Dreamfinders

Tom K Morris, like many kids in the 70’s, saved up his money from a paper route. Unlike everyone else, he took that money and went to the opening of Disney World - by himself. That determination would serve Tom through the years as he joined Imagineering and found himself working on all sorts of memorable projects. Tom chats with Nathan about helping legends like Claude Coats and Marc Davis design World of Motion, creating the layout for Journey Into Imagination, and taking on one of the most important projects any Imagineer could - an actual Disney castle. You can keep up with Tom on his twitter - @tomkmorris. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Dan Viets wants to save Disney history. As president of the non-profit “Thank You Walt Disney,” Dan works to preserve and restore Walt's first professional headquarters - the Laugh-O-Gram Studios in Kansas City. Currently, the building sits empty and only known by those devotees who seek it out, but, with his organization Dan plans to make it a shining gem of K.C. Dan chats with Nathan about how Walt’s creativity blossomed in that studio, how a local amusement park most likely inspired Disneyland, and how Dan’s journey connects with Kansas City now having two Tomorrowland moon-liners! Learn all about and donate to the resotration plans for the Laugh-O-Gram Studio at thankyouwaltdisney.org. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Kevin Rafferty started his Disney career at the bottom washing dishes at the Plaza Inn, but before too long he found himself over at WED assisting the first generation of Imagineers. But Kevin was eager to make his own mark and eventually, as a show writer and developer for Imagineering himself, he would certainly do that. Love the Tower of Terror? That was his idea. Not only that, but Kevin would, over a 40 year career with Disney, go on to write and develop such iconic wonders as Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Test Track, Toy Story Midway Mania, It’s Tough to Be A Bug, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Rockin Roller Coaster and that’s just to name a few. Kevin sits down Nathan to talk about his new autobiography - Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career. They also discuss tons of attractions he pitched that never saw the light of day, that time he pulled off a heist to save Disney history with the voice of Mickey Mouse himself Jimmy McDonald, and how he ended up pitching Carsland before he even knew Pixar was making a film about cars. Kevin's new autobiography "Magic Journey" is available all books are sold including Amazon, Disney, and Books-a-Million. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

In 1994, David Koenig authored the book Mouse Tales - the first unauthorized account of the history and culture of Disneyland. With it, he ignited a whole generation of fans, who were just as curious as he was about what was happening behind the scenes at the happiest place on Earth. From there, David wrote several books on different aspects of Disneyland, one on Disney Animation and another on Disney World - all parting the curtain in ways Disney would never do themselves. David sits down with Nathan to talk Disney’s official reaction to Mouse Tales, his newest book on Disneyland’s original 1955 cast members, and that time former President of the Walt Disney Company Card Walker called him up on the phone. Keep up with David and his newest book at bonadventurepress.com or find his books on Amazon.com. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

When J. Daniel Jenkins was a kid, he would make sand castles but never play with them. It was the building part he liked best. Years later, Daniel would be helping to build dreams into reality as Senior Project Design Manager for Imagineering. Daniel sits down with Nathan to discuss how to tell stories with architecture, how the 7 Dwarfs' Mine Train coaster was a uniquely difficult challenge, and why Florida soil became one of the major frustrations when planning for Galaxy’s Edge.   Lean all about J Daniel Jenkins, Theme Park Architecture Academy, his podcast, and blog at themeparkarchitect.com Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Youtube has a plethora of theme park content, but most of it is strictly educational. And then there’s Tony Goldmark. Tony has gained notoriety for his long running series “Some Jerk with a Camera,” which discusses everything from Captain EO to Steve Urkel going to Epcot while being primarily filmed in the parks - sometimes under the watchful eye of Disney security. Tony was nice enough to sit down with Nathan to chat about his experiences filming on location, how Family Matters going to Disney turned into an 8 part video epic and that one time he was an extra in a Weird Al music video. Learn more about Tony... * Twitter - @tonygoldmark * Youtube - tonygoldmark Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

If you've seen Disneyland's Bert on Pinterest, there is a good chance it's Chris Hartwell. With experience as a face and costumed character, a Jedi trainer, and a member of the cast of Fantasmic, Chris knows what it's like to perform for Disney crowds. Chris sits down with Nathan to talk about his experiences in the park, what it takes to be a Disney performer, and the time he met Dick Van Dyke. Learn more about Chris... * Twitter - @chrishartwell * Youtube - chrishartwell Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Today’s guest isn’t a mystery to those who have followed WDW News Today over the years. The sites founder and CEO Tom Corless has been on the Disney parks beat for over a decade and he’s seen both the parks and how people cover it change dramatically in that time. Tom sat down to talk about how his family’s own love for Disney World rubbed off on him, what it was like to work for the Disney props auction house Theme Park Connection, and how Imagineering has responded to his own reporting. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Sophie Jo has a special way she celebrates her Disney fandom - poetry. Stringing words together, she finds pathos in Stinky Pete and showcases her love for Disneyland Paris. While sometimes maligned, Sophie has a passion for the French park and has written all about it in her poetry book “Kids Grown Up,” where she explores both her favorite areas of the park and Disney characters that inspire and intrigue her. In this episode, Sophie chats with Nathan about her first experience in Phantom Manor at the age of six, how Disney makes her happy cry, and why she loves Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2. To note - our chat about Phantom manor was recorded before it reopened with a brand new backstory so keep that in mind as you listen.  You can check out all her writing and buy her poetry book “Kids Grown Up” at sophiejowrites.com  Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

William "Sully" Sullivan started at the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland about a week and a half after the park opened and stayed with the company for the next 39 and a half years, finally retiring as the vice-president of The Magic Kingdom. Sully sits down with Nathan to chat about giving Walt private tours through the Jungle Cruise, keeping Small World operating at the 1964 World’s Fair, and helping open the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disneyland Paris. Sully Sullivan talks about all this and more in his book “From Jungle Cruise Skipper to Disney Legend” from Theme Park Press - available for purchase through Amazon. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Disney certainly has an ever evolving selection of beer and cocktails that have become pool-side favorites and World Showcase staples. But how to choose when you have so many options? Authors Daniel "Drunky" Miller and Rhiannon have written “Drinking at Disney - A Tipsy Travel Guide to Walt Disney World’s Bars, Lounges & Glow Cubes.” Drunky and Rhiannon sit down with Nathan to talk about their disastrous first meeting, why Disney Springs needs a brewery, and how Animal Kingdom might beat Epcot at the drinking game. Dreamfinders is a podcast hosted by Nathan Hartman about the creative culture surrounding Disney theme parks. Episodes release every other Tuesday. Grab yourself a copy of "Drinking at Disney" on Amazon. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

If you’re a Disney parks fan and a bit of a bookworm, it’s highly likely you know Jeff Kurtti - author of such fan favorite Disney books as Since the World Began, The Art of Disneyland, Imagineering Legends, and 27 other Disney titles! But his writing is just the tip of the iceberg. Jeff sits down with Nathan to talk about answering fan mail for Imagineering, sitting in meetings with Micheal Eisner and Jeffery Katzenberg, as well as becoming both friends and the official “Shermanoligist” to the great Sherman brothers. Dreamfinders is a podcast hosted by Nathan Hartman about the creative culture surrounding Disney theme parks. Episodes release every other Tuesday. Check out Jeff's newest work at your local bookseller or Amazon. * Travels with Walt Disney * Practically Poppins in Every Way * From All of Us to All of You: The Disney Christmas Card  Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Erick Kanter and his wife Marlene have a unique way to celebrate their love of the Disney parks. While some fans make shirts or create in-depth Youtube videos, the Kanters roast up their passion for Disney. Since 2014, they've been running Expedition Roasters - a coffee and tea company that brings to your kitchen a little bit of pop culture. Erick sits down with Nathan to discuss how they come up with their flavors, why his love of dogs got him into coffee roasting, and what it's like to work with other fans to create their beautiful packaging. This also marks Dreamfinders first ever giveaway so make sure to listen to the full episode for details! Dreamfinders is a podcast hosted by Nathan Hartman about the creative culture surrounding Disney theme parks. Episodes release every other Tuesday. Learn all about Expedition Roasters and purchase their brews at www.expeditionroasters.com Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed. Note: This week's episode and giveaway are not sponsored by Expedition Roasters. Dreamfinders reached out to them for the interview.

Tammy Tuckey grew up with a passion for Disney World and now she's sharing it with us. She's not only the host of the Tiara Talkshow, where she's interviewed everyone from Imagineers to Debbie Reynolds, but is also the musical artist behind the new album "You'll Find Me on Main St." - a compilation of beloved theme park songs from attractions like Horizons and Country Bear Jamboree. Tammy chats with Nathan about how her early photos of Disney trips inspired a new music video and what it was like to sing The American Adventure song "Two Brothers" with the original singer Ali Olmo. Dreamfinders is a podcast hosted by Nathan Hartman about the creative culture surrounding Disney theme parks. Episodes release every other Tuesday. Check out Tammy's Work at www.tammytuckey.com and find her album "You'll Find Me on Main St. on iTunes. Also check out her podcast The Tiara Talkshow. Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.

Jason Lethcoe started his career in animation working on Disney's "The Little Mermaid" and his love of story continued as an author for young adult fiction, including "Zoom's Academy" which made into the film "Zoom." These days, Jason has teamed up with Disney publishing on "Tales from Adventureland" - a book series centered around the fabled theme park area. On this episode, Jason has plenty of tales of his own to share, including a cherished encounter with one of his literary heroes, Ray Bradbury. Dreamfinders is a podcast hosted by Nathan Hartman about the creative culture surrounding Disney theme parks. Episodes release every other Tuesday. Check out Jason's books! * Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Books-A-Million  Contact Nathan * Twitter – @somestuffisaid * Instagram – @somestuffisaw * Email – dreamfinders@wdwnt.com Credits: * Podcast Artwork - JP Tanner * This podcast is distributed by WDW News Today Find us on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher using our RSS feed.