By Keith Mahne

Before Playhouse Disney and Disney Junior - Live on Stage! took over, Disney-MGM Studios had a neat restaurant inside the studio gate called the Soundstage Restaurant. More importantly, inside that restaurant and up in the rafters was a seldom heard of and seen area called the Catwalk Bar. Join us today as we take a rare peak inside this lost gem where one could slip away for a nice cocktail and take in the scenery down below. It's time to return to the legendary Catwalk Bar...

By Keith Mahne

In the decades since Walt Disney's death, the claim that he arranged for his body to be frozen has become as well known as the man himself. Nearly everyone familiar with the name 'Walt Disney' has heard the story that Disney's corpse is stored in a deep-freeze chamber somewhere (directly under Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is the most frequently mentioned location) awaiting the day when science can repair the damage to his body and bring 'Uncle Walt' back to life. But where did this urban legend originate? Why has it become so ingrained in the history of the man who created magical kingdoms for the world to enjoy? Let's find out the answers to these questions in today's featured article...

By Daisy Sparks

On July 17th, 2015, I went to Disneyland to join the birthday party for the Diamond Celebration. I went with several of my close Disney friends. Disney Parks Blog had encouraged everyone to show off their #DisneySide by showing up in their 1955 themed outfits. It was fun to see what everyone was wearing. A lot of people got into wearing their Disneyland 1955-themed outfits. Let's enjoy a day at Disneyland in this week's Walk in the Park article...

By Keith Mahne

As we all know, Epcot was created from one man's dream. A dream of building a utopian town called the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Sadly, Walt died without his dream realized, and his successors decided to instead build a theme park that focused on Disney's ideas of celebrating human innovation and promoting a promising vision of the future. Of course, our ideas of what the future will look like have changed since 1982. The future we're living in now doesn't necessarily match what forward-thinking optimists envisioned back during the construction of EPCOT Center. As the decades passed by, some of Epcot's most beloved attractions were removed as they became obsolete or lost their corporate sponsors. Many of the rides we fondly remember from our childhood vacations to Epcot are now nothing more than fond, distance memories. Although it can be a little depressing looking back on these things, it's extremely important to remember where Epcot came from and what we hope it will one day be again. This is our list of the 9 Epcot attractions we miss the most...

By Keith Mahne

Back in the early days of EPCOT Center when CommuniCore was still a pavilion dedicated to technological advances, there was a couple of really wonderful attractions that have always mesmerized me. SMRT-1 and the Computer Central Exhibit located in the northeast quadrant of the area continue to live in old EPCOT Center admires memories. Let's take a look back at these two CommuniCore favorites in today's new article...

By Keith Mahne

Light Magic was a parade that ran at Disneyland from May - September of 1997. Originally billed as a replacement for the distinguished and beloved Main Street Electrical Parade, Light Magic opened to poor reviews and closed only four short months later. Though Disney officially stated at the time that the show would return in the year 2000, it never again saw the "light" of day. Despite the show's short run, infrastructure improvements made specifically for Light Magic, mainly in Fantasyland, are still used today. Let's see how the parade was constructed and find out why it never lived up to expectations in today's brand new Making of article...

By Keith Mahne

Almost from the day the Mary Poppins character appeared on the cover of a book in 1934, she was destined to gain additional fame through some form of the entertainment medium. Walt Disney first became aware of Mary Poppins around 1949, when one of his daughters introduced him to the magical nanny. The events that followed lead to one of the most beloved Disney movies of all time. Getting to that point, however, was no easy feat for Walt and his team as the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers, wasn't as charming as the flying nanny she created. Join me today as we take a listen to a wonderful, rare recording of P.L. Travers discussing "Feed the Birds" with the Sherman brothers during the making of this classic film...

By Keith Mahne

Prior to the arrival of Mickey, Orlando and the rest of Central Florida may not have been as well-known to the rest of the country as sun-tanned Miami or sea-storied Key West. Yet here, in the middle of the peninsula, was an eden. All you had to do was find your way there. And over 50 years ago, on a typical fall day in Central Florida, one very important man did. Walt Disney changed the entire history and economy of Central Florida with one, swift decision. A decision to build his latest and greatest dream with the blessing of size. But what did the local community think of this change? Let's find out in today's new article titled Florida Before Mickey: Disney's Impact on Orlando...

By Keith Mahne

Welcome to another Motion Monday article here on Disney Avenue where we take a look at some special moving GIFs of Disney's past. This time around, let's travel to The Golden Horseshoe Saloon which opened in 1955 with several other original attractions at Disneyland. Over the years the venue has housed multiple stage shows, but none as special as the original Golden Horseshoe Revue that was the longest running show at the saloon, playing from July 17, 1955 until October 12, 1986. Today, we'll see some scenes from the show, along with a personal introduction by Walt Disney. Continue after the page break and have a look...

By Keith Mahne

In 1956, Walt Disney Productions released a featurette called Disneyland, U.S.A. in movie theaters, as part of People And Places, a series of films about geographic places. It’s essentially a 42-minute commercial for Disneyland. Now, a half century later, it’s a fascinating look at what Disneyland was like in 1956. Every single moment in this film is astonishing. The colors pull your eyes in. Seeing everyone dressed up for a day at Disneyland feels comforting. Let's travel back to Disneyland of 1956 in this edition of Disney Avenue's Disney Documentary Hour as we watch People and Places: Disneyland, U.S.A...

By Keith Mahne

60 years ago today, Walt Disney's dream that started "from a daddy with two daughters wondering where he could take them where he could have a little fun with them, too" became a reality. Disneyland is a place like no other. Walt once said, "Disneyland would be a world of past and present, seen through the eyes of my imagination - a place of warmth and nostalgia, of illusion and color and delight." As we all know, anything created from Walt's "imagination" is, without a doubt, going to be very special. And so, as we celebrate 60 years of magic, join me as we take a look at the creation and opening of Disneyland and the man who made it all possible...

By Keith Mahne

Don't you just love looking at vintage photos of when Walt's park was brand new? Although it has grown into something truly amazing today, it's always fun to travel back in time and enjoy what once was. As Disneyland's 60th anniversary approaches, let's take a look at some truly spectacular vintage pictures of Walt Disney's greatest creation...

By Keith Mahne

 Have you ever wondered what Disneyland was like during Walt's time? I recently set out to try and answer that question, to really get a good idea of what Disneyland was like during the years Walt was still calling the shots. I wanted to know how many people were employed, attendance figures, highlights and even what the payroll may have been. After a bit of research, I now have those answers and would like to share them here with you. Continue after the page break as we take a look at Disneyland during the years of Walt...

Welcome friends to another episode of the Disney Avenue Podcast. As you all know, the Disney community is unlike any other. It's filled with amazing people who love to help each other out and enjoy reveling in the magic together. Although we are all different, we all share and have experienced that feeling you get when you walk into a Disney Park. We all know that feeling of safety and escape it provides us. Someone who really appreciates that comfort is a wonderful man named Guy Spagnoli, a Vietnam veteran and subject of a documentary in production called Keep Moving Forward. Please continue after the page break to hear directly from Guy and the producers of this very important project in the works that you might like to be apart of...

By Keith Mahne

In the ’50s and ’60s, Disneyland promoted special “Date Nites" which ran on Friday and Saturday evenings, featured live music, dancing, and even tickets to “romantic rides." As many of you know, music plays a huge part of DisneyAvenue.com. With that in mind, today I've created a Date Nite at Disneyland experience just for you. You'll see and hear photos and music of past Date Nites at Disneyland which will really transport you to a time when Walt Disney himself was walking the parks and enjoying the festivities. Friends, Disney Avenue is excited to present the Date Nite at Disneyland Experience...

By Keith Mahne

Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a steel roller coaster built by Vekoma at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. The attraction is themed around the Yeti hiding in Mount Everest. It is listed in the 2011 book of Guinness World Records as the most expensive roller coaster in the world. Including sets and extras, its total cost was reported to be US $100 million, following 6 years of planning and construction. It is the tallest of the artificial mountains at Walt Disney World. Join us today as we take a look at the Making of Disney's 18th mountain-themed attraction, Expedition Everest ...

By Keith Mahne

The name EPCOT derives from the acronym "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow", a Utopian city of the future planned by Walt Disney. In Walt Disney's words: "EPCOT... will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." Continue after the page break and let's see for ourselves what Walt's EPCOT might have been like...

By Daisy Sparks

Hello, Disney Avenue! Summer is here, people are on vacation, and they all seem to be at Disneyland. I have a little bit of everything to share with you this week for our “Walk in the Park" so we better not waste a single second. Continue after the page break and let's go enjoy the magic of Disneyland...

By Keith Mahne

I really enjoy looking at pictures of Walt Disney's wonderful life. Thinking about all the love and happiness his life brought to the world is what really resonates with me as I look at these special photos. Today, I thought I'd share this short post with you featuring the earliest picture we know of Walt, to his last filmed appearance. Continue after the page break and have a look...

By Sam Vlas

Dear Disney Avenue pedestrians, it’s my honor to present the sixth installment of “A Dutchman in Orlando” to you today. This time around, we are going to delve into the exciting world of Merchandise, to be exact, we'll take a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard and stop by Mickey’s of Hollywood to meet and tell a few, fun stories. I hope you’re ready! Lights… Camera… Action...

By Keith Mahne

The Disney community is unlike any other. It's filled with amazing people who love to help each other out and enjoy reveling in the magic together. Although we are all different, we all share and have experienced that feeling you get when you walk into a Disney Park. We all know that feeling of safety and escape it provides us. Someone who really appreciates that comfort is a wonderful man named Guy Spagnoli. I've had the pleasure of speaking with Guy personally and felt his genuine spirit and love of Walt Disney and the magic he has created for this world. Guy is a Vietnam veteran, and just like all of our service men and women, is a hero in my opinion. He put his life on the line when his country called. He has suffered tremendously from witnessing the horridness of war, and continues to do so to this day as he was diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is one thing that keeps him going and at peace....the magic of Disney! Guy is currently the subject of a documentary in production called Keep Moving Forward about his struggles with PTSD and how he uses Disney to self medicate. I think it's an important story to be told and one we can all relate to. Please continue after the page break for more important information on this project...

By Keith Mahne

By Keith Mahne

One of my favorite things about staying in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is the wonderful Information Channel. Whenever we first arrive to our room, I immediately turn the TV on and watch and listen to the station as we begin to unpack. It's one of those magic feelings that hit you and your brain goes, "Yep! I'm in Disney World!" Something that's especially fun to do is to watch old WDW Information Channel programs from the past. I'd like to share with you one of my particular favorites from 1987. Join us today as we travel back to a Walt Disney World Resort hotel in 1987, flip the TV on, and embrace the magic that is the vacation kingdom of the world...

By Keith Mahne

There were once extravagant concept designs and plans for a Rhine River Cruise that was to be inside Epcot's Germany Pavilion. Unfortunately, those plans were thrown out immediately following the parks opening in 1982. There are only a few details that exist about the ride today, but one can still get a good idea what the attraction might have looked like using the blueprints and concept art available. Let's take a look at what we know about the never built Rhine River Cruise in today's new article...

By Keith Mahne

Originally scheduled to open in the fall of 1957, Liberty Street was founded on Walt Disney's belief that Americans often failed to comprehend the tremendous significance of their heritage. In Liberty Square, Walt intended to dramatize the events of the Revolutionary War period in an entertaining way, and provide Disneyland guests with a better understanding of, and sense of pride in, the American way of life. Join us after the page break as we take a stroll down Liberty Street...