184. Ethan Reed on Santa Stops at Disneyland

The cover for the new Little Golden Book Santa Stops at Disneyland, which was released in September.

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Everyone just loves Disneyland; even Santa wants to visit! He has a lot of stops to make for Christmas, and he still has time to swing by the Happiest Place on Earth. That’s the premise of Santa Stops at Disneyland, the new Little Golden Book written by Ethan Reed. He developed the idea originally as a gift to his son, and it ultimately evolved into this cute holiday book.

Ethan Reed wrote and illustrated the new Little Golden Book Santa Stops at Disneyland. — Photo by Ethan Reed

Ethan is my guest on this episode of the Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about his new book and how it came together. He originally appeared on Episode 140 to talk about his background and 22 years at Walt Disney Imagineering. This time, we chat about his interest in holidays at Disneyland and the Little Golden Books that inspired him. I love the idea that Santa and the Elves are bringing gifts to the residents of Disneyland like the pirates, Tiki birds, and even the ghosts of the Haunted Mansion.

This page shows Santa Claus and the Elves enjoying the Matterhorn Bobsleds. — Photo by Ethan Reed

We also discuss the upcoming TV series based on Duffy & Friends for Disney Plus given Ethan’s work on their creation. I’m interested to see if they become more popular in the U.S. after this stop-motion show premieres. Finally, Ethan recalls his memories of Disney Legend Alice Davis, who passed away this month. I really enjoyed the chance to talk again with Ethan and highly recommend his new book.