Retro Disney World Podcast

Comments & Corrections

We start this month with some sports, weather and candy updates. The Disney World stuff will come eventually, we promise.

1. Big update on the old school turnstiles around the parks. Carla Carle gave us the full report with pictures – thank you!!
2. The Kugel Ball is huge – literally! We’ve been getting updates on local Kugel Balls, pictures are being sent and we love seeing this.
3. How gives us some more information on the Tomorrowland palm trees. We discuss some of the manufacturing, history, and theories on these things. The story goes on….

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode.

1. Downey wrote in asking about the talking elevator at The Contemporary Resort. We discuss this being a real thing and also the 80s/90s talking craze.
2. Keith touched base this month regarding Birnbaum’s, which we cite often. Keith actually worked on the books – thanks so much for writing Keith.
3. We heard from Andie regarding injuries on Alien Encounter. Her mother had some issues on this ‘ride’ and we’re curious who else has been injured on Alien Encounter?
4. Bill wrote in about being in the College Program and how he collected Alien Encounter flyers, which helped promote the ride. These are so amazing and we’re so glad you saved these and scanned them for us.
5. Our final note is from Neuro, he gives us some fun acronyms for EPCOT. Good stuff Neuro!

Audio Rewind

Our audio rewind this month is from the Space Mountain exit queue – Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations Chuck Jordan!

If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting a 2016 WDW Poster Art Calendar. All entries are due 10/12/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Main Topic

We are staying in Tomorrowland this month, but zeroing in on a specific attraction that is no longer with us: Alien Encounter, or the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter if you are using its full legal name. This one came online back when Tomorrowland had the major overhaul in 1995 and is a fan favorite. X-S Tech is hosting a demonstration at the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center and everyone is invited, including you! How leads us this month with lots of history, first-hand experiences, and also the two versions. With this being Part 1, we focus on the versions and what everything looked and felt like.

One of the first things everybody notices are those porthole type windows; they had a tint to them that really didn’t allow you to see in, which created some questions right from the get-go outside. We learn about why there is a manhole cover lifted and also why the massive yellow tower is on top of the building. The story elements were plentiful and most of them went unnoticed. This attraction was designed to draw in those teenagers and pull them back from Universal. It was high energy and extreme – which is what the Magic Kingdom needed for that particular crowd.

Now this attraction had two versions – we include them both in this episode comparing the similarities and differences. The first show is missing a bit to connect some dots and the second gets darker and creepier. How explains how the pre-show undergoes a major change across the versions as well. If you never had the chance to go on Alien Encounter, this episode will paint a pretty good picture with lots of audio clips and on-ride sounds. We also get into answering lots of why questions as a group, as we all took a spin on this one over the years with varied success and enjoyment. We hope you have a good time with us back in Tomorrowland of the 90s!

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. 

Comments & Corrections

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!
2. Our good friend @bioreconstruct let us know about an add-on for a 43" monitor he found on Amazon that has the old school infrared beams. He also found it being used in Imageworks inside Epcot.
3. A friend of the show, Joe called in to discuss Disney Dollars - this is a great story! Thanks Joe!
4. Turnstiles came up during the last episode and where they are still located. Joe Barlow wrote in with instructions on how to lock them and he also issues an apology. 

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

1. Carla wrote in regarding the turnstiles and where they are still located - thanks Carla!
2. Miranda, AJ, and Joe - You three are featured in the listener mail section with some solid ephemera. We discuss this during the show and they are super cool so I had to put them up high for everybody to see. Thank you and enjoy!
3. Eric wrote in the same day as the show and his librarian and archival skills are insane! We are all super jealous and need you to come to organize ours! Take a look..
4. We had a favor to ask for this episode regarding Birnbaum's - Joe Siler was among many others that reached out to us with some solid scans.  Thanks Joe, we appreciate your help!

 

Listener Ephemera Gallery

[ngg src="tags" ids="ep60ephemera" display="pro_sidescroll"]

 

[listenerfeedback]

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 9/7/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Main Topic

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!

2020: The Year of Film

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.

 

Next Month

• Join us next time for Episode 61, we are staying in Tomorrowland but taking you into Alien Encounter. It will be ExtraTERRORestrial!
  
• We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

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
• Instagram - @KatCressida
• Facebook - @kat.cressida

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. 

Comments & Corrections

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.
2. We next heard from Brian all about the Trophy Room. He tells us about this being a buffet, menu service and then a ticket center type of location. Our Brian gets you some info on this and also reminds us to check out the Golf Resort/Shades of Green Episode we did a number of years back.
3. Linda is next discussing crepes, onion soup in cast iron kettles at Liberty Tree Tavern, and also our album of the Crystal Palace from the mid-70s. Linda also remembers some selections from the Adventureland Veranda.
4. Joe writes in about the Sandtrap Restaurant being a hidden gem at WDW. The 18th hole of both courses are visible and the air conditioning was top notch. Joe also tells us there was an official WDW weather channel showing the radar and weather forecast, specifically by Disney.
5. Finally, Bioreconstruct reaches out about the question we had last month, regarding the Peoplemover and where it is stored. Well, he took a look for us and informed us of what he found. How gives us some more info on this and we discuss in detail. Take a listen to last month’s episode if you would like to get caught up with us.

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

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!
2. Craig wrote us next about Mickey’s Retreat. He wanted to tell us all about his experience and what he saw and did there.  Thanks, Craig!

Questions, Comments & Concerns

We love feedback and hearing your memories!

Drop us a line at podcast@retrowdw.com or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 7/20/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Main Topic

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!
Throughout this episode, we start you off in 1971 and work our way up. The tickets changed yearly in prices, type, size, and even security measures. Brian gives us a great story which relates to all of us, our parents throwing away ephemera and ‘trash’ – I’ll bet you all have a similar story where something valuable got thrown out by mom or dad.
After our ticket walkthrough, we each go through some different items we find interesting and we also get to hear from some of our listeners and what they have. We hear about the Pirate’s Point Excursion, a complimentary Discovery Island/Pleasure Island ticket, the cast Christmas parties, a Fort Wilderness info sheet taken from the resort, some Canadian sweepstakes winner paperwork, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this look back at some vintage paperwork and ephemera!

-Follow along and look through our ephemera collection here-

Friend of the Site

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

2020: The Year of Film

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!

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

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.
2. Holly writes us next from Missouri – She just found us and listens to us while sewing masks for a local hospital. Holly is a former Disneyland employee and her first visit to WDW was in 2007.
3. William Walker wants to know about Mickey’s Retreat on Little Lake Bryan. Brian & How get into this one to discuss and explain what this is. 
4. Art has been contacting us about Teen Magazine from 1972. There is a great set of photos in this magazine, including the Bob-A-Round Boat. We discuss this magazine and look through it a bit together.
5. Jason wrote in about his latest fireworks & backstage tour. He tells us a great Bob Gurr story, which sounds so crazy it almost has to be true. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know if you find out from Bob…

Questions, Comments & Concerns

We love feedback and hearing your memories!

Drop us a line at podcast@retrowdw.com or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting a mystery prize! All entries are due 6/23/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Main Topic

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.

Brian has a whole pile of menus and we all follow along as we dissect and discuss what people were eating many years ago. We start off at the Contemporary Resort Top of the World restaurant. This was an amazing space with entertainment, food and just an insanely great decor. This is great because we compare the pricing over the years and changes.

Another amazing location we take you to is The Outer Rim. Most of you know this as the current bar/lounge in the Contemporary. Well, it existed in a different format many years ago and they were actually able to keep the name. The menu doesn’t miss and it sounds like a great place to enjoy a meal. We round this all out with some room service menus, The Magnolia Dining Room and of course the Pueblo Room. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the old menus and food selections from WDW History.

Articles on The Grand Canyon Concourse from Passport to Dreams Old and New:

• The Contemporary Resort in the 1970s
• The Contemporary Resort Through the 1990s

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!

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

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.
2. Our next letter is from Steve and he wanted to discuss all things Sea World in California. This mini-history lesson was appreciated and we hope you get to Orlando soon.
3. Scott has a question about film and movies. We get this question often, regarding 'do you want my footage?' - We always are interested in footage so please let us know what you have and we can discuss options. 
4. The next letter we received is from Abby. She shared with us the 2002 GE commercial that has the Horizons DNA sequence footage - very cool and thank you to everybody that shared this with us, including Abby! Take a look
5. Michael sent us a note about the cast member 'I have an idea' program. Michael is possibly the original creator of the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater! This program is no longer around, but that is a great story and maybe somebody from WDW will confirm where they got the idea.

[listenerfeedback]

Corrections & Comments

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!

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com - 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.

Main Topic

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.
As we get into this one, we hear about who was in charge of the pavilion, where the inspiration is from, and even some of the early concept art. Speaking of art, the very talented people who were involved in this are discussed in detail and How gives us some of their personal history and past projects.
We go over the ride step by step, so make sure you take a look at some ride footage before or after you hit up this episode. Each scene is discussed in detail though and How even connects some of the original locations that inspired the ride design. This episode has me wanting to go ride this once more to look at all the hidden details and also to connect the history and real-world models. We hope you enjoy your ride on El Rio del Tiempo once more!

2020: The Year of Film

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. 

As a bonus, to accompany this episode we will be releasing two unseen rides of El Rio del Tiempo this Cinco de Mayo. Check our YouTube channel for those on 5/5/2020. 

 

Next Month

• 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!

Typical Pylons

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.

2020: The Year of Film

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.

As a bonus, to accompany this episode we have released a great new video from 1980 Sea World. This was shot on Super8 with sound! You are going to love this vintage footage that looks amazing – especially the Whale & Dolphin show.

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!

Comments & Corrections

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.
2. Reuben wrote us asking about the old shop to the left right inside the entrance to the Disney-MGM Studios. He is referring to Sid Cahuenga's of course! We discuss this store and the various items we have seen there over the years.
3. Joe Barlow wrote in about some backlot vehicles, mainly the Hardcastle and McCormick car. We misidentified it as a Lamborghini, but Joe tells us it really is a kit car from back then.

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

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.
2. Next up is Ron. He asks us about trucks being buried at the Magic Kingdom from way back during the late 60s construction. We hear about some trucks out in the lakes, but as far as the parks, we aren't really sure...
3. John wrote us and has been a binge listener since August. He is curious about the EPCOT Center pavilion logos and who designed them and why. This is right in How's wheel-well and is super fun to learn about.
4. Finally, we got a tweet from Michael, giving some major props on the upcoming Horizons release we have coming. Todd gives us the updates next...

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com - 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.

Main Topic

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. 
We walk you through every attraction through the years with personal experiences and also lots of great memories. This includes things like the Dolphin Feeding Pool, original Whale and Dolphin Stadium, Fountain Fantasy, Water Skiing and so much more. The construction history is also discussed, which has changed quite a bit over the years. 

This wouldn't be an episode of the RetroWDW Podcast without some food discussions. We take a deep-dive into the Hawaiian Punch Village along with some very detailed discussion about 'Hula Pie'. If you have ever been to Sea World since it opened, this episode will for sure take you back and also give you a look at how it has changed over the years. We hope you enjoy this look at one of our favorite 'Good Neighbors'.

2020: The Year of Film

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.

As a bonus, to accompany this episode we have released a great new video from 1980 Sea World. This was shot on Super8 with sound! You are going to love this vintage footage that looks amazing - especially the Whale & Dolphin show.

Next Month

• 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!

Comments & Corrections

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!

Listener Mail

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 podcast@retrowdw.com.

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
2. Next letter we discuss purchasing fog machines at Innoventions. Was this actually a thing? We discuss...
3. Dane writes in, regarding ephemera. Do we have any from Toys Fantastique? Todd gets us up to speed on how our photo archive is growing and improving at this very moment. What any RetroWDW fan can do, is use the search and find so many more images! This is great, use this link and give it a try: Photo Search

[listenerfeedback]

Audio Rewind

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! contest@retrowdw.com - 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.

Main Topic

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!

 

2020: The Year of Film

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!

 

Next Month

• 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! 

Main Topic

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…
http://www.serenbeplayhouse.com/narnia
http://www.NarniaTheMusical.com   

And coming up in January, ELEANOR – An American Love Story at the Media Theatre in Media, PA (near Philadelphia) playing January 29 to February 23, 2020. It's about the young Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt. For info and tickets, here’s the link…
https://mediatheatre.org/event/eleanor-an-american-love-story/
www.EleanorTheMusical.com

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

2020: The Year of Film

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.

 

Next Month

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