Retro Disney World Podcast

Welcome to Episode 60 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Tomorrowland '94" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!  While you are listening, please browse through our entire album of ephemera. We have tons in there and if you click this link, be ready for an adventure that could take up an entire evening. Also, let us know if you have any images you would like to add to this collection, as we are working to make it very comprehensive. 

Last month we had the great food and menu episode and the response was great. Thanks for all the feedback and items shared relating to food stories, menus, and anything else. It sure was fun to sift through and see how much everybody enjoyed it!

1. Huge thank you for all the ephemera that was sent in. We got tons of great items and this will all be added to the site soon. Your time and effort is appreciated!

Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. Carla wrote in regarding the turnstiles and where they are still located - thanks Carla!

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Our audio rewind this month is from Muppet Vision 3D - Thank you for all the guesses and emails! How gives us a little bonus, telling you all about the extended queue at muppet Vision.

We have a winner! Congratulations Natalie B!  - you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera! - hope you enjoy!

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! [email protected] - This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 9/7/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

For this month, we are discussing a major overhaul of a land at the Magic Kingdom. Many of the lands have slowly evolved and changed, but Tomorrowland had a major change with nearly everything being touched in 1994. Brian & How start us off at Disneyland in 1983 with the expansion of Fantasyland - bringing comparisons to our main topic. All of these major refurbs work towards making the park appealing to a new audience - which is why the funds were sent to the Magic Kingdom and Tomorrowland. We are basing this episode off a major press release which we just acquired. 

As we work through our initial discussions about Tomorrowland, our FIRST podcast episode is brought up, and I guess way back when we discuss early Tomorrowland - if you are brave and want to hear our early stuff, here you go: Episode One-Planning for Tomorrow.

1994-95 Disney Press Release - New Tomorrowland Featuring... Alien Encounter

So we basically learn that in the late 80s and early 90s, Disney learns that you can't build a land that needs to be updated every other year, especially when you call it Tomorrowland. EPCOT ran into this problem a bit and the original Tomorrowland just had so much trouble keeping up with technology. This overview episode of the entire land covers nearly everything from design and lighting to ride updates and add-ons. The signage is discussed, as this was one highlight for some of the guests. We also get into sponsorship changes and how this land impacted each of us, as I'm sure you will pick a side on if you really liked this update or not. At one point in this episode, we discuss The Timekeeper, which we did an entire episode on - click here. The new arcade that was installed right next to Space Mountain was massive. It has many games, prizes, and just a fun, Tomorrowland arcade feel. We hit a bit on the Penny Arcade, which we discuss in Episode 47 of the podcast - check it out. We spend considerable time discussing the infamous Kugel Ball, or germ ball as Todd calls it. These are more common than you think and this one has gone through some changes. It seems like there wasn't a ride or attraction that was left alone and this includes The Carousel of Progress. We go through some of the changes that made this what it is today.

Throughout the episode, we have some great sound drops and audio clips. That 90s Tomorrowland background loop makes this one fun to listen to overall. We hope you have fun going back to the mid-90s and we want to know - what is your favorite memory of this 'new' land at Magic Kingdom? Send us a message and tell us!  Enjoy!

To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.

• Join us next time for Episode 61, we are staying in Tomorrowland but taking you into Alien Encounter. It will be ExtraTERRORestrial!
  

Kat Cressida is a renowned voice actress and respected Disney historian whose connection with Disney began with her father’s work with WED and Disneyland in the 1970s. She is known not only for bringing characters to life in Disney Parks ("Little Girl Lost" in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story's Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl in shows and attractions worldwide and Constance Hatchaway, the 'Black Widow Bride' in The Haunted Mansion) but also for top AAA video game titles (Marvel Heroes, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, The Wolf Among Us, Fallout 76) as well as animation (Toy Story titles, Dexter’s Laboratory, Phineas and Ferb).

Kat began her career as a Shakespeare major at UC Berkley, became a cast member at Disneyland, and after a successful on-camera career, transitioned into full-time voicer. Besides her career achievements in voice over, she’s also a professional keynote speaker – addressing pediatric cancer and patient advocacy  – leveraging her recovery from fatal cancer to help others navigate the health care system.

In 2019, she gave a well-received TEDTalk at UCLA on the value of playtime.

In this episode, we speak with Kat about her personal connection with Disneyland, both as a frequent visitor and eventual cast member, the beginnings of her professional involvement with Disney Parks recording scratch tracks and "walla" (background crowd sounds) for Imagineering, and her eventual casting as "The Black Widow Bride," Constance Hatchaway, in the 2006 revision to the Haunted Mansion's attic scene.

Our rollicking conversation touches many topics; including fans' love for the Constance character, the effort made to make the new character be a seamless addition to the classic attraction, and plans for the Orlando Mansion uncovered during her research for the character that never came to be.

We also learn about the fascinating preparation and vocal techniques Kat uses for voice-matching Hollywood celebrities in films, which she leverages to bring Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl from the "Toy Story" films to life in attractions and shows in the Disney Parks worldwide.

For incredible daily deep Disney history and trivia, be sure to follow Kat on social media:

• Twitter - @KatCressida

Welcome to Episode 59 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Tickets & Ephemera” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!  While you are listening, please browse through our entire album of ephemera. We have tons in there and if you click this link, be ready for an adventure that could take up an entire evening. Also, let us know if you have any images you would like to add to this collection, as we are working to make it very comprehensive. 

Last month we had the great food and menu episode and the response was great. Thanks for all the feedback and items shared relating to food stories, menus, and anything else. It sure was fun to sift through and see how much everybody enjoyed it!

1. Zach wrote in about the breakfast at the Top of the World. His mother chimed in on this memory and confirmed this as well. Thanks so much for the help Zach! Brian also discusses the champagne brunch up there, which was also confirmed.

Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. We first heard from Jen Miller discussing how she is a Disneyland fan, but she also lived down in Florida. Believe it or not, her father was an actual animator at The Disney-MGM Studios! She even would walk around during operating hours and take in the animators practicing their craft. She shares tons of great memories in this amazing email, along with a couple of quick questions – thank you so much!

We love feedback and hearing your memories!

Drop us a line at [email protected] or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Our audio rewind this month is from Spaceship Earth – Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations David Andrews!  – you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera! – hope you enjoy!

If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! [email protected] – This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 7/20/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

This month, we are taking you back to the ephemera and this is also guided by you, our listeners. We got some amazing and interesting stuff from our listeners and fans which we couldn’t believe! Ephemera defined by us and most everybody else are things that aren’t souvenirs or sold items. These small items like ticket stubs, napkins, brochures, paper items, and things that aren’t really meant to be kept. Is the biggest and most common piece of ephemera tickets? Well, Todd gets us into some ticket history and items, mostly brought to us from AllEars.net – tons of amazing information here, so check them out!

Check out David Coolidge’s new website: https://www.davidcoolidge.com/

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. This past month we have posted so many great ones including – Computer-A-Coaster, Imagineering Typhoon Lagoon, and Restored Resort TV from 1993 – check these out, as they are amazingly fun to watch.

Welcome to Episode 58 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Retro Menus” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!

Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. Mark is our first listener who wrote in, saying he found our podcast and is slowly working to catch up. His question is all about the WedWay Peoplemover and where it is stored. We kick you off with a super deep dive on this and give you our thoughts.

We love feedback and hearing your memories!

Drop us a line at [email protected] or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Our audio rewind this month is The Blob from the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations Geoffrey Nease!  – you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera – hope you enjoy!

If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! [email protected] – This month, the winner will be getting a mystery prize! All entries are due 6/23/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

This month we aren’t taking you to a specific ride, resort or theme park. When looking back our first ephemera episode was a huge hit! We also did one on dining, Retro Food. So today, we are going to have Brian lead us through some really neat menus, food options, and dining.

The former dining locations are a great way to look back and experience how the resort used to be. Dining was huge back in the 1970s and Disney made sure the dining was just as special as the trip itself.

• The Contemporary Resort in the 1970s

Welcome to Episode 57 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "El Rio del Tiempo" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!

Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. Cory wrote in thanking us for doing the show and he has been binging the show. We love these - thank you so much Cory and we hope you enjoy our latest and greatest.

[listenerfeedback]

Did we make a mistake? Do you have a correction? Let us know!

1. Brian goes into some more information on Hula Pie from Sea World and the Hawaiin Punch Village. If you love Hula Pie, take a listen!

Our audio rewind this month is Impressions de France - Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations Steve Tanner!  - you won the books from author Christopher Smith. These are great and you are going to love them.

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! [email protected] - This month, the winner will be getting a grab bag of random WDW ephemera and goodies - All entries due 5/19/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Our good friend How takes the lead this episode and we can't be more excited. You can always expect a deep dive into whatever it is he is discussing, which is always amazing. This episode we take you back to EPCOT Center and right into World Showcase. One of our favorite countries that was actually the only World Showcase 'ride' when the park opened. This attraction has stayed very similar to the opening day form with some minor updates, and we will get into those throughout this episode.

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. This past month we have posted so many great ones including - 1992 WDW Information Channel, 1982 EPCOT Center w/Harold & Yvonne, and the hugely popular Easter Parade from 1992. 

• Join us next time for Episode 57, which we have not fully planned out, but you won't want to miss it  Thanks for joining us!

We know many of you are at home for the next few weeks and we wanted to get a few new episodes and films out as quickly as possible to keep you busy. In this mini-episode, the team interviews Gene Brignola and gets the inside scoop on the original Pylon Fountain at EPCOT Center. From how was conceptualized, designed, manufactured to installation! You'll never believe what the pylons actually represent and the time that went into creating it.

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. This past month we have posted a great resort tour from The Disney Channel, The original DVC Resort Tour, and a great Innoventions commercial from the mid-90s.

Welcome to Episode 56 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Good Neighbors" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!

1. Jake Nelson wrote in about a possible hidden skeleton somewhere inside Catastrophe Canyon. We give our take on this one from the old days of MGM.

The mailbag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. Tom Potter is our first letter and it is all about time capsules. Tom brings up the opening of Coronado Springs and how they placed a capsule back in 1997.

Our audio rewind this month is El Rio del Tiempo - Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations Jimmy Tucker!  - you won the book by Marty Sklar from Brian.

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! [email protected] - This month, the winner will be getting 3 books from author Christopher Smith - All entries due 4/15/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

This month, our main topic is Good Neighbors mostly focusing on Sea World. The early days of Lake Buena Vista had just one theme park so people needed more to do and more places to stay. A few years back, we discussed some of the good neighbor hotels and that program back on Episode 39. Brian leads us this month through some of the history and how Sea World got it's start. This includes California, Ohio and the other locations as this is all an important part of the story. 

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. This past month we have posted a great resort tour from The Disney Channel, The original DVC Resort Tour, and a great Innoventions commercial from the mid-90s.

• Join us next time for Episode 57, which we have not fully planned out, but you won't want to miss it  Thanks for joining us!

Welcome to Episode 55 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Backstage Tour - MGM" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!

1. Take a listen to our latest mini-episode, Bringing The World Closer To You - this was a quick one but ended up being very good. Enjoy!

The mailbag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at [email protected].

1. Rob wrote in, asking about the VIP Lounges at EPCOT. Rob is mainly interested in the Kodak lounge at Journey into Imagination. Brian gives us his take on it. As I was putting this write-up together, I realized Rob is the owner of the site we reference. Check out his collection of VIP lounge pictures and information: Future World's Hidden VIP Lounges

[listenerfeedback]

Our audio rewind this month is the opening of Holiday Illuminations - Thank you for all the guesses and emails, and we didn't get many!

We have a winner! Congratulations Beth Goldman!  - you won a set of RetroMagic ornaments!

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! [email protected] - This month, the winner will be getting a copy of the Marty Sklar book, Dream it, Do it - All entries due 2/17/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

The main topic this month is one of the recently closed classics, The Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour. There have been so many changes and updates over the years, but we are going to focus on the original, for the most part. How is our guide on this episode, walking us through the entire tram portion of the tour. We take it right back to 1989, going through how the Disney-MGM Studios actually worked. The concept of going past the theme park and then entering the studio - this is how the tour basically began. The walking tour was part of this, but we are not going to discuss this.

The backlot tour had so many different aspects including residential street, the boneyard, the various production trailers, and so many other little nuggets. The tour seemed to change often, as far as props and items but the tour wasn't complete with a look at the Streets of America, or the New York street set. You would know this as the set for "The Lottery", which seems to be the only movie filmed here that we ever hear about. To accompany this episode, we have a great video on our YouTube channel - click here to watch after the episode!

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. This past month we have posted the Backlot Tour video, a ride around the monorail in 1991 and the 1994 runDisney Marathon. Enjoy!

• Join us next time for Episode 56, which we have not fully planned out, but you won't want to miss it  Thanks for joining us!

Welcome to Episode 54.5 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Bringing the World Closer to You" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! 

Back in Episode 42 (Communicore West) we interviewed Lisa Bastoni, granddaughter of Walter Einsel, the designer of the Age of Information Exhibit at Futurecom in Communicore West. Through her grandfather's notes and a correct search of the song, we were able to locate the author and lyricist of the song, Tom Tierney! In this episode we speak with Tom about the creation of the song, how he developed the melody and lyrics and his interaction with Walter and Naiad Einsel. We top it off with a special version of Bringing the World Closer to you performed at RetroMagic by Lisa Bastoni!

Tom's other works currently in production:

NARNIA (based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) is at the Serenbe Playhouse in Atlanta, GA through January 12, 2020. It's an "immersive" production - here’s a link…

You can find Lisa's music at www.lisabastoni.com and on itunes!

We have quite a year coming up and we want you to be a part of it, every step of the way. The 'How Bowers Archive' has been digitized, we have tons of restored film movies and so much more, just waiting to get posted. To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.

• Join us next time for Episode 55, where we take you back to The Disney-MGM Studios!
  

Welcome to Episode 54 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “A Very ’90s Christmas” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!

1. Carrie wrote us regarding a jade carving in the China pavilion, connecting back to when we discussed the overly expensive items throughout EPCOT Center. Please, we are looking for any information regarding the rare, expensive and unique items sprinkled throughout World Showcase.  Thanks Carrie!

The mail bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write us at [email protected].

1. Richard wrote in regarding the STOL Port; he wants to run there during some half marathon training. We give him some top tips regarding seeing the airport and also running around WDW.

We love feedback and hearing your memories!

Drop us a line at [email protected] or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Our audio rewind this month turned out to be Sorcery in the Sky – Thank you for all the guesses and emails.

We have a winner! Congratulations Jessie Edwards who wins a great selection of prizes.

If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! [email protected] – This month, the winner will be getting some of our holiday ornaments! – All entries due 1/10/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Christmas and the holiday season is upon us, which means more specials! We are getting into three different shows; The Walt Disney World Christmas Very Merry Parade from 1993, A Musical Christmas at WDW from 1993 and finally the 1995 Very Merry Christmas Parade. The specials and shows always seem to be plentiful around the holidays, so we get to discuss them in great detail.  If you would like to follow along as we discuss so you have a visual, please utilize our latest VHS transfers:

If you attended RetroMagic, you were given a set of three Christmas Ornaments. The Journey into Imagination ride vehicle, The RetroMagic Logo/Float and The Mouse – Walt’s original plane. 

We have extras and we are giving them away with any donation of $50. To donate to the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society, please visit www.RetroMagic.org – there are many different donation options and gifts. We thank you for your support and hope you enjoy this unique gift set for the upcoming holiday season.

We have quite a year coming up and we want you to be a part of it, every step of the way. The ‘How Bowers Archive’ has been digitized, we have tons of restored film movies and so much more, just waiting to get posted. 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.

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