Monday, February 28, 2011

Disney Podcast Updates, February, 2011 - Part 3

I'm just a bit later than planned for this round of updates.  Most of the 21 updates included are from around Feb 13-20.  Topics include a Marathon Weekend recap, a couple of shows/segments on flying (if you’re having a problem getting to sleep at night, feel free to read my update on Betamouse a few times…that’ll knock you out in no time), and lots of love!


If you are interested in listening to any of these episodes, I have links to subscribe for most of these shows in my post HERE.  Also, if you’re willing, you can help these shows out by posting a review over on iTunes.  The more they get, the higher up they appear on searches.  If you do start listening to a podcast as a result of what you’ve seen on here, please let the podcasters know!

As always, please note that this again is not a comprehensive list of the Disney Podcasts that are out there. Mike Hamilton has created Disneypodcastdirectory.net, which he periodically updates with new podcasts and removes dead casts. He also has the automated RSS (historical) feeds of the podcasts. This is more of a cross-section of what is currently being talked about…perhaps something may sound interesting, and you'll subscribe to listen to that topic.  Also, Shawn Rees does an absolutely amazing job posting more real-time updates on Twitter.  Follow @dis_pod_review if you aren't already doing so.

Any and all comments are welcomed!  Also, if you know of another podcast that fits here, let me know.


  • Be our Guest
    • 02/13/11 – Episode 307, When I saw the show topic, I made sure to carve out a little time to make sure I could listen to this one.  I lurk on the BOG forums and have only posted a couple of times; however, I did occasionally read a couple of topics over there about running and training for Marathon Weekend.  This show is focused on that very topic!  Former InnerMouse host Nicole Siscaretti, fellow Twitter freak and teacher Brett Young, and Chuck Hamrick (aka ‘ConstableMickey’ over on the forums) join the crew for a talk about what Marathon Weekend 2011 entailed.  Everyone reflects on the training as well as the races on that weekend.  Excellent show!  I wish I could have met up with y’all down there, but there just wasn’t enough time to do what we wanted to do (we flew down Thursday and back Sunday for work). Congrats to all the runners out there – I’ll remember that weekend with the rest of Team AllEars forever!  Time: 40:52
    • 02/17/11 – Episode 307, this show gives exposure to one of the more overlooked moderate resorts at WDW…the Caribbean Beach resort.  The hosts examine several facets of the resort, including some of the newer themed areas (i.e. the Pirates rooms).  This is one we haven’t stayed at yet (the only moderate that we’ve stayed at was POFQ, though we looked at CBR when Magical Express dropped guests off).  Time: 35:53
  • Betamouse
    • 02/17/11 – Episode 53, Before talking about Betamouse gang signs in the Triad, we get to hear talk about the ever-present issue of flying vs. driving to get to the parks.  The hosts are split to a certain extent, with the dividing line drawn at how far away they live from the parks (Henry is the exception…I’m with Katie on this one).  Throughout the show, they talk about strategies for purchasing airline tickets, UI sites vs visiting the direct airline site, a short evaluation on mobile sites, and more.  There’s some good stuff on here- like what point in the “countdown” to check for lower fares.  As for what we do here – well, BMI is about 10 minutes away, and it’s pretty much hassle-free for us.  The only problem is that, being a regional airport, we don’t have a huge selection.  Luckily, we have both AirTran and Delta Connection fly in with non-stops to MCO.  Flying out to Anaheim, however, is a different story.  Being that we are 3 hours away from IND, STL, and ORD (MDW is a bit closer), those airports come into play.  It usually involves a preliminary look at Travelocity at all the airports to get a general feel for the current fares/times.  Then I usually hit the airline sites directly to watch for changes in the fares.  Being an economist, we’re always evaluating the cost of time and convenience…yes, we are often willing to pay a somewhat higher fare to leave out of BMI instead of a larger airport…especially with kids, travel cost to the airport, lodging (we often are on the first flight out), parking (yes, we look at park-n-fly hotels), etc.  As for the government rate. Well, let’s examine that (did I hear someone just snore?)  For the sake of argument, assume a 1,000 mile drive each way (2,000 miles total).  At $.50 / mile, that comes out to $1,000.  Now, deduct the price of gas – assuming 20 MPG and $3.35/gallon price, that comes out to $335, leaving $665.  Add in the “wear and tear”…you may as well be adding an oil change to the cost since it takes up the majority of the mileage between changes, so let’s make it $30.  Tires – not much, but for grins, let’s say $20.  Trade-in value?  Also fairly negligible, but I’ll throw in $20 less for the hell of it.  People often throw in the cost of dining, first off, that shouldn’t be coming from the Government rate (they also get a per diem for items like this), but I’ll include it – we shouldn’t include the total cost of dining…it should count only if the dining cost is different from what you would eat if you weren’t driving.  This reduces the overall “cost” of food by quite a bit.  The same goes for lodging – if you would be spending a night at a WDW/DL resort instead of a hotel on the road, then it’s a wash (likely, the hotel on the road will be cheaper).  If you were just leaving a day earlier by driving instead of flying, then the hotel cost becomes pertinent.  Oh, and there’s another item…do you end up taking an additional day or two of work off by driving?  If you lose wages, then that becomes a significant cost.  If you are taking vacation day, then no harm (unless that day could have been used elsewhere and you end up losing pay for that day off).  Add in the difference in the cost of convenience – do I want to be on the road for 16 hours each way…with my wife (complaining about how I’m driving) and my kids (asking “Are we there yet” every 10 minutes)…how does that compare to the hassle of the airlines/security checks/annoying passengers next to you/etc?  These last couple ones obviously are all “what-ifs”.  Regardless, the only time you’ll be getting that $.50/mile  is if you are on official government business…if a government job requires you drive to a Disney park, could you please send me an application?   Here’s the bottom line: the explicit cost of driving is the gas, additional maintenance, and reduction in trade-in value.  Conservatively, let’s say that’s about $400.  That’s about the only thing you can compare to the government rate.  Everything else falls into the “implicit” cost/savings (ie potential foregone wages, difference in cost of dining/lodging, potential savings (if you would be renting a car down there and not taking Magical Express if at WDW, for example), the cost of being in trapped in the car with family instead of at home or in the parks, the side trip to Arizona to drop off your crotchety old aunt who died in your car on the way down (you took care of her dog earlier), etc).  There’s no steadfast number that determines whether you should drive or fly; each person assigns a different value to some of the intrinsic costs/savings.  Okay…you can wake up now.  During the outtakes, we find out the new motto for the show…“Betamouse: No Preparation Whatsoever!”  Time: 39:42
  • Communicore Online
    • 02/11/11 – Episode 42 (Hitchhiker’s Guide fans unite!), For some reason, this feed wasn’t updating for me, so I didn’t realize there were new shows out there until I unsubscribed and hopped back in.  In this show, Lester starts off with the news in the way only he can (I missed hearing his reports).  Afterwards, we get a ride-thru of Mike and Sully to the Rescue over in Disneyland.  Marissa Gordon then joins in for a talk about picking the right Disney resort when you have kids (keeping strollers in mind).  Steve Swanson from the Muppetcast then joins Shane for an intriguing discussion about the relationship between the Muppet franchise and the Disney corporation, which has had its ups and downs over time.  I thought Steve’s views of Disney’s handling of the muppets is really interesting!  Time: oops…deleted before I got it.
    • 02/18/11 – Episode 43, Lester again starts off the show with the news (I seriously almost laughed out loud in the middle of the quad at a couple of his comments).  Afterward, Shane gives us a recap of the refurbs that are currently going on at the Disney parks.  Before Marissa has her segment on flying with children, we get to hear audio from the best pre-show in all of the parks (if you don’t know, then I may have to question your devotion to the parks – it’s Muppetvision!).  After that, Shane does some listener feedback before a reflection about the Sherman Brothers and, to a certain extent, the parallels in the relationship between Walt and Roy.  Time: 26:35
  • The Disney, Indiana Podcast
    • 02/20/11 – Episode 68, Oooooooooohhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh…we’re going back to the 80s for this show, a time when the hair was big, fishnets were in, the legs were warming, and the ponytails were on the side (God, I loved the 80s…Lita Ford, Sheena Easton, Debbie Gibson, Sheena Easton in the “U Got The Look” video, Linda Ronstadt (okay, technically she was from the ‘70s, but she was still hot), Samantha Fox, Debbie Harry, most of the Bangles…oops, started daydreaming there).  They start off the show with a review of a really obscure 80s Disney-related movie (obscure for the 80s, which is saying something!).  Buzzy then comes on, and I nearly comb my hair into a Flock of Seagulls ‘do as he spins the records from a lot of 80s Disney songs.  I was just waiting for one of my students to pull up next to me on the same frequency that my iPod was on so I could bleed over “Hey Mickey” to their radio.  Sticking with the 80s theme, they provide a history and a lot of the audio from the Mickey Mouse Revue.  Listener feedback follow (including my report from their last show WOOHOO).  Time: 1:15:21
  • The Disney Brit Podcast
    • 02/15/11 – Vidcast 8, the Disney Brit team pays homage to Mickey’s ToonTown Fair, which recently closed forever.  This short video is a montage of pictures from the land…nice tribute, guys!  Time: 4:15
  • Micecast
    • 02/13/11 – Episode 196, as the show rapidly approaches its finale of 200 shows (they still may release shows…just not on a schedule like before), Greg, Mike, and Shaft discuss Disney’s lack of success in the 38th annual “Annie” awards, which highlight excellence in animation.  The talk turns away from the Disney realm and goes to a good talk about the media and its coverage of world events (e.g. Egypt).  The end of show delves into podcasting for pay (referring to a recent change to a show hosted by Kevin Pollack).  Time: 1:47:23
  • Mousetalgia
    • 02/13/11 – Episode 120, Love….exciting and new….being right before Valentine’s Day, the fab 4 hosts talk about romance at Disneyland.  They bring up successes AND epic romantic fails at the parks.  Some of the more memorable ones include: getting wet on Splash Mountain with your loved one, floating through Montro’s gaping mouth, and (more in-line with the topic) dining at the Blue Bayou and watching fireworks.  An interesting note here: I’m willing to bet that this is the only podcast that can legally marry you in the parks (Kristen).  Their new motto: Moustalgia…they’ll marry ya!!  During the opening “bits and bytes” section, a recipe for valentine cupcakes is included – if done correctly, the middle of the cupcake will have a red valentine in it.  Good show!  Time: 50:57
  • Mouse Travel Tips
    • 02/17/11 – Episode 52, Rachel starts out the show with ideas on how to budget for an upcoming trip, with talk about driving vs. flying, on-site vs. off-site, and more.  They then take us over to Future World at Epcot to examine the Great Piggy Bank Adventure before ending with a review of the Sunshine Seasons counter service in The Land pavilion.  Time: 21:20
  • MuppetCast
    • 02/13/11 – Episode 193, This is one of those podcasts that I know has a big following, and, being a big fan of the muppets (I can do quite a few impersonations of the ones voiced by Frank Oz) I’ve downloaded it a couple of times but never got around to adding it to here.  It has been suggested a couple of times, and I’m pleased to say that you’ll see Steve’s show start popping up on here on occasion.  With it being Valentine’s Day, what better time to examine the age-old love story between a frog and a pig?  This show focuses on Kermit and Ms. Piggy’s tumultuous relationship, both on- and off-screen.  Lots of great audio here (it’s early in my listening of the show, but I’m already wondering how he finds this stuff!).  Time: 1:10:03
  • The Pixar Podcast
    • 02/17/11 – Episode 35, in the premiere on the updates, Derrick brings on viral video creator Ivan Guerrero to talk about his “pre-make” trailer of the movie “Up” (if you’re one of those living under a rock and haven’t seen it yet, click here).  Ivan talks the “what”, “why”, and “how” with his collection of videos.  Time:
  • Running to Disney/This Running Life
    • 02/14/11 – Episode 16, This show is almost more of an extension of show 15 where he talks about mental games we play with it comes to distance running.  The actual topic deals with tapering before a marathon (and, yes, he does talk about WDW Marathon weekend a few times in here).    The discussion evolves from struggles with trying to stay slow during tapering to becoming complacent with  .  In true Gordon form, he keeps the recording running despite what’s going on with his surroundings or whatever tangents tend to occur (e.g. the near road rage incident thanks to a texting driver; offering love advice to teens that might be listening; or hearing Gordon nearly experience his own road rage at the expense of his garage door opener).  He gets into a really thought-provoking talk about structured training plans vs. “off-the-cuff” plans and offers a hypothesis that bases the preferred type of training plan as the opposite of the type of job you have (i.e. if your job is really structured, you want a loose plan, or vice-versa).  Good show!  Time: 52:24
    • 02/16/11 – Audio Extra, I’m including this show because there is a large number of Disney running fanatics who are trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  The BAA (Boston Athletic Association) changed the registration procedure as well as the minimum times for a BQ.  This episode gives his reaction/response to the news.  Time: 16:24
  • WDW Radio Show
    • 02/13/11 – Episode 209, Beci Mahnken’s on the show, which means that it must be time to work on the overflowing mail bag.  Questions about where to find characters (especially in AK), pros and cons of a LONG WDW trip before or after a DCL cruise, scuba-diving in the Seas w/ Nemo, lodging for a crew of 6 (2 hotel rooms vs, villas), and more!  Time: 1:14:25
    • 02/16/11 – WDW Newscast rebroadcast – in this one, Lou and the Boxpeople talkabout D23’s upcoming Destination D.  Time: 21:39
  • WDW Today
    • 02/14/11 – Episode 838, Len is in the spotlight for this show as he discusses changes to the MK touring plans now that Fantasyland Toon Town is now closed.  He provides updates on several MK plans.  The visual of Henry standing at the entrance of Toon Town going “BLAH BLAH GO AWAY!!” to simulate its closure still has me laughing.  It’s interesting that Len mentions using a short-cut to get from HM to Jungle Cruise – we found that for the first time over Marathon weekend when we were heading to the Tiki Birds to meet up with some friends.  Time: 20:06
    • 02/16/11 – Episode 839, Listener question day!  Some of the questions/highlights include the bus service at Ft. Wilderness, strategies at the Food & Wine Festival, how to drive Emily at Babycakes crazy, Star Tours 2011 and Star Wars Weekend, those Dyson hand dryers that pull your skin off, and more.  Time: 27:14
    • 02/18/11 – Episode 840, Disneyfoodblog author AJ Wolfe is back on this show to talk about the changes to the dining plan menu.  With the increase in prices without any changes to benefits, they again question the actual savings that could be obtained by using this.  There are also other changes to the plan that they discuss – particularly the bump up to Signature status for Le Cellier.  One of the interesting items brought up is the fact that, quite often, people will try to get an ADR but can’t; however, they are able to walk up the same day.  At the risk of going on a rant here, I’ll just say that I think a lot of this is people making multiple ADRs so that they’re covered for whatever park they’re at…they show up for only 1 ADR, but this practice blocks out others from getting reservations.  Time: 25:20
  • WEDWay Radio
    • 02/19/11 – Episode 61, We’re rollin’ down the bayou today with Matt and Nate as they take a look at Disneyland’s New Orleans Square.  We’ve come to expect a well-researched show with these guys, and they do not disappoint at all here!  How many people here know about Fortune Red the fortune-telling pirate?  How about the reason Club 33 is called that and why it’s located where it is?  Lots of good discussion about the various shops currently and historically there on Royal Street.  Time: 1:05:26
  • A Window to the Magic
    • 02/16/11 – Episode 265, Paul and Tairy (smooch) start off their honeymoon in Disneyland and meet up with Enrique – this is a special trip for Tairy (no, not for the honeymoon, though I guess you could technically consider that too (groan))…it’s her first time there since (smooch) the unfortunate fall a while ago.  Since Tairy no longer lives in Las Vegas, a discussion ensues on whether to ever (smooch) visit there again (seeing friends, celebrating birthdays/anniversaries, buying overpriced tickets (aka “losing money”).  Tairy admits to (smooch) not being a gamber, to which Enrique responds what everyone was thinking (“Of course you’re a gambler…you’re with Paul”).  His ego bruised, Paul then spends the (smooch) rest of the show talking with a limp!  In this show, some breaking news about what has happened to the yeti over at Animal Kingdom – apparently they are now making boots out of him.  Also in this show, we get to hear audio from the cruise that Paul promised Tairy on their honeymoon, though I don’t think that what she got was quite what she was expecting.  I do have a question, though, for the host: what aisle in WalMart can you find the Astro Orbiters?  I have always loved hearing Paul’s sense of humor, and he was in rare form in this show – a great one to listen to!  Time: 41:33

Friday, February 18, 2011

Disney Podcast Updates, February 2011 - Part 2

Another week, another round of podcast updates (I think Matt the Esquire may faint at my temporary consistency).  Most of these shows were released February 7-12th.  I know that next week I’ll have a Communicore show from the 11th, but, for now, here you go!  This was an interesting week…lots of hoarse voices are heard here, a kidnapping occurs on one podcast, more Dream talk, law students screaming like little girls, a much-anticipated wedding recap by a cat and a dude, and instructions on how to thwart a zombie takeover at WDW (told you it was an interesting week!).    Enjoy!

If you are interested in listening to any of these episodes, I have links to subscribe for most of these shows in my post HERE.  Also, if you’re willing, you can help these shows out by posting a review over on iTunes.  The more they get, the higher up they appear on searches.  If you do start listening to a podcast as a result of what you’ve seen on here, please let the podcasters know!

As always, please note that this again is not a comprehensive list of the Disney Podcasts that are out there. Mike Hamilton has created Disneypodcastdirectory.net, which he periodically updates with new podcasts and removes dead casts. He also has the automated RSS (historical) feeds of the podcasts. This is more of a cross-section of what is currently being talked about…perhaps something may sound interesting, and you'll subscribe to listen to that topic.  Also, Shawn Rees does an absolutely amazing job posting more real-time updates on Twitter.  Follow @dis_pod_review if you aren't already doing so.



Any and all comments are welcomed!  Also, if you know of another podcast that fits here, let me know.


  • Be our Guest – the best podcast for s’mores! (Go Jay…Go Jay!)
    • 02/10/11 – Episode 306, When the show starts, you immediately feel sympathy for Mike, whose voice is pretty much gone from the get-go.  Today, LOVE is in the air as the group talks about romantic things to do at WDW.  As an expression of their love, they all want to burn Debbie at the stake for her take on the beautiful Florida weather (when the rest of the country is stuck in the deep freeze).  Most of the romantic ideas, as expected, deal with things that are relaxing.  Nothing says “romance” like taking in the luxuries at  a spa; taking a horse and carriage ride at one of the hotels; hitting one of the beaches (like at the Poly); or kicking your significant other’s ass in checkers at Wilderness Lodge (?!).  One of the things that interested me was that dining wasn’t really mentioned, other than Beaches and Cream.  I could see places like Jiko, Victoria and Albert’s…places where there likely won’t be as many kids that are suited more for adults…as romantic spots too.  Good show!  Time: 34:32
  • Betamouse
    • 02/10/11 – Episode 52 (that makes it a year, right?  Well, close, so CONGRATS!!!).  Mike Newell and Beci Mahnken join the Betamouse team for a first look at the technology behind the Disney Dream ship.  Both had great things to say about the new items on the ship, including the television transmission (all IP now), the enchanted art, the Wave phones (the general agreement is that they hope it is a test for a newer model…interesting how they set it up so that the phones work both on the ship as well as on Castaway Cay), and more!  Time: 44:36
  • Magic Never Ends
    • 02/11/11 – Episode 81, WHOAH!!!  Dust off the cobwebs, because Will and Shannon are back from a hiatus to bring you their review of Disney on Ice.  They got to see the “Toy Story 3” version of the show and had a great time.  The big hits included the Green Army men as well as the couples-skating of Ken and Barbie (I never thought I’d type that in my lifetime).  This was an immediate feedback show as they recorded it on the way back from seeing it.  Time: 29:24
  • Mouse Guest Weekly
    • 02/12/11 – Episode 290, this episode is a news/feedback/listener question show.   After updating what’s going on in the Disney theme parks (including some discussion on Magic, Memories, and You), they get into feedback, including a split decision on the Villains Tonight show on the DCL ships, questions on going solo vs going with friends, pros and cons of DCL, a listener-provided Blue-sky concept for a Tangled attraction, questions on fitness apps (Brian LaFrazia chimes in – knowing him in passing on Facebook leads me to trust whatever he says about fitness).  The show ends just about the same time Eric’s voice ends…he was a trooper to make it all the way through the show.  Time: 56:07
  • Northern Mouse
    • 02/09/11 – Episode 60, Carlos has an amazing interview with former imagineer and Disney Legen…wha?  He “falls asleep” as other hosts smuggle in Tim Devine from The Magic in Pixels website.  Before they get into some great photography talk (I would SO love to head down there in October for their meetup), they get into a lively discussion about changes in DVC – specifically, they talk about changes to purchasing via resale over direct from Disney.  Being that I’m a Wyndham owner, this is typical for a timeshare program – the only way they make money (other than overages on the annual maintenance fees) is to either continually build and sell new shares or buy back shares at a discount and resell at a premium. I’m still fully interested in eventually becoming a DVC member, and this news doesn’t really change my views.  We’ll see what the impact is on  resale prices and whether Disney ups the amount of ROFR usage.  They leave just as Carlos “wakes up”.  Really good show, guys…this one was a fun one to listen to!  Time: 50:53
  • Those Darn Cats/Dudes
    • 02/08/11 – Episode 139, Jennifer takes a respite as Lisa brings on new Hubby Trace to talk about the Disney Wedding.  They provide a chronology of what happened and included their views on particular items.  Some of the interesting things I gleamed from this episode include: what exactly is the proper etiquette the day of the Wedding – are you allowed to text?; is not realizing that there’s an open bar considered alcohol abuse?; does the Grand Floridian have flood insurance?; and everyone cheer if Trace stole a Brazilian tour group “little souvenir”?  In all seriousness, congrats to the two of you on your marriage – may you have a lifetime of happiness together!  Having the ceremony on Tuesday actually helped me be able to watch it as it streamed live.  It was a beautiful ceremony!  One thing I did have to comment on: I was really interested in hearing Lisa’s take on how Disney often “plusses” things (freebies) and how some people in the online community feel slighted if they don’t get free things that they heard about from others.  This is one of the reasons I only lurk at Disboards and why I have a running joke about everything ruining my vacation while down there.  You’ve got it the right perspective there – don’t go in expecting to get special things, and you’ll be surprised if/when things happen.  Time: 1:34:06
  • WDW Radio Show
    • 02/09/11 – Newscast repost – Lou entertains the Box People from the Boardwalk with friends.  The discussion revolves mostly around the demise of ToonTown and what’s to come.  Time: 21:03
  • WDW Today
    • 02/07/11 – Episode 835, This show is dedicated to those forgotten restaurants in WDW.  No, not those that have shut down…we’re talking about those places that we’ve eaten at and just didn’t see a reason to go back.  As you could probably imagine, this topic led to some interesting discussion.  For example, Scopa mentions that San Angel is on his list, while Len disagrees.  Matt brings up Yak-n-Yeti, and the others disagree.  I headed over to the comments section of the website, and, as expected, there was a lively discussion taking place there.  I’ll throw my $.02 in here.  Mama Melrose...if you read our experience from our trip report back in 2007, you’ll see that this place fits perfectly in here.  San Angel?  I have to side with Testa on this one.  I think it gives a more authentic experience (no, I’m not talking about the themeing around it).  You don’t see chalupas, nachos bell grande, etc there…the recipes seem simpler there, which is probably more realistic than most “authentic” Mexican restaurants in our cities.  Granted, I love me some Tex-Mex (slop on tortillas, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, & then add a ton of refried beans, and I’m happy); however, I think this might be what a menu would look like if I were actually south of the border.  Rose and Crown – I liked the place…probably because I can’t find a place around here to get good fish and chips (when you’re as far away from the ocean as you can be, it tends to happen).  Tony’s Town Square…Len, if you haven’t read my Marathon weekend survey on TouringPlans, take a look to see my take on that place.  Crystal Palace has fallen from grace a little (it will be in my next trip report update, once I finally get it posted), and the only reason we’d go there is to make it in the park ahead of everyone else.  Garden Grill – eehhhhh.  Good topic!  Time: 24:11
    • 02/09/11 – Episode 836, Wednesday show, which means it’s Listener question day!  First off, Elgin is pronounced EL-jin (sorry, Matt).  Second, zombies – can’t wait to hear where this one goes (hint to the readers: this is foreshadowing). Third: the $180 “Sweetheart Package”… I started laughing around the same time Len did, so that can only mean we were thinking the same thing there (Narcoossee’s anyone?).  Third, my mind was really hitting the gutter with the Zelinski/Lewinski gaffe!  I’m guessing Newell was glad he was out for this one (guessing it was recorded during his “Dream” time).  Time: 29:27
    • 02/11/11 – Episode 837, Oh boy.  If you thought there were a lot of comments from # 835, wait ‘til you see the ones for THIS show!  Taking the idea from the last show, the hosts determine the best places in WDW to survive the impending zombie apocalypse (friendship boats in Epcot with Twinkies!!)!!!  Check your pulse if you don’t laugh at least a little at this show.  I LOVED reading the suggestions on Twitter and Facebook, though I still stand firm that POTC is my place to be.  You’ve got the fortresses, you’ve got the cannons (they’re real, right?), you’ve got seagulls, crabs, pigs, donkeys, cats, dogs, and prisoners to eat, and you’ve got water everywhere.  Besides, once they see Johnny Depp, they’ll just stare and take flash pictures of him (everyone else does!).  While they’re staring, you can hit ‘em with a broadside…Fire At Will!! (Who’s Will?).  AWESOME Show!!! There are too many quotes from this episode, but I have to mention the Line of the year: “Word comes out that zombies are spotted in Kissimmee, and you don’t have time to get back to your hotel because Disney Transportation is essentially broken down”  Time: 17:43
  • WEDWay Radio
    • 02/09/11 – Episode 60, Matt and Nate take a stroll to the past to look at the idea/concept/design/need/reasoning behind Disney’s MGM Studios.  There’s some exceptional information in this show about this park, and most people will probably pick up some new tidbits about the park (e.g. Streetmosphere, old park boundaries, the showdown with Universal, very similar ideas of attractions making its way into current attractions (backlot tour), Eisner’s approach/background, the reason MGM was brought in, and, yes, the “Star of the Day”.  Really good show, guys!  Time: 1:00:20
  • Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod
    • 02/10/11 – Episode 58, Aaron brings us part 2 of the Spring Break 2010 trip report, only this time, Courtney is missing (not from the park audio…just the recap part).  The first piece is an “interesting” eavesdrop of someone complaining about a DHS attraction always being down the same week that they’re on vacation (I wonder if she was wearing lime green).  Other highlights include something about helping an elderly lady out in the bathroom (I can’t make that stuff up!), a Yak-n-Yeti review, an MK experience (including an accidental run-in with Tiana…which, in the process, ticked off dozens of patrons (probably wearing lime green), a wet ride-thru of Splash Mountain (protect the equipment at all costs!!!...it sounded like Aaron actually went underwater!), a ride-thru of BTMRR with a nice malfunction at the top of the second hill, a review of Paradiso 37 (I thought the 37 was the # of tequila brands…I stand corrected), and, finally, the audio we’ve all been waiting for – hearing Aaron screaming like a little girl as he rides the Tower of Terror for the first time if you listen to anything else, fast-forward to around 1:07:00 (“Are we about to drop?  Are we about to drop?  Oh no…oh no  OHHHHHHHHHHHHH  WHHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAAHHH SWEEEET LORD!!!….whoahwe’regoingBACKUP!!!!”).  The show ends with a little pixie dust sprinkled down on the hosts  (she wants him).  Time: 1:25:01

Monday, February 14, 2011

2010 Archive of Podcast Updates

This post chronicles the updates done here on the blog for Disney Podcasts in 2010.  I was able to maintain a continuous set of updates to the end of August.  After that, the decision was made to cut losses and not do the last 1/3 of the year (it was so far past when the episodes posted that nobody was reading them).


01/07/2010
01/15/2010
01/22/2010
01/31/2010

02/07/2010
02/14/2010
02/21/2010
02/28/2010

03/15/2010
03/31/2010

04/15/2010 
04/30/2010

05/15/2010
05/31/2010

06/15/2010
06/30/2010

07/15/2010
07/31/2010

08/15/2010
08/31/2010

No further updates for 2010.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Disney Podcast Updates, February 2011 - Part 1

Here we are, folks, with the first installment of the new setup on the shows.  I’m shooting to put out more weekly updates to maintain currency.  Most of these shows come from the February 1-6 timeframe.  I don’t want to limit the shows in a specific post to a specific timeframe, so you may very well see shows from Feb 1-6 in a later round of updates (thus the change in the way I titled it).  I’m back to actually writing my own updates, rather than simply posting the show descriptions – which I think will come as a welcome change to the podcasters; hopefully you’ll be able to tell that I had a little fun with some of the shows.  As mentioned in this post, I’m not going to be covering as many shows in order to keep fairly up-to-date.  Still, there are a number of shows for this 6-day period.  If I add new shows to the master list, I’ll be sure to include the first couple of episodes in the time frame so people can get a feel for what the show is about.


If you are interested in listening to any of these episodes, I have links to subscribe for most of these shows in my post HERE.  Also, if you’re willing, you can help these shows out by posting a review over on iTunes.  The more they get, the higher up they appear on searches.  If you do start listening to a podcast as a result of what you’ve seen on here, please let the podcasters know!

As always, please note that this again is not a comprehensive list of the Disney Podcasts that are out there. Mike Hamilton has created Disneypodcastdirectory.net, which he periodically updates with new podcasts and removes dead casts. He also has the automated RSS (historical) feeds of the podcasts. This is more of a cross-section of what is currently being talked about…perhaps something may sound interesting, and you'll subscribe to listen to that topic.  Also, Shawn Rees does an absolutely amazing job posting more real-time updates on Twitter.  Follow @dis_pod_review if you aren't already doing so.

Any and all comments are welcomed!  Also, if you know of another podcast that fits here, let me know, and I’ll add it to the master list in the link above.

Enjoy!!!


  • Be our Guest
    • 02/03/11 – Episode 304, a common theme in the recent shows is the Disney Dream (rightfully so…it sounds like an AWESOME ship).  On this show, the hosts pick Pam’s brain on her recent ride on the Christening Cruise of the Dream.  Between this show and Mongello’s newscast, I’m going to redouble my efforts to get my wife to agree to a cruise someday.  Great material and narrative of the ship!  A lot of detail was spent on the dining as well as the age-specific portions of the ship – tweens and teens are going to love those places.  Time: 54:19
    • 02/06/2011 – Episode 305, During Snowpocalypse 2011, Heather from Massachusetts dodges the panicked masses running to get French toast supplies (eggs, milk, and bread) to talk with Mike about her most recent trip report, along with two other reports.  While this may not seem too exciting, the three trips were spread out over 21 years!  The first trip was a honeymoon trip in 1989 at the Disney Inn (Now Shades of Green).  Then real life set in, with careers, children, etc.  Well, the kids are now teenagers, and teenagers have a tendency to move out and go to college, so they decided to do the “once in a lifetime” family trip. That was two trips ago.  The 2010 trip included staying at Port Orleans and a GREAT experience with the teens and dining at Epcot (can you teach my kids to take a chance to eat different foods…PLEASE???).  They made the mistake of trying to do everything (remember, this was the once-in-a-lifetime trip).  Upon getting home, Heather and her husband turned into all of us and started planning for the next trip (with the lessons learned from the last trip…December instead of June, slowing down, etc).  Time: 37:00
  • Betamouse
    • 02/03/11 – Episode 51, I am SO glad they did this episode!  I have heard of their guest before, but I never took the time to look up who Martin Smith was and what he did.  Henry, Scott, Jeff, and Nate talk with Martin about what I have (until now) only heard to be an amazing site with tons of videos of past and present Disney attractions.  Martinsvids.net is the site.  He talks about his trials and tribulations about starting out (he vows never to release some of his first videos).  As an example of his work (as he mentions in this show), he shows the evolution of the Land Pavilion.  Video 1; Video 2; Video 3.  These videos are done in a very professional way and provide a fantastic journey through time of the attractions. (and, yes, folks, he even has videos on Horizons!).  If you haven’t listened lately, I love the banter/outtakes after the episode.  Time: 58:42   #GoGoGoGo
  • The Disney, Indiana Podcast
    • 02/06/11 – Episode 67, Scott and Tracey begin the show with a review of D23 – while the DFs out there may cringe when they hear the review, I applaud the hosts for how they handled it – it was a fair evaluation laid out very well.  Hopefully they’ll get everything rectified (as and FYI, my wife got me a D23 membership for Christmas, and the delay from when she ordered it to when it arrived – after Christmas – drove her crazy).  Well done on this segment!  After D23, they give us a segment on Disney and the Academy Awards – and yet again, I learned a LOT about this subject (e.g. Walt Disney is often credited with giving the statue the nickname “Oscar”; and I never knew Randy Newman was part of a storied family when it came to movie music!).  Buzzy then takes over and gives us songs to sing to in the car…well, that was my plan anyways when I heard the opening bars of “Beauty and the Beast”.   It quickly became a melody of “La Belle et La Bete” as I harkened back to my high school and college French classes!  Several songs in French are included (yes, folks, he includes Les Poisson...a must for this interlude).  I had to look up “Are you In or Out” though…never heard that one before.  The versions of Poor Unfortunate Souls, Cruella De Ville, and We Are Siamese were GREAT! Before ending the show with listener feedback, they provide some well thought-out possible suggestions for how to improve D23 for the casual Disney freak who doesn’t live in So-Cal or central Florida.  Time: 1:00:38
  • Inside the Magic
    • 02/06/11 – Episode 305, Ricky brings on Donald Hahn for a really good interview about the documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty, which chronicles the goings-on of Disney in the 80s/90s resurgence of the studios, with such classics as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, etc.  Included is a touching discussion about Howard Ashman, who was the songwriter for many of these movies (I tear up every time I hear “Proud of Your Boy”).  I missed the viewing of Waking Sleeping Beauty in my hometown because, ironically, we left for vacation to WDW last June.  After the interview, Ricky takes on a ride on the TTA with Skipper Ben, where they discuss the new Magic, Memories, and You castle show, the tepid reception to the audio update over at Space Mountain, and a review of Via Napoli.  Listener feedback wraps the show.  Time: 1:13:43
  • Magical Definition
    • 02/06/10 – Nathan and Jim talk about the newest Disney release, Gnomeo and Juliet.  Jim gives some really in-depth background on the development of the movie (is it just me, or does it seem like this movie was thrown together?  Apparently, it wasn’t, and there were a lot of writers involved in it).  He also gives a thought-provoking reason why this being released as a Touchstone picture instead of a Disney one.  Nathan gives a “meh” review, with a telling critique of the lack of humor (most of the humor in the movie was shown in the trailers).  The discussion then turns to planning and the financials, with emphasis on hotels, EuroDisney, Cirque du Soliel (with respect to licensing with Marvel, since DTD technically isn’t a theme park…FYI: Jim got skewered on his blog about this), and more.   Time: 41:18
  • Mousetalgia
    • 02/06/11 – Episode 119, Being a Donald Duck fan, I can honestly say that I LOVED this show as they discussed taking part in an interview at the Disney family museum with the voice of the duck himself, Tony Anselmo.  One of the most amazing things that you can gleam from this talk is Anselmo’s actual becoming of the voice – he was always a huge fan of the original voice (Clarence Nash) and worked with him a lot, all the while not trying to “become” the voice (i.e. taking the job away from Nash).  Also really interesting was Anselmo’s passion about making sure the writers know who Donald is – on several occasions he would contact the writers and ultimately get them to rewrite certain lines because “it’s not what Donald would say.”  This right here is a telling feature of why many of the Disney cartoons are so much more well-received that other studios’ productions.  I couldn’t help but laugh about the squirrel rehab center, though (towards the beginning of the show in the roundup).  Time: 57:34
  • Those Darn Cats
    • 02/01/11 – Episode 138, This show intrigued me because they were talking about Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo.  We’ve watched it on Netflix, and I quit watching after about 20 minutes.  My wife and 2 kids, however…they LOVE it.  You don’t know how many times my 6 year old screams “HAM!!!!” to me every day (I wish I were making this up).  I’m with Lisa a bit on this one as I couldn’t really follow what the heck was going on with all the little ponyos and the weird Liam Neeson, then Ponyo grows up and gets really big and is left at home with her 6 year old friend and a Mom and Dad who are constantly sarcastic at each other and the nursing home/Cocoon vibe.  I almost waited to listen to this one with the boys to hear their take on it.  Time: 35:14
  • WaltCast
    • 02/01/11 – Episode 80, this is one of the shorter shows (we’re between interviews).  Some of the interesting items talked about included the new lap bars on Splash Mountain (I fully expect Katie to kill Shawn for that pic he posted of her after the drop) and a discussion about the proposed 7 Dwarves mine train coaster and its similarities to BTMRR (I think there will be enough differences to keep the interest without being redundant –with the somewhat independently moving cars, that could possibly be more hair-raising than you think).  Shawn also talks a bit about Animal Kingdom at park opening (we hit that at opening every time and do the same thing you did…go straight to Safaris!).  Time: 29:56
  • WDW Radio Show
    • 02/02/11 – WDW Newscast – I didn’t even realize Lou was putting these on the podcast feed!  This is a rebroadcast from the same night where the box people (if you don’t know, just Google Mongello Box People) pepper Lou with questions about the Disney Dream as he recently sailed on it.  There is some great first-hand information here, and I might have to have my wife listen to this to see if I can FINALLY get her on a ship.  Time: 50:27
    • 02/06/10 – Episode 208, Jim Korkis is on, which again means I’m going to enjoy this show!  Jim, one of the ultimate Disney Historians, brings his expertise to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, created by architect Peter Dominick (also of AKL fame).  Jim lets us in on so many unknown secrets of the Lodge, which I always consider to be a fabulous treat.  After hearing this, you can understand the story being told all the more in the resort.  After listening to this segment, I dare you to look at the flooring and the lodge poles in the Atrium and NOT think about this episode.  After Jim’s segment, Lou gives updates to Meets of the month and then provides listener feedback.  Time: 58:52
  • WDW Today
    • 02/02/11 – Episode 833, On top of Groundhog’s Day (Babe…..I’ve Got You Babe…), it’s Listener question day!  They start off with “Smells from California!”  Other questions include Universal’s ExpressPass vs Disney’s Fastpass (I hope Disney never implements something like that), drink(hic)…drink(hic)…drinking around the world (hic) strategies, the promotional DVDs that they send out for the parks (“Synergy…these are all the same faces…for the parks in both places…”), the hatred towards Animal Kingdom (I’m with Henry: with kids, the place takes on a different feel as they try to spot the animals hidden EVERYWHERE in the theming; Nemo means more for the parents…hard to leave with a dry eye sometimes; FOTLK is great regardless; it’s a slow park to savor, and if you can get there during PM EMH in the winter, it becomes an entirely different park in the night-time!) and more.  FYI – I remember seeing no Kidcot stuff back in June of 2010.  (Phil??? Phil Conners?)  Time: 37:08
    • 02/02/11 – Episode 833, On top of Groundhog’s Day (Babe…..I’ve Got You Babe…), it’s Listener question day!  They start off with “Smells from California!”  Other questions include Universal’s ExpressPass vs Disney’s Fastpass (I hope Disney never implements something like that), drink(hic)…drink(hic)…drinking around the world (hic) strategies, the promotional DVDs that they send out for the parks (“Synergy…these are all the same faces…for the parks in both places…”), the hatred towards Animal Kingdom (I’m with Henry: with kids, the place takes on a different feel as they try to spot the animals hidden EVERYWHERE in the theming; Nemo means more for the parents…hard to leave with a dry eye sometimes; FOTLK is great regardless; it’s a slow park to savor, and if you can get there during PM EMH in the winter, it becomes an entirely different park in the night-time!) and more.  FYI – I remember seeing no Kidcot stuff back in June of 2010.  (Ned???)  Time: 37:08
    • 02/02/11 – Episode 833, On top of Groundhog’s Day (Babe…..I’ve Got You Babe…), it’s Listener question day!  They start off with “Smells from California!”  Other questions include Universal’s ExpressPass vs Disney’s Fastpass (I hope Disney never implements something like that), drink(hic)…drink(hic)…drinking around the world (hic) strategies, the promotional DVDs that they send out for the parks (“Synergy…these are all the same faces…for the parks in both places…”), the hatred towards Animal Kingdom (I’m with Henry: with kids, the place takes on a different feel as they try to spot the animals hidden EVERYWHERE in the theming; Nemo means more for the parents…hard to leave with a dry eye sometimes; FOTLK is great regardless; it’s a slow park to savor, and if you can get there during PM EMH in the winter, it becomes an entirely different park in the night-time!) and more.  FYI – I remember seeing no Kidcot stuff back in June of 2010. (Phil???  Phil Conners?  Ned?  SLUG!!!)  Time: 37:08
    • 02/04/11 – Episode 834, On this show, Matt, Scopa, and Len bring on Laura Spencer (any Disney fan on Twitter knows her name) to talk about her experiences from being on the first Disney World Mom’s Panel to becoming the director of Social Media.  Good interview, though I’m a bit concerned about the “moving south or committing suicide” issue LOL!!!  Time: 23:41
  • A Window to the Magic
    • 02/01/11 – Episode 264, Paul is off on his honeymoon with Tairy, so he employs listener Jeremiah for another installment of “Where in the World”.  Now, I’ve only been to DL/DCA once; as a result, this one has been bugging me for a while now.  I mean, he gives us some material to chew (choo?) on, including a German accent speaking Spanish (on an English-speaking podcast), a gender-confused mobster, and some audio from a short flik that has us getting sprayed, stung, and scared. WTTM is one of the shows that I sorely missed listening to in the past – listening to park audio at 125% speed doesn’t quite work that well.  Time: 56:46

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Disney Podcast Updates, well...Eventually!!!


Okay, as pretty much everyone knows, I’m WAAAAY behind on getting the podcasts updated; so much so, in fact, that, even when I do get a batch of shows chronicled, they’re so far outdated that it’s pretty much meaningless.  What happened was two-fold:

  • 1.       I tried to accommodate everyone who asked me to look over their shows and start posting updates for them.  Doing this made the amount of time needed to listen and to write the shows up increase tremendously.  It also led to me not being able to remember who said what and when they said it, which further increased the time required to do it.  Ultimately, I found myself listening to shows that were two months old and, more importantly, I wasn’t listening to shows because I wanted to – it became a task.  I no longer got to actually enjoy the shows; rather, I sped through many of them at 125% speed and catching only portions of the shows.  I ended up doing nothing that was my own – all I ended up doing was copying and pasting the show descriptions to the blog and occasionally adding a short blurb.  It had very little of my own stuff there, and I didn’t like that.  I was getting burnt out and almost dreading turning the iPod on.
  • 2.       The other main thing that happened is not uncommon for most of us – that thing we call the real world.  On top of being a husband and father; I work full-time as an Economics instructor at Illinois State University.  No biggie – everyone has a job.  I’ve also taken on the role of Academic Advisor for all Econ majors and minors at the university, so that takes up quite a bit of time I used to have free.  Throw in the fact that I also teach courses at the local community college (online and night classes), and that makes for long days.  But wait…there’s more!  I’m also a Ph.D. student trying to finish a dissertation which will likely be over 300 pages long.  Not enough?  Okay, I serve on a committee at church (doesn’t take too much time), but when you add it into the mix, along with being the Den Leader and a committee member of the Cub Scouts for my older son, coach of t-ball for the younger son (seasonal, when cub scouts aren’t going on), and assistant coach for the older son (again, seasonal), and there just aren’t many hours left to listen to shows.  Throw in all the training I did for my first half-marathon last summer/fall (as well as hours upon hours of trying to fundraise for our team), and the occasional hour to eat/sleep/breathe, and you can hopefully understand why things don’t quite get done.

Something had to change – it was getting to the point where I was losing efficiency/productivity by trying to figure out what to do next.

So here’s what’s going to happen with the Disney Podcast updates…I’m not even going to try to catch up with the rest of 2010.  The effort required to do this simply doesn’t justify the returns.  What I’m going to do is this:


  1. I’m going to make my “Disney Podcasts 101 for Idiots” blog post as comprehensive as possible, giving exposure to as many podcasts as I can.  As always, a description of the podcast as well as a direct link to the iTunes Store page (and perhaps other ways to download).  You should hopefully see this change starting in the next week. 
  2. I’m going to cut back on the number of shows…I’m going to be much more selective on what gets posted.  There will be a core set of podcasts that I will provide updates on (the ones I tend to listen to more often).  These updates will be me talking again for the most part…not simply the show descriptions.  Of course, this means that a lot of shows that were receiving exposure via the regular updates will no longer be getting them.  Don’t worry – on occasion, if I listen to a show that I think deserves special mention (special interview, breaking news, awesome/hilarious segment), there’s a good chance that I’ll include them too.

 It’s not the greatest way of doing it, but at least the updates will have a shot at being current.  I try to include a mention for @Dis_Pod_Review over on Twitter.  Shawn does a fantastic job with currency of the shows and covers a plethora.  Please follow him if you want to get a feel for what recent shows being released are talking about – you won’t be disappointed.  If you are a podcast host and don’t see your shows being updated regularly, please don’t take it personally – time constraints simply are going to keep me from being fully comprehensive.  If you think you have a particular episode that really “hits a home run”, feel free to let me know, and I’ll do what I can to get it in the updates, but I can’t promise that it will get in. 

Remember, the goal of my updates is to provide exposure to podcasts…the hope is that people will find my updates when searching for particular topics and then subscribe/become new listeners.  I hope to do more weekly updates instead of twice a month to maintain a little more consistency and currency (without those, the blog shrivels up and dies….kind of like what my blog has done).  You’ll probably see changes starting in the next week.  I deleted over 500 shows from 2010 that I had yet to listen to/report on, and I’ve actually found renewed interest in listening to them – it’s becoming fun again.

Friday, February 4, 2011

February 2010 Poll

We've got a new poll up for all you Disney Freaks.  Let's see what night-time spectacular is considered the best at the WDW/DL parks.  Look for the choices on the right-hand part of the screen.  Those receiving this via e-mail or RSS feed should head over to the actual blog.

Voting ends February 28th, so vote early and vote often!  If your favorite is not included in the list, send me a message at cemushr@hotmail.com and let me know - I'll get it counted for you.  If you can't decide between a couple of them, I've allowed multiple selections (just don't select ALL of them, okay?).

Mushfam Disney Family Vacation, June 2010 Trip Report Index



Day 1, Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!



Day 2, Nautazu!!!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4



Day 3, Every Silver Lining's Got a Touch of Grey
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Day 4, Let's Just Say It Wasn't a Good Day
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4



Day 5, HOT HOT HOT

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 (sort of)


Day 6, Welcome to Summer

Day 7, Fin (Finally)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Mushfam Disney Family Vacation, June 2010; Day 3, Part 3: Every Silver Lining’s Got a Touch of Grey

Part II of Day 3 is located HERE.

We all stop before we’re completely stuffed and, after settling the check, we bid Wisconsin adieu (so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight) and play the drums in the African outpost (talk about whiplash!!!).



From Africa we make our way up north to Norway (literally and figuratively).  We decide that, so long as we don’t watch the movie, I’ll be able to check out the cast members we’ll be able to get the boys on Maelstrom without too much crying afterwards.  It’s a walk-on (Maelstom’s still a Fastpass???), and we’re bewitched by trolls in no time flat.  Aaron does get a bit concerned when the boat heads backwards, but quickly realizes that we’re not going to go over the falls (of course not…had we gone over the falls, the polar bear wouldn’t be able to get us!).  The ride abruptly ends (though I still think the oil rig section is cool (literally and figuratively)), and, before I have a chance to get the cast member’s phone number, we’re through the theater and out of Norway.

Our journey then takes us southwest (figuratively…not literally) as we arrive at Mexico. We head in and briefly look around before queuing up for the Gran Fiesta Tour.  Eric gets the red card of honor, and he holds it for approximately 45 seconds before handing it to the CM at the loading area.



This was a nice, leisurely ride around in air conditioning.  I know this attraction doesn’t get a whole lot of love; however, I still kind of like it and try to ride it every other trip or so.  After singing with the three caballeros, I peek my head into La Cava del Tequila to see what it’s like and pledge to try to visit this establishment during marathon weekend.  We then head out and try to determine what to do.


We weren’t quite sure what we wanted to do, so we decided to head over to Morocco to see if the Aladdin we know and love was working there before getting a Slushie in France.  We hopped on a friendship boat and took the last ride of the night over to Italy en-route to Morocco via America and Japan.

Yes, I’m pretty sure I lost all of my non-Disney-freak friends with that one.

Proof:









Italy




The American Adventure






Japan



(ROFL @ Eric)
He was supposed to be in the pic but didn’t want to be in it, so Sheri shoos him away.  I had to include him – it was THAT good.

We arrive at Morocco just as Mo-Rockin starts playing.  We all hit the bathroom and, while waiting, I relax a bit and listen to the band.  After looking around a bit and grabbing some pics…




We are soooooo using this one against him when he's a teenager.



"Ohhhhhh....my life is sooooo miserable!"

… we make our way to France for the drink that will save us from the evening heat.



The only real problem is that it was A) so hot; and B) a fact that the Grey Goose Slushie was a VERY popular drink when it’s hot, the slushies were less slushie and more liquid.  Still they were cold, and they cooled us off.





A few pictures around France, and we start to make our way around the rest of the World Showcase on our way back to Future World to see if we can get a ride on Living with the Land.  On our way, I get a text from our neighbor.  Mac has taken a turn for the worse – it’s not simply us not being there.  We walk to the Land pavilion and sit down to quietly talk about what to do without letting the boys know what’s going on.  We decide to try calling the vet’s office, knowing full well that the vet (a good friend of ours) was in Germany.  We hoped we would catch the other one in the practice there, but, as expected, the office was closed, and Saturdays were by appointment only.  We then try calling Steve’s wife, Wendy, for possible guidance on what to do, but we are unable to get a hold of her.  We leave a message and then try to figure out who to ask to drive Mac and hour to the vet’s office.  There was no good solution here, but we decide to ask Sheri’s father to drive an hour over to get Mac and then drive the hour to the vet’s office.  We hated doing that, but we felt that he was the best option.  I call our neighbor who’s watching over the cats to get an update and to gauge their diagnosis and to let them know what our plans are for Mac the following morning (in case they get there after Bob picked him up to take him to the vet).  They apologize for all that is going on, and we feel that we are the ones to apologize for having them go through this.  As I hang up, Sheri and I are both expecting the worst.  The boys have done very well for the 15-20 minutes of us not doing anything but sitting and having one of us on the phone a little ways away, but, as you would expect, they’re getting antsy.  We head into the Land, only to realize that we missed the chance to ride Living With the Land by about ten minutes.
That added salt to the wound…really.
We start to walk back to the exit, with Sheri and I both feeling like crap.  The boys see the optics in the ground, and we let them frolic around for a while:



As we walk under Spaceship Earth, the boys ask to ride it.  Needing something to occupy us with something other than what we can only imagine what Mac is going through (and without us being there), we readily agree and walk on.  Aaron rides with Sheri this time, and Eric gives me the complete tour of everything as we go by it.

We exit the attraction and make our way to the park exit and towards the buses.  As we arrive in the bus queue, Wendy calls, and Sheri and her talk for a while – she tells us to bring our cat up regardless of an appointment (she was going to call the other vet and let him know what was going on).  We get back to Kidani with 2 tired kids and 2 depressed parents.  Knowing that this vacation just took on a different tone, we choose not to tell the boys what is going on…at least for now.  There is little argument from the boys to getting into bed.  Sheri and I turn in, knowing full well that we’re in for a night of very little sleep.