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.


The Wonderful World of Disney Has a Long History With the Wonderful World of Oz

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939 and became one of MGM Studios most profitable ventures. The movie was based on the literary works of L. Frank Baum. Two years before the release of The Wizard of Oz, Walt Disney expressed interest in purchasing the rights to Baum’s stories. But with work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio occupying all of his studio’s attention, Walt passed on pursuing Baum’s works until 1954.
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Like a Freak Snow Storm, the Incredible Success of ‘Frozen’ Caught Disney Off-Guard

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
You’d be surprised to learn that even the creative minds at Disney can be caught off-guard at times. The first inkling I got of that phenomenon came with the unexpected success of the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction in The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion at Epcot. The Nemo-themed show, which features live interaction with lovable turtle dude named Crush, was – and still is – a big hit. Another “Don’t look now, but we have a big hit on our hands” moment came in the weeks after the movie "Frozen" was released in late 2013.
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It’s Tough to be a Bug! Proves it’s Tough to be an Imagineer

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
It’s tough to be an Imagineer. For every show or attraction that the members of the Walt Disney Company’s creative wing dream up, there are dozens of their ideas that get rejected. Indeed, the evolution of an attraction can be almost as thrilling as the attraction itself. Take the It’s Tough to be a Bug! … Continue reading "It’s Tough to be a Bug! Proves it’s Tough to be an Imagineer"
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Here are two Marty Sklar stories you haven’t heard … and they’re not about Disney!

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
All three of Marty Sklar's books – Dream It! Do It!, One Little Spark! and Travels with Figment – are not only windows into the Walt Disney Company, but give us a rare look at one of the most important and influential people to have ever pinned on a Disney nametag. Marty’s books are filled with one fascinating, behind-the-scenes story after another. But, as I’ve learned first-hand over the years, there are so many more “Marty stories” that need to be told.
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Since Opening in 1998, Animal Kingdom Has Seen Some Wild Changes

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
It’s been more than 21 years since Disney’s ambitious Animal Kingdom theme park opened. Much like every Disney park that came before and after it, Animal Kingdom was far from completed when it debuted on April 22, 1998. Like a freshly planted seed, Animal Kingdom needed time to grow and flourish. Since opening, Animal Kingdom has seen some subtractions and many new and exciting additions as it has matured into one of the most unique theme park experiences in the world.
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Kevin Rafferty’s Imagineering Career at Disney Had its Ups and Downs Before it Started Soaring

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
Kevin Rafferty's new book, Magic Journey: My Fantastical Disney Imagineering Career, which will be introduced at the D23 Expo in August, takes a deep dive into Kevin’s 41-year Disney career, giving fans an intimate look at the many attractions he’s had a hand in creating, as well as the behind-the-scenes stories detailing just how those attractions came to life.
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