Stories and Christmas
People often ask me why I love Disneyland so much. They want to know why I am so interested in Walt. When did this start? How did this all begin?
12 Books for Christmas
When I first dreamed of writing a book about Disneyland, I really only knew two things. First, I didn’t want to write another Disney history book. Those already existed, I had read almost all of them, and knew that I couldn’t do better than what was already available.
You Live the Life You Think About
As we look forward to Thanksgiving Week, I want to take a moment and look backwards. When we think about the history of Thanksgiving, most of us remember the stories from the pilgrims, the Mayflower, and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. What you may not know, or may not remember…
Plane Crazy
If it weren’t for Nabisco, I’m not sure that I ever would have noticed. It took a package of Oreo sandwich cookies, a special edition package, for me to realize that Mickey Mouse and Steamboat Willie…
The Nightmare Before Christmas New Years
On October 5, 2001, Disneyland guests experienced their first official “Nightmare.” No, the park didn’t close early, experience a multitude of mechanical breakdowns, or (gasp) run out of ice cream.
Learning to Let it Go
October is a big month for fans of Walt Disney World. October is when the Orlando Sentinel announced in 1965 that Disney was coming to Central Florida. October is when the…
The Adventure Continues
It was important that I go back.
Granted, I have been to Disneyland more times than I can possibly count. But thirty years after stepping into Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom for the first time, on August 19…
$40, A Single Suitcase, and a One-Way Ticket
Last month, I took my Dad to a Braves baseball game in Atlanta. The promotional event that evening, on a hot and humid summer night, was “Christmas in July.” Given my obsession with the 1990s band…
Listen to the Park: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth
Thirty years ago this month (August 19, 1988 to be exact), I walked into Disneyland for the first time. I hated it! Three decades later, I teach a college course on The History of Disneyland. I write leadership books on…
You Deserve a Break Today
Niki and I spent some time in Chicago this summer. While there, we stopped by the Museum of Science and Industry to experience the excellent Science of Pixar exhibit…