• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Heidi
    • Family Treasures
    • Matters of the Heart
  • PR Welcome
  • Disney
    • Find a Disney Travel Agent
    • Suggested Disney Resources
      • Blogs
      • Products & Services
      • Websites
      • Books & Magazines
    • Destination Disney
      • Destination Disney Topic
    • Magical Blogorail
    • Disney Trip Report
    • Disney Dining
    • 100 Days to Disney
    • Disney at Home
    • Tiggerific Tuesday
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • Product Reviews
    • Disney Reviews
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Favorite Food Friday
  • Homeschool
    • 2 Year Musical Journey
    • Field Trips
    • Homeschooling Resources
  • Real Life
  • Sipology
  • Nav Widget Area

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Heidi's Head

Come see what's going on in Heidi's Head

February 8, 2016

On the Disney Beat

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
0 Shares

As a blogger, I may be compensated in some way (either pay, product, or experience) for sharing the post below All opinions are my own. ~Heidi

TPP logo

About On the Disney Beat

On the Disney Beat coverStop the Presses!

Journalist Chuck Schmidt has covered Disney for over three decades, attending lavish special event parties and enjoying access to Disney executives and Imagineers. He was first in line for new attractions, shows, even cruise ships. What’s that like? Chuck’s memoir tells all.

Being a newspaper reporter is not a life of glitz and glamour. But for a reporter like Chuck Schmidt, who was on the “Disney beat” for the Staten Island Advance, it means one-on-one time with Disney Legends like Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter; admittance to private, after-hours galas in the parks; and plenty of bling.

Now retired, Chuck tells the never-before-told story of how he and other journalists publicize the latest and greatest from the Mouse, taking you backstage to a side of Disney that guests never see:

  • Celebrity-studded soirees for events like the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the christening of the Disney Dream
  • How former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo’s innovations changed the theme park experience for many guests—but few people know who he is
  • The evolution of Disney’s increasingly over-the-top press events, traced back to a Hollywood operator named Eddie Meck who taught Walt how to promote Disneyland
  • How Chuck became an “honorary citizen” of Walt Disney World

With a foreword by Marty Sklar, and featuring exclusive photos and contributions from Disney Legends Sklar, Tony Baxter, Bob Gurr, and Charlie Ridgway, On the Disney Beat is your personal press badge to all things Disney!

About Chuck Schmidt

Chuck Schmidt was bitten by the Disney bug at an early age. He remembers watching The Mickey Mouse Club after school in the mid-1950s. During his 48-year career in the newspaper business, he channeled that love of Disney as the Sunday News and Travel editor for the Staten Island Advance, writing a number of features and covering a variety of events involving the expansive world created by Walt Disney.

Since 2009, he has shared his passion for all things Disney in his weekly Goofy About Disneyblog on SILive.com.

Chuck resides in Freehold, New Jersey, with his wife, Janet. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Heidi Says . . .

A few years ago, my daughter Ashley and I were invited to attend a special event at Walt Disney World with friends who own a rental home property in Kissimmee.  [If you’d like to book a Dream Home, please click on the link in my sidebar.]  Anyway, this event was for Disney-approved ticket sellers, and was held at the Contemporary Resort.  The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was the main focus, though we were also told about other upcoming events and attractions.  In addition to a lovely breakfast spread, we also got some great swag (a Seven Dwarf Mine Train backpack has come in quite handy!), free tickets to the park, lunch vouchers, and FastPasses for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

I have to admit, I was starstruck by the whole event.  It was fabulous.  Even though we were just guests of our friends, we were made to feel important in the Disney community.  It was a lot of fun and an event that I will never forget.  And, I can’t help thinking that if my dream of living in the central Florida area were to ever come true, I’d likely have opportunity to visit more events like this.  And I would love it!

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a writer.  Of course, that dream started out as a goal to write books, but later materialized into a more realistic dream of writing for a newspaper.  Of course, my desire not to go to college kinda put that dream to rest.  

All that to say that Chuck Schmidt has pretty much lived out a life that I would love!  Not only has he been a newspaper reporter, but he’s had opportunity to write about about Disney.  A lot.  To me, he’s led a charmed life.  Just looking at the book cover will clearly show that he’s attended a TON of Disney-related press events over the years (in fact, I see a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train media event pass there!)  He’s attended events on both coasts, and had the chance to rub elbows with some of Disney’s greatest names, such as Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, Tony Baxter, and Charlie Ridgway.

He’s had opportunity to sit down and interview these guys and hear stories about their Disney working experience.  And, he’s sharing those stories – along with stories from the various media events – in this book.  

And I loved reading it!  If these names and these events mean anything to you, you’ll likely enjoy reading this one too!  

Learn More

As always, you can find out more about this book at the Theme Park Press website, where you’ll find a few excerpts from the book (the Club 33 one with Marty Sklar is a personal favorite!)  Be sure to check out the Forward and the Introduction as well.  

Theme Park Press is constantly adding new books to their line-up.  In fact, just since last week, I saw several new ones that I can’t wait to read.  Be sure to stay tuned here at Heidi’s Head for lots more Theme Park Press fun!

***This post made possible by Theme Park Press.***

More from my site

  • From Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer to Disney LegendFrom Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer to Disney Legend
  • From Jungle Cruise Skipper to Disney Legend – William SullivanFrom Jungle Cruise Skipper to Disney Legend – William Sullivan
  • A Historical Tour of Walt Disney World by Andrew KisteA Historical Tour of Walt Disney World by Andrew Kiste
  • Love This – Disney for All!Love This – Disney for All!
  • Window on Main Street by Van Arsdale FranceWindow on Main Street by Van Arsdale France
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: book reviews Heidi Leave a Comment

Primary Sidebar

Ask Heidi About This Awesome OpportuniTEA!

Ask Heidi About This Awesome OpportuniTEA!

Subscribe to Heidi’s Head via E-mail

* indicates required

Search Heidi’s Head!

Save Money Like Heidi

Make Money Like Heidi

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

Heidi Recommends . . .

Thanks for clicking on the links below. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small percentage.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Heidi is a Proud Member of . . .

Smiley360
USFamilyGuide.com
SoFab Badge

Heidi’s Latest Pins

Footer

BlogWithIntegrity.com

See our Privacy Policy

Latest Posts

  • Darren Criss Announces Christmas Tour to Stop at Hershey Theatre October 8, 2021
  • Pentatonix to Stop at GIANT Center on 2021 Christmas Tour September 27, 2021
  • Get your Dolphin Island DVD! August 2, 2021
  • Cirque Dreams Holidaze to Light up the Stage at Hershey Theatre July 12, 2021
  • Sipology’s 2021 Spring/Summer Catalog launches TODAY with 40 new products! February 22, 2021

Latest Comments

  • Heidi Strawser on PassPorter’s Walt Disney World
  • Wendy Muchisky on PassPorter’s Walt Disney World
  • Lauren on Same Kind of Different as Me – Coming to Theaters October 20
  • Christy V. on Jeremy Camp’s “The Answer” CD
  • mami2jcn on Same Kind of Different as Me – Coming to Theaters October 20
myfreecopyright.com registered & protected

malware removal and website security

Please do not copy or reproduce any of the content found on this blog without express written permission from the author. ©Heidi's Head

Copyright © 2022 · by Heidi's Head. All Rights Reserved. ·

© 2015 Pretty Happy WordPress Theme · By: Pretty Darn Cute Design

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Heidi's Head
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.