them look like new. Finally, we invite you to take a survey and give us some feedback: Click here for the survey - Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Rachel Cook, she guessed The Carousel of Progress. Rachel won the autographed copy of Tom Nabbe's book. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a copy of the book "Together in the Dream" written by RJ & Suzanne. Send your guesses by April 12, 2016 - All correct answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February, the March prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag and on this episode we add an Epcot Center salt and pepper shaker set. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry. 

 

Main Topic - This episode, we spend some time with RJ & Suzanne Ogren. They recently wrote a book about their experiences both working at Walt Disney World. RJ was an artist in the parks responsible for rehabbing and fixing ride fixtures. Suzanne did some work as a character throughout the parks. One cool thing about them: they both were monorail pilots too! We chat with a couple of former cast members who have amazing stories, and wrote a really good book. Hope you enjoy our conversation with them, as they take you back to Walt Disney World while sharing their story. Enjoy!

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some of our newest items. The "Tom Nabbe" grabber line of merchandise! The Electrical Water Pageant design is still selling in record numbers and you can also enjoy some Nunis Wave Machine items. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming!

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 18, where we return to our roots and focus on an original attraction: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

16 - Walt Hired Me: A Chat with Disney Legend Tom Nabbe23 Feb 201601:32:28

Welcome to Episode 16 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Walt Hired Me: A Chat With Tom Nabbe" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Corrections & Comments - How brings up his forgetting of Mr. Mayonnaise last month in our Kitchen Kabaret episode. With so many characters in the show, it's amazing we didn't forget more... We are glad to fix the mistake though. How also answers some listener questions surrounding Bonnie Appetite's design and where she now resides.

Listener Mail - Our friend Dan wrote in and asked a question regarding a tram ride and the sewers of Paris. He remembers this happening in 1981, so we dive head first into the sewers to let you know our thoughts... We also received a tweet from Mike with some awesome matchbooks. This led to a small discussion about these great free souvenirs you were able to get. Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Joel Wartgow, he guessed Tomorrow's Child from Spaceship Earth. Joel won the D23 fan pennants, given by Brian. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the autographed copy of From Disneyland's Tom Sawyer to Disney Legend: The Adventures of Tom Nabbe. Send your guesses by March 14, 2016 - All correct answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, a brochure from The World of Motion given away in February and this month our prize is a Golf Resort Mickey head logo golf bag tag. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes! To win the prize pot in December, just answer any audio rewind question each month for one entry. 

Main Topic - We have a Disney Legend in the studio, his name is Tom Nabbe. We spend over an hour with Tom discussing his start at Disneyland being directly hired by Walt. The insight Tom gives us regarding the construction of Disney World Monorail system, US Steel and of course Roy's Cabin can only be found on this podcast. Tom was amazingly nice and open to discuss anything our retro minds could think of, including the working wave machine and Dick Nunis. Join our conversation with a Disney Legend - you are really going to enjoy this episode! If you enjoyed our chat with Tom you should pick up a copy of his book at Amazon!

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some of our newest items, which include merchandise from Roy's Cabin and the amazing, unseen Wave Machine. The Electrical Water Pageant design is back as well! These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming!

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 17...We have some goodies coming up with amazing guest stars, hope you join us!

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

15 - Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit: Kitchen Kabaret26 Jan 201601:28:43

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Corrections & Comments - One small correction, we learned how to pronounce Captain Saltyhinder, apparently we did it wrong. John Hench had an idea, which we learn all about from How. For our regular listeners, we start a new show order for 2016, hope you enjoy!

Listener Mail - A friend of the show, Mathius, sent us some interesting information on Howard Keel. We find out about his Disney connection. Keep the emails, tweets and pictures coming! Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, April, she guessed the Ham & Eggs portion of the show from Kitchen Kabaret. April will get a Main Street USA poster drawn by our friend, Chris Buchholz. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the collectible D23 pennants from 2012 & 2014. Send your guesses by February 15, 2016 - All correct answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

Prize Pot Items - As you may have heard, our year end prize this year will include a different prize from every month. So far, we have an Orange Bird Yo-Yo from January, and this month we added a World of Motion guidebook. The pot will continue to grow each month with new and exciting prizes!

Main Topic - This month we discuss the amazing Epcot Center attraction, Kitchen Kabaret. How takes you through the entire history of the show, describing each part in detail. Some amazing sound clips are included throughout the commentary, taking you back to The Land Pavillion, how it used to be. This take on the food groups in amazing animatronic goodness was a classic that is no more. Hope you enjoy going back with us.

Film Review - As a group, we sit back and watch The Magic Kingdom Club film from 1980. This was filmed on 16mm, but we did find some of the older footage was filmed in a different format. Set up your VCR Plus and follow along with us as we jump around enjoying the film. How notices a super rare shot of some people in a bar, right around the 9:01 mark. Do you know what this is?

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some of our newest items, which include merchandise from Roy's Cabin. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Keep the calls coming!

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 16...We have some goodies coming up with amazing guest stars, hope you join us!

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

14 - Christmas Around the World21 Dec 201501:47:38

Welcome to Episode 14 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Christmas Around the World" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. This marks one year of podcasts, so thanks for sticking with us and supporting this fun endeavour. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Corrections & Comments - How discusses the infamous WDW Globes that now go for big bucks on eBay. We learn about their original cost and also how they were sold at the resort gift shops. Some clever listeners sent us audio samples from the Country Bears, as they refer to their original sponsors during the show. This very cool revelation is also joined by Todd letting us know that Bisontennial Ben is still around. 

Main Topic - The long awaited Christmas Episode is finally here. Brian takes the wheel to steer us into a great holiday episode featuring stores about the original Candlelight Processional, celebrity guests, amazing retro audio samples and tons more. Brian tells us about the Main Street garland and of course the history of the various holiday parades. This topic is loaded with content that will really spark some Christmas memories from Walt Disney World. Be sure to let us know if you remember any of these special events or have a memory we might have missed.

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Preston W., he guessed the Pirates of the Caribbean digging scene in the queue. Preston will get the autographed copy of The Progress City Primer. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the Main Street USA poster, styled like the ride vehicle poster. Send your guesses by January 11, 2016 - All correct answers will also be entered into the drawing for our next BIG PRIZE, which is a huge prize pack slowly built over the course of 2016. The Prize Pot is building.....

We finally get to pick our winner for the reproduction Paul Hartley map, from WDWMap.com - David Lambie. Thanks to all of our entries!

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some of our newest items, which includes a top secret Captain EO tribute design. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - We appreciate all your kind notes, emails and social media connections. This month we hit on the burning smell in Pirates of the Caribbean. Does it exist or is our listener remembering incorrectly? This same note mentions seeing Walt discussing the contemporary in an early film. None of us have heard of this, although we do discuss Walt's very own chest of drawers. Todd gets to address the filming isues in The Magic of Walt Disney World, and how they rehased old footage that used different film sizes. Finally, we discuss some info about the WDW Waterski Show. Keep the emails, tweets and pictures coming! Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Our good friend Glenn Simpson gave us a call, among many others, sharing their holiday greetings and also some seasonal stories. Keep the calls coming!

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 15.... Topic to be announced very soon!

 

13 - Unveiling the Magic24 Nov 201501:12:25

Welcome to Episode 13 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Unveiling The Magic" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. This marks one year of podcasts, so thanks for sticking with us and supporting this fun endeavour. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Special Guest - We have a special guest, Michael Crawford, a longtime Walt Disney World fan who wrote the book: Progress City Primer.  This book contains all kinds of stories, features and just a grab bag of anything WDW. Starting off with Walt and moving on from there, you will find everything from EPCOT Center to unbuilt attractions and lands. The book sometimes even matches many of our previous episodes, which is really cool. Check out this great book and even gift one for the holidays.

Main Topic - We sit down and watch a fully restored version of "The Magic of Walt Disney World". This is an original 16mm copy of the film that would have been sent to schools, local clubs and anywhere else back in 1972. The reel is 1200ft long and we have the only restored copy in existence. 35 listeners donated funds for this project, which included shipping, transfer and of course restoration. This really should be listened to, as you watch the film to get the full experience, you can watch the film here. You can also read fantastic annotated notes for the film written by @MKPony.

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Justin, he guessed the Tiki Statues in Adventureland. Justin will get the King Stefan's Banquet Hall glass mug. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win an autographed copy of The Progress City Primer. Send your guesses by December 14, 2015 - All correct answers will also be entered into the drawing for the Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!! - This is your last opportunity to enter for the big drawing.... Thank you for all the guesses over the past year.

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some of our newest items, which include STOL Port themed merchandise. These are RetroWDW original works of art, done by How. Super neat stuff that is only available for a limited time. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - We appreciate all your kind notes, emails and social media connections. Jonathan sent us an email regarding the music, style, fonts and small details at EPCOT Center. Our good friend Michael Crawford chimes in about these EPCOT details; this is covered in his book as well. Keep the emails, tweets and pictures coming! Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Listener Memories - Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO. Your holiday greeting this month could get you on our next podcast...

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 14, all themed around the holidays releasing around December 20th. 

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

12 -There's No Place Like World Showcase20 Oct 201501:20:34

Welcome to Episode 12 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "There's No Place Like World Showcase" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. This marks one year of podcasts, so thanks for sticking with us and supporting this fun endeavour. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.  We could have a clip show coming in the near future...

Main Topic - We have a special guest, Glen Simpson, who is on board to discuss his career at Walt Disney World. He primarily worked at EPCOT Center in the World Showcase area. Glen also did some work at the Magic Kingdom starting in 1978 with food service and he was also a Jungle Cruise skipper. We get some great insight into the opening days of World Showcase, special guests, and some hilarious mishaps that only a former cast member would have experience with. Glen is a great resource and we think you're really going to enjoy this one!  

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Michele, she guessed the barker bird outside Pirates of the Caribbean. Michele will get the Cinderella Castle model. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a King Stefan's Banquet Hall glass mug. Send your guesses by November 10, 2015 - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

RetroWDW Merchandise - We thank you for your purchases and we'd like to let you know about some new items comign soon.. We are debuting two shirts based on the STOL Port, which are super unique and only for the true retro diehard. We also are taking some interest surveys on a model of the planes that flew to the STOL Port, so let us know and check out what we have. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - We appreciate all your kind notes, emails and social media connections. Todd sent us some information on the STOL Port, conecting some dots and pointing us to more information. Johnathan had a question regarding boat access from Epcot to MGM, which How addresses. Keep the emails, tweets and pictures coming! Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We view a listener purchased tape, containing B-Roll Epcot Center World Showcase footage. Being video tape, the quality is lacking and edited to a level that is as good as it gets. Still a fun movie to watch of old world showcase. Huge thanks to everyone who donated to our pledge drive, helping make the major film restoration a reality. Check out Passport2Dreams from Foxxy, who was a huge supporter of this project.

Listener Memories - This month we had tons of great singers calling our hotline. They have all been edited together to make one glorious production that we think you'll enjoy. Keep the calls coming, sharing your memories and giving us feedback. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-RETRO.

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 13, thanks for listening!

11 - First Things First22 Sep 201501:31:57

Welcome to Episode 11 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "First Things First" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Corrections and Comments - How discusses the World Showcase original location, which is surprisingly way different compared to the current spot where it ended up. The Food & Wine Festival would have ended up being at an unusual location if they stuck with this plan..

Main Topic - This month we go back to many firsts at Walt Disney World. George & Becky Miranda from Ohio join us to discuss opening day at The Magic Kingdom. They both have an amazing first hand account from visiting the park on opening day along with a great collection of photos (You're going to want to load these up and look at them while you listen to them describe that first day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgelmiranda/albums/72157658664679871). We then jump into some great stories about the first families that entered each theme park, including a checkered past for a few of them. How moves us over to the original, first airport on property which ends up being yet another surprise found during the research phase. How then digs into the details of the STOL port on WDW property - this is a long awaited and often requested topic by our listeners!

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Joe Yost from Atlanta, he guessed the Horizons Ending music. Joe will get the Hydrolator notebook. If you think you know the answer to the audio rewind this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a Magic Kingdom, Cinderalla Castle resin model. Send your guesses by October 12, 2015 - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

RetroWDW Merchandise - The STOL Port was discussed during this episode and that will lead to some new, top secret merchandise. Check back for information on that very soon. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - Lots of great mail this month, thanks so much for your emails! Our selfie challenge was accepted by a good friend of the show, Tim Birch. He snapped the photo of himself riding by the abandoned pirate ship on Discovery Island. Tim will be receiving a 1984 Walt Disney World Calendar. Keep the emails, tweets and pictures coming! Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - Due to time constrains we skip the film restoration discussion for this month, however Todd has acquired some super rare 16mm Walt Disney World films. These are very pricey to digitally convert. We've setup an account on Patreon.com where you can pledge to help the restoration effort and in return receive exclusive early access to this podcast for 1 year! If you can help us please check out Our Restoration Project on Patreon.com

Listener Memories - This new segment is where you the listener can give us a call to share your memories. We had a few calls already and find these so much fun to listen to. If you would like to call and leave us a message, please dial 978-71-Retro.

RetroCon - Brian & JT give us a quick recap on RetroCon 2015; Thank you so much to all the listeners that stopped by, it was great to meet each and every one of you. 

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 12, thanks for listening!

 

10.5 - RetroCon and Episode Previews08 Sep 201500:27:19

Welcome to Episode 10.5 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "RetroCon and Episode Previews" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

RetroCon - Brian and JT will be a RetroCon at a Retro Disney World table this coming weekend in the greater Philadelphia area! Brian discusses what RetroCon is and explains the cool items we'll have on display as well as give-a-ways and the secret password to get early access to the next podcast episode!

Episode Previews - Next month our episode is titled "First things First"... we've got two special guests on the show and we're going to also discuss some crazy stories about the First Families at MK and EPCOT - and we will show how the STOL port was not the first airport on WDW property! Brian gives a sneak peek at the upcoming Christmas episode and calls out for photos, memories and documents relating to the holiday season.

RetroWDW Merchandise -  www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - A big thank all of our listeners and explain how some of the incoming mail has sparked new episodes. Please keep writing to us: podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Listener Memories - We go over how our new segment will work - we setup a phone number where you the listener can leave us short, under 3 minute, messages with your memory from disney world of past years. We'll put many of your memories on the air in this new segement. Leave a short memory/story today: Call 1-978-71-RETRO (73876)

Film Restoration - A quick discussion onf our account on Patreon.com where you can pledge to help the restoration effort and in return receive exclusive early access to this podcast for 1 year! If you can help us please check out Our Restoration Project on Patreon.com

If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 11 titled "First things First"!

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

 
87.5 - An Interview with Mr. Christmas Jim Heffelfinger01 Feb 202400:30:17

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.

10 - Disney-MGM Studios Opening Day: Hooray for Floridawood18 Aug 201501:51:39

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Hooray for Floridawood" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Corrections and Comments - Brian discusses some EPCOT 30 corrections about World Showcase from our last episode and we have photos of the real "depression era house" inspiration from The American Adventure shown to us. Take a look!   

Main Topic - We take you back to the opening day of the Disney-MGM Studios, way back on May 1, 1989. Our very own How and our guest, Hoot Gibson were waiting in the parking lot all night to be the first through the gates. They discuss rubbing elbows with Michael Eisner and Bob Hope and of course giving commentary about being the first to see different attractions. How has a great story about being the first person ever to take a pie to the face at Super Star Television. Join us as we relive opening day, through the eyes of the attendees. Todd references his trip in August 1989 and you can see nearly 40 minutes of vintage Disney-MGM studios footage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hERibY2m40k

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Andrew Toffolli for guessing the EPCOT lagoon shows that came before Illuminations (Carnival de Lumierem, A New World Fantasy, and Laserphonic Fantasy). Trevor Thornton guessed the audio rewind correctly, which was the Astutuer Computer Revue from Communicore. If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win a Living Seas Hydrolator #3 spiral notebook - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

*JT is still waiting for your photograph at the old Discovery Island pirate ship; this will earn you a great bonus prize!!

RetroWDW Merchandise - Our very first limited edition RetroTee based on an Illumnations napkin is now available for sale at The Imperial Shirt Company! This shirt will only be available until August 31! Our Redbubble shop is doing great, in fact thanks to our listeneres we all have upgraded audio equipment! All designs are exclusive to RetroWDW and will be rotated out and updated frequently. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Mesa Verde University Tee - Jason has designed a fantastic t-shirt inspired by the Horizons desert farming scene. The MVU logo includes the schools official fruit (a Lorange) and the motto which reads: "Nobis septem annos liberos mittite, agricolas remittemus" (Send us your children for seven years, we will return farmers). This is only a 7 day flash sale! Get your shirt today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/mvu

Listener Mail - Lots of great mail this month, thanks so much for your emails! Kurt sent us a note asking about the World of Motion and how the scenes resemble books and photographs. The group gives him our answer and where he can locate the different scenes in print form. We also heard from Gordon, who did some recon for us, finding out that the Centorium did not have an early morning smell. The evening check though, did revealed a stench....  We had lots of great photos sent to us via twitter this month, super cool. Please contact us - podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - Due to time constrains we skip the film restoration discussion for a month, however Todd has acquired some super rare 16mm Walt Disney World films. These are very pricey to digitally convert. We've setup an account on Patreon.com where you can pledge to help the restoration effort and in return receive exclusive early access to this podcast for 1 year! If you can help us please check out Our Restoration Project on Patreon.com

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 11 titled "Land, Sea and Air" - we'll let you ponder on that for a bit.

 
9 - American Adventure: Building the Golden Dream21 Jul 201501:45:36

 

 

 previous shows.

Corrections and Comments - We go back and rehash a little bit about the Town Square Cafe and also who the original designer of the Electrical Water Pageant was. Todd has an oddball thought about a Cuttlefish and we also found out about a very early autograph book at WDW.  

Main Topic - The focus this month is on The American Adventure in honor of the Fourth of July holiday. Todd, Brian, JT & How all discuss how the show works and also some of the history leading up to the attraction. Some great information is discussed on each of the eras presented during the show, JT discusses the backstage tour and all discuss the book Building a Better Mouse.

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winners, Alex Suarez and Tammy Norman, guessing True Colors from the pre-show for Magic Journeys and Captain EO. They are the winners of custom, 3D printed EPCOT Center Spaceship Earth Coaster and also some custom stickers from Redbubble featuring How's artwork!  If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us at podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win the book, Building a Better Mouse - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

*This episode has the chance for you to win 3 seperate prizes! Listen carefully for the different questions, challenges, and opportunities where YOU, can be a winner and star of the show!

RetroWDW Merchandise - Our very first limited edition RetroTee based on an Illumnations napkin is now available for sale at The Imperial Shirt Company - Order now! This shirt will only be available until August 31! Additionally our redbubble store is off to a great start, in fact Brian and JT have upgraded audio equipment thanks to our supporters! The designs are exclusive to RetroWDW and will be rotated out and updated frequently. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrodisneyworld.com/supportus

Listener Mail - Todd discusses a stage that once existed in Fantasyland and what makes it unique. How tells the story of the pirate ship on Discovery Island which is a perfect intro for Pablo Cruise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-C_kvDwqeY We take a detour through a very odd Christmas special starring Shields and Yarnell that is pure nightmare fuel, but dont say we didn' warn you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQbNZxNToU

August of 1972 Magic Kingdom home movie, digitally transferred by Pixcel and restored by our very own Imageworks.  How finds some lost trashcans, Brian is amused by a man walking into frame, Todd gets confused about the first American flag and a kid in a funny feather hat walks by.

We hope you have enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 10, where we take you into the Disney-MGM Studios for the first time ever on our podcast. Our very own How was camping out, the night before opening day....Super pumped up to hear his whole story, and we may have a guest star as well.  

Until next time... "Spare a dime? Hehehe. Sure buy four of my apples, and I'll loan ya back the ten cents."

8 - EWP: Legends & Legacies of Lakes & Lagoons23 Jun 201501:50:41

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Legends & Legacies of Lakes and Lagoons" We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest.

Corrections and Comments - We discuss a little bit about Todd's squeaky mickey doll, which you all heard during the last episode. Some light has been shed on the purpose and of course the cotton jumper. Brian is fresh off a WDW trip, but didn't make it to check on the famous sewage smell at Mousegear.   

Main Topic - This episode focuses on Bay Lake and The Seven Seas Lagoon. We discuss the layout, construction and attractions that were planned and also what made the final cut. The watercraft options compared to now are crazy different and we discuss what was available. Find out which lake is man made and which is natural, a common misconception. We have started doing photo albums for the different podcast episodes, so check out the Episode 8 Album to get a great visual as you listen.

Call Ins - We had two great call-ins this month from some very special people. Our first guest is Bill Cork and he is a former lead on the Admiral Joe Fowler. He shares an amazing story about how the ship ran off track at one point and also has some special easter eggs that you won't want to miss. Bill takes then takes you back in time for a journey around The Rivers of America as he narrates the spiel he remembers to this day. The second guest is Jeff, who is the end all be all expert on the Electrical Water Pageant. He has recreated the different versions throughout the years, digitally for your enjoyment. Jeff also knows each change, float, music and all the other details for one of our favorite shows at WDW. Jeff has a great site, that houses everything he discussed on the show, check out his Tomorrowsphere Blog. How dives super deep into the Electrical Water Pageant and we learn tons of facts and figures about this simple, yet long lasting show.

Audio Rewind - Congratulations to our winner, Jennifer Silveira, guessing El Rio del Tiempo in the World Showcase. She is the winner of an amazing WDW Transportation Poster!  If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com for a chance to win an Epcot attraction logo pavillion sign, custom made, in house at RetroWDW - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

RetroWDW Merchandise - Our Redbubble store project is off to a great start. Many amazing products are available for you, our fans and listeners. The designs are exclusive to RetroWDW and will be rotated out and updated frequently. Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today! Exclusive to our listeners and fans, these sales will help us update some of our audio equipment - check out the designs here: www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

Viewer Mail - This month we have an email from Stephen, who brings up Little Oscar. Todd reminiscences about his visit with Little Oscar, the spokesman for Oscar Mayer. We also discuss some questions received on Instagram during the show. Thanks so much for your message, be sure to email us with any comments, questions or anything else you would like to discuss. Send your messages to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - This month we take a look at the Home of Future living, restored by Pixcel and Imageworks.  This features the area after Space Mountain,  the film has been brought back to life and color corrected for your enjoyment. How gives you a great commentary, comparing how the future turned out to be real in more aspects than one. 

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 9, as we wander into World Showcase and discuss The American Adventure, in honor of the Fourth of July. Hope you are as excited as we are!

Until next time... "Ready when you are, CB!"

Podbean: podcast.retrodisneyworld.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-disney-world-podcast/id935548315 Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/retrodisneyworld/retro-disney-world-podcast

7 - Souvenirs: The Receipt is in the Bag19 May 201501:51:30

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Receipt Is In The Bag" We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest.

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. Todd discusses some of his recent trip to Disneyland and how it relates back to the East Coast. He also touches on attractions left to rot away and the cast member experience. We also heard about the lack of DVC salesman...imagine that! No major updates on the World of Motion episodes, but if you'd like to go back and listen please feel free.

Main Topic - This episode is all about souvenirs and more souvenirs. The one thing every Disney fan can't get enough of and seems to never stop collecting. Todd opens up talking up with the infamous Pictoral Souvenirs - A true gem in the retro world showcasing everything the Vacation Kingdom had to offer. We also hear about Todd's favorite guest, the polka dot mystery girl. Your hosts also discuss their favorite souvenirs including a squeaky armed, hard plastic, cotton jumper wearing Mickey, How's impressive LP collection and a few plush from Brian's collection.

Call Ins - This was a new thing for us, we had live on the air call-ins from some of our biggest fans. These listeners called in to discuss their favorite souvenirs and also reminise about some of the classics. Thank you so much to Paula, Keith, and Joe for participating and taking time out of your evening to share your gems! Check out the special collection of souvenir photos from this episode: http://www.retrodisneyworld.com/pictorial-souvenir/podcast/episode-7.html

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to our winner, Robert Myers, guessing the ferry between TTC and the Magic Kingdom. He wins the 1993 WDW Calendar!  If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com - You can win the amazingly cool Disney transportation and attraction poster.  All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing in December of 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

Shirt Project - We are going to start to offer some limited edition, RetroWDW exclusive T-Shirts.  Please stay tuned for updates and learn how to buy your own shirts.  These will be exclusive to our listeners and fans and will help us update some of our audio equipment. 

Viewer Mail - This month we have an email from Johnny K, showing us a piece of jewelry from the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village.  This is a great souvenir from the early years of WDW and a true example of classic merch from the village.  Thank you Johnny!  Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We will be back next month for another great film restoration.  Please take a look at our YouTube Channel for some great films.  

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us very soon for Episode 8 - The team is also in contract negotiations to possibly record some mini episodes from time to time... one should be coming very soon..

Until next time... "Make it a stretch. . .On the other hand, make it a super stretch" 

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

 

6 - World of Motion: Stubborn Donkey Par21 Apr 201501:47:09

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Stubborn Donkey Part II" We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest. This is the epic conclusion to "Stubborn Donkey Part I", so if you haven't listened yet - check it out!

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. We discussed in the last episode the projected street video in WOM, well we have a copy of it for your enjoyment. The film was shot in San Francisco back in 1906, right before the big earthquake and fire. A Trip Down Main Street

We also found a video of the queue, in World of Motion just before it closes. Take a look!

Main Topic - We continue this month with more World of Motion.  Such a large attraction that we needed two episodes just to cover everything. The episode starts off with How discussing the World's First Traffic Jam and we work our way through the second half of the attraction. We learn all sorts of great facts including how they integrated the movie Tron into World of Motion and that you can never have enough speed tunnels. We wrap up with a full length discussion of the TransCenter, which some people may have never experienced as they were in such a hurry to get back on the ride for a second go around. For more views and a '91 perspective on the World of Motion, check out this great footage

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to our winner, Andrew Toffoli, guessing Space Mountain. Andrew is the lucky winner of the 3D printed Spaceship Earth container. If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com - All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing December 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!! This months prize is a 1993 WDW calendar!

Viewer Mail - We do two pieces of viewer mail this month. First, we got an email from Harry asking about vintage Tigger autographs. JT dug through his archives and found one from the 80s. Harry, if the price is right the autograph is yours... We also heard from Kurt who runs DisneyViewmaster on Instagram. He wants to know where John Lennon signed the breakup papers for The Beatles. Brian chimes in with his great source on this piece of history. Thank you!  Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We watch and discuss a retro film that has been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks. Follow along with us as we add color commentary to this 1972 Magic Kingdom architecture and landscape film. One of the best films ever featuring Mickey strolling down Main Street with an umbrella in hand and no cast member handler. Enjoy!

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Check back with us on May 26th for Episode #7 - We discuss our favorite retro souvenirs & Todd shows his passion for Pictorial Souvenir Books. The team is also in contract negotiations to possibly record some mini episodes from time to time... one should be coming very soon..

Until next time... "Remember how easy it was to learn your ABCs? Thank the Phoenicans."

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

 

5 - World of Motion: Stubborn Donkey Part 124 Mar 201501:33:44

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: "Stubborn Donkey" We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest. Thanks for listening!

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for.  There isn't much housekeeping this month, mostly because we are just that good, but Todd starts us off with a touching dedication that is more than appropriate.  We also experienced record downloads and listens last month; thank you so much for that and we appreciate all of your interest in what we do here.

Main Topic - Our main topic this month is the GM sponsored World of Motion pavilion in EPCOT Center. The facts and figures in this ride are simply staggering, we also talk about animatronic carry over and how this attraction shared so many characters from other WDW rides. World of Motion is analyzed section by section, discussing each scene and our memories. How is the expert this month and even does some audio forensics on the ride...Brian forgets what side of Future World he is on, JT marvels at Albert the monkey and Todd continually says "Tee Hee Hee"...We hope you are excited to learn all about this gone, but not forgotten attraction!

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to our two winners this month, Laura Bowles and Kelly Heft.  The correct answer was The Living Seas.  If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com - There is an opportunity to win a custom 3D printed Spaceship Earth container which you cannot find in your favorite Disney gift shop.  All correct answers will also be entered into a drawing December 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

Viewer Mail - We received a great email from Jeff, who has/is creating remastered versions of the Electrical Water Pageant digitally and posts them all to his site and Youtube - Take a gander at what he is up to.  We always love hearing positive emails and comments about how/where you listen to the show and even will answer your Retro Disney questions. Thank you!  Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We watch and discuss a retro film that has been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks. Follow along with us as we add color commentary to this 1976 Magic Kingdom film that includes the Swan Boats, restored to glorious retro perfection.  So many good things in this one!

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com.

Be sure to check back with us very soon for Episode #6 - We discuss World of Motion or Stubborn Donkey Part II, the highly anticipated sequel to Episode 5.  The team is also in contract negotiations to possibly record some mini episodes from time to time... 

Until next time... "Please stand clear of the doors; Por Favor Mantengase Alejado de las Puertas"

 

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

4 - EPCOT Center: One Little Spark24 Feb 201501:39:01

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Retro Disney World Podcast. We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest. Thanks for listening!

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. We discuss the original Fort Wilderness sign whereabouts and also a little Fort Wilderness Railroad trivia is brought up thanks to some viewer mail. We also speak of a eBay auction of an original Resort Wall Map fom the 70s and then How analyzes the he monorail loading zone at the Contemporary along with the missing elevator.

Main Topic - Our main topic this month is the conception, history and early years of EPCOT Center. We look into the original vision of how it wasn't really thought to be a theme park and that Walt wanted this to be the community of tomorrow.  Brian and the gang also discuss the 1966 film Walt made to promote the concept and also get people excited about what was going to happen in Florida. How talks about the original EPCOT mailer that was sent to him prior to park opening and we also touch on the Magic Kingdom Club.  This episode is loaded with tons of early EPCOT facts and ideas, some failed concepts and missing characters - Be sure to listen to this episode carefully, as you may miss all the great information Brian shares with us.   

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to William Winikus for winning the Episode #3 Audio Puzzler, the answer was the Magnetic Mystery Mine on Tom Sawyer Island. William wins the "brand new" bar of retro Contemporary Resort Soap. If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler this month, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com - There is an opportunity to win one of TWO retro EPCOT souvenirs with this months episode.  All correct answers will be entered into a drawing in December 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

Viewer Mail - We received a great email from Jim, who is a current cast member at Walt Disney World. Jim gave us some great feedback and also mentioned how he uses the podcast to motivate him with his job at the Magic Kingdom, in Tomorrowland.  We always love hearing positive emails and comments on how you listen to the show or what it does for you - Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We watch and discuss a retro film that has been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks. Follow along with us as we add color commentary to the October 14th, 1982  EPCOT Center Film that has been restored to glorious perfection.

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com.

Be sure to check back with us very soon for Episode #5 - We discuss World of Motion and learn how it's always fun to be free.

Until next time... "Please remain seated. Your time machine vehicle is rotating for your trip back to Earth."

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

3 - Ft. Wilderness: Camping Cabins and Coonskins20 Jan 201501:28:46

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Retro Disney World Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and giving us feedback. We love hearing from everyone and sharing your thoughts live on the air!

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. We start off discussing the Tomorrowland Speedway changes through the years, Richard Nixon at the Contemporary and also more US Steel construction techniques for vibration resistance. 

Main Topic - Our main topic this month, Fort Wilderness. This is one of the originals at WDW and actually, none of us stayed there in the early years. JT is a regular to the Fort and we hear all about the opening years and what makes Fort Wilderness a unique place to be on property. The Fort Wilderness Railroad & River Country are slightly discussed, but we would like to devote two full future episodes to those topics. Learn all about Fleetwood Homes, tent camping, Melvin The Moose Breakfast and of course more concrete evidence about Roy's Cabin. Hitch up your camper and join us for a great discussion all about one of the most relaxing resorts on property, that has changed quite a bit over the years.

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to Matthew for winning the Episode #2 Audio Puzzler, the answer was the Mike Fink Keel Boats background music. Matthew wins a great Mickey Christmas Ornament. If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com - We will enter all correct answers into a drawing for retro prizes, this month you can win a great bar of vintage Contemporary Resort Dial Soap! All correct answers will be entered into a drawing in December 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

Viewer Mail - Candler sent us a great email regarding the US Steel construction site where the Contemporary/Polynesian "drawers" were built.  If you would like to do some exploring, we have the actual address for you in this episode.  Thanks for your note Candler! - Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We watch and discuss a retro film that has been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks. Follow along with us as we add color commentary to this film: Todd's personal trip to WDW back in 1980 - 30 minutes worth of outstanding Kodak Film.

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Be sure to check back with us very soon for Episode #4 when we move into the future and finally start discussing EPCOT Center.

Until next time, "But enough of this chit chat, yick yack, and flim flam."

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

2 - Contemporary: Amongst the Plexiglass Trees18 Dec 201401:21:34

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Retro Disney World Podcast.  We have had lots of great feedback thus far, we hope you continue to enjoy our retro presentations!

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. How kicks off the podcast with the correct story behind the crying aligator gag in the Jungle Cruise from the last show.

Main Topic - The team starts by mentioning their favorite part of the Contemporary Resort, from there we dive into the overall design, the association with US Steel and how the rooms were constructed. JT gets to say "Like a chest of drawers" a few times while Brian imagines the construction view from Roy's Cabin. Todd struggles with the escalator size and continually gets lost in the Grand Canyon Concourse. We move on to the north & south wings and then ask "What would you pay to stay in a retro Contemporary Room?" Todd once again mixes up Shari Lewis and Phyllis Diller as we move up to the Top of the World. The commercial discussed during the show can be viewed here: US Steel Contemporary Resort Hotel Construction Commercial

Guest Star - We welcome Chad from wdwmap.com to the show to discuss his amazing reproduction Paul Hartley map of WDW that hung in the rooms at the Contemporary and Polylnesian Resorts.

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to Carolyn for winning the Episode #1 Audio Puzzler, the answer was "Foot Power Scene" from World of Motion. . If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com  We will enter all correct answers into a drawing for retro prizes! All correct answers will be entered into a drawing in December 2015 for a Paul Hartley reproduction map from wdwmap.com!!

Viewer Mail - From David, we discuss a retro WDW Globe souvenier, one that How purchased a number of years back  - Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Film Restoration - We watch and discuss a retro film that has been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks. Follow along with us as we add color commentary to this film: Contemporary Resort - 1970s Shag and Flair - Restored Home Movie HD

We hope you enjoyed this episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Be sure to check back with us in January for Episode #3 when we pay a visit to Fort Wilderness

Until next time, "Do not pull down on the safety bar please...I will lower it for you..."

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

1 - Tomorrowland: Planning for Tomorrow23 Nov 201401:23:30

Welcome to the First Episode of the Retro Disney World Podcast.  We have had lots of great feedback thus far, we hope you enjoy the first official episode!.  

Introductions - The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for.

Main Topic - This first episode takes us to the early days of Tomorrowland, or the small area with two attractions that was referred to as Tomorrowland in '71. How goes into many great details about what happened and how it all began. The Grand Prix Raceway, If You Had Wings, and Mission to Mars and others are discussed in crystal clear retro detail and of course we make our way around the rest of the land as well.

Viewer Mail - From Mark, we discuss the question "Do you recall the smell that exists in the dinosaur section of Universe of Energy?" - Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Puzzler - Congratulations to Jared for winning the Preview Episode Audio Puzzler, the answer was "Legacy" which played in the EPCOT Center entrance area. If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com  We will enter all correct answers into a drawing for retro prizes! 

Film Restoration - In this episode, we watch and discuss two films that have been restored with Pixcel and Imageworks.  Follow along with us as we add color commentary to these two classics from '71 & '72.

We hope you enjoyed our first episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com. Once you are done listening, you can discuss the podcast and interact with the team and other listeners in this thread. Be sure to check back with us very soon for Episode #2 focusing on the Contemporary Resort. 

Until next time, "Kindly move all the way to the end of the aisle, filling in all available spaces..."

 

 

  We have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, phone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

87 - Hungry for Hollywood08 Dec 202302:16:43

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

  1. 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....
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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!
  5. 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.
  6. 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!
  7. 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
Preview Episode - Pre-Opening Dreams12 Nov 201401:13:03

Welcome to the Preview Episode of the Retro Walt Disney World Podcast.  This is the very first, but not officially the first episode (get all that?) of a monthly podcast by your friends here at Retro Disney World.  We are going to maintain a consistent format that will last around an hour and you can look forward to new topics each month.

Introductions - Learn who we are and get a taste for how the show will be structured.

Main Topic - We quickly discuss the concept plans for WDW, including the original layouts, maps, land purchasing, resorts, Tomorrowland and more. Don't worry we will come back to all of this in a future episode!

Viewer Mail - From Andrew, we answer the question "Is Disney now creating life long Fans? Send your questions to podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Audio Puzzler - If you think you know the answer to the audio puzzler, email us! podcast@retrodisneyworld.com  We will enter all correct answers into a drawing for retro prizes!

Film Restoration - Todd goes over the film restoration process at a high level, Kodak prices, and inside the psyche of visitors with cameras. What restorations are coming next and we list out the holy grails of movie footage we are looking for.

We hope you enjoyed this preview episode! If you have any questions, suggestions or find errors please email us podcast@retrodisneyworld.com

Once you are done listening, you can discuss the podcast and interact with the team and other listeners in this thread. Be sure to check back with us on November 24th for the official Episode #1!

 

Until then, "Please stand clear of the doors..."

 

As announced in Episode 7 of the RetroWDW Podcast we have created some original artwork for t-shirts, stickers, pillows, iphone cases and more. Our first two designs are inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant and the World of Motion. Get into the 4th of july spirit with the "It's Fun to be Free" red white and blue tee or have your morning coffee in an Electrical Water Pageant mug...

All sales proceeds will go towards improving the equipment used to record the RetroWDW podcast!

 

Designs will be only available for a limited time order yours today before they are gone! www.retrodisneyworld.com/redbubble

86 - RetroMagic Retrospective27 Oct 202302:00:15
85 - Mickey Mouse Revue14 Sep 202301:47:07

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.

84.5 - DVC Feedback09 Aug 202302:03:01

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!

83.5 - Glowing in Timeless Places03 Jul 202301:39:59

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

84 - The Disney Vacation Club10 Jun 202302:14:09

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.

83 - The Disney Institute19 Apr 202302:06:20

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.

95 - Camera Shops and Film at WDW07 Feb 202502:32:25

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!

82 - Remembering Rolly18 Mar 202301:33:34

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.

81 - Wonders of Life Part IV - Cranium Command09 Feb 202302:36:27

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. 

80 - Holiday Time at WDW21 Dec 202202:01:12

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. 

79 - Wonders of Life Part III - Body Wars and Making of Me23 Nov 202201:55:46

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!

78 - Wonders of Life Part II - The Pavilion & Exhibits01 Nov 202202:41:01

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.

77 - Wonders of Life - Part I - History and Concept07 Sep 202201:02:43

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.

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