disney podcast

Disneyland’s Tomorrowland ’67 – Up the Waterfall Episode 44

18 November 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

This week we are focusing on a favorite time period of many, the 1967 refurbishment of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. As you may know, Tomorrowland was perhaps the smallest land to open in 1955 as far as attractions go, and living up to its name. Walt knew this, and after devoting so much time, effort and creative endeavor to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, he was ready to bring some of that same creativity and industry to Disneyland.

Of the major updates, most notably, Carousel of Progress was brought to Tomorrowland, the Peoplemover was opened, and a little attraction called Adventure Thru Inner Space brought to life a brand new ride system; the Omnimover as well as a new type of attraction experience altogether. We discuss this as well as the other changes in great detail on this week’s Up the Waterfall.

We hope you enjoy this week’s topic and maybe learn a thing or two along the way. We invite you to take this journey back in time with us…to a time where the future was hopeful and bright, when science was trusted and brimming with new discoveries and ways to make our lives better and easier. Today we take much of those advances for granted, so it is fun to take a look back at a simpler time in America, when Tomorrow itself invoked so much promise and positivity.

Do you have any personal memories of Tomorrowland ’67? I may not have learned of it until the past 10 years or so, but my fascination and interest has made up for that lost time! I’d love a time machine, how about you?

As mentioned on our Thursday night LIVE shows (every Thursday at 8pm eastern on YouTube), Scott and I both do work full-time. We don’t mean to use that as an excuse, but it’s also that time of year when so much is happening, 6 months seem to be crammed into 2! We thought that rather than put up a sub-standard episode, we would take the time needed to devote to the topic at hand. This episode is the result of that extra time.

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks Book Review – Up the Waterfall

14 October 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Everyone loves Disney books, and Scott has made no secret that it is his greatest passion. I recently bought him a couple of new releases that came out, and we were given a new holiday book to review – Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks. This book looked so amazing that I thought it deserved its own episode to share the fun and spread the word of this great new title. While we certainly could’ve devoted an entire hour to this one book (it’s THAT chock-full of Disney holiday nuggets), we added a few more recent titles, like the Disney Monorail book and Disney Maps of favorite movies.

As promised, here is a rundown of the books we discussed. The links are affiliate links, which means no extra cost to you, but we will get a very small commission amount, which helps offset the costs to run Zannaland and Up the Waterfall. We appreciate your help and consideration. Just click on the book title or cover image to go to the link to purchase.

Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World, by Andreas Dejas:

A companion book to a recent exhibition at the phenomenal Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio in San Francisco, California, this book details the global phenomenon of the Walt Disney Original, Mickey Mouse, and his contributions to the world, including black and white and color cartoons and films, merchandise, comic books, and even modern art. This book and all the other companion books for all the previous retrospective exhibitions at this first-rate museum are excellent keepsakes showcasing amazing displays. Very highly recommended.

The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky, by Jeff Kurtti, Vanessa Hunt, et al.:

This book is a fantastic must-have addition to anyone’s Disney book collection. It is filled with not only the history of the monorail itself, but also how Walt Disney became interested in transportation, futurism, and the desire to bring monorails to the parks. Here are some photos from the book (not high-quality scans, just to give you an idea of what lies in store!).

Monorails of Disneyland and Walt Disney World list

Disney Monorail concept art panorama — The Disney Monorails book inside jacket – as mentioned on the show! – sorry for the quality, but you get the idea.

Disney Maps: A Magical Atlas of the Movies We Know and Love, by Disney Book Group:

This is a fun book that families will love. I know Gio would love getting his hands on this book to explore the various lands we know and love from Disney animated movies. It provides a character list and fun facts about each film too. Here is an example of the Ratatouille pages:

Entertaining with Disney: Exceptional Events From Mickey Mouse to Moana! by Amy Croushorn:

This book is like Pinterest in book form. Entertaining with Disney is all organized by theme and has detailed instructions for creating the crafts, making the snacks, and setting the scene for your exceptional Disney events. I got this book for Scott as kind of a joke because he’s not really an entertainer in any way, but he is a completist, so he can cross this one off his list. However, *I* love it, and even if I don’t make any of these super cool themed parties, it’s really relaxing and fun to look at! Here’s the Peter Pan spread:

The Art of Disney Costuming – Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between, by Jeff Kurtti and the Staff of the Walt Disney Archives:

This book is a companion piece to the D23 Expo Archives exhibit from the most recent Expo in 2019. There are spectacular close-ups of the many beautiful and detailed costumes displayed there, as well as backstories. There are also sections on the costumes created for Disney parks, really fascinating stuff. Here are a couple of pages from the book:

Holiday Magic at Disney Parks: by Graham Allan, Rebecca Cline, and Charlie Price:

The headliner of this episode, Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks (out October 20, available for pre-order now) is a must-have for any collection. Packed with nearly 1,900 amazing photographs, it truly is an encyclopedia of information, detailing the history of the Fall and Winter holidays at Disney parks. This includes decorations, snacks and food items, parades, spectaculars, parties, and rethemed attractions at ALL of the Disney Parks, and Disney resorts as well.

Featuring comprehensive descriptions and photos, the authors have documented the history of these holiday offerings from Disneyland’s earliest years to present day. This book is a great way to see all the holiday fun and remember the magic. We can’t say enough about this masterpiece. Here are just a few of the many, many, pages of documentation:

Disneyland holidays Tomorrowland — How amazing is this vintage Tomorrowland photo from Disneyland??

Again, these are not high-quality scans, just some photos to show you the treasures that lie inside these books. I know I can’t wait to get my hands on them myself and dig into this Disney history. We hope you enjoyed this book-filled episode. If so tell us in the comments below, leave us a review wherever you watch or listen, give us a thumbs up on Zannaland’s YouTube and Subscribe to see all our other videos. Thank you as always for watching and listening! We’d love to know if you pick up any of these titles for your Disney book collection! You can watch this week’s episode right here:

Ways to Help Laid Off Cast Members:

As we mentioned on the end of the show, it is such a devastating time for so many. As locals, and a Cast Member family, we want to spread the word as much as possible about ways to help if you can.

Cast Member Pantry Facebook group for Orlando area Cast Members

Ear for Each Other Facebook group featuring Cast Members from both coasts offering their services or talents for sale

Google Sheet with Cast Member run Small Shops and businesses

Also check out our friends Sarah and Tom Bricker’s post on ways to help, including donating to the Second Harvest Food Bank in both Orlando and Orange County, California. Thank you for reading, and thank you for helping the magic makers.

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these movie choices, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page, Up the Waterfall on Facebook
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

The History of Fort Wilderness – Up the Waterfall Episode 39

9 September 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

With one whole year of podcasting behind us, we wanted to dig our heels into the history of one of our most beloved parts of the Walt Disney World Resort – Fort Wilderness! I recently reposted an article which I wrote back in 2014, and still stands today. My Ode to the Vacation Kingdom of the World is a great companion piece to this week’s episode. The article gives you a good idea of why Fort Wilderness is so well-loved, and perhaps underappreciated. I don’t often like to toot my own horn, but I highly recommend giving it a read either before or after listening to this week’s episode.

We start out our History of Fort Wilderness episode with a journey back, back, back to the early 1970’s. Covering the origin story of building a campground at Walt Disney World, and how (and who) went about doing that. If you’re wondering what it was like when Fort Wilderness opened, we discuss that too.

Next up, we list the various amenities and activities that made Fort Wilderness what it was. Marshmallow Marsh, the Wilderness Night Wildlife Expedition, what were they?! What activities still exist today? We’ll tell you. We also reminisce about that ol’ swimmin’ hole – River Country and our personal experiences with the first ever themed water park.

We don’t forget the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review and the dining options either. You’ll hear how Hoop Dee Doo came to be and just how much it’s changed since then. Trail’s End, Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, we cover all your vittles at Fort Wilderness.

If you’ve ever wondered what “could have been” or heard rumors about things like “Cypress Point” and “Buffalo Junction,” we shed some light on projects that never got the green light. You may be surprised to hear how they turned into what we know today in that area.

Of course, we couldn’t do a history of Fort Wilderness without a major discussion on the Fort Wilderness Railroad. The much loved (but seldom experienced) railroad was removed for good back in 1980, but it lives on in our hearts forever! Did you ever ride the Fort Wilderness Railroad?? We’d LOVE to hear from you!

We also discuss the amazing campsite decorations that guests create each year. One of our favorite traditions is renting a golf cart and riding through all the decorated sites. That is now part of the history and charm as well.

We loved walking down memory lane, and giving some love to this completely unique and impactful Disney resort. We hope you learned a little history of Fort Wilderness – if we forgot something that you know and love, let us know!

Actually, I know we DID forget something! In looking for photos to give Christian for editing into the video version of our show, I found this fun tidbit! Apparently, there was a “Melvin the Moose Breakfast Show!” at Pioneer Hall in Fort Wilderness! Read what Walt Dated World has to say about it:

Walt Dated World reader Alex sent in a memory about a character breakfast he remembers from Fort Wilderness: “The Melvin the Moose breakfast show featured the moose-head from the Country Bear Jamboree in sort of a Mickey Mouse Club parody. They gave out kazoos with the breakfast. I read somewhere that the version I saw ran only a year, from 1986-1987 after which they added Chip and Dale.”

Photo from WaltDatedWorld.com

Another Walt Dated World reader shared about the Chip and Dale Breakfast:

Brad sent in the following memory: “Before the show began it was like a standard character breakfast with Chip and Dale and a couple of the Country Bears greeting the tables. I remember Liver Lips being quite intimidating. He was a very tall bear. I can’t remember the whole menu, but chocolate Chip (and Dale!) muffins were part of it. Between all the singing and dancing, while folks were eating, they showed a couple of the old animated shorts projected on stage. Also, the kazoos they gave out were used in the big finale where the audience got to make a whole lot of noise as part of a song. It was a lot like the end of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue where people in the audience are given washboards to play along.”

Sounds so fun! I definitely wish I had attended. I only ever did the Empress Lilly character breakfast back in the day.

We also forgot the once infamous Lawn Mower Tree!! I love this story and definitely had planned to mention it. Darn it all! Well be sure to watch our Live Show on Thursday at 8pm (on facebook.com/zannaland and youtube.com/zannaland!) and we’ll discuss it then for a bit!

We hope you enjoyed our deep dive into the History of Fort Wilderness. Don’t forget to answer this week’s trivia question! Scott asked what designation or “record” the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue has achieved. Do you know the answer?

You can watch the episode below and see some fun images of the Fort way back then. You can of course listen too. We’ll include all the places to listen and connect with us below the video:

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page, Up the Waterfall on Facebook
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

The History of Little Orange Bird at Walt Disney World – Up the Waterfall Episode 36

19 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

This week we delve into one of my favorite topics: the unique and fascinating story of the Little Orange Bird and his residence at Walt Disney World. Much like Figment showing up in all the EPCOT festival merchandise, Orange Bird is now found all over the parks and resorts, when just 8 years ago, he couldn’t be found anywhere.

Back in the late 1960’s, Walt Disney World was still in its planning stages. Disney was working to obtain sponsorships from various corporations who wanted to be involved in the new park. With those sponsors came the opportunity to be affiliated with a particular attraction, show, or restaurant. The Florida Citrus Commission closed a deal with Disney on October 22, 1969, underwriting a “tropical bird show” for $3 million.

Original Sunshine Pavilion — Image courtesy of MrThemeParkAudio

That “tropical bird show” of course became the Sunshine Pavilion, which included the Tropical Serenade (or Tiki Room) and with it the Sunshine Tree Terrace, serving the soon-to-be-famous Orange Swirl, among other citrus delicacies.

Disney company marketing maven Vince Jefferds came up with the Orange Bird idea and developed the backstory, which would be released in book form, with an accompanying record with six songs penned by the renowned Sherman brothers. Bob Moore, the designer who handled many special projects for the Disney Company including the Walt Disney postage stamp and the eagle mascot for the 1984 Olympic games, came up with the character design for the Little Orange Bird.

On this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall, we discuss all things Orange Bird, from his inception to appearances in the park, and reappearance 8 years ago. We hope you’ll join us for this citrus-filled discussion and memory sharing of the adorable little bird with an orange for a head. You can also read my article on the Return of Orange Bird from when he first reappeared at the Sunshine Tree Terrace back in 2012.

Do you have memories of the Little Orange Bird? Are you a Citrus Swirl fan? Or is it Dole Whip all the way? Let us know! Join in the discussion at Facebook.com/UpTheWaterfall or any of the places listed below. Thank you as always for listening or watching! If you enjoyed – please share with a friend you think may enjoy too!

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

Magic Kingdom Attractions – RANKED! Up the Waterfall Episode 35

12 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

This week, we wanted to do a fun palate cleanser episode after our deep discussions on Waking Sleeping Beauty, Most Unecessary Changes to Walt Disney World and Reasons You MUST Visit Disneyland. After the fun of our Disney Hotels RANKED episode, we wanted to rank ALL the Magic Kingdom attractions. For this ranking, we are using all the official attractions, as well as some experiences that have an added component. Examples are Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom, both of which have more to them than a traditional meet and greet, or “show.”

Will our ranking match up with yours? Did we commit any cardnial sins with our list? Let us know! My criteria for ranking was kind of subjective, not a “thrill factor” or technology, sometimes it was more just the classic nature of the ride or “Disney Imagineering” at its finest. We’d love to know your thoughts on all the Magic Kingdom attractions! You can create your own Magic Kingdom Attractions Ranking too! Feel free to screenshot your ranking and share it with us on any of our Zannaland social media channels (see below) or email us!

Don’t forget you can email us your Disney Trivia Question answers too!

Watch for our next LIVE show, Monday, August 17, 2020. We’ll be broadcasting live from the Zannaland facebook page, so be sure you are following along there and like the page to be notified when we go live!

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

Best Special Effects at Disney – Up the Waterfall

9 March 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Season 2 – Episode 9 (Episode 24) of Up the Waterfall

One of the things that makes us love Disney so much is the ability to transport us. Whether it’s visually or through sounds, smells and movement, Disney parks have some of the Best Special Effects around. We’ve discussed some of the Biggest Hits (and Misses) of Disney parks, and among that list were things like animatronics. Jumping off from that point, this week on Up the Waterfall, Scott and I each share our picks for the best special effects used by Disney Imagineers that really “changed the game” so to speak as far as attractions go. And as always, we know that attractions doesn’t necessarily mean rides.

With all of the amazing ride and Imagineering technologies available today, one of the things we explore is that it can sometimes be the simplest of effects that have the biggest impact. For example, growing up, for both Scott and I, the effect of “fire” in Pirates of the Caribbean burning village scene. Another of Scott’s favorites (and mine once I finally got to Disneyland) was the “lava” in the Primeval World diorama on the Disneyland Railroad. Simple rolling logs covered in foil, with lighting, has the uncanny appearance of flowing lava.

Pirates of the Caribbean village fire scene — photo credit: Disney

Effects like this laid the groundwork for today’s Na’vi River Journey‘s Shaman of Songs animatronic, or the newest attractions of Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (which we don’t discuss too much to be completely spoiler-free).

Get comfy and listen along or watch below and see if our list matches yours – OR – if we left one of your favorite Disney special effects out of this episode! Feel free to comment below with your picks, or if you disagree with our choices. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to subscribe to Up the Waterfall podcast, either on your podcast app of choice, or on Zannaland’s YouTube channel, to see all of the fun as well as hear it. Keep reading below for all the places to find and listen or watch.

Thank you for reading, watching, and listening as we go Up the Waterfall!

You can watch this Best Special Effects at Disney episode here:

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including:

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney, @badgesickle
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney, @badgesickle
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

Disney on Broadway – Up the Waterfall Episode 17

20 January 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

With the 4th annual Epcot Festival of the Arts underway, we thought it would be great to discuss one of our loves, which is showcased at the Festival – Disney on Broadway! It’s hard to imagine a time before Disney had a presence on the Broadway scene, but they just celebrated 25 years last year. We head all the way back to the Disney Theatre Group and Disney Theatre Productions origins and discuss how they came to be, and how far they’ve come since inception.

In this episode of Up the Waterfall, Zanna and Scott share their own experiences with attending musical theatre and how they first enjoyed Disney on Broadway, as well as the storied history of Disney theatrical productions and how different each show has been.

Have you been to a Disney show on Broadway or a national tour? What about a show on a Disney Cruise Line ship? Let us know in the comments below what your favorite(s) were or what you hope to see in the future. What Disney story would you like to see brought to the stage? Scroll to the bottom to watch the show on video!

Also discussed at the end of episode are some wonderful books showcasing the Disney Broadway productions, as well as the New Amsterdam Theatre, which Disney completely restored for the opening of The Lion King on Broadway. We’ve collected the list of books below in case you want to keep an eye out for one, or add it to your collection! Know of a book we’ve missed? Let us know!

A Day at the New Amsterdam Theatre (Disney) Hardcover – August 31, 2004 by Dana Amendola and Gino Domenico

The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theater (A Disney Theatrical Souvenir Book) Hardcover – October 11, 1997 by Mary Henderson

How Does the Show Go On: An Introduction to the Theater Hardcover – November 27, 2007 by Thomas Schumacher, Jeff Kurtti

Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Disney Beauty and the Beast (Updated Edition): Inside Stories from the Animated Classic to the New Live-action Film (Disney Editions Deluxe (Film)) 2nd Edition – Hardcover – January 31, 2017 by Charles Solomon

The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway Hardcover – November 7, 2017 by Julie Taymor

Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida: The Making of the Broadway Musical Hardcover – November 2, 2000 by Michael Lassell

Practically Poppins in Every Way: A Magical Carpetbag of Countless Wonders (Disney Editions Deluxe (Film)) Hardcover – November 6, 2018 by Jeff Kurtti

Tarzan: The Broadway Adventure Hardcover – March 16, 2007 by Michael Lassell

The Little Mermaid: A Broadway Musical: From the Deep Blue Sea to the Great White Way (A Disney Theatrical Souvenir Book) Hardcover – May 12, 2009 by Michael Lassell

Disney Aladdin: A Whole New World: The Road to Broadway and Beyond Hardcover – March 21, 2017 by Michael Lassell

How Does the Show Go On The Frozen Edition: An Introduction to the Theater (A Disney Theatrical Souvenir Book) Hardcover – November 5, 2019 by Thomas Schumacher, Jeff Kurtti (Updated 2019 edition)

We thank you again for listening and watching! Have an idea for a new episode? Let us know below! And tell your friends!

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Up the Waterfall is a weekly Disney history podcast hosted by Zanna and her husband, Disney history buff and bibliophile, Scott Otis, where they share stories of Disney past, present and future.
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch on YouTube

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love!

What We Miss Most About Disney-MGM Studios – Up The Waterfall Episodes 14 and 15

4 December 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Disney-MGM Studios past, and what we miss, is the topic for this week and last, and what we miss about the Disney-MGM Studios. The hey day of its original opening and the years that followed. We discuss what it was like visiting the park back then and reminisce about our favorites. In this first part, we go over the original Animation Tour, the Backlot Tour (walking and tram), Superstar Television and Monster Sound Show. We also dip a little bit into the Great Movie Ride, in part 1 which we all miss greatly. As you can see below, this turned into a two part series, so we hope you’ll listen or watch to both and take a stroll down Hollywood Blvd or the Streets of America with us as we say, “ACTION!” to episodes 14 and 15 of Up the Waterfall podcast.

The Rocketeer's Bulldog Cafe — The Rocketeer’s Bulldog Cafe on the Backlot Tour

We hope you enjoy the show, and share with us what YOU miss the most about Disney-MGM Studios, what your favorite parts were and what you think we’ll cover in part 2! As always, we thank you so much for listening, watching, and spreading the word to your friends and family. I’ve recently personally gotten some feedback from folks who discovered Up the Waterfall, and I can’t tell you how much it means to hear that people actually listened AND liked it! But no one will know we exist if they don’t hear from our listeners that they recommend Up the Waterfall. We need your help! If you can spread the word, but liking our videos, rating us 5-stars on Apple Podcasts, Google, or wherever you listen, or share this post so others can discover us, we would be eternally grateful. This is a family passion project, and we consider our listeners family too. Thank you for your support!

I’m going to add Part 2 here as well – where we finish up our nostalgic but historic look at the Disney-MGM Studios of yesteryear. In Part 2, we go over the shows at the Premier Theatre – (Hunchback anyone?) as well as the many parades and entertainment spectaculars such as the Rocketeer live every night, Sorcery in the Sky fireworks and more! We hope you enjoy – and let us know your favorites!

Here are some of the blog posts I’ve written on Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or MGM) past:

https://zannaland.com/you-can-leave-your-hat-off/

https://zannaland.com/why-i-fell-in-love-with-the-disney-studios-interaction/

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND TEAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO:

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Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch on YouTube

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Up the Waterfall Podcast – Episode 13 – Disney Plus Hits and Misses

25 November 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The past few weeks have been full of buzz and activity (watching activity that is) stemming from the launch of Disney’s streaming service – Disney+ (or Disney Plus). We first mentioned this new service back in episode 1, where we discussed the 10 year history of D23 Expo conventions. In the latest D23 Expo held this past August, the Disney+ presence was great, and there was even a special Expo promotion going on, to get 3 years of service for what amounted to slightly under $4/month. We signed up then, and anxiously awaited the launch date of November 12. Now that that day has come and gone, and we’ve been watching some old favorites and new original content, we thought we’d devote an episode to just exactly what makes us love (and not love) the Disney Plus service.

Within this latest episode of Up the Waterfall, Scott and Zanna each go over their favorites and what they are most excited about being able to watch any time on Disney+. Additionally, they (ok mostly me, Zanna) go over some misses and what they think needs to change about the Disney Plus experience. Will you agree or disagree with our thoughts? Only one way to find out! You can download and listen anywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, and many more places. Or you can watch on YouTube.com/zannaland, and SEE what we’re talking about as well. Our producer, Christian usually adds in a lot of fun visuals to illustrate what we are mentioning, and in this case, he’ll be showing a few clips as we discuss.

We hope you’ll give us a listen, or a watch, and please take a moment to like, subscribe, turn on notifications, and even comment with your thoughts, favorites, or opinions. We’d love to hear from you! Additionally, if you could share with a friend, we’d be forever grateful as we try to get the word out and spread the Disney history (and present, and future) love! Thank you as always for listening, watching, and joining us, “Up the Waterfall”

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The History of Holidays at Disneyland – Up the Waterfall Episode 12

18 November 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Since the Christmas holiday season really starts at 12:01 on November 1st, we thought we’d jump right in and share the history of celebrating the Holidays at Disneyland on our latest Up the Waterfall podcast. There is SO much happening in all the Disney parks during the holidays these days, we wanted to take a look at how it all began and see how far the California parks have come in the last 64 years.

In this episode we’ll discuss the very first Christmas at Disneyland and what that meant for the park. We’ll see how that’s changed over the years, and even touch on New Years Eve history in Disneyland. Since the Disneyland Resort isn’t just one park anymore, we’ll showcase Disney California Adventure‘s holiday fun, and the resorts as well.

You can listen to the Up the Waterfall podcast (that link will show you many options or you can search wherever you listen), but as always, we encourage you to watch the YouTube video version as well for some fun visuals of what we’re discussing.

If you enjoyed the podcast, we’d love you to subscribe, give us a thumbs up or rate us on your podcasting platform of choice, click the notifications button so you know when a new episode or video has been uploaded, and as always, we’d love you to share us with a friend.

The more the merrier and we want to hear what your favorite holiday memories of Disneyland are, or if you haven’t been, what do you most want to experience over there? I’m sure we’ll cover other parks for the holidays in the future, but until then, thank you for joining us Up the Waterfall!