McNair Wilson (Walt Disney Imagineer, Author of "Hatch!")

Imagination Skyway

Matthew Krul

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel, Kids & Family

5 • 830 Ratings

🗓️ 5 October 2019

⏱️ 90 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

McNair Wilson is a retired Walt Disney Imagineer who coined the term "Streetmosphere" (now commonly used in the theme park industry) and created street theater performances across the Disney Parks, especially at Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios (at the time it was still called Disney-MGM Studios). McNair is also responsible for creating the name "Downtown Disney" and for creating the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island. In addition, NcNair developed concepts for many of the Disney attractions we know and love today, most notably the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. In this podcast episode, I have the pleasure of chatting directly with McNair about his work at Walt Disney Imagineering and his experiences meeting and working with Claude Coats, Marty Sklar, Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, Mel Brooks, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and even Walt Disney. Which of McNair Wilson's creations do you love most? Send me your feedback via email or through direct or public message at any of the following and [with your permission] I'll include your message in a future show: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineerPodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/ImagineerPodcast Twitter: www.twitter.com/ImagineerNews Facebook Group (ImagiNation): https://www.facebook.com/groups/imagineerpodcast/ Share your feedback via voicemail: 516-406-8376 Huge thank you once again to McNair for being my special guest on this podcast episode! You can learn more about him and his book (which I have read and recommend) at the links below. Website: https://teawithmcnair.typepad.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmcnair/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hatch-by-McNair-Wilson-118700724892370/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1938512014/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_KBOCDb8NQQ9DT Be sure to check out our sponsor WDW Magazine, the premier magazine focused on Walt Disney World, available in print or digital. Disney news and travel tips: Be sure to visit our Disney news partner, The Kingdom Insider: Website: https://thekingdominsider.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/KingdomInsider Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekingdominsider/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tkidisneynews YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNy6LP8uPSjsktoPBr5JTQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TKIDisneyNews/ Vacation Planning: Planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or another Disney destination? Visit our trusted partner, Academy Travel: Walt Disney World: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/waltdisney/IP Disneyland: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneyland/IP Disney Cruise Line: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneycruise/IP Aulani: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/Aulani/IP Adventures by Disney: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/DisneyAdventure/IP How to Support the Show Share the podcast with your friends Rate and review on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-imagineerpodcasts-podcast/id1244558092 Join the Imagineer Society - https://www.patreon.com/imagineerpodcast Purchase merchandise - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/imagineer-podcast?ref_id=8929 Enjoy the show!

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm
0:02.0	.
0:03.0	. Hello and welcome to the Imagineer podcast, your unofficial guide to All Things Disney.
0:42.6	I'm your host, Matthew Krull, and you're listening to Episode 57 of the Imagineer podcast.
0:49.7	In today's episode, I have the great honor and privilege of chatting with McNair Wilson.
0:56.2	For those of you who don't know McNair, well, of course, you're going to get to learn a lot more about him in this podcast episode.
1:02.5	He played a key role at Walt Disney Imagineering in the 1980s and early 1990s, working at projects at Epcot, Disney's MGM Studios, now called Disney's Hollywood Studios, of course, downtown Disney, now called Disney Springs, and other locations around the Disney parks.
1:22.2	He had a key role not only in the development and concept work behind some of the attractions that you now know
1:28.2	and love, but he also invented the term streetmosphere and had a huge role in helping to develop
1:35.6	a lot of the streetmosphere that we know and love at the Disney parks and even in the
1:39.7	theme park industry in general all around the world. So in today's episode, we'll talk about his history
1:45.7	at Walt Disney Imagineering. His thoughts about creativity and brainstorming. We talk a bit about
1:51.4	what it's like to work at Walt Disney Imagineering. He offers some great advice and tips if you're
1:56.8	looking to become a Walt Disney Imagineer. And there's a couple of fun stories in there,
2:01.8	including how he met Walt Disney himself, worked closely with people like Marty Sclar and Claude Coates,
2:08.1	and it was just such a fun discussion that I cannot wait for you to hear.
2:12.8	At the end of the show, I'll come back and tell you a little bit more about how you can connect
2:16.3	with the Imagineer podcast on all of our social media channels and tell you a little bit more about how you can connect with the Imagineer
2:17.6	podcast on all of our social media channels and how you can help to inspire and create
2:22.8	the future of this show.
2:25.0	So, grab some headphones, pull up your favorite armchair, and enjoy this episode
2:31.0	of the Imagineer podcast.
	...

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