Wd-fm: The Official Walt Disney Family Museum Podcast

Even after decades of success, Walt Disney always wanted the world to remember that his entertainment empire was “all started by a mouse.” This episode chronicles Mickey’s influence on art and entertainment over the past nine decades and tells the story of his origin, rise to fame, and enduring world-wide appeal.  The Walt Disney Family is presenting the special exhibition, Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World now through January 6, 2020. 

Hear from the voice of Mickey Mouse, Bret Iwan, and legendary animator and director, Eric Goldberg from the 2019 D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.  

Walt’s first venture into the all cartoon medium started with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. From 1927 to 1928 Walt and his team would produce 26 Oswald shorts and by March of 1928 the character and half of Walt’s animators would be taken away by distributor, Charles Mintz. Learn about Oswald's early beginnings and his eventual return to The Walt Disney Company. 

Humor is best shared with those you love. Walt shared a lifetime of laughter with the world, but more importantly, he shared love and laughter with his family and friends. This week we celebrate the love story between Walt and Lillian Disney. Whether celebrating their anniversary playfully dancing at the Golden Horseshoe Review, or a small puppy popping out of a hat box, Walt and Lilly showed the unique bond forged by love and laughter.

Walt went back to the drawing board when he moved to Hollywood. Our hosts explore the beginnings of The Walt Disney Company with the first series the Alice Comedies. 

Highlights from this episode include odd jobs, dental hygiene, and the kindness of strangers. What do these things have in common? Be prepared to find out! Learn about the people who had a huge impact on Walt's life after Laugh-O-grams went under, and hear how Walt remembered these kindnesses long after he climbed out of the inkwell and into a successful career.

Join our hosts as they flip through Walt's early beginnings into animation. From early stop motion to hand drawn animation, learn more about how Walt discovered how to bring his drawings to life.

From forgery to an alleged court-martial, this episode has a broad appeal. Follow our hosts overseas as they dispel the myths—and dig deeper into the true stories—that surround Walt's time as a Red Cross volunteer in France.

Join our hosts as they journey to Marceline, Missouri, where a young Walt discovered some of his greatest passions—drawing and trains—while growing up on his family's farm. We guarantee you'll go hog-wild for this one!

Greatness comes from small beginnings—and Walt Disney's story is no different. Join hosts Bri and Caroline as they track Walt's ancestors through the pages of Disney family history—from France to Ireland and, finally, to North America. After some fiddling around, our hosts will delve into how Walt's parents' own unique upbringings and endeavors shaped his childhood.

One of the questions we’re asked most frequently by guests remains, “Why is the museum here?” Though there are threads of Walt’s story that intersect with the Bay Area, The Walt Disney Family Museum isn’t here because of Walt—it’s here, primarily, because of his daughter, Diane Disney Miller. In this episode, join Bri and Caroline as they delve into the life and vision of our remarkable co-founder, Diane as she talks about her father, Walt Disney.

Join hosts Bri Bertolaccini and Caroline Quinn as they kick off The Walt Disney Family Museum's 10th Anniversary Celebration in style. In this debut episode, learn more about the origins of our museum, our co-founder, Diane Disney Miller, and our institution's unique mission, which has grown tremendously over the last decade.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is a center for art, animation, and inspiration. Located in the historic Presidio, a national park in San Francisco, California, the museum celebrates the remarkable life of Walt Disney by telling his story, celebrating his legacy, and examining his influence on the world of entertainment. Ten years ago, we were founded in 2009 by Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, who wanted to share the story of her father with the world. Now, we are hosting a year-long celebration to mark the museum’s tenth anniversary. In recognition of the museum’s history, and in order to honor the man behind the magic, this podcast will be an extension of that celebration. Join us every Wednesday for stories and conversations about the remarkable life and legacy of Walt Disney as we reflect on The Walt Disney Family Museum's first decade as an institution.    Join us every Wednesday for stories and conversations about the remarkable life and legacy of Walt Disney as we reflect on The Walt Disney

First aired: June 5, 2015 Learn more about how the infamous duck made his screen debut in The Wise Little Hen (1934). In an exclusive interview hear from current voice of Donal Duck, Tony Anselmo. 

First aired: January 5, 2015 For our newest exhibition, All Aboard: A Celebration of Walt's Trains learn more about his lifelong passion for trains. In the Grand Circle Tour, hear from Walt himself about his early fascination for train in Marceline, Missouri to building his very own railroad in his backyard. Guest curator, Michael Campbell shares insight about Walt's passion manifesting itself into Disney short cartoons, feature films, and in Walt's personal life at home. Hear from President of Lionel, LLC Howard Hitchcock about how Disney saved the company with the production of the Mickey Mouse handcar back in the 1930s.     

First aired: October 5, 2014 In celebration of The Walt Disney Family Museum's anniversary, hear from the content team that helped develop the museum's galleries. (01:35) Jeff Kurtti a former Imagineer, prolific author, consulted on the content creation for the Walt Disney Family Museum. (24:25) Paula Sigman Lowery worked alongside Kurtti to develop the content for the museum and continues to be a consulting historian for the museum. (41:50) Richard and Katherine Greene have been producing content about Walt for many years, their projects include two biographies, the television documentary, Walt: Man Behind the Myth, and a CD-rom precursor to the physical museum.  

First aired: June 5, 2014 In June of 2014, Donald Duck is celebrating his 80th birthday, hear about the history of the mischievous duck. Only having been voice by two actors: Clarence Nash and Tony Anselmo learn about how these two talents were acquired. (03:05) In an exclusive interview with Tony Anselmo (and a cameo appearance of Donald Duck), learn more about Anselmo's long history with The Walt Disney Company and his mentorship from Clarence Nash.    

First aired: April 5, 2014 In celebration of the anniversary of the 1964/65 New York World's Fair hear from those who worked on the four Disney attractions that premiered: Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Rolly Crump. (01:38) Bob Gurr worked at Walt Disney Imagineering and contributed his talents to produce the motor vehicles for the attraction Ford's Magic Skyway and the Audio-Animatronic figure, Mr. Lincoln for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. (30:23) Rolly Crump worked alongside artist Mary Blair to produce "it's a small world" for the World Fair. 

First aired: March 5, 2014 In celebration of Women's History Month, the museum is celebrating with the opening of our special exhibition MAGIC, COLOR, FLAIR: the world of Mary Blair. We talked with remarkable women that worked alongside Walt Disney: Kathryn Beaumont, Ginny Mack, and Alice Davis. (03:03) Kathryn Beaumont started as a voice actor at The Walt Disney Studios as Alice in Alice in Wonderland (1951) and then provided the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan (1953). (22:21) Ginny Mack was one of the original ink and painters for The Walt Disney Company but was also a face model for everyone's favorite pixie, Tinker Bell. (38:30) Alice Davis was a costumer for Walt Disney Imagineering, dressing the children of the world in it's a small world and the swashbuckling pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. 

First aired: February 5, 2014 In this special episode hear from three Disney Legends: Floyd Norman, Ruthie Tompson, and Richard Sherman. (03:00) Floyd Norman started his career in the mid-1950s as an inbetweener on Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Sword and the Stone (1963), and The Jungle Book (1967). (15:32) Ruthie Tompson, as a child in the 1920s she lived very close to the Disney Brothers Studio on Kingswell Avenue, which she frequently walked by. He path with the Disney brothers were cross again when she was hired by Walt to work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). She spent 40 years at The Walt Disney Studios, working on almost every animated feature up to The Rescuers (1977). (27:50) Richard Sherman and his brother Robert started their career at Disney in 1960, in just 13 years they wrote over 200 songs, many of which are still popular today. Their music in Mary Poppins (1964) garnered them an Academy Award for their song "Chim Chim Cher-ee."