We discuss the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990 and the seismic events it created for the landscape in Central Florida ..read more

We discuss a few other Central Florida amusement parks this week ..read more

We discuss one of the most beloved attractions at the Magic Kingdom, the Country Bear Jamboree ..read more

Disney is a media company and Florida wants more film and television in the state - so the simple solution is for Disney to be incentivized to build a film studio as a "third gate" on its property. However things don't go to plan as Disney itself is in a rotten period as a company ..read more

EPCOT Center was a grand vision of Walt Disney. But the eventual park was not only not true to Walt's vision but dramatically scaled-down and over-budget from what had been planned in the 1970's. We discuss the original plans, then the plan for 30 nations in the World Showcase and where it went wrong. We also focus on Florida at the time, and how EPCOT became a grand project for the vision of 1970's and 1980's Florida - forward looking, progressive in terms of diversity and foreign commerce, futuristic and cutting-edge ..read more

This week we discuss the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 including the popularity of some of its original attractions like its a Small World, Carousel of Progress and Country Bear Jamboree but also discuss the environmental and traffic impact of the park which angered local residents ..read more

Walt Disney's Florida Project is thrown into doubt with Walt's untimely December 1966 passing, but brother Roy Disney keep pushing toward a 1971 opening of the Magic Kingdom. But EPCOT will have to wait ..read more

In the first episode of our new season on Florida amusement parks, we discuss the years between 1959 and 1965 when Walt Disney began looking for a site for a second Disney park, and the process to finally arrive at a Central Florida site ..read more

A new season of the Florida History Podcast begins next Tuesday as we take a deep dive into the history of Walt Disney World and other amusement parks in Florida ..read more

We look at how the 3rd, 4th and 5th President interacted with Spanish Florida, from research Kartik Krishnaiyer conducted in writing his new book "The American Conquest of Florida ..read more