Kevin Rafferty News & Updates

Reliving Disneyland Memories…and Creating New Ones With My Friend Kevin Rafferty

March 10, 2025 by Chuck Schmidt

Disneyland is more than a place where parents and children can have fun together, as its creator, Walt Disney, intended. It’s also a place where precious memories reside.

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Four Walt Disney World Attractions We Miss The Most

January 27, 2025 by Chuck Schmidt

During Walt Disney World's existence, many park attractions have come and gone, sadly sinking into the dust bin of Disney lore, replaced by newer rides using more advanced technology and different storylines. Some attractions became tired and outdated but were spared demolition with upgrades and refurbishments. Here are the four attractions from each Walt Disney World park we miss the most.

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Hidden In Plain Sight: Mailboxes, Public Phones, and Imagineers’ Tributes

December 9, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

One of my favorite things to do when I visit a Disney theme park is to seek out all the hidden gems. While most other park guests are making a beeline to the next attraction or show – heads down, dodging strollers and wheelchairs with the skill of an NFL running back – I can be found checking out the smallest detail, the tiniest nugget left behind by those clever folks at Walt Disney Imagineering.

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It Turns Out, It’s Tough To Be It’s Tough To Be A Bug

September 30, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

With the announcement that It’s Tough to be a Bug! in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is closing in favor of a Zootopia-themed show, we thought it might be a good idea to go back to It’s Tough to be a Bug!’s roots, to learn how that attraction came to be.

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Is A Villains Land The Right Fit For The Magic Kingdom? Thoughts On Recent D23 Gathering

August 21, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

The Magic Kingdom, as Walt Disney himself once said, is a place “where parents and their children can have fun together.” With that in mind, I find the announcement of a villains-themed land to be built near Big Thunder Mountain concerning.

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Visiting A Disney Park Without Actually Being There, Courtesy Of YouTube

June 24, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

After knee replacement surgery in February, spending time watching videos on YouTube became a passion. Even though my movements in the house were limited and I was reliant on a cane to get around, I could be “in” Walt Disney World or Disneyland without actually being there.

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A Sweet Tribute To Disney’s Legendary Nine Old Men

May 13, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

On a wall behind some cash registers in The World of Disney store is a simple, poignant tribute to The Nine Old Men, Walt Disney’s most prolific and admired animators who were responsible for creating some of the most endearing characters ever to come out of the Walt Disney Animation Studios

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MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT DISNEY: Any Attraction Designed by Kevin Rafferty

January 8, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

Members of Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative wing of the company that dreams up the park rides and adventures synonymous with the overall Disney park experience, almost always toil in anonymity.

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Disney100: The Exhibition Opens Walt’s Vault, Unlocking Scores Of Disney Treasures

September 8, 2023 by Chuck Schmidt

The Disney100: The Exhibition ran from Feb. 18 through August 27 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, was curated Becky Cline and members of the Disney Archives, who opened up the Disney vault and unveiled a boatload of Disney treasures for Disney fans to savor.

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Imagineers’ Recent Trip To New Orleans Is Another Example Of Their Boots-On-The-Ground Quest For Authenticity

July 10, 2023 by Chuck Schmidt

One of the most important tools used by the members of Walt Disney Imagineering in creating cutting-edge attractions and adventures is – believe it or not – hitting the road. A recent trip by a group of Disney Imagineers to New Orleans is just another example of the Imagineers' commitment to authenticity.

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