This week, Mousetalgia is pleased to welcome 1954 original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Nancy Abbate to the show as we continue our build up to Mickey's 90th birthday. Nancy shares some stories about her time as a Mouseketeer and dancing for Walt Disney, along with the story of her career and life after the club. Then, Jeff shares a trip report about the taping of the upcoming "Mickey's 90th Spectacular," set to air Nov. 4th on ABC. Listen to a few stories about the recording of the incredible production. Also - Kristen continues her month of spooky songs with a John Debney mashup, Jeff shares some sea-worthy scares in this week's Haunted Mansion moment, and we talk about our favorite Mickey Mouse shorts.

This week, author and self-proclaimed geek Amy Ratcliffe joins Mousetalgia to talk about "Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy," her new book profiling 75 female characters from the Star Wars universe. Covering personalities throughout all of Star Wars from the original trilogy through "Star Wars: Resistance," the book covers an exhaustive herstory of the entire world of Star Wars, deriving content from the films, books, comics, and television shows. Amy talks about the process of writing the book, what the various stories mean to her, and her thoughts and memories about Carrie Fisher. Also this week: Kristen talks about D23's free spooky 25th anniversary screenings; Disney releases Otter Box phone cases; Storyteller Cafe goes full buffet; we launch "Becky in the Sky with Diamonds" - our new segment on booking hotels and Expo hotel planning; and we premiere a haunting poem.

"Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" turns 25 this week, and Team Mousetalgia takes a scary look back at the holiday classic that's been haunting our dreams for the past quarter century. We talk about our own memories of the film's release, and Jeff shares a Haunted Mansion moment about the special holiday overlay that takes up a quarter of the Haunted Mansion's entire operating year. Then, we host two very special guests to help us celebrate. First, we speak with Mike Belzer, an animator for "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas." Mike gives us an insider's look at the process of making the groundbreaking stop motion film, and talks about some of the innovative techniques and shares some stories from his time animating key scenes from the classic film. Then, New York Times Bestselling author Matthew Reinhart joins us to talk about "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Pop-Up: A Petrifying Pop-Up for the Holidays," his newest pop-up book. Matthew shares some of the stories behind the creation of the book, including how Tim Burton made his editor weep, what TBTNBC means to him personally, and some of the hidden secrets in the book - including one inspired by Mousetalgia ourselves! Plus - Kristen shares another song of the season, and we help Sandy Claws fill his sack!

It's a Mousetalgia Emporium show! In this week's episode, we discuss the new Funko "Pop! Rides" Haunted Mansion vinyl collectible; the Mickey Mouse 90th Birthday Party hosted by all of the Mousetalgia podcasts; and the aftermath of the latest and greatest Van Eaton Galleries' "That's From Disneyland!" auction. Plus - Kristen launches an entire month of Halloween music performances, and we propose our fantasy character dining scenarios!

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes author and historian Jeff Kurtti back to the show to discuss his new book "From All of Us to All of You: The Disney Christmas Card." We take a deep dive into the history of the various Christmas cards distributed by the Walt Disney Studios over the years and we look at some of the artists responsible for the beautiful mailings. Kurtti also gives us a look behind the scenes at the making of a Disney book. Then, out of the night, when the full moon is bright... it's Zorro! We share a brief history of Walt Disney's hit television show, including the discovery of Guy Williams who would become the looming, 6' 3" Zorro, and the creation of the serialized show that captivated audiences throughout the late 1950s. We also talk about the studio backlot, Zorro at Disneyland, and that amazing theme song. Also - new Sugarfina and Lego celebrate Mickey's 90th - and more.

It's a Mousetalgia Emporium this week! Topics for the week include alcohol in Disneyland, lights on floats and remembering a friend. First, Team Mousetalgia offers a listener a "Hand with the Land" with tips for solo touring at Walt Disney World. Then, we finally tackle the issue of alcohol coming to Disneyland, and debate the pros and cons. Does the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Cantina warrant an authentic stiff drink? Perhaps our opinions will surprise you! Next, we speak with Ben Sherman, author of "Lights," about his time at Disneyland and his role in the creation of the Main Street Electrical Parade. Sherman shares some of the challenges and victories behind the scenes during the development of this groundbreaking nighttime spectacular.

This week, Team Mousetalgia opens the mailbox to answer your questions. Topics include: RunDisney's virtual races - the pros and cons; Mousetalgia's Walt Disney World Resort must-dos; what to expect for a November 2019 trip to Disneyland; finding toddler potties at the Baby Care Center; seeking out Trader Sams mugs; growing up with Disney; and a trip to Clifton's Republic. Plus - new Haunted Mansion merchandise is released; our tips for getting into the Lamplight Lounge - plus our review; checking out the Forever Disney clothing line at the Disney Store; visiting the park with special needs - and more.

This week, Mousetalgia presents an episode that we recorded live at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park on August 19, 2018. We welcome special guest Tom Morris to the show to discuss his career with the Walt Disney Company, starting as a balloon salesperson at Disneyland and staying with the company 42 years to become the Imagineer who led the Fantasyland team for Disneyland Paris and finally serving as the executive producer for Hong Kong Disneyland. Thank you, friends, fans and listeners, for joining us on our first 10 year adventure. Onto the next decade! Carpe Kingdom!

This week, Mousetalgia brings you our interview with Disney Legend Floyd Norman, recorded at Griffith Park inside of Walt Disney's Combine Car, one of the cars that composed the opening day Disneyland Railroad. But first, Kristen attends a D23 press event and reports back on upcoming D23 happenings, including the 2019 D23 Expo, the Walt Disney Studio tours, and other D23 member exclusives. Then, we speak with Floyd Norman who was hired to work at the Disney animation studio in 1956 and was quickly tapped by Walt Disney to join the story department. We talk with Floyd about Walt Disney, his time at the studio, and his time writing the syndicated Mickey Mouse cartoon strip. Plus - Disney songs for the school bus, and more.

This week, Mousetalgia welcomes Rose Ivy back to the show to talk about the new line of Disney Princess-inspired dresses from Her Universe, two of which she designed. We chat about the designs, the inspiration, working with Disney, and get a quick glimpse into the life of a fashion designer. Then, Jeff reports back from the Walt Disney Family Museum to discuss two more events in the "Nine Old Mentors" series of talks. First, Disney animation directors Ron Clements and John Musker spoke about their experiences with the Nine Old Men, and two weeks later Margaret Kerry traveled to the museum to speak about her time working with Marc Davis working on Peter Pan. Plus - a quick review of Christopher Robin, and more.