Walt Disney Bio Coming to PBS

[Travisma 1,317]

Watching part 2 right now. It was interesting how they pointed out that his first Big 5 styles were so different, and when pointed out you can really notice it.

Last night there was a show on PBS about Jim Henson which I missed. It's on again Thursday morning at 4 AM. Thank goodness for DVRs.

Show is called In His Words.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I was up late last night and saw the rebroadcast of the Jim Henson show.  Definitely worth watching.

[Travisma 1,317]

I was up late last night and saw the rebroadcast of the Jim Henson show.  Definitely worth watching.

Good to hear

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I must have missed the part about him "fighting" to make Cinderella, the only dialogue I heard was that he was disappointed in it because they kept the costs down.

 

Fighting was a poor choice of words in my post.  I was referring to the part about how Roy was opposed to making any more feature length animated movies, and Walt made Cinderella anyway.

 

Watching part 2 right now. It was interesting how they pointed out that his first Big 5 styles were so different, and when pointed out you can really notice it.

 

 

Good point.  That was interesting, and not something that I had ever thought about before.

 

It's interesting how driven Walt was to find acceptance and approval.  He really wanted that best picture Oscar.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

After seeing the Walt biography, now I really would like to know more about Roy.

 

It's kind of amazing that the company did not crumble after Walt's death, and I think the credit for that goes to Roy.

 

TCD

[keith_h 420]

The information I always recall hearing about Roy is he was the businessman in the company while Walt was the idea man. Roy was the brother who took care of problems and kept the business afloat. I would like to hear more about him too as from the little bit I have heard my feeling is the Walt Disney Company wouldn't have stayed in business without him. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

The information I always recall hearing about Roy is he was the businessman in the company while Walt was the idea man. Roy was the brother who took care of problems and kept the business afloat. I would like to hear more about him too as from the little bit I have heard my feeling is the Walt Disney Company wouldn't have stayed in business without him. 

 

That is exactly how he was portrayed in this telling of the story.  Just a numbers guy.  There was a brief mention of a feud and Walt not speaking to him for a while sometime after Disneyland opened.  But, Roy was there for everything.  I'd like to know what he was like?  How he felt about some of the things Walt did- there clearly was some dysfunction in that family- e.g. Walt not returning from a vacation when their dad died.  And, most importantly, his role in building Disney World. 

 

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

Overall I think it gave some insight to the Disney family and like TCD said how dysfunctional they were at times.

 

Lots of interesting items brought to light that if you wanted to dig around yourself you could have discovered.

 

It was nice to have them presented to you in a clear manner

 

They definitely didn't sugarcoat Walt, and they did show his darker side.

 

Liked his backyard and studio "model" trains.

 

It seems like he really needed them to keep him sane at times.

 

And the mention of the 20 foot tall berms around the outside of the Disneyland train tracks, so people wouldn't see the outside world while they were visiting.

[keith_h 420]

I think Walt's problems with his father were due to them being very different personalities. Walt was more of a dreamer, artistic type of person where his father was a very strict and rigid. My guess is both were hard headed. In addition to this I recall reading he had bought a house for his parents near the studio in CA. His mother died there due to a faulty furnace and wonder if that might not have caused some of the rift.

 

I think most of his love of trains came from his Uncle Mike (neighbor of my grandparents). He was an engineer for the Santa Fe railroad and would stay with the Disney's in Marceline and tell Walt train stories. I suspect that Walt's summer spent working for the Santa Fe was the result of his uncle putting in a word for him.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I think Walt's problems with his father were due to them being very different personalities. Walt was more of a dreamer, artistic type of person where his father was a very strict and rigid. My guess is both were hard headed. In addition to this I recall reading he had bought a house for his parents near the studio in CA. His mother died there due to a faulty furnace and wonder if that might not have caused some of the rift.

 

 

The carbon monoxide poisoning and death of Walt's mother was mentioned.  They said both parents were poisoned, but the father survived.  I had never heard of this, and I wonder if there is something more to the story about what really happened.

 

About Walt's love of trains- in case anyone doesn't know, there's a small room off to the side of the lobby in the Wilderness Lodge Villas where they have a very nice display of some of Walt's train memorabilia, including one of the cars from his backyard set-up.  I plan on revisiting that room the next chance I get.

 

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

About Walt's love of trains- in case anyone doesn't know, there's a small room off to the side of the lobby in the Wilderness Lodge Villas where they have a very nice display of some of Walt's train memorabilia, including one of the cars from his backyard set-up.  I plane on revisiting that room the next chance I get.

 

TCD

 

And, once again, I learned something new here today.  :)

 

 

Thanks TCD - I'll be checking this out soon.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

And, once again, I learned something new here today.  :)

 

 

Thanks TCD - I'll be checking this out soon.

 

What?

 

How do you not know that?

 

I was going to dig in my archives for some photos, but found a great article instead:

 

The Carolwood Pacific Room — also known as the “Iron Spike Room” — might best be defined by its other nickname, which is quite simply “The Train Room.” It’s a peaceful, beautiful room tucked in the Villas of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge which holds a true treasure: two railroad cars from the Lilly Belle, the one-eighths scale backyard train owned and operated by none other than Walt Disney himself.

While the train cars are the centerpiece, there are tributes to Walt and his well-documented love of trains all around the room, including a small model of Walt’s Lilly Belle, as well as photos displaying the train in action.

I also love this picture of Walt and his best pal, Mickey Mouse, by the E.P. Ripley steam engine, taken just one month before Disneyland opened and this train began carrying guests all around the Park, fulfilling Walt’s dream that Disneyland should “look like nothing else in the world, and it should all be surrounded by a train.”

There is a small pin display honoring the four steam engines that carry guests around Magic Kingdom: the Roy O. Disney, the Roger E. Broggie, the Walter E. Disney, and the Lilly Belle.

And this print of “Walt Disney’s Magical Barn” carries special significance. It’s Walt Disney working on his backyard Lilly Belle, being invited outdoors to come greet the train. In the print, that young boy is a young Walt.

For me, the Carolwood Pacific Room has been a place to escape a busy World to relax and read (and, yes, often fall asleep!) thanks to the comfiest chairs in all of Disney World placed in front of the cozy fireplace.

It’s been a place to talk quietly with friends. It’s been a place to think and write (in fact, it’s the place I’m writing these words from now!). It’s been a place to enjoy seeing families take some calm time together to play a game and restore their energy for more time in the Parks. And should you have a chance to visit Wilderness Lodge, I hope you are able to stop by the Villas and enjoy some of these activities for yourself.

More than anything, though, it’s been a place to think and learn a little bit more about Walt Disney, and appreciate how he was able to take so many of the things he loved — including, but by no means limited to, trains — and share them with the world. And we’re so thankful that he did :).

 

http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2014/10/visiting-walts-train-cars-carrolwood-pacific-room-disneys-wilderness-lodge/

 

All of that is only a quick bus (or boat) ride away from the Fort.

 

Remember this is off of the lobby for the Villas- not the main WL lobby.

 

That is where you can also find my very favorite Hidden Mickey too.

 

And a real live Inglenook (did you know there is such a thing?  It's not just a wine name).

 

Every Fiend needs to go!

 

TCD

[dvccamper 32]

We've made several stops to hang out in the iron spike room, particularly when we're staying in the villas. It's really interesting to see the displays in there plus it's a nice cool place to go on a hot afternoon. My girls used to love going in to play checkers there.

I really enjoyed the Walt Disney special, learned a lot of things I hadn't known before. If anyone is looking for another documentary there is a good one on the Sherman Brothers, I think it's called 'The Boys.' They wrote many of the wonderful songs in the old Disney movies but surprisingly they had a very bad relationship with one another. It's interesting, but a little sad.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We've made several stops to hang out in the iron spike room, particularly when we're staying in the villas. It's really interesting to see the displays in there plus it's a nice cool place to go on a hot afternoon. My girls used to love going in to play checkers there.

I really enjoyed the Walt Disney special, learned a lot of things I hadn't known before. If anyone is looking for another documentary there is a good one on the Sherman Brothers, I think it's called 'The Boys.' They wrote many of the wonderful songs in the old Disney movies but surprisingly they had a very bad relationship with one another. It's interesting, but a little sad.

 

Thanks for he recommendation. One of the Sherman brothers was providing some of the narration on the Walt Disney biography.  He made a comment at one point about how Walt said they had done a good job on something, and that was the only time Walt had ever praised them.  Wow.  That point about Walt recognizing that he was not the same person as the image he portrayed in public was really interesting.  I would have thought Walt was the type to give a lot of positive reinforcement and praise.  Apparently that's not how he operated.

 

TCD

[dvccamper 32]

Thanks for he recommendation. One of the Sherman brothers was providing some of the narration on the Walt Disney biography. He made a comment at one point about how Walt said they had done a good job on something, and that was the only time Walt had ever praised them. Wow. That point about Walt recognizing that he was not the same person as the image he portrayed in public was really interesting. I would have thought Walt was the type to give a lot of positive reinforcement and praise. Apparently that's not how he operated.

TCD

I thought that point was interesting too, that Walt so badly wanted to be that easygoing persona that the public knew him as, and yet he knew he wasn't.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I thought that point was interesting too, that Walt so badly wanted to be that easygoing persona that the public knew him as, and yet he knew he wasn't.

 

Yes.  It was very profound.  And very sad.  There was also mention about how few friends he had.  That story about the yacht trip he took with the family shortly before he died told me that he wanted to enjoy his family, yet he didn't take the time to do it.  His son-in-law mentioned how Walt said they needed to do it more often.  The next thing you know, Walt is diagnosed with cancer, and dies pretty quickly thereafter.

 

A man who brought so much happiness to so many families didn't get to enjoy such things in his own life.

 

Very sad.

 

TCD

[keith_h 420]

The carbon monoxide poisoning and death of Walt's mother was mentioned.  They said both parents were poisoned, but the father survived.  I had never heard of this, and I wonder if there is something more to the story about what really happened.

 

About Walt's love of trains- in case anyone doesn't know, there's a small room off to the side of the lobby in the Wilderness Lodge Villas where they have a very nice display of some of Walt's train memorabilia, including one of the cars from his backyard set-up.  I plan on revisiting that room the next chance I get.

 

TCD

 

Wow. I didn't know about the train display. I'll have to get by to see it on our upcoming visit.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Remember this is off of the lobby for the Villas- not the main WL lobby.

 

 

That's probably why.  I don' think I've ever been in the Villas lobby.

 

I'm going to have to fix that now. 

[Travisma 1,317]

The show is available on line for a limited time also.

[wdwpoohbear...Jennifer 40]

That's probably why.  I don' think I've ever been in the Villas lobby.

 

I'm going to have to fix that now. 

 

I haven't been to the lobby for the Villas either.  I will fix that at Halloween.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

The show is available on line for a limited time also.

 

PBS is streaming it free for the next 4 weeks...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/?utm_source=promourl&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=waltdisney_2015

[swimmarz 72]

if you have apple TV, you can go to the PBS app and watch it there, or you can pay apple $4.99 and own it....

we started watching it and didnt realize it was 4 hours long, I am about 1 hour in and it was well past my bed time when we started watching it