Chuck Schmidt

Chuck Schmidt, bitten by the Disney bug at an early age, remembers watching The Mickey Mouse Club after school in the mid-1950s. During his 48-year career in the newspaper business, he channeled that love of Disney as the Sunday News and Travel editor for The Staten Island Advance. Chuck has written or co-authored seven books for Theme Park Press, including Disney's Dream Weavers, On the Disney Beat, An American in Disneyland Paris, Disney's Animal Kingdom: An Unofficial History and The Beat Goes On. Chuck has shared his passion for all things Disney in his Still Goofy About Disney blog on AllEars.Net since 2015. He resides in Beachwood, N.J., with his wife Janet. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren.


Walt Disney Had An Exit Strategy For The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
Once the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair ceased operating, it didn’t take very long before the demolition of dozens of pavilions began, which was a shame, considering many of the structures were designed and built by some of the world's most prominent architectural firms. Pavilion sponsors were given a mere 90 days to tear down their exhibits. Things were decidedly different when it came to the four exhibits presented by the Walt Disney Company. It seems Walt Disney had an exit strategy … and a plan.
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Makin’ Memories: The Talent Behind The Tunes In Disney Parks

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
When Marty Sklar was knee-deep in the planning of EPCOT back in the late 1970s, he had one of those lightbulb moments that helped define the project. That’s when Marty came to the harsh realization that, despite all the hard work and meticulous planning that had already taken place, Disney had overlooked something very fundamental and functional ... a park staple that hadn’t seen anything new for more than a decade. We’re talking about music.
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