Mousetalgia Podcast

Mickey Mouse turns 90 on November 18, and we have a spectacular special show for you to celebrate the occasion! In honor of #Mickey90, all of the Mousetalgia family of podcasts have come together to honor the Mouse who started it all. Author/historian/D23 Contributor Jim Fanning joins Team Mousetalgia this week to talk through all nine decades of Mickey Mouse, from the original pie-eyed superstar to the new animated shorts that have brought Mickey full-circle back to his slapstick roots. We...

Mousetalgia welcomes producer/director Don Hahn back to the show to discuss his latest film, Howard - a documentary of the life and work of Howard Ashman, the legendary lyricist behind hits including "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Aladdin". Hahn discusses the genesis of and story behind his documentary, and answers some questions about working with Ashman and how his life and death had such a profound impact on so many people around the world. We also review Disney's...

This week, Jeff talks to author/artist Heather Dixon Wallwork about her new novel "The Enchanted Sonata" based on the tale of the Nutcracker, and we discuss her new book in which Clara Stahlbaum is whisked away to an enchanted empire where she must face a magician who uses music as spells while she faces her own future. Heather also talks about her work as a story artist for Disney, and - as a huge Mary Poppins fan - shares some of her thoughts about the upcoming sequel. Then we open the...

For Mousetalgia's special Halloween episode, the "PDX Sanderson Sisters" - prize-winners from Freeform's Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash - join us to share some behind the scenes secrets from the recent production, which was filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The cosplay trio talk about their origin story, the Freeform show, hanging with Doug Jones, going viral, and life as the Sandersons. Then, in a special spooky Haunted Mansion moment, we wonder: was Walt Disney...

This week, Mousetalgia is pleased to welcome 1954 original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Nancy Abbate to the show as we continue our build up to Mickey's 90th birthday. Nancy shares some stories about her time as a Mouseketeer and dancing for Walt Disney, along with the story of her career and life after the club. Then, Jeff shares a trip report about the taping of the upcoming "Mickey's 90th Spectacular," set to air Nov. 4th on ABC. Listen to a few stories about the recording of the...

This week, author and self-proclaimed geek Amy Ratcliffe joins Mousetalgia to talk about "Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy," her new book profiling 75 female characters from the Star Wars universe. Covering personalities throughout all of Star Wars from the original trilogy through "Star Wars: Resistance," the book covers an exhaustive herstory of the entire world of Star Wars, deriving content from the films, books, comics, and television shows. Amy talks about the process of writing the...

"Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" turns 25 this week, and Team Mousetalgia takes a scary look back at the holiday classic that's been haunting our dreams for the past quarter century. We talk about our own memories of the film's release, and Jeff shares a Haunted Mansion moment about the special holiday overlay that takes up a quarter of the Haunted Mansion's entire operating year. Then, we host two very special guests to help us celebrate. First, we speak with Mike Belzer, an...

It's a Mousetalgia Emporium show! In this week's episode, we discuss the new Funko "Pop! Rides" Haunted Mansion vinyl collectible; the Mickey Mouse 90th Birthday Party hosted by all of the Mousetalgia podcasts; and the aftermath of the latest and greatest Van Eaton Galleries' "That's From Disneyland!" auction. Plus - Kristen launches an entire month of Halloween music performances, and we propose our fantasy character dining scenarios!

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes author and historian Jeff Kurtti back to the show to discuss his new book "From All of Us to All of You: The Disney Christmas Card." We take a deep dive into the history of the various Christmas cards distributed by the Walt Disney Studios over the years and we look at some of the artists responsible for the beautiful mailings. Kurtti also gives us a look behind the scenes at the making of a Disney book. Then, out of the night, when the full moon is bright......

It's a Mousetalgia Emporium this week! Topics for the week include alcohol in Disneyland, lights on floats and remembering a friend. First, Team Mousetalgia offers a listener a "Hand with the Land" with tips for solo touring at Walt Disney World. Then, we finally tackle the issue of alcohol coming to Disneyland, and debate the pros and cons. Does the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Cantina warrant an authentic stiff drink? Perhaps our opinions will surprise you! Next, we speak with Ben Sherman,...

This week, Team Mousetalgia opens the mailbox to answer your questions. Topics include: RunDisney's virtual races - the pros and cons; Mousetalgia's Walt Disney World Resort must-dos; what to expect for a November 2019 trip to Disneyland; finding toddler potties at the Baby Care Center; seeking out Trader Sams mugs; growing up with Disney; and a trip to Clifton's Republic. Plus - new Haunted Mansion merchandise is released; our tips for getting into the Lamplight Lounge - plus our review;...

This week, Mousetalgia presents an episode that we recorded live at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park on August 19, 2018. We welcome special guest Tom Morris to the show to discuss his career with the Walt Disney Company, starting as a balloon salesperson at Disneyland and staying with the company 42 years to become the Imagineer who led the Fantasyland team for Disneyland Paris and finally serving as the executive producer for Hong Kong Disneyland. Thank you, friends, fans and listeners, for...

This week, Mousetalgia brings you our interview with Disney Legend Floyd Norman, recorded at Griffith Park inside of Walt Disney's Combine Car, one of the cars that composed the opening day Disneyland Railroad. But first, Kristen attends a D23 press event and reports back on upcoming D23 happenings, including the 2019 D23 Expo, the Walt Disney Studio tours, and other D23 member exclusives. Then, we speak with Floyd Norman who was hired to work at the Disney animation studio in 1956 and was...

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Rose Ivy back to the show to talk about the new line of Disney Princess-inspired dresses from Her Universe, two of which she designed. We chat about the designs, the inspiration, working with Disney, and get a quick glimpse into the life of a fashion designer. Then, Jeff reports back from the Walt Disney Family Museum to discuss two more events in the "Nine Old Mentors" series of talks. First, Disney animation directors Ron Clements and John Musker spoke about...

Celebrate our Tencennial edition of Mousetalgia as we kick off year eleven by welcoming Nicholas and Richard Kraft to the show to speak with us about their upcoming "That's From Disneyland!" auction, which is on display through August 26 at the old Sports Authority store on Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks. The father and son team talk about a lifetime of collecting Disneyland and other pop culture memorabilia, why they've decided to sell everything, and how a Mike Fink Keel Boat changed...

It's a super Mouse Meet emporium this week as Team Mousetalgia brings you four fresh interviews, direct from the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet near Seattle, Washington! First, we speak with Imagineering Executive Producer Jeffrey Shaver-Moskowitz, who led a team of Imagineers in creating Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure. Jeffrey tells us all about the process, challenges, and decisions that led to the recent unveiling of the new land celebrating all things Pixar. Then, we speak with...

In this week's Marvel-ous episode of Mousetalgia, we welcome Brian Crosby, Creative Director for Themed Entertainment for Marvel, back to the show to talk about "Marvel: Universe of Superheroes," the new exhibit currently showing at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The exhibit, MoPop's largest special installation ever, is filled with Marvel history, comic art, movie props, interactive sets, and more. Brian joins the show to discuss the magic behind the creation of this must-see...

It's time for Mousetalgia's Summer book club! This week, Team Mousetalgia talks to author/historian Didier Ghez about the fourth entry in his "The Drew as They Pleased" books about oft-overlooked artwork from the Disney Studios - in this case, "The Hidden Art of Disney's Mid Century Era." Ghez describes the art from this period of unprecedented stylistic shifts and modern graphic sensibilities found in films like Alice in Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty. Also, we speak with author Jeff Ryan...

It's an emporium of toontastic proportions today as Mousetalgia invites you to listen in as we re-live our latest adventures. We interview Pixar CCO Pete Docter and Imagineer Chris Merritt about their upcoming book about Marc Davis at a recent event hosted by the Walt Disney Family Museum, and then Jeff talks to author Gary K. Wolf about creating the characters from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as we note the 30th anniversary of the seminal film based on his intriguing novel. Also, Jeff talks...

This week, Mousetalgia co-host Kristen concludes her trip reports from Europe with a review of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: "The Making of Harry Potter." Learn about the tour, the various sets, scenes, props, and everything else that you will encounter when you take this popular and amazing tour. Kristen also talks about finding all of the Disney magic in London - the sights, the sounds, and the shopping. Also this week: Team Mousetalgia tackle the topic of Disneyland's admission prices,...