The Progress City Radio Hour

The Progress City Radio Hour spikes the eggnog and hoists the mistletoe for our second annual Christmas episode! This year our festive spectacular features visits from two of our Town Hall guests from 2021, legendary Walt Disney World performer Pat Terry, Jr. and renowned Disney horticulturalist Scott Girard. Author and historian Marcy Carriker Smothers also drops by to talk about her newest book about Walt Disney and Disneyland. History, music, and more - from all of us to all of you, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

In this episode we wrap up our trip back through time to celebrate Walt Disney World's fiftieth anniversary! The last installation of our multi-episode event examines the 1990s - a decade of many ups and downs for the resort and for Disney itself.  Not for nothing was this period known as the Disney Decade - there's a lot to talk about and a lot of developments to cover, so buckle in! History, music, and more - everything announced today in this podcast will definitely be built, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

Join us as we continue our journey through fifty years of Walt Disney World history! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past. For part three we look at the 1980s - a decade of much change at Disney and at Walt Disney World. And we welcome Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to the family! History, music, and more - hullo, I'm Michael Eisner, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

Our Walt Disney World golden anniversary celebration continues! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past. For part two we explore the years between the resort's opening in 1971 and the debut of Epcot Center in 1982. It's a decade of expansion and of much promise, as well as much silliness. History, music, and more - let us take you on a moonlit ride, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

It's finally here - the golden anniversary of Walt Disney World! For this momentous occasion we're embarking on a multi-episode event which will take us through the decades to revisit moments from the resort's past - some significant and some decidedly less so. For part one we explore the years between the announcement of the "Florida Project" in 1965 and its grand opening in 1971. We also talk to Ron Miziker, the entertainment impresario who helped pull off those fantastic opening celebrations. History, music, and more - tune up the 1,076 trombones and prep the festoonery, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Walt Disney World and the man who made it possible, Roy O. Disney, we're putting out a Progress City Extra featuring some memories of Roy by people who worked with him. Included are clips from our Progress City Town Halls with Frank Stanek and Scott Girard, featuring some elements that have not been previously broadcast. We hope you enjoy these reminisces, and join us next week for the first of our fiftieth anniversary celebration episodes!

It's no secret we love Disney park music, so we're very excited to bring you our interview with long-time Walt Disney World banjoist and Disney Legacy Award winner Pat Terry, Jr. Pat started off at Disneyland before helping open Walt Disney World alongside his father, with whom he played for more than a decade before striking out on his own. Along the way he's had some fabulous experiences and got to meet some fascinating people. From the streets of New Orleans Square to the stage of Pioneer Hall - tune up folks, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

The Progress City Radio Hour catches a blue-flagged motor launch for a look at the Vacation Kingdom via the waterways of Bay Lake! We remember an eccentric occupant of the area before Disney arrived, dig into the origins of Fort Wilderness, and explore Bay Lake's entertainment offerings of the 1970s. We also check in with legendary Walt Disney World entertainer Pat Terry, Jr. for some memories about the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. History, music, and more - peel some shrimp and tune your banjo, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

In this Progress City Town Hall we continue our discussion with veteran Disney landscaper and horticulturalist Scott Girard. Topics of discussion include Scott's influence on the landscapes of EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland, some of his projects outside Disney, and his time spent as head of Disney Horticulture in the 1990s. From the gardens of Canada to the forests of Japan - plant those tiddlywinks, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!

Landscaping is a fundamental part of the Disney themed experience, so we're thrilled this month to bring you a two-part Progress City Town Hall with veteran Disney landscaper and horticulturalist Scott Girard. Scott started at Disneyland in 1964, and went on to become part of the team that helped create Walt Disney World. In this part of our talk we discuss those early experiences, including encounters with Walt and Roy Disney themselves. From the orange groves of Anaheim to the swamps of Florida - stay off those topiaries, kids, it's the Progress City Radio Hour!