All Ears® Guest Blog - Page 5 of 108

Is A Villains Land The Right Fit For The Magic Kingdom? Thoughts On Recent D23 Gathering

August 21, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

The Magic Kingdom, as Walt Disney himself once said, is a place “where parents and their children can have fun together.” With that in mind, I find the announcement of a villains-themed land to be built near Big Thunder Mountain concerning.

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The Evolution Of – And My Obsession With – Disney Guide Maps

August 5, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

Ever since the first time I entered a Disney theme park in 1972, I have made it a point to get my hands on three maps – one to use during the visit, another to save for posterity and a third just in case something happens to the other two? I've built up quite an extensive collection over the years.

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The Stories Are What Defined Bill [Sully] Sullivan’s Storied Disney Career

July 17, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

The Story — or, more accurately, The Stories — are what defined the 40-year Disney career of William (Sully) Sullivan, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 88.

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The Many Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Island

July 15, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

The first time I saw Tom Sawyer Island in Walt Disney World, it was a mess. A little more than a year after WDW opened, in the fall of 1972, the future Frontierland attraction was a work in progress. It was, in fact, a busy, somewhat chaotic construction site. Heavy construction equipment was parked in … Continue reading "The Many Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Island"

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First Visit To Walt Disney World In 1972 Launched A Lifetime Of Cherished Memories

July 8, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

The Walt Disney World we visited in 1972 was a vastly different place than the expansive resort we know today. We didn’t know it at the time, that first visit launched a lifetime of cherished memories at the Vacation Kingdom of the World.

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Visiting A Disney Park Without Actually Being There, Courtesy Of YouTube

June 24, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

After knee replacement surgery in February, spending time watching videos on YouTube became a passion. Even though my movements in the house were limited and I was reliant on a cane to get around, I could be “in” Walt Disney World or Disneyland without actually being there.

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At Disney, There’s No Shortage of Ideas, Even Recycled Ones

June 10, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

There are many other examples of highly touted Disney projects that didn’t make it past the concept stages … but would resurface years later in different forms. At Disney, good ideas are never discarded.

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A Sweet Tribute To Disney’s Legendary Nine Old Men

May 13, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

On a wall behind some cash registers in The World of Disney store is a simple, poignant tribute to The Nine Old Men, Walt Disney’s most prolific and admired animators who were responsible for creating some of the most endearing characters ever to come out of the Walt Disney Animation Studios

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Disney At The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair: Ford’s Magic Skyway

April 29, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

Right from opening day at the New York World's Fair, Ford Motor Company's Magic Skyway attraction was among the most popular shows on the Flushing Meadow, Queens, fairgrounds. To accomplish this, Disney had to come up with dozens of realistic-looking and moving dinosaurs and cavemen, as well as a new, innovative way to move automobiles along a constantly moving track.

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Disney At The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair: General Electric’s Progressland

April 15, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

More than any of the other Disney-created New York World's Fair pavilions, General Electric's Progressland – which showed guests how the world of electricity had grown in leaps and bounds over the years – was all about change. And those changes occurred both inside and outside the massive domed building, designed by the firm owned by Walt Disney’s good friend, Welton Becket.

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