Mousetalgia is a podcast for Disney fans about Disneyland, Disney in society, and Disney trivia and history. Enjoy in-depth reviews of the parks, discussions about Disneyana and Disney merchandise, and our take on the latest Disney movies, books and more. View our galleries and join the discussion at www.mousetalgia.com!
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!
This week, Jeff and his pals Julia and Tina talk about 70th birthday week at Disneyland - and what an eventful week it was! Jeff was on property Monday through Friday and has a plethora of reports and reviews, and Tina and Julia were at the resort much of the week as well, so we have a lot to talk about. Jeff's family utilized Lightning Lane Premier Pass for their first full day in the parks, and Jeff reviews the experience, the value, and the important questions to answer before you consider this pricey option. We all were able to watch "Walt Disney - A Magical Life," and we break down the controversy surrounding this brand new show which features an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney, and offer our own reviews of the attraction. We all also tried the latest version of the World of Color dessert party, and we review the dessert experience as well as the latest World of Color show, "Happiness." All this - and more! I'd love to hear from you! To contact Jeff, email comments@mousetalgia.com.
In this week's loaded Mousetalgia, Jeff welcomes former Skipper and Mansion Maid Emma Mosier back to the show to discuss the past 7 decades of Disneyland. We also welcome two special guests this week: Andrea Roberts joins us to talk about her father, Larry Lifchis Roberts, who was an Imagineer with MAPO who worked directly with Walt Disney on Audio Animatronics for Disneyland; and Genevieve Buchanan joins us along with her grandmother Yvonne, who is a Disneyland '55er (an original employee from Disneyland's opening year.) Yvonne worked for Disneyland before the park even opened and shares some stories. Plus - we review the Disneyland 70th walking tour ("A Story of Celebration,") and we have a Haunted Mansion moment.
This week, we take a look at the collapse of Elio at the box office and discuss the circumstances that may have led to its failure to grab family movie-goers, and then Jeff (and wife Julia) offer our own review. Plus, Jeff welcomes Kurt Pfeifer back to the show to talk about his role developing the interactive elements in the Walt Disney Family Museum's ongoing Mary Blair exhibit; and Jeff gives a recap of a celebration of 70 years of the Jim Henson Company held on the Lucasfilm campus. Stay tuned for our super-special DIsneyland 70 episode coming July 13! Reach us at comments@mousetalgia.com.
This week, Jeff invites Julia Layne and Tina Biles to the show to discuss the recent D23 Gold Member preview tea and preview of "Mary Blair: Mid Century Magic" at the Walt Disney Family Museum. We also talk about our Star Wars Day adventures at the LEGO Store and at a special orchestral performance by Alphabet employees, and Jeff takes a deep dive into the "problem" with Mary Blair. Keep in touch - comments@mousetalgia.com.
Welcome to the Return of the... Mousetalgia potpourri! This week, Jeff and guest co-host Julia Layne welcome the first week of May with some Star Wars talk, including a review of Disneyland's Season of the Force (29:00) and the new show "Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga." We also talk about a new exhibit coming to the Walt Disney Family Museum (15:35) called "Mary Blair: Mid-Century Magic," and discuss some of the latest things we've been watching (shout out to Bluey!) Jeff also gives a brief Knott's Berry Farm trip report (35:35), and welcomes Chris Merritt back to the show to discuss his new book "Knott's Bear-y Tales: The Complete History of the Whimsical Attraction" (49:55). We talk about the history of the ride, the story of '70s Knott's, and how Rolly Crump developed the story of the beloved experience. Contact us at comments@mousetalgia.com
Ep. 738: Don Hahn and Chris Merritt on Disneyland at 70, authors and historians on Snow White '25 This week, Imagineer Chris Merritt and Disney producer and director Don Hahn join Mousetalgia to talk about "The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney's Disneyland," their upcoming book scheduled to be released to celebrate Disneyland's 70th birthday (8:55). They discuss Disneyland's origins, its place in popular culture, some of the people you might not know who were important to the park's beginnings, and the things that will set this book apart from your other shelf of other Disneyland books. Then, Jeff will share some public social media postings about Snow White (2025) which outline some of the historical controversies which have been brought into the spotlight about the creation of the animated classic (1937) (53:50). Contact us at comments@mousetalgia.com
