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: 50

Retro Disney World Podcast
Podcast Episodes
84 - The Disney Vacation Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14:09
For our main topic, we take you back to the late 80s and early 90s and get into the history of the Disney Vacation Club. We all know what the vacation club is nowadays, but how did it start, and why? In this era of Walt…
83 - The Disney Institute [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:20
In this episode, we go back to the mid-1980s when Michael Eisner decided to bring The Chautauqua Institution’s blend of enrichment, entertainment, and fun back to Florida with a “uniquely Disney” touch. Originally concei…
82 - Remembering Rolly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:34
Welcome to another episode of the RetroWDW Podcast. We have quite a few things in the works, but we felt it was best to put those aside and focus on a Disney Legend who recently passed, Rolly Crump. If you remember back…
81 - Wonders of Life Part IV - Cranium Command [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:36:27
We are heading back into the golden dome which is known as Wonders of Life. Over the months, we have taken you through many different episodes all about Wonders of Life including: Body Wars/Making of Me, the pavilion and…
80 - Holiday Time at WDW [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:12
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again, and the RetroWDW crew is here with another festive holiday episode. Brian takes up back to the Walt Disney World in the early 1990s when the seasonal festivities shifted th…
79 - Wonders of Life Part III - Body Wars and Making of Me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:46
Welcome to Episode 79: Wonders of Life Part III, which focuses on Body Wars & Making of Me. We continue on this epic journey through the golden dome and we have even more for you throughout this episode. Our entire crew…
78 - Wonders of Life Part II - The Pavilion & Exhibits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:41:01
This is a great episode How has in store for you all this month, filled with busted myths, detailed descriptions, and so much more. The Wonders of Life Pavilion was originally developed back in the 70s and if you didn’t…
77 - Wonders of Life - Part I - History and Concept [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:43
Our main topic this month is all about Wonders of Life. With this being Part I, we are just going to scratch the surface about all this pavilion and attraction had to offer. This pavilion is actually still around, the go…
76 - The Spirit of America - 1988 July 4th Spectacular [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00:42
This month, we take you through the glorious two-hour special that is The Walt Disney World Fourth of July Spectacular from 1988. This is a commentary on the entire special, which is on YouTube currently on many differen…
75.5 - A chat with Ray DeForest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:30
On this episode, we are joined by Disney entertainer Ray DeForest. Ray spent many years in Walt Disney World entertainment and has a large number of stories and tales we are so excited to hear. Throughout this episode, w…