253: Mad Q Party

January 18, 2021dereklew

What better way to ring in the new year than with a party?

After a long hiatus (sorry!), we are back this week with one of our favorite segments: the wacky, hypothetical Disney questionnaire we call a Mad Q Party. Join us and special guest Aaron Wallace as we pose and then answer ten questions on topics ranging from Muppet remakes of Disney films, to LEGO sets we’d like to see Disney release, to Disneyland attractions we’re going to view differently once the pandemic has ended.

Also on this week’s show, we kick off a new segment called “Countdown to the 50th,” in which we will take a closer look at groundbreaking elements of Walt Disney World that opened with the resort 50 years ago. This week we highlight Cinderella Castle by sharing ten facts about this iconic structure. Plus, Aaron joins us for a game called “The Resort Report.” Come play along and join the fun now!

Be sure to check out everything Aaron is up to and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the podcast! Website: aaronwallaceonline.com | Latest Book: The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom 2020 | Twitter: @aaronwallace | Instagram: @aaronhwallace

If you want to interact with us online, we’d love for you to connect with us on Facebook (/madchatterspodcast), Instagram (@madchatters), and Twitter (@MadChatters). Or, send your emails to comments@madchatters.net. Thanks for listening!

252: It’s Good to Be Bad – The Best Disney Villains Onscreen and at Walt Disney World

October 26, 2020dereklew

They’re rascals and scoundrels. They’re villains and knaves. They’re devils and black sheep. They’re really bad eggs. They’re the infamous crew of misfits and evildoers known as the DISNEY VILLAINS! On this week’s show, guest Marshal Knight helps us take a closer look at the deep well of villains in Disney’s catalog, from the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the can-you-believe-they’re-actually-the-villains of so many of the Disney films of the 2010s. On this episode we discuss what makes a great Disney villain, how the Disney villain has evolved over time, which Disney villains get the best representation at Walt Disney World, and which villainous moments at Walt Disney World are our favorites.

Plus, Marshal and Derek compete in a villain-themed game, and in another edition of “The Windows of Main Street, U.S.A.” we put the spotlight on Imagineer Yale Gracey, who contributed special effects to both Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Come join the villainous fun now!

Be sure to find Marshal on Twitter (@Marshal_Knight) and Instagram (@marshalknight) and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the show! And if you want more Marshal material, check out his blog, “Um, Sure?” and its affiliated Instagram page.

251: Visiting Walt Disney World in 2020

October 19, 2020dereklew

Last week we got to spend a few days in the parks—and we have thoughts! On this mini episode we give our take on the current state of the parks, what it’s like experiencing the parks with so many precautions in place, what to know and how to prepare before visiting, why a Disney trip might or might not be best for your family right now, and much more!

We had a lot of listeners reach out with questions about what it’s like navigating the parks right now. If we didn’t answer a question of yours, feel free to connect with us on Facebook (/madchatterspodcast), Instagram (@madchatters), and Twitter (@MadChatters). Or, send your emails to comments@madchatters.net. Thanks for listening!

250: 15 Classic Theme Park Foods and Where to Get Them at Walt Disney World

September 16, 2020dereklew

This week we are joined by friend of the show Reuben Gutierrez (pastry chef at Amorette’s Patisserie and all-around expert on WDW food) as we discuss 15 of the most iconic theme park treats and look at them through the lens of Walt Disney World. Join us as we hop around the parks and resorts in search of classic items like hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn, funnel cakes, and more! Want to know if and where you can find these foods at Walt Disney World (and where you should avoid them)? We’ve got the “scoop”!

In another Mad Chatter game, we try to guess the Disney experience based on its alternate title, made up of synonyms for the real words in its title. Plus, we chat about the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, Florida, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, and more. Tune in now!

Be sure to find Reuben online and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the show! Instagram: @wibblywaffle | Lego Instagram: @wibblywobblylegowego

249: Encore! A Tour of Stage Shows Past and Present at the Disney Parks

August 20, 2020dereklew

On this week’s episode we are joined by David Alpert, host of E-Ticket to Broadway, as we take a closer look at seven live musical productions that have at one time or another graced a stage at a Disney theme park. Join us for this virtual tour of seven different live venues in Disneyland and Walt Disney World and the musical productions that once performed (or still perform) there. For this episode we have chosen one show from each theater to highlight, review, share our memories of, marvel at, and, in some cases, laugh at. The seven featured shows include:

Dick Tracy Starring in Diamond Double-Cross
Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure
Animazement – A Musical
Tarzan Rocks
Storytelling at Royal Theatre: Tangled
Frozen – Live at the Hyperion

In keeping with the theme of musical theater, we also host a miniature Broadway-themed Mad Q Party, in which we talk about the Broadway shows we’d like to see Disney bring to the big screen, the entertainment roles we’d like to have in the parks, and more. Plus, we bring back our Disney Hashtags segment with the hashtag #BroadwayButMakeItDisney. Come join the fun now!

Be sure to check out David’s podcast E-Ticket to Broadway, on which he interviews Broadway stars about their love of the Disney theme parks. You also can find him on Instagram or on his website, where you can let him know how much you enjoyed hearing him on The Mad Chatters!

248: Top 10 Worst Film Tie-Ins at Walt Disney World

August 7, 2020dereklew

On our last episode we gushed about the best, most creative, and most magical movie tie-ins at Walt Disney World. It seemed only fitting that we follow up that show by sharing our picks for the WORST movie tie-ins at WDW—those times when Disney tried to shoehorn a film into the parks and the end result felt lazy and uninspired or completely missed what the movie and its beloved characters are all about. Join us and our friends J.T. and Melanie from The Disney Buzz as we count down the biggest fails in Disney’s rich history of incorporating movies into Walt Disney World. (Please remember, we do in fact love Walt Disney World, despite the trash talk you might hear on this episode. Our lists reflect times when we *personally* wanted more from the parks. If we slander an attraction you happen to love, please let us know why we’re wrong! In the meantime, please enjoy this episode that is all in good fun.)

But that’s not all! As a nod to The Disney Buzz and its tradition of drinking while podcasting, we also discuss our favorite drinks and places to drink at the Walt Disney World Resort. Plus, we play a game called “Drunk on Disney,” in which players must guess the Disney film based on a beverage-themed line of dialogue. Come play along!

Our guests this week are our friends J.T. and Melanie, cohosts of The Disney Buzz. Be sure to find them online, check out their podcast, and let them know you enjoyed hearing them on the show! Podcast: The Disney Buzz | Instagram: @disbuzz

247: Top 10 Film Tie-Ins at Walt Disney World

July 31, 2020dereklew

The Disney theme parks have always been a place where guests can see their favorite films come to life. While not every in-park treatment of a film is wildly inventive or thematically appropriate, every once in a while a Disney park or resort gives life to a film in a way that wows and immerses guests, fits its surroundings perfectly, and does the movie justice. On this week’s episode we’re counting down the Top 10 Film Tie-Ins at Walt Disney World that, for us, do just that. From small props to full-blown stage productions, we have fun talking about our favorite ways in which movies were given new life at WDW. Come hear our picks!

Plus, we go on another trip inside our Time Rovers, this time traveling back to the ABC Super Soap Weekends of the late 90s and early 2000s. Join us as we check out what soap opera fans could experience at these popular events at Disney-MGM Studios.

Our guest this week is our friend and soap-opera expert Albert Gutierrez. Be sure to find him online and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the show! Twitter: @Escapay | Instagram: @captainescapay | Blog: Alby Seeing You

246: Splash Mountain – The Good, the Bad, and the Satisfactual

July 14, 2020dereklew

For a certain log flume attraction in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, it’s time to be movin’ along. Help us say goodbye to Brer Rabbit and his briar patch as we look back at 31 years of Splash Mountain, its earliest conception, its controversial source material, its status as a Disney icon, and its future as a Princess and the Frog ride.

Also on this week’s episode, Jeremy shares about his experience with the new procedures and practices at Walt Disney World during his visit to Animal Kingdom on its Cast Member Preview day. Plus, in a game called “Disney Springs or Dis-Not Sprung” we try to determine if various stores can or cannot be found at Disney Springs.

Our guest this week is historian and author Andrew Kiste. Check out his books on Amazon or follow him online: @HistTourWdw on Twitter.

245: Two Disney Parks That Never Were: Riverfront Square and Disney’s America

June 29, 2020dereklew

This week we look back at two fully-realized theme park projects that ultimately never came to be: one developed by Walt and his Imagineers around the time of the 1964 World’s Fair, just before Walt Disney World began construction in Florida, and the other dreamed up by Michael Eisner and company during the Disney Renaissance of the early 1990s. Join us and guest Courtney Guth as we talk about the Riverfront Square project in St. Louis and Disney’s America theme park in Washington, D.C., the attractions and experiences that were to be included at these locations, and why they ultimately failed.

Plus, we travel back to the summer of 2010 to talk about what guests might have experienced during the Summer Nightastic limited-time celebration. We also go “Behind the Magic” of the Norway Pavilion in Epcot by talking about our favorite details and things to see at this World Showcase nation on its 32 anniversary. Buckle up, history nerds. This time-hopping episode is for you!

Be sure to find Courtney online and let her know you enjoyed hearing her on the show: Podcast: Book of the Mouse Club | Twitter: @Courtney_Guth | Instagram: @greatguthsby

If you’d like to see concept art for Disney’s America, you can find a high-resolution brochure HERE.

Show Notes – Episode 244

June 13, 2020dereklew

On episode 244 you can hear us break down the 18 types of Disney songs laid out in the chart above. Justin McElroy, a Municipal Affairs Reporter in Vancouver, spent his quarantine categorizing the 250+ songs that are featured in Disney animated films, and these are the 18 types of songs he ended up with.

You can see the original 23-tweet thread here.

The Mad Chatters

Your very important date with the happenings at Walt Disney World and around the Disney universe

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