Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes the crew of our latest project to the show to discuss their new podcast - the Mousetalgia FastPass! In an interview recorded live from the Hollywood Backlot at DCA, the FastPass crew share some of their inspirations, history, park favorites, and insights regarding who they are and how they intend to go about sharing the news of Disneyland Resort with their listeners every week. Plus - Team Mousetalgia share some Disney collectible fails! We talk about our biggest flops in our time as collectors of Disneyana.

This week, join Team Mousetalgia as we speak with legendary Disney producer Don Hahn about his latest project, a short film about Walt Disney's "Storybook Mansion," the house Walt built on Woking Way and lived in with his family from 1932 until he bought his next home in 1949 and moved into in 1950. Don speaks with us about the property, why we are so interested in Walt's personal life, and visiting the place with Disney Legend Floyd Norman. Also - Pirate bird nests, collectible calendars, cancelled trips and more.

This week, Mousetalgia speaks with author and historian Don Ballard about the rich history of the Disneyland Hotel. We discuss the reasons Walt asked businessman Jack Wrather to open the hotel next to Disneyland, and the early guest experience at the hotel, including memories about restaurants, the mid century atmosphere, and the hotel's legacy through the changes it has made over the years. Plus - we discuss exploring Disneyland's massive properties attic, and more!

This week, in honor of the anniversary of Fess Parker's birthday, Team Mousetalgia takes a look back at the legacy of Parker's post-Disney business ventures, and we consider how he might have been influenced by Walt Disney to take bold steps into the world of themed entertainment. Then, we answer your emails about horrible moments at Disneyland, WDW vacation planning, enjoying solo trips, listeners "calling in," and more.

This week, in honor of the Haunted Mansion's 52nd anniversary, Team Mousetalgia looks at some of the new Haunted Mansion-themed merchandise coming from Target and Spirit just in time for Halloween, and we consider a new key being offered to the old house on the hill. Then, we take a look at Disneyland Resort's new Magic Key program, and contemplate how it compares to previous annual pass programs and the ramifications for current park attendees. We may have more questions than answers, but we start our decision-making process in terms of the value of the new passes on this episode.

This week, Jeff discusses his summer vacation to Aulani - A Disney Spa and Resort in Ko Olina, Hawaii, and talks about a stay at the resort. We discuss the DVC accommodations, the resort's amenities, the dining opportunities, all the pools, and the planning that goes into a trip to Aulani. Then, Jeff and Kristen discuss the latest film from the Walt Disney Studio "The Jungle Cruise," starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. We talk about returning to theaters in the midst of the COVID pandemic and our spoiler-free reaction to the film's premise, humor and characters - and that Metallica song. Plus - Mousetalgia is a teenager! We reminisce about our past 13 years of podcasting.

This week, visit the wonderful world of Alice in Wonderland with Mousetalgia as we talk to two theme park design experts about the original Alice attraction which opened in 1958 at Disneyland. Former Imagineers Chris Merritt and Don Carson talk all about the history, the design, and the sounds of this quintessential Fantasyland dark ride. Don also shares the story of his development of a VR ride-through of the original attraction. Plus, in honor of 666 episodes of this podcast, we talk about some diabolical Disney deeds.

This week, Mousetalgia reviews some recent Disney media, starting with a report on a Barnes and Noble panel discussion about "Star Wars - the High Republic." Jeff discusses this virtual event, which featured authors of some new book releases. Then, it's "Delish Does Disney" vs. "Disney Villains: Devilishly Delicious Cookbook." Jeff and Kristen review these latest culinary book releases which are both based on Disney magic, but do the recipes deliver? Finally, we take a look at Luca, and host our own roundtable discussion on the merits and challenges presented by Disney/Pixar's latest film.

On this week of Disneyland's 66th birthday, join Team Mousetalgia as we look back into the park's past to the years 1959 and 1985. First, we speak with Beverly Fellows, who worked in Disneyland's Indian Village in 1959. Beverly shares her memories of a well-paying summer job in a park filled with happy people and amazing new attractions. Then, we welcome Barbara Brock back to the show to talk about Disneyland's 30th anniversary "Gift-Giver Extraordinaire" promotion in 1985 from an insider's view behind the counter in the award center. Plus - our Disney bucket list items, and more.

This week, join Mousetalgia for a fascinating conversation with former Imagineer Ethan Reed. Ethan tells us his origin story which includes his childhood trips to Disneyland, his love of Donald Duck and animation, and his introduction to Walt Disney Imagineering. We also discuss his work for the company including character design work for the Duffy and Friends franchise (and the mania surrounding the Duffy bear); work on Camp Woodchuck; animating Mr. Potato Head; and his character design work for Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. Ethan packs facts and bits of trivia into his stories, including rarely-heard information about the process of designing stories and characters for Disney's theme parks worldwide.

This week, Jeff takes his daughters to Disneyland for Father's Day, which happened to be the first weekend that the resort welcomed out of state guests back into the parks and also relaxed their mask and social distancing rules, per guidance from the state and CDC. Jeff talks about returning to the Grand Californian Hotel, and we review the pool and the hotel's restaurants, with a focus on the Napa Rose's Summer Vintner's Table Menu. Then, we discuss the current park experience, and describe what you should expect if you are considering a return to the Happiest Place on Earth.

This week, Mousetalgia is pleased to welcome author and historian Dave Bossert back to the show to discuss his latest book, "Claude Coats: Walt Disney's Imagineer: The Making of Disneyland From Toad Hall to the Haunted Mansion and Beyond." Dave is joined on the show by retired Imagineer Alan Coats, who happens to be Claude's son and also contributed to the book. The two talk about Claude's impact on Disneyland by discussing his early career in animation, his contributions to the development of atmosphere for the many projects he worked on, and his ongoing legacy. Plus - inexpensive artwork from the production of Sleeping Beauty, Disney dad jokes, XBox and Disney+ - and more.

This week, Jeff shares stories from the grand opening of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure on June 4. We talk about the opening day crowds and how Disney struggled to deal with the crush of visitors who hoped to visit this new land on day one, and then we discuss some of the features of the new area, including the architecture, the attractions, the souvenirs, the entertainment, and the food.

This week, Kristen takes us to the premiere of "Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume" at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, and joins D23's Jeffrey Epstein and Becky Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives, who share some behind-the-scenes stories about the development of the exhibition and discuss the value of costumes to on-screen storytelling. Then, we discuss America's return to the cinema, and we talk about getting back to community events and returning to the big screen. Finally, we review Disney's Cruella, and talk about the cast, those costumes, and the vibe of this new dark entry into the Disney Studios catalog. Plus - remembering the Monsanto House of the Future, and more.

In this special episode, Kristen, Becky and special guest Jennifer share stories and tips about taking self-care trips to the park as primary caretakers. In this day-trip memoir, the panelists discuss snacking, shopping, touring Galaxy's Edge, the state of the park, friend trips vs. solo trips, and the art of taking a moment for yourself in the midst of family pressures and a worldwide pandemic.

This week, Mousetalgia speaks with Disneyland '55 alum Bob D'Arcy, who Walt called "the kid." Bob watched Disneyland being built and became the first Disneyland tour guide. In our exclusive interview, Bob talks about his first duties as a tour guide, some of his other tasks at the park, and some of his interactions with celebrities visiting the park and Walt himself. He also talks about his love affair with Judy "Slue Foot Sue" Marsh, who performed the role during the Golden Horseshoe's first year of operation. Plus - we discuss re-imagining the Space Mountain soundtrack, and share some big news: Hayley Mills' memoir is now on pre-sale! (Tip: In this episode, we suggested you try bn.com to place an order for a signed copy, but they are already sold out. However, Books-a-Million just launched a pre-sale for signed copies on their website, and as of this episode's publication, there are still copies available. Good luck!)

This week, Team Mousetalgia continues their coverage of Disneyland's reopening with a number of topics, including how to choose which park to start your Disneyland day, and changes to the overall experience of the park and some specific attractions, including Haunted Mansion, Adventureland, and Snow White's Enchanted Wish. We also share our top tips for visiting the parks in the near future, and discuss what you will experience if you choose to shop in the parks, and what to expect at the end of the day.

Disneyland has reopened after being closed for over 400 days. From our own emotions about re-entering the park, to the interactions with Cast Members, to the different atmosphere in the park and the very limited food options - touring Disneyland is a very different experience in the era of COVID-19. In part one of a special two-part report, Team Mousetalgia discusses our return to Anaheim and how our expectations met reality as we embraced the new tone of the Disneyland experience.

Celebrate Star Wars with Team Mousetalgia on May the Fourth and all week long with some announcements from a galaxy far, far away, including new book releases, Star Wars VR news, Rogue One storyboard revelations, new LEGO releases - and the story of how Obi Wan Kenobi broke Jeff's heart. Then, it's on to the listener email inbox. Today's topics include: A discussion of Imagineer Jim Sarno, the magic of Disneyland, retired characters at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, returning to the annual passholder vibe - yay or nay?, remembering Cicely Rigdon, taking babies to Disneyland, and more. Plus: revisting the Haunted Mansion's stretching room, and our thoughts about re-imagining that challenging scene.

This week, Jeff reports on a trip to the Walt Disney Family Museum to visit the new exhibit "Walt Disney Studios and World War II." This new installation describes the studio's contributions to America's war effort, and describes how the studio was impacted by its work for the U. S. government. Then, the countdown has begun to the opening of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, and Kristen Carr checks in with the latest necessary info for making a return to the magic. Plus - we discuss some of our favorite Disney-related websites - and more.