125. Lou Mongello on The Disney Interviews: Volume 1

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One of the longest-running Disney podcasts has been WDW Radio, which Lou Mongello started in 2007. He has produced more than 600 episodes about Walt Disney World and Disney history, including many interviews. Lou recently compiled 12 favorite conversations into The Disney Interviews: Volume 1. This book features Disney legends that interacted directly with Walt Disney. Guests like Dave Smith, Alice Davis, and Julie Andrews are part of the book. There’s so much to cover from their careers.

Lou Mongello

Lou returns to The Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about the book and recording the interviews. We originally talked about Lou’s background on Episode 70, and this time we focus on the interviews. He talks about his interview style, the research involved, and how different it was to book guests even 10 years ago. Amazingly, he even called Richard Sherman’s house directly to set up their interview.

We also talk about how the pandemic has impacted Lou’s business. Walt Disney World was closed for several months, and Disneyland still hasn’t opened. Lou explains challenges to connect with his community without meeting in person. Monthly meet-ups were a big part of his work. Finally, I close the interview with five questions about Lou’s interest in the parks and what excites him about the future. I really enjoyed talking with Lou again, and it was great to learn about the book.