For Disney DVD collectors the Disney Treasures line is about as good as it gets when it comes to vintage material. These classic and often forgotten moments from the past have resonated well as a collection with audiences despite their limited quantity. While animated stars like Pluto, Donald, and Mickey have gotten their share in the spotlight there have been numerous live action releases as well. Not the least of which being Spin & Marty and the Mickey Mouse Club. The latest in this line gives us some quality time with the man himself; our host, Walt Disney.

Walt Disney Treasures: Your Host Walt Disney takes us back in time to the mid 1950's. Disney had just begun a commercialized broadcast called Disneyland that took the family TV hour by storm. I say commercialized because when you get right down to it Disneyland truly was little more than a long-running advertisement and preview of Disney features.

Many episodes simply discussed Disney films, cartoons, or theme park attractions. Some even included other venues such as the Mickey Mouse Club. Despite this Walt was the main reason that this series was so successful. His charisma, warmth, and sincerity helped him to become the icon that he has been regarded as throughout the decades. In this day of complete sets and ultimate collections having only a few episodes may be a let down to some but for those of you looking for selected views at television history this latest Disney Treasures release is just the ticket.

The biggest selling point for Your Host Walt Disney is the fact that each of these episodes generally has something to do with Walt. These have been hand picked to showcase the best or most unique views of the man with some interesting glimpses into his personal life. Some episodes are more finely tuned than others in this regard and like other Disney Treasures there are two discs to this release and a total of five episodes.

On the first disc things get started with an episode from 1956 called "Where Do Stories Come From?". In this episode Walt talks about the many inspirations that come to the creative talent (Imagineers) when their trying to come up with a cartoon. Sometimes a story built around a song gets the job done so we get to see Oliver Wallace compose a tune for "Crazy Over Daisy". Historical events can inspire shows as well so we get to see Donald suit up for war in "Donald Gets Drafted".

My personal favorite moment from "Where Do Stories Come From?" involves Walt and others in his employ talking about their love of trains. It extends beyond having a miniature track in your basement and we even get to see Walt's backyard and railroad that runs through it. Complete with bridges and tunnels this sucker is huge with some great clips of Walt, others mentioned in the episode, and even Kirk Douglas riding around on the trains.

"The Fourth Anniversary Show" had a few interesting moments in it but nothing like the personal touches found in the previous segment. Walt reenacts a meeting with Sergei Prokofiev over the "Peter and the Wolf" project which is undoubtedly a classic thanks to the fine composition by Prokofiev. Before long Walt is ushered away by the Mouseketeers who treat him to an anniversary celebration with singing and dancing. The gem from this episode includes a number for "The Rainbow Road to Oz" which was a project that never got off the ground for whatever reason. This bit is promoted by the Mouseketeers and is definitely nice to see but doesn't have a lot to do with Walt when you get right down to it.

"Kodak Presents Disneyland '59" is one of the rarest pieces available on this Disney Treasures release. This particular feature was basically a celebration with the intent of showcasing some of Walt's new attractions. For a good portion of the program it is little more than a slow paced and somewhat droll parade. Some celebrities show up and there are a few interesting bits that serve as a glimpse through time's window.

The three new attractions worth celebrating are The Submarine Voyage, The Matterhorn, and the Monorail. With each piece we get a lengthy introduction and some historical tidbits for Disneyland itself. It's certainly interesting as a look back in time and with a lot of commercials kept intact there is plenty of nostalgia to go around. The pacing for this particular program was a little erratic for my taste but it served its purpose and I can imagine watching it back in 1959 proved much more interesting.

The second disc features Wonderful World of Color which was the colorful evolution of Disneyland. The first episode we get here gives us a behind the scenes look with Walt and winds up being a commercial of sorts for "Babes in Toyland". Annette Funicello takes over the role of host and the cast performs some songs and such from the program.

The final episode in this set may sound familiar to those of you who have been collecting Disney Treasures releases. "The Disneyland 10th Anniversary Special" was featured on the Disneyland USA tin and it makes its way here yet again. In this particular episode Walt walks around with Miss Tencennial (Julie Reihm) and talks about some upcoming attractions. Apart from his bumbling and awkwardness towards Julie this was a nice inclusion that showed early designs for Pirates of the Caribbean, Small World, and The Haunted Mansion. The fact remains that it is a repeat though and that's hard to ignore.

Overall if you have enjoyed the Disney Treasures releases thus far you'll undoubtedly want to partake in Your Host Walt Disney. There is enough vintage footage here that shows Walt in his element to keep Disney lovers entertained. One episode out of five is a rehash though and that's kind of disappointing when you get right down to it. Even so this is still a decent release and one that warrants attention by anyone who loved Disneyland.

Your Host Walt Disney is presented with the original full frame aspect ratio that you'd expect it would receive. The show's quality varies immensely from episode to episode as is the case with any bit of historical footage. Some of the content has been kept in immaculate shape while other moments have obvious signs of degradation. Unfortunately there hasn't been an awful lot of effort put forth to restoring the image in most cases. You can tell in some instances that clean up was done and the quality progress through the episodes from 1959 to 1965.

"Kodak Presents Disneyland '59" is probably about as bad as it gets in terms of the image value but in order to grade that you have to put things into perspective. This program was thought lost for the longest time and was apparently filmed from a TV back in the day. You can pretty much assume going in the kind of quality you're going to get with all of those factors in place. On the flip side "The Disneyland 10th Anniversary Special" looks pretty good with a sharper presentation and noticeably less grain. There are still flaws abound but it's still better than most of the original material here.

The audio presentation for Your Host Walt Disney could best served by calling it humble. The Dolby Digital mono presentation comes across the front channels the way that you'd think it would with a bit of flatness and not a lot of presence. Again considering the date of this material it's acceptable. You can't exactly expect a whopping 5.1 surround channel mix with something from the 1950's; it's just not going to happen.

Your Host Walt Disney offers up a decent selection of bonus material that you'll find spread out across both discs.

On the first disc there are two features to speak of. First up is a conversation between Leonard Maltin and Diane Miller Disney where they discuss her father and family. There is a lot of intimate detail about Walt revealed but what I found most fascinating was Diane's discussion about how her father's fame impacted her life. I can't imagine what it must have been like being young and everyone that you're going to school with suddenly knowing all about your dad. The other feature available on disc one is an amazing selection of photographs of Walt and some behind the scenes Disney stuff. These consist of stuff from the early days building right up through shots of Walt touring Disneyland.

On the second disc there are a few bits of supplemental material to look through as well. The first is a feature that probably should have just been included in with the episode selection. "I Captured the King of The Leprechauns" is a very entertaining episode where Walt goes to Ireland to talk with the King of Leprechauns. He's trying to get the king to make an appearance in Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Again this episode is merely an extended commercial to promote Darby O'Gill but it's still a fine piece of material featuring some fun moments with Walt.

The second feature on the next disc is "Disneyland USA at Radio City Music Hall". This is a short clip that was played on Radio City Music Hall's stage in 1962 and features Walt talking to Mickey via the big screen. It's a cute find that I'm glad to see dug out of the vault for this release. The final extra feature that you'll find on Your Host Walt Disney is a montage of clips accompanied by personal recollections from some of the childhood stars that worked with him. "Working with Walt" was a lot of fun for what it was and nearly as fascinating as Diane's conversation with Leonard.

In the impressive Disney Treasures line the most fascinating (in my opinion) have been the live action ones. Your Host Walt Disney captures some great moments from Disneyland and brings them to a new audience 50 years later. While having a complete collection of these episodes would be preferential, beggars can't be choosey.

When it comes right down to it Walt fans have to take what they can get and in that regard this DVD offers quite a lot (granted some of it is repeated from other releases). The audio and video quality is presented roughly like you'd expect it to be for a show of this maturity and the extra features are definitely a plus. If you have a spot on your shelf for Disney Treasures you'll need to find a spot for this one. This is a fine collection of Disney rarities that should be seen by anybody who has ever worn a pair of Mickey ears.

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