WDW Tales Podcast

The infamous Dragon’s Lair in the early days of Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the Discovery River Boat cruise. I took this during cast preview of the park in March 1998.

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Clip of WDI test footage of The Great Movie Ride Oz scene prior to opening day.

Feeling very Disney-MGM Studios today.

Did you know in the early months of the Great Movie Ride, the tour guide was shot in the gangster scene? The tour guide pockets were tear away, revealing a bullet wound. It made the Anubis reveal that much more dramatic. Every once in awhile, I’d get one of those shirts.

Happy New Year!

Things that didn’t need to go.

Happy Birthday, Dick van Dyke!

Imagineering test shot of Burt for The Great Movie Ride. circa 1988.

A mystery story at Journey into Imagination.

Musical Street (Footlight Parade), at The Great Movie Ride, Imagineer test shot. 1989.

The Great Movie Ride’s Footlight Parade from Busby Berkeley’s vantage point.

Me and Figment just hanging out.

“Get a load of dat chunk of ice.”

Anubis scene at The Great Movie Ride.

During COVID the cast of Tapestry of Nations did a Quarantine Edition. Here was my contribution.

Me too!

Disney-MGM Studios was poppin’ back in March of 1999. I forgot they added the time lengths to each attraction back then.

My official Imagination Institute credentials during my Journey into Imagination/Honey, I Shrunk the Audience days.

Clearly, my responsibilities were paramount to the Institute’s success.

I worked on the production of the opening of RnR, as well as most of the TV promos that starred Aerosmith. I’m even in the (very back) of the limo for one Monday Night Football promo with the band at the front.

Disney-MGM Studios tip board. How many attractions on the board still exist?

It’s such a bummer. I don’t think moving Muppets to RnR is a well thought out strategy either.

It’s not good.

Not sure if popular opinion or controversial opinion, I hate what the Studios has become. It used to have so much personality and magic. I thought the addition of Sunset in 1994 was brilliant. Now, it’s just a mess, and getting worse. Here’s a shot from 1989.

Saying goodbye to Horizons on 1.9.99. Though, I was able to ride it a few days after closing via some Attractions Mgmt friends.

Taken with a Sony Mavica that used 3” disks.

I guess the masses get what the masses want. But, that park was special. Now? Eh.

I miss that park so much.

And sweatshirts

Dude.

This will always be one of my faves. I think I took this pic around 2010.

I’m more of a reduce, reuse, recycle kinda guy. 😏

😂

Kickin’ it during my Tapestry of Nations days. One of the greatest experiences of my life was performing at Epcot on 12.31.1999. It was an honor to be in this parade.