Listen to the Episode:
Welcome to Episode 56 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Good Neighbors” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!
Comments & Corrections
- Jake Nelson wrote in about a possible hidden skeleton somewhere inside Catastrophe Canyon. We give our take on this one from the old days of MGM.
- Reuben wrote us asking about the old shop to the left right inside the entrance to the Disney-MGM Studios. He is referring to Sid Cahuenga’s of course! We discuss this store and the various items we have seen there over the years.
- Joe Barlow wrote in about some backlot vehicles, mainly the Hardcastle and McCormick car. We misidentified it as a Lamborghini, but Joe tells us it really is a kit car from back then.
Listener Mail
The mailbag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com.
- Tom Potter is our first letter and it is all about time capsules. Tom brings up the opening of Coronado Springs and how they placed a capsule back in 1997.
- Next up is Ron. He asks us about trucks being buried at the Magic Kingdom from way back during the late 60s construction. We hear about some trucks out in the lakes, but as far as the parks, we aren’t really sure…
- John wrote us and has been a binge listener since August. He is curious about the EPCOT Center pavilion logos and who designed them and why. This is right in How’s wheel-well and is super fun to learn about.
- Finally, we got a tweet from Michael, giving some major props on the upcoming Horizons release we have coming. Todd gives us the updates next…
Questions, Comments & Concerns
We love feedback and hearing your memories!
Drop us a line at podcast@retrowdw.com or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Audio Rewind
Our audio rewind this month is El Rio del Tiempo – Thank you for all the guesses and emails!
We have a winner! Congratulations Jimmy Tucker! – you won the book by Marty Sklar from Brian.
If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting 3 books from author Christopher Smith – All entries due 4/15/2020 and a random winner will be selected.
Main Topic
This month, our main topic is Good Neighbors mostly focusing on Sea World. The early days of Lake Buena Vista had just one theme park so people needed more to do and more places to stay. A few years back, we discussed some of the good neighbor hotels and that program back on Episode 39. Brian leads us this month through some of the history and how Sea World got it’s start. This includes California, Ohio and the other locations as this is all an important part of the story.
We walk you through every attraction through the years with personal experiences and also lots of great memories. This includes things like the Dolphin Feeding Pool, original Whale and Dolphin Stadium, Fountain Fantasy, Water Skiing and so much more. The construction history is also discussed, which has changed quite a bit over the years.
This wouldn’t be an episode of the RetroWDW Podcast without some food discussions. We take a deep-dive into the Hawaiian Punch Village along with some very detailed discussion about ‘Hula Pie’. If you have ever been to Sea World since it opened, this episode will for sure take you back and also give you a look at how it has changed over the years. We hope you enjoy this look at one of our favorite ‘Good Neighbors’.
2020: The Year of Film
To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post. Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well. This past month we have posted a great resort tour from The Disney Channel, The original DVC Resort Tour, and a great Innoventions commercial from the mid-90s.
As a bonus, to accompany this episode we have released a great new video from 1980 Sea World. This was shot on Super8 with sound! You are going to love this vintage footage that looks amazing – especially the Whale & Dolphin show.
RetroWDW Merchandise
Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrowdw.com/supportus
Some of Our Latest Designs
Next Month
- Join us next time for Episode 57, which we have not fully planned out, but you won’t want to miss it Thanks for joining us!
Hey RetroWDW, I’ve been a follewer and fan of your podcasts and website for many years now. Great stuff about Disney as it was well remembered by many of us. Just now decided to post about Sea World memories. We used to go very frequently, and it was a fave for my grandparents, who loved the slower pace and the animals. A few thoughts: 1. I LOVED the old Fountain Fantasy Theater show, and never missed it. Thought the colored fountains synchronized with music and with images was great. (At least I did as a 7 to 12 year old… Read more »
Not everyone loves competing attractions. I am one of those people. I have always resented that others were lying in wait for years to truly compete with Disney (as if they could). I was living in the area when Universal announced that they were going to build a Studios and theme park close to Disney. I vowed that I would never set foot in it and I have kept that vow. As far as Sea World goes, I feel the same; not that I don’t appreciate the marine life it has, but I don’t believe such life should be kept… Read more »