262: 5 Things We Love at Universal Studios That You Can’t Get at Walt Disney World

September 6, 2021dereklew

Halloween Horror Nights, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar — Some of Orlando’s best theme park offerings are actually found outside the boundaries of Walt Disney World and instead are part of Universal Orlando Resort. On this week’s show, we discuss some of our favorite attractions, restaurants, procedures, and other elements of Universal Studios that don’t have an equivalent at a Disney park. Should Disney bring these ideas to its parks? If so, how could Disney take these ideas and make them better? These are just some of the questions we try to answer on this episode (56:38).

In our continuing Countdown to the 50th, we highlight the Orange Bird, a beloved character who was part of Magic Kingdom on opening day, disappeared for a few decades, and then made a grand return, bringing endless opportunities for merchandise with him (01:04). Plus, in a round of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly we talk about the best and worst spots in Walt Disney World to visit after dark (24:15). Come join the fun!

Be sure to find our guest Jonathan Harvill on Twitter and on Letterboxd: @jonathanharvill

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!

260: Dreaming Up Future World Showcase Pavilions by Studying Disney’s Past

May 12, 2021dereklew

In Epcot’s nearly 40 years of existence, there have been countless rumors and speculations about additional nations being introduced to World Showcase. But in reality, we haven’t seen a new country join the loop since Norway was completed in 1988.

Enter the Mad Chatters. On this week’s episode, guest Courtney Guth helps us dig through The Walt Disney Company’s rich past and its deep ties to other nations of the world as we search for candidates for the next World Showcase pavilion. In the end, we present a list of more than ten nations to which Disney already has a connection, whether that’s because Walt himself visited and fell in love with the country, or it’s because more than one Disney film is set in the country, or it’s because that nation was already conceived as an Epcot pavilion before Imagineers scrapped the idea. Tune in to hear us make a case for each of these countries and present our own ideas for what the pavilion could look like and what rides and/or restaurants could go there.

In another edition of Armchair Imagineering, we shine a spotlight on The Muppets and present our own ideas for who should play Jim Henson in the upcoming biopic, as well as what Disney theme park attraction The Muppets should parody next, after this fall’s highly anticipated special “Muppets Haunted Mansion.”

Plus, we bring back the segment “The Windows of Main Street, U.S.A.” in order to showcase the career of Chuck Boyajian, the very first Manager of Custodial Operations at Disneyland.

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

257: 90s Sitcoms at the Disney Parks

March 16, 2021dereklew

Has there ever been a more magical example of corporate synergy than when our favorite ABC sitcoms filmed episodes at the Disney Parks? On this week’s episode we travel back to the 90s—before DVR and streaming were part of everyone’s vocabulary—and we talk about six episodes of classic 90s sitcoms that take place in Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Join us and our guest Teri Deel as we catch up with Cory and Topanga at The Living Seas, check out Steve Urkel’s latest gadget at Innoventions, watch Danny Tanner get spit on during Aladdin’s Royal Caravan, and much more (0:31:48)!

In this week’s edition of our Countdown to the 50th, we showcase Liberty Square, a land that is unique to Magic Kingdom and that opened just five years before America’s Bicentennial (0:01:50). Plus, we show off our poetry skills in the new segment Madsterpiece Theater (0:29:00)!

If you would like to find and stream the six television episodes we discuss on this show, here is a handy list:

Blossom
“The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men”
Season 3, Episode 19

Full House
“The House Meets the Mouse”
Season 6, Episodes 23-24

Family Matters
“We’re Going to Disney World”
Season 6, Episodes 22-23

Roseanne
“We’re Going to Disney World”/”Disney World War II”
Season 8, Episodes 17-18

Step by Step
“We’re Going to Disney World”: Parts 1 & 2
Season 5, Episodes 22-23

Boy Meets World
“The Happiest Show on Earth”
Season 3, Episode 21

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!

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

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

The Mad Chatters

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

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