RetroMagic?
- Thread starter Primerz
- Start date
Communicore1991
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2014
- Messages
- 478
I'll be there! This is their 5th event and I only missed their first one which they held before i started listening to the podcast. It's a lot of fun and a real deep dive into things from Disney's past. Not to mention, it's a relatively intimate event (I think they sell ~500 tickets total) where you have the opportunity to meet face to face some true Disney celebrities. For example, at one RetroMagic I got to met and chat with Bob Gurr and at the last event in 2023 I met Tony Baxter and got him to sign an EPCOT alucobond tile and my Indiana Jones Adventure E Ticket Magazine issue.
If you are a fan of the podcast, RetroMagic will be right up your alley and after Sunday afternoon, you will go back and start doing more research than you ever knew possible
I believe this year they're going to have us at long tables where you're sitting next to people so it might be conducive to light conversation between panels, but everyone is facing forward to see the stage. I hope you enjoy and find value in the event!
If you are a fan of the podcast, RetroMagic will be right up your alley and after Sunday afternoon, you will go back and start doing more research than you ever knew possible
I believe this year they're going to have us at long tables where you're sitting next to people so it might be conducive to light conversation between panels, but everyone is facing forward to see the stage. I hope you enjoy and find value in the event!
Primerz
Master Builder
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2021
- Messages
- 95
Thanks for this information- totally helpful! I wasn't sure of the size of the event, and 500 sounds like a good amount. Love hearing that you got to meet some real Imagineering Legends!
I've listened to the entire catalog of Retro WDW (unfortunately, because I want more!). Together with Progress City U.S.A. they make up my absolute favorite Disney Podcasts. And you are right, the podcasts really sparked my love of Disney history- I've been reading everything I can get my hands on.
Thanks for the information and the introduction. A friendly note that is much appreciated!
I've listened to the entire catalog of Retro WDW (unfortunately, because I want more!). Together with Progress City U.S.A. they make up my absolute favorite Disney Podcasts. And you are right, the podcasts really sparked my love of Disney history- I've been reading everything I can get my hands on.
Thanks for the information and the introduction. A friendly note that is much appreciated!
Primerz
Master Builder
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2021
- Messages
- 95
Hi- here are my notes for the event. I haven't ever shared my writing with folks. I take friendly and constructive criticism well, though. Comments and questions welcome.
[This picks up after spending the day at the parks, prior to the RetroMagic dinner.]
Back at the hotel for a quick shower and change. When I got out of the elevator, I was face-to face with Tim Delaney, an Imagineer who designed The Seas, among other things. He drew the poster for DLP’s Space Mountain, so I am sorry I did not bring that! Then I was waiting to the bus to Epcot, and there he was again. I hope I am not giving off stalker vibes!
Back for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Everybody Wants to Rule The World!
Now I’m in the event space adjacent to Coral Reef. Time has not been kind to the waiting area, but it does have AC! The person in line behind me just casually mentioned that Tony Baxter (!) walked into Moana’s Journey of Water. Cool. Tim Delaney just walked in. Now he really thinks I’m a stalker!
Well, the event has started, and already I am filled with anxiety around talking with people. For goodness sake, these are my people! Or maybe they aren’t? I don’t know. I thought this might be more of a presentation, but it’s really a social event. Cool, but perhaps not for me. Food is fine and open bar.
I spoke waaay too soon, as usual. Once the table got full, had some lively chats with people. The star at our table is a woman who works as a supervisor at Coronado Springs. She had a lot of funny/horrifying anecdotes about visitors. Someone booked the Del Coronado hotel in CA, which was funny and it worked out, but a lot of sad stories about demanding people, too. Part of that, she said, is people post magic moments on social media, then viewers come in with unrealistic expectations.
It ended up being a good table, after all. Then, towards the end, the hosts of Retro of WDW came up and said some words, and brought up Kym Murphy and Tim, who designed The Living Seas. Kym told a funny story about scuba Mickey who almost drowned. It’s funnier than what that sounds like. Then Retro WDW commissioned an original painting that was inspired by the current and past attractions in the space. It will be auctioned off tomorrow to raise money for Retro WDW, which is a non-for-profit organization, with a mission to preserve WDW history.
A few surprises- we each got a print of the painting, which the artist will sign on Sunday. The bigger surprise was after dinner, we were taken to a private viewing are of Luminous! The views were great and I love that show. Many people in attendance had not seen the show, and I have to remind myself that not everyone who loved Disney 25 years ago loves it now. Walt Disney said that what intrigued him about Disneyland is that it would never be finished. Films, once done, had little interest to him. I want to always keep that in my mind as the parks evolve; it’s okay to miss things, like the Halcyon, but cherish the memories and appreciate that those moments existed.
After trying to randomly bump into an Imagineer (that wasn’t Tim Delaney) all night, I finally got to make small talk with Tom Morris…in the bathroom. Ugh.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I left after the fireworks, very happy and a little bit teary and am writing this over a beer at the Three Bridges Bar. It’s like Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge, but bigger and thus more lively. The more I stay at Coronado Springs, the more I like it. It’s beautiful, clean, many dining options, and great lounges. I have had great success with the buses, so not a problem there, though the low crowd levels help.
[This picks up after spending the day at the parks, prior to the RetroMagic dinner.]
Back at the hotel for a quick shower and change. When I got out of the elevator, I was face-to face with Tim Delaney, an Imagineer who designed The Seas, among other things. He drew the poster for DLP’s Space Mountain, so I am sorry I did not bring that! Then I was waiting to the bus to Epcot, and there he was again. I hope I am not giving off stalker vibes!
Back for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Everybody Wants to Rule The World!
Now I’m in the event space adjacent to Coral Reef. Time has not been kind to the waiting area, but it does have AC! The person in line behind me just casually mentioned that Tony Baxter (!) walked into Moana’s Journey of Water. Cool. Tim Delaney just walked in. Now he really thinks I’m a stalker!
Well, the event has started, and already I am filled with anxiety around talking with people. For goodness sake, these are my people! Or maybe they aren’t? I don’t know. I thought this might be more of a presentation, but it’s really a social event. Cool, but perhaps not for me. Food is fine and open bar.
I spoke waaay too soon, as usual. Once the table got full, had some lively chats with people. The star at our table is a woman who works as a supervisor at Coronado Springs. She had a lot of funny/horrifying anecdotes about visitors. Someone booked the Del Coronado hotel in CA, which was funny and it worked out, but a lot of sad stories about demanding people, too. Part of that, she said, is people post magic moments on social media, then viewers come in with unrealistic expectations.
It ended up being a good table, after all. Then, towards the end, the hosts of Retro of WDW came up and said some words, and brought up Kym Murphy and Tim, who designed The Living Seas. Kym told a funny story about scuba Mickey who almost drowned. It’s funnier than what that sounds like. Then Retro WDW commissioned an original painting that was inspired by the current and past attractions in the space. It will be auctioned off tomorrow to raise money for Retro WDW, which is a non-for-profit organization, with a mission to preserve WDW history.
A few surprises- we each got a print of the painting, which the artist will sign on Sunday. The bigger surprise was after dinner, we were taken to a private viewing are of Luminous! The views were great and I love that show. Many people in attendance had not seen the show, and I have to remind myself that not everyone who loved Disney 25 years ago loves it now. Walt Disney said that what intrigued him about Disneyland is that it would never be finished. Films, once done, had little interest to him. I want to always keep that in my mind as the parks evolve; it’s okay to miss things, like the Halcyon, but cherish the memories and appreciate that those moments existed.
After trying to randomly bump into an Imagineer (that wasn’t Tim Delaney) all night, I finally got to make small talk with Tom Morris…in the bathroom. Ugh.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I left after the fireworks, very happy and a little bit teary and am writing this over a beer at the Three Bridges Bar. It’s like Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge, but bigger and thus more lively. The more I stay at Coronado Springs, the more I like it. It’s beautiful, clean, many dining options, and great lounges. I have had great success with the buses, so not a problem there, though the low crowd levels help.
Primerz
Master Builder
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2021
- Messages
- 95
The Main Event
I got a good amount of sleep last night for a change, but was up very early in anticipation for the day ahead.
Ted Linhart showed off some of his rare collection of Disney documents. It’s really impressive, and fans should appreciate that Ted scans these documents and makes them publicly available to all. He didn’t have to.
I took notes in my book, and overall I enjoyed the day. The one Imagineer I wasn’t familiar with in advance, Paul Osterhout, had some amazing stories about MuppetVision 3D. His stories were so interesting, but with a touch of sadness because as that was being worked on, Jim Henson died. Paul said that, because he grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, Jim was his “Walt.” He brought some props, and a lot of behind the scenes footage of taping of MV3D as well as The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. I never saw that version, and it’s been universally panned, but seeing videos made me appreciate the work that went into it. For this iteration, they brought back the original voices for the birds, now old men. Paul went on to talk about of nice and kind Gilbert Gottfried was, a quiet man very different from his on-screen persona.
The other panel I really enjoyed was seeing a group of opening day cast members, who shared some great stories. The Typhoon Lagoon session was good, and I was surprised to learn that the wave pool is capable to 8 foot waves! Many of the Imagineers are from California, and they tested out the surf conditions, riding the waves along with Dick Nunis (Disney Legend and no. 1 SOB).
The Penny Arcade session was mixed. I really liked hearing about the history of penny arcades, including the origins of the devices, part of a team up with George Eastman and Thomas Edison. After that, it went into the history of the devices at Disney, including the now shuttered one on Main Street. It was closed to make room for more retail space, but some devices still live in Walt Disney World, including the Train Station stop on Main Street, and the Boardwalk Resort.
The second half was less interesting because it was more technical about the wiring in pinball machines. There is a Disney connection, apparently, because Disney helped streamline with wiring of the devices. I think. I sort of spaced out a bit.
After Paul’s presentation, I skipped out for the last two sessions. One was on music, and the other one was something I was less interested in as well. So much so I can’t recall it. So I went to Hollywood Studios to look for merch for the kids- seriously! I only rode half a ride, using the single rider line at ROTR. Half of ROTR is better than none! Some of the elements were in B mode, which I can tell because I’ve experienced it so many times.
I made it back to Coronado Springs in time for my dinner reservation at Toledo’s. This was another restaurant I wanted to try, but passed the last time I was here because it’s not really for kids. It’s beautiful, sitting at the top of the building. There is also an adjacent lounge, which also looks like a great place to get a drink. The lounge is called Dalia, and it celebrates the friendship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. The view is fantastic from the top of the building. I could see the Hollywood Hotel from my seat. Or I could until a family sat at the table across from me and the breathtaking view was replaced by a little girl with a finger in her nose. You take the bad with the good!
From 7:30 to 9:30 it was Retro WDW Movie Night. Amazing. The four hosts of RetroWDW and Tony Baxter and Tom Morris offered up live commentary from old Disney World home moves. We saw some amazing restored footage. It’s really amazing to see Walt Disney World from the park goers POV. We also saw footage from an ad campaign for Ford with characters. It's really amazing to see the history of the parks from the visitor POV with these restored films. It's important to have both the official and the unofficial histories of the park! Tony and Tom had some great comments, and everyone had a good laugh. Go look up these videos, you will not be disappointed!
Day two I had to leave early, as I had a work event Sunday night for Disney. I was bummed I had to leave the Disney event early but happy I work at Disney so I suppose it's a net neutral.
OMG! It finally happened! I patiently waited for Tony Baxter to be finished with breakfast and not around too many other people and approached him. “Mr. Baxter,” I asked, “is there an appropriate time for me to ask you to sign something?”
“As long as it’s quick so that a line doesn’t form,” Tony replied. So I unrolled the poster of Big Thunder Mountain in Disneyland Paris and he asked if I wanted it made out to me or anyone. I said, “No. It’s a family favorite.”
I'm going to leave it on that high note.
Overall, I loved it. I am a pretty shy person so that was an adjustment but I got over it and everyone was really friendly. I cannot wait to go back again next year! If you have any questions, feel free to DM me. Thanks!
I got a good amount of sleep last night for a change, but was up very early in anticipation for the day ahead.
Ted Linhart showed off some of his rare collection of Disney documents. It’s really impressive, and fans should appreciate that Ted scans these documents and makes them publicly available to all. He didn’t have to.
I took notes in my book, and overall I enjoyed the day. The one Imagineer I wasn’t familiar with in advance, Paul Osterhout, had some amazing stories about MuppetVision 3D. His stories were so interesting, but with a touch of sadness because as that was being worked on, Jim Henson died. Paul said that, because he grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, Jim was his “Walt.” He brought some props, and a lot of behind the scenes footage of taping of MV3D as well as The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. I never saw that version, and it’s been universally panned, but seeing videos made me appreciate the work that went into it. For this iteration, they brought back the original voices for the birds, now old men. Paul went on to talk about of nice and kind Gilbert Gottfried was, a quiet man very different from his on-screen persona.
The other panel I really enjoyed was seeing a group of opening day cast members, who shared some great stories. The Typhoon Lagoon session was good, and I was surprised to learn that the wave pool is capable to 8 foot waves! Many of the Imagineers are from California, and they tested out the surf conditions, riding the waves along with Dick Nunis (Disney Legend and no. 1 SOB).
The Penny Arcade session was mixed. I really liked hearing about the history of penny arcades, including the origins of the devices, part of a team up with George Eastman and Thomas Edison. After that, it went into the history of the devices at Disney, including the now shuttered one on Main Street. It was closed to make room for more retail space, but some devices still live in Walt Disney World, including the Train Station stop on Main Street, and the Boardwalk Resort.
The second half was less interesting because it was more technical about the wiring in pinball machines. There is a Disney connection, apparently, because Disney helped streamline with wiring of the devices. I think. I sort of spaced out a bit.
After Paul’s presentation, I skipped out for the last two sessions. One was on music, and the other one was something I was less interested in as well. So much so I can’t recall it. So I went to Hollywood Studios to look for merch for the kids- seriously! I only rode half a ride, using the single rider line at ROTR. Half of ROTR is better than none! Some of the elements were in B mode, which I can tell because I’ve experienced it so many times.
I made it back to Coronado Springs in time for my dinner reservation at Toledo’s. This was another restaurant I wanted to try, but passed the last time I was here because it’s not really for kids. It’s beautiful, sitting at the top of the building. There is also an adjacent lounge, which also looks like a great place to get a drink. The lounge is called Dalia, and it celebrates the friendship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. The view is fantastic from the top of the building. I could see the Hollywood Hotel from my seat. Or I could until a family sat at the table across from me and the breathtaking view was replaced by a little girl with a finger in her nose. You take the bad with the good!
From 7:30 to 9:30 it was Retro WDW Movie Night. Amazing. The four hosts of RetroWDW and Tony Baxter and Tom Morris offered up live commentary from old Disney World home moves. We saw some amazing restored footage. It’s really amazing to see Walt Disney World from the park goers POV. We also saw footage from an ad campaign for Ford with characters. It's really amazing to see the history of the parks from the visitor POV with these restored films. It's important to have both the official and the unofficial histories of the park! Tony and Tom had some great comments, and everyone had a good laugh. Go look up these videos, you will not be disappointed!
Day two I had to leave early, as I had a work event Sunday night for Disney. I was bummed I had to leave the Disney event early but happy I work at Disney so I suppose it's a net neutral.
OMG! It finally happened! I patiently waited for Tony Baxter to be finished with breakfast and not around too many other people and approached him. “Mr. Baxter,” I asked, “is there an appropriate time for me to ask you to sign something?”
“As long as it’s quick so that a line doesn’t form,” Tony replied. So I unrolled the poster of Big Thunder Mountain in Disneyland Paris and he asked if I wanted it made out to me or anyone. I said, “No. It’s a family favorite.”
I'm going to leave it on that high note.
Overall, I loved it. I am a pretty shy person so that was an adjustment but I got over it and everyone was really friendly. I cannot wait to go back again next year! If you have any questions, feel free to DM me. Thanks!
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