Podcast

Podcast Episode 3 – Camping, Cabins and Coonskins

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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!

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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!

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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...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 2 – Amongst the Plexiglass Trees

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The team starts by mentioning their favorite part of the Contemporary Resort, from there we dive into the overall design, the association with US Steel and how the rooms were constructed. JT gets to say "Like a chest of drawers" a few times while Brian imagines the construction view from Roy's Cabin. Todd struggles with the escalator size and continually gets lost in the Grand Canyon Concourse. We move on to the north & south wings…Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Contemporary Resort – 1970s Shag and Flair – Restored Home Movie HD

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The first of the three is a silent 8mm film and we were impressed at the filming locations and the steadiness of the camera. There are many shots of the monorail gliding in and out of the resort - almost to the point of ad nauseam; fortunately we soon move inside and are treated to the area that has now become Chef Mickey's. Look at the lights! Look at the Orange Juice dispenser on the buffet…Read More...

Disney World Home Movies, Restored Films

Dateline: October 14, 1982 – EPCOT Center – Silent 8mm film with Horizons Construction

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There comes a time when an eBay automated search turns up a diamond in the rough - this has surely got to be one of those times. Brian and I both found this film on the auction site and we immediately began to ensure that we would be able to secure it. We accidentally bid against each other, but no harm done, we got the film. There are a few things that make this particular film…Read More...

Blog

Some films came in from transfer today…A quick preview!

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Things have been quiet with the holidays and a storm that knocked out power/internet to RetroWDW’s home office for a few days. Fear not, we are back, and today a package arrived with our latest home movie transfesr. Here are a few frame caputures of un-restored footage. This is the raw footage before any processing… Contemporary resort? Check… Home of Future Lriving? Got it!  Ft Wilderness Railroad.. Yes of course!  Horizons under construction? What is that...Read More...

Podcast

Podcast Episode 1 – Planning for Tomorrow

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Welcome to the First Episode of the Retro Disney World Podcast.  We have had lots of great feedback thus far, we hope you enjoy the first official episode!.   Introductions The regular crew is all here, Todd, Brian, How & JT are all present and accounted for. Comments & Corrections Apologize for the sound quality of the last podcast, they are trying a new system to improve the audio. Roy’s Cabin – WDW has confirmed there...Read More...