Click on the episode title to jump to that show’s notes.

Episode 34: Mad Q Party
Episode 30: Countdown to Parkstinction: Animal Kingdom, 1998
Episode 29: Orange Bird and Figment
Episode 26: Before and After: Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Rituals
Episode 25: The Five Best Foods I Ate at Disney

Episode 34: Mad Q Party

In “My Disney Experience,” Jeremy shared about the night he rode Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at a special midnight preview. Here are a few photos from that event.

Mad Q Party Questions

If you could put a ride vehicle in your house, which one would you want to own, and where would you put it?

Matt: Jungle Cruise (Turn it into an outside dining area.)

Jeremy: Dumbo (Turn it into a couch.)

Derek: PeopleMover (Turn it into a small table for a breakfast nook.)

What Disney sidekick would you like to see get a stand-alone film, and what would the plot be?

Matt: Barbossa

Jeremy: Mushu

Derek: Genie

Where is the last place on WDW property you’d propose (or would want to be proposed to)?

Matt: All-Star Resorts

Jeremy: The hallway/exit after Mission: SPACE

Derek: In front of a halfway deconstructed Sorcerer’s Hat

What Disney film would you like to see adapted to the Broadway stage?

Matt: Sleeping Beauty

Jeremy: Meet the Robinsons

Derek: Tangled

If you were adding a residential street to Hollywood Studios today, what TV show facades would you include?

Our answers included the following: Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Boy Meets World, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal (office building), Sesame Street, Happy Days, The Cosby Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Golden Girls, Once Upon a Time (Storybrooke), Fresh Prince of Bel Air, etc.

What two Disney characters would you hook up to form the Ultimate Disney Power Couple?

Matt: Darth Vader and Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

Jeremy: Mary Poppins and Scrooge McDuck

Derek: Meg (Hercules) and Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

What non-attraction Cast Member position would you want to have?

Matt: Skipper on the Seven Seas Lagoon or a cook at ‘Ohana

Jeremy: Tour Guide

Derek: Tour Guide or Dapper Dan

If you had to eat at the same Walt Disney World restaurant, three meals a day for five days, where would you go?

Matt: Captain’s Grille

Jeremy: Liberty Tree Tavern

Derek: The Crystal Palace

What is one thing MagicBands aren’t currently able to do that you wish they could do? Anything goes . . .

Matt: Randomly activate in-park elements

Jeremy: Allow you to browse/search wait times on a small screen

Derek: Send ride photos instantly to your smartphone

Now that a Frozen attraction is coming to the Norway pavilion, Disney has decided that the other pavilions need movie-themed attractions too. What attraction would you add?

Matt: An attraction in every country, including: a Soarin’-like Magic Carpet attraction in Morocco, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey in Italy, a Tangled dark ride in Germany, etc.

Jeremy: A 4-D, Spider-Man-like attraction (Universal Studios) themed to Big Hero 6 in Japan

Derek: A Princess and the Frog boat ride in America

Episode 30: Countdown to Parkstinction – Animal Kingdom, 1998

This week was all about Disney’s Animal Kingdom in its opening year. Below are some links to articles, videos, and photos we mentioned on the show.

McDonald’s was an original sponsor of the park and mentioned it in several TV spots.

The week of opening, The Wonderful World of Disney debuted an hour-long special called “Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure.” Drew Carey hosted this look at the facilities and profiles of animals to be featured at the park.

We discussed how the Theater in the Wild, now home to “Finding Nemo: The Musical,” was originally an open-air amphitheater, and its first show was “Journey Into Jungle Book.”

We also talked about the original story that was part of Kilimanjaro Safaris, which included poachers and a dead elephant. While cast previews were happening (before the park officially opened), the ride even included a prop corpse of Big Red, the mother elephant. It was removed before opening day, however.

On April 24, two days after park opening, Sabrina: The Teenage Witch aired an episode that had been filmed in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The characters stayed at Coronado Springs Resort, and they even rode the now-extinct Discovery River Boats, which character Valerie described as “so scary.”

Episode 29: Orange Bird and Figment

In the News

The Boathouse restaurant opened this week at Disney Springs. You can find the upscale menu here. Below is a picture of an amphicar, which gives tours to groups of up to three people for $125.

Over at Disneyland, the legendary Hatbox Ghost will officially return to Haunted Mansion this May. You can read the official announcement here.

Did That Just Happen?

If you’re wondering what it might look like to have Mickey Mouse shaved into the back of your head, Jeremy has your answer.

Orange Bird and Figment

If you want to know more about Orange Bird’s rich history, Jim Korkis wrote several great blogs over at mouseplanet.com. You can find them here, here, and here.

Here are some pictures of Orange Bird and Figment (and Dreamfinder) as walk-around characters.

Photo by omniluxe.net

We briefly talked about Orange Bird merchandise, including this sipper that Jeremy owns.

And finally, Jeremy referenced the cartoon “Figment’s Imagination,” so allow us to leave you with that gem.

Episode 26: Before and After: Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Rituals

In the News

Disneyland is in the process of decorating Sleeping Beauty Castle for the park’s 60th anniversary. Here is the concept art Disney released earlier this year.

One of our favorite Disneyland news sites, Dateline Disneyland on MiceChat.com, posted some photos of the castle in its current state as it undergoes these changes. We aren’t totally on board with the look Disney is going for (Funeral? Toothpaste caps?), but you can decide for yourself.

Our pre-trip rituals

Planning every second of the trip (schedules, restaurants, etc.)
Watching Disney films
Stocking up on unnecessary necessities
Using apps to create a trip countdown
Playing park music as we enter the gates

Our post-trip rituals

Watching Disney films
Looking at trip photos
Immersing ourselves in a “beach” theme (music, food, etc.)
Watching videos of everything park related (rides, walk throughs, live feeds, shows, etc.)
Eating at Sonny’s BBQ
Planning the next trip