100 Years of Disney

In this episode, 100 Years of Disney . . .

I can't remember a time in my life when the name Disney was not part of my vocabulary. This year, 2023, marks the 100th-anniversary celebration of Disney. And it all started with a man and a mouse.

A little context: Mickey Mouse made his movie debut in 1923 in the seven-minute cartoon Steamboat Willie, produced in black and white by Walt Disney Studios and released by Pat Powers under Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, although both appeared several months earlier in a test screening of Plane Crazy.

Steamboat Willie was the third of Mickey's films to be produced. Still, it was the first to be distributed because Disney, having seen The Jazz Singer, had committed himself to delivering one of the first fully synchronized sound cartoons.

For me, it was Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969) that captured my attention. Each week Walt Disney introduced the program that enchanted millions of NBC television viewers. Granted, back then, we did not have a color TV, but that didn't matter every week, our family gathered around the TV to see what was happening at Disneyland; some episodes even mixed live-action and animation, showing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Chip' n' Dale, Professor Owl, and Jiminy Cricket talking with Walt himself.

The concept that intrigued me most would become DisneyWorld in Florida. Walt Disney's original plans also included an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT), a planned community intended to serve as a testbed for new city-living innovations. The idea of a self-sufficient modern city intrigued me as a young college student and would compel me when asked in 1988, "Where would you like to go for our honeymoon?" Without hesitation, Disney World in Florida was my response.

It was 1985 when I moved to Los Angles to attend the Geological Institute of America (GIA). As a student, I was privileged to visit Disneyland for the first time. Wow! Time passes quickly; our last visit was over 14 years ago to celebrate my good friend Mike's 60th birthday. It seems like yesterday; maybe that's why they call Disneyland "The Magic Kingdom."

I'm sure much has changed since then; we will see. Friday, February 17, 2023, we will once again pass through the hallowed gates at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to celebrate that historic 100th-anniversary milestone.

My listening friends, can you recall a time when the name Disney was not part of your conscious vocabulary?

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Believing Is Seeing

🎄 In this episode, Believing Is Seeing . . . It's December, we bustle, we wrap, and we dash. We sort life into boxes— myths here, to-dos in a stash. We whisper of Santa (adult code: “Not Real”), but hold on one minute—let’s rethink this whole deal. For the stories we cherish, the movies we stream, hold more truth in their sparkle than we grown-ups may deem. So hop in this sleigh and hold on real tight— We’re chasing down Santa by the glow of his light! Scott Calvin once landed in the North Pole’s cold air, with elves, cocoa, and snow everywhere. He squinted and frowned—“This just cannot be so!” (Like thinking tangled lights will detangle if we blow .) Then Judy the Elf gave a cocoa so steaming, and said something simple . . . yet surprisingly gleaming: Seeing’s not believing—no, that’s not the key. "Believing is seeing!" Just trust, and you’ll see!” Kids don’t need a map or a satellite screen to know Santa’s workshop is her...

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . . (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . . You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...

Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way

🎩 In this special episode. How to Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way It’s 2026! Yes— this is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws! Those resolutions? Bah! Dusty and dry! We’ve tried fixing everything —so let’s ask why. Why rush and correct and improve and compare, When noticing quietly gets you right there ? So here’s a new project—no charts, no clocks, No boxes to check in your mental inbox. It’s bigger than busy and smaller than grand, It’s called Un-Working —now give me your hand! Un-Working’s not quitting or hiding away, It’s setting things down that shout “Hurry! Hey!” The hustle! The bustle! The faster-than-fast! The gotta-win-now or you’re stuck in the past! That’s the work of Un-Working— plop! —set it free! The titles! The labels! The “Look-At-Me!” The crown that kept sliding and pinching your head— You never looked comfy . . . let’s try this instead: Pick up a tel...

On The Fly

Search This Blog