Sams Disney Diary: The Podcast

Back in Episode #91, I covered the 1988 Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular and Episode #101 was the 1987 Christmas Day Parade both a the beginning of the “Disney Decade”, the period of time starting in the late 1980’s into the 1990’s.  Michael Eisner was CEO, and Michael leveraged a formula that Walt himself had perfected: leverage television to promote Disney Parks.  Not the same way it’s done today, but in a “let’s show the audience why they should come to the parks” sort of way.  Something that the company has gotten away from recently.  Have you noticed the recent televised Christmas celebrations aren’t really parades at all, but a showcase of Disney recording artists performing in front of park icons? That’s a story for another blog. By the mid-1990’s, the cadence had been set; audiences, especially youngsters, could expect an Easter Day parade, 4th of July fireworks and Christmas Day parade all “live” from Walt Disney World.  Live, in quotes of course; but as one of those youngsters and befor