Lou Mongello - The Disney Interviews: Volume I

Published by Second Star Media, L.L.C.

13506 Summerport Village Pkwy. Suite 327, Windermere, FL 34786

Copyright 2020 Lou Mongello and Second Star Media

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. This ebook may not be reproduced or copied except for the use of the original purchaser.

Limit of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty: The author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book, and the information provided herein is provided as is. Lou Mongello and Second Star Media, L.L.C. make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Trademarks: This book identifies product names and services known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective holders. They are used throughout this book in an editorial fashion only. In addition, terms suspected of being trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark, registered trademark, or service mark. Neither the author nor the publisher makes any commercial claim to their use. Lou Mongello and Second Star Media, L.L.C. is not associated with The Walt Disney Company, or any other company, product or vendor mentioned in this book.

This book is unauthorized and unofficial. It has not been reviewed by The Walt Disney Company or any other company or individual referenced to herein, and is in no way authorized, endorsed or approved by the company, its sponsors, partners or affiliates.

Table of Contents

Dedication

First and foremost, This book is dedicated to YOU, my friend, the reader. Not only would this book not exist without you, but it is because of you that I am blessed with the incredible opportunity to do and share what I love every day.

It is thanks to you that I was able to leave my career as an attorney, completely shift my trajectory, and pursue my passion for something I truly love. I am so grateful for your love, support, and friendship. You might not realize it, but simply by virtue of you reading this book and listening to the WDW Radio show, you are an important, cherished, and valuable member of our community. Because of you, I was able to get to know everyone who I interviewed on the show and in this book. As a Disney fan, they are literal dreams come true, and I hope that you enjoy these conversations as much as I did. I say and believe this to be true, and hope you do as well We are friends, whether we have met yet or not.

To the countless dreamers and doers at the Walt Disney Company, including the Imagineers and Cast Members who clearly love what they do, and bring the magic to so many people each and every day.

To my mom and dad It is not an overstatement to say that I owe everything to you. From the moment I was born, through every. In my life, through every success or failure, you were there to guide, love, support, and teach me. I could fill every page of this book with the reasons why I need to thank you both I am the person that I am today because of you. I only hope, as I always have, that I make you proud.

To my brother, Fred, who has shared with me so many good times and bad, (as well as monorail rides), is both my trusted friend and someone who I know will always be there for me. Well always be kids at heart.

This book is for, and because of, my always oh-so-very-supportive wife, Deanna, and my incredible children, Marion and Nicolas. Everything I do, I do for you And none of this would have been possible without you. From that very first conversation where I said, Im thinking about writing a book and through every difficult and wonderful step of the way, you have always been there to stand behind everything I do. All of you have always been so understanding of my often hectic and crazy schedule, research trips, and ups and downs throughout this journey. The best part of it all, is that we have been on this adventure together And I know the best is still yet to come. I hope you are proud, and that I have been a good example to and for you. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to be, wherever you want to go, anything is possible with passion, patience, and persistence. Youre all amazing. I love you, and this book is for you.

The opportunity and ability to share this book is a gift to me.

So from the bottom of my heart Thank you.

About Lou Mongello

When I get home, I shall write a book about this place

Alice in Wonderland

OK, so I never really said that. Actually, I never planned to write a book about Walt Disney World at all let alone four books, seven Audio Tours, 600+ podcast episodes, countless live videos, events, lasting memories, and hopefully, having a positive impact on the lives of others.

My journey to this book has been a long and very circuitous one. The (very) condensed version of the story goes like this:

Everything I have done (and do) about Disney comes from a love and passion for a place that has meant so much to me throughout my life. At the age of three, my parents took me for the first (of many) times to Walt Disney World, in November, 1971, just a few weeks after the park opened. My father took a photo of me, bad hair and all, on the curb of Main Street, USA in a place which has come to be known affectionately to me as The Spot, and from that moment on, I was hooked.

Fast forward to 2003, when I wrote my first book, the Walt Disney World Trivia Book Volume I, after setting a personal challenge for myself to see if I could write a book and get it published. I wrote the book I wanted to read, one that didnt exist, and would allow me to do something with all of the useless knowledge I had about Walt Disney World floating around in my head. I started a web site (DisneyWorldTrivia.com) and community in 2004, and in 2005, I started podcasting.

By 2007, I had left my law practice and the IT consulting company I had started in New Jersey, to pursue my passion, and share my love of Disney with others full-time. Just a year or so later, I took a huge leap of faith, sold my house (at a huge loss), put all our stuff into storage (pro tip: sell it all before you move!), moved to Florida (to rent a house I hadnt even seen before), to take a chance and see if I could turn what I love into what I do.