By Ron Baxley

When Disney bought the "Star Wars" franchise, they inherited a different kind of princess, a feisty, independent one named Princess Leia played by the recently deceased Carrie Fisher. (In fact, some people are petitioning on the Internet to make her an official Disney princess.) Although Disney Avenue contributing writer Ron Baxley, Jr. will, of course, never be able to interview Ms. Fisher, he did write this tribute column shortly after her passing in December 2016 and has adapted it specifically for Disney Avenue readers. It is sure to resonate with many long time "Star Wars" fans…

By Ted Linhart

There isn't a former Disney attraction that inspires as much passion presently as Horizons. From 1983-1999 GE’s follow-up to the Carousel of Progress took EPCOT guests on a ride into the 21st Century for a purportedly realistic look at life in the future. Join us today as we take a detailed look back at Horizons via a 1983 cast member booklet and a GE corporate magazine as we remember the most legendary dark ride to have ever come out of the minds of Imagineering...

By Dave Mason

In the final chapter of his four-part series on the lasting legacy of Walt Disney, historian Dave Mason provides an eyewitness account of Walt’s 1965 visit to the Walt Disney School in Anaheim, California. Join us as we travel back to 1965 and witness the lasting influence of Walt Disney...

By Ted Linhart

By 1975, combined attendance at the Disney Parks had reached over 22M (12.5M at WDW and 9.8M at Disneyland) and most of the USA populace was no more than 4 hours by plane from at least one of the Parks given their locations on the East and West Coast. It was only natural that Disney would look for ways to expand their empire and bring the Park experience to the rest of the world. Today’s article will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the first international Disney Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, was developed through two must see documents. The 1st is a very rare August 1975 document with a now politically-incorrect title — “Oriental Disneyland: Feasibility Study Executive Summary." The 2nd is a less-rare but very interesting Cast Member opening day booklet for Tokyo Disneyland. Join us as we go back in time and look at how Tokyo Disney went from concept to reality...

By Dave Mason

In the third chapter of his four-part series on the lasting legacy of Walt Disney, historian Dave Mason provides a little-known backstory on the event which would prove to be Walt Disney’s final public appearance. Join us today as we travel back in time to Tuesday, November 1, 1966 and revisit Walt in Williamsburg, Virginia for what would go down in history as his final appearance...