Take a deep dive into the music of the original EPCOT Center, including:
How the Epcot entrance loop ripped off music from rock bands Alan Parsons Project and Trickster
Hear the original, longer version of "Closer to You," the song from AT&T's "Age of Information" exhibit that predicted the future with incredible accuracy
Composer George Wilkins' favorite piece of music that he wrote for Epcot
The arranger who worked on Bob Moline's Epcot songs, including "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)." Hint: he went on to compose the music for a Spaceship Earth rehab
Join us as Todd, Brian, JT, How and our listeners reveal their favorite songs from the many eras of Epcot and we reveal behind-the-scenes details about each of them and the beloved attractions they came from.
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2:15:12
96 - Banking at Walt Disney World
This month Brian leads a discussion about banking at Walt Disney World and everything guests had to do to pay for their transactions at the parks and resorts before debit card terminals and Magic Bands became ubiquitous. Cash was king, but Traveler’s Checks and personal checks were also common before Walt Disney World began allowing credit cards. We’ll reveal how they worked, their benefits, and their frustrations.
We also dive into the history of Disney’s relationship with its original banking partner, Sun Bank. Find about their full-service branches located in each of the parks and near Disney Springs, including the beautiful late-1880s-styled bank on Main Street which is now the Chamber of Commerce, and why we think the bank vault is still there. If you’re a cast member who can confirm or deny our hunch, send us an email!
Todd also takes us into the many advancements in banking technologies that make paying for things in the park easier and more worry-free today.
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2:29:40
95 - Camera Shops and Film at WDW
This episode is about a long-lost art form that used to be very prominent at Walt Disney World. The idea of lugging camera equipment around, having it serviced at WDW, and even developing your pictures all on-site are almost laughable this day in age. When we look back through history, Walt Disney World is brought back to us from family photos and film/video. Depending on your era, the method could vary drastically and so did the technical aspects. In this episode, we dive into nearly every aspect of capturing the memories of your trip. With different sources, being professional resources and personal stories, this episode should hit with anyone who has captured their trip on some sort of film.
The theme parks were very different 50 years ago, including things like a bank, card shops, flowers to purchase, and even furniture. Disney took on the memory business and you could do everything from bringing all your own equipment to renting on site. Film purchases, VHS tapes, servicing your camera and more; the different parks and resorts had an immense list of services and supplies for everyone. Nowadays, you are lucky to find a disposable camera, which we dare you to locate… We try our best to not get into the weeds too much, but at the same time you will get a little bit of a techy history in this episode, which is almost needed if you did not live in this era. As you listen to this one, drop us a note about your experiences with the camera centers or even having Walt Disney World develop your photographs in under an hour. Enjoy!
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2:32:25
94 - Cranium Command with Jerry Rees
We're back with Episode 94 where we get to interview the great Jerry Rees. Over the years, we have had Jerry at our different events to discuss Cranium Command and the various projects he has done for the Walt Disney Company. While we have gotten to know Jerry very well, we found that our post-event interview has been in the archives for several years and we are very excited to bring it to you. The interview begins with us discussing how this all came to be. Jerry gives us some amazing first-hand knowledge on meeting many Disney higher-ups, giving him some directives and also asking him to save some attractions.
One of the highlights of this time at Disney is how they worked in the old Magic of Disney Animation building while in development of the attractions. You could actually see Jerry and his team down in the 'pits', storyboarding and making it all work. There is a chance you might have some old home video of them working their magic in this attraction. Go check after you finish this episode!
Jerry gets into Cranium Command as well, which has such a unique history. The development and how it originally started is very interesting and we get that information about how it changed into the attraction we all saw at EPCOT. Jerry has always been super kind and fun to speak to, especially if you enjoy how films and movies are made. Jerry's career kind of blurs the line of Disney Imagineer and film director which is why the attractions he worked on always seem to be unique and different. We hope you enjoy this chat with Jerry; be sure to check out the different films we have of us and also some of the archive footage he has sent our way, which is on our YouTube Channel.
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1:43:31
93.5 - A Chat with Tad Stones
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.
A monthly trip back in time to Walt Disney World - From pre-opening to 25 years ago; your four retro hosts discuss now closed, but not forgotten attractions, designs, architecture and more! Come experience the Vacation Kingdom of the World...the way it was...and the way it is in your memories!
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