Retro Disney World

RetroWDW adds Corine Gulli, Granddaughter in Horizons, to event lineup!

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RetroWDW is excited to announce that we have added Corine [Cook] Gulli to our Looking Back at Tomorrow event lineup! Corine played the granddaughter in Horizons where she was filmed for the conversation with the “beach boy” Tom Fitzgerald! An audio-animatronic likeness of her was then made for the other half of the video presence of the future! Corine grew up three blocks from Disneyland and will tell us a bit about the casting, recording and...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 32: Riding on Sunshine

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A very timely main topic this month for our listeners. With the closing of The Universe of Energy this month, we felt it was time to take you back to the original attraction from EPCOT Center. We dive right into the opening concepts, how everything works and of course each show scene. The sheer size of this attraction and all the details will amaze you as ride along in the original attraction.Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

A crowded Magic Kingdom from 1972 – Home Movie

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A few days ago we posted a home movie from 1976 featuring a very patriotic Magic Kingdom. Unbeknownst to us, the film was actually two home movies spliced together – it was not until we released it that @MKPony alerted us that we had a home move from ’72 and ’76 clipped together. So back to the editing room we went, cutting the two films apart and re-uploading them as two separate films. Here is the...Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Colorful and Patriotic Magic Kingdom from ’76 – Home Movie

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[A previous version of this article erroneously included this film preceded by 1972 footage. The two films have been split and you and now find the 1972 footage here.] A bicentennial visit to the Magic Kingdom and America on Parade is featured in this 8mm film from 1976. The Town Square and Main Street USA open our day as the camera person makes his or her way quickly from the Flower Market to Cinderella Castle into...Read More...

Photography

Walt Disney World Treehouse Villa #433 – 37 years later

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Those that follow RetroWDW may remember that Todd’s first visit in 1980 included a stay at the original Treehouse Villas. Demolished in 2008, and subsequently rebuilt, the treehouse were and still are one of the most unique places to stay on WDW property. The newer incarnations share the same location and street layout as they did when they were first built. Other than the obvious differences to the buildings, the seclusion, silence and privacy remain. The...Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Polynesian Village and Luau – 1973 8mm Home Movie

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This 8mm home movie opens in the lobby of a very young Polynesian Village Resort in 1973. We see directional signs and an early iteration of Luau Cove. We are treated to a display of hula dancing by the luau performers and get a good flavor for what the luau was like at this time in the resort’s young history. Each segment of the show is represented: hula dancing, fire dancing, music (though you can’t hear...Read More...

Official Films, Restored Films

Restored Mission to Mars upper scanner 16mm film with in-ride audio

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RetroWDW was able to obtain an original copy of the the upper scanner 16mm film from Mission to Mars, we immediately had the it scanned in HD and then we improved the color/clarity by implementing a few different restoration methods. The result is nothing short of amazing – you’ve never seen this film in this clarity before. Even in the attraction, due to a series of mirrors, film degradation, fuzzy focus and the fact that the...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 31.35 – RetroWDW EPCOT35 Event Details and Ticket Information

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Join Todd and Brian for a quick episode where we discuss the details of our upcoming event at EPCOT Center on September 30th, 2017! In November 2016 the RetroWDW podcast held a special event at WDW, specifically our Lake and Lagoon Tour was centered around DestinationD. We had limited spots and always wanted to do something that more of our listeners could attend. In conjunction with the official EPCOT35 events we decided to begin the research...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 31: Mission To Mars

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We have quite the episode lined up for you this month, and it posts in conjunction with an amazingly rare film we acquired as well. You are in for a real treat as we discuss Flight to the Moon & Mission to Mars. How takes us through the entire history and also lets us know he absolutely hated this ride... Looking back, we hear about the unique things that are actually happening throughout both rides. The…Read More...