NEW SHOW - Connecting with Walt hosted by Michael Bowling

[dkrauss]

Just finished Episode 5.........really good stuff. Great details around a very sad subject for us Disney fans! Micheal did a great job with it. Really excited to hear about the construction process to create WDW. Looking forward to January for that.......................and the fact we'll be at the BWV's for Marathon Week then too!!!

Doug

 

[beastlyprince]

"Connecting With Walt" has been such a great, informative series.

I'm looking forward to its return in January. In the mean time I will be
listening to Michael's Disneyland History segments.

Thank you Michael and Craig for the work that has gone into this
series.

 

[buccikulju]

Thank you so much for this series. Michael's research is impressive, and his storytelling excellent. This seems like a Ken Burns documentary in audio form, it's that moving, that precise, that in depth. Bravo. Plus his careful noting of his sources at the end of the show makes this librarian so happy! One big problem, I will miss this too much until it comes back in January.

 

[DisneyDetective]

Just about to listen to the show, episode 1, is it only available in audio?

 

[jshadd]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to remind you that our newest podcast in The DIS Unplugged Podcast Network - Connecting with Walt - is now available. Listen here now!

Connecting with Walt will dive deep into the history of Walt Disney and Walt Disney World in 4 or 5 episode installment blocks released on Fridays every 3 months. Currently, Connecting with Walt will be in the Disney World feed for The DIS Unplugged on iTunes, so if you're already subscribed to it then you will receive the episodes automatically!

Connecting with Walt is hosted by Michael Bowling from The DIS Unplugged: Disneyland Edition. If you haven't listened to Michael's history segments on the Disneyland show then do yourself a favor and start listening to them in our archives at disunplugged.com.

We'd love to hear any feedback you may have about our new show, so please leave any comments or suggestions in this thread. Thanks and we hope you enjoy it!

I've enjoyed the opening series. Looking forward to more in the future.

 

[Teleclashter]

Just about to listen to the show, episode 1, is it only available in audio?

They are all audio only, but also on YouTube for closed caption purposes.

 

[loves to dive]

I am really loving this series and am having love/hate thoughts about the listing of books. Now I have to buy these books, I must but they aren't on kindle so I have to buy old fashioned paper books. Gasp. Seriously, I can't wait to read them all and am enjoying the series. I got a little lost in the last episode and would have loved to have had a map or something showing in the background but I did watch the presentation by Walk so that helped. Good job guys.

 

[Julylady]

Just finished listening to the 5th episode last night. I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to the next installment. Kudos to both Michael and Craig!

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

For those of you that will be having withdrawals due to no Connecting With Walt this coming Friday, I have good news for you. Michael continues his look at 60 years of Disneyland this week on the DIS Unplugged: Disneyland Edition! I'll post a link tomorrow when the show goes up.

 

[beastlyprince]

For those of you that will be having withdrawals due to no Connecting With Walt this coming Friday, I have good news for you. Michael continues his look at 60 years of Disneyland this week on the DIS Unplugged: Disneyland Edition! I'll post a link tomorrow when the show goes up.

Tom,

Would you please copy the list of Michael's Disneyland episodes into a new thread and make it a sticky. That way it will be easy for
us to find the episodes and for you to update the list when new episodes are added?

I listened to the first two episodes last night (the oldest ones) and enjoyed them very much. I'm looking forward to listening
to the rest of them and any new ones that are produced.

Thanks.

 

[DisneyDetective]

They are all audio only, but also on YouTube for closed caption purposes.

Thanks Craig, look forward to episode 1 this afternoon!!

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

For those of you that will be having withdrawals due to no Connecting With Walt this coming Friday, I have good news for you. Michael continues his look at 60 years of Disneyland this week on the DIS Unplugged: Disneyland Edition! I'll post a link tomorrow when the show goes up.

http://www.disunplugged.com/2015/11/03/dis-unplugged-podcast-110115-disneyland-show-2/

 

[notaprincess]

Thanks for putting this together. I really enjoyed them.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I just finished listening to all 5 episodes. There were so many details I never knew. As DLR vet I had already been listening to Michael's history segments on the Disneyland podcast and enjoy them very much. I also have to say how much I enjoyed Craig's input too. He also has a solid knowledge base that enabled him to ask good questions and give thoughtful suppositions. I just had to say thank you to both of you and I look forward to the next installment. In the meantime I will be checking out those references.

 

[ConeyLighthouse]

What a good question. Although I have read Coney Island was one of the many amusement parks Walt visited as he was seriously thinking about what he wanted and didn't want in his park, I have not found anything specific about his Coney Island visit. I do know that for Disneyland and Disney World, Walt did not want them built near the seashore. He didn't want to compete with the beach, have certain types of beach folk in his park, have to deal with the sand and dirt that would inevitably be tracked in to the park, and have the harshness of the salt air and coastal weather take its toll on the park. I would suspect his visit to Coney Island deepened his resolve on this. If I come across anything in my research, I will let you know. Thank you for listening to the show and for letting us know you have been enjoying it.

Hello! Just because I thought you might be interested, here is one place I heard about Walt visiting Coney Island and not liking it:

Walt Disney: an American Original
Bob Thomas (1922-)
Simon and Schuster, c1976

Page 241:
The vision of an amusement park grew in Walt Disney's mind. On each trip to Europe and during his travels through the United States, he attended outdoor attractions of all kinds. Zoos, especially. Before leaving on another journey to Europe, Lilly warned him, "Walt, if you're going to look at more zoos, I'm not going with you!"

He visited county fairs, state fairs, circuses, carnivals, national parks. He studied the attractions and what made them appealing, whether people seemed entertained or felt cheated. His most depressing experience was seeing Coney Island. It was so battered and tawdry and the ride operators were so hostile that Walt felt a momentary urge to abandon the idea of amusement park. His spirit revived when he saw Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; it was spotless and brightly colored and priced within the reach of everyone.

 

[DisneyDetective]

Really enjoyed the podcasts, I have read the Neal Gabler biography, could you suggest any other books about Walt Disney and the parks?

 

[Saltywardog]

Great series, gonna listen to the future has arrived tonight

 

[J'Adore Disney]

Great Podcast! I live in Miami, Florida (3 hours away from WDW). On a bad day, it takes me an hour to get to work and another hour to get home. I have thoroughly enjoyed Connecting with Walt during my long commutes. At times this Podcast made me laugh, sad, and Episode 4 even brought tears to my eyes. So sad how they "discarded" parts of the Epcot model.

In Episode 3, the "Seaquarium" Walt and his team visited, is the Miami Seaquarium. Which is still up and running today.

I loved hearing that Walt Disney World was almost built in Palm Beach and only wish WDW would have been built in Palm Beach!!! (Disclaimer: I live 1 hour away from Palm Beach). For the record, Palm Beach is not "just a beach." Palm Beach County stretches from South of the Lake Okeechobee River to the Atlantic Ocean. Walt Disney and his team were looking at the inland area of Palm Beach, which border with wildlife areas and the Everglades.

Walt Disney was an outstanding, incredible man, the Steve Jobs of his era... and perhaps even more so. If he would have lived longer, he would been able to accomplish his beloved version of EPCOT and so much more, I can't even fathom. Walt Disney World parks would have all connected, via the WEDway or Monorail, as Magic Kingdom and Epcot do (via the monorail). Sure.. there is bus transportation, however, Walt Disney's transportation plans/vision were more impressive and it is a shame that at least his transportation realizations were not respected and followed through.

Thank you to Craig and Michael for taking the time to research and putting this podcast together and for making my commute to work and home a much smoother and interesting one.

 

[Tonyz]

Phenomenal stuff, just absolutely incredible. Maybe the single best Disney thing I've ever listened to. Brilliant work, guys.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

This series has been so great - like audio porn to Disney fans.

Also appreciate when you are up from my about getting info from various sources.

As someone from the Northeast it is fun to think about if Walt were to have built something near us.

Also good to hear about how, as much or a dreamer Walt was, he also understood the politics/ business side of things - just left the details to other experts