Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

This week, celebrate the Haunted Mansion's 51st anniversary with Mousetalgia as we welcome Jeremy Marx from the Disney History Institute to the show to discuss Imagineer Ken Anderson's role in developing Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. From Anderson's start in the Disney animation department through his leadership in developing the Fantasyland dark rides, we discuss his unique role in the design and...

This week, get radical with Mousetalgia as we take a look back at Disneyland in the '70s and '80s with former Disneyland Ambassador Willie Vander Zwaag Burckle. Willie served as a Tour Guide in the '70s and Goodwill Ambassador to the World in 1981, taking guests and VIPs on tours through Disneyland, and she shares stories from moments in her career, such as touring the park with the King of Jordan...

This week, we take a look at Disneyland through the years from two different perspectives. First, we welcome Mike Van Eaton back to Mousetalgia to talk about the next in his series of Disneyland memorabilia auctions. "Disneyland: The First 65 Years" will be held on August 15 and 16, and Mike describes some of the highlights from this upcoming auction - including an actual tombstone from the Haunte...

Kristen Carr joins Mousetalgia to discuss the re-opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, and gives us a trip report about her visit to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks. She talks about the experience booking the trip and making reservations, what to expect regarding masks and social distancing, the dining experience, and her own reactions to re-experiencing the resort, which she hasn't...

Happy 65th birthday, Disneyland! This week, Mousetalgia has the privilege of speaking with former Disneyland Ambassador Connie Lane, the last Disneyland Ambassador who was personally selected by Walt Disney to represent Disneyland to the world. Connie shares with us her memories of being at Disneyland during many pivotal moments, including the opening of iconic attractions like Pirates of the Cari...

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Doug Lipp and Pam Lipp to the show to talk about their individual extensive careers with the Disney Company. First, we talk to Doug Lipp, the author of "Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World's Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees." Doug discusses Disney University, learning from Van France and Jim Cora, opening Tokyo Disneyland, the cast...

This week, Team Mousetalgia tries to find a laughing place in the midst of crazy changing deadlines and a new (albeit temporary) normal for visiting Disney's theme parks. But first, we speak with Liz DeSilva, VP Creative for Loungefly/Funko, who talks about the Stitch Shoppe, a new clothing line from Loungefly. Then, Beci Mehnken, CEO of Mouse Fan Travel, returns to talk about the reopening of Wal...

This week, Team Mousetalgia welcomes Disney historian and author J.B. Kaufman back to the show to discuss the world's favorite mouse, Mickey. We talk about Mickey's early career, including behind-the-scenes tales about the making of his first films, Kay Kamen's influence and the introduction of character marketing, Fred Moore's contributions to the development of Mickey's look, "early" Mickey vs....

This week, author/artist/designer Chris Merritt returns to Mousetalgia to join us for an Emporium of topics. First, we return to our "high five" format to discuss a variety of topics, including the top Disney fathers, top ways to be kept out of Disneyland, top live action films; and then Chris takes us on a tour of his top five extinct Disneyland attractions. Next, Kristen consoles us for having t...

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Peabody Award-winning writer, producer and director Mark Catalena to the show to talk about his role as writer and editor of "The Imagineering Story," the hit documentary now playing on Disney Plus. Mark talks about the challenges and victories he and the creative team had while developing this series, which evolved from a potential 90 minute film to the series that...

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes director, writer and producer Kirk R. Thatcher back to the show to talk everything Muppets! In anticipation of the July release of Muppets Now on Disney+, Kirk Thatcher joins us to talk not only about the show, for which he served as a director, but also his long history with Jim Henson and the Muppets, ABC's Dinosaurs, and his time at Industrial Light and Magic wor...

This week on a supersized episode, Team Mousetalgia welcomes Josh Shipley and Brian Crosby to the show to join us for a Josh and Croz Show reunion! In a free-wheeling session, we cover topics including international Disney park attractions, Disneyland transportation vehicles, Disney songs and musicals, peanut butter in the parks, and Disneyland's live performers. We also remember the 65th annivers...

Former Disneyland Tour Guide Cindy Carter talks to Mousetalgia this week about her career as Disneyland Tour Guide - and beyond. Cindy talks about the grand opening of the New Fantasyland, hosting the Disney family in the park, the changes to the park during the 1980s and the onset of the Annual Passholder, and celebrity stories, including moments with the Monty Python troupe and Dolly Parton. Plu...

This week, Team Mousetalgia welcomes Dan Lanigan, host of the new Disney+ series "Prop Culture", to the show. Dan joins us to talk about the new series, which talks about various Disney films from the perspective of their props, costumes, and the magic behind the movies that helps tell the stories. Dan also talks about the art of discovering props, restoring old cinema artifacts, his own views on...

This week, celebrate Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) with Mousetalgia as we dive into the dark side! Actor, visual effects artist and animator C. Andrew Nelson joins us this week to talk about his 12-year role portraying Darth Vader for Lucasfilm. Andrew talks about the nature of Darth Vader (and we're sure we can feel the good in him!) as well as what it was like to don the suit and make dozens of...

This week, Team Mousetalgia celebrates Disneyland of the '70s and '80s with Disneyland Tour Guide Laurie Jerome, who talks about her years at Disneyland as a VIP Hostess and a leader of Disney University. Laurie talks about starting out as a Main Entrance ticket taker, and shares some of her experiences hosting VIPs on their trips through the park including Audrey Hepburn, John Travolta, Patrick D...

This week, Mousetalgia celebrates our 600th episode with magic from coast to coast! First, we welcome Disneyland vocal artist Drew Tablak back to the show to talk about the Dapper Dans' recent at-home recording session, and the art and heart of performing live at Disneyland. Then, we welcome Tik Tok celeb Makall Lauren to the show to talk about her recent experience with the Disney College Program...

This week, Team Mousetalgia welcomes animation legend Tom Sito to the show to talk about his long career as an animator with Disney and beyond. Tom discusses his start in the animation industry, working for Disney during the renaissance in the 1980s, working with some of the greatest talents in the animation industry both inside and out of the Disney studio, reflections on Roy Disney, his time wit...

Welcome to day 23 (and counting) since Disneyland closed indefinitely. In honor of this moment, we talk about Walt Disney Animation's 23rd feature release - The Rescuers! Kristen brings us a load of fast facts and fun trivia about this oft-overlooked Disney classic. Then, Jeff takes a closer look at the life of a Disney Legend: WED Imagineer Harriet Burns. We discuss her time working for the studi...

Team Mousetalgia invites you to take a look with us at this week in Disney history, with topics including Disneyland's shooting galleries, Disney Legend Marc Davis's birthday, Disneyland's Grand Canyon Diorama, Disneyland's first Easter parade, Disney Legend Ward Kimball's first day working for Walt, the Midget Autopia, and Snow White's photo reference model Marge Champion. Also, we have book revi...

This week, Team Mousetalgia discusses the frantic last days before Disneyland closed for weeks (until March 31 at the earliest, although potentially much longer) in order to protect people from spreading the COVID-19 virus, including the postponement of our own "Anything Can Happen" events at Disneyland and the Bowers Museum. Kristen gives a trip report discussing the Food and Wine Festival at Dis...

This week, Team Mousetalgia welcomes Disney historian Joseph Titizian back to the show to share some lucky tales about Walt Disney and his Irish roots, his claddagh ring, and the wee King Brian. Then, we welcome Mouse Fan Travel CEO Beci Mahnken back to the show to give us the rundown on Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, which just opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World r...

This week, Team Mousetalgia continues to answer listener-submitted questions, with topics including: Taking a trip to Disneyland with a teenager, remembering Vault Disney, sharing a day with Walt Disney, best Disney books, a history of Disneyland music, worst Disney attraction or food, a Mouseketeer history lesson, the Haunted Mansion's elevators, introverts and extroverts and the parks, Disney+ f...

This week, Team Mousetalgia ponders Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Charles Mintz, and the strange story of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt's first cartoon character to achieve wide popular acclaim. We welcome author and historian Dave Bossert to the show to talk about how Oswald was seen by the public at the time, how his rival characters stacked up, and what the story of Oswald's meteoric rise to fame and...

This week, Team Mousetalgia talks about our East Coast sister parks in a trip report by Kristen about her recent family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. Kristen offers tips, tricks, and stories about her trek to the opposite coast, with topics including Saratoga Springs, WDW transportation, scooter rentals, the Minnie Van, Epcot touring tips and construction woes, working with anxious childre...