Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

Dave and Becky are back from two weeks at the Walt Disney World Resort and share some stories of the culture shock between west coast and east coast Disney vacationing. From underwhelming food offerings (with some stand out exceptions) to living on property and getting around the resort, we discuss some typical Walt Disney World experiences, and try to offer a Team Mousetalgia perspective on the b...

This week, Team Mousetalgia hosts another Emporium of topics, including: our review of Beauty and the Beast, the latest blockbuster from Walt Disney Pictures; Disney California Adventure's Food and Wine Festival, and Kristen's take on the various offerings; Disneyland's 50th anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean weekend celebration, with reports on the limited time food offerings, the (lack of)...

Join us this week as the Lady Mousetalgia sets sail for part two of our Pirates of the Caribbean 50th anniversary celebration! This week, Imagineer Alan Coats joins us to talk about his father - Disney Legend Claude Coats - who was put in charge of the Pirates project by Walt Disney. Alan discusses Claude's plans for the original walk-through attraction below New Orleans Square, his father's contr...

Disney trivia champion and historian Joseph Titizian joins Team Mousetalgia this week to begin a two-week celebration of Pirates of the Caribbean's 50th anniversary. Join us as we look at the press coverage of the grand opening of Disneyland's Pirates attraction, and then trace the history of the attraction back to its initial roots as a wax museum. Then, we discuss New Orleans Square, and take a...

Comedian and podcaster Tim Babb returns to join Team Mousetalgia this week to discuss Disneyland's new no-parking-on-Main-Street rule, and general queuing etiquette. When is it okay to save places in lines for parades and attractions? As the parks get more crowded, are there unspoken rules that guests should follow? We weigh the pros and cons of hopping in and out of lines. Plus, we stay on top of...

This week, Beci Mahnken, CEO of Mouse Fan Travel, joins Mousetalgia to talk about planning your next Disney vacation. We cover multiple topics, including value vacations, luxurious vacations, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, VIP Guides, Disney cruises, Disney for families, Aulani, getting the best bang for your Disney buck, and more. Then, we speak with Christopher Schmidt, author of The Complete Gu...

Team Mousetalgia discusses Disneyland's 21 Royal Street. We discuss this deluxe dining opportunity offered only at the Disneyland Resort inside of Disneyland Park, and we weigh the value of the meal. Does the $15,000 price tag make any kind of sense in comparison with other extravagant Disney experiences? We describe our reactions to the exclusivity, the price tag, the morality of spending so much...

This Valentine's week, Team Mousetalgia takes a deep dive into our love for everything Disney, and we share some of our favorite things found under the Disney umbrella in a round table discussion. We talk about our love for Disney movies, and discuss the cross-generational entertainment, the classic films, and good vs. evil; what we love about the parks, including the immersive experiences (Jeff c...

Team Mousetalgia reviews two new books this week. First, we discuss "B-1st" by Disney artists Retta Scott and Woolie Reitherman, and we take a close at this interesting World War II-era proposed children's book that never made it to publication - until 2016. We examine the exquisite art and cultural mores evidenced in this in-progress project that was never completed. Also, we look at "The Art of...

Team Mousetalgia celebrates the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade! Kristen reviews the $95 party at Disneyland welcoming back the parade, and we compare and contrast the event with another recent after-hours event at the park. Also, the Disneyland Kobayashi Maru: what to do when the weatherman promises the storm of the century during your planned trip to the Disneyland Resort for a famil...

This week, Team Mousetalgia offers a RunDisney primer and a report on Disneyland's Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon Weekend. Dave and Becky talk about why Star Wars is a good race weekend for beginners to start with, and they discuss the 2017 events and race courses. We also discuss Disneyland's current security situation, spiked Dole Whips, and the RunDisney Expo. Next, Jeff reports from SacAni...

Disney Legend Tyrus Wong recently passed away at the age of 106, and Mousetalgia pauses to share our own personal memories and thoughts of Tyrus and his work. We also welcome Academy Award-winning filmmaker and historian John Canemaker back to the show to share his own memories of Tyrus, and to talk a little bit about Tyrus' groundbreaking artwork and his career beyond designing the look of Bambi...

This week, Team Mousetalgia offers you a different kind of podcast that requires a different kind of introduction. We start with an internal "Hand-with-the-Land" question from Kristen, who wants to know if its possible to enjoy a trip to Disneyland Resort with a group of 30 or more people. A trip the involves ages 0 to 85. A trip that could only happen in - well, not the Twilight Zone, because tha...

It's time for Team Mousetalgia's annual round-up of memories and judgement calls from the past year, so join us as we take a look back at 2016 and remember the highs and lows. We'll look at our favorite books, movies, park events, dining experiences, purchases - and our overall best moments of the year. We also offer our annual "Oswald" awards for happenings that didn't quite meet expectations. Pl...

Team Mousetalgia goes back to the inbox to answer some of your emails, including: suggestions for taking a Disney trip with a large family with varied interests; collecting Disneyland souvenir books; which one question would we each ask Walt Disney if we could hop into a time machine; a solo trip report from an attraction-lover; autograph certificates of authenticity and what they mean; the runDis...

It's a Mousetalgia triple play this holiday week as we celebrate the opening of Lucasfilm's "Rogue One - A Star Wars Story," taste test Disneyland's holiday offerings and chat about Verve's new release "Jazz Loves Disney." First, we offer our initial spoiler-free reactions to the latest film from the Star Wars galaxy far, far away. From Michael Giacchino's new score to some dicey CGI, Rogue One of...

This week, Team Mousetalgia takes you to the second annual Mouse-con, held recently in Concord, CA. We'll take you on a tour of the dealer offerings, the venue, the cosplay, the special guests, and the panels, including excerpts from Disneyland Hotel history expert Don Ballard and Disney poster artist Bill Morrison, who tells the story of his controversial "Little Mermaid" VHS cover art. Also, we...

Mousetalgia takes you to Disney California Adventure's Festival of Holidays to review the food, the festivities, and the fun entertainment. From an $11 pomegranate margarita to holiday Swedish meatballs to egg nog cheesecake, there's a taste of something for everyone - but is the price right? And performances abound, but can any entertainment compare with the Grammy-winning Mariachi Divas? We also...

Team Mousetalgia goes bi-coastal as we take you out to Florida to report on the 2016 "Destination D: Amazing Adventures" event that just concluded with breaking news and behind-the-scenes insights into some of Disney's most adventurous undertakings. But first, Jeff reports on recent West Coast happenings, including in-person reports from the Van Eaton Galleries "Souvenirs of Disneyland" auction; t...

Tim Babb, host of the "Can't Wait for Christmas" podcast, joins Team Mousetalgia this week for a holiday showdown. We talk about his podcast, and then discuss dealing with the hectic nature of the Disneyland Resort during the holidays. Tim reacts to the boisterous crowds at the resort, and we offer some suggestions to help keep the holiday spirit alive. Next, Kristen discusses her trip to Disneyla...

Mickey is turning 88 this week, and Team Mousetalgia invites you to celebrate with us! First, we welcome Mike Van Eaton back to the show to discuss "Souvenirs of Disneyland," an upcoming exhibition and auction of Disneyland memorabilia and merchandise. From a pen in the shape of a woman's leg to a scale Imagineering model of New Orleans Square, this major auction is destined to make history. Then,...

Team Mousetalgia welcomes Disney historian J.B. Kaufman back to the show to discuss his latest book "Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series." We talk with Kaufman about the cartoons' relevance to the society of their time and Walt Disney personally, and discuss the music, the marvelous animation, and their place in the history of the Walt Disney Studios. Next, Kr...

Happy Halloween! Disney voice actor Mark Silverman joins Team Mousetalgia this week for a spooktacular Halloween episode! As the voice of Rod Serling in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Mark shares a special insider's view of the recent Tower of Terror event at Walt Disney World. We also talk to Mark about being a "Monster Kid," memories of celebrating Halloween as a child, surviving Hurricane M...

Get spooky with Team Mousetalgia as Kristen reports on Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort. First, we talk about a Halloween Time dilemma - crowds, heat, and closed attractions during one of the most popular weekends of the year. Kristen shares a potpourri of thoughts, including notes on this year's Halloween treats, tips for traveling with a hesitant two-year-old, Photopass woes, charac...

Animator Frans Vischer joins team Mousetalgia this week to share stories of his career, both with Disney and since. He shares his story about how Chuck Jones helped him get into Cal Arts, and discusses studying the art of animation under Eric Larson, one of Walt's Nine Old Men. We also talk about his work on Paperman and utilizing digital technology; his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit; and his bo...