74 - Vacation Planning

74 - Vacation Planning

Author: Lake Buena Vista Historical Society March 1, 2022 Duration: 1:32:01

As we get started on our main topic, get out your old pamphlets, flyers, books, magazines, and leaflets. This month we are talking all about planning your Walt Disney World Vacation from the early years all the way up to the mid-90s. The ways this has changed over the years is fascinating when you dig into all the details and ways to book. Todd takes the lead for Episode 74, digging into old planning guides and comparing them to some of his own trips, especially his 1980 visit. Throughout this episode, you are going to notice a world of vacation packages that you might have never heard of before. Everything from small trips to massive all-inclusive style trips with camcorders and meals included. The inflation calculator is brought out often so we can get a somewhat accurate comparison to what we have nowadays. We were super curious if one of our listeners would be sitting down with their slide rule and spreadsheets to compare what the best deal was and when it took place back then...

Todd also digs into some tickets and options for each package back then, which we discuss how you went about booking in the 70s and 80s. There was no internet and there was no google to check on what was being offered. The options seemed to be always changing and always evolving, which isn't too different when compared to trips of today. As always, we also go off on a bit of a tangent about rental cars, vehicles in the 70s/80s, and of course the Chevrolet Citation. While we were talking, Brian remembered the old Citation commercial and he also reminisces a bit about his mid-80s rental car being an Oldsmobile Calais. This episode led most of us to dig into our ephemera boxes again to compare notes and also look at the various vacation packages that we seem to overlook for more exciting imagery over planning details. Do you have anything unique in your piles at home? Send them in so we can add them to the archive of ephemera on the site. Also, take a look at our gallery of ephemera that is loaded with tons of great stuff.


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
94 - Cranium Command with Jerry Rees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43:31
We're back with Episode 94 where we get to interview the great Jerry Rees. Over the years, we have had Jerry at our different events to discuss Cranium Command and the various projects he has done for the Walt Disney Com…
93.5 - A Chat with Tad Stones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:44
In this episode, we are taking you back a number of years to a lost episode! We spent some time many years ago speaking with Tad Stones, a Disney animator who worked for the company from 1974-2003. The problem is this ed…
93 - Birnbaum Guides [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59:18
We are down a man this month, as How has been working on rebuilding his house and dealing with hurricane fallout. We begin this episode with a special message from How and we hope he will be back for Episode 94. This epi…
92 - Meet the Japan Pavilion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:28:36
Join us in this captivating episode of the RetroWDW Podcast as we explore the rich history of the Japan Pavilion at EPCOT. From its stunning architecture to the immersive cultural experiences it offers, we delve into the…
91 - Contests at Walt Disney World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:24:15
For our main topic this month, we decided to dig into the always-present and always-sought-after contest connecting to Walt Disney World. If we all think back, I am sure you all have seen, heard of, or attempted to win s…
90 - Computers at WDW [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:23:35
Brian takes this lead for this episode and we are super excited to get into all of the areas where computers innovated and impacted the first couple decades at Walt Disney World. After awhile, computers became common all…
89.5 - A Chat with Foxx Nolte [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:30
Welcome back to another episode and this time, we have a special guest for this ‘half episode’, Foxx Nolte. Foxx has been in the Disney community for years and has been a trailblazer in all things Disney history. For thi…
89 Pleasure Island - Part IV [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:26
For the main topic this month, we head back to Pleasure Island for more fun and excitement. This is Part IV and if you haven’t enjoyed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3, we highly recommend you take a listen back as these were r…
88 - Back to the Future: The Ride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:57
For Episode 88, we are ready to Ride the Movies! Universal Studios in the late 80s brought their A-Game to central Florida and Back to the Future: The Ride was one of their top attractions. For this episode, we solely fo…
87.5 - An Interview with Mr. Christmas Jim Heffelfinger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:17
This mini-episode is a compliment to our 2022 holiday episode. We promised we'd eventually track down the fellow responsible for bringing the Lights of Winter to EPCOT Center. Brian and Todd talk to Jim Heffelfinger whos…