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Welcome to Episode 93.5 of the RetroWDW Podcast: A Chat with Tad Stones – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between.
Main Topic
In this episode, we are taking you back a number of years to a lost episode! We spent some time many years ago speaking with Tad Stones, a Disney animator who worked for the company from 1974-2003. The problem is this edit fell through the cracks and went into podcast purgatory. We are here to resurrect it and get our conversation with Tad Stones out so you all can listen. This conversation begins with EPCOT Center and some of the different items he had his hands on. We get into World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, and more. The EPCOT perspectives from these early days are fascinating and surprising at the same time, as most of this is not the major highlight of Tad’s Disney career.
Tad also gets into a fun story about meeting George Lucas in the early 1980s, eating fried chicken, and even giving a little foreshadowing about the prequels. Either way, this is such a cool interaction and story that we are so excited to share with you. Tad has such a unique perspective on the early EPCOT years, digging into development, planning, and how it all came together.
Tad has been a major part of Disney animation, which is one of his biggest claims to fame. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Ducktales, Hercules, & Atlantis are all credited to Tad, which is unbelievable if you think about it. While we were hoping to have Tad at RetroMagic back in 2023, we are hoping there is a chance we can have him at a future event so listeners can have the opportunity to meet him. While this episode has been many years in the making, we hope you all have enjoyed the time with Tad Stones.
RetroMagic Updates
We celebrated 40 years of EPCOT back in the fall. If you would like to relive that event, all the videos are now live: Click Here.
Our next big event is in the works and we are planning to be in Florida late September 26-28, 2025. As always, these things can change in dates, times, and venues. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions please let us know.
RetroWDW Film Archive
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RetroWDW Merchandise
How designed some great new shirts for this month’s release, so be sure to check out the following: The Sun Care Center Logo and the famous ‘I’m a Winner’ collection. Both of these items have been in our discussions for a while now and we are excited to bring them to you.
Be sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrowdw.com/supportus
Some of Our Latest Designs
Post-Show Fun
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