Category Archives: Disney Podcasts

Being Goofy: 10 Ways To Goof Around At Walt Disney World

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Please welcome back guest blogger Curtis Stone.  Curtis is one of the cohosts (with his daughter, Lindsay) of the Geekin’ on WDW Podcast.  If you haven’t checked out this show, you need to give it a listen – Curt and Lindsay have a lot of fun and share great stories and tips.  Follow Geekin’ on WDW on Facebook here and follow Curt on Twitter here.

Gaston's Fountain at Walt Disney WorldBeing Goofy:  10 Ways To Goof Around At Walt Disney World

I’m mostly a serious, shy and quiet guy. I often was annoyed in college when kids were always goofing around.

On the other hand,

  • I like to have a good time
  • I like to be different
  • Awkward silence/idleness bothers me
  • When someone asks for volunteers, I raise my hand

I purposely sit in front in meetings or events.  I step out of my comfort zone all the time in crowds of people either for work, training or on vacation.

I think you should too if you’d like to enhance your Disney World experience.  My friends often comment that they want to go with us on vacation because our pictures prove we have a good time.

Here’s my 10 ways and opportunities for you to goof around at Disney World:

Goofing …

Goofin' around with the Tooth FairyWith other guests

People let their guard down on vacation.  It can be much easier to get into a conversation with other guests.  On our last vacation, we had some fun with guests.  One time was when we all wore our new Malestrom t-shirts.  First, we got lots of comments from guests on our shirts.  Second, one young man was wearing the same shirt, we took a picture together and rode the ride together.  We also ran into him again the next day and we plan on having him on the podcast.

Another fun time was at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Many guests dress up for the special event which is fun in of itself.  One group of five guests really caught my attention as they were dressed as the Flintstones and one guy was the Tooth Fairy.  I just had to interact with them and I did get my picture with the Tooth Fairy.  <Insert Picture>

With cast members

I enjoy chatting with the cast members.  One of my favorites was the doorman that used to work at the Beach Club.  My wife and I took our picture with him.  He was such an nice man. One of my favorite new things to do with cast members is to pin trade.  No matter where you encounter a cast member with pins, it an opportunity to chat and have some fun trading.

Hanging out with Walt Disney World Street PerformersWith street players

There are so many opportunities to join in the show.  Over the years, I believe my family and I have participated in just about them all.  I like the time my wife was picked in EPCOT as an old witch who casts a spell with the World Showcase Players. The Ziti Sisters had swooned over me in Italy.  My son’s girlfriend, on her first visit, played with the clown/juggler in Italy. We always look to be picked for all the shows.

With photo pass photographers

The big tip with the Disney photographers is to remember to ask them if they have a “magic” shot.  On our last trip, we purchased the Memory Maker package and we took advantage.  They had a ton of new magic shots that put the characters in your pictures.  You get a chance to act Goofy and then see what character they put in your picture after you get home and check the shots out online.

With hats and toys in the gift shops

When I was a child, my parents were strict.  For one thing, I was not allowed to touch items in a store.  I was always amazed that nobody bothers you as you get Goofy with trying on hats and taking pictures.  Put on a viking hat and put your finger up a trolls nose in Norway pavillion in EPCOT.  You can put on a pirate hat and have a sword fight after riding the Pirates of the Caribbean.  This last trip, I finally bought the hat and dreadlocks.  It was fun walking through Magic Kingdom as Jack Sparrow.  I got lots of looks and comments.

With charactersMeeting Tigger

Even though our kids are all grown up, we still take time to get pictures with characters.  On the past trip, Tigger grabbed my pirate hat and put it on.  My wife and 21 year old daughter got hugs from Pooh and Eeyore.  Baloo is my favorite from my childhood.  I have a favorite picture with him.  I really like a picture my wife and I got with Mickey and Minnie in Magic Kingdom.  It was actually a very private moment and they were a lot of fun.

With attractions

If you jump up and down or get to some attractions early, you can participate in the show.  I’ve been picked to be Captain of the PT boat in the backlot tour, an extra on the Indiana Jones Stunt Show and I was just picked on our last trip to get on stage at the Flights of Wonder.  My only regret is that I one day want to be “That Guy” in the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor show.

In the queues

Disney World has improved waiting in line for attractions by adding things to do or see.  The Haunted Mansion on one of my favorites.  While posing for a picture in front of the Sea Captain, I was sneezed on by the Captain.  We got a lot of laughs in that queue.  Another of my favorite new queues is for the Little Mermaid in New FantasyLand.  There’s a lot of cool places to take pictures.  Try to wave to the little crabs in some of the caves.  The crab will see you and steal an object from the scene. It’s a lot of fun.

Curtis on Splash MountainMake a face in ride picture

I’m usually caught smiling or screaming on the rides that capture a picture.  One fun thing you can do is plan a face or pose to show the camera as you go by.  The more you ride the more likely you’ll know where the picture is taken.  Splash Mountain is an easy one because it’s going to be where you take the plunge into the brier patch.  On our last trip, we decided to put our hands to our face.  Funny part of the picture was that Lindsay and I did it and Mom was taking a picture.  Now with Memory Maker, you get all the ride pictures included in your package.  The pictures often show some really funny moments you don’t want to miss.

Get your face painted or wear a costume

One great time we had this year was at the new Harambe Nights at Animal Kingdom.  Lindsay and I took advantage of the exclusive ticketed event.  It was a street party and a special Lion King theatrical show.  Before the show, we had some fun getting in the spirit by with face Face Painting at Walt Disney Worldpainting.  I forgot I had the paint on and wiped it off accidentally while wiping sweat off my face.  We had some laughs and luckily was able to get it touched up before the show.  I think it would be fun as a family for all to get their face painted while in the parks.  It would make for a great picture and you’d get lots of attention from guests and cast members.  I was surprised how much fun and reaction I had when I just wore my Captain Jack hat on our last trip.

There you have it. Ten ways to goof around at Disney World.

Disney World not only allows goofing around in the parks and “On Stage” but they encourage it. I say let your guard down, get in the mood and let loose.  You’ll have even more fun at Disney World.

 

 

 

 

The Dixie Landings Radio Podcast

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Dixie Landings RadioPlease join me in welcoming the Dixie Landings Radio Podcast!  The new kids on the block, co-hosts Scott and Matt have fired up an awesome weekly show full of Disney history, fun, and Southern hospitality!  Scott’s here today to tell y’all why you need to give this show a listen!

“We’re gonna take you down, we’re gonna take you down, we’re gonna take you all the way down. Goin’ down the bayou, goin’ down the bayou, takin’ you all the way!”

Since we are relatively new to podcasts, we don’t have a huge history, but what we do have so far, I hope you enjoy.  Matt and I started the Dixie Landings Radio Podcast back in August.  We had our first podcast recording together back in March when we took over the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast on April Fool’s Day.  From that day on, we talked about how much fun it was and that we should look into doing one together.  The thought about it was fun, but it just kind of faded away.  I was about to lose my job due to my resort burning down and my wife was due to have our first child in just a couple of months.  Life was about to get hectic.  I wanted to see how being a new dad would be and what time I would have available before getting into it.  Well let’s forward to today.  I now have a wonderful 2.5 month old baby boy and have been able to find some free time, although I don’t exactly know how!

 

Matt and I talked again and decided to take the first step and get going.  What seemed easy in theory turned out to be very hard.  What would our podcast name be?  What would our Twitter name be? Would we have a dedicated website or just the hosting site website?  I go so excited with the thought of it all, as overwhelming as it was at first. We created our own website, finally decided on a name that had a lot of meaning to both of us, and just kept going.  Dixie Landings Radio was officially born!Bayou Country

Now…where do we start?  We’ve got all the hard stuff out of the way, or so we thought.  Now we actually had to record!  How do we record though?  Neither of us had done this other than the day we were guests.  Once recorded, how do we edit?  And how does it get posted to iTunes, Stitcher and everything else?  After much research and asking other podcasters for help, we were on our way.  But another roadblock…what do we discuss?  These shows need some thought put into them.  It didn’t seem to be getting any easier.  We had a brainstorming call and finally decided on everything.  And what can I say, it’s been an absolutely pleasure and a lot of fun recording and sharing our passion for Disney with our listeners.  We had a lot of fun creating a new game show, Name That Disney Tune where we brought on three guests to play as well. Thanks to Lisa Green for being so much fun and bringing a whole new level of excitement to the show…even for getting last place!

So here we are, just now releasing our 7th episode.  We’ve gone over the history of Dixie Landings/Port Orleans Riverside, played Name That Disney Tune, talked about what we would do if we had to add, remove, or change parts of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.  We went over our top park music and discussed taking your children to Disney.  Want to know more about any of those?  You’ll have to tune in to the show and find out.  New shows are released on Monday, just in time to have for your morning commute to work.

We hope you get your sweet tea and join us in the bayou each week!

Matt & Scott

www.DixieLandingsRadio.com

facebook.com/dixielandingsradio

twitter.com/DLRpodcast

While I’m at Walt Disney World This Week

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Toy Story Midway Mania Queue Mr. Potato HeadIf you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you know how I hate to go on vacation and leave the place unattended.  I wouldn’t want you to get bored or lonely or have nothing new to see.  This week is no exception and I’m proud to announce that I’ve left some very special folks in charge of entertaining you!

Please help me welcome some of my favorite podcast hosts!

Here’s a sneak peak of what you can expect to read about this week:

On Monday – Scott Campbell, co-host of the Dixie Landings Radio Podcast, will drop by with an introduction about and some background on this great new show.

On Tuesday – Welcome back Curtis Stone, co-host of the Geekin’ on WDW Podcast.  Curt LOVES to have fun at Walt Disney World and offers some very valuable tips on making the most of your Disney vacation time…being goofy!!!

On Wednesday – Sean Duffy, of the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast, will bring you his personal experience with becoming a member of the Disney Vacation Club.  I know several of you have been thinking about buying DVC points and will love reading Sean’s story.Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland

On Thursday – I’ll take a minute to report in from Walt Disney World and let you know how our vacation week is going.  I’m sure to have a thousand pictures by then (and I’ll have gained a few pounds as well).  If you don’t already follow along on Facebook, head on over there and see what I’m sharing while in the parks and resort restaurants!

On Friday – Those two wild and crazy guys, Gary and Mike, from the Por Favor Podcast will be stopping by with some VERY important Walt Disney World tips for….well, I’ll let you be surprised.

See?  I may be taking a few days off, but you’ll be in excellent hands.  If you’ve never listened to a Disney podcast before, I highly suggest you start with these:

Dixie Landings Radio

Geekin’ on WDW

Enchanted Tiki Talk

The Por Favor Podcast

I hope everyone has a great week – I’ll see ya real soon!

The Rumors Swirling around Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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Darth Vader on Star Wars Weekend PosterI love a good Disney rumor, don’t you?  Some juicy tidbit of really-true, might-happen, or totally-fabricated gossip is FUN to think about – imagine if it actually happened!  I love to mentally weigh in on the possibilities –  Am I okay with it?  Horrified by the very idea!  Or jumping up and down with anticipation.  One of my favorite places to hear about all the possible happenings at Walt Disney World is on a podcast called “The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish with Jim Hill“.  Unlike all the other Disney podcasts I’m addicted to, the Disney Dish with Jim Hill doesn’t come out on a regular schedule.  An episode might come out once or twice a month…then skip a month….then magically reappear.

While I’ve been hearing a LOT of bits and pieces of what may or may not happen at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with Star Wars, ride closures, attraction removals, updates, refurbs, and so on.  One of the last Disney Dish episodes really made me sit up and take notice – it was “Episode 62: Disney World’s Next Five Years”.  Keeping in mind that it’s all “unofficial” – there was a lot to chew on in that 73 minutes of commentary.  Basically, the discussion is basedSorcerer's Hat on what may potentially happen at Disney World now that Universal has really upped their game.  Much of the discussion focused on Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

So – based on the information I gleaned from Mr. Hill’s revelations, there are some major changes headed to the studios while some long discussed rumors appear to be just that – rumors – and will not become reality.

Here are the one’s I was most interested in (listen to the show for all the rest of the details):

The Sorcerer’s Hat – Source of much debate between the hat lovers and haters, the big blue centerpiece of the Studios has long been rumored to be on the way out.  Seems like it’s actually staying.  I understand its purpose – a place to draw crowds away from other areas of the park, a centrally located performance venue, etc.  And if you believe the other rumors about the hat’s original purpose – it was put there to actually HIDE the Chinese Theater due to legal issues with Disney’s use of a replica of the California original.  I’m not necessarily offended by the hat – I would LOVE DHS Imperial Speeder, Jasonto see an updated version though.  It’s so 2001 – cartoonish and hardly designed to fit in with any of the existing park theme.  I imagine that its removal would be a bit of a headache considering it reportedly weighs 156 tons.

Star Wars Land is a GO – And I am ecstatic!  I’m not much of a Star Wars geek, but I appreciate the broad spectrum of potential, the plethora of possibilities, if you will.  Now, this exciting news means big changes to the landscape of Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Echo Lake will be no more allowing the new land to begin much closer to the park entrance than the Star Wars area is now.  Think about it though!  All those lands, worlds, creatures, vehicles, andWookie in Star Wars Parade characters that are wonderfully amazing and unique!  This is what Disney Imagineers do best and I can’t wait to see how they transform elements from the Force (and the Dark side) into rides, attractions, restaurants, and shops.  The epic battle between good and evil…in the Studios!  Wookies and Ewoks and Sand People, oh my!

Indiana Jones may STAY – Can you believe it?  I braced myself to tell Indy so long and I may not have to! (See that blog post here)  Personally, I’m confident that Indy’s presence in the Studios will be updated.  Disney’s ownership of the Indiana Jones franchise opens the door to a lot of possibility…it would be a shame to waste it.

The Great Movie Ride is on its way OUT – Take a deep breath and think about it for a minute.  The Great Movie RideIt’ll be okay!  Original to the park, this 25 year old tour through classic movie genres was fun and edgy in the beginning.  Over the years though, no updates were made, no new movies were added, no new scripting for those poor Cast Members was written, things that stopped working correctly weren’t repaired (just adjusted to try to hide the problems).  Have you been on this ride lately?  Tarzan makes me feel embarrassed – he’s just awful.  The good news, though, is that according to Mr. Hill, the ride won’t be leaving anytime soon, so you can go and say a proper farewell.  My favorite part has always been the final scene from Casablanca.  What’s yours?

Still hungry for more scoop?  Check out The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish with Jim Hill!Star Wars Weeekend's Parade  Download from iTunes or Stitcher.  Every episode is interesting.  Most recently (#63), the discussion was based on the history and future of DVC with information about plans that never happened and what DVC options may be available in the years ahead.

How do you feel about the possible changes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?  What would you be most excited about?  Would you be disappointed by any of the proposed changes?