62 - Thunder in Paradise

62 - Thunder in Paradise

Author: Lake Buena Vista Historical Society November 13, 2020 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 years. We have visited multiple parks, resorts, and just about everything else in between.

Listener Mail

Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Also, top tier donors can even join us on a show! Take a look at how you can join us live on an episode.

  1. Shane is first with a comment about Alien Encounter. He was curious if Tyra Banks was the only host for the pre-show at Alien Encounter.
  2. Miranda sent us some new ephemera which is a 'Vacation Kingdom' brochure from 1984. Take a look at these!
  3. Our next write-in was Daniel, who discusses the talking elevator at The Contemporary Resort. He sent us a photo of the elevator and Daniel also has one at his office building.
  4. Jared wrote us a touching story about his father and attending RetroMagic. We love hearing those stories and Jared has some great memories to remember.
  5. We heard from Gary regarding Tomorrowland and an area just past DreamFlight. We have the picture here and think you should take a look.
  6. Joe Barlow, our turnstile inspector, wrote in about the radio loops asking where they transmitted from. The group explains all of this and how everything worked years ago.
  7. BONUS: We had a tweet about the AAA Comfort Lounge! Interesting area we don't know much about..
Audio Rewind

Our audio rewind this month is from Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Hollywood Studios - Thank you for all the guesses and emails!

We have a winner! Congratulations Jason!

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting an LBVHS & RetroWDW Pin, including bonus swag. All entries are due 11/17/2020 and a random winner will be selected.

Main Topic

This month...what can we say. Hulk Hogan is in the building. Well not yet, but hopefully soon. Instead, we are taking you to Paradise - Thunder in Paradise! Our crew takes a deep dive into this show that was almost entirely filmed on the property at Walt Disney World. The idea behind this show was a takeoff on Baywatch and various other 90s action stylized tv shows. We love watching these episodes though and trying to analyze where they filmed the show. We get into the reason behind the show, production, storylines and so much more. Each member of the group has seen this show at various stages and years, so we all have a little bit to add. As we progress into this main topic, we get into the various episodes and discuss locations.  Some are absurd and others are cleverly done. The production team really had free rein to go wherever they needed including the Magic Kingdom, all over the Seven Seas Lagoon, The Grand Floridian and so much more. The one thing we are all curious about though, who was vacationing at WDW during the filming? We would love to see some behind the scenes footage of Thunder driving around the Rivers of America... Enjoy this super random but super topical episode all about one of the more major film/tv productions that occurred at Walt Disney World.

2020: The Year of Film

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Next Month
  • Join us next time for Episode 63, where we take you back on another fun episode about WDW history

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…
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…
56 - Good Neighbors - Sea World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:02
Welcome to Episode 56 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Good Neighbors" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! Comments & Corrections…