The Carousel Project

What's your goto Disney food? Was Walt a Pepsi or Coca Cola man? This week Josie & Kait take a trip through the history of some of the most unique eats across the Disney Parks! From park staples like the Mickey Premium Bar to extinct eats like the Handwich, Beaver Tails, and more, we drop the details on where these items got their start.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Us! Your favorite Disney History Podcast is BACK after a crazy few months and many technical difficulties. Today Josie, Kait, and Adam cover the history of a Disney Parks classic -- Pirates of the Caribbean. Join us as we voyage through this attraction's many version and legacy through movies, merchandise, and more.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway may be the first ride-through Mickey-themed attraction, but did you know Mickey-themed attractions at the Disney Parks actually date back over 50 years? This week Josie, Kait, and Adam explore the history of Mickey Mouse-themed attractions at the US parks and beyond. We share details you probably didn't know about Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway and even Mickey's PhilharMagic! If you want to learn even more about Mickey-themed attractions, check out our show notes below:

Did you know that New Orleans, Louisiana had its own Six Flags theme park? This week Josie, Kait, and Adam take a trip back to the Early 2000's to explore the history of this hopeful theme park whose story ended abruptly. From Jazzland to Six Flags New Orleans to "Closed For Storm" we cover the entire "ride." For more resources to learn about Six Flags New Orleans, visit our links below!

We were preparing for a glorious three hour finale, but only had a minute and a half! So this week Josie, Kait, and Adam are sharing a 15-minute preview of this season’s bonus episode on The Magic of Disney Animation. Do you remember the Magic of Disney Animation at Disney-MGM Studios? This opening day attraction was a star in its own right, playing an important part in creating some of our favorite Disney Renaissance films right inside of the theme park gates! In this episode, Josie and Kait discuss the many versions of this attraction and why its original concept would need to be modified much sooner than Disney expected.

We'll be back in two weeks with an episode that's worth the wait! See ya real soon

THE CAROUSEL PROJECT PODCAST PATREON IS HERE!

Let's jump back in time to explore the Wartime of Disney Animation! Between the years 1943-1949, Walt Disney Productions faced lower budgets and a smaller animation staff while the world was at war. While these films may not be at the top of most Disney fans' movie lists, each of these films have had some sort of reference within the Disney Parks! Learn even more in the links below:

What's your favorite Magic Kingdom area resort? This week Josie, Kait, and Adam dive into the history of one of our favorite Magic Kingdom resort hotels, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Did you know that this resort originally opened as the Grand Floridian Beach Resort in 1988? This resort holds the title of Walt Disney World's flagship resort, and its success would ultimately lead to major resort hotel growth on Walt Disney World property. Have you ever stayed here?

Season Six is here and we're starting with the opening of Mikey's park - Disney-MGM Studios! It's no secret that this is Kait's absolute favorite Disney Park and after hearing about this park opening, it's safe to say this is a valid choice. From the opening day weekend festivities to the MGM/Disney legal drama behind the scenes, buckle in and take a trip with us back to a park that "Never Was and Always Will Be."

With season six on the horizon, we chose to switch it up this week and answer YOUR questions! Have you ever wondered what our perfect Disney day would be, or who is our number one fan? Listen for those answers and MORE in this weeks special bonus Q&A episode!



It's time for the Season Five finale, and we're taking it back to 1964 for the New York World's Fair! This fair brought us several Disney attractions that we can still experience today in the Disney Parks. From the Carousel of Progress and "it's a small world" to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Ford's Magic Skyway, we cover them all. This is truly one moment in Disney History that we wish we could travel back in time to! Learn even more about the 1964 New York World's Fair in our show notes!

In this vintage maps haul we're taking a trip back a decade to the year 2013! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam take a look at maps from Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disneyland, and Disney California Adventure. We discuss New Fantasyland, the start of the My Disney Experience app, and more. Follow along with the links posted below to see the maps discussed in the episode! 

In this episode of the Carousel Project Podcast, we discuss an often forgotten part of Disney history. Shades of Green has a unique history as a resort at Walt Disney World - from the Golf Resort to the Disney Inn, this resort, now exclusive for military families has a story to be told!  

Are you a Disney Pin Trader? This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam dive into the interesting history of Disney Pins and Pin Trading! Did you know the concept of Pin Trading began during the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896? Find out why Disney decided to take Pin Trading from a short-term Millennium Celebration activity to an ongoing Disney Parks phenomenon with no sign of stopping over two decades later. From Disney's earliest pin trading collections to the role of Super Trader, the Millennium Pin Club, and more, we're pulling out all of the stops for this fun topic!

A beloved Disney Parks classic, it's the Main Street Electrical Parade! This parade has been dazzling fans since 1972, and every time it comes back, it seems brighter than ever before! 

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a safe, healthy, wonderful New Year from the Carousel Project team!!! We're so thankful for YOU - and we can't wait for another amazing year in 2023! 

Let's jump back in time to explore the Golden Age of Disney Animation! Between the years 1937-1942, many of the still much-beloved Disney classics were shown to movie-goers for the first time.  

From our Carousel Project family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend! 

Does anyone else remember the orange years of Nickelodeon? Back in the '90s and '00s, Nick Studios was all the rage, as guests at Universal Orlando Resort were able to experience live some of the best television shows of the time! Our own form of a time capsule, we jump back in time to remember it all! 

Did you ever get to experience the magic that was a Disney 24-hour day?! Yes, you heard that right - the Disney Parks, were once open 24 hours a day! Let's explore the fun of these events for park guests, and the marketing and public relations work that helped to make these events so successful! 

In this episode of the Carousel Project Podcast, Kait, Josie, and EPCOTAdam discuss everything Fort Wilderness! From the origins of the property, to fun Guest stories through the years, and abandoned Disney Parks projects and attractions, of course! 

SHOWNOTES 

Do you remember this Disney celebration that ran from coast to coast? The Year of a Million Dreams celebration brought 27 months of Disney magic to guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland! From Dream Fastpasses and a DVC membership to a one night stay at Cinderella Castle Suite and the Grand Marshal World Tour, you're not going to believe some of these prizes. Ready to relive this celebration? Check out these extra links below!

"To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome."

It's our Season Four finale and we're taking a trip back to October 1, 1982, when EPCOT Center opened at Walt Disney World resort! Did you know EPCOT Center was the largest private construction in the country at the time? This week Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss Walt's original plans for EPCOT, the park's construction process, and the many, many dedication ceremonies. Follow the links below to learn even more about EPCOT Center's Opening Day! 

If you have ever wondered what the Disney parks were like back in 2000, The Carousel Project has you covered! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam travel back to the start of the new millennium and go over vintage maps from Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disneyland! On the East Coast, we were celebrating the Millennium Celebration and on the West Coast, Disneyland's 45th Anniversary was approaching! Remember, this was about a year before Disneyland Resort's expansion to second gate, Disney's California Adventure (Now "Disney California Adventure"). Follow along with the links posted below to see the maps discussed in the episode! 

There are many eras of Disney Animation, and today we're covering arguably the best of the best, the Disney Renaissance! From its epic movie premieres to its infusion into the parks, parades, attractions and more, we cover it all! Want to learn even more about the Disney Renaissance? Check out our show notes below!

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? This week on the Carousel Project Podcast we're covering the history of The Mickey Mouse Club. Did you know the Mickey Mouse Club began before the 1955 television show? We take things all the way back to the 1930's! We'll cover each iteration of this iconic club. Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss their favorite Mousketeers, casts, and more. Want to learn even more about the history of the Mickey Mouse Club? Check out some past Mickey Mouse Club ads, videos, articles, and more in the show notes below

Let's go shopping! This week on the Carousel Project Podcast we're covering the history of The Disney Store. Our journey starts back in the 1920's when Walt and Roy first licensed a Disney character! (Hint: It's NOT Mickey.) We take a trip through the rise and fall of the Disney Store starting all the way back in 1987! Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss their favorite Disney Store memories, merchandise, and more. You'll also learn WAY too much about Disney Consumer Products, so strap in! Want to learn even more about the history of the Disney Store? Check out some past Disney Store ads, videos, articles, and more in the show notes below!

The Force is STRONG with these weekends! This week on the Carousel Project Podcast we're covering the history of Star Wars Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios and eventually Disney's Hollywood Studios. This Star Wars experience took place on and off from 1997 to 2015. Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss the Star Wars Weekend-exclusive events, merchandise, shows, and more! Find out where the Jedi Training Academy got its start, which Disney characters used to be decked out in Star Wars gear, and more! We even discuss some of the marketing and ad campaigns that were in place during the Star Wars Weekend era. Want to learn even more about the history of Star Wars Weekend? Check out some past Star Wars Weekend ads, videos, articles, and more in the show notes below!

"There's Nothing in the World Like Action Park!" This week on the Carousel Project Podcast we're covering our first non-Disney topic, an amusement and waterpark located in Vernon Township, New Jersey. Josie, Kait, and Adam take a trip through the history of this infamous park. Learn how it earned the title of "America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park." From its ski resort beginnings and Gene Mulvihill to attractions, expansion, and incidents, we cover it all! Want to dive even deeper into the history of Action Park? Check out some past Action Park ads, documentaries, articles, and more in the show notes below!

The Carousel Project Podcast usually covers Disney theme parks, but this week we're diving into a different kind of magical vacation -- the Disney Cruise Line! Josie, Kait, and Adam cover Disney's history with the cruise line industry, which began quite a few years before the Disney Magic's maiden voyage in 1998. From the Big Red Boat and custom ships that broke the industry's mold to the backstory behind Castaway Cay and the future of the Disney Cruise Line, we're so excited to cruise through the history of this Disney vacation experience with you!

This week the Carousel Project Podcast is embarking on an boat tour that goes on for niles and niles and niles. Josie, Kait, and Adam cover the history of a classic attraction that dates back to the very first day of Disney Parks - The Jungle Cruise! This part of Disney history has gone on to inspire overlays, major attraction changes, a movie, and more. We even take a small dive into the Jungle Cruise's connection to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers! Learn how this idea of a Jungle Cruise got its start and what versions of this attraction can be experienced around the globe. There it is, the eighth wonder of the world, THE JUNGLE CRUISE PODCAST!

Welcome everyone to Season FOUR of The Carousel Project! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam take a trip back in time to 2005 for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary Celebration. Find out how the Walt Disney Company celebrated this milestone worldwide! From golden ride vehicles and attraction enhancements to theme park openings and the Happiest Balloon on Earth, there's so much anniversary excitement to uncover and we're talking about it all!

We're ending Season Three with an exciting moment in Disney history -- the Millennium Celebration at Walt Disney World! Take a trip back to 1999 to cover this 15 month celebration that was primarily based in Epcot. Get ready to "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand" with Josie, Kait, and Adam. From the start of Pin Trading and the Millennium Village to Leave A Legacy, Tapesty of Nations, and that larger-than-life Wand, The Carousel Project will cover it all!  

If you have ever wondered what the Disney parks were like back in 1972, The Carousel Project has you covered! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam travel all the way back to 1972 and go over vintage maps from Magic Kingdom and Disneyland! The very first Walt Disney World map, in fact. Follow along with the links posted below to see the maps discussed in the episode! 

This week Bunny (Josie), Bubbles (Kait), and Beulah (Adam) take a deep dive into one of Magic Kingdom's opening day attractions, Country Bear Jamboree! Did you know this attraction was originally met for a never-built Disney ski resort? It was also one of the very LAST attractions that Walt Disney personally helped develop.  From its humble beginnings and untimely closures to seasonal overlays and replacement attractions that never came to be, we hope you BEAR with us til the BEAR end! And y'all come back now, ya hear?

It's no secret that Winnie the Pooh is one popular bear! In fact, did you know Forbes ranked this willy nilly silly old bear as the second most valuable children's character in the world? (Behind Mickey Mouse, of course.) This week Josie, Kait, and Adam dive into the history of Winnie the Pooh and how he got his start with the Walt Disney Company. From merchandise crazes and ride closures to shorts, films, and series, if you have a love of Christopher Robin and his friends you're sure to enjoy this episode!

Supercalifragilisticexpiali-WELCOME to our discussion about the absolutely iconic Mary Poppins! This week Josie, Kait, and Adam dive deep into the history of Mary Poppins, from its origin as a book series to what would become Walt Disney's biggest film success of his lifetime, and of course Disney's recent additions to her legacy! Does everyone have their spoonful of sugar ready? Let's trip a little light fantastic! 

Who loved Fastpass? We loved Fastpass, and we're sure you did too! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam explore all things Fastpass, from its origins to all the changes it went through over the last 20+ years, and of course to its present iteration in Genie+ and Lightning Lane. 

Most Disney fans LOVE the PeopleMover, but do they know the history behind it? This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam take a trip back in time to unpack the full scoop on this classic Tomorrowland attraction. From the Ford Magic Skyway at the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair to Goodyear sponsorships and a short-lived attraction replacement, we're ready to dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly. (We're looking at you, Rocket Rods!) 

We're back with even more sitcoms visiting the Disney Parks! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam finish up their discussion on all 13 sitcoms that have filmed episodes at the Disney parks. From Sabrina the Teenage Witch to George Lopez and Black-ish, we've got you covered!

Welcome everyone to Season THREE of The Carousel Project! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam begin to discuss all 13 sitcoms that have filmed episodes at the Disney parks! From Full House to Boy Meets World, we've got you covered! Stay tuned for Part Two of this series next week!

We're ending Season Two with an exciting moment in Disney history -- Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Celebration! Get ready to "Remember the Magic" with Josie, Kait, and Adam. From the many, many television specials to all of the ingredients that went into that iconic Cake Castle, The Carousel Project will cover it all! Who else is ready to party like it's 1996?

If you have ever wondered what the Disney parks were like back in 1987, The Carousel Project has you covered! This week, Josie, Kait, and Adam travel all the way back to 1987 and go over vintage maps from Disneyland, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom! 

Follow along with the links posted below to see the maps discussed in the episode!

This week, The Carousel Project discusses the history of Disney Channel! From it's early shows in the 80s to present day, Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss everything from favorite shows, favorite DCOMs (IYKYK), and everything in between! Get your wand ready for that intro!

This week, The Carousel Project dives deep into the history of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Josie, Kait, and Adam discuss the history of the classic 1954 Walt Disney-produced movie, as well as the beloved Magic Kingdom attraction and other attractions inspired by the movie at various Disney parks worldwide. Get in your submarine and dive down with us!