Disney Legend to Speak at D23 Event

The following Press Release is from Intrepid Traveler about the Disney Legend and author Charlie Ridgway speaking at D23's Destination D event in Walt Disney World along with information on the event itself:

Disney Legend To Speak At 'WDW 40th' Celebration

Official Disney fan club will host gala weekend event

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – Disney legend Charles Ridgway will take part in D23’s Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th event scheduled for May 14 and 15 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Charlie was a part of WDW from its inception, serving as press agent for the “Mouse Houses” for 40 years. He worked at Disneyland for seven years before moving on to Walt Disney World and was also involved with the Disney properties in Paris and Hong Kong. He details his experiences in Spinning Disney’s World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent, published by The Intrepid Traveler. 

According to its sponsors, Destination D is the only public celebration of Walt Disney World’s milestone celebration. D23 members will be taken on a journey that begins with the purchase of the first parcels of land in Central Florida in 1964 through the opening of Epcot Center in 1982.
Charlie will be joined by other Disney notables including Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr (who shared the stage with Ridgway on the Podcast 2.0 Disney cruise last December), Jack Lindquist, Tom Nabbe, Bob Mathieson, Orlando Ferrante and Ron Logan, along with Debra Browne, the 1971 Walt Disney World Ambassador to the World. 

They will all take part in two days of special entertainment, retrospectives, screenings of rare and newly discovered film and TV footage, archival displays and presentations. There will also be a special exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives featuring items and artifacts that document the creation and evolution of Walt Disney World Resort.

Charlie will sit on a panel titled “Making the Magic Happen.” He and other Disney legends will talk about life during the opening of the Magic Kingdom through the debut of Epcot Center, describing the challenges, misadventures, creativity and excitement from those who carried out Walt Disney’s dream in Florida. Charlie will also be available to autograph copies of Spinning Disney’s World.

The highlight of the weekend will be a concert, “Magical Journeys: A Flight of Fancy Through 40 Years of Walt Disney World Musical Memories,” featuring Richard M. Sherman, Academy Award winner and another Disney legend.

D23 is the official Disney Fan Club offering unique experiences, special events, collectibles, a quarterly publication, Web site and opportunities to meet others who share a love of Disney. D23 offers fans an insider look at everything Disney: the parks, animation and stage shows, television and film, and the treasures of the Walt Disney archives. “D,” of course, stands for Disney and 23 marks 1923, the year Walt Disney arrived in California and founded his company.

To order Spinning Disney’s World by Charles Ridgway, click here.
 
Spinning Disney’s World:
Memories of A Magic Kingdom Press Agent
by Charles Ridgway
ISBN: 978-1-887140-67-6
256 pages • 6 in. x 9 in. • 11 photographs
Index • Hard cover original
USA: $24.95


Look for a review of Charlie's book, Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent coming soon on my new site, www.WaltsWriters.com