From Back Stage
Cast Member Tales from Disneyland and Disney World
The Making of Hazelnut Inn
Here’s a backstage look at the construction of a very exciting personal project by the Imagination Corporation team.. Owned by Peter and Hailey Sawatzky, this little inn will be a place like none other in the world.
1980’s Disneyland Stories (That I Can Tell), Part 2
Cast Member Stories – Disneyland Hotel Days One of my first jobs out of college was doing audio visual work at the Disneyland Hotel. I had already done some lot labor work at a studio in Hollywood, but those stories are for another time (maybe even a book). I worked for an A/V company that…
1980’s Disneyland Stories (That I Can Tell), Part 1
Doug Bain is a themed attraction writer and concept developer at “Starts with a Story”. He is frequent contributor to ThemedAttraction. Here are some of his stories from back stage at Disneyland during the 1980’s, A long time ago, in the early 80’s, I worked at Disneyland – twice. The interview the second time is…
Candid tales from Walt Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean
Candid tales from Walt Disney World’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” by R.C. Loveland, former Disney World Cast Member Pirates of the Caribbean was the first attraction I was trained at. It was great getting to walk behind and on the sets as well in “staging” where the boats leave unload, travel the “up-ramp” and back…
The day the Jungle Cruise got a special guest visitor
The day the Jungle Cruise got a special guest visitor The following is a true story that happened at Disney’s Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom in 1998 to Skipper Andrew. To set the story up, there are a few things you must know. First of all, it is forbidden for any Disney cast member…
Candid stories from a former Disneyworld Jungle Cruise skipper
Candid stories from a former Disneyworld Jungle Cruise skipper By R.C. Loveland When I was being trained on the Jungle Cruise I learned about a trick the trainers liked to play on their trainees. I was taking a “dead” (empty) trip with my trainer to practice my spiel. He was sitting in the back of…
Working on the Jungle Cruise in the 1970’s
Working on the Jungle Cruise in the 1970’s, with Terry Speicher: Terry Speicher is a theme park designer with ITEC Productions and a former Walt Disney World Jungle Cruise Skipper from the opening days of Walt Disney World. These are some of his recollections in this exclusive interview. Interviewer: Tell us about how you got started…
Working on the Jungle Cruise in the 1990’s
JGR: Nathan, welcome! Thanks for being with us! NN: Thanks. JGR: The first thing I have to ask is how did you become one of the few skippers to work two Jungles? NN: Well, the hardest part was getting hired into the college program at Disneyland, where only about 10% of applicants made it in.…
