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.

At Disney, It’s Always about The Story … Even When the Story Isn’t Quite True

June 3, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

The Story is always at the core of everything Disney does in its parks, from restaurants to themed lands, to attractions in those lands to even the properties where guests retreat to after a long day in those parks. But what happens when those stories aren't quite true?

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The Role Magazines Have Played in Walt’s World

May 20, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Walt Disney understood the power of the media, so much so that he employed some of the most talented wordsmiths he could find to help publicize his projects. Over the years, magazines have played a key role in getting the word out on Walt's expansive world.

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New Book on Freedomland Dives into the Park’s Many Disney Connections

May 6, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

"Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History" is a deep dive into a theme park that captured folks’ imaginations back in the 1960s … and still captivates those who remember visiting the park during their youth. It also delves into Freedomland's many Disney connections.

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Hidden Gem: ‘Guide for Two Old Crocks with a Kid on a Hot, Crowded Day at Disneyland’

April 23, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Van France was hired by Walt Disney in March 1955 to set up a training program for Disneyland’s incoming employees. He established Disneyland University, where he taught new concepts in guest service. After his retirement in 1978, he wrote an endearing essay: “Guide for Two Old Crocks with a Kid on a Hot, Crowded Day at Disneyland.”

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Opening Day Attractions at Disney-MGM Studios: Gone, But Not Forgotten

April 8, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Disney’s Hollywood Studios originally was conceived 30 years ago as a three-part experience; it is now a full-blown theme park, with the magic of Hollywood as its driving force.

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The genesis of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which turns 30 on May 1

March 25, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Originally, the Disney-MGM Studios was conceived as a new attraction in Epcot’s Future World before it evolved into a major theme park. On May 1, the park will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a new name, new attractions and new lands.

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Disney Imagineer and Legend Bob Gurr Keeps Motoring Along

March 11, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

On Oct. 25, Disney Legend Bob Gurr will turn 88 years old. At that age, most typical seniors tend to slow down, relax and take things easy. Luckily for us, Bob Gurr has never been “typical.” According to the always affable Gurr, “I’m everywhere these days!”

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10 More Walt Disney World Attractions That Walt Had a Hand in Creating

February 18, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

A recent AllEars.net blog highlighted four Walt Disney World attractions that Walt Disney had a hand in creating. But there at least 10 other WDW attractions with Walt's imprint on them.

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Michael Eisner and Frank Wells formed a formidable Disney partnership

February 4, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

The 1990s gave us The Disney Decade, a 10-year span that was kick-started when then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner and his right-hand man, company president Frank Wells, made a bold attempt to reinvigorate the company’s flagging fortunes after taking over the top two leadership posts in 1984.

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As Walt Disney World nears 50, looking back at the Florida Project’s beginnings

January 21, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

As Walt Disney World moves toward its 50th anniversary in 2021, we thought we’d take a look back … back to when The Florida Project was a massive construction site fraught with earth movers, scaffolding and thousands of helmeted workers …

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