Charlie Ridgway – AllEars.Net

Two Legendary Photographers Documented The Early Days Of Disneyland And Walt Disney World

September 9, 2024 by Chuck Schmidt

One took photographs of the hell-on-Earth he witnessed on battlefields during World War II. The other snapped photos of death and destruction of a different kind – on the often dangerous highways and city streets in and around southern California in the 1940s and ‘50s. Both rose out of the mayhem to become key figures in documenting Disney history.

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MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT DISNEY: My Main Street Friends

December 18, 2023 by Chuck Schmidt

During my 45-plus years of covering the wonderful world of Disney, I’ve had the distinct honor of striking up relationships with a good number of Disney’s more prominent cast members, whose careers are memorialized on windows along Main Street USA in California, Florida or France. Whenever I return to a Disney park, I make sure to renew acquaintances with my Main Street buddies.

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These Vintage Photos Offer A Glimpse Into Disney Parks’ Past

July 11, 2022 by Chuck Schmidt

Vintage Disney photos serve as time machines of sorts, allowing us to return to a simpler time, all the while illustrating just how much things have changed in the Vacation Kingdom of the World and the Happiest Place on Earth over the past 30 or 40 years.

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As Walt Disney World Approaches Its 50th, We Look Back at Previous Anniversaries

June 16, 2021 by Chuck Schmidt

Beginning in 1981 and for every five years hence, Walt Disney World was the place where anniversaries were not only celebrated, but were celebrated in grandiose, over-the-top fashion.

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Extra! Extra! Read All About Disney’s Decades-Long Connection With Newspapers

April 19, 2021 by Chuck Schmidt

Newspapers – at least newspapers in their heyday – played a prominent role in the lives of many key people within the Walt Disney Company ranks over the years.

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The Role Magazines Have Played in Walt’s World

May 20, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Walt Disney understood the power of the media, so much so that he employed some of the most talented wordsmiths he could find to help publicize his projects. Over the years, magazines have played a key role in getting the word out on Walt's expansive world.

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From Eddie to Marty to Charlie: The Disneyland PR Connection

November 26, 2018 by Chuck Schmidt

From Eddie Meck to Marty Sklar to Charlie Ridgway, the Disneyland publicity department was blessed with a host of talented individuals who helped get the word out on the fledgling theme park ... as well as the resorts that would follow around the world.

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During its four-year run, Holidayland gave guests a Disneyland experience right outside the fabled berm

April 30, 2018 by Chuck Schmidt

An aerial view shows Holidayland during its heyday, right outside the berm at Disneyland. Much has been written about the berm at Disneyland … those large mounds of dirt, cleverly placed foliage and other inconspicuous obstacles which keep Disney guests from seeing the outside world, effectively insulating them from reality. As Disney Legend John Hench … Continue reading "During its four-year run, Holidayland gave guests a Disneyland experience right outside the fabled berm"

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Charlie Ridgway and Rick Sylvain: Two Disney PR guys with the “write” stuff

January 9, 2017 by Chuck Schmidt

Rick Sylvain, left, and his former boss, Charlie Ridgway, crossed paths in England several years ago. As Rick puts it: “This was taken in 2007 after a travel writers’ convention in Manchester, England. Two friends and I were getting our rental van serviced deep in the English countryside. Who do we run across on that … Continue reading "Charlie Ridgway and Rick Sylvain: Two Disney PR guys with the “write” stuff"

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