Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

Mousetalgia celebrates Valentine's Day this year with a show all about relationships with a Disney twist, both romantic and platonic. First, we welcome Julia Locus to the show to talk about official Disneyana clubs, and how Disney fans can gather and interact with each other via this international society. Next, we welcome Jason Garrett, one of the founders of the Magic Geekdom club, to the show to talk about Disneyland social clubs, and the opportunities they present to Disney fans looking for friends and the challenges they face as the clubs evolve. Then, we welcome Peter Renaday, legendary Disney voice actor, back to the show to talk about meeting his wife Florence while they worked on the Disney Studio lot; and finally, we welcome Disney Legend Alice Davis back to the show to reminisce about meeting and marrying her late husband, Disney Legend Marc Davis. Plus - places to find romance at Disneyland, listeners share their own tales as old as time - and more.

Mousetalgia welcomes Ron DeFore to the show to discuss "Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue," which was located in Disneyland from 1957 through 1961. We learn about Ron's father Don, who, as an innovative live television broadcaster, caught Walt Disney's attention and became close to Walt, eventually opening his own barbecue restaurant in Frotierland at Disneyland. Ron talks about the restaurant as well as other stories about growing up with a backstage key to Walt's Magic Kingdom, including riding down Main Street in Autopia cars, becoming a Flying Saucer test dummy, sneaking around the Jungle Cruise, and riding in a parade with Walt Disney. Then, we welcome Disney Legend Alice Davis back to Mousetalgia to remember Nelbert Chouinard, founder of the Chouinard Art Institute, which was a critical institution to the Disney Studio during animation's earliest days. Also - restoring a Tiki Bird, constructing a Deagostini Disneyland model, "Disney"-scented candles, and more.

Team Mousetalgia expands our Disney library and brings you four new book reviews, including "Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit" by Garry Apgar; "Funny: Twenty-Five Years of Laughter from the Pixar Story Room;" "Keep Moving (and Other Tips and Truths About Aging)" by Dick Van Dyke; and "The Nine Old Men" by Andreas Deja. Plus, in a Mousetalgia "Collector's Corner," Jeff talks about Star Wars cards, Mark Hamill taking on fake autographs, and Rey's Po-Zu boots; and Kristen acquires a 100-piece Magical Kingdom. Plus - bubbles, pennies, and noodles, oh my - it's the $20 Valentine's date at Disneyland!

Mousetalgia's own Dave Breiland ran the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland Resort as the park finally started closing much of Frontierland in anticipation of the construction of the new Star Wars galaxy, and he reports from the event and the status of the parks. Covering everything from Elton John performing a surprise concert to some food reviews, we discuss the RunDisney Expo, skipper training at the Jungle Cruise, the race course, and more. Then, we welcome Kris Rowberry and Robert Ingle to the show to discuss their new film, "The Legacy of Arrow Development," and we talk about the impact the Arrow machine shop (and its founders, Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon) had on the development of Disneyland and the entire mid-century amusement industry. Plus - Raiders of the Lost Ark performed live, Esmeralda tells new tales, Becky gets combative - and more.

Team Mousetalgia goes back to the mailbag to answer your pressing questions this week, with hot topics including the edible plants of Tomorrowland; touring Disneyland with 80-year-olds; storing and displaying blu-ray discs; discussing the best place to start a day inside the park; hiring professional photographers for shoots inside the park; tips and tricks for traveling north for the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet; Disneyland's new costume rules - and more!

Travel back to the New World, out to Halloween Town, and off to a galaxy far, far away this week as Mousetalgia takes you to SacAnime, a convention for anime fans held biannually in Sacramento, CA. Jeff reviews the convention and talks to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman about Star Wars, and offers excerpts of panel discussions with Chris Sarandon and Ken Page (the voices of Jack and Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Irene Bedard, the voice of Disney's "Pocahontas." Then, the team reunites to further discuss Lucasfilm's "The Force Awakens," with more of our impressions, thoughts, and questions. 

Team Mousetalgia reminisces over the past year, and we share our thoughts in our annual New Year show. Topics include the best additions or changes to Disneyland; the best Disney movies (apart from Star Wars!) and our analysis (Cinderella, Inside Out, and Tomorrowland are contenders); our best theme park dining experiences (the Blue Lagoon at Disneyland Paris, Carthay Circle, Catal, and of course, Club 33); our favorite purchases (autographs, a Club 33 mug, Disneyland Paris APs and an original Mary Blair make the list); our annual Oswald Awards (including the release of the Good Dinosaur, Disneyland's popcorn, Disneyland APs, and the planned demise of Frontierland); and our favorite Disney-related events (such as seeing "Newsies" live at the Walt Disney Studios, meeting Peter Renaday, and, of course, Disneyland Paris). Plus - our New Year's resolutions for 2016 - and more.

This week, Team Mousetalgia takes you on an audio tour of Disneyland during the holiday season. Join us as we listen to the festive sounds of the Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers, the Club 33 Carolers, Olaf's Snow Fest, Five and Dime, the Frontierland Orchestrion, and the Candlelight chorus. Next, listen to a special recording from a recent panel discussion in which Prep and Landing Co-Directors Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton talk about the origins of their popular Christmas television specials, and share some secrets behind the inspiration for some of the settings and characters. Plus: Disneyland and metal detection; Kristen reviews the Springhill Suites at Anaheim Resort; Jeff buys a Faun Warrior's helmet - and more.

The Force is wide awake on this week's episode of Mousetalgia as we celebrate everything Star Wars, from past to present. First, we take a look at Disneyland's "Season of the Force," and discuss Hyperspace Mountain, the Star Wars Launch Bay, Star Tours' new trip to Jakku, and various food offerings - and of course, the new merchandise. Then, we welcome Emmy-Award winning writer Jymn Magon to the show to talk about his role in bringing Lucasfilm and Disney together all the way back in 1978 for the creation of the first Star Wars Little Long-Playing Record. Magon talks about the development of the project, working with George Lucas (and pulling rank on Steven Spielberg) - and much more. And finally, Jeff and Kristen offer our first SPOILER-FREE response to "The Force Awakens," and we discuss the characters, the music, the feels, the nature of the Force, and how the new film works in comparison with its predecessors. Plus - our earliest Star Wars memories, that infamous Holiday special - and more.

This week Mousetalgia reports from Disneyland's Candlelight weekend and brings you a holiday report from both the resort and D23's "Light Up The Season" holiday event on the Walt Disney Studios lot. At the D23 event, guests celebrated the season as they met Sorcerer Mickey, played carnival games, ate in the commissary and watched holiday shorts in the studio theater. Then, we discuss Candlelight weekend at the park, and Kristen talks about the Club 33 Candlelight event - the delectable menu, the special viewing of the ceremony, and the special touches that only Club 33 can provide - then we compare that with a viewing of Candlelight from the side of Main Street, and discuss the crowd's response to this cherished holiday tradition. Next, we speak with Ryan Teeple, the voice of "Young Buck" in Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, and learn about this 10-year-old's unique opportunity to lend his personality to a Pixar character. Finally, we're joined by Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives, to talk about the

Don Hahn joins Mousetalgia this week to talk about a special PBS SoCal show airing on December 17: "Richard M. Sherman: Songs of a Lifetime." Listen in as we talk about Richard Sherman and this television special, developed and produced by Don Hahn, and also discuss Hahn's latest forays into the preservation and celebration of the art of animation. Next, Jeff reports on a WDFM panel discussion featuring Disney Legend Jack Lindquist and the Disneyland Ambassador program, and we learn how the program came about, what the program was intended for, and how it has evolved through today, with stories from a few of the ambassadors. Then, Kristen reviews Pixar's "The Good Dinosaur," and we give last-minute trip tips for Disneyland during the holiday season. Can Christmas Eve be navigated successfully at Disneyland Park? Plus - a new Disney shopping app, Van Eaton's latest auction, Heroes and Villains con - and more!    

Team Mousetalgia offers a Disneyland Paris trip report this week, hitting the major highlights: Phantom Manor and the bride - does the cohesive storyline give this attraction a leg up on its cousin, the Haunted Mansion? Also discussed: the holidays at Disneyland Paris and how the celebrations compare with the American parks; the European atmosphere and cultural differences; and highlights from the theme parks, including Space Mountain, Crush's Coaster, Ratatouille, Pirates - and that Eyvind Earle-inspired Sleeping Beauty Castle (guarded by a semi-slumbering dragon)! The shopping experience is also discussed, as is the dining experience at the resort. When in France... do you eat in the parks, go for the chicken nuggets, or zip over to the nearest bistro? The answer might surprise you! Also - Disney artist Jarrod Maruyama talks about Hipster Mickey and his latest book projects, a listener shares some Napa Rose memories - and more.

This week, Mousetalgia takes you behind the scenes at MouseCon, the first annual Northern California Disney fan convention. We share some exclusive conversations with the special guests - Tommy Kirk on Walt Disney, Floyd Norman on WED and the origins of the Haunted Mansion, and C. Andrew Nelson on putting on the mask of Sith Lord Vader - plus we collect some thoughts from fans at the convention. Then, Dave and Becky report on Disneyland Paris, and offer their first-hand account of Disney's response to the recent terror crisis, and how the cast members and guests responded to the confusing, chaotic events. We also present part one of Mousetalgia's review of the Disneyland Paris resort by discussing the various hotels and lodging options available, and next week we'll follow up with a report on the attractions, dining, and holiday celebrations at the resort. Plus - a surprising Paris/Orlando/Anaheim price comparison, and a listener report from a preview screening of The Good Dinosaur on the Pixar campus.

Mousetalgia ushers in the Disney holiday season this week with a conversation with Emmy Award-winning writer and director Kevin Deters, who joins us to talk about his Prep and Landing television shows. Deters talks about the show's characters and the other classic holiday television offerings that helped inspire Prep and Landing. Then, Jeff talks about a pair of talks from the Walt Disney Family Museum that hosted director Brad Bird and legendary animator Eric Goldberg. Bird spoke about Walt Disney's "Tomorrowland," and his optimism, innovation, and futurist way of seeing his world. Goldberg spoke about the four animators that inspired the Nine Old Men, which include Norm Ferguson, Ham Luske, Bill Tytla, and Fred Moore - and Jeff recaps both events. Finally, Mousetalgia welcomes Marvel Creative Director for Themed Entertainment Brian Crosby back to the show to talk about Marvel's forthcoming Haunted Mansion comic book series, and to preview Marvel's Super Hero HQ, which opens this week in Disneyland.

Mousetalgia gets Muppety this episode, as Kristen visits the Henson Studios in Hollywood with the Disneyana Club and reports from the event. Built in 1917 by Charlie Chaplin, the Henson Studio lot packs in the history, and Kristen shares some of her experiences and some moments from the trip, including Lisa Henson's talk about her father Jim, his early career, and how he related to his most famous creation, Kermit the Frog. Also, we go to the email inbox and answer some listener questions, including: How to survive a long car trip to Disneyland; our Disneyland bucket lists; our favorite hidden Mickeys; and how to find Disney movies on Netflix. Plus - our tips on surviving the opening weeks of Seasons of the Force, and as a special bonus, travel back in time with us to meet Gabbie - the voice of Mousetalgia!

Mike Van Eaton from Van Eaton Galleries joins Mousetalgia to talk about "Collecting Disneyland," their upcoming Disneyana auction, to preview some of the most outstanding pieces and to discuss the state of collecting memorabilia from Walt Disney's original theme park. Then, Barbara Burnett Brock returns to the show to share some insider tales of being a Disneyland Tour Guide. Barbara talks about the holidays at Disneyland, some of the perks of being a Tour Guide, her experiences traveling as a Disneyland representative, and her favorite Disney memory. Also - we list our dream Disneyland collectibles, and more.

Double double, toil and trouble, broilers burn and cheese will bubble.. but this is no time to be ordering In-N-Out, because Mousetalgia's Trick-or-Treat Smorgasbord is waiting to be sampled! Recipes both fair and foul, tales aimed to make you howl, secrets hid from prying eye, and audio that makes you cry! Features include: Disneyland's earliest Halloween Time plans unveiled (hayrides and leaves falling on Main Street!) A Halloween Trivia Challenge! Monstrous music - and so much more! Plus, Chef Mayhem takes us on a brief tour of some little-known Haunted Mansion mysteries to round off our Halloween celebration. So put on your costumes, grab your treat bags, and come join us, won't you?

Mousetalgia reports on "Disney's Mid-Century Modern - to the World's Fair and Beyond," a panel discussion held at the Walt Disney Family Museum with Garner Holt's Bill Butler, historian Alan Hess, and historian Bill Cotter, the preeminent expert on the World's Fairs. The panelists discussed the influence of modern design on Disney's mid-century productions, including Disneyland and the 1964-65 World's Fair. Clean lines, contemporary material and modern sensibilities influenced both Disney's artists and the creative works they developed, and we discuss many of Walt Disney's modern projects, including his first Burbank campus, his television productions, Disneyland's Space Bar automat, the Disneyland Hotel, and the House of the Future. Bill Cotter also discussed the '64-'65 World's Fair, and Walt's cutting-edge design for the New York attractions. Then, Mousetalgia debuts a new feature: "Giving You a Hand with the Land," our touring advice segment in which we have callers present their unique trip-planning situ

Disneyland admission prices - how does the increased cost reflect on the park and its community? We share some thoughts from Disney expert Jeff Kurtti, and share our own reactions to the recent annual pass price increases at the Disney parks. Plus, Mousetalgia reports on Halloween Time - the tricks, the treats, and the differences from years prior. From Pumpkin Flan to Banana Fritters, we discuss which seasonal treats were worth trying, and which didn't pass Kristen's taste test. From fall-flavored drinks to Halloween-themed baked goods, Kristen reports on the culinary offerings, including the Mystical Spirits Dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant during Mickey's Halloween Party, which had organizational challenges. Does the price point work? Kristen details the food, the entertainment, and tells whether or not the chaotic check-in experience ruined the night. Also - goat adoptions, easy Halloween costumes, a Cadaver Dans performance... and is Pop Secret a not-so-secret flop? Plus, remembering Kevin Corcoran's

It's a week of Mousetalgia book reports! First, Lynn Barron and Ken Pellman, authors of "Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt's Dream Spotless" join Mousetalgia to talk about their new book, which is all about the duties and experiences of the custodial team at Disneyland. Discover the perks to working as a sweeper, the best lands to keep clean, meeting Disney Legends, walking through attractions... and what happens when guests throw up in the park. Then, Disney historian and author Jim Fanning joins the podcast to talk about "The Disney Book," his latest title, which is from from DK Publishing. Fanning discusses the audience, scope and process of putting together this beautifully designed and wide-ranging 200 page tome. Plus: win a copy of Jeff's book, Mousetalgia is named "best Disneyland-centric podcast," a listener sees a rough cut of Zootopia - and more.