Sams Disney Diary: The Podcast

A comedic musical troupe that performed classic Pixar tunes with whimsical arrangements featuring traditional instruments along with cowbells, kazoos, duck calls, sirens and side whistles, The Pixarmonic Orchestra premiered during Pixar Fest at Disney California Adventure in April 2018. Originally performing at the Paradise Garden section of DCA, the troupe moved to the Pixar Bandstand at the Pixar Promenade on Pixar Pier, in the shadows of the Pixar Pal Around. That’s a lot of Pixar’s. The orchestra, presented by TripleDent Gum, (another Pixar reference, Inside Out) performed 6 times daily. According to a Disney spokesperson, “Seasonal changes in entertainment are part of the normal course of business…” and unfortunately, The Pixarmonic Orchestra conducted its final performance on September 15, 2019. Fortunately for me, the orchestra was a must see during my D23 Expo trip to California; and of course, I had my camera ready. Here is the full Pixarmonic Orchestra from the Summer of 2019. 

The Bootstrappers spend most of their day wandering around New Orleans Square in Disneyland, singing a wide variety of their favorite sea shanties including Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me. Sometimes, if you time it just right, you can catch them on the high seas, or the Rivers of America, on the lower deck of the Sailing Ship Columbia. There is no better place to catch a pirate band than on a pirate ship at sea after all. Be sure to check your times guide; typically, The Bootstrappers can be found in front of Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square, but they may have a special performance on the Sailing Ship Columbia!!! I just couldn’t resist!! Lets’ head to the lower deck for The Bootstrappers on the Sailing Ship Columbia at Disneyland Summer 2019. Be sure to subscribe to the youtube channel

D23 Expo 2019:  Great Moments with Walt Disney was the first presentation on the D23 Archives Stage of the 2019 Expo.  Randy Thornton presents a rare recording of Walt Disney recalling his early adventures in sound and music.  If you are like me, a fan of Walt Disney, this is a much watch/listen. Thanks for watching, subscribe for more, and remember, you never know just what you’ll see.

From the D23 Archives Stage at the D23 Expo 2019: Digging Deeper: Uncovering Disney’s Hidden History – From Never-Seen artwork to photos no one knew existed, explore Disney’s hidden history as showcased through various exciting projects. Hosted by The Hyperion Historical Alliance President, Didier Ghez, Vice President Mindy Johnson and Secretary Paula, Sigman-Lowery.  The Hyperion Historical Alliance is a non-profit organization bringing together Disney historians, writers, and like-minded Disney History enthusiasts.  The reality is, not all Disney history is kept at the Disney Company, many artifacts are kept in private collections, diary, journals, notes, and sketches, the institute is working to preserve that type of history.  This is the full panel with all the details.   Catch the video on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruxcipPVa4I

Making Walls Talk Disney Historical Sites and Museums in Conversation:  Bret Iwan, the voice of Mickey Mouse chats with representatives from the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, The Walt Disney Family Museum, The Walt Disney Birthplace and the Carolwood Foundation.  The panel included a presentation from each of the four locations followed by a Question and Answer session.  

It’s been 10 years since the first D23 Expo.  Included in the first D23 Expo Disney Legends Ceremony was none other than Bill Farmer, the voice of everyone’s favorite Goof.  As it turns out, Bill’s first voiceover audition was for Goofy.  Bill was part of the “in conversation” series on the D23 Expo Archives Stage  during the 2019 Expo.  According to the Expo Guide, join Disney Legend Bill Farmer in a lively chat about his career voicing everyone’s favorite Goof! 

Kevin Rafferty has spent 40 years developing dimensional storytelling experiences for Disney Park guests around the world. Kevin began his Disney career in 1974 as a dishwasher at the Plaza Inn restaurant at Disneyland. He joined Imagineering 4 years later contributing to the development of Epcot. His credits include Typhoon Lagoon, show writer for the original Comedy Warehouse at Pleasure Island, he worked with Jim Henson on Muppet Vision 3D and created the original concept, story and name for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Kevin was a key member of the concept team behind Blizzard Beach and was the co-concept creator or Toy Story Midway Mania!, worked on numerous Animal Kingdom attractions along with Car land which became Cars land. His latest project, Mickey and Minnie’s’ Runaway railroad is set to open at Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios next spring (2020) and at Disneyland in Toon Town in 2021. He also just released his first book, Magic Journey and gave us a preview or the book at the D23 expo 20

RX Series Pilot, R-3X has an interesting history in the Star Wars Galaxy. He was at some point a pilot of the Star Commuter 2000 using the name RX-24, piloting the Lothal to Garel route. He then went on to work for Star Tours piloting the Star Speeder 3000 until he crash-landed on Batuu where he was reprogramed into a DJ, and at the same time had his appearance slightly altered by Mubo, the proprietor of the Droid Depot. Mubo, who had a debt to settle with Oga Garra, bartered the droid to settle the debt with Oga and since then R-3X has been known as DJ-REX, providing the musical entertainment inside Oga’s cantina on Batuu. Occasionally, especially upon startup, he has a flashback to his prior programing, I meant to do that, or Light Speed to Endor anyone??? This video is an hour-long look at DJ Rex in his now surrounding inside Oga’s Cantina on Batuu, and can you believe… it’s not the full Loop!!!! I hope you enjoy and be sure to subscribe for more.

Explore the Music and sound design of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge from the epic John Williams score to sounds of low flying starships and more. The D23 Expo Arena Panel – Music and sounds of Star Wars Galaxy’s edge was hosted by Matt Walker, VP Walt Disney Imagineering Music Studio. According to Matt Music and Sounds are a natural part of the storytelling process. His first guests John Dennis and William Ross talk about that process. Then John “JK” Kestler, Principal Audio Media Designer walks through the process of creating the background sounds inside Galaxy’s Edge. According to “JK”, the sound design team created 2,979 unique sounds files for the project. While the sounds are cool, what about the music inside Oga’s cantina? Where do you start to create the sounds and music inside of a cantina in the Star Wars universe? Yaron Spiwak, Senior Music Producer talks about the process of creating what would become DJ Rex’s Playlist. The playlist starts with the music, and the music needs to be created by someone, an

This time on Sams Disney Diary, The D23 Archives stage and the last panel discussion of the D23 Expo 2019 – Disneyland 1959 Matterhorn, Monorail and Submarine Voyage. The session explores how Walt Disney advanced the nature of theme parks with the creation of the Matterhorn, Monorail and Submarine Voyage. Think about that for a second, in a single year Walt Disney and Disneyland introduced the first steel roller coaster in the world, the first daily operating monorail in North America and the only submarine fleet that didn’t belong to a Navy. It all happened 60 years ago, and all three ground-breaking attractions are still in operation today. This is the full panel discussion including parade footage from June 14th, 1959, the day 6 new attractions were introduced at Disneyland. Thanks for Watching… Subscribe for more.

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion opened August 9, 1969, at Disneyland, over fifty years ago. And what better opportunity to pay tribute to the classic attraction than “Haunted Mansion: Celebrating 50 Years” at the D23 Expo 2019. According to the Event Guide: Celebrate the rich history of Disney’s famed home of 999 happy haunts, joined by a procession of bodies you will die to meet. Walt Disney Imagineering Story Editor, Kevin Lively is our Ghost host for the hour-long D23 Panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. This is the Full Panel… Subscribe for me from the 2019 D23 Expo

The multi-year reimagination of Walt Disney World Epcot haws begun and it promises to be the most ambitious Disney Park expansion ever! With the details announced at the D23 Expo 2019 along with other information announced by Disney, we can start to put together a picture of what the new re-imagined Epcot will look like.

D23 Expo 2019 Parks and Resorts Panel - Full Panel Audio

Directly from VHS, and my attic, this is the 1993 Walt Disney World Vacation Planning VHS.  With the following directly from the package. How do you describe the most magical, most spectacular citation destination on earth?  In this case, the guests do it best.  Visitors experiencing Walt Disney World for the first time, the second time, the twentieth time, are your guides and your vacation planning advisors through this information and entertaining video presented by Delta Air Lines. Here, you’ll enjoy the full 43 square mile, 45-minute, tour of all the things that make vacation dreams come true.  You’ll romp through the Magic Kingdom Park, the Disney Studios, Epcot Center, Typhoon Lagoon and Pleasure Island. Then check into all the magnificent Walt Disney World Resort hotels, each one as uniquely themed as the next. You’re bound to enjoy this world of vacation information and insider tips our vast host of Walt Disney World guests have to share with you.  Because the next best thing to being at Walt Disney W

When it originally opened August 1, 1997, Disney Coronado Springs was the largest Disney convention resort and featured one of the largest single-level convention centers on the East Coast. The opening of the new Gran Destino Tower earlier this week, July 9, 2019, signifying the entire resort’s grand re-imagining. Located in the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort area the resort features 2,385 guest room including suites in lakeside casitas and the new Gran Destino Tower and more than 220,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The 22-acre Lago Dorado lake at the center of the resort provides a perfect walking/jogging trail along with state of the art fitness center, four swimming pools a volleyball court, recently remodeled lounges, food court, and grab-and-go offerings. “Destino”. The new tower serves as the new arrival and reception area for Coronado Springs featuring a dramatic two-story lobby. The lower lobby bar, Barcelona Lounge offers coffee and pastries in the morning transforming to a full bar durin

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Disney Decade was in full swing, and part of it was advertising what’s new at Walt Disney World Resort. Disney parks was no stranger to “live” events from the parks. The Happy Easter Parade, Christmas Day Parade, and yes, The 4th of July Spectacular. While Disney has “live streamed” some recent 4th of July performances, it just doesn’t quite feel like the anticipation of waiting to watch the “live” fireworks on July 3rd in the 1980s. The special, like the Christmas and Easter Parades, evolved over the years; and in 1989, America’s 213th Birthday the focus was on Disney recording artists and the newly opened MGM Studios theme park. The Spectacular kicks off at Washington Square, New York, New York, or in this case, at Walt Disney World MGM Studios. Remember the Studios had just opened just two months earlier on May 1st, 1989 – New Kids on the Block are at Pleasure Island along with the Mannequin Dancers. Mickey Mouse Club Members are at the new Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

The highly anticipated film arrives in theaters June 21 – and it just wouldn’t be the same without Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the rest of the gang, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Slinky Dog (Blake Clark) the Potato Heads (Don Rickles, Estelle Harris) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger) among others join Bonnies newest Toy “Forky”(Tony Hale) then set off on a road trip adventure that reunites them with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and a new cast of amazing characters including Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) & Bunny (Jordan Peele) , Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki). Forky along with Boo Peep can already be found in Walt Disney World Toy Story Land, along with a vast assortment of merchandise. I was able to participate in a media preview that included an early screening of the film, a look at new products including toys games and collectibles associated with the film along with a press conference featuring some of the voice act

#NowMoreThanEver: Summer 2019 is the perfect time to visit Walt Disney World.  The Mickey & Minnie Surprise Celebration is happening at Magic Kingdom; Incredible Celebration including the amazing Jack Jack Cookie NumNums at Hollywood Studios along with Lightning McQueen Racing Academy and a new projection show celebrating 90 years of animation; Animal Kingdom has a new “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party” and updated Tree of Life projections and a New Rivers of Life: “We Are One” nighttime show featuring Disney characters.    This summer is also your last chance to catch Epcot’s Illuminations Reflections of Earth before it’s gone forever, most summer offerings end September 30th 2019.   Disney Springs is even getting into the festival spirit with the first Disney Springs Flavors of Florida, now through September 2nd Looking to take in as many Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom attractions as possible with the shortest wait times and maybe a brand-new Villains Stage Show?  Throw in some free face painting, exclus

The grand opening of Disneyland Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge was epic!  George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, Harrison Ford, Disney Executives along with an overwhelming amount of information.  This is the best of the best, highlights of the opening ceremony, interviews with Disney Executives, Star Wars celebrities and the people who made it all happen, with an exclusive first look inside the attractions, stories, and entertainment offerings inside Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

It’s here the wait is over, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is open in Disneyland park, and later this fall in Walt Disney Worlds Hollywood Studios. (August 29,2019) But, what’s the story, the back story, the real-life back story and the in Star Wars story behind the land?      You can trace the real-life galaxy’s edge back story all the way to the opening of “Star Tours the Adventure Continues” in 2011, which replaced the original start tours that opening in Disneyland in 1987 then later in Tokyo, Disney MGM Studios and Disneyland Paris. As the story goes, that high level collaboration between George Lucas and Bob Iger, lead to the eventual Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 30th 2012. Less than a year later at the D23 Expo 2013 the mysterious project “Orange Harvest appeared” including crates labeled Banta Milk, Protocol Droids, Lightsabers, Thermal Detonators and top secret plans with blue prints rolled up and visible. all of it addressed to “Project Orange Harvest care of. Walt Disney Imagineering…