Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

This week, Team Mousetalgia offers some Expo prep as we welcome Kevin Kern from the Walt Disney Archives to the show to discuss the Archives exhibit at this year's D23 Expo, and what you can expect to see at the exhibit. Kern also talks about his role at the archives, as well as his work helping to develop the presentations to occur on the Archives stage at the D23 Expo. Next, we welcome author and historian J.B. Kaufman back to the show to talk about Walt Disney Records/Fairfax Classics' latest project, "The Silly Symphony Collection," an 8-hour-long collection of soundtracks from all 75 Silly Symphony shorts presented on 16 vinyl LPs. Kaufman gives us some insight into the original cartoons that Walt Disney produced from 1929-'39, and explains the importance of this period of work from Walt and his animation studio. The set will be available for preorder beginning at the D23 Expo, and there will be a live concert performance of some of the works offered at the Expo as well. Plus, one lucky listener will win

Walt Disney's fascination with steam locomotives takes center stage this week as Mousetalgia visits Walt's Barn in Griffith Park to learn more about Disney's love of trains. From his childhood chasing trains in Marceline, through his home steam engine at Carolwood, to the trains his studio built for the Disney parks - you'll get a crash course on why Walt was so moved by the notion of live steam from docent Doug Marsh from the Carolwood Society about Disney's trains and the current exhibition at Walt's Barn, "The Trains of Disneyland." Then, Mousetalgia is pleased to welcome William "Sully" Sullivan to the show to talk about his 40-year career with the Disney company, which Sully started as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland in 1955 and ended as Vice President of the Magic Kingom park as a Disney Legend with two windows on Main Steet at WDW. Sully talks about working at Disneyland, the New York World's Fair, at the Magic Kingdom, and much more. Plus, a review of the Anaheim Marriott, more D23 Expo prep - a

Visit to Disneyland on July 17, 2015 with Jeff and Kristen as they report from the park on its 60th birthday with location recordings as well as thoughts about the day. We listen in on Michael Colglazier's speech, visit New Orleans Square to catch Queenie and the Royal Street Bachelors, and even catch the new Disneyland Band in one of its first day performances. Also - Kristen does a rain-soaked VIP Tour, Jeff attends a D23 panel with a host of Disney Legends to learn even more about Disneyland's early days, and we discuss Fantasmic dining packages. Plus - a chance to win souvenir park maps and a July 17 "I was there!" button; a tiny Ant-sized movie review - and more!

Join Team Mousetalgia live from the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet as Jeff and Kristen report on the annual event. First, take a tour of the show floor and experience the Mouse Meet from the guests' perspectives, then go behind the scenes with Mousetalgia and special guest Imagineer Joe Herrington, and Disney voice artists Mark Silverman, Margaret Kerry and Pete Renaday. Joe Harrington talks about creating soundscapes and audio for some of the parks' most beloved attractions, and the voice panel discuss some highlights from their careers. Then, listen in as Mousetalgia re-creates the famous "Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" record album with the original voice of the Ghost Host, Pete Renaday! Plus, D23 Expo news, Claire Keane, and a baby arrives!

Happy 60th, Disneyland! Team Mousetalgia offers our advice for dealing with the crowds at Disneyland on its 60th birthday, and then we take a look back at Disneyland's origin story to see how different (and similar) things were back in 1955. We'll take you back to opening day (when four-person-wide lines stretched a mile down Harbor Boulevard) on a brief tour of the original attractions that are no longer with us. Learn why the New York Times called the park "everything exciting and wonderful to a child's eyes... that will surely take years off the shoulders of countless adults, too" just days after the gates first opened. Plus - renewing vows at Disneyland, Danny Kaye on Disneyland's 25th birthday, and more.

Everything D23 Expo: This week, Mousetalgia talks to Kristin Rodack, a director with D23, to learn more about the upcoming D23 Expo to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14-16. Get tips and hints straight from the source as we learn about some of the magic in store for Expo attendees. StagePass, StorePass, the massive Hall D23, and the Expo floor are all examined and explained. Plus, we get personal and describe our goals and thoughts about the weekend - Kristen hopes for a single success per day; Jeff is looking for freebies and giveaways; and Dave lists Mousetalgia's survival tips for navigating the Expo, which include topics like sustenance, appropriate clothing, lodging, dealing with lines, and stashing burritos in our backpacks. Also - Walt Disney's silhouette, Death Star beach balls, Fantasia cheesecake, and The Astronaut Wives Club.

Jeff does Disneyland's Diamond celebration and reviews the Matterhorn updates, Paint the Night, World of Color - Celebrate, the T Party Diamond Edition - even breakfast at Flo's. Also, Disneyland goes 101: How much downtime is acceptable for new attractions and effects? We also discuss new merchandise, summer trip planning, and more! Plus, Mousetalgia attends Fathom Events' "Insider Access to Inside Out," and we discuss the nationwide event, then Mousetalgia reviews the groundbreaking film. Also - Michele Shocked, Star Wars cereal, WDW scat, and more!

Team Mousetalgia shares Disneyland travel tips and more in this week's listener email show. Topics include: Disneyland's 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration; using Fast Passes at Disneyland; tips on visiting Aulani from an Oahu resident - including comments on the weather, eating offsite, taking day trips and more. Also - confessions of a self-labeled Disney hater; The Running of the Hoods is explained in detail; Disney World regulars have questions about an upcoming trip to Disneyland regarding hotels, airports, traveling to the Walt Disney Family Museum; and a Disneylander asks questions about taking the family to Walt Disney World. Plus - Disney's Silly Symphonies are coming to the D23 Expo; and reviews of "The Legacy Collection: The Music of Disneyland," Marvel studios' "Daredevil," and Disney Vans.

Pixar's Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera appeared at the Seattle International Film Festival to introduce "Inside Out," and Kristen reports from the screening and discusses the filmmakers' inspirations, motivations, and obstacles that were overcome in the making of Pixar's latest film. Jeff reviews "Animation Anecdotes," a book by Disney historian Jim Korkis, and TEA reports that while Disneyland's attendance dipped in the first part of 2015, profits continued to rise. What does the future hold for Disneyland - new lands, a new park, or...? Also, Mousetalgia welcomes ARG developer Nick Tierce to the show to discuss his unofficial alternate reality game based on "The Optimist" and "Tomorrowland," and we get his take on what the future might hold for Brad Bird's underrated film. Plus - will Disney parks ever sell tickets with tiered pricing? We discuss.  (Lava director Jim Murphy audio from AU Review/Youtube)

Author and historian J. B. Kaufman joins Mousetalgia this week to discuss Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second animated feature film. Our conversation covers the Disney adaptation's diferences from Carlo Collodi's original Italian morality tale, Walt's vision for the film and his unique characters, and Kaufman's new book, "Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic." Learn about Walt's struggle to create the story adaptation, the film's anthropomorphized characters, and the different animation styles and techniques demonstrated in this groundbreaking movie. We also discuss some of the film's intriguing details, including the otherworldly Novachord in the soundtrack and the sound effects crew's attempts to emulate a whale's sneeze. Plus - "The Fearless Art of Mike Gabriel," using Uber to get to Disneyland economically, CV Wood's role creating Disney's land, a listener's trip to Disneyland with Alice Davis... and more.

Are diamonds anyone's best friend? Disneyland launches its spectacular Diamond anniversary with a 24-hour party at the parks which was by turns fun, chaotic, thilling and frustrating to the tens of thousands of guests who descended on the Anaheim resort on May 22. Team Mousetalgia welcomes Beci Mahnken, owner of Mouse Fan Travel, to the show to report on her experiences at the media preview, the 24 hour party, and the grand opening of Disneyland's new 60th anniversary nighttime spectaculars, including World of Color - Celebrate!, the Paint the Night parade, and Disneyland Forever, the new fireworks show that combines projections, fireworks, and special effects throughout the park to create a show that can be viewed from multiple locations (...or can it?) We also debate Disneyland's wisdom in creating predictable mass confusion with an event guaranteed to draw more people to the resort than the parks could contain. Is the result clever marketing, a tarnished reputation - or both? Also, we revisit Tomorrowland

Mousetalgia visits Storybrooke this week as Jeff goes to RegalCon, a convention for fans of ABC's "Once Upon a Time." We compare this convention with other Disney fan cons, discuss the seminars and offerings, and hear "Once" celebrities Lee Arenberg, Gil McKinney and Beverly Elliott talk about what the fandom means to each of them personally. Then, Team Mousetalgia reports from Disneyland's Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend, and we discuss the kids' races and the runDisney Expo and hear from Tinker Bell animation reference model Margaret Kerry in person. Finally, we talk about some recent dining experiences at Disneyland, including the recently re-opened Smokejumpers Grill, breakfast and dinner at Disneyland Hotel's Steakhouse 55 (and we ask if bad service negates good food?), and a closer look at the special effects inside of Club 33's Le Salon Nouveau. Plus - Disneyland's 60th anniversary begins! Mousetalgia Matterhorn t-shirts are now on sale at www.mousetalgiastore.com!  

Team Mousetalgia takes you to the blue carpet and the world premiere of Tomorrowland in this week's episode! Join Jeff and Dave as they watch the celebrities descend on Downtown Disney's AMC multiplex to watch Brad Bird's fascinating new movie and report on the goings on. Jeff joins D23 to attend the private after-party in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and Dave joins in to report from a Lucasfilm screening of the film days later, and we offer our initial spoiler-free impressions of the film. Also, we talk Avengers, and offer some thoughts about the latest installment in the Marvel cinematic pantheon. Next: the Haunted Mansion welcomes back the Hat Box Ghost after nearly 46 years, and we offer our thoughts and responses to the new character, brought back to life with a little digital pixie (or is that mummy?) dust. Plus - the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet announces the special guests for this year's event, the D23 Expo starts spilling secrets - and more!

Heigh ho - it's time for Mousetalgia to dig, dig, dig into the mailbag! Topics include: tips for traveling with a child; what to expect from 24-hour day and Disneyland's 60th anniversary launch; picky eaters vs. Disneyland's restaurants; Disney-style wedding vows; traveling to Disneyland and dining with a large group; DCA's Frozen stage show; tips for attending the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet; starting a Disney record collection; wait time apps - pros and cons; planning Disney date nights; tips for visiting Disneyland while pregnant; and buying Walt Disney's autograph. Also, Team Mousetalgia contemplates the next drugstore-exclusive Disney-licensed makeup line. Which character should it be based on? We discuss! Plus listener reports on Wednesdays with Walt, Avengers at El Capitan, and Star Wars Day at Disneyland - plus more!

Team Mousetalgia talks Star Wars on this special stellar-sized May 4th episode as we recount the highlights of a weekend of galactic adventure at the recent Star Wars Celebration convention held April 16-19 at the Anaheim Convention Center. From JJ Abrams and his stunning new teaser trailer to Princess Leia making out with a fan onstage in the Celebration Arena, we cover the moments and events from the weekend that we found to be most profound, striking, or strange. Cosplay, photo-ops, autographs, and panels - we cover it all, and try to describe the event for Star Wars fans that may not have made it out to Anaheim in person. Grab a glass of blue milk, get comfy in your Tauntaun-skin snuggie, and celebrate everything Star Wars with us!

In this special episode recorded live from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim on April 17, 2015, Mousetalgia welcomes writer/director/puppeteer/creature artist Kirk Thatcher to the show to talk about his work for ILM on Return of the Jedi creating creatures and aliens, and then bringing them to life for the film. Television producer Joseph Freed also joins our roundtable to discuss living la vida Star Wars as we share memories, stories, and opinions about Star Wars past, present and future, including the newly-released teaser trailer for "The Force Awakens." Join us at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim for this very special episode of Mousetalgia!

Mousetalgia continues our own 24/7 Newsies cycle with another Newsies-inspired episode today as we welcome session musician Derek Young to the show to talk about his experience as the "unsung Newsie" from the original Disney film, released 23 years ago. Derek talks about working with composer Alan Menken and arranger Danny Troob on the soundtrack album, for which he was hired to dub a line for one of the film's big stars, and continued to contribute to the whole soundtrack. Learn what it was like behind the scenes during the making of Disney's unlikeliest musical hit. Also, the team discusses the latest Haunted Mansion news, including the possibility of Guillermo del Toro's reboot of the Haunted Mansion for the big screen with actor/musician Ryan Gosling, and the reappearance of the most talked about resident of the Haunted Mansion - the Hat Box Ghost. Plus: the Art of Ralph McQuarrie; Disney and Dali; and tickets go on sale for the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet. Get yours today at www.pnwmousemeet.com.

Join Team Mousetalgia as we take a look back at the release of star wars in 1977 with Lucasfilm's director of fan relations at the time, Craig Miller. Miller takes us for a look inside the inner workings of Lucasfilm as Star Wars was released, which caught everyone by surprise with its overwhelming success. Miller talks about starting the official Star Wars Fan Club, George Lucas's early plans for a 12-part saga, and operating Artoo's head for various Lucasfilm productions. Then, voice actor Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) discusses his time in that galaxy far, far away portraying dozens of characters for the Star Wars universe, including both Ben Kenobi and General Tarkin. Stanton discusses the arc of his character Tarkin and his conjecture about Tarkin's unknown history, talks about visiting Disney parks with first-time guests, and discusses some of his other Disney voices in films and attractions, such as Lord Henry Mystic from Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor and Alfred the Vul

Mousetalgia welcomes Barbara Burnett Brock to the show to talk about her incredible career as a tour guide at Disneyland. Enjoy stories about touring with Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen King and Michael Jackson, and learn about the grand opening of Star Tours and Liz Taylor's amazing 60th birthday fête, which Barbara helped manage. As Kristen notes, it's really all about that tour guide outfit - and we discuss that as well. Also, Jeff reports on Kay Kamen and how he made Mickey Mouse into a merchandise star in the midst of the Great Depression. Plus - Jeff meets Bird, Kristen talks babies, Becky gets Fancy, and Dave talks Toy Story 4. Special note: If you'll be at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim on Friday, April 17, you can meet Mousetalgia and hear us podcast live at 6:00 p.m. on the podcast stage! If you can't be there, listen along at mousetalgialive.com.

Mousetalgia visited the Walt Disney Company Annual Shareholder meeting at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on March 12, and Jeff reports on the experience. From sneak peeks at upcoming films to an open mic for shareholders to speak to CEO Bob Iger directly, we cover all the bases and describe the interesting experience of hearing the company's leaders speak about the future of the Walt Disney Company. Then, we return to San Francisco to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum and learn about "Animation Basics: Music," from Disney producer Dave Bossert, music historian John Burlingame, and Disney composer Mark Waters. Learn about "Tunes behind the Toons," a new documentary which covers the music in animation from silent films through current animation features - and more.