The late Leota Toombs Thomas, longtime Walter Elias Disney (WED—now Walt Disney Imagineering) employee, model builder, costumer, and Imagineer, is best known as the disembodied spirit of Madame Leota in Disneyland’s and Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion attraction. Not long ago, I chatted with her former sister-in-law and my very
Tag: Walt Disney
Wednesday with Walt: Master of Sneakiness
With my youngest child graduating last week, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I feel rather like Marlin in “Finding Nemo” or James in “College Road Trip” in that both of these dads had to learn lessons in letting go and letting their children grow up. Being a
Disney Versus: Animation Studios
In 1937 the world of animation changed. A man named Walt Disney launched an 84 minute ‘cartoon’ called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and in so doing, started a war that continues to this day! Of course, the war took some time to really get going. For decades, no
Disney Data Center Coming to NC
Interesting news for us Disney Bloggers here in NC. This news story broke on the Shelby Star. According to the deed, Disney is already on its way to Kings Mountain in the form of a data center near U.S. 74. On Tuesday, city council agreed seeking two grants, totaling $60,000,
Treasures Of The Walt Disney Archives Returns To The D23 Expo, Showcasing More Than 80 Years Of Disney History
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and the Walt Disney Archives are proud to announce the return of the “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” exhibit to the D23 Expo. During the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 19-21, 2011, the 12,000-square-foot exhibit, which has doubled in size
Wednesday with Walt: The Gift of Mentorship
“A lot of young people think the future is closed to them, that everything has been done. This is not so. There are still plenty of avenues to be explored.” – Walt Disney Next week, my baby boy will graduate from high school. This is a bitter-sweet time for me
I love this site – The Monorail Society
Picture a world where every major city had a rapid transit system of the future. Walt Disney did just that as he envisioned the technology of the Monorail being utilized in place of light rail or car or bus transportation. He even campaigned for this in political circles, but his untimely
Keys to the Kingdom: Liberty Square
During my Keys to the Kingdom tour this past November, I learned so many awesome details about the Magic Kingdom. This is another installment of the memories from that wonderful tour. Spoiler alert! Walt Disney was a genius in many areas. One such area was his attention to detail. He
Wednesday with Walt: Just Daddy!
Walt and Lillian Disney tried very hard to keep their daughters unaware of their daddy’s fame. Few studio people were invited to the house and they never talked about the studio in front of the girls. They wanted a normal life for them. One day, after an afternoon party, little
Wednesday with Walt: Sunny-Side Up
“Everybody in the world was once a child. So in planning a new picture, we don’t think of grownups, and we don’t think of children, but just of that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us, that maybe the world has made us forget, and that
All New Chip and Company Website is now live
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update. The All New Chip and Company Website is now complete! While many people loved the old site there was a lot of information to digest on the main page and makes it hard to figure out where to start first. Hopefully with
Wednesday with Walt: Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale
One of the most beautiful voices in Disney movie history, to me, was Ilene Woods who was the voice of Cinderella. I am writing about her today because Ilene was born on May 5, 1929. There is an inspiring story between Walt and Ilene that not everyone knows and I
Chip & Company Week in Review, May 2nd, 2011
Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Chip & Company Week in Review. This has been a busy week for news, so let’s dive into it right now! Our writer Michele took a look at Courtesy Holds, what they mean, and whether there are any “catches” associated with
Princess Punch-up: Who’s Really the Fairest?
Beauty is only skin deep. Although we’ve all heard that saying, we still appreciate and are attracted to, a pretty face. And Walt Disney did little to correct that trend. His first three Princesses were heavy on the looks, light on true depth. But 30 years have passed and the
