Disneyland Forever, premiered at Disneyland on May 21, 2015, as part of the 60th-anniversary celebration. Disneyland Forever was the first Disney park fireworks show to feature projection mapping. The technology was use on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, It’s a small world, and Main Street USA. It featured a new theme song “Live the Magic” and an exit song written by Richard Sherman that reflects on Walt’s Original vision of Fireworks, “A Kiss Goodnight” Here is my footage of the show from Mainstreet ...
Feb 09, 2021•21 min•Ep. 163
What does Mineral King, X Atencio, Winnie the Pooh, Marc Davis, and a Vacation Hoedown all have in common? None other than the Country Bear Jamboree… Well, The story goes something like this… In 1965, with Disneyland celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 1964-65 New York world’s fair a success – creating 4 attractions that would soon be relocated to Disneyland – and the land acquisition for the Florida Project secretly underway you would think Walt had his hands full, right? Wrong. When the Sequ...
Feb 07, 2021•20 min•Ep. 162
The GFSO – The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra, the source of the elegant melody you heard countless times walking through the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian, recently ended its 32-year engagement at Walt Disney World. The 6-piece orchestra delivered classic renditions of ragtime, Dixieland Jazz, Traditional jazz, and as well as Disney Classics, adding to the elegance of the Grand Floridian Resort.
Feb 06, 2021•18 min•Ep. 161
Sam's Disney News Roundup for January 2021 - All the news is coming from Walt Disney World this month. Magic Kingdom • Cinderella Castle features a royal new look at Magic Kingdom Park, welcoming guests for the perfect portrait as they seek out classic attractions. Epcot • The Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts now through February 22, 2021. inviting guests to experience an expansive selection of visual, performance, and culinary arts. • The Taste of EPCOT International Flower &am...
Jan 25, 2021•7 min
“Walt Disney always believed that dreams do come true, and this is his living monument to that belief, Disneyland USA. Walt Disney’s Dream comes true, a land of inspiration where yesterday still lives and Tomorrow is already here.” That’s how Disneyland 1968 Television special opened, just 2 years after the passing of Walt Disney. The narrator goes on talking about the brief history of the Orange Grove that turned into Disneyland, in 1955. Since then the park has continued to grow, and this 1968...
Jan 24, 2021•21 min•Ep. 163
Disneyland Forever, premiered at Disneyland on May 21, 2015, as part of the 60th-anniversary celebration. Disneyland Forever was the first Disney park fireworks show to feature projection mapping. The technology was used on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, It’s a small world, and Main Street USA. It featured a new theme song “Live the Magic” and an exit song written by Richard Sherman that reflects on Walt’s Original vision of Fireworks, “A Kiss Goodnight” Here is my footage of the show from Mainstreet...
Jan 23, 2021•21 min•Ep. 160
Happy New Year, and what a year it was at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Here is highlights of some of the Animal Babys born in 2020! https://youtu.be/RBDX5UWiIWo
Jan 19, 2021•11 min
We asked Epcot cast members what to look for at the Taste of Epcot International Festival of the Arts and this is what they told us. https://youtu.be/BeLlKdSRKgo
Jan 18, 2021•8 min
Premiering in 2013 and running until the 2020 Covid-19 Disneyland shutdown, Mickey and the Magic Map was a live show hosted multiple times a day at the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland. The 24-minute performance featured Mickey Mouse in his classic role as Sorcerer’s Apprentice and included songs and characters from ten Disney animated films. As the story goes, the wise sorcerer Yen Sid tells of a wondrous map, a map like no other, with the power to take dreamers to any place imaginable. But wh...
Jan 15, 2021•24 min•Ep. 159
Enter a world where the ocean floor is full of life and Ariel longs to stroll and dance with humans. Sing along with colorful puppets, live performers, special effects, and film clips from the animated classic. the Little Mermaid. Voyage of the little mermaid opened at Disney MGM Studios all the way back in 1992. A lot has changed in almost 30 years, including the name of the park, now Disney Hollywood Studios. The Theme begins as you pass through the doors into a room filled with undersea items...
Jan 02, 2021•18 min•Ep. 158
Epcot’s American Adventure Pavilion is home to the Voices of Liberty, a staple of World Showcase since Epcot’s opening in 1981. The melodies are echoes through the acoustically perfect dome that helps amplify and purify their sound. Traditionally costumed in their 1800’s best for Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays, the cappella group becomes the Dickens Carolers, embracing the sounds of the holiday festival. With scheduled performances throughout the day, you will find the Voices of Liberty as the...
Dec 25, 2020•17 min•Ep. 157
Originally aired on March 22, 1970, Disneyland Showtime is an episode of “The Wonderful World of Disney”. Interestingly, this was the first television special from Disneyland without a real host. The Osmond Brothers, accompanied by Kurt Russell and Actress E.J. Peaker, come to Disneyland to perform at a show being held there, but Donny and Jay Osmond go off to explore the park. Most of the episode deals with the Osmonds looking for Jay and Donny, while at the same time, having to keep up a tight...
Aug 09, 2020•48 min•Ep. 156
EPCOT Center, Walt Disney World’s second gate opened to the public on October 1, 1982. By all accounts, however, October 1st was really soft opening, with only Spaceship Earth being dedicated on that day. A grand opening week was held from October 15-27 for celebrates, Press, VIPs and top executives from corporate sponsors. The television special Epcot Center: The Opening Celebration aired on CBS October 23, 1982, the night before the official park dedication. You can still find the dedication p...
Jun 14, 2020•48 min•Ep. 155
Walt Disney World first opened to guests on October 1st, 1971, with some news outlets predicting over 300,000 visitors on day one. In an attempt to limit crowds, and not repeat the opening day chaos of Disneyland in California, official dedications and other media events were held off until later in the month. The actual crowd on opening day was closer to 10,000, providing an opportunity to address any potential issues that would undoubtedly come up during the first day, and they did. get all th...
Jun 14, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 154
n the Japanese language “Taiko” means “great Drum”, and the Japanese Taiko drums have been enthralling audiences for centuries in religious ceremonies and festivals. Epcot’s Japan Pavilion hosted the Matsuriza Drums from 1998 until 2020, the thundering sound of the great drum could be heard all around World Showcase. A stroll around World Showcase will be a little different without the drums in the background. We learned via Social Media that the final performance after almost 25 years was March...
May 10, 2020•16 min•Ep. 153
The historic multiyear transformation of Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios recently marked a significant milestone, the Opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Catch all the details and video here
Apr 05, 2020•17 min•Ep. 152
Originally Aired on January 21, 1968, Disneyland From The Pirates of the Caribbean to the World of Tomorrow featured Disneyland ambassador Marcia Miner takes viewers on a tour of the latest attractions at Disneyland, including Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square and a new Tomorrowland, featuring, among other attractions, the People Mover, Adventure Thru Inner Space and the Carousel of Progress.
Mar 14, 2020•47 min•Ep. 149
Back on May 3rd, 2011, a new era of British music began at the UK Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. The British rock cover band is known as “The English Channel” and/or “British Airwaves” took the stage for the first of over 11,000 performances, from 2011 until March 15th, 2020. Known inside Epcot as “British Revolution”, the band replaced “The British Invasion”, a Beatles tribute group that performed on the same stage from January 1997 until April 2011. Get the video and more details here The...
Mar 08, 2020•23 min•Ep. 151
What’s better than the Disneyland Band or the Dapper Dans? How about the Disneyland Band and the Dapper Dans at the same time!!!! YES, it’s true, and it happens every day at Disneyland! Be sure to check your Times Guide and look for the Disneyland Band and the Dapper Dans performance that starts at the same time (12:30 for this video). The Disneyland Band starts right in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and the band marching through the castle to form a performance line is a wonderful sight. T...
Feb 09, 2020•18 min•Ep. 150
From the Epcot International Festival of the Arts Showcase Plaza stage, it’s Victor Espinola An internationally renowned concert artist and Paraguaya Harpist. Victor’s style and energy are the perfect addition to the Festival of the Arts!
Jan 31, 2020•13 min•Ep. 147
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts has plenty of reasons to join the artistic celebration. So, for 2020, what are the top 20 things to do? Let’s count them down. Start by arriving via the Disney Skyliner. With Future World and the main entrance under considerable construction, the incredible views from the Skyliner, along with the newly refurbished International Gateway, make it a remarkably refreshing entrance to Epcot. As you “skyline” into the gateway, be sure to check out the const...
Jan 24, 2020•9 min•Ep. 146
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts 2020 has plenty of reasons to join the celebration. With over 40 artists working around World Showcase, you’re sure to find an artist with just that flair you’re looking for. One of my festival favorites, Visual Art in Performance! Located on the Showcase Plaza Stage for 2020, be sure to check the Festival Entertainment Guide for showtimes. Maybe the coolest part… you can purchase the piece of artwork created during the performance. Check this out… Ep...
Jan 15, 2020•19 min•Ep. 145
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts 2020 has plenty of reasons to join the celebration, with visual art displays across the park, Disney on Broadway, food studios, artful photo ops, family fun, living statues, and 3 new Epcot films at the Land, France, and Canada… What more could you be after? How about a German band, no… a real German rock band “Lebendig”, imported from their German tour for a 6-week limited engagement. The band has been around four and a half years, playing over 40 co...
Jan 10, 2020•21 min•Ep. 144
They both signify the beginning of the transformation of Epcot. D23 Expo 2019, Disney Parks and Resorts Pavilion – Epcot Details of the multiyear transformation of Epcot were announced at the D23 Expo 2019 during the Sunday morning Parks and Resorts Panel – Watch the full presentation. While the presentation was Sunday morning, the Expo and the Parks Pavilion opened on Friday with a few spoilers and teasers as to what would be announced on Sunday. The Experience included posters from past, prese...
Dec 10, 2019•1 sec•Ep. 142
Disney California Adventure played host to the “Tale of the Lion King” during a limited summertime run in 2019. The Tale of the Lion King brought to life by the Storytellers of the Pride Lands, a troupe of traveling performers who present Simba’s beloved and timeless journey in a unique story-theater style with live music and dance that celebrates the spirit of Africa. The lead narrator, Mwongozo (Swahili for “guide”) leads the 18 performers in this live adaptation. The performance was presented...
Dec 01, 2019•25 min•Ep. 141
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 orch...
Nov 15, 2019•21 min•Ep. 139
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 b...
Nov 10, 2019•24 min•Ep. 140
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.
Nov 05, 2019•37 min
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...
Nov 01, 2019•48 min•Ep. 137
