Disney World Home Movies, Podcast, Restored Films

Through My Father’s Lens: Magic Kingdom ’73 – Restored Kodak Bliss

by

My parents day was well captured in the 14 minutes. The early morning monorail ride shows the topiaries along the way and soon we are inside Main Street USA. Notice that there is no full-on castle shot until a bit later, as if my father purposely delayed its entrance into the film. The on-board footage of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a wonderful gateway to past memories. We're treated to bits of the parade, the…Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 5 – Stubborn Donkey Part 1

by

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Retro Disney World Podcast: “Stubborn Donkey” We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of the previous shows along with our latest. Thanks for listening!   Introductions The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for.  There isn’t much housekeeping this month, mostly because we are just that good, but...Read More...

Blog

Behind the Scenes – Before & After Restoration Comparison ’75 WDW Press Film

by

We’re humbled by the overwhelming response to our recently posted restoration of a 1975 WDW press film. Many of you shared our pages and rewteeted us thousands of times – we thank you for the wonderful exposure! There were many questions about the process, color, etc. We decided to show a complete side-by-side comparison of the Before and After restoration (see bottom of this page). Enjoy! Why no sound? With that said, many people questioned why...Read More...

Official Films, Restored Films

Vintage Walt Disney World 16mm 1975 Press Film – Restored in HD

by

It's very rare to find any 16mm films of Disney World, but when you come across one that the Disney Company produced you put your cards on the table and make a move to secure it. We stumbled upon this one on eBay and it was worth the purchase and digital transfer. Think back 40 years ago, these press films would be distributed to newspapers for in-house screening or television studios for use in newsreels and…Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 4 – One Little Spark

by

Our main topic this month is the conception, history and early years of EPCOT Center. We look into the original vision of how it wasn't really thought to be a theme park and that Walt wanted this to be the community of tomorrow. Brian and the gang also discuss the 1966 film Walt made to promote the concept and also get people excited about what was going to happen in Florida. How talks about the original…Read More...

Podcast

Roy’s Cabin from 1947 to 1973 – Watch it change over the years…

by

If you don't know what Roy's Cabin is, then you haven't been listening to Todd, JT, How and Brian on the Retro Disney World Podcast! What started out as a comment by Brian has become a reoccurring point of laughter, mystery, history and research...and it gets a purposeful mention each episode. In "Camping Cabins and Coonskins" we dive deeper into the legend surrounding Roy's Cabin...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 3 – Camping, Cabins and Coonskins

by

Our main topic this month, Fort Wilderness. This is one of the originals at WDW and actually, none of us stayed there in the early years. JT is a regular to the Fort and we hear all about the opening years and what makes Fort Wilderness a unique place to be on property. The Fort Wilderness Railroad & River Country are slightly discussed, but we would like to devote two full future episodes to those topics.…Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Here’s to the Future…And You! – Home of Future Living restored film w/Sound!

by

Our latest film restoration is a trip backward and forward in time! We'll let How Bowers (who is also a voice on our podcast) explain: So many visions of the future are so off the mark that they often end up being laughable—a trait put to good use in the "Looking Back at Tomorrow" segments in Epcot Center's Horizons pavilion. It's especially remarkable then that in 1975 Disney debuted a post-show for the RCA-sponsored Space Mountain…Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

A Gift to All: My personal 1980 WDW Film – 30 minutes!

by

Below you will find the restored film of my first trip to Walt Disney World in October 1980. I'm a tad over 6 years old in the film, a big time first grader that wears a sun visor without concern about his image. The Kodak processed Super8 film features sound and the run time is over 30 minutes. The sights and sounds included are amazing - The barker from PoC, a brand new Big Thunder, Adventureland…Read More...