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Hey there, hi there, ho there, and welcome to episode 3, four, nine of connecting with Walt, celebrating our 10thennial year.

I am your host and is historian Michael Bowling, and I am joined by my co-host, producer, and good friend Tom Bell.

Tom, how are you today?

I'm doing okay, Michael.

Yourself?

I'm doing well, just, you know, getting ready for Thanksgiving and getting ready to go on a long vacation.

And some Black Friday shopping?

I've gotten a lot done, but not really.

Most of the shopping I've done is for Thanksgiving and all that, and for my trip.

That's about it.

So I think I'm going to deal with Christmas when I get back.

Gotcha.

Today we are delighted to welcome back a friend of the show,

author and scholar Todd James Pierce.

Todd is a celebrated storyteller of theme park history in Disney lore,

known for works such as Three Years in Wonderland

and a Life and Times of Ward Kimball.

His newest book, Making Mary Poppins, the Sherman Brothers, Walt Disney,

and the creation of the classic film,

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