When the Beatlesland story broke, the fantasy invited a bigger question: What if The Beatles took over Disneyland? To explore that idea, I invited a group of remarkable creators to Imagineer their own interpretations. Presented here as a gallery, these pieces celebrate creative play, shared curiosity, and the joy of asking “what if?”
Disney Creators Imagine Beatlesland Read More »
Dick Clark to Michael Eisner: Imagine If The Beatles Took Over Disneyland? Studio pitch video reveals the iconic entertainment mashup between Dick Clark, The Beatles & Disney that never happened. In a recently-discovered video mailed to Disney CEO Michael Eisner in 2003, late TV host and producer Dick Clark proposes that Disneyland celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Beatles’ U.S. invasion with a complete retheming of the iconic theme park using themes and music from the band’s beloved song catalog.
Dick Clark to Michael Eisner: Imagine If The Beatles Took Over Disneyland? Read More »
With Disney parks closed and all the Jungle Cruise Skippers stuck at home in quarantine, we thought it best to give them an outlet for their river full of puns. At the suggestion of Skipper Cindy, we sent out a distress signal to Skippers past and present to recreate the jungle on video at home and share their favorite jungle jokes, not their germs.
VIDEO: Jungle Cruise Skippers | COVID-19 Edition Read More »
This post is an adaptation of the eulogy I read at my father’s funeral on February 2, 2019. It’s of an intensely personal nature so it may make some readers uncomfortable. I hope my story is encouraging to those who have also loved and lost, but I won’t be offended if you decide to skip
The Parable of the Duck Read More »
The Story So Far: Tom Nabbe started his Disney career at the age of twelve shilling newspapers on Main Street in Disneyland. A year later, after bugging Walt Disney like only a twelve-year-old can do, he was hired to be the Tom in Tom Sawyer Island. Taking pictures, signing autographs, and baiting fishing lines with worms.
A Lifetime of Disney Adventures — Disney Legend, Tom Nabbe (Part 2) Read More »
I don’t know about you, but when I see old footage of Disneyland — footage from the 1960s or 1950s, before I was born — I feel something like an ache to turn back the clock. Inside me springs an anxious desire to travel back through time and visit the park in its infant stage,
Walt Disney’s Own Tom Sawyer — Chat with Disney Legend, Tom Nabbe (Part 1) Read More »
With the recent demolition of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to make space for the new Cars and Villains lands at Magic Kingdom, I can’t help but mourn one of the most remarkable Disney secrets I’ve ever known. This “hidden Walt” is gone now, but I hope this record of its existence
The Hand of Walt — A Disney Secret Hidden For Decades Is Finally Revealed! Read More »
The newly opened Bengal BBQ dining area at Disneyland features a bevy of curious Easter eggs which appear to reveal a richly-hewn backstory that ties Disneyland’s Adventureland to Disney parks around the world through a mysterious club known as “The S.E.A.” Disney parks are known for their incredible spatial-storytelling techniques. They weave together seemingly unrelated
