Episode 104 – Jim Korkis, Part 2

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Randy Crane

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Jim KorkisIn this episode we conclude our interview with returning guest on the show, Disney historian and author Jim Korkis. In part 1 we talked a lot about Walt Disney’s early Christmases and I hope you enjoyed learning about his childhood and some pivotal moments & gifts during it.

 

On the weekend of January 15-17, 2016, I will run 22.4 miles for Team Muscle Makers for Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Yes, I’m running a 5K, a 10K, and a Half Marathon, all in support of this important cause, but I need your support to help them! Please watch the video below to see wat I’m offering as a thank you gift, then go to http://storiesofthemagic.com/tmm to donate! My fundraising deadline is the end of the year, so this is my last chance to get your help and give you this special gift!

In this episode, Jim talks about…

  • His favorite Disney-related Christmas gift
  • How the Disney company came to sell animation cells
  • The Winnie the Pooh for President campaign
  • What he considers his greatest Christmas gift overall
  • A Christmas story about Song of the South and Disney animator Floyd Norman
  • The Beauty and the Beast Christmas comic strip
  • Some Christmas exhibits and attractions at Walt Disney World that are now gone
  • Speculation on where, if anywhere, the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights may relocate to
  • How Disney measures the Orlando parks—full-day or half-day—and why
  • Unexpected hits—both movies and theme park attractions
  • A huge problem for Disney historians
  • Ways Disney has affected the culture that most people don’t realize
  • What inspires him
  • His advice to you for following your dreams
  • A hint about a new book he has coming out soon, and how it will help you
  • Shameless Plug Time

Find Jim:

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

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!

Subscribe by RSS.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio.

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Some product links in this post are affiliate links.

Posted in Archives, Authors, Disneyland, Podcast, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Episode 103 – Jim Korkis, Part 1

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Randy Crane

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Jim KorkisIn this episode we have a returning guest on the show, Disney historian and author Jim Korkis is back for a 2-part interview. I introduce him much more in the interview intro, so let me give you a preview of what we’re going to cover and then we’ll dive on in!

 

On the weekend of January 15-17, 2016, I will run 22.4 miles for Team Muscle Makers for Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Yes, I’m running a 5K, a 10K, and a Half Marathon, all in support of this important cause, but I need your support to help them! Please watch the video below to see wat I’m offering as a thank you gift, then go to http://storiesofthemagic.com/tmm to donate!

 

 

In this episode, Jim talks about…

  • Some of the practical jokes Disney animators used to play on each other
  • Why December was generally such a good month for the Disney family
  • Why Walt’s brother Roy is such an underrated member of the family
  • What it was like for Walt as a kid having his birthday so close to Christmas, and more about his early Christmases [this part has a little bit about Santa that you may want to skip if you have little ears listening, about 13 minutes in to the interview section for 6 minutes]
  • One of the most difficult things for Tom Hanks when it came to portraying Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks
  • Why Walt’s intended Christmas scene for Bambi didn’t make it into the film
  • Disney Christmas comic strips
  • The gift Walt got as an early teenager that transformed his entire life
  • An animated Christmas cartoon where Walt voiced a character
  • Some favorite Christmas gifts Jim and I got over the years

 

 

Find Jim:

 

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

 

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!

Subscribe by RSS.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio.

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Some product links in this post are affiliate links.

Posted in Archives, Authors, Disneyland, Podcast, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World | 1 Comment

Episode 102 – Jeff Barnes (Dr. Disneyland), Part 2

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Randy Crane

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Jeff Barnes

In this episode we conclude our interview with Dr. Jeff Barnes, author of The Wisdom of Walt Disney: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth (Disneyland): Success Strategies for Everyone, recorded live at Disneyland! In Part 1, Jeff shared how he became interested in Disneyland, why the book needed to be written, whether he’s a left- or right-tunnel person, being diagnosed with a brain tumor and how it affected his dream, and much, much more.

 

On the weekend of January 15-17, 2016, I will run 22.4 miles for Team Muscle Makers for Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Yes, I’m running a 5K, a 10K, and a Half Marathon, all in support of this important cause, but I need your support to help them! Please listen to the details in the episode, then go to http://storiesofthemagic.com/tmm to donate!

In this episode, Jeff talks about…

  • Whether he had to do any extra research for the book beyond what he did for his class
  • Why he doesn’t cite sources more specifically than he does, including only a reading list and not actual page numbers for quotations
  • What kept him motivated through the book-writing process
  • The target audiences he had in mind for the book
  • Who he did not expect to be a target audience for the book
  • What his plans are for future books, including the one he’s already started on
  • More about the History of Disneyland class he teaches
  • Whether Disneyland loses anything if you don’t have a memory of a first visit
  • His favorite land at Disneyland
  • Whether he’s ever considered working at Disneyland, and if so, doing what
  • If he could have any job working for the Walt Disney Company, what it would be
  • What he never gets asked that he wishes people would ask him
  • What inspires him
  • His advice to you for following your dreams
  • Shameless Plug Time

 

10420201_818395558241963_4969005857706654186_nFind Jeff:

 

 

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

Tales from the Mouse House

 

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!

Subscribe by RSS.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio.

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Some product links in this post are affiliate links.

Posted in Authors, Fan Creations, Podcast | Leave a comment

Episode 101 – Jeff Barnes (Dr. Disneyland), Part 1

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Randy Crane

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Jeff Barnes

We return to our regular interview format with Dr. Jeff Barnes, author of The Wisdom of Walt Disney: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth (Disneyland): Success Strategies for Everyone We recorded this live at Disneyland, again at the Hungry Bear Restaurant. We did have to move from one table to another because of the volume of other guests, but rather than stop and restart the recording, we just take you with us as we move tables!

 

Thank you again to everyone who shared a story or memory for the 100th episode! If you didn’t get yours in—or if you’ve got another one to share—it’s not too late. Send it in using one of the methods I’ll share after the interview and I’ll happily include it in a Listener Feedback section on an upcoming episode.

 

On the weekend of January 15-17, 2016, I will run 22.4 miles for Team Muscle Makers for Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Yes, I’m running a 5K, a 10K, and a Half Marathon, all in support of this important cause, but I need your support to help them! Please listen to the details in the episode, then go to http://storiesofthemagic.com/tmm to donate!

In this episode, Jeff talks about…

  • How he became interested in Disney, especially in Disneyland;
  • The moment he fell in love with Disneyland and with the idea of sharing it with others;
  • Why Disneyland doesn’t get old to him;
  • What The Wisdom of Walt is about & why it needed to be written;
  • Some of his favorite features of the park that he wrote about in the book;
  • What sets Disneyland apart from other amusement, and even theme, parks;
  • The observation he made that convinced him he needed to write the book;
  • The Donald Miller book that helped him tweak his story perspective;
  • Whether he’s a right-tunnel person or a left-tunnel person;
  • Why he needed to be the one to write The Wisdom of Walt;
  • Being diagnosed with a brain tumor and how it affected his dream;
  • The best thing about having written the book;
  • Why our world needs you to step up;
  • The process of writing the book;
  • The last chapter to have a word written in it, the first one finished, and the one that became a model for all the others—and they’re all the same one;
  • The vision he had for the book;
  • The exact moment he realized this was really going to happen, this book was going to come to be.

 

10420201_818395558241963_4969005857706654186_nFind Jeff:

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!

Subscribe by RSS.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio.

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Some product links in this post are affiliate links.

Posted in Authors, Disneyland, Fan Creations, Podcast | 1 Comment

Episode 100 – Listener Stories

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Randy Crane

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stories-of-magic-100th

3+ years and 46 guests after beginning, we’ve made it to 100 episodes! Whether this is your first time listening or you’ve heard them all, thank you for making this possible. And if you’ve shared a story or left a review, an extra special thank you.

 

By the way, if you’re wondering why I don’t sound more excited, it’s for a very good reason. I’m recording this about 1:00 in the morning, and my daughter is asleep in the next room. If you have kids, you know that the first rule is that when a baby is sleeping, you do whatever you have to not to wake them up! And so, as excited as I am for 100 episodes, I’m doing my best to be sure our little princess stays asleep.

 

As I’d hoped it would be, this episode is going to be all about and from you, the listeners and fans of Disney. I’ve got voicemails and Facebook messages from fellow Disney fans, and in some cases fellow podcasters, sharing a favorite Disney memory or what makes Disney special to them. In this very special show, that’s what I’m going to share with you, and I hope you enjoy them!

 

In this episode, hear stories and memories from…


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!

Subscribe by RSS.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe on Stitcher Radio.

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Some product links in this post are affiliate links.

Posted in Listener Feedback, Podcast, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment