Its Halloween time again and friend-of-the-show Kristi is back to talk about the Haunted Mansion, and beyond.  Come and take a listen to the darker side of the park, and hear some fun ghost-oriented stories. (with apologies, the podcast this week is a little long at 41 minutes, but I think you will find its well worth your time!)

These are the scenes from the Haunted Mansion that we discuss: 

Kristi references a video of the haunted mansion with some alterations. You can see "The Haunted Mansion: Hatbox Ghost Edition" at Vimeo.com/26227940

Great Expectations is available at The Gutenberg Project , for free.

Here are the Top 5 creepy things, in the Magic Kingdom, but not in the Haunted Mansion:

#5 Platypuses with Eggs (Its a Small World)

#4 Tiki Totems (Enchanted Tiki Room)

#3 Pirate on the Ship (Pirates of the Caribbean)

#2 Injun Joe's Cave (Tom Sawyer's Island)

#1 Tiger's glowing eyes in Shirley Temple's (Jungle Cruise)

Bad Apple, was just released by Vagabondage Press Books and is available everywhere in print and all e-book formats. You can find it here:http://bit.ly/BadAppleKPS. (Remember 50% of the proceeds are being donated to charity)

Her newest scary story, "The Thing Inside," is in an anthology called Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope, available from Western Legends Press in both Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

If you want to see the book trailers for either of these, they're on Kristi's website here: http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/trailers/

A ghost story writer who still sleeps with the lights on, Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies. She holds an MFA from Goddard College, has received three Norman Mailer Writers Colony Residencies, is editor for Read Short Fiction, and hosts the Scary Scribes podcast for Paranormal, Eh? Radio Network in Canada. Her work Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole is a collection of ghost stories set in Disney Parks; her horror novel, Bad Apple, is now available from Vagabondage Press Books. She’s also a member of the New England Horror Writers Association. More info: www.kristipetersenschoonover.com. 

 Today's podcast is a look back at opening day in EPCOT. I have audio from then-chairman of the board E Cardon "Card" Walker, standing in front of a crowd offering a short dedication ceremony, some audio from the actual park opening - and that includes music and an introduction by Jack Wagner.

And then, I present part of the audio from a live TV feed from EPCOT that was shown on CBS to promote its opening. If you're interested in watching the whole video - including some of the cheesy scenes, amusing comments, moderately bad acting and Disney-fied music - be sure and watch the YouTube video below.

And finally, I have a few quotes and promotional materials to share. It's a look back at the actual opening of the park, and in some ways looking ahead to the promise of tomorrow....that never was. 

 Continuing a celebration of EPCOT, on this podcast I have a guest who was on the construction crew and who was there for opening day as a CastMember. My friend Charles is my guest, and we chat about his memories of that time and he gives you a feeling for what that time was like, and I set some context for what it was like for those of us who saw it from the outside. I hope you enjoy this retrospective.

Curious as to what a "dragline" is?  Check out this wikipedia entry 

 As Epcot prepares to celebrate its 30th year, I wanted to look back at Walt's vision, and what was constructed on the Florida property. I delve into the backstory, and what was originally progress city, and how that evolved over time. I hope you take a listen, and learn some new things about the history of the park.  

 On today's show, I'm delighted to talk about my new affiliation with Destinations in Florida, an authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Now when someone asks if I can direct them to an agency, I have an answer! Joining me to talk about the service - and Disney of course - is Shannon, one of the friendly and knowledgeable travel planners. Get to know her a little, and learn a little about what they offer, and of course we'll talk about some Disney Magic.

Now I have to tell you that I really had some fun talking with Shannon.  She's got the "spirit" of a CastMember and has a passion for what she does (and like I often say, you should have great passion for whatever you do in life!)...

 On today's podcast, I talk about the ins and outs of working in the Emporium. I talk about its size, how much money is handled, and how it manages to work. I explain how the stock is maintained, and how the finances work. Its sort of an insiders look at the store. 

 Dave is back to answer your Disney questions! Is Wi-fi available? What do you do when it rains in the water parks? In the other parks? What do CastMembers do for vacations? Help with park tickets. And some cruise tips.

MouseSavers.com Ticket Questions

Hidden Mickeys iPhone app

Hidden Mickeys iPad app

Pin trading app (iPhone & iPad) 

 I've been doing this for a while now, and one thing that's missing is a bit of a social conscience.  I figure we all should do some good for others, and that's what I aim to do.

Now I know this is not my greatest work.  Believe me when I say I had a lot of trouble deciding on an approach for this podcast.  But I believe that what it lacks in overall production quality is offset by its purpose.

You see, I have a friend who has a child diagnosed with autism.  He wanted to take a trip to Disney, and relying on everything I know about Disney I pronounced "I believe Disney will take great care with you, and you'll have a great time!"

But it turns out that he had other information from people in his circle: Disney is NOT (gasp!) that great at making accommodations for children with autism and (double gasp!) Universal does it better.

Say it isn't so!

So, he decided to bring his other child down to investigate and visit both and determine what his son can handle and how both parks deal with issues.

And so I took him around the Magic Kingdom, and we had a ball.

But I became more acutely aware of what he was saying...and decided that my social conscience would be directed at raising awareness and supporting an organization called "Autism Speaks"....you can find a link to the site on this page, and on disneypodcast.net

What I would like to do over time is to hilight the cause from time to time, and if anyone has some experience in this area, please feel free to comment or send me an email.

I'm not sure where I want to go with this, exactly, but I just feel like it should go *somewhere*. 

 Today's podcast pays homage to the park that started it all. Curt was in DisneyLand shortly after CarsLand opened, and he's here to tell us all about it. Yeah, I know, the podcast runs a little long, but it covers a lot of ground and he gives his impressions as a DisneyWorld guy.  

 Its a dose of Disney news! Included are an update on Fast Pass Plus, The Legend of Jack Sparrow, FantasyLand, Agent P, AvatarLand, updates to Soarin'? And more! Tune in and enjoy!