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

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!

256: It’s Time for an Upgrade – 10 WDW Experiences We’d Love to See Updated or Enhanced

March 2, 2021dereklew

In light of the recent news that Jungle Cruise is about to be enhanced, we thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight other attractions and experiences at Walt Disney World that we think could use some TLC. From stale rides to dated resorts to embarrassing uses of technology, we each talk about ten areas we’d most love to see get updates and enhancements (1:02:33).

In this week’s Countdown to the 50th, we share ten facts about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, one of three resort hotels that opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971 (0:00:50). Plus, we test our Muppets and Disney Channel knowledge in a new game (0:30:10), AND we bring back the segment Mad Chatter Jeopardy, in which we respond to dumb answers by providing even dumber questions (0:57:18). Come join the fun!

255: The Music of Disney’s Hollywood Studios

February 14, 2021dereklew

Join us for a musical tour of the Hollywood that never was and always will be: Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Years ago, we launched a series in which we discussed the background music and the original songs that play in each Walt Disney World park. At the time, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was mostly a construction zone, but now that the park has completed its glow-up, we figured it was high time we close out that series and talk about the background loops and original songs in areas like Sunset Boulevard, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and more!

If you missed our other “The Music of…” episodes, you can find them here:

Show 103: The Music of Magic Kingdom

Show 128: The Music of Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Show 166: The Music of Epcot

Also on this week’s show, Jonathan Harvill joins us for a round of Disney Hashtags, in which we access our most juvenile, immature inner selves with the hashtag #MiddleSchoolDisney. Plus, in our Countdown to the 50th, we highlight the WDW opening-day attraction Country Bear Jamboree.

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

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

243: 10 Muppetational Moments at Walt Disney World + A Chat With ‘Jim Henson’ Biographer Brian Jay Jones

May 13, 2020dereklew

It’s time to play the music, light the lights, and raise the curtain on our most celebrational, Muppetational episode ever! Join us and guest Jeff DePaoli as we look back at ten big moments the Muppets have had at Walt Disney World, from extinct attractions to long-lived shows to restaurants and more. And here’s a special bonus: This episode is one half of the very first Mad Chatters/Dizney Coast to Coast crossover event! Currently on Jeff’s podcast you can hear Jeff and Jeremy discuss in depth the TV special “The Muppets at Walt Disney World,” which aired on NBC on May 6, 1990, and which kicks off our list of 10 Muppetational Moments.

The Muppet fun doesn’t stop there. Also joining us on this week’s show is biographer Brian Jay Jones, who shares highlights from his book “Jim Henson: The Biography” and talks to us about what it was like researching Jim’s life, reading his journals, and speaking to his family and friends. As we honor the 30th anniversary of Jim’s passing and celebrate the 65th birthday of Kermit the Frog, come soak in all the Muppety goodness now!

Brian Jay Jones Interview: 16:45

10 Muppetational Moments at WDW: 58:52

Be sure to find Jeff and Brian online and follow their projects:

Jeff DePaoli: Podcast: Dizney Coast to Coast | Attractions Magazine Column: DePaoli on DeParks | Twitter: @JeffDePaoli (personal) @DizneyCTC (podcast) | Instagram: @disneyctc

Brian Jay Jones: Twitter: @brianjayjones | Website: brianjayjones.com

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.”

237: 2020 Coming Attractions – What’s Ahead for Disney

January 17, 2020dereklew

On our first show of the new decade, we look ahead to what The Walt Disney Company has in store for 2020. From upcoming films like Mulan, Black Widow, and Onward, to exciting attractions and experiences debuting at the parks such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Regal Eagle Smokehouse, to the original content premiering on Disney+, we do a deep dive into the many exciting things coming from Disney in the coming year. Plus, we share our spoiler-filled thoughts on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Mad Chatters

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