I had the opportunity to go to Philadelphia's Prince Music Theater tonight (4/7/2007) to see Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt and son of Roy O. Disney, be presented with the Philadelphia Film Society's Inspiration Award. I was able to join Jim Hill and Jeff Lange along with their significant others at this event which was hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin.

The film opened with a lengthy montage of clips from Disney animated classics which was very well produced. After being presented with the award, Maltin interviewed Disney on stage before opening the event up for audience questions and answers. Mr. Disney spoke candidly and honestly about his upbringing as the son and nephew of Walt and Roy, respectively, and gave insight at what it was like to grow up Disney. He spoke about how Walt and Roy did not coddle to him or treat him any differently than any other employee of the Disney company just because he was their relative. He was frank and honest about his relationship with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, pulling no punches, and spoke with great reverence about his time in Disney Feature Animation and especially about his pet project, Fantasia 2000.

It was a refreshing look into the persona of Roy Disney himself. It is one thing to see Mr. Disney on DVD in a produced and recorded setting, but to see and hear him on stage not 30 feet away from where I was sitting was a true treat for any Disney fan. He was relaxed, dressed in a sweater, brown corduroy pants, and sneakers, and seemed to truly enjoy telling his anecdotes for what must be the thousandth time. It is obvious that he and Leonard Maltin have a special friendship and appreciation for each other, and they played off that relationship throughout the presentation.

After the event, I got the opportunity to shake hands with Mr. Disney, pose for a photo with him, and get his autograph. I must say that he came across as a true gentleman, very down to earth with no hint of pretense or arrogant bravado. If it sounds like I truly enjoyed this event, it's because I absolutely did and would go again in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose.

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Well, it's been a little over a month and there are 5 episodes of the Magical Definition Podcast in the books. Here's a brief recap of the 1st five episodes...

1. 3/4/2007 - The inaugural MDP, featuring Jim Hill and a talk about Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End
2. 3/11/2007 - A special report from Jim Hill at the Disney Shareholder Meeting in New Orleans
3. 3/18/2007 - All about Peter Pan and the newly released Special Edition DVD, plus a discussion about the Tinker Bell movie with Jim Hill.
4. 3/25/2007 - Pirate Mania is running wild! This show featured another discussion with Jim Hill about the history of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, plus we welcome Jackie-O to the crew for her opinions about the classic Disney attraction.
5. 4/1/2007 - 1st in a series of discussions with Disney Legends and Imagineers. This show featured a talk from Terri Hardin, Disney Imagineer, from the NFFC convention last year in which she talks about her career as an Imagineer and the creation of the Dragon's Lair in Disneyland Paris and her special love of Jim Henson.

This week (4/8) will have a jam packed show, so if you haven't subscribed through iTunes yet, just go to the iTunes Music Store and search for the show. You can also download direct from the website (podcast.magicaldefinition.com) or stream the show from the site as well.

Your feedback is wanted and needed. There is an upcoming listener email/voicemail show so the more you send in, the more we can babble about. Send your emails to podcast@magicaldefinition.com or leave a voicemail at 206-888-MDP2. Also, Shandy wants your emails as well so he can answer them on the air as well. Send those emails to shandy@magicaldefinition.com. Thanks again for your continuing support.

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This nighttime view of Disney's Dolphin Resort was taken from the walkway between the Swan and Dolphin (aka 'Swolphin). This highly themed and landscaped area is beautiful at night, and is one of my favorite Disney Resort areas, even if it isn't owned by Disney (Starwood).

Labels: Dolphin, resort, walt disney world

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Take a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and you will pass right though the heart of Space Mountain. This scene, photographed without using a flash, shows the lift hills for Space Mountain as the TTA passes right through. After passing the lift hills, you get a birds eye view of the load and unload areas, and you can see the rockets (er...cars) streaking around the tracks while inside the 'Mountain. The TTA is a classic underrated attraction and we really enjoy.

Tune in to this week's MAGICAL DEFINITION PODCAST to hear a really amusing Tomorrowland Transit Authority story, as reported by our very own Agent '71.

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View 1,000's of Disney Theme Park Photos, read articles, participate in the TMIP Disney Photo Forum, and purchase Disney Prints for your home or office.