Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

This week, Team Mousetalgia ponders Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Charles Mintz, and the strange story of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt's first cartoon character to achieve wide popular acclaim. We welcome author and historian Dave Bossert to the show to talk about how Oswald was seen by the public at the time, how his rival characters stacked up, and what the story of Oswald's meteoric rise to fame and disappointing loss meant to Walt Disney and his path forward with his fledgling film studio. Then, Jeff discusses "The Making of The Dark Crystal - Age of Resistance," a panel discussion with representatives from Jim Henson's Creature Shop and the Jim Henson Company, talking about the conceptualization and production of the Netflix series, which was a prequel to The Dark Crystal. Plus - Disneyland Art Corner cels, Amy's Small World bags, Becky's bad news and Star Wars' High Republic. Special note: Mousetalgia's Anything Can Happen Weekend will take place March 14-15, with chances to meet Mousetalgia on Sat. April 14

This week, Team Mousetalgia talks about our East Coast sister parks in a trip report by Kristen about her recent family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. Kristen offers tips, tricks, and stories about her trek to the opposite coast, with topics including Saratoga Springs, WDW transportation, scooter rentals, the Minnie Van, Epcot touring tips and construction woes, working with anxious children, an awkward moment with Chip, Animal Kingdom tips, mobile ordering preparation, character dining advice, taking a "transportation day," thoughts about dining at Disney Springs, getting trapped at the mini golf course, breezing through Hollywood Studios, Fastpass tips, thoughts on Le Cellier and the Skipper Canteen, and more. Plus - if we were going to transport something from the World into the Land, what would it be? The team discusses.

This week, Team Mousetalgia discusses some animation and some park news. First, Jeff reports on "The Art of Frozen 2," a talk by Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, a visual development artist for Walt Disney Feature Animation. Griselda recently appeared at the Walt Disney Family Museum to discuss the current process of animation at Walt Disney Feature Animation, and then she discussed about her own role in the visual development department, and her work creating costumes and motifs for the latest animated film from Disney. Then, Kristen Carr gives us an in-depth look at the first Disneyland After Dark events of 2020, and shares her highlights from each night, with a discussion of the food, entertainment, characters, and more. Finally, Spiderman prepares to fly across DCA, and Disneyland raises ticket prices, and we react.

This week, Jeff checks in with a report from the first annual Mouse-con Bakersfield! We discuss the special guests, the artists, the panels, and the experience of being surrounded by hundreds of Disney fans. Jeff also brings a few highlights from a panel about Disney story artists, featuring great moments in Disney history with Kirk Hanson, a Disney story expert who has worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Imagineering, and many other facets of the Disney Company. Also - another virtual RunDisney series is announced, Jeff buys an old bone, and some behind-the-scenes stories from Disneyland Security! Plus - tickets to Mousetalgia's second annual "Anything Can Happen Weekend" are now on sale at Mousetalgia.com!

This week, Mousetalgia presents a trip report stretching from the fjords of Arendelle to the skies of Batuu for the opening weekend of Rise of the Resistance and the last few weeks of Frozen the Musical's first national tour stop at the Pantages Theatre. First, Jeff reports on the magical musical performance of Frozen, which has just started its first road show to follow the success the show is having on Broadway. We discuss the similarities and differences between this and the Disney California Adventure Frozen stage show, and celebrate a revisiting of this popular story. Then, Jeff reports from the opening weekend of Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland. We offer tips for getting a coveted boarding pass, mild spoilers about the ride's tech and effects, and an overview of the attraction's first few days of operation. Finally, we take a look at some of the marketing surrounding the premiere of Sleeping Beauty in 1959, and a hypnotist's gimmick gone terribly wrong.

This week, Team Mousetalgia dives into Star Wars then, now and forever. First, we take a look back at Star Wars in 1977 as it began to dominate popular culture, and then Kristen describes "The Star Wars Archives," a massive book from Taschen that shares some of George Lucas's perspective on his original film trilogy. Finally, Jeff and Kristen share some of their tips for Disneyana collecting, specializing in eBay auctions, and we describe a few strategies for beginning your own collection. Also - Becky on RunDisney's new club, and Dave reads Bob Iger's "The Ride of a Lifetime."

It's an animated feature anniversary week on Mousetalgia! 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty celebrate birthdays over the next two weeks, and we take a look at the history of the Disney studio during the time of the development of these films and celebrate their legacies with animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman, who worked on both of these groundbreaking films - one of which nearly ended the animation arm of the studio, and one which saved it. Floyd shares stories from the creation of these films, and talks about the past, present and future state of animation at the Walt Disney Studio. Also - Jeff attends a talk at the Walt Disney Family Museum with Walt Disney Records producer Randy Thornton, and Kristen Carr reports from day one of Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland!

This week, Jeff takes a road trip to Disneyland for a rainy Christmas day experience and shares some stories. But first, we speak with Tyler Bliss, an actor who was able to participate as a background performer on an episode of Encore, a series on Disney+. Tyler talks about the experience, the process of making a reality series, and meeting the legendary Stephen Schwartz. Then, Jeff visits a very rainy Disneyland on Christmas day and talks about lightsabers, Napa Rose, and the holiday experience - plus a trip to see a pop-up museum of Carrie Fisher memorabilia in Hollywood and a stop at the Fess Parker Winery.

To leap into 2020, Team Mousetalgia invited listeners to ask us anything they wanted to for our annual AMA episode, and we got some great questions. Topics include Disneyland memories, favorite and recommended books, embarrassing moments, dealing with your "Disney's-not-for-adults" friends, how we would "improve" the park, least favorite park foods, DVC impressions, Mousetalgia origins, and many more. Come join us as we kick off the new year!

This week, Team Mousetalgia takes a look at a few selected moments from 2019 to reminisce about the good, the bad, and the Oswalds. We talk about our favorite movies and television (we're talking about you, Mando); list our top dining experiences (the Craftsman Bar, Club 33, Disneyland's hub and even the Tokyo resort make the bill); share our favorite purchases (Haunted Mansion mugs and Disneyland tickets, both old and new); discuss our favorite new books (do we really need to mention that Marc Davis book again? Yes we do!); lament over this year's Oswald Awards recipients; and finally, recall our best Disney experiences of the year (Tokyo, sabers and sleep - oh, my!) Bonus: we share our Disney resolutions for 2020!

Merry Christmas! This week, Team Mousetalgia wishes you and yours a very happy holiday season as we discuss Christmas celebrations at Disneyland with a trip report from Jeff. Jeff talks about this year's Candlelight Processional with guest narrator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and we also discuss holiday food and drinks, Club 33 seating for the fireworks, and Drew Tablak's performance of "Silent Night." Also - our favorite Disney Christmas memories, and a little Baby Yoda talk.

This week, Team Mousetalgia welcomes former Cast Member Matthew Emerson to the show, and we talk about Matt's extensive career at Disneyland, with topics including the grand opening of Star Tours, tales of being a Jungle Cruise Skipper, his time as Manager of Club 33, and celebrity encounters with Fess Parker, the Mouseketeers, Liz Taylor, and more. Then, Jeff and Kristen offer our review of and our responses to Frozen II (with spoilers). Jeff offers a few hot takes on the story, Kristen has some hot takes on the soundtrack, and we talk about the character development, the plot's twists and turns, and Elsa's hair.

This week, Jeff reviews five new Disney books, and Dave, Becky and Kristen offer trip reports covering a variety of topics, including: a rainy Thanksgiving trip including dinner at Wine Country Trattoria; Calla's first thrill rides (including the Haunted Mansion and Goofy's Sky School); food options at the Festival of Holidays; and Becky's and Button's first trip to Galaxy's Edge. Plus - a "mom fail," Jeff buys a copy of the New York Times from Nov. 13, 1940, the latest entries in the pantheon of cute Disney baby characters, Disneyland After Dark - and TWO sweepstakes!

This week on Mousetalgia, we begin with Kristen's review of a stay at TownePlace Suites by Marriott, and we weigh the pros and cons of budget lodging within a quick drive from Disneyland. Then, we share "This week in Disney history," covering topics including Tokyo Disneyland, Candlelight Processional, Britney Spears, Walt's birthday, and a Snow White preview. Then, we review a pair of Disney books useful for both holiday planning and gift giving, including "The Art of Hand Lettering: An Inspirational Workbook for Creating Beautiful Hand-Lettered Art about LOVE" by Cosimo Lorenzo Pancini, and "A Merry Christmas Cookbook" from the Disney Book Group, a book of recipes geared toward bringing families together in the kitchen. Plus, we go birthday shopping for Walt - and more.

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Team Mousetalgia celebrates the start of the holidays at Disneyland. First, Tim Babb from the "Can't Wait For Christmas" podcast returns to share Five Golden Things about Disney and the holidays - see if you agree with his list of favorite Christmastime features and happenings. Then, Mike Van Eaton joins us to talk about the next auction at Van Eaton Galleries, "A History of Disneyland and Walt Disney World." We talk about this latest in a series of incredible Disneyland auctions, and talk about the state of theme park memorabilia collecting and some of Mike's favorite items from this latest collection of unbelievable artifacts. Next, Becky shares some insight into touring the parks during the holidays from her experience as a professional travel consultant for Mouse Fan Travel. Becky moves beyond recommending "manage your expectations" to give realistic advice and tips for surviving and enjoying a trip when the parks are crowded and busy. And finally, Jeff shares some history o

It's might be freezing around the country, but Mousetalgia keeps your toasty this week with a supersized episode! First, we speak with Mousetalgia listener Wendy Brown, who completed the monumental task of viewing every Disney theatrically released film in order. We find out some of her favorite films, some of the challenges she met while seeking out the films, and learn a little bit more about the history of the Walt Disney Studios. Then, diving further into Disney movie madness, we offer our takes on Disney+, the just-launched streaming service offered by the Walt Disney Company. We discuss the premise, review some of the original content, and welcome Tim Babb (from the "Can't Wait for Christmas" podcast) back to the show for a closer look at the channel's first original holiday film "Noelle." Finally, Jeff attends a book signing by Star Wars legend Anthony Daniels and shares some insight into the world's favorite golden droid. Plus - favorite frozen treats, and Tiny Tinsel drops by!

This week, Team Mousetalgia takes you to the floor of Mouse-con 2019, the fifth annual yearly gathering of Bay Area Disney fans hosted at the Crowne Plaza Inn in Concord, CA. We share our live recordings of some of the goings on, including discussions of our purchases, the cosplay, our presentations, and the convention itself. Plus, we feature audio from two of the special guests' presentations, including animator Willie Ito, who tells us how he got started in the field of animation and what it was like to work on the Disney Studio lot; and Disney Legend Linda Larkin, the voice of Princess Jasmine, who talks about what it was like to be a part of the original animated production of Aladdin, and her special memories of working with Robin Williams. Plus - floor interviews from convention guests, and more!

Let's dive into the mailbag! This week, listeners get philosophical, talking about the value of Fantasyland attractions, the merits of World of Color "Villainous!," girls trips to the resort, Vinylmation woes, and a special segment with listen feedback to Kristen's recent questions about Walt Disney World. Also, we take a brief look back at the production of The Black Hole and chat about this groundbreaking film. Plus - Jeff's quest for Chilling Thrilling vinyl, Kristen's tale of a lost iPad, Dave talks Disney+ - and more!

This is Halloween, which means it's time for Team Mousetalgia's annual treat! This year, we welcome New York Times Bestselling Author Matthew Reinhart back to the show to discuss his latest book "Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-up Galaxy." Matthew discusses the challenge of creating more innovative and transformational pop-up paper designs, and we do a little nerdy Star Wars talk as well. Then, Jeff talks about a few of Marc Davis' ideas for the Haunted Mansion storyline, and we celebrate the plethora of revelations made by the Disney Company in the attraction's 50th anniversary year. Plus - we share our latest Disney tricks and treats!

This week, Steve Cantafio from MEI-Travel joins Team Mousetalgia to share tips and tricks for Walt Disney World fans making the trek out west to the Disneyland Resort. Steve shares some of his own advice that comes from his own recent trip planning for a trip to Disneyland, and compares and contrasts the experience with his expertise with the Walt Disney World Resort. Then, Julia joins us to talk about her recent Castle to Chateau Challenge at Disneyland Paris, and the Halloween season at the Paris resort. Julia compares running at Walt Disney World with the course at Disneyland Paris and offers tips for runners who may be interested in participating in the challenge next year. She also talks about the start of the Halloween decorating at the park, and describes some of the spooky adventures that the park has to offer. Plus - Jeff on supporting indy artists, Kristen on Haunted Mansion dioramas, Becky talks Descendants and Dave shares a curious Halloween tale.