Podcast

Podcast Episode 39: Hotel Plaza Boulevard

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We go back to Hotel Plaza Boulevard. Brian gets us started this month, taking us hotel by hotel. We learn quite a bit about this area that consists of seven hotels, not owned by The Walt Disney Company. One of the first items constructed ever on property was the Walt Disney World Preview Center. How actually visited this and gives us a little insight into what was here. Todd also gives some input on what was…Read More...

Brian's Corner, Slides

Over 130 unique Magic Kingdom Slides from 1979

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Recently Brian has been scanning hundreds of slides to add to our pictorial souvenir. This latest set comes from January 1979 and has a few interesting things to see: Interior of the Town Square Barber Shop Interior of the Main Street Clock Shop Interior of Crystal Palace Interior of the Main Street Ceramics Shop Interior of King Stefan’s Banquet Hall (now Cinderella’s Royal Table) On-ride photos of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride On-ride photos of Snow White’s...Read More...

Restored Films

Springtime at the Magic Kingdom – April 1974 – Home Movie

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The Jungle Cruise was often the first attraction many guests experienced if they headed left at the end of Main Street USA. Our movie makers in this April 1974 film did just that as they capture their journey on Jungle Cruise before boarding the Walt Disney World Railroad and capture the scenes along the way – even racing the monorail at one point! Views of the hub and the waterways around it are captured before we...Read More...

Restored Films, Videos

Rare 1980s Publicity Video – Walt Disney World

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This was a unique find. It was a ¾” U-Matic videotape of publicity footage prepared for media outlets by Walt Disney World. It had two audio tracks. The first was narrated and the second had just ambient noise captured in the footage. This was so the footage could be used either as a promotional piece or as B-Roll for media reports (nightly news, etc.) This is a terrific overview of the entire WDW property in 198X....Read More...

Restored Films

Magic Kingdom – 1971 Home Movie

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We have lucked out by continuing to discover films taken in Walt Disney World’s first weeks of operation. This film from November 1971 begins with passenger boarding the ill-fated original trams (which overheated and could not handle the heavy passenger load). We get a very nice early glimpse at the Ticket & Transportation Center and the Southern Seas sidewheeler loading and carrying passengers to the Magic Kingdom. Main Street and Town Square are busy with vehicles,...Read More...

Restored Video

Communicore East and West Home Video – 1980s

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With the release of last weeks podcast episode (Ep 38 Communicore East) we figured it was as good a time as any to dig up some of Todd's Communicore West footage from 1986. As we were about to do that we got an email from the Dworsky Family of Texas stating that they had Communicore East footage from 1989. We put the two together in the following video that will take you back when touch screens...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 38: Communicore East

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Todd & How take the lead this month, taking us back to EPCOT Center and more specifically, Communicore East! Todd starts off by questioning JT on what Communicore actually means. We go through the things that Communicore would actually do: have a conversation with a computer, contribute to polls with your opinion, see what a space shuttle is like and check travel destinations, just to name a few. We discuss the original plans, a Wedway Peoplemover…Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 37.5 – Working the Waves

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A few months back we had the privilege of talking to Bill Tyson, Pat O'Neil, and Chuck Breibart about their time at Walt Disney World specifically around the Polynesian Resort, the wave machine, and their participation in the Mike Douglas show in February 1976. Come explore the real reason the Wave Machine failed and how it eventually materialized into what we now know as Typhoon Lagoon!  Find out how both machines worked and take a listen...Read More...