As a longtime lurker who just joined, thanks for this site as it is an INVALUABLE reference/resource for comparing various DVD editions and other highly useful information. Clearly the BEST place I have found on the web for Disney DVD info
Here's my "Disney story" - thorough if a bit long
I have been a fan of classic Disney films/TV, music, characters, and theme park attractions since I was a toddler.
Other than a few childhood record albums, my first BIG exposure to "Disney culture" was a trip to WDW at the age of 5. I fell in love with the characters, immersive theming, and Audio-animatronics attractions, particularly the ones with a strong "cuteness level" and MUSICAL context (Small World, Country Bear Jamboree, original Tiki Room, Mickey Mouse Revue, Fantasyland dark rides, etc.) I have been a HUGE fan of these type of attractions ever since!
The now defunct MMR was my first exposure to a lot of the characters and songs from the "Disney Animated Classics", and I am glad to see the excellent Mickey's Philharmagic carrying on this tradition in the exact same building!
After that first trip, I saw EVERY Disney "Animated Classic" that got reissued to theatres, and have seen every DAC from #22 Many Adventures Of Winnie the Pooh and up till present day on it's original theatrical run.
My all time favorite "DAC" remains Dumbo for it's HEART. It is just such a touching and beautiful film, and I love the wall-to-wall music, all of which is extremely catchy, and also contains one of the most sublime, beautiful songs/sequences of all time ("Baby Mine") That film just works perfectly on ALL possible levels for me.
Other faves include Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and anything with lots of animals. So, I am partial to films like Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and also feel that films like The Rescuers, Fox and the Hound, and more recently, Brother Bear and Home On The Range are EXTREMELY underated.
While I enjoy and love most of the DAC's from the Third Golden Age onward, my biggest passion is for the Walt era. (even though he died before I was born) I am also a BIG fan of the overlooked 40's "package" features as they are just so musically strong to me and FUN. I also think the late-Walt, post-Walt, and pre-Mermaid DACs are underated because I think they have memorable character animation and voice talent, and are, to my taste, often very funny films. (Sword In the Stone, Robin Hood, etc)
As for classic Disney live action, aside from obvious choices like the classic "hybrid" musicals such as Mary Poppins, Song Of The South, So Dear To My Heart, and Pete's Dragon, many of my favorites are the often overlooked period films that revolve around a strong bond between children and a beloved animal. I am referring to titles like The Three Lives Of Thomassina, Big Red, and Rascal, which I find have an incredible amount of sincerity and HEART.
I'm also a big fan of the classic animated shorts, especially the Silly Symphonies and the "special" shorts like Ferdinand the Bull, Susie The Blue Coupe, The Little House, and Lambert The Sheepish Lion. My favorite Silly Symphonies are The Old Mill, Ugly Duckling (second version) Farmyard Symphony, Funny Little Bunnies, Wise Little Hen, Pied Piper, etc.
My favorites of the "Fab Five" are Pluto and Donald. Pluto because I'm a dog fan and Donald because his cartoons simply make me laugh the most (especially when those mischevous rodents, Chip and Dale, are involved!)
Generally ANYTHING that would have ran on the late, great "Vault Disney" or released in "Disney Treasures" tins from the "Walt Disney Productions" era is something I either like very much, or in many cases, love passionately.
It's hard to pick a favorite Disney song because SO MANY of them are so extremely catchy and fun. I am generally partial to the Sherman Brothers and the earlier Frank Churchill/Olliver Wallace/Tin Pan Alley eras.
As for ballads, two that I find the most touching (besides Baby Mine mentioned above) are Feed the Birds by the Shermans and Colors Of the Wind by Menken/Schwartz. Both are fantastic songs with truly beautiful lyrics.
Like many of you, an official uncut Song Of The South DVD is at the top of my wishlist, along with R1 So Dear To My Heart and a R1 reissue of the 40's "Package" DACs, this time UNCUT! (the shortened Make Mine Music release was a travesty)
I would also like to see all of the Walt-era live action films released and a LOT more of the classic anthology episodes, particularly the 20 (or more) theme park episodes and featurettes, whose surface has only been scratched on DVD (and some that HAVE been released are missing footage, like the DL 10th Anniversary Show).
I'm also a big fan of the animal-oriented anthology episodes that could have been theatrical releases, such as Hector The Stowaway Dog, Sammy, The Way Out Seal, etc.
And then there's all the classic adventure episodes like Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh. Sooo much great material from that show...
And the complete Zorro series released to the general public in R1 would also be nice.
Besides Disney, other favorite film/TV characters/properties/genres include the Muppets, Pixar (now both part of Disney, of course), Rankin/Bass, classic musicals (Wizard Of Oz, Sound Of Music, Willie Wonka, etc) and generally anything with a strong element of fantasy and/or period atmosphere that transports me to another time and/or place. And film adaptations of iconic literary classics which was of course a staple of Walt-era live action and animation. And generally any "family film" or fictional TV series past or present primarily about animals (Babe, Charlotte's Web, Lassie, Flipper, Gentle Ben, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Air Bud, etc)
I am also a passionate theme park fan who loves Walt Disney World, Audio-animatronics, dark rides, roller coasters, and zoological parks. Of course I love Disneyland too but have taken many more trips to WDW and have even done a few stints as a "seasonal" resident of Orlando with a "Premium" AP.
My favorite WDW park has always been the Magic Kingdom; my favorite "land" has always been Fantasyland.
My favorite MK attractions are EVERY attraction in Fantasyland (past and present) plus Country Bear Jamboree (all three shows) Splash Mountain, the original Tiki Room show, and Carousel Of Progress, and of course the coasters Space Mountain And Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
My favorite WDW coasters are (in order) Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Expdition Everest, Rock & Roller Coaster, and Barnstormer.
I'm also a HUGE fan of Figment and even though the first version of Imagination was my favorite, I am glad the little purple guy was at least put back into the ride.
So my all-time faves in Epcot and the other parks in addition to the alredy mentioned coasters are (in no particular order):
Epcot - Imagination (Versions 1 and 3), Kitchen Kabaret, El Rio Del Tiempo, Gran Fiesta Tour, Maelstrom, Seas With Nemo and Friends, World Of Motion, Horizons, Universe Of Energy/Ellen's Energy Adventure
Disney Studios - Muppet Vision, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, Voyage Of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast Live, Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
Animal Kingdom - It's Tough To Be a Bug, Killimanjaro Safaris, Affection Section, Flights Of Wonder, Finding Nemo: The Musical, Dinosaur, Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends, Festival Of The Lion King, and the animals themselves found on the various trails.
I enjoy all the parades and nightime fireworks and my all-time faves are the Main Street Electrical Parade, Christmas Parade, Spectromagic, and the underated Electrical Water Pageant in Seven Seas Lagoon, and for the nightime shows my faves are Wishes and Fantasmic.
Well, I guess that about covers my Disney faves and history. Thanks again for such a THOROUGH and comprehensive site.