Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast

In this exclusive excerpt from our new book, discover Walt Disney's early life in Kansas City. We'll explore Walt's earliest inspiration for Disneyland, his childhood amusement park. Walk the flower-lined avenues of the lost Electric City park that continued to inspire Walt throughout his career, long after the 100,000 gleaming lights went out.

*Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland * -Out Now!
Explore the fascinating history behind Disneyland – a theme park history book for kids 9 to 12.

Inspire an interest in history with this fun and immersive journey across 20th century US history through the lens of the happiest place on earth. From awful ideas left on the drawing board to actual flying (and sinking!) ships, Fastpass to the Past: A Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland is a thrilling grand circle tour of Disneyland's past and present.

In this California history book, kids will walk in the footsteps of Walt Disney before discovering the inspiring stories and hidden Disneyland secrets behind ALL of their favorite theme attractions, including The Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, and even Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Purchase the Book

Behind the Scenes Content

Links:

• Purchase The Book: Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland — Explore the fascinating history behind Disneyland – a theme park history book for kids 9 to 12.Inspire an interest in history with this fun and immersive journey across 20th century US history through the lens of the happiest place on earth. From awful ideas left on the drawing board to actual flying (and sinking!) ships, Fastpass to the Past: A Jr. Historian’s Guide to Disneyland is a thrilling grand circle tour of Disneyland’s past and present.In this California history book, kids will walk in the footsteps of Walt Disney before discovering the inspiring stories and hidden Disneyland secrets behind ALL of their favorite theme attractions, including The Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, and even Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• Behind the Scenes Content | Fastpass to the Past

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Since Disneyland's opening in 1955, every designer who has been tasked with creating a new Main Street for a new Disney park has had to live up to that first nostalgic thoroughfare, the only one Walt actually had a hand in designing, while also setting the scene for the rest of the park. For Disneyland Paris, this task fell to a young brand-new Imagineer and self-proclaimed Disneytologist, Eddie Sotto, who envisioned a very different Main Street USA.

Eddie spent over a year working on a Main Street inspired by the stories of the Roaring '20s, and the jazz, cinema, art deco, and gangsters that populated the decade. His design included a hidden restaurant in a locomotive, a speakeasy jazz club, and police raids. Unfortunately, due to creative and financial reasons, his plans never saw the light of day in Paris. In this new part of the 'Lost Lands of Disneyland' series, we go back to the drawing board, deep in the Walt Disney Company archive, to see what this Roaring 20's entrance sequence would have looked like.

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• The How of Wow! | Eddie Sotto | TEDxBermuda - YouTube
• Disney and More - Main Street 1920's Early Draft
• Disney and More - The Disneyland Paris That Never Was
• Disney and More - Disneyland Paris That Never Was, Part 2
• Disney and More - Why Disneyland Paris Book Is Great
• Yesterland.com: Disneyland Paris, From Sketch To Reality
• Eddie Sotto (@boss_angeles) / Twitter
• Disney and More - Disneyland Paris That Never Was, Part 3
• The Disneyland Paris That Could Have Been: Speakeasies, Gangsters, and a 1920s Jazz Club — No time to listen? Read my article on the topic, which is filled with concept art.

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Learn about how "Laemmle's Folly," a dream of an immigrant and rebel movie mogul named Carl Laemmle for a city dedicated to the movies, became a reality with Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio tour of his creation, once merely a method of attracting audiences and publicity to Universal Films, transformed over time into a worldwide theme park empire with revenues in the billions. While most early film studios are now mainly fading celluloid and memories, Universal continues to grow in popularity, offering new generations of film lovers the chance to go behind the scenes of their favorite films.

[Shownotes ](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com)

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• Discovering the History Behind Universal Studios Hollywood — Austin wrote an article about her Universal Studios Hollywood research!
• Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast Episode 5: Part 1: How Disney Stole An Entire Theme Park (JAWS & Universal Studios Orlando) — Like this episode? Learn more about how Universal started Universal Orlando.
• The Birth of the Universal Studios Tour | KCET
• The Chicken Ranch, Universal Studios Hollywood's Early Days
• 12 Things That Will Surprise You About Universal Studios Hollywood | Mental Floss
• The History of Universal’s House of Horrors | Inside Universal
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.

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Unlike the ill-fairing Hong Kong Disneyland transplant, Shanghai Disneyland is perhaps Disney’s most original theme park, leaning very little on real world locations and history, or even meticulously recreated towns or alleys we’ve seen in films: Shanghai Disneyland is full of almost completely original and fictional worlds. In this episode, Austin and a special guest discuss their tips and tricks for planning your next vacation to Disneyland Shanghai.
[Shownotes ](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com)
[TeePublic Store](teepublic.com/stores/fastpass-to-the-past-the-theme-park-history-podcast)

Links:

• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.
• Is Shanghai Disneyland Worth A Visit? – Austin Carroll – Medium — Austin wrote an article about her trip to Shanghai.

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Learn about the first ever discussions for a Disneyland in China, which took place 17 years before the opening of Shanghai Disneyland back in 1998 in a political move linked forever with Disney titans, Michael Eisner and Bob Iger. In this episode, we'll also talk about why Disney choose to construct a massive theme park on the outskirts of Shanghai and what went into developing a Disney theme park that was 'distinctly chinese.'

[Shownotes ](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com)
[TeePublic Store](teepublic.com/stores/fastpass-to-the-past-the-theme-park-history-podcast)

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• Is Shanghai Disneyland Worth A Visit? – Austin Carroll – Medium — Austin wrote an article about her visit to Shanghai Disneyland. Check it out for tips & tricks!
• DISNEY AND PARTNERS BREAK GROUND ON SHANGHAI DISNEY RESORT | Walt Disney World News
• Disney's new theme park in Shanghai may be the capstone to CEO Robert Iger's career - Los Angeles Times
• The Influence of the Disney Theme Park in Shanghai Related Industries
• How China Won the Keys to Disney’s Magic Kingdom - The New York Times
• MEDIA; After Protracted Talks, a Disneyland Will Rise in Hong Kong - The New York Times
• Shanghai Disney Resort Opening Coincides with Shanghai Film Festival | Hollywood Reporter
• Shanghai Disney Resort To Include ‘Star Wars’, Marvel & ‘Tron’ Attractions | Deadline
• Bob Iger: Shanghai Disney isn't just Disneyland in China
• Shanghai Disneyland project breaks ground at last - BBC News
• Shanghai Disney To Open 2015
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.

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The history of the Walt Disney World Resort is littered with great what-might-have-beens stories. These 5 resorts were all planned & ready to go, only to suddenly fall out of favor & never be constructed. Today, we'll be talking about the 5 'lost resorts' of Walt Disney World's Seven Seas Lagoon inspired by the canals of Venice, the mosques of Iran, and the beauty of the national parks.

[Shownotes ](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com)
[TeePublic Store](teepublic.com/stores/fastpass-to-the-past-the-theme-park-history-podcast)

Links:

• The Lost Resorts – 4 planned paradises never built at Walt Disney World
• The 5 "Lost" Hotels of Walt Disney World | Page 2 | Theme Park Tourist
• Another WDW might-have-been: Fort Wilderness Junction
• The Walt Disney World that Never Was: Cypress Point Lodge - WDW RadioWDW Radio
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.
• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland

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Now that it is December, it is officially skiing season! So today, Austin will be describing the disastrous 1960s 'lost resort' called Disney’s Mineral King Ski Village. Disney’s rarely-remembered and disatorious foray into creating a skiing destination within California's Sequoia National Park. Originally envisioned as a five-story resort with over a thousand rooms, surrounded by a movie theater, general store, pools, ice rinks, tennis courts, a golf course, and 22 lifts to the slopes, we’ll take a gander at what would have been a Disney vacation like no other - if it ever came to fruition.

[Shownotes](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com)
TeePublic Store

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• Disney’s Lost Plans to Build a Ski Resort in Sequoia National Park | KCET
• Yesterland: Walt Disney's Mineral King
• Ski Area That Didn’t Happen #1—Independence Lake | Tahoetopia
• In the '60s, Disney Almost Built a Ski Resort in Sequoia National Park
• What if Disney had built the Mineral King ski resort? – Orange County Register
• Mineral King – Walt Disney’s Last Lost Project | The DIS Unplugged Disney Podcast
• Imagining what could have been in Disney's Mineral King
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.

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Welcome to The Jungle! In this first episode of Season 2, join Austin for five exciting days and six romantic nights in the heart of the original Disneyland Adventureland. Often regarded as the first theme park safari, we'll discuss the origins of the beloved Jungle Cruise and the 8th Wonder of the World - the backside of water. In the 60 years since its inception, the jokes and to an extent the animatronics haven’t gotten any better - yet it goes down in history as one of the most beloved Disney attractions. TeePublic store. [Shownotes](www.themeparkhistorypodcast.com).

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• Disneyland’s fake jungle is pretty real – Orange County Register
• The Secret History of Disney Rides: Jungle Cruise
• The Murky History of Disney's Jungle Cruise | Theme Park Tourist
• It’s a Jungle Out There: The History of Jungle Cruise Horticulture | Disney Parks Blog
• Yesterland presents Jungle Cruise Comparison
• Disney History: The Jungle Cruise - TouringPlans.com Blog
• The 626: Jungle Cruise History (Disney Dispatch)
• The History of Disney: Jungle Cruise History
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.
• The Origins of The World Famous Jungle Cruise – Austin Carroll – Medium — Podcast Script

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Welcome to the third part of the 'Lost Lands' - a series of closed attractions, forgotten announcements, and especially those plans that never made it off the drawing board. Today, Austin will discuss the never-realized fantastical Beastly Kingdom - an intended part of Disney's Animal Kingdom's Part II Expansion at it's opening. The dragon from this land is even in Animal Kingdom's logo some 20 years later! Austin will also explore the tumultuous fate of the fantasy-inspired land, where dragons and unicorns would have come together to round out the west side of the park where a temporary Camp Minnie Mickey stood. So… hold on tight as we uncover the forgotten lands of Disney's Animal Kingdom and Universal's Island of Adventure.

Special thanks to Austin Vaughn for his help in writing this episode. Follow him on Twitter @AVaughnTS.

Links:

• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland
• The Land Before AVATAR: What Disney's Animal Kingdom Almost Had | Theme Park Tourist
• Beastly Kingdom - The Forgotten Land of Animal Kingdom | The Mouselets
• Disney Extinct Attractions: Beastly Kingdom - LaughingPlace.com
• Disney Avenue: What If Disney Had Built Beastly Kingdom
• Beastly Kingdom | Disney Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia
• Goodbye, Dueling Dragons: A history of ice and fire | Inside Universal
• Disney's Animal Kingdom - Wikipedia
• Special Thanks to Austin Vaughn — (@AVaughnTS) | Twitter
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.

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Welcome to the second part of the 'Lost Lands of Disneyland' - a series of closed attractions, forgotten announcements, and especially those plans that never made it off the drawing board. Today, Austin will discuss the event space of Disney's bygone years, Holidayland - 9 acres of baseball diamonds, a circus, and bottomless mugs of beer perfectly suited for corporate events in the 1950's. Austin will also explore the tumultuous fate of the WestCot-inspired Holiday World, where holidays and a land inspired by Epcot's World Showcase would have come together to round out the forgotten West side of the park just beyond the Disneyland Railroad. So… hold on tight as we uncover the forgotten Holiday-themed lands of Disneyland that characterized the first twenty years.

Links:

• Disney History Institute
• Holidayland: The Least Photographed Land in the Park - Disney History Institute
• Bear Country at Yesterland
• Holidayland - Wikipedia
• Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever: Tim O'Day, Bruce Gordon
• T-Shirts by Fastpass to the Past: The Theme Park History Podcast - TeePublic Store | TeePublic — Are you a theme park history expert? Show the world (world showcase that is) with these unique designs and t-shirts inspired by the Fastpass to the Past podcast.
• Pre-Order Our New Book! Fastpass to the Past: The Jr. Historian's Guide to Disneyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.