Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

Disney Legend Dave Smith, Disney Archivist Emeritus, joins Mousetalgia this week to tell the true story of Walt Disney's pursuit of P. L. Travers to bring her book Mary Poppins to the screen. In anticipation of the upcoming feature film Saving Mr. Banks, we look into the history of the making of the iconic film and discover the true-life challenges the studio encountered as the film began producti...

Along the edge of Disneyland's Rivers of America, Critter Country and Splash Mountain welcome guests into a wilderness of friendly fauna. But before Critter Country, there was Bear Country and its Jamboree, and before Bear Country, there was Indian Village and its living history. Join Mousetalgia for an informative look at the history of the far end of Disneyland, and learn about the development o...

In this week's Mousetalgia Emporium, Team Mousetalgia report from Disneyland's Main Street, from Halloween Town, and even from Neverland! Jeff reports from Tony Baxter's Main Street Window Ceremony, held November 1 at Disneyland Park, and talks to some of Tony's friends and peers about the legacy Tony has left for future generations of Imagineers. Next, Kristen offers a review of "Peter and the St...

Is a Disneyland VIP Tour right for you? Mousetalgia reports from a full day of VIP touring around the resort and offers tips and advice regarding VIP tours, some of which may surprise you. The VIP Hosts and Hostesses (in the famous Disneyland plaid outfits) act as living fastpasses, and we discuss the pros and cons of having nearly instant access to so many E-Ticket attractions. Can there be too m...

Producer Dave Bossert from Walt Disney Feature Animation joins us to discuss Roy E. Disney and his new book, "Remembering Roy E. Disney: Memories and Photos of a Storied Life." Bossert talks about the critical challenges Roy faced as he successfully saved Disney animation and the Disney company in general, and we also discuss Bossert's role in the preservation of Disney's classic animated features...

Author Sam Gennawey joins Team Mousetalgia this week to discuss his new book "The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream." Calling Disneyland Walt Disney's "third child," Gennawey talks about the unique challenges and circumstances that led to the creation of the theme park many consider the most magical place on earth. Also this week, we look at a couple sp...

Are you brave enough? Find out in this episode of Mousetalgia, when we take you on an Adventures by Disney trip to Scotland with Mouse Fan Travel CEO Beci Mahnken and chase down myths, legends, and spine-tingling ghost stories! Follow in the footsteps of the Pixar team that created Brave on a trip to Scotland, and learn about what makes an Adventures by Disney vacation unique in the world of trave...

Jeff visit's Knott's annual "Halloween Haunt" in this fearfully fiendish episode of Mousetalgia! As the spooking season gets under way, we compare Knott's venerable "Haunt" with Disneyland's "Mickey's Halloween Party" to compare and contrast the two extraordinarily popular seasonal events. While Knott's features scares, mazes, and entertainment for mature audiences (Elvira is back!), Disneyland fo...

Jeff dons his "Chef" hat and offers a synopsis of a recent Haunted Mansion presentation he delivered at the fall gathering of the Golden Gate Disneyana Club on this week's episode of Mousetalgia. From the Mansion's architectural origins to the great haunt debate (should it be scary or should it be spooky?), we examine a few of the interesting elements that make the Haunted Mansion such an unforget...

Halloween Time has come to Disneyland, and Team Mousetalgia reports on the arrival of this popular villainous season. But first, we welcome Kevin Kidney back to the show to give some history of the upcoming Anaheim Halloween Parade, what guests can expect at this year's event, and the intriguing Disney ties to this special hometown celebration. Next, Dave and Becky review Disneyland's "Unleash the...

Bob Witter, director of marketing for Disneyland in the '90s, talks about his time with the park and the development of various campaigns (starting with Indiana Jones and "40 Years of Adventure") that helped launch the resort's marketing efforts in a new direction. Witter talks about Indy, sponsors, Jay Leno, and more. Also, Jeff and Kristen discuss the late Disney animator Jack Kinney's time with...

Becky's 5k, Button's 100m dash, and Dave's half marathon: it's a Mousetalgia runDisney report! Despite sign-in woes and overnight temps near the mid-70s before sunrise, the heat and above-average humidity couldn't quell the spirit of the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon runners. Amid scattered episodes of heat stroke and asthma attacks, the athetes perservered for another overall successful event, an...

This week, we answer your emails in a cornucopia of Disney goodness! Thanks to your questions, we tackle subjects like finding Disney in the non-Disney world; a Jolly Roger Hotel review; making your DCA evenings extra-special; Dave's coast-to-coast aspirations; DIY Disneyland scavenger hunts; Goin' Quackers with Willio and Phillio; bringing a non-Disney-fan or disinterested family member into the...

"The Optimist" takes center stage in this third episode in Mousetalgia's coverage of the D23 Expo. As part of the promotional machine behind Brad Bird's upcoming film "Tomorrowland," "The Optimist," an alternate reality game, has captured the imaginations of many forward-looking futurists. Participating in the finale of its initial phase at the D23 Expo, Jeff and Kristen report on meeting many of...

The Disney Studios and nostalgic music take the lead in our second episode covering the recent D23 Expo in Anaheim! Team Mousetalgia report on the keynote Studios presentation at the Expo, and discuss the celebrity appearances, special surprises, and Marvel-ous upcoming films certain to keep Disney fans watching their calendars. Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, and a plethora of other Hollywood ce...

Team Mousetalgia assemble their favorite moments, news items, reviews and experiences from the 2013 D23 Expo on this supersized, first episode (of three) reporting on the official convention attended by over 50,000 guests. This week, we discuss the lines and queues created for the event, and decide what worked and what didn't in terms of managing masses of attendees. We also review the pavilions a...

Join us for a tour of Disneyland in the '50s and '60s, while Team Mousetalgia recovers from the 2013 D23 Expo weekend, which we will cover in earnest starting next Monday. But this week, we talk to former Mule Train operator Robby Beeman, who tells fascinating tales of frightened mules, waiting on Julie Andrews in Club 33, and the horse who ditched his trolley and got caught trying to visit Mr. Li...

Richard Sherman and Alan Menken speak about their upcoming concert ("Richard M. Sherman and Alan Menken: The Disney Songbook) at the D23 Expo in this special midweek bonus episode of Mousetalgia. Dave was able to take part in a media phone interview with Richard and Alan as they spoke about their contributions to the Disney songbook. Separately and together, the two answer questions about their pr...

Tips, tricks, hypotheses, and queues - it's time for Mousetalgia's pre-Expo roundtable! This week, Team Mousetalgia discuss our hopes and fears for this week's D23 Expo, including a list of our can't miss attractions featuring topics as varied as vintage Disney vinyl, Tony Baxter's never-seen vintage Disneyland footage, director Brad Bird, and drawing Mickey Mouse, to name a few. We also talk surv...

Team Mousetalgia returns to the mailbag to answer your questions, and Jeff and Kristen review an insider's account of working with Walt Disney in the studio. But first - we talk back to listeners about FastPasses, buying Annual Passports, hotel distances from the Main Gate, prepping for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, making the most out of a Disneyland trip, more on the mysterious "test brick" wal...

Mousetalgia was invited to speak at DisneyanaMania 2013, and we have a full report! Joined by representatives from Micechat, we addressed the attendees of this year's Disneyana convention and talked about Disney fandom. We also report on presentations by Dave Avanzino and Disney Legends Marty Sklar and Rolly Crump, and report on the show floor from the Disneyana collectibles show and sale. Next, t...

Happy 58th birthday, Disneyland! This week, we have an emporium of topics and soundbytes, including our review of Disney's latest not-quite-blockbusting film, "The Lone Ranger," and a wrap-up of our recent trip to Seattle to visit the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet. Jeff also reviews the Walt Disney Family Museum's evening celebration of the Enchanted Tiki Room's 50th anniversary, and previews Charl...

Learn about the earliest in-"car"-nation of Cars Land from Creative Director Kevin Rafferty in this star-studded episode of Mousetalgia, recorded directly from the 2013 Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet, featuring four exclusive interviews covering many fascinating aspects of the Disney company. First, we speak with Dave Smith, the director emeritus of the Disney Archives, who tells us some secrets of...

Spend your summer having a spectacular time at Disneyland with our roundtable discussion of our top tips for making the most of the hot sunny days at the park. From our favorite nighttime destinations (Disney California Adventure moves up in the ranks this year!) to the best places to cool off, Team Mousetalgia shares our secrets and our go-to destinations at the resort. Also, we have an Ears To T...

This week, author Mindy Johnson joins Mousetalgia to discuss her upcoming book, "Tinker Bell: An Evolution." Learn all about the history of Tinker Bell, from author J. M. Barrie's earliest pantomimes and Peter Pan stories through Disneyland's creation of "Pixie Hollow," where park guests can meet the latest iteration of the famed fairy. Johnson discusses many aspects of her book, including: Barrie...