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Stories of the Magic, Episode 26
Sponsored by Leaving Conformity Coaching.
I am very excited today to welcome my very first Imagineer to Stories of the Magic! Mark Hickson started on the Splash Mountain/Critter Country project at Disneyland, then was chosen to become part of the Tokyo Disneyland Project Office, where he was involved in Tokyo DisneySea & Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as a dozen or so specific projects.
He also worked on Spaceship Earth Main Show change-out and AT&T post show, “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”, the EPCOT Interactive Fountain and Communicore Fountain, and Special Projects such as the Broadway Production of Beauty and the Beast, Disneyland’s 35th Birthday, Producer/Director on multiple video projects, most related to Tokyo Disneyland, and the development of Tokyo Disneyland’s 5, 10 & 20 year Master Plan.
Since working for Disney, Mark has created the Disney by Mark website, offering a unique look at Disney that only a former Imagineer can share. The website features news, stories, and editorials about the Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries, as well as consumer product, film, television, theme park, resort, and dining reviews.
Mark talks about:
- How he got hired by Walt Disney Imagineering;
- What it was like coming in mid-project on Splash Mountain and some of the unique challenges they encountered;
- Working on multiple projects for Tokyo;
- Moving on to Epcot;
- What it was like to be involved in the creation of Honey I Shrunk the Audience;
- WDI being approached with special projects;
- And a hint of the ideas they came up with for Disneyland’s 35th birthday (hear the rest of that story in Part 2!).
Find Mark:
AnnouncementAs you may recall from previous episodes, I’m a travel agent. Well, my agency has just announced a fantastic and EXCLUSIVE sweepstakes. If you’re a Disney fan—and since you’re listening to this podcast you probably are—you’ve got to get in on this! Enter for a Chance to Win an Unforgettable Disneyland Resort Vacation! The Sweepstakes Prize Includes:
- Four (4), 5-Day Disneyland® Park Hopper Tickets
- Accommodations for up to four (4) people, for three (3) nights, in one (1) standard room at a Disneyland® Resort hotel of Disney’s choosing at the Disneyland® Resort.
- Disneyland® Resort Express transfers to and from Los Angeles International Airport or John Wayne Airport, for four (4) people. (Transportation to/from other regional airports will be the responsibility of the prize recipient).
- Choice of one (1) Disneyland® Resort guided tour for four (4) people.
- And one (1) night in the Disneyland® Dream Suite for up to six (6) Guests, plus a collection of incredible surprises as part of your Dream Suite stay!
That is a simply amazing prize! All you have to do to enter is sign up for our free newsletter and you’ll have a chance to win an unforgettable Disneyland® Resort Vacation! Just go to storiesofthemagic.com/disneylandsweeps to sign up and enter!
I want to hear from you, so please email me, leave a comment below, or call the Listener Feedback line at (734) 23-STORY. If you call in, don’t worry about having to sound perfect. If you ask me to, I’ll edit out any mistakes so you sound as good as you possibly can. You’re even welcome to start your entire story over again and I’ll use the “take” you want!
If you want to submit a story anonymously, for whatever reason you may have, email it to me and tell you me you wanted it shared that way. I’ll read it on the podcast, but keep your name private.
Thanks for listening!
Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.
