Nope, I haven’t been gone. I’ve just been writing elsewhere!

From now on, you can find me over at DisneyDispatch.com!

I write two weekly columns over there now. “From The Mouth of the Mouse” is where I interview past and present Cast Members, and it appears every Wednesday. “The 626″ is where I write about everything Disney, from the history of lost attractions to musings about new developments, and it appears every Friday.

So, head on over and check it out!

Since the other video I posted today was so short, here’s yet another one. This time it’s with Figment & Dreamfinder, when the two used to walk around Future World and greet guests. I loved when they did this, and really wish they still did it today. Look who awesome the puppet looks and moves. Great stuff!

Here’s another quick little video of me hanging out by the Tiki Statues in Adventureland while they go through their musical spiel.

Here’s a quick little video of the Parrot that used to be outside the Pirates of the Caribbean.

It shows a little bit of his banter (though it’s a little difficult to hear), and a bit of him singing the theme song!

Here’s yet another video from my 1988 vacation. This time, we journey to Epcot for an amazing stunt show, located right by Spaceship Earth.

When I first posted this, I was at a loss for what it was. But thanks to the help of EPCOT Explorer (whom I suggest you follow over on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EPCOTExplorer!), I was able to find out more about this show! It was called the Epcot Daredevil Circus Spectacular, and it ran only in 1988 (so lucky me for being there at the right time!). The show itself was performed 4 times a day by two Space cyclists, who would use their motorcycle to race toward Spaceship Earth on a high wire, and perform dazzling feats high above the heads of Epcot’s guests. The Rodriguez Family would also perform trapeze acts all around the sphere.

The show was billed as “The Greatest Show In Space,” and put guests right in the center ring of this eight ring circus high in the sky above CommuniCore.

So now, enjoy some old school Future World entertainment!

Howdy folks! Been awhile, hasn’t it? Sorry about that!

Today, I’m going to start bringing you some retro videos of everyone’s favorite vacation kingdom.

By the time I was 4 and 1/2, I was already well versed in the magic that is Walt Disney World. I recently found an old VHS tape from one of my earliest trips, from 1988, and found a lot of neat little gems in there.

I’ll be sharing a bunch of these videos with you here over the next few weeks.

First up is a short little video of everyone’s favorite barbershop quartet, The Dapper Dans, performing “Old Folks At Home” (or as it’s sometimes called, “Way Down Upon the Swanee River”).

I’m trying to find a little more about who is in this line up, because I’d love to talk to them, so if anyone out there has any leads, please let me know!

In the meantime, enjoy!

Is it that time again already?!

The latest issue of Celebrations Magazine is now available!

You already know that it’s a fantastic magazine. I sing its praises when it arrives every month, so you really should pick it up.

To make it extra special for me this month, the cover story is about my favorite attraction of all time, The Haunted Mansion, and if I do say so myself, the article is fantastic. Then again, I may be a little biased, seeing as how I’m the one that wrote it!

So, stop wasting time, and order your copy today!!!!

For ordering info, be sure to check out www.celebrationspress.com!

A very sweet girl recently went through her old Disney stuff with her mother, and came across a guide book from 1976 that she was gracious enough to give to me for some research. It is literally quite a find, so I thought I would share it with you guys as well!

As mentioned, this guide book comes from the summer of 1976, when patriotism was in full swing at Walt Disney World resorts. According to the book, the “Spirit of ‘76″ parade, filled with a 20 foot ice cream con, a musical river boat, and more, made their way along Main Street every day. To further celebrate the nation’s 200th birthday, the Hall of Presidents was complimentary to all guests that summer.

It’s incredibly interesting to look at a guide book from the early days of Walt Disney World, as it gives you a snapshot of where exactly the park was at that time. Back then, they still used the A-E ticket system, and it’s interesting to see how they rank each attraction. Ticket prices were (obviously) must lower in those days…a 2 Day, 17 ticket book cost an adult $15!

The guidebook also includes a “Photo Tips” section from GAF, the “official film of Walt Disney World,” as mentioned in the ad on the back cover. It’s filled with simple little tips to help make your family photos of your summer of ‘76 trip to Disney World better.

Two incredible maps are also found within the book…one of The Magic Kingdom itself, and the other of Walt Disney World Resort in general. The map of the Magic Kingdom is interesting, because it shows how much the park has grown from 1976 up to today. It also gives a vague outline of where the “show” buildings for each ride actually are, giving away some of that Disney “magic.”

The Walt Disney World Resort map gives a good look at what it looked like in 1976. At the time, Magic Kingdom was the only park that was open, and they only had 4 major resorts for guests to stay at: Contemporary, Polynesian, Golf, and Fort Wilderness.

I scanned the entire guide book into a PDF file for your enjoyment. You can download it by clicking here. Hope you enjoy it!

The massively huge D23 Expo got off to a huge start yesterday, and it looks like it’s going to be a smash with the fans. Unfortunately, I am one of the many who could not attend (as much as I would have liked too). I am making a vow now, though, that I will be there for next year’s convention for sure!

In any event, there is absolutely no way for me to accurately cover the details of the event, so I’ll refer you to someone who is better at me at keeping tabs. Jessica over at The True Disney Fan has been keeping a running list of all the websites, podcasts, twitter accounts and so on that are being updated constantly as news and fun stuff happens at D23.

If you’re like us, and stuck at home, head over to her post here to check out the latest happenings over at D23, and live vicariously through the people who are there!

It’s that time again!

The latest issue of Celebrations Magazine is now available! If you’re a subscriber, you should have received the latest issue. If you’re not…then what are you waiting for? It’s absolutely worth it, and it’s a great read every month.

And to make it even better…there is another article in it by yours truly! This time around, I explore Discovery Island, the oft forgotten island that failed to do what Animal Kingdom now excells at. If you read it, be sure to let me know what you think!

For ordering info, be sure to check out www.celebrationspress.com!