41.5 - A Chat with Chris Smith

41.5 - A Chat with Chris Smith

Author: Lake Buena Vista Historical Society July 25, 2018 Duration: 44:42

Welcome to Episode 41.5 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "A Chat With Author Chris Smith" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

A Chat With Author Chris Smith

Chris comes to us as an author of two titles: The Walt Disney World That Never Was and his second book, The Backstories & Magical Secrets of Walt Disney World. We start off the episode with a little bit of history, all about Chris and his connections to Disney. Past trips, The Disney Channel and how often he visits nowadays. Chris also gives us a little background on how he got started. This includes old documents, history and reports that discuss his first book of forgotten and unbuilt attractions.  The second book we discuss is Volume One of a multi-part series, discussing everything going on in the theme parks. Volume One is all about Frontierland, Liberty Square and Main Street. I found this one to have some much detail, information and almost felt like an encyclopedia about these lands and attractions in the Magic Kingdom. Each ride is discussed as well as the backstories for how the lands are laid out and themed. Both books are paperback, right around 200 or so pages and really connect to what we love to talk about. Stories, theming and Walt Disney World.  Check these out today and get ready for the next volume, which will be coming soon!

 

Win A Copy!

For a chance to win a free copy of The Walt Disney World That Never Was or The Backstories and Magical Secrets, you need to answer the following question: What Disney resort was constructed on the original spot for the Asian Resort? If you know the answer to this questions, email us: podcast@retrowdw.com We will choose a random, correct answer and let you pick which book you would like sent your way. Entries due: August 10, 2018 - Best of luck!

Where To Purchase

 


The Retro Disney World Podcast from the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society is a deep, conversational dive into the layers of history embedded in the Vacation Kingdom. Each monthly episode gathers four hosts with a shared passion for peeling back the contemporary veneer to examine what came before. Their discussions are less about listing facts and more about reconstructing the experience of a place in time, focusing on the architectural choices, attraction designs, and overall atmosphere that defined eras from the ambitious pre-opening plans up through the resort's evolution roughly twenty-five years ago. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a thoughtful look at how the park's physical and imaginative landscapes were built, changed, and live on in collective memory. You'll hear detailed recollections and analysis of spaces that are now closed but whose influence persists, understanding why certain elements resonate so powerfully. The podcast operates at the intersection of cultural study, travel memory, and societal observation, making it a unique resource for anyone who believes the story of a place is found in its details, transitions, and vanished corners. Tune in for a consistently engaging and richly specific exploration of Walt Disney World's past, thoughtfully preserved in audio form.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 138

Retro Disney World Podcast
Podcast Episodes
62.5 - Below Thunder's Deck with Parker Rabe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:50
Main Topic In the last episode, we took you back to the early 1990s and discussed the filming and history of Thunder in Paradise! Now we've got an exclusive interview with Parker Rabe who's father was the brains behind t…
62 - Thunder in Paradise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:12
Welcome to Episode 62 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Thunder in Paradise" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows from over the year…
61.5 - Radio Loops - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:10
Main Topic Welcome back to another mini-episode, filled with Radio Loops. We had a number of these sent in from fans, listeners and others who were thinking there might be a podcast someday that wants to share these. To…
61 - Alien Encounter - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08:57
Comments & Corrections We start this month with some sports, weather and candy updates. The Disney World stuff will come eventually, we promise. Big update on the old school turnstiles around the parks. Carla Carle gave…
60 - Tomorrowland 94-95 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:47
Welcome to Episode 60 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Tomorrowland '94" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! While you are listen…
59.5 - Haunted Mansion with Kat Cressida [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:47
Kat Cressida is a renowned voice actress and respected Disney historian whose connection with Disney began with her father’s work with WED and Disneyland in the 1970s. She is known not only for bringing characters to lif…
59 - Tickets and Ephemera [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:18
Welcome to Episode 59 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Tickets & Ephemera” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! While you are list…
58 - Retro Menus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:22
Welcome to Episode 58 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Retro Menus” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! Listener Mail Right to th…
57 - El Rio Del Tiempo.mp3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:58
Welcome to Episode 57 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "El Rio del Tiempo" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! Listener Mail Right…
56.5 - Typical Pylons - A chat with Gene Brignola [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:31
Typical Pylons We know many of you are at home for the next few weeks and we wanted to get a few new episodes and films out as quickly as possible to keep you busy. In this mini-episode, the team interviews Gene Brignola…