The Progress City Radio Hour

We continue our 40th anniversary celebration of EPCOT Center with a look at the pavilion which today most holds true to its original intent - The Land! We'll look back at how the pavilion came to be, and some of the concepts which were abandoned along the way. We'll also talk about original sponsor Kraft, and how they had a presence at World's Fairs and with Disney long before EPCOT. We'll look at...

In this episode we conclude our two-part Progress City Town Hall featuring veteran Imagineer and Disney Legend Doris Hardoon! In her long career, Doris worked on projects ranging from EPCOT to Shanghai and beyond. In part two of our talk we discuss her work on EPCOT galleries, the Autry museum, Port Disney, WESTCOT, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland and more - whew! Pack your bags for a ro...

This month we're happy to bring you a two-part Progress City Town Hall featuring veteran Imagineer and Disney Legend Doris Hardoon! In her long career, Doris worked on projects ranging from EPCOT to Shanghai and beyond. In part one of our talk we discuss her early life as a pop singer and model in Hong Kong, her early career in themed entertainment, and her work with Rolly Crump and others on EPCO...

We begin our 40th anniversary celebration of EPCOT Center with a look at the theme of its signature pavilion, communications! We'll look back in time to see the history of the Bell System's past offerings at World's Fairs and Disneyland itself, and talk with Imagineer Peggie Fariss about the level of research that went into the creation of EPCOT's Spaceship Earth. To top it off, we'll examine how...

This is it, folks - our fiftieth episode! Can you believe it? To mark the occasion we're looking back at two fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the past, 1973's 50th anniversary of Walt Disney Productions and 1978's 50th anniversary of Mickey Mouse. History, music, and more - nifty at fifty, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

This episode we're bringing you part two of our Progress City Town Hall with veteran Imagineer Peggie Fariss! Peggie started at Disneyland in 1965 as an attractions hostess, and in her amazing fifty-year career she worked on any number of fascinating projects. In part two of our talk we discuss more of her role in putting together EPCOT's planning conferences, her work helping create the Disney Ga...

This month we're very excited to bring you a two-part Progress City Town Hall with veteran Imagineer Peggie Fariss! Peggie started at Disneyland in 1965 as an attractions hostess, and in her amazing fifty-year career she worked on any number of fascinating projects. In part one of our talk we discuss the origins of Peggie's Disney career, her time in Florida previewing Walt Disney World in 1969, h...

We're on the rails again as we continue our exploration of the production of the 1956 Disney feature The Great Locomotive Chase. Join us, Walt, and Fess in the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina for a look at the locals Walt recruited to take part in the film, some of whom he tried to bring back to California with him! We also look back at the film's multiple premiere events, and Jeff speaks...

This month we're doing something a little different on the Radio Hour, and taking a deep dive into the production of the 1956 feature The Great Locomotive Chase. This film was a passion project for Walt, who spent two weeks playing with trains on location in the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. Join us and our third co-host Fess Parker for a look back at the production, the locomotives, an...

It's time to hit the road for summer vacation, Disney style! We'll look at roadside Disney classics from Florida's welcome centers to Walt Disney World's preview center itself. We'll also hitch up our RVs at Disneyland's long-lost Vacationland campground. We revisit the Country Bear Jamboree Vacation Hoedown, and speak to artists Jason Grandt and Scott Tilley about their Little Golden Book about D...

This month, the Progress City Radio Hour is setting sail for adventure with tales from the golden age of scientific romances, and the grand old man himself Jules Verne! We'll look at the making of the 1954 Disney classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and revisit how that film was first represented at Disneyland with a movie set tour. We'll also look at Verne's other brushes with Disney, from Tokyo...

This month, the Progress City Radio Hour looks at some of the creative geniuses who have worked with the Disney studio over the years. From surrealist legend Salvador Dalí, who worked at Disney on the film Destino in 1946, to composer legends like Stravinsky and Prokofiev, many famous names sought to work with Walt in his heyday. We also look at notables of later years, such as Michael Eisner's st...

In this episode we welcome back veteran Imagineer Tim Delaney for part two of his town hall! We cover a lot of ground in this one, from EPCOT Center and The Living Seas to Discoveryland in Paris. There are also lots of personal stories about the boom days of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells. Hydrolators prepare for descent, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

This month we're happy to bring you a two-part Progress City Town Hall with veteran Imagineer Tim Delaney! Tim began at Disney in the 1970s, and worked on everything from Epcot Center to Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and beyond. In this part of our talk we discuss how Tim was inspired by Walt's classic Tomorrowland television episodes, his early years at Imagineering, and some of the fas...

The Progress City Radio Hour turns forward the clock and jets into the new year with a visit to the great big beautiful Tomorrowland! We start off with a look at Walt's own Tomorrowland programs of the 1950s, and how they influenced the American space program. We'll also examine Walt's friendship with visionary architect Welton Beckett, tour the early entertainment offerings of the Magic Kingdom's...

The Progress City Radio Hour spikes the eggnog and hoists the mistletoe for our second annual Christmas episode! This year our festive spectacular features visits from two of our Town Hall guests from 2021, legendary Walt Disney World performer Pat Terry, Jr. and renowned Disney horticulturalist Scott Girard. Author and historian Marcy Carriker Smothers also drops by to talk about her newest book...

In this episode we wrap up our trip back through time to celebrate Walt Disney World's fiftieth anniversary! The last installation of our multi-episode event examines the 1990s - a decade of many ups and downs for the resort and for Disney itself.  Not for nothing was this period known as the Disney Decade - there's a lot to talk about and a lot of developments to cover, so buckle in! History, mus...

Join us as we continue our journey through fifty years of Walt Disney World history! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past. For part three we look at the 1980s - a decade of much change at Disney and at Walt Disney World. And we welcome Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to the family! Histo...

Our Walt Disney World golden anniversary celebration continues! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past. For part two we explore the years between the resort's opening in 1971 and the debut of Epcot Center in 1982. It's a decade of expansion and of much promise, as well as much silliness....

It's finally here - the golden anniversary of Walt Disney World! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past - some significant and some decidedly less so. For part one we explore the years between the announcement of the "Florida Project" in 1965 and its grand opening in 1971. We also talk to...

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Walt Disney World and the man who made it possible, Roy O. Disney, we're putting out a Progress City Extra featuring some memories of Roy by people who worked with him. Included are clips from our Progress City Town Halls with Frank Stanek and Scott Girard, featuring some elements that have not been previously broadcast. We hope you enjoy these reminisces,...

It's no secret we love Disney park music, so we're very excited to bring you our interview with long-time Walt Disney World banjoist and Disney Legacy Award winner Pat Terry, Jr. Pat started off at Disneyland before helping open Walt Disney World alongside his father, with whom he played for more than a decade before striking out on his own. Along the way he's had some fabulous experiences and got...

The Progress City Radio Hour catches a blue-flagged motor launch for a look at the Vacation Kingdom via the waterways of Bay Lake! We remember an eccentric occupant of the area before Disney arrived, dig into the origins of Fort Wilderness, and explore Bay Lake's entertainment offerings of the 1970s. We also check in with legendary Walt Disney World entertainer Pat Terry, Jr. for some memories abo...

In this Progress City Town Hall we continue our discussion with veteran Disney landscaper and horticulturalist Scott Girard. Topics of discussion include Scott's influence on the landscapes of EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland, some of his projects outside Disney, and his time spent as head of Disney Horticulture in the 1990s. From the gardens of Canada to the forests of Japan - plant those tiddly...

Landscaping is a fundamental part of the Disney themed experience, so we're thrilled this month to bring you a two-part Progress City Town Hall with veteran Disney landscaper and horticulturalist Scott Girard. Scott started at Disneyland in 1964, and went on to become part of the team that helped create Walt Disney World. In this part of our talk we discuss those early experiences, including encou...