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.

You can learn a lot by leafing through decades-old Disney magazines

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A magazine advertisement for Eastern Airlines, which was the official airline of Walt Disney World when the resort opened in 1971. [Chuck Schmidt] “You can observe a lot by watching.” So said the great American philosopher, Lawrence Peter [Yogi] Berra. Most of us have Disney books and magazines tucked away somewhere. Some are probably years, … Continue reading "You can learn a lot by leafing through decades-old Disney magazines"
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Disney Cruise Line’s Dream and Fantasy: A tale of two christenings

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Oversized Lumiere and Sebastian characters join the parade during the christening of the Disney Dream on Jan. 19, 2011. The Disney Cruise Line will be adding three new ships to its fleet, in 2021, 2022 and 2023. With that in mind, we thought we’d look back at the christenings of DCL’s two “newest” ships, the … Continue reading "Disney Cruise Line’s Dream and Fantasy: A tale of two christenings"
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A look back at Epcot’s creation

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The cover of Epcot’s pre-opening brochure, which gave detailed descriptions of each attraction to be featured in the first-of-its-kind park, which opened on Oct. 1, 1982. [Chuck Schmidt] Epcot celebrated its 35th anniversary last fall. With that important milestone came a commitment on the part of the Walt Disney Company to add new experiences to … Continue reading "A look back at Epcot’s creation"
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Progress stood still during a torrential rain storm in the Magic Kingdom

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The exterior of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. It was a typical mid-June day in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World: Hot and humid, with ominous dark clouds lurking on the horizon. After riding on the WEDway PeopleMover in Tomorrowland, we decided to escape … Continue reading "Progress stood still during a torrential rain storm in the Magic Kingdom"
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Disney’s Interest in World’s Fairs Beyond the 1964-1965 New York Event

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Walt Disney stands with a model of the “it’s a small world” pavilion, one of the stars of the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. [The Walt Disney Company] Walt Disney never did anything half-way. He always seemed to take a damn-the-torpedoes, full-speed-ahead approach when his fertile imagination dreamed up a seemingly impossible project. And so … Continue reading "Disney’s Interest in World’s Fairs Beyond the 1964-1965 New York Event"
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The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair: A watershed moment in Disney history

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Walt Disney stands in front of two World’s Fair posters in a publicity photo taken in 1964. [The Walt Disney Company] To many long-time Disney followers, the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair was a watershed moment for the Walt Disney Company. Disney’s participation in the Fair saw the introduction of a radically new form of … Continue reading "The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair: A watershed moment in Disney history"
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Eleanor Audley gets a full-throated endorsement for her vocal work for Disney

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Actress Eleanor Audley strikes a menacing pose, left. To the right is Maleficent, the character based on Ms. Audley’s distinctive look. Do the names Tom Hanks, James Earl Jones, Irene Bedard and Jodi Benson ring a bell? Of course they do. How about Eleanor Audley? Not so well known, right? All of the above mentioned … Continue reading "Eleanor Audley gets a full-throated endorsement for her vocal work for Disney"
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During its four-year run, Holidayland gave guests a Disneyland experience right outside the fabled berm

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An aerial view shows Holidayland during its heyday, right outside the berm at Disneyland. Much has been written about the berm at Disneyland … those large mounds of dirt, cleverly placed foliage and other inconspicuous obstacles which keep Disney guests from seeing the outside world, effectively insulating them from reality. As Disney Legend John Hench … Continue reading "During its four-year run, Holidayland gave guests a Disneyland experience right outside the fabled berm"
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C.V. Wood: The most nefarious Disney villain of them all

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Walt Disney, left, goes over plans for Disneyland with C.V. Wood, center, and Harrison [Buzz] Price. [The Walt Disney Company] Disney Villains are all the rage. These days, bad is good. You can’t go anywhere in a Disney park without crossing paths with the likes of Lady Tremaine [a.k.a. the Wicked Stepmother], her daughters Anastasia … Continue reading "C.V. Wood: The most nefarious Disney villain of them all"
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