Episode 198 – Today we are covering the past 50 years of Walt Disney World history starting with 1969 and the skipping to the next decade sort of in a carousel of progress type of way. We are only focusing on the major events of the year ending in 9 for that decade. From 1969 we jump to 1979 and then 1989, 1999, 2009 and finally recapping the current year 2019. It is remarkable to see the major changes that take place in each decade. This is a fun way to look at Walt Disney World History.
On this episode of Traveling with The Mouse Jon and I take a trip down memory lane and discuss some of the things from Walt Disney World that either have changed since we were kids or the rare things that haven’t really changed much over the years. We discuss everything from a promotional sign for Tower of Terror to extinct attractions at Epcot. We also talk about our home resort as kids, The Polynesian and how much it has changed as well as the restaurants that we frequented when we were young. We even cover things that we wished we had known more about back in the day like Beastly Kingdom plans at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We hope you enjoy this somewhat open discussion/walk down memory lane.
Today we are revisiting our Disney Timeline series! This is a series that we started a few weeks ago where we pick a year at random from Walt Disney World history and we discuss the major highlights (or lowlights) from that year. This episode we randomly picked the following years, 1990, 2002, 1973 and 1996. We discuss short-lived attractions like the Fort Wilderness railroad and Mickey’s Birthdayland. Today’s timeline also includes the opening of several resorts like the Swan & Dolphin, Yacht & Beach Club, Disney’s Boardwalk and Pop Century. There were also several plans that never came to fruition that were announced in 1990. Let us know how you like the random format or if you would prefer chronological order in the future!
Today’s show starts a new series where we present a Disney film or TV special that we believe had an impact on the Disney Parks in some way. I couldn’t think of a better one to start with than the Epcot film from 1966. This is Walt Disney’s last on camera appearance before his death just 7 weeks later. In the 24 minute film he outlines the plans for Disney World and specifically for Epcot which at that time was actually going to be a living breathing city of the future! This is one of my favorite films to watch on a regular basis because it is full of hidden gems and it is also fun to imagine what Epcot would have been like if Walt’s vision has been fulfilled the way he really wanted it. We break down the film into 3 parts and talk about each one. The first part focuses on Disneyland in California and presents the superior design and function of the Disneyland Park. The next few minutes Walt introduces the overall plans for Disney World. He shows a map of the magic kingdom and resort area which looks very different from what we know today. Then Walt talks about his vision for Epcot and goes into the initial planning for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Here is the link to the full video so that you can follow along with us.
Other Links: Adam The Woo shows the STOL port at Walt Disney World
On Today’s episode Jon and I start a new series where we go through all of the significant (and sometimes not) events that happened during a particular year in the past at Walt Disney World. We are selecting the years at Random and then going through the year that is selected and mentioning the dates where a new ride or resort opened or perhaps when an attraction closed down for good. In this episode the years 1991 and 1988 were randomly selected. The randomness keeps us on our toes because we are relying on our memory and knowledge of the events that occurred in a particular year. Let us know what you think of this format and if we should change it up any.
Today we begin our walk-through of Disney’s Hollywood Studios! We talk about the rides, attractions, shows, dinning and shopping in the Hollywood Boulevard and Echo Lake areas. We give a brief history of the park and talk about some of our favorite experiences. Be sure to join us every Friday as we continue to journey through all of the lands of the Disney parks. Be sure to check out some of our older episodes in this series as well.
Today we continue our series where we go through the different lands of the Disney Parks. This episode is a walk-through of Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. We give our thoughts, opinions, and history of the attractions in Tomorrowland. We also cover the shopping and dinning options that are available. Let us know what you think about Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.
