The Disney Desk Podcast

Long time viewers may have noticed for the last few months, we have been foregoing our usual "Internet Minute Segment." While there has been a lot of interesting news and art to talk about, Carter and Sydney have found themselves so deep into the episode topics, having a separate break in the episode didn't make sense. So for September, the Disney Desk is doing an Internet Minute Pow...

As the Disney Desk decided to begin their study of Disney Decades, they decided that they would always leave one episode to discuss how Disney depicts the decade. A piece of art not necessarily made in that decade, but about that decade. To that end, Carter and Sydney spend this week covering Princess and the Frog, the 'real life' fairy tale set in 1920's New Orleans. A somewhat contro...

After covering the pinnacle of the decade with Snow White, Carter and Sydney rewind to the earliest days of "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio." The earliest days of Walt Disney Animation were defined by the studio's short films. From the experimental Alice Comedies to Oswald and Mickey Mouse Cartoons to Silly Symphonies, this era of shorts helped define what a 'Disney' film is....

It is time to travel back in time with The Disney Desk! To celebrate another year with the podcast, Carter and Sydney will be periodically taking a month to look over a single decade to see where Walt Disney Studios was at the time, and where filmmaking and pop culture as a whole were. To begin, we are doubling up with the 1920's and 1930's, as Walt and Roy Disney begin their careers in Hollywood...

It turns out Sydney and Carter are bad at reading schedules. Because after celebrating the end of Carter's Birthday month last week, they discovered there is actually five Sundays in August this year. So what to do? A Patreon Exclusive drop! Returning to the world of Ghibli, Howl's Moving Castle was an episode the Disney Desk did back during their Disney Desk and Friends Month, calling on...

Today, August 24th, we celebrate everyone's chatty co-host, Carter! This is the first time the Disney Desk has ever had an episode on a host's birthday! So to celebrate, Carter has decided to break out the film that he describes as 'Getting him back into Disney' growing up. Wreck-it Ralph was a curveball from the studio, bringing in new voices to create an anarchic, utterly charmin...

Last year, the Disney Desk dedicated the entire month of July to one of their favorite animated shows: King of the Hill. For years, the idea of returning to Arlen, Texas, as been discussed by the show's original creative team. That promise was finally fulfilled this Summer with Season 14 of King of the Hill. But instead of just covering another topical release, Carter decided to use his birthd...

The early 2000's were a gold mine for a particular kind of 'ok-ish' kids film. Max Keeble's Big Movie, Good Burger, Small Soldier and so on were littered across TV networks and Blockbuster stores, begging for repeat viewings. This week, Carter uses his birthday month to dive into a film that he would watch religiously as a kid. 2002's Big Fat Liar is a fascinating mixing of 00&...

Break out the confetti, it's time for another birthday month! Every February and August, one of your Disney Desk hosts celebrates their birthday, meaning the entire month is dedicated to the films, shows, and art that define them. As Summer rolls along, it's time to celebrate your chaoticly chatty co-host: Carter! Growing up in the 2000's, Carter was riding the high of Sam Raimi's...

In 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton debuted on Broadway, becoming an instant hit both critically and financially. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is perhaps the defining piece of art of the decade and a persistent part of the cultural conversation even as its 'moment' passed. At long last, the Disney Desk sits down to watch the proshoot of the original cast on Disney+. Listen in...

As Sydney and Carter discussed during their Toy Story talk, Pixar hit the ground running and never looked back. With Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo in rapid succession, the studio has arguably the most successful start in animation history. But right after Toy Story, Pixar released a slightly more subdued film. One that was vital to the company's story yet lacks the cul...

After a month of no nonsense, straight to the topic episodes, Carter and Sydney decided it was time to take a breath and catch up on a busy Summer of Disney and animation news. So for this week only, it's an all Internet Minute episode! Listen in as the pair talk about the return of Hall of Presidents, Disney suing an AI company, and the controversy surrounding creative changes with Elio.

While Sydney is on vacation, the Disney Desk welcomes you back to the vault for one of our Patreon episodes. The first episode Carter and Sydney ever recorded, Turning Red was a fascinating discussion about a film that promised to be a new evolution of the Pixar formula. And years later, as the discourse around Pixar's future and their originals rages on, the film continues to be a hotbed of c...

One of the issues that has most loomed over Studio Ghibli as it reaches 40 is the question of succession. What happens when Hayo really does put down his pencil for the last time? Will the studio go on? Who will lead the artists? Can anyone fill the shoes left by one of the titans of animation? 2010's Secret World of Arietty attempts to partially answer those questions by bringing a new director i...

Ask any millennial about Disney and without a doubt, one of the first things they'll bring up is Phineas and Ferb. The off beat, vibrant and irreverent show about two brothers making the most of Summer was one of the studio's landmark franchises in the 2010's, and is returning with new episodes after a decade off the air. To celebrate, Sydney and Carter break down what makes the show s...

In November of 1995, PIxar Studios released their first feature length animated film: a story about what happens to toys when their owners aren't watching. The end result was the second highest grossing film of its year, a special Academy Award, and the start of a decades long legacy that would change the history of Walt Disney. Today, Carter and Sydney break down one of the iconic films of th...

Every year, usually starting in Summer, Fathom Events host Ghibli Fest, theatrical screenings of Studio Ghibli’s iconic works. This year, to celebrate the Studio’s 30th anniversary, Carter and Sydney decided that they, too, will host a Ghibli Fest, covering a handful of the landmark Japanese studio’s most important films. To kick off the festivities, the Disney Desk covers My Neighbor Totoro, the...

In perhaps our most topical episode of all time, Carter and Sydney head to the movies to see Disney's latest live action remake: 2002's Lilo and Stitch. One of two Chris Saunder's films being remade in live aciton this year, the story of a girl and her alien has already made waves at the box office, and a fire storm of controversy. Only the Disney Desk can give you the hard hitting fac...

While Sydney and Carter focus primarily on Disney from their childhood, they believe it is important to see what the kids and teens of the last few generations see when they tune into Disney Channel. Case in point: The Descendants. One of the major Dcom franchises, the series has been a fixture of the Disney brand for a decade now. But can the original film reach the Disney Desk's high expecta...

Often times, coming back to a Disney Channel Original Movie can be a fun trip down nostalgia lane. Growing up in the golden age of the DCOM, it can be fun looking at what Disney was able to do with their talented talent, limited budgets, and high concept ideas. This is not one of those times.  Read it and Weep is the rare DCOM where, even as a kid, Carter and Sydney realized something was a bit of...

May is here! A few weeks out from Passover, Carter and Sydney decided to cover one of the ‘Big Ones.’ One of the films that has always been on the their list for the show. The Prince of Egypt was one of the first films released by Dreamworks Animation, formed by titans of the industry in Steven Spielberg and Jeffery Katzenberg. Looking to capitalize on the animation boom of the Disney Renaissance...

This April, A Goofy Movie celebrated its 30th Anniversary. The once forgotten film has gained a major cult following among Millennials, becoming one of the iconic films of 90’s Disney.  But for Carter and Sydney, who were just born when the film released, a different Goofy movie is a part of their nostalgia. Some would say, a very extreme part. This week, the Disney Desk covers An Extremely Goofy...

As the 2020's roll on, Sydney and Carter's Era of Disney has begun reaching major milestones. Case and point, twenty years ago, The Suite Life of Zach & Cody aired on Disney Channel for the first time. One of the pillars of the network, the Tipton Hotel became home for Iconic characters, scenes and moments that define the memories of any 2000's kid. Listen in and the Disney Desk ta...

As Major League Baseball starts another season, Carter and Sydney decide to hit the diamond and cover Pixar’s first ever series: Win or Lose. Announced back in 2020, the series has been quietly in development as Disney as a company has shifted CEO’s, streaming ambitions, political behavior, and public perception. And that’s before talking about the recent controversy of last second censorship from...

For one week out of the year, Sakkura flowers - or Cherry Blossoms - bloom and begin falling, filling the air with gorgeous pink petals. Having picnics under the cherry blossom trees and enjoying their beauty is a tradition not only in Japan, but in Washington DC. To celebrate this time of year, Carter and Sydney look back on one of their favorite series: Rilakkuma and Kaoru. Based on the popular...