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Disneyworld's Epcot Center celebrates its 25th Anniversary Oct. 1. Although Disney itself won't be promoting this special occasion, The Intrepid Traveler will. They've sent out media advisory to travel writers, encouraging them to turn to some of the Disney World experts they have in their roster of authors, including.
Charles Ridgway
Ridgway, who was a Disney publicist and press agent for more than forty years, has his own window on Main Street U.S.A. and even worked with Walt Disney himself.
In his memoir,
Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent, Ridgway describes how the opening ceremonies for Epcot were touch and go until the very last minute. He also tells the fascinating story of how that event ushered in the brave new world of electronic news gathering and satellite transmission that we take for granted today.
Steven M. Barrett
Did you know that the whole phenomenon of "hidden Mickeys" started at Epcot? To distinguish his new park from the Magic Kingdom, Walt himself decreed that cartoon characters would have no place at the futuristic Epcot. But the "Imagineers" who built and designed the place were not willing to abandon their beloved Mickey Mouse.
And so they tucked cleverly camouflaged images of the "main mouse" into the pavilions and public places of the new park. They went unnoticed and unheralded for years by all but a handful of insiders. Eventually, however, word leaked out and today "hidden Mickey mania" is in full flower at Disney parks around the globe.
Dr. Steven M. Barrett's book,
Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets helps visitors to Disneyworld have hours of fun tracking down these elusive images.
Louis A. Mongello
Mongello has been visiting Walt Disney World since he was three. In the process, he transformed himself into one of the world's leading experts on WDW history and lore.
His books,
The Walt Disney World Trivia Book volumes 1 and 2, have made him a celebrity with Disney fans who flock to his public appearances and who have made his award-winning "The WDW Radio Show" a roaring success. The show was named the "Best Travel Podcast of 2007," marking the second year that Mongello has won the award.
