268: Our Pitch for “The Amazing Race: Walt Disney World Edition”

January 19, 2022dereklew

With the recent return of The Amazing Race, which is currently airing its 33rd season on CBS, we thought it would be fun to dream up a season of the show that took place entirely on Walt Disney World property. We asked Dan Heaton, host of The Tomorrow Society podcast and fellow fan of the CBS reality show, to help us come up with ideas for challenges teams would have to complete if The Amazing Race were to have a Walt Disney World-themed season. Come join the fun as we share the wacky tasks, challenging obstacles, and Disney-themed escapades we’d love to see teams face throughout the parks and resorts (48:56). (Listener discretion advised. The discussion might cause a desire to binge old seasons of the now 20-year-old reality show.)

Also on this episode, Dan and Derek compete in a game of Something Rotten, in which they must guess which of two Disney films has a lower score on Rotten Tomatoes (29:25). Plus, Derek gives a full report on his experience running the 10K and the half marathon during this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (1:00).

On your marks. Get set. Let’s race!

Be sure to find Dan online and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the show!

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!

265: 50 Years, 50 Milestones – Part 2 (1996-2020)

October 21, 2021dereklew

Last week, to honor The World’s Most Magical Celebration, we highlighted 25 of the biggest moments that brought the vacation kingdom to where it is today, one for each year from 1971-1995. This week we are BACK to wrap up the list and pay tribute to one major milestone from each of Walt Disney World’s most recent 25 years, 1996-2020, and discuss why the impact of each moment is still felt today.

Also on this week’s show, guest Jennifer Lapsker helps us honor the Harmony Barber Shop on its 50th anniversary. We discuss the location’s history, and Jen shares about her personal experience taking her son for his first haircut at the Main Street, U.S.A. location.

In another edition of Armchair Imagineering, we share our ideas for “Fab 50” gold statues that would have directly honored Walt Disney World, rather than characters from the films. See which iconic attractions, characters, and landmarks we think should have made the cut, as well as ones that we know Disney would NEVER make.

Be sure to find Jennifer online and let her know you enjoyed hearing her on the show! Twitter: @JLap64 | Instagram: @jlap64

258: Sitcoms at the Disney Parks – Part 2

March 28, 2021dereklew

The show must go on, as they say. And that is why we are BACK this week to close out our two-part series on the ABC sitcoms that filmed episodes at the Disney Parks. This week we kick things off with the 1998 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch that coincided with the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and we make our way all the way to 2019, when The Goldbergs spoofed National Lampoon’s Vacation with an episode that followed the family on their cross-country trip to Disneyland in the late 80s. Join us as we talk about the best hidden gems, the most magical moments, and the most laughable, that-would-never-happen goofs from shows like Modern Family, Black-ish, and more!

Also on this episode, guest Blake Taylor joins us for the game “Before and After,” in which he and Jeremy compete to see who can guess the Disney-related mashup first. Plus, as part of our continuing countdown to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, we play a round of “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” in which we share our picks for the best and worst elements of Magic Kingdom on its opening day. It’s all happening now on The Mad Chatters Podcast. Tune in!

Be sure to find Blake online and follow his Disney projects!

Disney Podcast: Park People | Disney Instagram: @parkpeoplepod | Twitter: @blake_242

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!

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.

242: 12 Quotes We Love About the Disney Parks

April 22, 2020dereklew

What makes the Disney Parks so special? What’s the reason so many of us are longing for the day when the parks can safely reopen? On this week’s show we set out to answer those questions, but instead of expressing ourselves using our own words, we take a look at 12 quotes we love from men and women throughout history who also appreciated the magic of the Disney Parks. Come get sappy with us as we read what Walt and others had to say about the most magical places on earth and then look at those words through the lens of 2020.

Also on this week’s show, we think about the animals that still call Walt Disney World home, and we share our picks for the good, bad, and ugly animal encounters. Plus, we bring back the segment “It’s the Small Things After All,” in which we each list the small details and experiences at WDW we’d LOVE to have in our lives right now. Tune in for one of our most sentimental episodes ever!

Be sure to find Jonathan online and let him know you enjoyed hearing him on the show! Twitter: @jonathanharvill

Bonus Episode: Let’s Play “Where in Walt Disney World Am I?”

March 24, 2020dereklew

This week we’re passing the time by playing some Mad Chatter games. On this bonus episode, we bring back the 20 Questions-style game “Where in Walt Disney World Am I?” in which two Chatters have to ask yes-or-no questions in order to find out where in WDW the third Chatter is “hiding.”

The Mad Chatters

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

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