The D23 Expo is the ultimate Disney fan event, with something for everyone. While most people flock to the Expo Hall and the big stage “Hall D23” for the big announcements, I prefer the smaller breakouts…The real Disney details. Stage 28 is a great example; a smaller, yet large stage designed to get a little deeper into all things Disney. Presentations like this one are just spectacular – Voices of the Disney Parks!!! A gem and a session I wish was 3 hours long, not just one. So many questions I’d love to ask.
The D23 2017 Voices of the Parks Panel was hosted by Brian Nefsy, Casting Director at Walt Disney Imagineering.
The 2017 panel included 10 Disney parks voice actors including:
Alison Blanchard: The voice of many computers including Star Tours & Mission Space, The host of World of Color 60th Anniversary Special, Soarin over California, and most recently appeared in the Flight of Passage preshow as Dr. Jackie Odgen.
Chris Edgerly: The voice of Timothy Mouse from Dumbo and Scuttle in Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.
Bob Joles: The voice of Sallah, Indiana Jones Adventure, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Snow White Scary Adventures – Sneezy, Captain of the Mark Twain River Boat and most recently the voice of the Disneyland Railroad.
Yeni Alvarez: You might say that her specialty is the Spanish safety spiels heard throughout Disney parks. Credits include Alice in Wonderland, Spaceship Earth, Flik’s Flyers, Tuck & Roll’s Drive’Em Buggies, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, Gadget’s Go Coaster, It’s a Small World and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. She was also the Studio Backlot Tour Guide and can be heard on the parking lot trams.
B.J. Ward: Voices include Sarah (Mom) in Carousel of Progress, safety spiel in The Living Seas SeaCabs, safety spiel on It’s a Small World, unload spiel on Peter Pan’s Flight, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Spaceship Earth, singing voices in Splash Mountain including Mother Possum and Mother Rabbit (Disneyland), Hall of Presidents, American Adventure, Space Mountain, Horizons, Kitchen Cabaret.
Peter Renaday: Best known for Henry and Max in the Country Bears, Peter started at Disney in 1959. He is credited with many Disney parks voice-overs, current and retired. Credits include Rocket to Mars, Rocket to the Moon, Snow Whites Scary Adventures, Captain of the sailing ship Columbia, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Disneyland), Mickey’s Philharmagic, Adventures Thru Inner Space, Mark Twain Riverboat, Abraham Lincoln in the Hall of Presidents and the narrator for The Walt Disney Story. Peter was the voice of Mickey Mouse for 10 Years for Disney Records (That’s LPs has he puts it) including Mickey Mouse Splash Dance and Yankee Doodle Mickey. Peter was the original “Ghost Host” on “The Story and Song of the Haunted Mansion record”. His voice was replaced by Paul Frees for the attraction.
Fred Tatasciore: Fred’s Disney parks credits include Darth Vader for Star Tours and Jedi Training Academy. The voice of the Expedition Everest Yeti, the Gungan Captain in Star Tours the Adventure Continues, Space Mountain Captain and can be heard on Grizzly Rapids. Fred is also Baby Groot for Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout.
Corey Burton: Corey’s Disney parks credits go on and on: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Grumpy, Radiator Springs Racers Doc Hudson, Figment in Journey into YOUR Imagination, Chernabog and Captain Hook in Fantasmic!, General Knowledge in Cranium Command, the narrator for Goofy about Health, the future port announcer in Horizons, several assorted pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, The White Rabbit and Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee in Peter Pans Flight, a judge, cop and farmer in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, multiple parking lot trams and the Ghost Host for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Camille Dixon: From the rope drop to parade and special announcements throughout the park, Camille is the voice of Disney California Adventure.
Bill Rodgers: – Bill has recorded just about all of the Disneyland announcements since 1991 and can be heard in Disney parks worldwide. Bill replaced a retiring Jack Wagner who was the voice of Disneyland from the early 70s until 1993.
As the story goes, Bill had recorded all of the California Adventure voice-over work and was set to be the voice of both Disneyland and DCA. Two weeks before the grand reopening of DCA in 2012, Bill was asked if his wife was available. She re-recorded all of his tracks and the rest is history.
The husband and wife team has been the voice of Disneyland and DCA since.
Check out these other videos from the D23 Expo Archives Stage: 60 Years of the Jungle Cruise, Great Moments with Walt Disney, Digging Deeper Disney History, Making Walls Talk, A conversation with Bill Farmer, Kevin Rafferty, Star Wars Music, Disneyland 1959, Haunted Mansion at 50, Disney and Pixar did That?, Legacy of Disney Products, Disney Park Maps, Marc Davis goes to WED, Legends of Imagineering, Voices of the Parks or 50 Years of Pirates! and a Kiss Goodnight with Richard Sherman
For more voice over information, check out the Disney Family Album
On September 24, 2012, Disney introduced Camille Dixon, wife of Bill Rodgers the voice of Disneyland, as the new voice of Disney California Adventure in this Official Disney parks Youtube video.
