89.5 - A Chat with Foxx Nolte

Welcome back to another episode and this time, we have a special guest for this ‘half episode’, Foxx Nolte. Foxx has been in the Disney community for years and has been a trailblazer in all things Disney history. For this episode, we are excited to have the ‘Queen of Lake Buena Vista’ joining us to talk all about her latest book, Hidden History of Walt Disney World. This book is filled with a treasure trove of tales and stories curated by Foxx, which were hand-picked and organized in an entertaining way. Todd and the fellas touch a bit on an earlier episode where we got into the old stories told to us about Bay Lake & the various watercraft duties. Check out Episode 8 if you haven’t already!
One of the main discussion points that Foxx brings up, is the 44,000 word limit in this book. As she states, she had to ‘cut the crap’, which makes this a very fun read that comes in somewhat short snippets. You get the information, you digest it, and you keep going without going too far into the weeds. If you remember, Foxx also wrote Boundless Realms a few years back. Her sense of history and record keeping is right in line with how most of us think; this history has to be documented and recorded before it is forgotten or lost. We love that and hope she continues to record these stories and memories before it is too late.
We get into one story in particular, all about a packing house. During the construction of Walt Disney World, they utilized a closed-down packing house to build ride pieces and set items. Foxx dug deep into this little bit of history, getting down to the type of windows in each building, shed designs, and when these places were shut down. One big issue she has run into is the history is murky due to so many people moving in and out of the area. This book also hits on the old ticket system, which allowed Disney to see which rides drew in the crowds and allowed you to adjust the maintenance schedules based on use. Another fun chapter is all about McDonald’s in the parks, which if you don’t remember when this was a thing, you need to get into this bit of Disney history as it was a magical time. Overall, this was such a fun read and a fun interview. We hope you take some time to pick up a copy and enjoy it the next time you are traveling to WDW, heading on a summer road trip, or even sitting by your favorite resort pool. Huge thanks to Foxx Nolte for sharing copies with all of us and for spending time with us on this episode.