SAMLAND: Did You Know Universal Studios Tried To Buy SeaWorld?
Did you know that Universal Studios tried to buy SeaWorld? Of course! In Hollywood anything is possible. However, this is not current news. This...
Samland: The Mickey and Friends Parking Structure Story
Sam has something new for us today that he learned when researching The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide. He's headed off to Central California this...
Finally a Window on Main Street for Buzz Price – Part...
Two years ago, almost exactly, we pulled out a megaphone right here on MiceChat and declared that Harrison "Buzz" Price should be awarded a...
Samland: Free Parking After 6, How Universal Orlando CityWalk was Saved
Recently, I took a trip back in time to the genesis of CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood. This week I will turn my attention...
Samland – Disney’s Burbank Adventure in the 80’s
For 12 years, Burbank had been looking for someone to build a regional shopping center on a significant piece of vacant property on Third...
Samland: Birth of Walt Disney World Moderate Hotels
Welcome to Samland. This week let’s step into the time machine and turn the dial back to August 1984. Walt Disney’s Son-In-Law, Ron Miller,...
Samland: Disneyland Parking
Parking. It seems that parking has always been an issue at Disneyland and having an adequate supply has been critical to the success of...
Samland: Disneyland Capacity – The Sponge
The sponge
A theme park is a sponge that sucks up people. It is a finite space that has an infinite capacity as long as...
Samland: Walt Disney and the Epcot Master Plan
Walt Disney first achieved fame as an animator. He would go on to great success producing live action films, documentaries, and television programs. For...
Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast #150 – Planning Universal Studios Florida...
On this episode we welcome Sam author Sam Gennawey back on to the show to talk about the story behind the creation of Universal...
SAMLAND: How Walt Disney Studied and Built Disneyland
Maybe it was inevitable that Walt Disney would build Disneyland. He certainly had been studying the idea his entire life. His daughter Diane Disney...
Sam Visits Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives
I realize that the D23 Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit has been running at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for some time...
An Al Lutz Breakfast
As a historian, it is always nice to review original documents. I recently examined all of Al Lutz's old columns for a book project....
Disneyland Main Street: Form Follows Function
Looking through my files the other day, I came across an early 1970s Cast Member training manual for Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. In this...
Sam Examines the Small Print Behind the My Disney Experience Program
As the battles between Disney and the other theme park operators is notched up another level with the introduction of the My Disney Experience...
Looking forward to Walt Disney World’s past
Time to step into the Wayback Machine and take a look at how the Walt Disney World public relations team tried to portray the...
Notes from Disney World Part Two
Time to return to the right coast (WDW and Universal) and work out my Demons of Happiness that author Ray Bradbury once spoke of....
SAMLAND: Notes from Walt Disney World
Like many dedicated Disneylanders, every now and again I must visit that other Mecca of theme parks... Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. So...
Welcome to Mickey’s Toontown
I'll admit that I just love Mickey’s Toontown. It is one of my most favorite immersive environments at Disneyland. This is not to be...
The Disney America Story – Part 3
Our tale of a real life American adventure continues this week as we explore the proposed attractions of Disney's America theme park. If...