Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, that’s Brenda, and he’s Grogu, and we’re On the Road with Mickey! This is episode 247 and this week our feature topic is Celebrating Walt: The Lasting Legacy of a Life Well Lived. This week, we’re talking about Walt Disney, the man, and how his life’s work turned into such a legacy for millions to enjoy. Here’s what we talked about:

• 
  
• Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
  
  • 
    
  • Mike: News out of Hollywood Studios! Muppet Vision 3D will be closing to make way for Monster’s Inc. Land and the coming Door Coaster! However, over at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, that is being re-themed to include the Muppets! What do you think of the changes?
    
  • Brenda: As we kind of expected, Disney has rolled out the Lightning Lane Premier Pass pilot to include all Disney Resort hotels. You will be able to purchase up to seven days before the first day of your trip, for up to 14 days. This change took effect on November 22nd.
    
  • Sophie: In refurbishment news, Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland is closed for a short refurbishment; from November 18th through December 20th.
    
  
  
  
• Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  
  • 
    
  • Facebook: https://facebook.ontheroadwithmickey.com
    
  • Facebook Group: https://facebookgroup.ontheroadwithmickey.com
    
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OntheRoadwithMickey
    
  • Instagram: On the Road with Mickey
    
  • Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
    
  
  
  
• Listener Feedback on “Christmas at Disney”
  
  • 
    
  • Chrissy from Billy’s Closet of Magic answered our question on going to Walt Disney World at Christmas. Here is what she said: “We have a tentative weekend planned for December to do the Cookie walk at Epcot and possibly Jollywood nights if it’s still available when I get paid next. We missed the holiday trip last year.”
    
  
  
  
• Feature Topic: Celebrating Walt: The Lasting Legacy of a Life Well Lived.
  
  • 
    
  • December 5, 1901: Walter Elias Disney is born to Flora and Elias Disney in their two-story cottage at 1249 Tripp Avenue in a newly developed section of Chicago, Illinois. (In 1909, the address of the house will change to 2156 North Tripp Avenue.) The fourth Disney son is named to honor the family’s pastor and friend Walter Parr, a preacher at St. Paul Congregational Church (located one block east and one block north of the Disney house). The pastor, in turn, will later name his son Elias, after Walt’s father. (The Disney family will move to Missouri in April 1906 where Walt and his brothers and sister will grow up on a farm in Marceline, but the family will later return to Chicago in 1917.)
    
  • September 4, 1918: Postal employee Walt Disney (who is a substitute mail carrier) is walking through the West Adams Street lobby of the Federal Building in Chicago when he hears a deafening blast that shakes the ground. Someone has planted a bomb. More than 75 are injured and four are killed – including a co-worker of Walt’s named William Wheeler. The force of the blast also kills a horse on the street, damages a streetcar and shatters windows on nearby buildings. “I was in the post office. I just got through sorting my mail, or finishing my route. I was walking out … going out a certain entrance … when it was bombed. I was right in the lobby when, FOOOOOM, this thing went off. Here comes the dust shooting out and everything. That was the way I went out every night. I missed that darn thing by about three minutes.” – Walt Disney
    
  • World War I – Walt is a patriot. It was one of his greatest traits. When WWI broke out, Roy joined the war movement. Walt wanted to also help in the war effort. Walt was too young to join the Army, but did join the Red Cross and drove an ambulance.
    
  • Propaganda cartoons during WWII, portrayal of Abraham Lincoln
    
  • NATO Showman of the World award
    
    • 
      
    • “Most of this talk has been about me and big brother Roy and a few of the exhibitors but, also, there is the Disney organization with its three thousand employees. “They take pride in the organization which they helped to build. Only through the talent, the labor and the dedication of this staff could any Disney project get off the ground. “Now before sitting down to count my blessings I want to make you a promise. I promise we won’t let this great honor you have paid us tonight go to our head–we have too many projects for the future to take time out for such a thing. On top of that–after forty some odd years of ups and downs in this crazy business of ours we know too well–you are only as good as your next picture.”
      
    
    
    
  • Walt Disney on family: https://www.waltdisney.org/sites/default/files/walt-disney/walt-disney.html
    
  • Prayer in my life: https://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/PrayerInMyLife.html
    
  
  
  
• This Day in Disney History for 12/2/2024:
  
  • 
    
  • 1935: Marc Davis, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men and a Disney Legend, begins working at the Walt Disney Studio.
    
  
  
  
• Stump the Soph!
  
  • 
    
  • 101 Dalmatians – Nanny, Rodger, Anita
    
  
  
  
• A little bit of Walt
  
  • 
    
  • “To all who come to this happy place, Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” – Walt Disney
    
  • “Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney… and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place… a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together. Dedicated this 25th day of October, 1971. Roy O. Disney.”
    
  
  
  
• Coming in two weeks: Christmas Memories at Disney
  

As always, thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun talking Disney, and I’m glad you are enjoying it as well! Remember, you can reach us in many ways — by email to info@ontheroadwithmickey.com. You can also talk to us on our Facebook Page, On the Road with Mickey or in our On the Road with Mickey Group. Feel free to join us! Have a great week, and we’ll be back to talk with you again next week!