The Tomorrow Society Podcast

When you think about projects from Disney history that never happened, Mineral King is one of the most interesting examples. The concepts for this California ski resort were a serious dream for Walt Disney in the 1960s. Those plans ultimately led to a conflict with environmentalists in the Sierra Club who had concerns with developing the pristine land.… Read more... The post 216. Kathryn Mayer and Greg Glasgow on Disneyland on the Mountain appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

We’ve all heard the stories about Walt Disney’s original ideas for EPCOT the city and how they evolved into EPCOT Center. But how much do we really know about that process following Walt’s passing? We might enjoy a straightforward documentary about those 16 years with talking heads explaining the milestones.… Read more... The post 215. Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland on Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

There’s a lot happening at the Disneyland Resort, especially as Disney prepares for major investments in their parks in the next decade. They just added the Adventureland Treehouse, which takes a classic approach to the longtime attraction. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure should open next year to replace Splash Mountain, and plenty more changes are on the way.… Read more... The post 214. Seth Kubersky on the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and World of Frozen appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

It seems nearly impossible to sum up 50 years of Walt Disney Company history in a single book, yet J. Jeff Kober has looked to do just that in his new book. A Century of Powerful Disney Insights: Volume 1 focuses on 1923-1973 with takeaways for inspiration.… Read more... The post 213. J. Jeff Kober on A Century of Powerful Disney Insights appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Photo by Jackie Ogden Jackie Ogden, PhD, played a key role in the development and evolution of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Her educational background in psychology and animal behavior made her the right choice to work on this complicated new park. She joined Disney in 1997 just eight months prior to opening and became the Curator for Conservation Station.… Read more... The post 212. Dr. Jackie Ogden on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Conservation, and the Seas appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg continues to evolve as a regional park with a solid ride lineup. It became a full-day park in January 2021 and has added several new attractions in the past few years. The highly anticipated Pantheon coaster finally opened last spring after delays from the pandemic.… Read more... The post 211. Mary Kwiatkowski on the DarKoaster and Curse of DarKastle at Busch Gardens Williamsburg appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Disney has invested quite a bit in transforming EPCOT into a modern park, but they haven’t focused on updating the classic pavilions. A perfect example is Spaceship Earth, which looks great on the outside and has an awesome lighting package.… Read more... The post 210. Updating Spaceship Earth appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

About 14 years ago after my daughter was born, I developed a strong desire to check out more coaster parks near St. Louis. I wrote down a short list of places that I hoped to visit in the next few years.… Read more... The post 209. My First Visit to Kings Island Trip Report appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

When Greg Combs was studying Theatre in college in the early 1980s, he could not have predicted his ultimate destination at Walt Disney Imagineering. After moving to California, he took a temporary job at Disney as a Show Set Designer and stayed there for more than 30 years.… Read more... The post 208. Imagineer Greg Combs on Indiana Jones, Tower of Terror, and Tokyo DisneySea appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

After so much speculation, Disney has finally released their vision for the future at the Destination D23 event. A lot of the news was expected, but there were still a few big surprises after Josh D’Amaro took the stage. On this episode of the Tomorrow Society Podcast, I sum up my five takeaways from Disney’s announcements this past weekend at Destination D23.… Read more... The post 207. Five Takeaways from Disney’s Destination D23 Announcements appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Walt Disney Imagineering draws the most attention from its big theme park attractions, but there’s a lot more happening beyond the headliners. For example, they have worked closely with educational institutions and industry organizations on research and many other activities. Imagineer Mk Haley worked at the center of many of these projects during more than 25 years at Imagineering.… Read more... The post 206. Imagineer Mk Haley on the Power of Disney Research and Educating the Next Generation appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

My bucket list of new parks and roller coasters from around the world just keeps expanding. The reason is a group of great YouTube channels that provide lots of info and reviews of such cool rides. A perfect example is Coaster 365, which includes a new coaster review every day in 2023.… Read more... The post 205. Reviewing a Coaster a Day with Bryant Olivera of Coaster 365 appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Photo by Kevin Sherbrooke It’s easy to forget how much goes into every aspect of theme parks. The work involved moves well beyond concept art. The design and construction require intricate planning including the restrooms, trash cans, and building layouts. Kevin Sherbrooke has worked closely on a wide range of theme park projects for Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, and more.… Read more... The post 204. Kevin Sherbrooke on Innoventions, Tokyo DisneySea, and Islands of Adventure appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

I recently learned the sad news that Disney Imagineer Glenn Barker passed away several weeks ago. Glenn had an incredible career as a sound designer for Disney’s theme parks for more than 45 years. Beyond his career accomplishments, he was also a genuine and friendly man who downplayed his success.… Read more... The post REBROADCAST: 84. Glenn Barker on Creating Sound at Walt Disney Imagineering for More Than 45 Years appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Photo by the National Museum of American History Disney’s parks and films have played an important role in how we consider American history and our culture. They’re more than just casual entertainment and have connected with our core identities. In her book Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives, Bethanee Bemis explores Disney’s impact on this country’s stories going back to Mickey Mouse and the opening of Disneyland.… Read more... The post 203. Bethanee Bemis on Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

When Eli Erlandson joined WED Enterprises in 1975, it was a different place from the Walt Disney Imagineering we know today. Iconic figures like Marc Davis and Harper Goff worked alongside young designers on the next phase for Disney’s theme parks.… Read more... The post 202. Eli Erlandson on EPCOT Center, Disneyland Paris, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Following three days at the Disneyland resort over Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t leave California without one more theme park stop. Our trip concluded with a fun day at a very busy Universal Studios Hollywood. Super Nintendo World was a major draw, but that was only part of what interested me about this evolving park.… Read more... The post 201. Super Nintendo World and Universal Studios Hollywood Trip Report appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

There’s so much to cover from even a few days at the Disneyland resort. This helps explain why this episode of the Tomorrow Society Podcast is easily the longest in the show’s existence. My family recently spent four nights and three days in Anaheim enjoying Disney’s California parks.… Read more... The post 200. The Big Disneyland Resort Trip Report appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Disneyland is nearing the park’s 70th anniversary, which will occur on July 17th, 2025. So much has changed during its history, and it’s easy to focus on a small fraction of that background. The official company stories typically fall into the same buckets and don’t veer beyond regular narratives.… Read more... The post 199. Archivist Jason Schultz on Documenting the History of Disneyland appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Mike Schwalm was obsessed with Disneyland and theme parks from a young age. He even built a Jurassic Park-themed attraction for a swim team event after The Lost World premiered. This interest led him to study set design in college and work on developing his illustration and design skills.… Read more... The post 198. Mike Schwalm on Pandora: The World of Avatar and Happily Ever After appeared first on Tomorrow Society.