The Wisdom of Walt

About The Wisdom of Walt

On The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast, we uncover the heart of the magic that Walt created years ago. Here, you'll enjoy stories from the talented artists and Imagineers who continue to carry Walt's legacy of leadership and magic into the world of tomorrow. Walt Disney was a leader who saw potential in the underdog and brought out the very best in everyone fortunate enough to work with him. He led with a curious mind, a confident spirit, a courageous heart, and a constancy of character. In short, Walt embodied leadership. While some may turn to Disney to escape, it's his proven leadership that urges us to turn to Disney as an example. Be sure to subscribe, like, and follow along as Jeff Barnes (Dr. Disneyland) and Kristin Reinbold explore the Wisdom of Walt's principles in leadership, offering a closer look into Walt's dream of Disneyland, the sacrifices he took to achieve that dream, and how his legacy continues to inspire the world today. See ya real soon!

Publisher

Jeff Barnes and Kristin Reinbold

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Feb 2026

Latest episode

25 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Sept 2026

   Episode 34: A Flicker of Hope and Bumper Stickers

   ✨ SUMMARY What if the parts of your story you'd rather erase are actually the parts that make it worth telling? In this episode of The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast, Jeff and Kristin look at Walt Disney's journey through failure, reinvention, and eventual success—and what his story can teach us about owning our own. From Walt's early education and career setbacks to antique typewriters, evolving technology, and even the unexpected wisdom found on bumper stickers, the conversation explores how the things we leave behind can still shape where we're going. Jeff and Kristin reflect on resilience, authenticity, and the temptation to judge our lives only by our successes. Because a meaningful story isn't one without mistakes, detours, or imperfections. It's one in which we learn to see those chapters differently—and keep moving forward. Your past is part of your story. It doesn't have to determine the ending. 💡 WORDS OF WISDOM • You don't have to erase your failures to own your story. • Progress doesn't require perfection—it requires continuing forward. • Our setbacks can become part of the story rather than the end of it. • Authenticity comes from embracing the imperfect chapters alongside the successful ones. • Sometimes changing the way we frame an experience changes what that experience means. • We can honor where we've been without allowing the past to determine where we're going. 🎙️ ABOUT THE WISDOM OF WALT: The Podcast What can the life of Walt Disney teach us about living a better story? The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast explores the life, leadership, creativity, failures, and perseverance of Walt Disney—and the lessons his story can teach us about our own. Hosted by Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, bestselling author, speaker, and creator of the world's first accredited college course on the History of Disneyland, and Kristin Reinbold, educator, writer, storyteller, and creative strategist, the show goes beyond the parks and pixie dust to discover the wisdom behind the man who created them. Through Disney history, leadership, education, storytelling, creativity, resilience, and conversations with fascinating guests, we ask one simple question: What can Walt's story teach us about writing a better one of our own? 🏰 CONNECT WITH THE WISDOM OF WALT 🌐 Website: www.thewisdomofwalt.com 📚 Books & Resources: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#books 🎤 Speaking & Events: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#contact 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdisneyland/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.barnes.163097 🎙️ YOUR HOSTS Dr. Jeffrey Barnes Author • Speaker • Disney Historian • "Dr. Disneyland" Jeff@thewisdomofwalt.com Kristin Reinbold Educator • Writer • Storyteller • Creative Strategist Kristin@thewisdomofwalt.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristin_reinbold/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinReinbold ✨ SUBSCRIBE If Walt Disney's story, creativity, perseverance, and approach to life inspire you, subscribe and join us for new conversations about Disney, leadership, storytelling, personal growth—and the wisdom we can carry into our own great stories. Keep dreaming. Keep learning. Keep moving forward. #WisdomOfWalt #WaltDisney #DisneyPodcast #DisneyHistory #DisneyLeadership #Disney #Storytelling #Resilience #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth #Failure #Success #KeepMovingForward #Disneyland #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyParks #Cars #Antiques #Shopping #Cameras #Filmmaking #Movies #Projectors #KeynoteSpeakers

2. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Episode 33: Make Your Own Weather & Playing it Forward

   ✨ SUMMARY What happens when we stop trying to control every moment and simply allow ourselves to enjoy where we are? In this episode of The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast, Jeff and Kristin explore the unexpected lessons hiding inside two very different hobbies: antiquing and gaming. From the thrill of discovering something you weren't looking for to learning when to stop chasing the next objective, they unpack how our hobbies can reveal the way we approach life itself. The conversation explores patience, presence, acceptance, and the surprising joy that can come when things don't go according to plan. Along the way, Jeff and Kristin connect those lessons to spontaneous Disney experiences, creativity, and the freedom that comes from recognizing what we can control—and letting go of what we can't. Sometimes the best moments aren't the ones we planned. They're the ones we were present enough to notice. 💡 WORDS OF WISDOM • Happiness is often found in appreciating where you are instead of constantly chasing what comes next. • Serendipity requires leaving a little room for the unexpected. • We can't control every outcome, but we can control how we respond to it. • Hobbies can teach us powerful lessons about patience, creativity, presence, and ourselves. • Some of life's most memorable experiences happen when we loosen the itinerary and allow the moment to unfold. • Letting go of control doesn't mean giving up—it can mean making room for joy. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 02:12 Patience and Appreciating the Present 05:02 Life Lessons, Personal Growth, and Fulfillment 08:14 Gaming and the Importance of Enjoyment 09:07 Practicing Acceptance in Everyday Life 10:40 The Magic of Spontaneous Experiences at Disney and Beyond 12:01 Relaxing and Enjoying the Moment 13:00 Creativity, Imagination, and Improving the Experience 14:12 Focusing on What We Can Control 15:26 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude 🎙️ ABOUT THE WISDOM OF WALT: The Podcast What can the life of Walt Disney teach us about living a better story? The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast explores the life, leadership, creativity, failures, and perseverance of Walt Disney—and the lessons his story can teach us about our own. Hosted by Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, bestselling author, speaker, and creator of the world's first accredited college course on the History of Disneyland, and Kristin Reinbold, educator, writer, storyteller, and creative strategist, the show goes beyond the parks and pixie dust to discover the wisdom behind the man who created them. Through Disney history, leadership, education, storytelling, creativity, resilience, and conversations with fascinating guests, we ask one simple question: What can Walt's story teach us about writing a better one of our own? 🏰 CONNECT WITH THE WISDOM OF WALT 🌐 Website: www.thewisdomofwalt.com 📚 Books & Resources: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#books 🎤 Speaking & Events: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#contact 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdisneyland/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.barnes.163097 🎙️ YOUR HOSTS Dr. Jeffrey Barnes Author • Speaker • Disney Historian • "Dr. Disneyland" Jeff@thewisdomofwalt.com Kristin Reinbold Educator • Writer • Storyteller • Creative Strategist Kristin@thewisdomofwalt.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristin_reinbold/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinReinbold ✨ SUBSCRIBE If Walt Disney's story, creativity, perseverance, and approach to life inspire you, subscribe and join us for new conversations about Disney, leadership, storytelling, personal growth—and the wisdom we can carry into our own great stories. Keep dreaming. Keep learning. Keep moving forward. #WisdomOfWalt #WaltDisney #DisneyPodcast #DisneyHistory #DisneyLeadership #Disney #Leadership #Storytelling #Creativity #PersonalGrowth #Disneyland #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyParks #Imagineering #CastMembers #Mindfulness #Happiness #LifeLessons #Serendipity #LivingInTheMoment #gaming #videogames #gamer #weather #fall #summer #seasons #antiques #shopping #country #homestead

3. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Episode 32: Carving Your Own Path | Special Guest: Raymond Kinman, Disney Legacy Artist

   ✨ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What happens when curiosity becomes your classroom—and the willingness to make mistakes becomes your greatest teacher? In this episode of The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Barnes and Kristin Reinbold sit down with renowned wood carver and theme park artisan Raymond Kinman to explore his unconventional journey from self-taught creative to creating work for Disney and the themed entertainment industry. Raymond shares how curiosity, experimentation, persistence, and hands-on learning shaped his craft—even when traditional education didn't always recognize the way he learned best. From his early days as a musician to discovering wood carving and eventually finding his way into theme park design, Raymond's story is a reminder that there isn't always one prescribed path to meaningful work. The conversation explores the teachers and mentors who recognize potential before we see it in ourselves, why mistakes are an essential part of mastery, and how the imperfections left by human hands can give art its character and soul. Raymond also joins Jeff and Kristin in considering what happens to craftsmanship in an age of automation and AI—and why the unmistakable evidence of a human hand may become even more meaningful as technology advances. Sometimes the path forward isn't perfectly planned. Sometimes you simply have to start carving. 💡 WORDS OF WISDOM • Curiosity—and the willingness to keep asking questions—is one of our greatest tools for learning. • Mastery comes through doing, experimenting, failing, adjusting, and trying again. • Imperfection can be part of what makes something distinctly and beautifully human. • You don't have to follow someone else's path to find where you belong. • Persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities can take you places you never planned to go. 🎙️ ABOUT THE WISDOM OF WALT: The Podcast What can the life of Walt Disney teach us about living a better story? The Wisdom of Walt: The Podcast explores the life, leadership, creativity, failures, and perseverance of Walt Disney—and the lessons his story can teach us about our own. Hosted by Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, bestselling author, speaker, and creator of the world's first accredited college course on the History of Disneyland, and Kristin Reinbold, educator, writer, storyteller, and creative strategist, the show goes beyond the parks and pixie dust to discover the wisdom behind the man who created them. Through Disney history, leadership, education, storytelling, creativity, resilience, and conversations with fascinating guests, we ask one simple question: What can Walt's story teach us about writing a better one of our own? 🏰 CONNECT WITH THE WISDOM OF WALT 🌐 Website: www.thewisdomofwalt.com 📚 Books & Resources: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#books 🎤 Speaking & Events: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/#contact 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdisneyland/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.barnes.163097 🎙️ YOUR HOSTS Dr. Jeffrey Barnes Author • Speaker • Disney Historian • "Dr. Disneyland" Jeff@thewisdomofwalt.com Kristin Reinbold Educator • Writer • Storyteller • Creative Strategist Kristin@thewisdomofwalt.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristin_reinbold/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinReinbold Special Guest: Raymond Kinman Website: https://woodcarverguru.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodcarverguru/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raykinman ✨ SUBSCRIBE If Walt Disney's story, creativity, perseverance, and approach to life inspire you, subscribe and join us for new conversations about Disney, leadership, storytelling, personal growth—and the wisdom we can carry into our own great stories. Keep dreaming. Keep learning. Keep moving forward. #WisdomOfWalt #WaltDisney #DisneyPodcast #DisneyHistory #DisneyLeadership #Disney #Leadership #Storytelling #Creativity #PersonalGrowth #Disneyland #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyParks #Imagineering #CastMembers #RaymondKinman #DisneyArtists #DisneyArt #WoodCarving #Craftsmanship #ThemeParkDesign #ThemedEntertainment #DisneyImagineering #CreativeProcess #CreativeJourney #Artists #Artisan #HandsOnLearning #Curiosity #Perseverance #Innovation

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Contact The Wisdom of Walt

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Creating Disney Magic

• 

  Connecting with Walt - A look into the history of the man behind Mickey Mouse, Disneyland and Walt Disney World

• 

  Planet Money

• 

  Freakonomics Radio

• 

  At The Table with Patrick Lencioni

• 

  The Oprah Podcast