But MOSTLY Disney

Grab a snack and pull up a chair — Andrew and Tater are going to chat about all things Disney, and this one's extra special: Disney historian and author Jim Fanning will be hopping on the show to talk shop with us and tell us all about his amazing Disney journey!

Jim's the author of The Disney Book and Drawing: 100 Years of Disney Wonder, a longtime contributor to D23 and Disney twenty-three magazine, and one of the most knowledgeable Disney history buffs around amd it's going to be facinating to listen to him speak!

As always, it's a mostly-Disney (but occasionally we wander) conversation, but also a chat with a new friend and all of our fellow Disney nerds.

Skipper up! On this episode of But MOSTLY Disney, hosts Tater and Andrew welcome Disney author and Celebrations Disney Magazine editor Tim Foster (author of 50 Years of Walt Disney World Magic) to talk all things Jungle Cruise. Tim joins the show to dig into his new coffee table book celebrating the history, humor, and legacy of one of Disneyland and Walt Disney World's most beloved Adventureland attractions. We trade favorite skipper puns, trace how the ride has evolved across the parks over the decades, and look back on 78 episodes of Disney conversation as they creep toward the big 100.

Whether you're a die-hard Jungle Cruise fan, a Walt Disney World and Disneyland history buff, or just here for the wisecracks, this one's for you.

New episodes of But MOSTLY Disney drop almost every week — subscribe so you never miss a chat about mostly Disney. Questions, topic ideas, or feedback? Reach out at butmostlydisney.com.

This week we're joined by Phil Gramlich — author of Walt and His Park: The Stories You Probably Haven't Heard and CEO of Ear to There Travel. Phil spent years sitting down with Disney Legends like Bob Gurr, Julie Andrews, Floyd Norman, and Rolly Crump, and turned those conversations into 80+ firsthand anecdotes about Walt Disney and the making of Disneyland. He also hosts his own long-running Disney podcast, Turkey Leg Talk.

We ask Phil a few questions, then let him go — and he delivers story after story about the people who actually built the park alongside Walt. Recorded live, with your questions answered in the chat.

The great thing about the show this week is whether you've been to D23 or not, you're going to want to listen in. This week, our good friend Bozena Thrower shares with us her incredible story of how she attended D23 and got to sit right next to some of your favorite stars. She details how it works, how it goes, and how you should participate. Whether you've been to every single D23 since they started holding them or it's your just now thinking about going to the next one, this is the show for you! You're going to get expert-level tips and beginner advice all at once. Join us for a front-row seats for D23.

Our buddy Brian Crawford — one of our favorite people on the internet — is back in the house, and there's never a lull when he joins the show. This week Andrew and Tater sit down with Brian for another wide-ranging, wonderfully unfocused conversation, with a little D23 talk mixed in for good measure.

Funny, fast-moving, and mostly Disney.

Since 1956, the Mai-Kai has been the crown jewel of Polynesian Pop — a mid-century marvel of flaming volcanoes, hula dancers, and rum-soaked cocktails hidden in plain sight in Fort Lauderdale. After a four-year, $20+ million restoration, it reopened its doors in November 2024, and this episode digs into what makes it so special.We're joined by Jim "Hurricane" Hayward of The Atomic Grog, the go-to source for everything Mai-Kai since 2020 and a fixture of the Tiki scene through his work with The Hukilau. Hurricane walks us through the restaurant's storied history, the mammoth restoration effort, and why this Fort Lauderdale institution matters so much to Tiki culture — plus a few cocktail recommendations for when you visit.Grab a Mai-Tai and settle in — this one's mostly Disney, but very much Tiki.

This week Andrew are I are joined by Jeremy Stein, who co-hosts the Main Street Magic podcast with his wife Rhonda — closing in on their ninth anniversary and 900th episode of covering the parks from two hours down the road in St. Augustine. Jeremy also opens up about his recovery memoir, Still Loud, Now Clear, chronicling his first 18 months of sobriety, which Tater (sober over 22 years himself) calls one of his favorite reads of the year. The crew digs into Disney quietly pulling its zero-proof Lyre's mocktails property-wide, mourns festival foods that never made it to a permanent menu (RIP the Food & Wine Spam bowl), speculates about what's actually going to be on the menu at the new Harryhausen's, and debates whether Carousel of Progress-style change is coming for the "untouchable" rides next. Funny, a little reflective, and mostly Disney — plus a first look at next week's guest, tiki historian Jim Hayward.

This week Tater and Andrew sit down with Zac Brown of Zac Brown Creative Solutions — video editor, podcast producer, and now published author — for an unscripted ramble through what it actually takes to start (and stick with) a creative passion project. Zac shares his Disney origin story, from his grandfather's shoulder-mounted VHS camcorder to shooting minor league baseball to his new memoir, An Accidental Education.

The crew talks Lou Mongello's Momentum retreat and the found-family energy of the Disney creator community, debates three handheld fans on air, and revisits the show's most important recurring segment: ranking Walt Disney World's best (and worst) water fountains. Funny, a little sentimental, and mostly Disney.

If this shows up weird, it's because I missed this audio and edited it and brought it up at a different time.

But this is Episode 70, reviewing our family's trip to Walt Disney World and staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground. We stayed in a cabin, and it was absolutely spectacular. We detail our trip, tell you where we ate, what we did, what went right, and what went wrong.

If you have any questions about it, feel free to reach out any time, and I'm happy to answer them.

We planned a focused episode on the history of Disney watercraft — the Friendship boats, the Magic Kingdom ferries, the Sassagoula riverboats — and ended up in a wandering, wonderful roundtable covering Disney World, Universal Orlando, theme park food, and Disney trivia along the way.

Jim Smith, Disney super fan and writer of several Disney articles, joined us this week to talk Disney boats but ended up chatting about Disney and Universal comparisons, Disney park food, and everything in between.

If you love Disney park history, Walt Disney World planning talk, and unscripted conversations between people who've spent way too much time thinking about theme parks, this one's for you.

Mostly Disney. Occasionally focused. Always fun.