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Yetis, you look fantastic today. Jack and I here coming at you from the T Boy Studio.
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We're on vacation this week. We are. So we whipped up a vacation themed.
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Treat for you, because this is a deep dive episode on the Happiest place on Earth, Disneyland.
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While Nick and I are on vacation, we figured we'd take you there too.
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Yeah, why not? Disney's Disneyland. It is the latest episode of our weekly show, the Best Idea yet, where.
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We break down the most viral products in history and their epic origin stories.
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And for this special occasion, Jack and I have an idea. We decided to divide our Disney episode into two parts, 25 minutes long each.
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So you can enjoy this episode today and tomorrow in your usual T Boy morning time slot.
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Yeah, if you run for 25 minutes a day, boom. It's just like your usual routine.
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And the story of Walt Disney and his brother Roy overcoming every evil challenge to make Disneyland a thing.
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It is like the ultimate inspiration, and it is the craziest entrepreneurial story.
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You didn't realize Roy Disney was part of the story, did ya?
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Yeah, Roy came out of nowhere.
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So, Tinker Bell, let's wave that Walt Disney and play part one of our latest episode of the Best Idea yet on Disneyland. Airbnb.
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Yetis. Our show actually started as a side hustle over 10 years ago. It began in secret outside of our bank jobs.
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We were worried we'd get fired, so we didn't tell our bosses and we even left our names off the website.
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Now, that was our side hustle, a media startup. But there are other side hustles that.
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Are a lot less risky than that and that have 0% chance of getting you fired. Like being a host on Airbnb.
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In this economy, it's a fun and rewarding way to make money off the thing you're already paying for your house or your apartment.
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I've hosted two previous apartments and my current chalet on Airbnb.
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And when no one's using it, why not welcome a family, a couple that just got engaged?
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You already have an Airbnb. You just didn't realize it yet.
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Nick, for me, it's got to be a mountaintop after an epic hike.
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I'm picturing you up at 5,000ft right now.
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Jack, my backpack is full of an Italian sandwich and an ice cold drink Meat lover special. I always prepare myself with something to eat at the top of the mountain. You just burned a bunch of calories. You had a bunch of fun talking to whoever you were hiking with, and you just bask in the glory of the mountain. Magnificent view and the accomplishment you just had. The top of a mountain is my happiest place.
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Jack, that is a beautiful physical image. I was gonna go mental on this one. Psychologically. I was gonna say 6pm on a summer Friday. That's a happy place. I think Aristotle said that originally. I guess if I had to choose a physical place, I'd say any restaurant with a tableside dessert preparation.
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Oh, good call.
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Is there any happier place than to be sitting at the best seat in the house while your waiter whips up a Bananas Foster in front of the whole restaurant?
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Actually, there is. It's a place. A trademark on the phrase happiest place on earth. Literally. Because today we're telling you the story of Disneyland.
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Walt Disney's Disneyland.
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Disneyland, the dream destination for kids everywhere and a magical touch point between Disney and its audience. Disneyland was the first Disney theme park, which today is the critical linchpin in Disney's $200 billion business.
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Since opening Disneyland in Anaheim just outside Los Angeles in 1950, the company has opened resorts in Florida, Japan, France, China, and coming soon, Abu Dhabi.
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But for many Disney fans, the original in California isn't just the first. It's still the best.
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As east coasters, we're partial to Orlando. But Anaheim, yeah, that's the OG dreamt.
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Up by Walt Disney himself. Disneyland welcomes around 17 million visitors a year, all lining up for a Mickey Mouse selfie, a dumbo flight, and to drop $9 for mouse shaped pancakes.
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Disneyland is so big, it even has its own zip cod. And Disney's entire theme park division generated $34 billion in revenue last year. Chad, could you sprinkle on some context for us, please?
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That's nearly the same revenue as Starbucks. Entire business.
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And it's Enough to keep Harvard University running for six straight years, baby.
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This colossal success story actually started as a modest idea in Walt Disney's head. A small 8 acre park built more for picnics than parades. And almost no one thought that it would work.
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But after the idea ballooned to 160 acres, it was still built in a shockingly short time frame. Under 12 months plus. Disneyland's opening day was a disaster watched by 90 million Americans on live TV.
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From sinking riverboats to melting streets, this is the story of how a down on his luck animator built the most beloved and lucrative theme park empire in the world.
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Hey, Tinkerbell, grab me a pot of that pixie dust.
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Here's Disneyland is the best idea yet.
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From Wondery and T Boy. I'm Nick Martell.
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And I'm Jack Crevici Kramer.
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And this is the best idea yet. The untold origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk.
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Takers who made them go viral.
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I got that feeling again. Something familiar but new. We got it coming to you. I got that feeling. They changed the game in one move. Here's how they broke all the room. ZipRecruiter Yetis nothing worse than menu paralysis. You go to a restaurant and then you can't decide salmon or chicken.
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Did you hear about the paella special? Wait a second. They have pizza too.
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It just stinks when you got too many options. Well, the same applies if you're a business owner who's hiring.
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We've posted jobs before and gotten so many applications, we don't even know where to start. True story, we don't have an HR team. It's just us.
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It can be overwhelming to have too many candidates to sort through.
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But you're in luck. ZipRecruiter now gives you the power to proactively find and connect with the best candidates quickly.
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Walt Disney is sitting on a bench at Griffith park just north of downtown Los Angeles. He flashes a tired smile to his two daughters, 14 year old Diane and 11 year old Sharon, who are spinning happily on the merry go round. It's a Saturday, the sun is out. Kids squeal with delight. Parents lean on the fence rails with paper cups of coffee. And Walt, even though he's surrounded by joy, doesn't feel any of it. Because at this point in his life, Walt Disney is in a dark place.
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This isn't scrappy up and coming Walt. This is 1947 and Walt's already beaten the odds. He's escaped a hard childhood in rural Missouri, dropped out of high school, started an animation studio and filed for bankruptcy. All before moving to California. And it's in California where he creates Mickey Mouse and revolutionizes animation with a mini film called Steamboat Willie.
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Then in the biggest gamble of his career, he bet his entire movie studio on a full length one and a half million dollar animated feature, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. That movie changes everything. Nick. It's a critical smash hit, a box office juggernaut and an Academy Award winner.
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Now we should point out there were some strong follow up films like Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi. I mean we look at them as classics now.
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Jack.
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But they weren't enough to keep Disney out of the money troubles that came thanks to World War II.
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Back in 1940, facing crippling debt, Walt had made an aggressive financial bet. He jumped from La La Land to Wall street by selling stock in the company. Which means Walt gave over control of Disney to shareholders.
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Then to juice up the company's profits, the board cut animators wages which leads to an ugly five week long strike.
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And now, in 1947, his studio is over $4 million in debt, he doesn't have control of the company, and he's still in shock that his flying elephant, Dumbo was not a box office hit. For the second time in his life, it looks like Walt's studio is bankrupt.
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It's been years since Walt picked up a pen to animate himself. He mostly drifts around the studios in his bathrobe, chain smoking and stewing in silence. He actually looks 10 years older than he really is, which is 46. Walt rarely socializes, although he keeps these regular weekend outings with his kids for the joy of it.
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But on this particular day in Griffith park, something shifts. Walt is sitting on that bench watching his daughters laughing on the carousel. And that's when it hits him. What if there was a park where families could have fun together? A place with rides and music and maybe Disney characters, but on an entirely unprecedented scale. Designed like a movie set.
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Yeah, like Jack, where the adults didn't have to sit on a bench.
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They could be in the story too.
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So this isn't totally a new idea to Walt. He actually gets tons of fan mail from kids asking to visit his actual working studio in Burbank, California. But between the surprise success of Snow White and the Lean war years, nothing happened with that idea. Until now.
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As the carousel slows and the ride ends, Walt holds his daughter's hands and walks them back to his big light blue Cadillac convertible. As he drives away, his mind races.
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He's already sketching ideas out in his head. A sculpted, idealized slice of the small town America of Walt's youth.
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It's time to build Mickey Mouse Park. 15 acres of lantern lit pathways, puppet theaters, dappled cafes and a pirate ship bobbing in the lagoon. A snow capped roller coaster winds through the trees. Every path leads to a new surprise. And the salted codfish fritters taste pretty good too. This is Tivoli Gardens, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Copenhagen, Denmark. It's clean, it's charming, it's heavily curated. Every element part of a grand design. And this isn't lost on one of today's visitors. Walt Disney. Walt is here with his wife lillian on their 1951 summer tour of Europe. It's meant to be a celebration break. Things are starting to look up for Walt in his studio. A celebrate the wins kind of trip.
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Now. Remember Yeti? That $4 million debt we were just telling you about? Well, Disney's accountants want to slash production to save money. But instead, Walt insists on doubling down on a new big production, Cinderella. And when it comes out in 1950, it's such a success that Cinderella basically saves Disney. No pumpkin carriage needed.
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So with the immediate future of Disney secure, Walt and Lillian are in Copenhagen. But instead of relaxing, Walt turns the trip into a working holiday at Tivoli. He's scribbling in his notebook, analyzing everything. How people move, where they pause, what catches their eye. He counts the number of steps between attractions. He notes the number of benches, restrooms, even how close trash cans are to each other. Nothing escapes Walt on this trip.
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When Walt gets back to California, some things lit a super califragilistic fire under Walt. He's doodling constantly, scribbling on napkins, marking up maps. He barely even goes out to parties. Oh, and when he does, all he.
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Talks about is the park and the park he's envisioning. It's modest in his mind, maybe eight acres or six football fields. But the scope is bigger, full of charm and detail. A train is circling the property. Costumed characters, a pristine little town square and winding paths. The cleanliness, the sense of discovery, that's what Walt is picturing.
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Walt wants families to feel like they're inside a living storybook. A place where kids and parents can explore together.
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He's taking inspiration from some homegrown attractions, like Fairyland in Oakland, Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County, Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and the Smithsonian in D.C. but there.
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Is one person who Walt needs to win over before he can start making this happen. The man who signs the checks at Disney. It's a guy named Roy. Roy Disney. That's right. Walt needs permission from his older brother.
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It's a cool, overcast morning on the Disney lot in Burbank. As the studio's president, Roy Disney, pulls his Buick into his reserved parking spot and shuts off the engine. He steps out in his usual uniform, moderately priced suit, tie, felt hat, definitely not a bathrobe. Roy takes the stairs up to his second floor office, greeting everyone he meets on the way with a smile. When he gets to his office, his secretary hands him a stack of pink message slips, each watermarked with a grinning Mickey Mouse and the phrase, put a smile in your voice.
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Roy co founded the Walt Disney Company with his younger brother Walt, and he's been managing the books ever since. It's a role that just suits him. While Walt dreams big, Roy keeps things grounded. He's the pragmatist, the realist, the logical yin to Walt's A wildly imaginative Yank.
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In fact, Roy is so risk averse.
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He preemptively had his appendix removed just in case. Roy's job is basically to rein in Walt's outlandish ideas.
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But even Roy has to admit Walt's not always wrong. Take Cinderella for example. That huge gamble ultimately saved the company. And it was all Walt's idea.
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But even so, Jack, Walt's latest idea, this Mickey Mouse park, is just too much for Roy. Sure, the princess picture paid off, but that was the company doing what it does best, Making movies. At best, this part park will be a distraction from that. At worst, it could turn into a financial black hole of delays, cost overruns and disappointing attendance that could put them back in jeopardy.
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It's June 1953 and Roy is nearly 60. He's starting to think about retirement. But right now, long lazy days spent fishing and sipping old fashions. They're a distant dream. Because aside from Walt's theme park idea, Roy has more pressing issues on his mind.
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You see, Roy just finished renegotiating Walt's contract because Walt Disney, the guy with his name on the building, doesn't technically run Walt Disney Productions.
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Remember when the company had to go public to raise money? Well, that meant that the Disney brothers sold most of the stock in the company to investors. The Disney's went from owning 100% of the company to just 20%.
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These two need to ask the board permission for everything, including the size of their own paychecks.
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Walt is basically under contract to his own company. He licenses his name, he draws a salary, he gets a cut of the profits. And in return, he gets to keep dreaming.
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But for Roy, this causes nothing but friction because Roy is stuck in between his brother, the dreamer and the board.
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And that's not Roy's only headache right now. Disney's next animated feature, lady and the Tramp, is delayed. It was supposed to hit theaters in time for Christmas 1954, but now it's slipping into next summer, meaning a two year gap since the last Disney feature, Peter Pan.
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So Roy knows he needs to do something to make a splash soon. He's just not sure what.
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But right then, Roy's train of thought is cut short. The phone on his desk buzzes. It's his secretary. She's got Walt on the line. Roy braces himself for another stream of new and expensive ideas for the Mickey Mouse Park. What was the last idea? An actual castle modeled after a real castle in the German Alps.
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But fortunately, Walt not calling to sell his big brother on Bavarian battlements. In fact, he's actually calling about two new friends of his that Roy just has to meet. These two guys are named Woody and Buzz, and they have a proposal that'll take Walt's Mickey Mouse park idea to infinity and beyond. AT&T business Yetis Starting your own business, it ain't easy. When we first got our daily newsletter off the ground that led to this podcast a decade ago, we definitely did not get everything right.
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Remember, we initially bummed Wi fi off of hotel lobbies.
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Classic move.
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And then the concierge kicked us out. So coffee shop free Wi Fi became our godsend.
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Another latte shout out to all the.
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Small business cafe owners. Your WI fi is the real hero.
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Oh, what's the code to the bathroom again?
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Honestly, if we could do it all.
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Over, we would probably invest in our own bootleggy Internet.
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If you need to connect your small business, you need AT&T business. They make connecting easy. Actually, they make so many things easy.
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Which is the main thing you want in a provider. Less time stressing, more time for you to work on your business.
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And Yetis, there's never enough time.
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So start a business, live your dream, and wake up to the power of ATT business. Business.att.com Audible Yetis, you're looking for a summer getaway right now? How about a rich one? Literally?
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Rich Girl Summer is the new Audible original from author Lily Chu.
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It kicks off in Toronto's wealthy cottage country, AKA the Hamptons of Canada.
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I already am. Sold.
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Double sold. Rich Girl Summer. It follows the story of Valerie, a down on her luck event planner posing as a socialite.
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And she's piecing together secrets to a mystery while falling in love with an infuriatingly handsome family assistant.
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Yeah, if you're looking for a break from business news, this would be it. Narrated by Philip Basu, the incredible voice of Angelica from Hamilton and her real life husband. It sounds as beautiful as the Hamptons of Canada looks.
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So listen to Rich Girl Summer now on audible. Go to audible.com richgirlsommar Roy Disney is once again looking at one of his brother's hand drawn maps. But this time, instead of being frustrated, he's mesmerized. Partly because the map is physically enormous, 6ft by 4ft, but mostly because the idea has grown with it. The modest 8 acre Mickey Mouse park that Walt once pitched gone in its place. A sprawling 160 acre world of its own. It's Disneyland.
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And yet, Jack, even at this scale, it still feels intimate, rooted in Walt's original vision of a nostalgic Hometown, america. And this 1954 map. It actually looks a lot like the Disneyland we know today. You enter under a train station, pass through one of two tunnels, and suddenly you're on Main street usa. All quaint storefronts, turn of the century charm and the scent of buttered popcorn in the air. There are laid back lagoons, lush trees and paths that curve just enough to make you wonder what surround the bend.
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But here's where it goes from nostalgia to pure fantasy. There's that towering Bavarian castle at the center, and surrounding it are four separate lands. There's Wild west themed Frontierland, the jungle explorations of Adventureland, a sleek sci fi vision in Tomorrowland. And the storybook magic of Fantasyland. There's a Mark Twain riverboat, a life sized rocket ship and a huge hot air balloon. All dreamed up by Walt as a way to keep the experience fresh at every turn.
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The detail in this map is exquisite, down to the cobblestone. But why has Walt supersized his park by 2000% onto a map the size of a truck? Well, the answer lies in two new characters in our story. Woody and Buzz.
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Yes, this is Woody and Buzz. But no, they're not the inspiration for the Toy Story characters. That's western actor Woody Strode and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin.
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And these guys, they're not quite as exciting as pairing a real life cowboy with a real life space ranger. But Commodore vendor built Woody Wood and Harrison Buzz Price are the reason why Roy Disney is now 100% behind the idea for Disneyland.
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Walt hires these two to do a feasibility study. Not just can we build this, but where should we build it and how big does it need to be to make money?
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And Jack, what is Woody and Buzz's answer to that question?
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This park needs to be way bigger than Walt had imagined.
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Yeah, when you break down the numbers here, it needs to be big enough to handle 5 million visitors a year. Because anything smaller just isn't worth the investment. They will not make their money back.
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And their data clean, compelling and full of cost curves is in a language that risk averse Roy understands it wins him over. Just think, Nick. Disneyland might have ended up a charming little cul de sac in Burbank.
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But now Woody and Buzz also find the ideal spot for this new park. It's a sleepy stretch of orange groves in Anaheim, California.
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This is still when Orange county was actually covered in orange trees.
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When the real housewives there were few over casserole recipes, not cosmetic surgery.
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Location, location, location doesn't just apply to Restaurants. It applies to every industry.
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The land is about 40 minutes south.
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Of Los Angeles, so it'll capture tourists landing in LAX pretty easily.
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Also, this is real estate that is.
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Cheap, so it's financially doable.
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And it's in a location that is.
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Sunny, which maximizes the number of days that visitors can spend money at the park and find.
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And finally, most crucially of all, this theme park would be right next to a new freeway, the under construction Interstate 5.
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To handle 5 million people a year, they've got to get in and out quickly.
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Walt wants to move fast on acquiring this perfect spot of land. So he makes this personal. He borrows money against his life insurance, sells some of his vacation homes and makes the purchase himself.
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Now he's got the acreage, he's got the detailed plant, he's got Woody and Buzz's projection, and most importantly, he's got Roy on board. Roy is now the Timon to Walt's Pumbaa.
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But Jack, it's now time to start singing Hakuna Matata Koi yet. Because unfortunately for the Disney brothers, they're still short the cash needed to actually build the park.
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Roy's getting nervous again. Yeah, but Walt actually has a plan to get funding for the park, build a publicity buzz, and get Disney a foothold in the fast growing world of television.
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Lights, camera, action. Here's a little TV tea for you. Between 1948 and 1953, ownership of TVs in America explodes from 1% of homes to over 50%. TV is one of the quickest technology adoptions in history. That's faster than the iPhone. Oh, and movie attendance. It's dropping every year. TV has become an existential threat to the entire film industry.
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But Walt is unique in Hollywood because he is bullish for the small screen. He sees it as an untapped opportunity. He thinks TV is the perfect way to sell the idea of Disneyland because it's a direct message to the public. So he asks, what if they make their own weekly TV show? Something to build anticipation for the park in a deeper way than any form of advertising ever could.
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And this show would be called Walt Disney's Disneyland. It would show behind the scenes of the design, the development and the creativity behind all of the construction. Episode one would be the idea for Disneyland. Episode two, the map and the layout. Episode three, the creative process to develop the ideas.
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This Disneyland show will air in real time as the construction is happening, not after the fact.
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What does doesn't just want to sell the show to a TV network. He wants to sell an investment in the park to that network as well. The network gets some Disney content on their screens, exclusive access to the making of Disneyland, and an unmissable opportunity to be a Series A investor in the park. In return, the Disney brothers get the cash needed to actually build the thing.
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This is potentially the best match since Beauty Met the Beast.
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This one is Fairy Godmother approved. Jack Yetis we're pressing stop right there. What is Disneyland's Day one gonna look like? Oh boy.
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Don't ruin the magic, Nick Yetis. That was part one and tomorrow we're dropping part two.
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So stay tuned and come back right here to T boy tomorrow as usual to hear the whole story of Disneyland.
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Nick and I will see you tomorrow. Can't wait. I guess I should clarify this is.
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Jack I don't stock at Disney.
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If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
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Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.
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And before you go, tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short survey@wondery.com survey we want to.
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Get to know you.
C
And now a next level moment from ATT Business. Say you've sent out a gigantic shipment of pillows and they need to be there in time for International Sleep day. You've got AT and T5G so you're fully confident, but the vendor isn't responding. And International Sleep Day is tomorrow. Luckily, AT&T 5G lets you deal with any issues with ease, so the pillows will get delivered and everyone can sleep soundly, especially you. AT&T 5G requires a compatible plan and device coverage not available everywhere. Learn more@att.com 5G Network.
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Episode Theme: The unlikely, high-stakes origin story of Disneyland—how a risk-laden idea by Walt and Roy Disney grew from a struggling animator’s daydream into the iconic theme park we know today.
In this deep-dive, Jack and Nick (broadcasting from vacation) deliver the first half of Disneyland’s epic origin. They unravel how Walt Disney, recovering from professional and financial setbacks, dreamed up a radical new kind of amusement park—and how he and his pragmatic brother Roy navigated doubt, money troubles, and innovative business moves to make it happen. The episode covers the days before Disneyland existed, Walt's inspirations, the essential partnership with Roy, and the pivotal decisions and gambles that transformed the project into a world-changing phenomenon.
Jack and Nick combine smart business analysis with a playful, conversational tone—mixing facts and wit, and making the stakes of each Disney decision crystal clear for listeners. Frequent asides and metaphors ("Roy is the Timon to Walt’s Pumbaa") keep the narrative lively and relatable.
This is only part one. The cliffhanger: Will Walt’s TV gamble—and Disneyland’s “opening disaster”—make or break the dream on Day One? Jack and Nick promise answers in Part Two, to be released in the next episode.
Perfect for:
Fans of Disney lore, entrepreneurship, business history, or anyone who likes to see how wild ideas (almost) flop—before changing the world.