Rediscovering Walt Disney

This PBS documentary hosted by Mason Adams aired in 1985 to coincide with the release of Walt Disney productions' Return to Oz. Return to Oz was one of the most ambitious films ever made with many of the who's who of Hollywood working on it behind the scenes. Because more people knew Oz from the MGM film and not the Oz books, the film didn't find an audience and bombed. It was still a well-produced film inspired by the books even going a little bit darker with some of the concepts in them. The behind the scenes material in this obscure documentary is rare and well worth seeing. The documentary covers the entire Oz phenomenon up to that time. Like Walt Disney, L. Frank Baum is a figure the militant left and revised the history of and perverted his works. Most people are only aware of the 1939 MGM film but Oz was so much more. Oz was the first successful fantasy novel and the most successful fictional book series of all times spanning over 70 years of official volumes and nearly 60 books. There were also multiple Oz silent films, 2 competing coming strips, storybooks, stage plays, animated cartoons, and tons of merchandise. Walt Disney grew up alongside the releases of the original Baum Oz stories and actively pursued making a film adaptation of his own. The rainbow jihad co-opted the Oz stories and characters and many of their trappings originate from them. Activists claim they use the rainbow because of drag queens and Judy Garland who sang the famous song standard from the film, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. "Friend of Dorothy" became code for members of the gay community to recognize and acknowledge each other. Many hardcore Oz fans despise America as founded, Christianity, heterosexual relationships and more. Many of the pop culture appropriation going on today originated with Oz. It's important that we rediscover how Oz is America's forgotten fantasy land and should be reclaimed from the revisionists who've defiled it. This documentary is a good place to start. Like Walt Disney, L Frank Baum would be disgusted by what's been done to his creations. Original air date June 1985 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This documentary explores the behind the scenes story and history of the Walt Disney Main Street Electrical Parade. The parade originated in the 1970's and has become a Disney theme park staple as revered as any of the definitive rides and attractions. Although the parade has been retired a few times, it always seems to return. Original air date July 6, 1986 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This souvenir VHS tape celebrates the closing of the Walt Disney Main Street Electrical Parade. The parade originated in the 1970's and has become a Disney theme park staple as revered as any of the definitive rides and attractions. With much fanfare, it was claimed 1996 would be the final season of the parade and it would be retired. Lightbulbs from the floats were even sold to guests as souvenirs. However, Disney LIED. Within the year, the parade turned up in New York City to celebrate the release of Hercules and then went on a world tour to other Disney theme parks. It's since returned to the stateside parks and, although it's been retired a few times over the years, it never seems to go away. Original release Summer 1996 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The American Adventure is an attraction at EPCOT Center. It has been revised in recent years, but this is a documentary about this attraction when it open and was constructed by Walt Disney's family. It opened October 1, 1982 along with the rest of the park. This promotional video was created to advertise what an achievement this production was at the time. It's a shame the show has been altered to become PC then Woke. Release date 1984 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Actor Lloyd Bridges hosts this behind the scenes documentary for The American Adventure was created for The Disney Channel in 1987 and only ever aired a handful of times never to be seen again. The source for this video is from a master copy so you'll see some bars on the sides of the footage as this is the full magnetic tape image. At the time, The Disney Channel sometimes created documentaries about different aspects of the Disney Parks. by the 1990's this was dropped in favor of the occasional TV Magazine format. What's great about these longform documentaries is they chronicle the history of an attraction and celebrate it as it was built and not what it's been degraded into. Original air date July 4, 1987 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Captain Eeyore is a legendary cast member parody of the Captain EO attraction film. Cast member films had become a tradition starting in the late 70's and would be shown at employee events for amusement. It was filmed off hours in the tunnels beneath Walt Disney World using the Walt Disney characters in the place of characters in the original film. This was also a satire of what was felt was the dehumanizing conditions of Eisner's era Disney vs Walt Disney's Disney. Amazingly, Disney management was totally unaware this was going on and it became a form of resistance to the policies of the time. For example, Eisner banned the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum characters from the parks claiming he thought they looked like down-syndrome children. (This is even referenced in the dialog.) They feature prominently in the film. When this was produced, it was a time of transition between when Disney was run as a family company vs the global conglomerate it was becoming. It's filled with inside references galore and an important part of Eisner era Disney history. Evidently when Eisner found out about Captain Eeyore, cast member videos ceased being allowed. Release Date 1987 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The Rocketeer was meant to be Disney's own Indiana Jones style franchise. It was based on the cult favorite comic book by Dave Stevens and featured an all star cast and used many of the top behind the scenes people of the day. The result wasn't bad but it was believed that because this was marketed as a Walt Disney Pictures release the film bombed. In truth, the summer of 1991 was a very competitive summer with the surprise hit being Robing Hood: Prince of Thieves. The film is much better than the comic book that inspired it and became more than the source material. Director Joe Johnson was later given the job to direct Captain America: The First Avenger because of his success with the end result of this film. This making of special aired in the summer of 1991 tying in with the film's release. Original air date June 19, 1991 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

John Rhyes Davies and Karen Allen star in this behind the scenes TV special celebrating the opening of the Disneyland attraction Indiana Jones & the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Although they don't revive their characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's a glimpse at what they may have looked like if a 1990's installment of the franchise had happened. This special features the showmanship backstory of the ride, interviews with the creators, and culminates with Davies and Allen riding the ride themselves. These sort of specials celebrating the release of a new attraction had become commonplace at the time. Original air date July 18, 1995 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Star Tours was the first ever Star Wars theme park attraction ever built. In the 1970’s there has been discussions to build a Star Wars themed roller coaster featuring audio animatronics of the characters. Riders would decide if they would choose the light side or the dark side of the force. In the mock up most chose the dark side three to one to see the villains so the idea was scrapped and eventually evolved into Star Tours. Star Tours was rooted in a concept for an unrealized attraction based on the Walt Disney Productions’ film The Black Hole. When the film bombed plans ceased. The technology was later adapted for the theme park attraction Captain EO. Star Wars creator George Lucas collaborated on that attraction and allowed for a Star Wars version to proceed. The ride opened January 9, 1987 and since then there have been several editions of Star Tours. This Press Kit video was produced to announce the ride’s release and was distributed to the media. It features interviews from the main players. Original release 1987 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the full Captain EO film that no longer exists at any Disney Park. We present it here for historical purposes. Captain EO was the first theme park 4D experience using motion a control film ride simulator with real effects in the theater. The more famous attraction to use this technology, Star Tours, came the following year. Captain EO was the most expensive film ever made at that time. Starring Michael Jackson, produced by George Lucas, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola this was a major production at the time. The film ran from 1986-1997. Starring Michael Jackson as Captain EO Anjelica Huston as The Supreme Leader Dick Shawn as Commander Bog Tony Cox as Hooter Debbie Lee Carrington as Geek (Idy) Cindy Sorensen as Geek (Ody) Gary DePew as Major Domo Percy Rodriguez as Narrator Release date September 12, 1986 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This TV special aired as a tie in for the then brand new Disney theme park attraction. This was the first for the time. Hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, the documentary delves into how this attraction was created and finally realized. Captain EO was the first theme park 4D experience using motion a control film ride simulator with real effects in the theater. The more famous attraction to use this technology, Star Tours, came the following year. Captain EO was the most expensive film ever made at that time. Starring Michael Jackson, produced by George Lucas, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola this was a major production at the time. The film ran from 1986-1997. Original air date December 6, 1986 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Captain EO was such a unique production that it was the first theme park attraction to have a televised premiere. It aired on NBC and was hosted by 80's TV stars Patrick Duffy and Justine Bateman. Duffy was known at the time for prime time soap operas like Dallas and Knotts Landing. Bateman was a co-star on the sitcom Family Ties. This special features interviews and musical performances. Captain EO was the first theme park 4D experience using motion a control film ride simulator with real effects in the theater. The more famous attraction to use this technology, Star Tours, came the following year. Captain EO was the most expensive film ever made at that time. Starring Michael Jackson, produced by George Lucas, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola this was a major production at the time. The film ran from 1986-1997. Original air date September 20, 1986 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In 1965 Walt Disney was interviewed on Bambi for the 1965 rerelease. Posted for historical purposes. Walt Disney's voice is recreated with AI. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In 1965 a party was held for Disneyland employees that was emceed by Wally Boag. He was the star of the Golden Horseshoe Revue and a favorite of Walt's. Walt's brother Roy and Walt gave speeches and that's what we present for you here. This rare clip was sent into us and contains some audio artifacts but we've done the best we can do with it. Photos have been used to illustrate the audio. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

On January 13, 1988 Admiral Joe Fowler was filmed for an in house Walt Disney Company interview. This is an excerpt from that interview. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Dick Tracy is an innovative film that was a spectacular box office bomb because the film had cost so much to make. Based on the long running Chester Gould comic strip, Disney was hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the previous year’s summer blockbuster Batman. They used state of the art special effects, elaborate makeup, over the top art direction, big stars, and the same composer. The film was a disappointment. For years afterward Disney was in a dispute with the films actor/director Warren Beatty who wanted to make sequels. The film also marked the last time Walt Disney legend Peter Ellenshaw worked on a matte painting in a film. This making of special aired that summer. Original air date June 13, 1990 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is credited as the film that made cartoons fun again. It was an ambitious production mixing live action with animation and the only time characters from competing studios appeared together in the same film. Building upon this films release suddenly animation was cool again with Disney launching successful animated features and other studios getting into the game. This making of special aired on CBS and is a celebration of golden age cartoons just like the film is a love letter to that period in animation. Original air date September 13, 1988 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids was a surprise hit in 1989. the film was in the tradition of the family films Walt Disney used to make updated to the 1980’s. This making of special aired frequently on the Disney Channel advertising the film and hasn’t been seen in over thirty years. The production was filmed in Mexico City because the world’s largest blue screen on earth was there. There had never been this type of film produced on this scale before. The heart of the story, however, is about the broken family coming together. Honey I Shrunk the Kids launched a franchise that included two sequels, a TV series and theme park attractions. Rumor has it another sequel is in the works but on hold. Original air date June 14, 1989 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

1984 was the 50th anniversary of Donald Duck and this TV special hosted by Dick van Dyke aired on CBS. Several celebrities of the time make appearances along with clips from Donald's cartoons. These types of specials were popular at the time, not just for Disney milestones but other characters as well. This was the last appearance of Donald Duck's original voice, Clarence Duck Nash. He would pass away a year later. The special only aired in America once but has reaired in Europe where the Disney Ducks are a popular institution. Original air date November 13, 1984 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This TV special hosted by Danny Kaye marked the world's introduction to EPCOT Center. Walt had envisioned EPCOT as the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. He'd planned to have American industry showcase their innovations here so that they would become practical reality for all people everywhere. It was to be a World's Fair style city where people could actually live, work, and play and was the entire reason for the Florida Project. He'd only agreed to built Walt Disney World in exchange for the Florida government to give him the privileges he required to build EPCOT as planned. When Walt Disney died in 1966, his brother Roy moved ahead with building Walt Disney World. Originally, it was to be a much smaller scaled version of Disneyland with different attractions but became a theme park that dwarfed the original. When the time came to built EPCOT, the studio board nixed Walt's plans and transformed it into an educational theme park. The World Showcase was adapted from an idea Walt had for an International Street in Disneyland that never got built. Future World became a World's Fair of consumer products. Everyone's surprise favorite character was Figment the baby dragon. He and Dreamfinder had originally been created for a proposed new land at Disneyland called Discovery Bay. Figment was the breakout star and became the mascot of EPCOT Center. Walt Disney's right-hand songwriters, the Sherman Bros, were brought in to write several songs for the new park and give it that Walt Disney feel. Although, not the experimental prototype community of tomorrow Walt had intended, this is the EPCOT we got and what the world came to know. In recent years the majority of the version of EPCOT Center we see at its opening has been demolished and replaced with attraction including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Muppet, and other characters. Initially there was an embargo on the traditional Disney characters except for Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, Chip & Dale, etc to keep EPCOT Center separate from the fantasy park. Even then, these characters were dressed in costumes to reflect different areas of World Showcase. A few years after opening, McDonalds released a Happy Meal campaign of these characters in their EPCOT Center attire. Beloved actor and comedian Danny Kaye was brought in to host this TV special. He'd already hosted Disneyland's 25 Anniversary Special in 1980 Kaye was chosen to host this special for a variety of reasons. Not only was he a beloved entertainer but a world-renowned chef, a musical conductor, and had been affiliated with the United Nations UNICEF program since 1954. All of these qualities would tie in with what EPCOT Center became. He also knew Walt Disney personally and had heard his plans for EPCOT many times. In short, he knew all the things that EPCOT Center wasn't. Some accounts claim Danny Kaye wasn't easy to work with on this special. They say he was annoyed with the entire ordeal, snapping at guests and Disney CEO had him thrown off the property. Another tale claims Danny Kaye mooned the head of operations who didn't like Kaye either. Regardless, these tensions are nowhere apparent in the special itself. This special originally aired on CBS in 1982. This version of the TV special is a version that aired on Vault Disney in the late 1990's and hasn't been seen since. So, let's enjoy how EPCOT Center was when it originally opened in 1982. Original airdate October 23, 1982 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Danny Kaye was brought in to host the 25th anniversary special of Disneyland for CBS in 1980. The shtick for this special is Kaye plays multiple characters throughout the special, something he was known for in a lot of his projects. Musical stars throughout include the Osmonds and Michael Jackson. It's a great snapshot of what Walt's park looked like 25 years after its construction. This is a Vault Disney airing from the late 90's. Original airdate March 6, 1980 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

When the Disney/MGM Studios opened there was an animation studio that tourists could visit and see how the animated features were made. Initially, the studio only did commercials but eventually picked up the slack on the animated features before making a few of their own. The Walt Disney Company loved the Florida Studio because they didn't have to pay union rates to their artists. At the end of the tour was this film that featured this celebration of the greatest moments in Walt Disney animation from Mickey Mouse through Aladdin. The film would be updated with each new film release. This is a love letter to what Walt Disney Feature Animation used to be. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the sixth Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to be aired on network television since 1984 and the first two hour version. This parade would become a staple for decades and something important in growing up Disney in the 80's and 90's, although the "Christmas" name would be dropped near the end of the Eisner age. The Christmas parade telecast really became a 2 hour infomercial for what the Walt Disney Company had in the works for the upcoming year. Eventually annual Easter and Independence Day Parade telecasts would join the Christmas Parade and the Christmas Parade itself would expand to a 2 hour Christmas morning broadcast tradition. Regis Philbin became the figure most associated with these parades. (The Easter and Independence Day Parade broadcasts were dropped near the end of the Eisner years as well.) The Christmas and Easter parades always aired on the ABC Network. The second parade broadcast had been ta 90 minute broadcast and proved so successful that this year it was a 90 minute one as well and expanded to include Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World. This Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade features a Christmas Day Presidential message from Ronald Reagan and newly elected George Bush. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really hit their stride with the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released Oliver & Company. You can see this once small family company is transforming into the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see any more either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. There’s segments on the construction of Splash Mountain and the soon to be open Disney/MGM Studios. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Sarah Purcell hosts the Disneyland segments with Scott Valentine on the street. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Thicke was one of the stars from the sitcom Growing Pains. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Purcell was a famed talks how host of the time and Valentine was a star on the sitcom Family Ties. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1988 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

For the 10th anniversary of Walt Disney World Dean Jones and Michelle Lee from The Love Bug were cast as new characters taking their family on vacation to Walt Disney World for this CBS special. (It would have been great if they'd reprised their Love Bug characters.) Along the way they bump into several stars of the day including a very young Michael Keaton. This only aired once and technically the 10th anniversary was 1981, not 1982. Original airdate January 21st, 1982 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This excellent Disney retrospective special commemorates the 50th anniversary of the studio lot Walt and Roy built with the profits from Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. This 2 hour special is hosted by Disney favorite Dick van Dyke and features a parade of celebrities sharing their favorite Disney memories as well as take turns hosting segments covering virtually every Walt Disney film genre there is. This special also marked the first time audiences got a glimpse of the then upcoming animated feature Beauty & the Beast. This special is a high point demonstrating how in these early years of the Eisner era there was still a lot of respect for the Walt Disney Company's foundations in this celebration of the past. It seemed like every year they were doing multiple specials honor Walt's past and they were! This special only aired once on CBS. Original air date May 20, 1991 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.