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 passengers 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 Transportation & Ticket 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, Videos

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...

Brian's Corner, Slides

Amazing slides that show a brand new Walt Disney World – October 1971

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Another fantastic addition to Brian’s Slide Carousel This set of slides labeled Walt Disney World and dated October 1971 came to us by way of an estate sale in Michigan. Because of the date stamp from Kodak we knew the slides were from Walt Disney World’s first days of operation. Thanks to @Gulopine , we think we’ve narrowed the date down, as he wrote the following to us: “The extreme cloudiness got me wondering. Looking back through...Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Art & Linda return to the Magic Kingdom ’75 – Home Movie

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Art & Linda return for another well chronicled visit to Walt Disney World a year after their amazing 1974 and 1976 home movies. This film is no different starting with a Skyway ride. We see the Wedway Peoplemover in its earliest months of operation so it gets a fair amount of attention. Some footage from inside the Carousel of Progress (also a new attraction for Florida at this time) features a clip from each scene. Keeping...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 37: Polynesian Dreams – Part II

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Welcome to Episode 37 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Polynesian Dreams – Part II” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows including the first part of this podcast: Retro WDW Podcast: Polynesian Dreams – Part I. Corrections & Listener Mail Corrections After some introductions, trip updates and welcomes, we get started with some corrections.  How offers up a minor correction on...Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Two Families – Magic Kingdom 1973 Restored Home Movie

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This visit of two families to the Magic Kingdom in 1973 opens with the parking trams picking them up and they immediately head to 20K lagoon – before heading out to the monorail platform to take a ride around Seven Seas Lagoon. We see the topiary outside the Contemporary Resort before they get off at the Magic Kingdom’s monorail stop and head back into a very crowded park. The clock on Cinderella Castle says it’s 12:30...Read More...