Podcast by Jonathan Goodman
28 April 2025
Disney inspires us--to dream, to believe, to dare, to do...and to create. We are joined today by one of the original Disney podcasters and content creators, Lou Mongello of WDW Radio, who inspired me to start this very podcast. Lou shares his incredible Disney journey from New Jersey attorney to Podcast Hall of Famer. We also discuss our shared East Coast upbringings, legal careers, love for Disney, and talk about the importance of music to Disney...along with some of our favorite Disney food-related songs!
We also catch up on lots of Disney music news, including the opening of the Disney Musical Festival at Disneyland Paris.
You can find Lou at www.wdwradio.com to listen to the WDW Radio Podcast and get the best information on Disney parks and experiences, and at www.loumongello.com to learn more about his speaking and business coaching services.
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01:13:40
20 April 2025
There are so many different eras of Disney history--The Golden Age, The Silver Age, and the Renaissance. But what about the periods of transition that ushered in those new eras? We are joined by Steve Anderson, the director of the Disney animated classics "Meet the Robinsons" and "Winnie the Pooh" to discuss his new book "Disney In-Between: The Lost Years 1966-1986." We learn about the importance of that overlooked era on Disney history and the impact that it had on the company's future success. We also learn about Steve's work on Disney animated films and how he uses music to help with storytelling and emotional engagement.
You can find the book on Amazon here and at The Old Mill Press website. You can follow Steve on Instagram @stevehatguy and on his website at www.stevehatguy.com
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01:10:42
31 March 2025
We love Disney music because it is capable of producing so many emotions—happiness, wonder, fear, and laughter--whether it is in a movie, on an attraction, or during a nighttime spectacular. And while it is so much fun to discuss and debate our favorite songs and themes at the “fan” level, it is easy to take for granted the creativity, ingenuity, and talent required to actually bring that music to life. It’s a lot of work, and a lot of pressure, to create something that will live up to the magic that Disney, and its guests, expect. So, we are so lucky to be joined today by composer Haim Mazar who has written music for movies, TV, and the Disney Parks around the world. Haim will tell us more about the music he has written, how he has done it, and what its like to experience it from the guest perspective for the first time.
Please follow Haim and his amazing work at www.haimmazar.com, on Instagram @haim.mazar, and on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/haim-mazar
And if you have any questions, comments, or requests, email me at jonathan@musicbehindthemagic.com, follow us on Instagram @musicbehindthemagic, and join our FB community at www.facebook.com/groupsmusicbehindthemagic.
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01:01:50
16 March 2025
We love Disney music because it is capable of producing so many different emotions. And on the surface, it is great to just sit back and let the music make you feel. But, the amazing songwriters who craft these songs utilize different elements of music theory to pull those emotional strings. In this episode, we bring back Tim Foster from Celebrations Press to discuss some armchair music theory between two lifelong amateur musicians, and how it applies to the Disney songs we know and love. All this, and some Disney music news as well!
Check out Celebrations Press and all the amazing books they offer, as well as Celebrations Magazine, at www.celebrationspress.com
Please listen, like, and share this podcast with fellow Disney music fans. You can reach out to me at jonathan@musicbehindthemagic.com, on IG @musicbehindthemagic, and our FB group at www.facebook.com/groups/musicbehindthemagic.
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01:28:31
09 March 2025
After returning from a week in Walt Disney World, I wanted to provide a trip report to give some insight into Disney After Hours, a surprise at the Disney on Broadway Concert Series at EPCOT, and a few restaurant reviews (including The "controversial" Cake Bake Shop). And, there is a LOT of Disney music news to catch up on--Snow White, The Sherman Brothers, and Hercules!
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44:36
11 February 2025
We all know that Disney music has incredible emotional power. It can make us laugh, it can make us cry, it can make us scared and nervous, and it can make us excited. But, no matter what the emotion, it makes us feel. And that is a beautiful thing. One of the wonderful things about Disney movies is that is helps inspire us and bring out the best of what we can and should be. And a lot of that is being blessed with someone to love and share your life with, to keep you grounded and make you a better person.
So many Disney movies involve the power of love (thank you Huey Lewis and the News) and with that, there are so, so many Disney love songs. With 826 movies in total, of which 63 are Walt Disney Studios animated feature films, along with 28 Pixar films, and you have a pretty wide selection of songs to choose from.
I asked for your favorite Disney love songs and got a lot of responses, resulting in a list of 27 different songs. There were a lot of one-off songs, some very deep cuts, and then a grouping that coalesced into a proper Top 10-type list. So, in this episode we go through them, with some fun facts about them along the way.
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01:04:01