Mousetalgia! - Your Disneyland Podcast

Rhode to the Magic Kingdom: This week, Dave, Julia and Tina bring a cavalcade of topics to the table, including a quick Disneyland trip report to enjoy the fall season, and a report from a talk by legendary Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde at the Walt Disney Family Museum. Rohde discussed his new book "Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible," and talked about some of his popular work for the Disney Company, as well as the philosophical nature of creativity. Finally, Jeff welcomes special guest Danielle Kelly ("The Dapper Danielle") to the show to talk about her new book "The Lost History of Walt Disney World," and we also talk about her origin story, her process of book writing, the nature of research, and her love of Disney lore.

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Ioan Szasz, co-curator of "Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle" to the show to discuss the new exhibit opening this week at the Walt Disney Family Museum. Ioan talks about the exhibit, Eyvind's career and artwork, and its lasting impact from the art of Sleeping Beauty and beyond. Then, we discuss that lovable Halloween celebrity of very little brain - Winnie the Pooh - and his fellow denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. The television special "Boo to You Too, Winnie the Pooh" first aired 30 years ago this month, and we discuss the show in the context of A. A. Milne's original Pooh book (which is also celebrating its centennial anniversary this month), as well as Pooh, Piglet and friends in context of Disney's Halloween marketing, spooky storytelling, and their reflection of human nature. Plus - no more DIsney pressed pennies? Woe, woe!

Seasons Screamings! This week, we welcome the spooktacular Halloween season with a show full of treats. First, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Haunted Mansion at Disneyland with a look at the events of the past and a glimpse of Disneyland's celebration this year. Then Jeff reports on this year's version of the park's Happiest Haunts Tour, with an unflinching look at the good, the not so good, and everything in between. Finally, we welcome author Seth Kubersky back to the show to talk about the just-released 2027 version of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, with all new tips, tricks, recommendations, and more. Plus - Halloween party trip memories - and more!

This week, Team Mousetalgia takes you from Anaheim to Los Angeles and even a galaxy far, far away. First, Jeff reports on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art's Founding Members Opening Party, and takes you on a tour of California's newest museum and its unusual mission to let art speak for itself. Frida! Banksy! Renoir! Rockwell! And - yes, Star Wars. We review the bumpy event, and offer tips, hints, and a sneak preview of the museum's collection. Next, the team shares our favorite moments from the variety of panels we attended at this year's D23 Ultimate Fan Event, and we share fun insights and moments from celebrities like Susan Egan, Ke Huy Quan, and Amy Adams. Plus - Earle at the Walt Disney Family Museum, pressed pennies, pickle corn dogs, and Rogen's Figment.

This week on the Mousetalgia Pal Around, we discuss The D23 Ultimate Disney Fan Event held at the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 14-16, 2026. On this episode dealing specifically with the convention center's show floor, we discuss the various pavilions, the sponsored businesses, the variety of activations on the floor and our personal highlights. Relive all the splattery 4-D, condimental and theatrical goodness with us! Plus - the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art's opening nears; eating on widened railings in the Disney Parks; the demise of Play Disney Parks; and, of course, more news from Bath & Body Works.

On this week's potpourri show, Jeff discusses the latest woes of the Disney resorts, including no water for Disneyland and Wilderness Lodge - and no AC at Wilderness Lodge in the middle of the summer... ugh. On a brighter note, Julia and Tina return to the show to discuss recent Walt Disney Family Museum talks, including a look behind the scenes at creating foley sound effects for films and the development of the Cars brand for Pixar. Plus - being held prisoner in a Disney resort bathroom... and more.

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Dave back to the show as the host of the Mousetalgia Pal Around, a new (but VERY familiar) addition to the Mousetalgia show. Dave, Julia and Tina will host this regularly recurring episode of Mousetalgia as we launch a revised, regular schedule to give you a reliable source of news, reviews and Disney conversation. This week, we discuss our hopes, fears, dreams and expectations for D23, Disney's major convention which is less than 2 weeks away! We talk about preparation, our experiences registering, and announce a meet up for those in the know (that's you!) Plus - reviews of Beauty and the Beast on tour, Hillary Duff on tour, and Disney+'s "Descendants: Wicked Wonderland."

Happy birthday Disneyland! This week, Jeff welcomes special guest Kristen Carr to the show, and we talk about her latest happening, an advance screening of Moana with a special guest from the movie! Carr talks about her history hosting special screenings, behind the scenes stories, and then we review the film - the latest in Disney's string of live-action versions of classic animated features. Is a decade a long enough span between the animated film and its remake? Then, with Comic-Con and D23 nipping at our heels, we discuss the upcoming convention season, and offer our tips, tricks, and expectations. Plus - Disneyland is now 71, and we offer some of our most striking memories of times spent in the park.

Find Kristen at https://www.instagram.com/thehappiestclubonearth

Contact us: comments@mousetalgia.com

This week, Jeff welcomes special guest co-host Kristen back to the show to talk about cruising! Jeff reports on his recent cruise aboard the Disney Destiny, which sailed from Fort Lauderdale into the Bahamas to Nassau and Disney's Castaway Cay. We discuss the food, the onboard shows and attractions, and excursions along the way. Kristen compares Disney cruising with other companies' cruises, with a focus on Alaska, and gives us tips and tricks for choosing your own future cruise. Plus - Disney songs we are REALLY not into - and more.

This week, Jeff shares some memories and stories about Margaret Kerry, who passed away on June 11 at the age of 97. Margaret spent her childhood and youth adulthood as a performing artist, and she is best known among Disney fans for being the reference model used by Marc Davis to create and animate Tinker Bell for the 1953 film Peter Pan. Jeff spent a bit of time working with Margaret Kerry in the early days of website design, and he reminisces about getting to know Margaret, shares some memories of her early career in Hollywood, and then we replay Mousetalgia's first interview from 2008 with Margaret in person.

This week, Jeff welcomes author and professor Roland Betancourt to the show (41:31) to discuss the history of technology at Disneyland and his new book "Disneyland and the Rise of Automation." We discuss the nature of post-war automation and the mid-20th century, and how Walt Disney took many influences and distilled them into his automated verion of themed entertainment. Also - Jeff reviews "The Mandalorian and Grogu," (18:50) and we talk about the extensive fan-service throughout the film: cam there be too much of a good thing? Plus - Jeff follows up on the Topps Disneyland 70 trading cards discussion and reveals how he finally decided to go about collecting this behemoth set.

May the Fourth be with you! On today's special surprise episode of Mousetalgia, Jeff takes you on a tour of nearly two decades of recorded history of Star Wars as heard on this podcast. Starting with a look at Star Tours and then going back to the beginning of these iconic films, we will hear from Imagineers, special effects artists, voice actors and celebrities who will share special insights into the history of the greatest hero's journey of our era. Enjoy this special Star-Wars-Day edition of Mousetalgia!

In this episode, Jeff welcomes frequent co-host Julia back to the show to discuss a recent talk about the development of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure by Disney Legend Tony Baxter at the Walt Disney Family Museum. Tony led the project and tells stories about interactivity, Harrison Ford, and dealing with hungry rats. Then, we review Disney books - "The Art of Hoppers" and "From Disneyland's Tom Sawyer to Disney Legend: The Adventures of Tom Nabbe" (and we include a bonus interview with Tom himself!) Plus - an extensive and possibly confusing discussion about Topps' new Disneyland 70 trading card set - and more.

This week, Jeff answers your burning questions about the Disney universe and Mousetalgia, including topics about Disney parks, rides, treats, food, Disney history, and (of course) lots of squirrel trails along the way. We also take a fresh look at Darby O'Gill and the Little People, and talk about its making, Walt's intentions for the film, and its impact on audiences since its release in 1959.

On this special edition of Mousetalgia, we are joined by recent traveler Missy who visited Disneyland with her family, which includes two children with disabilities who were aided by the use of Disneyland's DAS (Disability Access Service) Pass. Missy describes the process of obtaining the DAS Passes for her family, talks about how they are used in the park, and then shares broader information useful to any family which may have highly sensitive members, to help plan and enjoy the parks at various levels, whether you use the DAS Pass or not. We also sneak in a trip report, some stories of special Disney magic and dining tips.

This week, Jeff and Julia (from the Pal Around Podcast) go back in time to 2001 and take a stroll through the opening days of Disney's California Adventure in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Listen to our memories, anecdotes, and a few rare sound bytes as we pay homage to Anaheim's second Disney gate. As a special bonus, we take a quick trip back to the 2013 PNW Mouse Meet to revisit a classic Mousetalgia interview with Imagineer Kevin Rafferty about his work developing Cars Land for DCA. All this - and much more!

This week, Jeff reports on the holidays at Disneyland and Candlelight weekend, and talks about the holiday eats and treats, experiencing the park during the Christmas season, and trying to find an opportunity to view this year's Candlelight Processional, which featured Benjamin Bratt as the guest speaker. Also - a look at the Christmas Fantasy on Parade from 1965, and a recipe for Walt Disney's "favorite" chili... could this be the one?

Plus - Jeff will be speaking about the Haunted Mansion on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at Mouse-Con Bakersfield. Visit mouse-con.com for more information.

This episode, Jeff and co-host Julia discuss two events held recently at the Walt Disney Family Museum celebrating Disneyland's 70th anniversary and the new exhibit titled "The Happiest Place On Earth: The Disneyland Story." Curated by Don Hahn, the new display at the museum features a number of rarely seen artifacts and photos from the development and design of Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. The events featured Don Hahn, Tony Baxter, and Tom Morris, and we share some of the insights and secrets from the recent nights at the museum. Plus - collecting Disney prints and art - where to begin? Where to look? We have some ideas.

Happy Halloween! On this week's special spooky episode, Jeff welcomes Julia back to the show to discuss a few frightningly fun topics, starting with Jeff's review of Disneyland's new Happiest Haunts Tour ("The Villains' Trail"), and we look at the new features for this year and compare it with tours in years past. Then, we discuss Ray Bradbury and his relationship with both Walt Disney and the Disney Company, including a closer look at The Halloween Tree, his book that inspired the Halloween Tree in Frontierland. We also dive into "Something Wicked This Way Comes," Bradbury's cult-ish film produced by Walt Disney Productions in 1983 and we look at its inspiration, the story of its production, its genre (horror? Dark fantasy?), and its place in horror story culture. Finally, we give a quick review of Tron: Ares, while wishing it was doing better at the box office.

This week, Jeff welcomes music editor, conductor and arranger Shawn Degenhart to the show to discuss his book "Walt Disney's Cinderella in Full Score," a huge tome which celebrates the history of Cinderella with essays, images, lost songs and that incredible score. Degenhart also shares about his experience working on a Sherman Brothers musical. Plus - Jeff gives a collectibles update, we talk about collecting and framing artwork, Jeff reports on a talk by historian Michael Campbell at the Walt Disney Family Museum about Walt's trains - and more!