Attractions Experts Q&A: Marcy Carriker Smothers is a Disney historian who’s written four books about Walt Disney and the Disney Parks

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Marcy Carriker Smothers is the author of the New York Times New & Noteworthy selection “Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food,” “Walt’s Disneyland: A Walk in the Park with Walt Disney,” and in celebration of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, she co-authored “Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World: Recipes & Stories from The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Most recently, she published “National Geographic’s 100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime: Magical Experiences from Around the World.”

A noted radio personality, Marcy has also hosted several programs, including “The Food Guy” and “Marcy Show” with the Food Network’s Guy Fieri. When not strolling on Main Street, U.S.A., Marcy can be found exploring food and planning her next adventure.

What theme park souvenir might we be surprised to find on your shelf, and what’s its story?

My favorite souvenir might not qualify as a typical souvenir, and it’s not on a shelf.

People always ask how I fell in love with Walt Disney and Disneyland, and I say when I was a kid, I got to go to Disneyland one day a year and it was always the best day of the year. I was raised by my grandparents, and it was a very big deal for my grandfather to take us. Neither of my grandparents graduated high school, but my grandfather read two or three library books a week, they played Scrabble every night, and my grandmother did the New York Times crossword puzzle in ink. When he took us to Disneyland, my grandfather would put a blanket on the curb and read so we would have a great view of the Main Street Electrical Parade. With all those memories of the Main Street Electoral Parade, when I did my first radio talk show here in Sonoma County on KSRO, my theme song was the Main Street Electrical Parade.

When the incredible miniature artist Robert Olszewski started making models of Main Street, U.S.A., a friend collected every single one – one for me and one for him (I think only 300 were made of each piece). I now have a six-foot-long coffee table encased in glass that has theRobert Olszewski Main Street U.S.A. model pieces, from the Mickey floral arrangement all the way to Sleeping Beauty Castle – and it has the Main Street Electrical Parade on it. The gentleman who created the coffee table put in speakers, and it plays the Main Street Electrical Parade theme (plus ambient park soundscapes).

It just speaks to why I love Disneyland. The impression I think of is as a tiny kid, watching the parade from my grandfather’s lap. And it was such a big deal to go to Disneyland once a year. I realize now that my childhood was kind of black and white, but when I got to go to Disneyland, it became color, like in “The Wizard of Oz.” And it just refilled my batteries and recharged me for the entire year.

The model is not the typical kind of souvenir you would take home – it took years and years to complete – but it is my favorite. And I have Disneyland with me when I can’t be at Disneyland.

What theme park have you always wanted to visit but have never been to?

I have been to Hong Kong Disney, Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland, but I have not been to the Tokyo parks or Shanghai Disneyland. My mentor was Disney Legend Jim Cora, who opened the Tokyo Disney parks, and he kept saying I should go, but I haven’t been able to make that happen yet.

Also, for historical reasons – and because of the influence on Walt – I really want to go to Tivoli Gardens. Another that’s very high on my list is Efteling because I hear how magical and unique it is.

Was there a theme park or attraction that made you want to be in this industry, and how did it inspire you?

Well, it’s Disneyland 100%. What I concentrate on as an author and historian, particularly with Walt Disney, is emotion and feelings. That’s what he wanted in his movies and in his park, and that emotion as an adult is what drove me. All these years later, when you’re in Disneyland, it’s still there – exactly what he intended – beginning in 1955. So, I would say I’m always chasing that feeling of what it is to be at Disneyland, and that’s partly where my Main Street, U.S.A. coffee table helps.

I also write exclusively to Disney music, sometimes instrumental park playlists, and sometimes soundtracks such as “Mary Poppins.” I was just listening to Animal Kingdom Lodge – that background music is fantastic. That’s how I connect to the parks, through the music, through the emotions, and through the memories, whether I’m there or not.

What was your favorite ride or attraction as a child, and why?

My favorite was what we would call the tradition with my grandfather: Pirates of the Caribbean. My grandfather was a really simple man, hardworking. He was a swimming pool salesman in the San Fernando Valley. And he just loved Disneyland.

My grandfather was Italian, and I still have very vivid memories of my grandparents’ Sherman Oaks kitchen with the plastic tablecloth. If he ate a fresh fig or a slice of real mortadella, which was a treat from Domingo’s Italian Deli, he would say, “Oh, my God.” Like he just couldn’t believe how good it was. And he had that same reaction whenever we got on Pirates. As soon as we entered the battleship scene, he would say, “Oh, my God!” Every time. Like he was seeing it for the first time – just like a little kid.

The first drop on Pirates is a great part of the attraction, but it also has a very real function, which is to get us underneath the railroad tracks and to the show building on the other side. Walt told Herbie Ryman (the artist who created the first illustration of Disneyland) that he needed a drawing about how the attraction would get everybody underneath the railroad tracks.

Here’s the conversation between Walt and Herbie from my book, “Walt’s Disneyland: A Walk in the Park with Walt Disney”:

“‘Now this is a water ride, so it’s going to go down twenty-six feet … can you draw some stuff to show how we’re going to get down there?’

Herb did as instructed, drawing people plunging in a boat, screaming, and getting wet. When he showed the rendering to Walt, he responded, “Yeah, yeah. Mind if I take this with me?’ Herb, of course, could not refuse his boss. 

Walt returned the next day and said to Herb, ‘I changed your idea. I’ve got them going down. They do it once, and they only go down twelve feet, and then they go along, and they don’t know it’s going to happen again, and then it happens again.’ Walt concluded, ‘Now that’s better, isn’t it?'” 

Whenever I’m riding Pirates of the Caribbean (always my first attraction of the day), I go down that second drop, and I say, “Thanks, Walt.” And then, when I see the pirate with his hairy leg hanging over the bridge, I hear my grandfather saying, “Oh, my God.” Both make me smile, and my heart is full just thinking about it.

Was there a ride, attraction, or character that frightened you as a child?

I’ve never really liked roller coasters. I remember a very good friend said we should ride the Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure. I told him I didn’t like roller coasters, and he said, “But it’s really smooth. You’ll love it.” And so, I got on. I didn’t see anything beforehand. I just heard “5,4,3,2,1,” and it took off, going straight up and then upside down in a big loop. Afterward, my friend said, “Wasn’t it smooth?” Well, maybe to him, but not to me. Roller coasters still scare me, and I don’t like them.

Recently, to promote my National Geographic book, “100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime”, I was shooting content with (then) Walt Disney World Ambassador Ali Manion. The idea was to challenge myself to ride Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron. I’d written about those attractions by only watching ride-throughs on YouTube. I was frightened, but I did it for the book. I liked Tron. That was pretty doable. Guardians spins a lot, and I wish I could have watched all those images and enjoyed it more than I did, because I was terrified and kept my eyes closed the entire time.

What was the oddest or coolest job you’ve had in your career?

Without a doubt, getting to write for Disney Editions and National Geographic is the coolest.

After “Eat Like Walt” was released, Jim Cora and I were having lunch at our favorite place, Byblos Café (a Lebanese restaurant in Orange), and he asked me, “What’s next, kid?” I gave him a couple of ideas, and then I said I was thinking about doing a souvenir guide to Disneyland, in Walt’s words and the words of the people who created Disneyland with him. And he said, “That’s what you’ve got to do. That’s the one.” In talking that out, I decided I wanted it to be a paperback = affordable and portable. My goal was for people to bring the book into Disneyland and connect with Walt. That was my second book for Disney. 

In the late spring of 2021, I had also just completed “Walt Disney World: Recipes & Stories from the Most Magical Place on Earth.” I wrote that entire narrative without the experience of growing up with Walt Disney World. It was a lot of culinary research, and I got to add some Walt history, too. Both books went print at the same time, and within two weeks after that, my editor and dear friend Wendy Lefkon at Disney Publishing, sent me an email saying that National Geographic wanted to get into the Disney 100th anniversary game.

She told me National Geographic had an idea for a book, and she would like to throw my hat in the ring. I said, “Wendy, I can’t imagine. I just finished two books.” Then she told me it had to be done in about eight months. I didn’t think that was possible, but said, “Sure, I’ll try out. I’ll audition.” And that’s because my surrogate grandfather, Bill Young, used to tell me, “Take the cookies when they’re passed.” That was a Depression-era saying, meaning that you never know when you’re going to get another cookie. The next morning, there was an email from Allyson Johnson at National Geographic that read, “I’ve already decided. I’ve read ‘Eat Like Walt.’ I want you.”

It was a massive undertaking but so much fun. I believe this was the first-ever National Geographic collaboration with Disney. They were the ultimate partners, and I can’t say enough about the entire experience. When we had our first meeting, I taught them what Blue Sky was – the initial phase when everyone just throws out ideas. I said, “Well, first of all, if we’re doing 100 Disney adventures of a lifetime, I need to have Walt in it.” I needed to include Walt’s experiences. And not just in the parks but others, such as the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, and Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park. And they said sure.

I told them I also had an idea of a map we would call the Happiest Adventurer on Earth, outlining some of the places Walt visited that influenced the parks and the movies we know. And one of the top people at National Geographic said, “We’ve got cartographers on staff; would you like us to assign you one?” Also, it was then I told them I knew exactly who I wanted to write the forward – the ultimate Disney adventurer – Imagineer Joe Rohde, now a Disney Legend. My editor, Allyson, asked Joe, and he agreed. It was an exceptional experience, and the book came out in October 2022.

It’s my impression that National Geographic was genuinely excited for our book to be part of the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary because it was travel, exploration, and adventure. Plus, Walt actually has an entire National Geographic library at the studio, and Imagineers, artists, and other staff kept contributing their own magazines. That was one of the key research tools (and I believe still is today), so it was a natural tie. It was a huge honor to write about Walt Disney for Disney and National Geographic, and I can’t wait to do it again.

What ride or attraction do you think everyone needs to experience and why?

There are so many, and they would all be at Disneyland because of the connection to Walt, which is important to me.

Riding the Disneyland Railroad and taking the Grand Circle Tour. I’m also a huge lover of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and I think it’s significant because Lincoln was Walt’s favorite president and had a lot of influence in his earlier life. Walt portrayed President Lincoln as a kid in school and made his own costume. He was so good at reciting the Gettysburg Address that the principal had him go from class to class.

I would also say Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room because it’s the only attraction at Disneyland that has Walt’s name on it. It’s the first fully Audio-Animatronic attraction that Walt ever did. It was originally intended to be a restaurant, and Walt built a mockup at the studio like he did with so many attractions. Imagine going to the studio and sitting at the tables with all these birds and flowers above. Then, all of a sudden, they start talking and singing!

Walt knew this restaurant concept wouldn’t work, that guests would be so enthralled no one would want to leave their table, and they wouldn’t be able to turn over the restaurant enough times to make a profit. That’s why it became strictly an attraction. But there are many things that tell you that it was intended to be a restaurant, like the restroom in the lobby (because California requires restaurants to have a restroom). In the center underneath the bird fountain was where the bussing station was going to be – and you can still push open those cabinets where they would store the plates. The banquettes along the very back of the attraction were the restaurant banquettes. They also used the restaurant chairs for years; the pews didn’t come in until, I believe, the early 2000s.

So, as far as attractions everyone needs to experience: the Disneyland Railroad, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and the last attraction that Walt fully supervised – and I mentioned earlier – Pirates of the Caribbean.

If you were tasked with creating a new theme park food, what would it be?

I adore Peter Pan, which also goes back to Walt’s youth in Marceline, Missouri, his hometown, where he first saw a live production of Peter Pan when he was around 7 or 8. He was so captivated. Then, he got to play Peter Pan in elementary school. Walt has said on numerous occasions, to the effect of, “No one has identified with the character Peter Pan more than I do.” He loved Peter Pan (and said it was his second favorite movie behind “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”). It’s also why Peter Pan’s Flight was an Opening Day attraction at Disneyland.

With all that in mind – and how much Peter Pan meant to Walt – I would create the Peter Panwich. And because it’s obviously set in England, I would do an English muffin with tomato, melted cheese, bacon, a little bit of English mustard, and pickled English cucumbers.

You’re a walk-around character for a day; who do you choose?

I would have to say Mickey Mouse. I would want to be the character that Walt created just to see the reactions. There’s a viral video of a little girl who, when she saw Mickey Mouse, just kept saying, “Mickey!” It just caught that moment when she realized that Mickey is a real person.

Also, it’s been said in many different ways: Walt is Mickey, and Mickey is Walt. Obviously, he was the first voice for Mickey Mouse. Lillian said, after Walt died, “I can’t bear to watch Mickey Mouse because he reminds me so much of Walt.”

What types of attractions would you like to see more of and why?

The two that come to mind right away are Remy‘s Ratatouille Adventure and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. I just love everything about them. The story, the characters, the design, the thrill, the music – the way they make you feel!

There are a lot of attractions I love, but with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, I cannot think of a better combination of an attraction with a fun pre-show riddled with Easter eggs than Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland. No matter how much you think you know, somebody will spot something new. It’s so entertaining. The fun of the queue is part of the Disney experience, and that queue is just so spectacular!

I’m very careful only to call them attractions, not rides, which is a Walt thing. I realize some people might think that’s old school, but I think of it as respect because Walt called them attractions. You can go to Six Flags for rides, but you go to Disney for attractions.

Was there any challenge or surprise in your career?

One of the big surprises was when members of the Disney family agreed to speak with me a few times for “Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food.” I was with Ron Miller and the granddaughters, hearing stories about what it was like with Walt at home. To be clear, “Eat Like Walt” is not a cookbook. It’s a history book with recipes and a way to look at this remarkable, ordinary, yet extraordinary man through the lens of food.

While researching my “Eat Like Walt” book proposal, I found an insert to an Orange County paper where Walt said, “Welcome to the kingdom of good eating, where the food’s as fabulous as the fun.” Walt talked about the food and the experience being akin to an attraction, and I knew I had a unique idea. I still get goosebumps. The original title was “The Kingdom of Good Eating,” and that’s how I sold the book to Disney about the culinary history of Disneyland.

So, the big surprise was that one of Walt’s granddaughters invited me to meet her dad and her sisters. They were also incredibly gracious and shared amazing assets from the Walt Disney Family Museum.

One example is the list of Walt Disney’s favorite foods that he wrote for his beloved housekeeper and cook (who he called his Mary Poppins), Thelma Pearl Howard, whose nickname was Fou Fou. Walt might have been one of the most famous men on the planet who could eat anywhere, anytime, anything, but he stuck to the very simple, basic foods he grew up with. The opportunity to chat about life in the Disney family home became a chapter that I never anticipated when I wrote the proposal and was definitely a surprise.

Can you talk about what you are working on these days?

I am working on three books, all very different, but I can’t talk about those yet.

What I will share is the one that I really want to do: a 10th Anniversary Edition of “Eat Like Walt.” That book made the New York Times New and Noteworthy, and I’ll never forget when that happened. The first people I thought of were my grandparents because they were such readers. For my book to be even mentioned in the New York Times, they would’ve never believed it.

I have a lot to add to that book (and I don’t mean just making a few revisions); I plan on doubling the size. An author friend once told me that a book is never finished, it just goes to print. I found that to be very true. Since 2018, I have been collecting new stories, anecdotes, and images. And then I’m doing other projects that are not book-related, which is really fun, like content creation, programming, and things like that.

I like to use a cooking analogy: I have a few things on the front burners that are kind of coming to boil, and I’ve got several things simmering in the back. Sometimes, I look at the one that’s boiling and say, you know what? This has to go on the back. It needs to simmer because I’m not ready. And then maybe the simmering one comes to the front of the stove. 

You are going to your favorite theme park; which industry people (dead or alive) are you taking with you?

By now, you’ve learned with me that there’s never one answer. The obvious is Walt Disney. After all, I titled one of my books “Walt’s Disneyland: A Walk in the Park with Walt Disney.” I would want to be alone with him, and he would come to the park dressed in his three different ways so I could experience the park in three different ways.

One is in his working clothes, like when he was building Fort Wilderness or testing out the Jungle Cruise with casual clothes and a floppy hat. Then, his professional look for when he entertained guests and walked through the park with his beautiful suit and tie. And finally, when he went in disguise. I’m quite sure the most fun would be when he was walking around the park incognito, and he would wait in line, observing, watching, and listening.

As I understand it, he did the disguise well. There’s a story of Walt being in line for Peter Pan and chatting with the people in front of him about this and that inside the attraction. When they got off, a woman said, “Thank you! How do you know so much?” Then, whatever disguise he was using, he took off and exclaimed, “It’s me, Walt Disney!” He liked the anonymity and liked being recognized at the same time.

I would also attend the Flag Retreat Ceremony with him because Walt instituted that. He was a fierce patriot. The Flag Retreat Ceremony is held every afternoon in Town Square with the Disneyland band and often the Dapper Dans. They invite all branches of service, active or retired (including the Space Force now), to stand around the flagpole for the retiring of the colors. It’s a ceremony that started on Opening Day because of Walt and still happens every day. We would end the day on the Grand Circle Tour.

I already got to do this with my mentor, Disney Legend Jim Cora. It took a long time to arrange it because he preferred to remember Disneyland as it was in his era. Jim arranged for us to conclude the afternoon in Club 33 with a bowl of chili and a toast to Walt with a Scotch Mist. That’s a memory I absolutely treasure, especially since he is gone.

Besides Walt Disney and Jim, if I could have a day in a park with anybody, hands down, it would be Tom Fitzgerald at Disneyland for many reasons: he is the hugest fan of the brand, he is a master storyteller, and he has the highest respect for Walt. I want all day with him. I don’t want this couple of hours thing. I want to ride every attraction, hear every story, and get his impression of everything. To me, he is already a Disney Legend, and I can’t wait until he officially becomes one. So, yes, Tom Fitzgerald. I know how much he cares at every level about the brand, the legacy, and the traditions, and he honors that at Walt Disney Imagineering every day.

The funny thing is that Tom wrote the afterword for “Eat Like Walt,” and he is a friend, but I have never been in the parks with him, so maybe thanks to this article, he’ll make the dream come true.

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Writer Kendall Wolf is a long-time consultant in the themed entertainment industry. She has worked with designers, producers, and fabricators to help developers create unique and successful projects around the world. In 2017, she introduced Merlin Entertainments to a development group in Sichuan province for the first Legoland park in China. Kendall continues to consult for the developer to open more themed resorts in China.

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