Imagination Skyway

Disney Imagineer Daniel Joseph has been developing Disney Parks illusions and special effects for Walt Disney Imagineering since 2006. As a part of the Illusioneering Lab, Daniel has created effects used in The Haunted Mansion (including the Hatbox Ghost installations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World), Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Trader Sam's, Space 220, and Enchanted Tale of Beauty and...

Disney Lorcana by Ravensburger is a trading card game that gives players the ability to build decks around their favorite Disney franchises. Teaming up with your favorite Disney characters, heroes and villains, players will strategically compete to collect lore, challenge other players, and complete quests. Whether wielding legendary items, singing iconic songs, or visiting familiar locations, thi...

Joanna and I have been traveling to Walt Disney World together since 2011 when we were still under a year into our relationship. Over the course of our courtship, engagement, and marriage, we've amassed a growing list of Disney travel memories. From a pair of young Disney adults to a family with kids, we discuss some of our favorite personal stories over the last 15 years (and counting) of Disney...

Joanna and I have been traveling to Walt Disney World together since 2011 when we were still under a year into our relationship. Over the course of our courtship, engagement, and marriage, we've amassed a growing list of Disney travel memories. From a pair of young Disney adults to a family with kids, we discuss some of our favorite personal stories over the last 15 years (and counting) of Disney...

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, "The Wildest Ride In The Wilderness", has been delighting Disney fans at Disneyland since 1979, with other versions created for Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Imagineer Tony Baxter, carrying forward an idea from Imagineer Marc Davis called Thunder Mesa and Western River Expedition, led a team to create this pivot storytell...

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.   Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway .   To plan a trip, be sure to work with KMV Travel .   Tag me and join the conversation below. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationskyway Instagram: www.instagram.com/imaginationskyway Facebook Group (ImagiNation):  https://www.facebook.com/groups/imaginations...

In this listener question/answer episode, we discuss Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and beyond, including our thoughts about the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Premier Pass options, hotel options at the Disneyland Resort (on property and off property), tips for a first trip to Disneyland, must-do activities at Walt Disney World for the holiday season, Disney Vacation Club, Disney...

Disney's Pop Century Resort offers Walt Disney World guests a charming tribute to the popular fads of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s: the catchphrases, toys, recreation, movies, and music that defined each decade. As a value resort with Disney Skyliner access, Pop Century provides guests with three pools, shopping, dining, and Skyliner access to EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and 10...

Aarin Richard served as a Walt Disney Imagineer starting in the 1990s working in the music group. His projects included the first synchronized on-board audio track for Space Mountain at Disneyland and Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris, as well as the music for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Adventure, and beyond. In this episode, I chat with Aarin about his early career, his wor...

Bob Weis spent his career at Walt Disney Imagineering across four decades before retiring from Disney in 2023. Beginning at WED Enterprises in 1980 right out of college, Bob worked on Tokyo Disneyland before taking a lead role on Disney-MGM Studios (now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios). Later in his career, Bob's design work extended to Tokyo DisneySea and the revitalization of Disney Californ...

The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival blooms at Walt Disney World every spring, and this year's festival includes many fresh new offerings. With over 20 outdoor kitchens featuring hundreds of food and drink options, dozens of character topiaries and gardens, two scavenger hunts, limited-time merchandise, and the Garden Rocks Concert Series, there's a lot to discover at this annual fes...

Martha Blanding is the first Black Disney Parks employee inducted as a Disney Legend (2024). Starting with the company in 1971, Martha became the first ever full-time Black Tour Guide at Disneyland, the first Black female in management at Disneyland, and the co-founder of PULSE, a resource group for Black cast members. She’s also an official pioneering producer of the Official Disneyana Convention...

Bob Weis spent his career at Walt Disney Imagineering across four decades before retiring from Disney in 2023. Beginning at WED Enterprises in 1980 right out of college, Bob worked on Tokyo Disneyland before taking a lead role on Disney-MGM Studios (now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios). Later in his career, Bob's design work extended to Tokyo DisneySea and the revitalization of Disney Californ...

World Showcase at EPCOT currently features eleven pavilions, representing eleven countries around the world: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. Disney fans often speculate what could be a twelfth World Showcase pavilion at Walt Disney World. In this episode, we brainstorm new ideas for countries that could be added to EPCO...

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024 raised the bar for D23 Expo in Anaheim. This year's list of announcements for the Disney Parks and Experiences (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise Line, and beyond) and Disney Entertainment (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios) included some noteworthy updates. Noteworthy parks updates...

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024 raised the bar for D23 Expo in Anaheim. This year's list of announcements for the Disney Parks and Experiences (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise Line, and beyond) and Disney Entertainment (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios) included some noteworthy updates. Noteworthy parks updates...

Tiana's Bayou Adventure officially opened on June 28, 2024 at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and is scheduled to open later in 2024 at Disneyland. Replacing Splash Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure offers the same ride layout and system with an entirely reimagined storyline. Complete with incredible details from The Princess and the Frog, New Orleans culture, and the story of Leah Chase (t...

Shiki-Sai opened at the EPCOT Japan pavilion in 2023 as a replacement to the former Walt Disney World dining experience, Tokyo Dining. Offering fine dining, sushi, and an authentic izakaya experience, Shiki-Sai is a culinary and cultural experience. In this episode, we review this restaurant live on location. Plus, we offer some insightful travel tips for those wanting to visit Japan.   Get bonus...

D23 The Official Disney Fan Club is the first official club of its kind, helping bring Disney fans closer to the magic since 2009, offering members one-of-a-kind experiences, quarterly publications, special events, unique merchandise offerings, and exclusive online content. As part of D23's biannual tentpole event, this year's D23 The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California will prove to...

The Disney College Program internship hosts thousands of Cast Members each year at Walt Disney World and Disneyland as the students participating gain experience as they progress toward a college degree. I had the privilege of being a part of the Disney College Program in 2007, working at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom.   In this episode, I reflect on 17 years since starting the Di...

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge offers Walt Disney World guests the enchantment of an African reserve lodge in Central Florida, with sweeping savanna views where over 30 species of African animals roam, table-service African cuisine (Sanaa, Boma, and Jiko) and quick-service offerings (The Mara), shopping, and some of the best pools on Disney property. Jambo House and Kidani Village also include Disn...

1900 Park Fare recently reopened at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and I returned with my family to enjoy the new experience. While some elements of this Walt Disney World restaurant remain the same (Big Bertha as a centerpiece and the return of the famous strawberry soup), the venue takes on a new theme of "wish fulfillment" and some new characters to help guests cast their wishes, in...

EPCOT is just about to complete a multiyear transformation, concluding on June 10 as the final walls of World Celebration come down to reveal CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza. With the addition of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Journey of Water Inspired by Moana, Connections Cafe, Connections Eatery, Creations Shop, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, the Walt Disney "Walt The Dreamer" st...

Disney's Hollywood Studios turns 35 at Walt Disney World this May, opening as Disney-MGM Studios in 1989. Over its 35-year history, the park has undergone a large evolution, so extensive that its five opening day attractions (including the Great Movie Ride and Backlot Studio Tour) are all no longer a part of the park. Nevertheless, this is a park that Disney fans of all ages adore, and it's full o...

This listener question-and-answer (Q&A) episode tackles the following many Disney-related questions, including but not limited to: Do you think the Avengers E-Ticket at Disneyland could be a roller coaster instead of a dark ride? I’m going on a solo trip in October… any tips to not feeling weird about it? What’s one restaurant recommendation you would give for each park? Do you have a favorite...