Disney Podcast Updates, July 17-24, 2009

Yeah, it's not Friday the 24^th, is it?

Jury Duty.

That's all I can say: jury duty. I had jury duty last week, and I wasn't able to listen to very much. The result: no blog update for Friday YET AGAIN!!!! I finally got through the shows and am putting up the episodes released from the last update to last Friday (the 24^th). There is hope that I will be able to get caught up to be back on schedule and give updates for this Friday (including the ones that have been released on the 25^th-28^th).

In this weekly wrap-up of wonderful waxing of Walt, I include the Mouse Lounge for the first time, and I'm already a fan! 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.

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.

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

• All About the Mouse
  
  • 7/24/09 – Episode 119, Bryan and Jonathon (PUSH!) start off with news. They've also got the Roll Call and the last semifinal of the Disney Feud (Dude…well, Dude, to be precise…vs Muppets). They include the full audio of Skipper Dan in the news (after all the podcasts talking about this song this week, I'll NEVER get it out of my head…it's the earworm of the century). Free dining is the topic du jour after the Feud, and they bring in AATM fans Laura Menson (spelling might be wrong…couldn't find her on FB) and Stephanie McNulty to give their inputs on it. I'm sooooo disappointed that they didn't mess up, so there is no outtakes reel at the end (they do decide end the show in a really weird way). Time: 1:25:14
    
• Be our Guest
  
  • 7/19/09 – Episode 143, Have you ever thought about just telling your boss to take a flying leap (had to be careful there…the cream sherry wanted me to put something else), picking up the stakes, and moving you and your family/possessions down to Orlando? Show friend Debbie talks with Mike about doing that very thing (well, the moving part, anyway). Debbie recently made the move from Dallas to Orlando and gives a detailed account of what it's like making the move and how living near Mouseworld affects one's perspective of the theme park. Time: 31:34
    
  • 7/23/09 – Episode 144, Rikki and Pam are back to join Debbie and Mike for this show. This show centers around the recent trip from Mike's perspective. Topics include the monorail accident (the shows that aired during the trip were recorded prior to them leaving…they weren't ignoring the tragedy), the justification of twittering (tweeting?, twitterpating?) from the parks, trying to be an American Idol, dining at the Kona Café, and watching the space shuttle launch in WDW. Time: 45:45
    
• The Big D in HD
  
  • 7/23/09 – Show 40, Chris brings us one of the few extinct attractions that I have actually seen. In this show, we are treated to a high-definition video of Buzzy's first piloting skills in Cranium Command. Watch this, or you will be piloting this chicken! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR???! Time: 18:16
    
• Character Breakfast
  
  • 7/18/09 – Episode 74, Virtual Jeff joins the crew live (and nearly reaches through Skype to throttle Sorcerer for all the soundboard antics)…he's good for 8 months now. They all do the news with Jeff, including more information on the monorail (Mush's note…in case you haven't heard yet (haven't seen it on the srsounds forums…I lurk over there), for a transfer onto a spur line in between the lines, the MAPO (the collision avoidance system) has to be overridden temporarily). Also in the news is talk about the rumored increase in ticket prices in August, the assault at Typhoon Lagoon by a youth minister from New York, and more Chris reviews the ABC Commissary over at DHS, with mixed reviews all around. They then review a version of Desert Rose by MoRockin' … let's just say we'll have to agree to disagree on the review (for most…one of them gave them an 8) and leave it at that (I'm a big Sting fan and love the song). Après, Pluto et Imagine regardent les pavillons de la France et du Canada chez Epcot. E-mail is next, and the show wraps with audio from Living With the Land (with a live announcer). Time: 1:23:03
    
• Communicore Online
  
  • 7/19/09, Episode 35, Lester does the news again in only the way that he can do it…I have to admit that I still crack up every time I hear him! A REALLY hidden Mickey is next (Good Morning, George!), followed by the refurb recap. Duuuuuuuddee, the ears to the ground segment so totally ROCKS! This Crush is probably the best one I've heard…he's got the voice down almost perfectly. Listener feedback follows, and the results of the last show's poll comes after that (apparently, we all lie to our kids). Shane wraps the show with a little personal commentary about the monorail accident. Time: 25:18.
    
• The Disney Pincast
  
  • 7/24/09 – Episode 70, Tom and Jon again co-host this packed show. A little bit of news starts the show. Then cone trading events and new releases segments follow. John does another "10-pin list" revolving around the 50^th anniversary of Disneyland. A new segment, called "Finding the Deebees" debuts. Cindy Stabile is IPLS member number 51, and she's profiled this week. A pin giveaway ends the show. Some of the upcoming events include Central Jersey's "Swap til you Drop", a new group meeting every Saturday at Tony Romo's on International Drive down in the WDW area, the North Jersey traders meeting August 4^th, the Windy City Pin Traders event on August 15^th at Fuddrucker's in Addison, and, for those Chicago folks that can't make it up to Addison, the south-siders (REALLY south) also have a meet on the 15^th at Flipper's Pizzeria in Orlando. Time: 1:41:56
    
• Disney Tidbits
  
  • 7/22/09 – Episode 53, As Tairy prepares for the FOTM meet, she brings on Jonathon from Mouse Comedy to give some tidbits on one of my favorite attractions at any of the parks, Soarin! Time: 14:50
    
• Extinct Attractions
  
  • 7/17/09, Kevin Yee joins the EA crew in a pre-recorded section (the live show is below). Kevin talks about his experience at Disneyland. For those who don't recognize the name, Kevin is a former cast member who spent 15 years working at DL in a variety of positions, including foods and entertainment…he did a lot with entertainment arts (temporary installations like meet-and-greets or holiday overlays like the HM at Christmas) Time: 41:49
    
  • 7/22/09, This is the aforementioned live Tuesday show from above, entitled "Heaven's Gate." Time: 2:22:04
    
• Inside the Magic
  
  • 7/19/09 – Episode 224, Skipper Ben's back again for this episode, which means the news is going to take a while (in a good way…they discuss the news). In a tribute to the passing of Walter Cronkite, Ricky plays the audio to "Return to Neverland." Skipper Ben then talks about Skipper Dan before turning to a more serious discussion about a former cast member's views of the monorail crash. Ricky and Ben then tackle the newest viral discussion point of Disney Podcasts…the blueprint image of a renovated Fantasyland at WDW. Listener questions/feedback ends the show. Time: 1:17:10
    
• Magic Never Ends
  
  • 7/24/09 – Episode 64, Will and Shannon are back after a short hiatus. The mobile studio is being used for this show, where they discuss what it's like traveling all across the nation with a princess peanut (infant, for those new to the show). From airport fun with a kid & stroller to takeoffs/landings with an infant's ears to keeping them cool in the heat to the baby care centers in the parks, those with new infants will definitely want to listen to this one. Time: 1:29:45
    
• Magical Definition
  
  • 7/19/09 – Nathan and Jim turn their sights to G-force, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring a whole slew of voice/acting talents. Time: 32:28
    
• Meandering Mouse
  
  • 7/11/09 – Video Extra…this one finally got downloaded…folks on the DPN forums mentioned having a slight delay in getting this one on iTunes. This is a video of Tokyo Disneyland's One Man's Dream, which, unlike the attraction with the same name at DHS, is a stage show. Mush's note here: I had problems playing this one, even after closing and re-opening iTunes. It was stuttering and giving it a Wang Chung Everybody Have Fun Tonight look to it. I didn't see anyone having this problem on the DPN, so it may have been just me. Time: 32:02
    
• Mouse Comedy
  
  • 7/19/09 – Show 57, Tairy and Jonathon start off with a fight and then get into the show, first with a new listener e-mail and then getting into a discussion on Stitch's Supersonic Blunder and it's record-setting run in Tomorrowland. They then get into "Hidden Treasures" in the theme parks…stuff that people tend to overlook in the parks. They then provide some audio of what may just be one of the worst jobs in the Magic Kingdom – being a Boardwalk barker for Stitch's Great Mistake. Time: 1:01:32
    
• Mouse Droppings
  
  • 7/14/09 – Episode 10, Shhhhhh…they're sneaking onto Toy Story Midway Mania for a chance to get the high score (289,000 points) of the day. Listen to the ride-through, including a few pointers on scoring. Time: 25:45
    
• Mouse Guest
  
  • 7/18/09 – Episode 208, Cathy, Eric, and Dan do a lot of looking at what's going on at DCA with all the construction going on. More news follows, with the celebrations segment after that. For those who have been following this show from the beginning, the four-year anniversary of this podcast is coming up! Expect a vidcast soon. Another attempt to stump Eric ensues, with Eric prevailing (cue the We Are the Champions music). There's a Great Big Beautiful music request, and the mailbag is opened, with a neat suggestion by a listener on modifying the rankings of reviews. Time: 37:27
    
• Mouse Lounge
  
  • 7/22/09 – Season 3, Episode 8, The Lounge is Back! Gary gives a really interesting return show…after the news segments, he sits in the lounge and takes a look at the history of it's a small world. No, you won't be driven crazy by nonstop singing (except for the last couple of minutes, where he gives several different renditions of the song, ranging from ska to techo to metal to…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA). Lots of older audio is included in here, including some of Disney himself talking about the attraction. Also included is some good audio from Rollie Crump on isaw. Time: 52:09
    
• MouseStation
  
  • 7/20/09 – Episode 329, the hosts start with the tip of the week on the Behind the Seeds tour (DO IT!). The attraction for this week is DA JAAAAAAAAMITTOOOORRRRSSS over at Epcot (SEE THEM!). Ask the Kid is back for another week, and the kid talks about his favorite restaurants at WDW. Andrew does his weekly segment on what's going on at MousePlanet, and the show concludes with listener feedback. Time: 48:42
    
  • 7/22/09 – Episode 330, Mike and Mark are joined by listener of the month Dan Weckerly for this show, where the discussion revolves around music in the parks. Time: 32:38
    
• Netcot
  
  • 7/20/09 – Episode 145, It's Satu….Sund….MONDAY (Van, who's such a phony) got this one recorded later than he wanted to). News is first, followed by something that I really can't put words to. The result is something that has me liking Van more and more with each episode. His literary tale of fiction had my children wondering why I was laughing at what was coming through the radio in the SUV. Now, I want everyone to try to use the word "shant" at least three times today in casual conversation. Time: 13:08
    
  • 7/24/09 – Episode 146, Video podcast! Van gives a look at WDW from a perspective different from what most would see it from…that of a conventioneer. WDW hosts thousands of meetings, conferences, and conventions annually, and Van showcases one of these in particular: Lotusphere 2009. Hopefully the videographer doesn't press charges. After not getting the Netcot love he so richly deserves, he dons the conference backpack and joins the throngs of attendees. The introduction has him feeling a little blue, but he geeks out with the sessions…until he realizes that he just doesn't have the toys to keep up with this crowd. Time: 7:07
    
• Running to Disney
  
  • 7/19/09 – Episode 26, Gordon continues his talk on the grand canyon of running funks which I would likely live in. After concluding the first interview in the last episode, former student Hope Jones, who is a leader of the primary group that sets up and times distance events in North Carolina, realized that she had a lot more to talk about (likened to realized what you forgot to put in your answer on an essay test), so Gordon brings her back for more discussion on burning out on running. He then follows with how he got out of his own funk. A funny audio piece intros the blog of the week: Running the Bouroughs. Listener feedback ends the show. Time: 54:43
    
• Those Darn Cats
  
  • 7/21/09 – Episode 62, The Cats have the fever to open this show! Music dominates the show today, but, before the audio takes over, the topic of sucking face in the parks is re-addressed from their most-popular episode to date, with one of the hosts being the target. They then get into a talk about the kiss of Doom (buggies), "hidden Mickey hickeys", and bugfest at the Poly, manly men and chest-hair, K-Y explosions, and embarrassing moments in junior high with contraceptives, adult catalogs, and Lindsay Buckingham (you try to make the connections). Somehow, they manage tom transition from Barry White to Mickey and Goofy, which reminds me of a great joke about Mickey wanting a divorce. I'll stop there. They end with a high school broke hoedown escapade in a submarine on the Caribbean with Janet Jackson, Leota, and Peter (you try to make the connections). Time: 36:58
    
• WDW News Today
  
  • 7/20/09 – Episode 102, The hosts start off with their new usual opening, the Weekend Update. After that is the shortest new segment in the history of the podcast, "The World's Finest", where they unexpectedly almost reach a consensus on which deluxe hotel is the finest in Walt Disney World. To make the segment a little longer, they argue over the next best one. Tom, I love the piano rendition of Spectro at the end! Time: 1:02:32
    
• WDW Radio Show
  
  • 7/19/09 – Episode 128, I tell you what, this guy has a great life! Lou brings together fans Ryan, Rachel, and Scott for a roundtable discussion to talk about the D23 special tour of the Disney Studios, including once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This is one of these where you simply have to listen. I can't give any spoilers, other than the fact that they were blown away by the accessibility to the archives and studios and "the bird" (how's that for a teaser?). Time: 1:36:34
    
• WDW Today
  
  • 7/20/09 – Episode 593, The WDW Today crew (sans Scopa, who's busy changing the weather patterns in central Florida) take a listener suggestion and rank the top pools on the WDW property (hint, it's not at the Pop). As they do that, Len gives the relative rankings from the Unofficial Guide (DING!). Time: 17:57
    
  • 7/22/09 – Episode 594, TADDAAAAAA! It's the weekly (DING!) Wednesday (DING!) listener (DING!) question (DING!) show (DING!). The hosts nearly stage a mutiny against Scopa (and replacing him with Annette), and Len is elevated to deity status temporarily. Time: 30:13
    
  • 7/24/09 -- Episode 595, Scopa hears of the attempted mutiny from the last episode and rejoins the crew to discuss some of his takes on what he saw in his most recent trip to Disney World. Time: 21:05
    
• WEDWay Radio
  
  • 7/23/09 – Episode 21, Matt and Nate are both back from the parks…one from each side of the country. Nate headed to Disneyland (and did some Micecast while over there), and Matt did a short trip to Orlando. After a short tribute to Walter Cronkite, they do news and then get into a really good segment where they compare and highlight their trips. Time: 40:26
    
• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod
  
  • 7/20/09 – Episode 41, In this show, the man behind the mic takes on The Man Behind the Myth. Aaron goes in-depth on a 2001 documentary on Walt Disney's life, produced by his grandson, Walter Elias Disney Miller. Also included in this episode is some speculation on who the next Disney Legends to be named will be. Time: 36:55

WDW 10-Year Anniversary Trip, Day 6, Part 3: Roses are Red, Bad Busses are Blue

Part 2 is located HERE.

The parade still hasn't made its way over to the end yet, so we sneak through and find ourselves back in Adventureland. We hit the bathroom by Aloha Isle. As we walk out, SNAP there's the first float in Spectro. The timing was seriously scary. We seriously walked up to the street about 20 seconds before the float passes us.

We watch Spectro for about 10 minutes and then decide to start making our way to Main Street USA for Wishes. We pick a spot just before the hub…a little farther back than we were on Day 2. I am dying of thirst, so I tell Sheri I'm gonna head over to the snack cart and get a water. Sheri grows roots and doesn't move, while I get in line.

When I get to be about 3rd from the front, I notice that the guy currently ordering was wearing a disneyworldtrivia.com shirt. Hmmm, I thought to myself…must be a big fan of Lou Mongello (author of the Disney Trivia books, podcaster, and speaker at some of the larger meets like Mousefest and Magicmeets/PA Dismeets). The more I looked at him, though, the more I started thinking that his build was close to what Mongello's was from pictures I've seen. Those who know him know exactly what I mean.

The minute I heard him say "thanks," I knew it was him.

I call out his name, and he almost throws his popcorn in the air. I think I startled him, considering he jumped about 4 feet. In an e-mail afterwards, he just said he wasn't expecting to hear his name being called from the millions of people around. He stays near the snack cart while I'm still in line, and we talk for a few minutes. He was on a research trip (he says he has to laugh every time he says that…research at WDW…tough job!). I told him that I listened to the old Mousetunes podcast and have heard his new one (WDWRadio), and I thanked him for doing the stuff he did with the books and the podcasting. He asks where I'm from, what I do, why I'm down here, etc, and we shoot the breeze for about 4-5 minutes. After I got the water, we shake hands, and then I head back to find wifey in the sea of bodies. I tell her who I met in line, and she recognized his name because she was bidding on his book on e-bay. In his May 27th show, he actually mentioned our chance meeting about 54 minutes into Episode 16. After Millionaire, I'll consider this my fifteen minutes of fame (10.6 million viewers and $16,000 has a tendency to trump anything). His podcasts are often long (a running joke between WDW Today and WDW Radio), but he gets amazing guests on there and provides a LOT of information on them.

Oh, and Sheri ultimately did win one of his trivia books on e-bay. She's tried winning a signed copy of the Volume 2 a couple of times but hasn't had luck.

Wishes was as it always is. My favorite parts are the red shells popping up one at a time during the Fantasia music, the "Genie" shells during the Aladdin music, and pretty much every time they fire off the white side ones. It's a great way to mark the end of a vacation.

After Wishes ends, we head off the street to the side and let the mobs clear out a little. As we're people-watching and looking around, I notice an interesting thing here…I actually recognize some of the folks from our resort as well as from seeing them in other parts of the MK and other parks. I definitely like this way of visiting the parks – taking the time actually experience Walt Disney World, rather than just "going there." With this trip, I'm loving the parks even more. I don't feel like we have to ride all the rides…we're hooked, and we know we'll be back again real soon. It's only my third time here (Sheri's fourth, though the other time was just a one or two day trip with her aunt/uncle), but the real magic of the place has found me…not just the excitement of the rides or seeing the characters. I'm working on a blog entry to answer those who wonder why we love the place so much.

After about 10-15 minutes of waiting back, we make our way out to the bus stops. Yeah, there's a line, but it's expected. Besides, the weather is perfect, the ducks aren't assaulting us (we got a restraining order against them), the scenery is great all around Seven Seas Lagoon, the Contemp is all lit up, folks relaxing on their balconies, etc. We talk to a really nice family from Colorado waiting just behind us. They tell us that they got an awesome dream at Blizzard Beach earlier in the day. As they were getting ready to leave, the team stopped them and told them that they were selected to stay in the park for about an hour or so after it closed. Only about 100-125 got this, so they pretty much had the park to themselves with no wait on any of the slides.

We get to the Pop after our next-to-last bus ride (M.E. to the airport) and head into the gift shop. We buy 2 more glasses like what Pat put into our basket (and a carrying container) and head into the food court. In there we pick up a half-dozen items for a friend who needs a Disney fix (hope you liked the Mickey Rice Krispy treats, Tricia!). We pay for it and make our way outside. Unlike our stay at the All-Star Movies, where we explored that hotel like crazy, we haven't walked around much at all. We walked around a little and saw Mowgli/Baloo and the giant Play-Doh. We head back to our room and pop our champagne. Sheri finishes up a little packing, and we toast ourselves to a most excellent trip. The alarm is set for 5:30, which is gonna be early for us since we stayed up talking until around 1.

5:30 comes, and we're out the door a little before 6:00. We check in for our flight, which was MUUUUUUCCCHH better than the last time I tried it (last day of the December 05 TR). We almost open up the food court, where I got another waffle (not sure what wifey got). Out to what Sheri calls "Bad Bus" stop for ME. While waiting, we see about 5 hot air balloons up to our south. Most families waiting have that sorrowful look on our faces that we all experience on this part of the trip. Sheri and I are ready to be back home with our kids, so the "bummage" level isn't too high. I think we feel comfortable with the parks now and can cut back the trips by a day…we hope to test this in December, where we are shooting for a 4.5 day trip as opposed to a 6 day trip.

The bus gets there about 15 minutes late…the roads are all blocked off for a triathlon today, so it was interesting trying to get to some of the resorts. We go off-site and pick up some folks at a non-Disney hotel…didn't know that they offered that. It's a quiet trip to MCO as some folks slept, while others just looked outside or watched the Disney propaganda video. The timing is perfect…just as we get to MCO, the video is ending. Very few dry eyes as Mickey and his gang do their goodbyes:

M…I...C…….

SEE YA REAL SOON!

K…E…Y…….

WHY? BECAUSE WE LIKE YOU!!!

M…O….

U……

S………..

EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee

WDW 10-Year Anniversary Trip, Day 6, Part 2: Roses are Red, Bad Busses are Blue

Part 1 of this day is located HERE

We took the nap took the nap took the nap…until around 2:30. Then the phone rang, and we about fell out of the bed. I heard the Lodge ringtone and guessed it was ncligs on the caller ID. YEP! His flight had already arrived, and he was on the road down to Vero Beach. He asked how our trip had been going, and I asked if he was ready for Cindy to be around 24/7 (okay, not really, but I did ask if they were excited about her being down there full time). We talked for a couple more minutes and then let each other go. We'll meet up sometime Nick!

Sheri still had the adrenaline going from the phone ringing…she had already showered and was dressed and ready to go. That meant one thing:

I had better get my butt in gear and get dressed too!

I fill the ice bucket up with ice and throw the champagne (from Pat) in there to start chilling for when we got back tonight. We walk down to the bus stop and SNAP the Epcot bus to our stop (less than 2 minutes).

Over to Golfballland in a few minutes, and we immediately head for the tip board to see if there's a shot at Soarin….75 minutes…nope! No problem…we can look at some more of the World Showcase. We pop into the UK first to see if Mary Poppins was around. Nope. We then go to France so I could see if Belle was around. Nope. Hey…how about the wine tasting? Nope…line's waaay too long. Gray Goose Slushie Thingy? YEP!!!! It would have been perfect had I not spilled about 20% of it when I picked it up. Over to Morocco for Jasmine!!! Nope. Sheri takes a picture of a camel, and I try to convince her to take a picture of one of his feet for a joke pic to send to the Lodge Guys. She thinks about it for a second and then pulls about 20 hairs out of my arm.

WAIT…I see a flash of cyan near the water…it's Jasmine! WOOHOO!

Sorry, gals, it wasn't the John Stamos Aladdin from the 2005 trip report. Looking back, however, I think that may have been the Lodge's favorite Aladdin, so they're still probably cheering over there for him.

I look over and notice the bridge is up…here comes the globe.

We get to the American Adventure about ten minutes before the Voices of Liberty are to perform, so we grab some floor just under the rotunda. My first dream job at WDW would be a Dapper Dan. My second (a very close second), however, would be with this group. Some of it stems from the fact that, when I was with the Protestant Cadet Choir at the Air Force Academy and on trips, we would open up the concerts with Golden Dream, which I think is done at the attraction there (still have yet to see it). Having seen the sheet music with the 4 parts broken out (6 at the end of the song), and having sung the bass part, I have a strong respect for this group. Disney songs ain't easy to sing, and that has got to be one of the hardest. The crescendo at the end of that song, coupled with the 2- and 3-measure holds…it takes your breath away singing it, but bringing the audience to their feet on the first song is so worth it. Click here just in case you need a fix of the song. Needless to say, they did not disappoint at all, and it's hard not to feel at least a little patriotism after they get done singing.

I'm sorry I went on about that…it brought back some good memories, and I just let the fingers go. It could be worse…I could be talking about the flight back in this detail.

We have to hold the actual attraction for a later date as we have to hoof it over to Canada for our last table service dinner of the vacation…Le Cellier. We get there a few minutes early, but we're seated immediately. The guy seating us tells us we're going to his favorite table in "the Northwest Territory." It's kind of tucked away behind everything else, and it is perfect! Sheri got a chardonnay, and I went with a Moosehead. Usually, we agree to get different things to sample…this time, however, the mushroom filet came so highly recommended from several sources that we had to both get our own. When it comes to food, I'm not afraid to use my silverware as weapons to guard it. We both ordered the mushroom filet (mine medium, Sheri's dead and buried), and we also both got the highly touted cheddar soup. Our server recommended dipping the pretzel bread into the soup. I'm not a pretzel fan, but that was worth the price of the meal right there. You know how dogs are when they try to get every last piece of food in their bowl? That was me getting every last drip of that soup. Soup's gone, and so is the beer, so I switched to a Labatt Blue.

Then the filets came.

Oooohhhhhhhhh….that's about all I can say.

You almost didn't need a knife with this cut. The tenderness and the flavor were perfect. I think Sheri gave Jiko a slight edge as the best restaurant, but Le Cellier is right up there with it in my book. Oh, and the Labatt's gone now, so I went out on a limb and took the server's advice on trying a unibroue: the Maudite. I really liked it, but I can't really describe it. It's something that you have to taste for yourself, I think. Oh, and, if you're at Le Cellier, ask about the story behind the name and the label.

We decide to split on the dessert…I'm selfish and order the maple/vanilla crème brulee sampler (just added on the menu), while wifey orders the whiskey-soaked chocolate cake. I nearly had to use my silverware against my spouse for the maple crème brulee (I was like a dog getting that last morsel of food again).

As we head out of Le Cellier, I notice a billboard with a question on it…if I know the answer, I should tell the host/hostess. CathyCanada, you'll be happy to know that I became an honourary Canadian for a day (I even included that 'u' in honourary for the occasion).

Time to say "Goodbye" to Epcot and head to MK for the last night. On our way to the entrance, we hit the Beauty and the Beast topiary and get some photopass pics there. One of the poses would have been funny, had it been pulled off correctly…I'm supposed to be ferocious and growling, while Sheri is supposed to take some pose like a maiden with her arm up in the air. We were too busy laughing to get the pic to turn out. Gotta give credit to the Photopass dudette for originality.

We walk underneath Spaceship Earth and past the Peter Pan topiaries for the last time, with the ambient pirate singing from the movie in the background. See ya Epcot…it was really nice getting to know you finally!

Up the monorail ramp and SNAP, here it comes. We hop on and relax on the ride to the TTC. Down the ramp and up the ramp and SNAP, here it comes. We decided to take the resort monorail to see the Poly and the Grand Floridian one more time. Off the monorail, through bag check, through the turnstiles, assault Photopass guy, and we're on Main Street. We head over to grab FPs for Buzz and head over towards Fantasyland. Yet again, Sheri asks if I want to ride Dumbo, though I deserved it this time as I whined about the hotness that is Alice not being out by the teacups this time. We get in to do Philharmagic again…I cannot wait to bring Eric to this to see his reaction to the 3-D. If he's anything like his brother (and he is), he'll be reaching out to try to grab them. I watch the crowd almost as much as I do the screen…the kids having fun…the parents having fun. We both catch even more things in this viewing.

We head out and walk back to Tomorrowland for Buzz. There was a Dream Team CM talking to the folks in front of us…she talked to them the entire queue line. It was great as she showed genuine interest in their background (girl's in college…here with boyfriend I think). I hope their dreams did come true.

Game on! I miss the 100K target in the first room, but I nail the volcano a number of times for over 150K. Sheri tries shooting me (she's such a bad sport).

We decide to head over to Adventureland next for another ride on POC. There was a large group behind us…probably 12-15 people…having a good time in the queue. This wait was about 15 minutes…still not bad at all. After POC (the conveyor belt is still broken after it blew up back on day 2), we sneak through the crowds forming for Spectromagic and head over to Frontierland. Sheri comments on how dark Tom Sawyer's island is, and I ask if she's thinking of wanting to have a little "rendezvous" over there.

The response: more hair out of my arms.

We go past Splash Mountain and over to BTMRR. I rode this at night in Anaheim and wanted Sheri to experience how different the ride is at night. As we walk up, the CM sizes me up and reaches for a red card.

I'm now fully indoctrinated into WDW life (well, not fully…still waiting for a kiss from a princess). I get to do a red card!!!! The CM seemed relieved that he didn't have to explain what it was to me. The only reason I knew what they were for is because I think Mark (Mare's DH) did the red card for just about every attraction we went on. The posted time when we got there was 20 minutes. My goal is to get that changed!! As fast as we go through the queue, I don't think we'll have a problem getting it lowered.

VERY fun ride at night. I had my hands up, and Sheri tried, but she kept bringing them back down when we got into a tunnel. She liked the ride at night too!

We walk out and check the posted wait time.

10 minutes.

I almost started doing a celebration dance.

Part 3 (the end (FINALLY) of the report) is located HERE

Disney Podcast Updates, July 10-17

I almost done crying here…I suffered a major loss earlier this week. My FM transmitter that I use to listen to these shows while driving died on me on Tuesday. It just upped and quit working. I sat in the car in a stupor, unsure of how to operate the vehicle. After about 4 hours of repeatedly attempting to get the transmitter to work, I turned it off and reverted to the Top-40 station. After about 5 minutes of commercials, the first song I heard was:

Now, being that I teach at a major university, I occasionally tune in to see what current hits are so I don't sound too out-of-touch with my students, and some of it isn't too terribly bad. I've still got the Black Eyed Peas going through my head non-stop (granted, Fergie's the main reason I like them, but you can't help but feel the beat when Boom Boom Pow is on the radio, and ya gotta admit that the video is pretty neat). I can handle quite a bit of it…granted, it's not Duran Duran or Depeche Mode or Van Halen (or REM or John Cougar or Rush or Metallica or…)

Wait…I'm supposed to be talking about podcasts here, aren't I? Long story short (too late for that), I went out and got a Griffin iTrip transmitter…HOLY COW the sound is soooooo much better. I actually don't have to crank up the volume in the car, with all the hissing and cracking and inability to hear the low-level audio of some of the shows. Life's good again, other than trying to erase the 3OH!3 song from my memory.

I had planned on getting this out on Friday, but some errands ended up taking up pretty much the entire day. I really like doing these updates, but I like my wife and kids just a little bit more.

For those podcasters who follow this (I can tell some of you do check in on occasion, which I encourage!), this update will cover up to last Friday (the 17^th). I know that there were several shows released on the 18^th-20^th, (WDW Today, WDW Radio, CB, BOG, Running to Disney, Inside the Magic, Magical Definition, Mouse Comedy, Mouse Guest, and Zip-A-Dee-Doo Pod, and probably more) but I'm going to include those in this upcoming Friday's update. I thought about just waiting until this Friday and doing another big list, but there are several time-sensitive shows, mostly relating to Friends of the Magic, and I wanted to get this out in case anyone wants information but hasn't yet downloaded the pertinent shows.

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.

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.

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

And now (finally)...ON WITH THE SHOWS:

• Above the Firehouse
  
  • 7/13/09 – Tony is joined by Paul of WTTM, Paul's son Calvin, and Tairy of Disney Tidbits, for a look at and talk about next week's Friends of the Magic meet-up at Disneyland. The same audio is also posted below on Paul and Tairy's podcasts. Time: 58:14
    
• The Adventures of a Teenage Disney Geek
  
  • 7/11/09 – Episode 57, Keegan is still in WDW on his two-coast tour of the Disney parks. The rest of the superfamily (LFFG, MommyGeek, and Mrs. Buckethead) is with him at DHS for the Block Party Bash. The Trapped family (Earl and the Bleeping Wife) and other DPN'ers join up with the superfamily for the Bash. Once again, another absolutely awesome audio recording, Keegan! Then we head back to Anaheim to get his reaction to seeing ToonTown for the first time on the day where he really starts feeling the appreciation for the park. I'm still kicking myself for missing this part of Disneyland when I was out there! Time: 1:03:25
    
• All About the Mouse
  
  • 7/11/09 – A PDF of the schedule for the upcoming Friends of the Magic Event. Ummm…Pages: 2
    
  • 7/17/09 – Episode 118, After hearing just how well Shane did last week in his absence, Jonathon is back to join Bryan. After Disney news, Jonathon passes on some news of his own…they've got a name for the little bean! Also, there's a new job outlook for Jonathon and his wife…best of luck on that new endeavor! The AllAboutTheMouseketeerRollCall follows and then they get into their main segment…Jonathon was able to view one of the first stops of the new Christmas Carol train when it recently stopped in Seattle. He provides a really detailed description of what the train brings to its guests. The Disney Feud follows, with Team Disney Scrappers taking on Team Disney Moms Panel. Questions on this one include: "Name a Disney Live-Action Movie", "Name your favorite place to eat at Walt Disney World", and "Name a hotel at WDW that you would consider "Romantic". When the Feud ends, they have plans for the next installment on the Disney Game Show Network. They'll be doing their own version of the Disney Pyramid. Check out the website for more information. They end the show in their usual way with the shout-outs and the out-takes. Watch out for thrown tweasers! Time: 1:34:09
    
• Be our Guest
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 141, it's trip-report day, and Texas natives Ray and Rachel give their report, including a great report on the new Kidani Village. Time: 29:36.
    
  • 7/16/09 – Episode 142, This one's a good idea! Titled "What Would Walt Think", the crew talks about attractions built without Walt's guidance but would likely get his seal of approval. Some definite surprises are included in here. Time: 28:51
    
• Disney Dudes
  
  • 7/10/09 – Episode 20, The Dudes complete the original Star Wars Trilogy by giving their own version of what happened in Return of the Jedi. Sleep-deprivation is starting to hit the crew by now as I think they did a marathon recording session. Time: 1:15:19
    
  • 7/16/09 – Episode 21, They're finally done with Star Wars, and they're back to their normal show. With all the Leia love and swamp Kermit talk, they have a mountain of e-mails and voice mails. Hey! They won a free trip to wherever they want to go! Unfortunately, due to the Star Wars shows, they missed out on this limited-time offer. Also included is a discussion on how #@$%#$ much @$#%%$@ language to include in this @#$%#% show. There's an H & A contest (2 avid listeners continually called in). Muppets are in danger this week. Some listener-submitted audio is played at the end of the show. Time: 1:22:14
    
• The Disney Pincast
  
  • 7/13/09 – Episode 68, Tom and John are back from the MOP and can't wait to get talking about it. Included in this show is more audio from the event, news on Disney- and fan-based pin trading events, the return of the Hidden Mickey Pin Report segment. John and Tom give release information around the parks. The audio is part 1 of a compilation that John put together from MOP. Megan Jarmuz is IPLS #49, and she is spotlighted near the end of the show. Time: 2:52:49
    
  • 7/17/09 – Episode 69, Well, if you read Episode 68 above, you'll know that there's more MOP audio in here. John and Tom have your usual segments, though Tom rubs in the fact that he's heading out to Disneyland soon after the release of this show (then he comes back and is back out for the D23 Expo soon afterward). LOTS of news, releases, and pin trading events are in this episode, including what sounds like will be a very popular Tink Holiday pin. IPLS #50 (a milestone) is showcased, and the lucky member is Tim Walters! Time: 1:58:20
    
• Disney Tidbits
  
  • 7/14/09 – Special episode…talking about the upcoming Friend of the Magic meet. See the Above the Firehouse description for more information. Time: 50:59
    
• The Disney, Indiana Podcast
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 26, Tracey and Scott give their reviews of the WTTM DVD collection A Perfect Day at Disneyland. Buzy is back on WWED with some Disney music. The First Family then each give their Top 5 Disney songs from the 1950s. All the vintage music gets them nostalgic, so they call into see what's going on at the Main Street Cinema (very punny, Mortis!). They're definitely excited about the upcoming Friends of the Magic event, and they go over the itinerary. To wrap up the show, they add some new names to the community roads. Thanks for the shout-out for the blog, guys…I was really surprised to hear it, and it's appreciated (my promo rates are cheap)!
    Time: 1:22:44
    
• Extinct Attractions
  
  • 7/14/09, This show is a little different from the ones I've listened to in the past. Dave is on the freeway, leaving Jeff and Liana to control the mayhem on the soundboard and the chat room. In this episode, Disney Legend Bob Gurr joins the show to talk about his experience with Michael Jackson while working with Disney (and Treasure Island) (and Jackson's hyperbaric chamber) and talks a little about his time and memories with Disney. Following that is another interview from journalist Leo Holder on the soon-to-be-opened Disney Family Museum. Time: 1:14:40
    
• Inside the Magic
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 223, Skipper Ben's back for this episode, with good news for those who knew about his absence the previous week (family emergency). The Trip Around the World starts off the show. Then, the Anonymous Guy gives his take on Hong Kong Disney's expansion. Ben comes on and gives the update on the family as well as changes to his family's upcoming trip. A really good, in-depth report by a listener on the new Pirates' League follows (my boys are going to LOVE this). The last 15 minutes or so are listener feedback. Time: 55:30
    
• Magic City Mayhem
  
  • 7/17/09, MCM gets it own Streetmosphere promo! Buz and Melvin see Mikey and ham it up for the show. Time: 0:54
    
• Magical Definition
  
  • 7/12/09 – Jim and Nathan go into the evolution of the Living Character Initiative, from trying a reel-to-reel stuffed in a costume to the secret behind the articulated heads that you see in such performances like Dream Along With Mickey. Jim also talks about why WALL-E isn't in the parks. Discussion also includes Lucky the Dinosaur, the Muppet MobileLab, Turtle Talk with Crush, and rumors of new technologies for advancing LCI. One of the neat possible ideas includes implementing the tech into take-home toys like WALL-E and Buzz. That's all the spoilers I'll give…there's a lot more in here. 43:36
    
• Micecast
  
  • 7/15/09 – Greg and Shaft spend a lot of time on the Disneyland Monorail in this episode (though it takes them a while to actually get on the rail…they spend some time in Innoventions, among other things, first). This episode is devoted primarily to the attraction/ride they're on. I feel compelled to warn that, though you probably can figure on your own, it does include a fairly significant discussion on what happened with Monorails Pink and Purple. This was taped only a couple of days after the accident, so a lot of what is discussed is speculation at the time of the taping. For those sensitive to the accident, this might be a difficult one to listen to. Time: 2:42:35
    
• Mouse Droppings
  
  • 7/14/09 – Episode 9, The Esquire heads back over to the west coast to drop in Mickey's Fun (so-so) Wheel…well, the funny part of this show is actually not the wheel, but the people (particularly, a seemingly sweet and innocent grandmother in the same car who develops a sailor's tongue when they start swinging). Time: 17:57
    
• Mouse Guest
  
  • 7/11/09 – Episode 207, It's finally here…the finals of the Disney Villain's tournament! Maleficent vs. Ursula…who wins? Who's the most evil of them all?! Listen in to see who won! The news of the monorail accident is talked about briefly before going into more news, including some discussion on the new Diana exhibit at the former Virgin Megastore. They then work on the listener mail, which ultimately ends up with a debate on the new parades in the parks…or are they parties (Block Party Bash, Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!, etc)? Celebrations are announced, including the announcement of an upcoming trip for Eric and Cathy in a few weeks. About 43-44 minutes in, it's the announcement of the winning Villain. As a celebration all nearly all the villains meeting their untimely demise, they Mouse Guest crew then gives some really good audio from Disneyland's version of Fantasmic! (which, coincidentally, the winning villain has a significant role in). Time: 1:19:41
    
• MouseStation
  
  • 7/14/09 – Episode 327, This week, MILF is the featured attraction. Yes, folks, Disney changed the name quickly after realizing what acronym the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor created, but it will always be MILF to me. After the Featured Attraction, they bring back an old segment, called "Ask the Kid! (Mark's 10 year old son). Another old segment makes its return…This week's Magical Moment is up next. After that is Andrew's update on MousePlanet over the past week. The last 22 or so minutes is dedicated to listener feedback. Time: 46:24
    
  • 7/15 – Episode 328, Mike's absent for a family birth, so Mark takes the show solo. In this show, he talks about planning a WDW trip for large groups (20+ people). Time: 30:00
    
• Netcot
  
  • 7/10/09 – Episode 144, After starting off with the news, including talk about the monorail accident, the mobile room notification service, the Hong Kong Disney expansion, and more, the Top 7 of this show is sure to get some feedback as Van provides his list of attractions that just don't fit in the land that they are located in. Mush's note: I talked to Van and got permission to add the following link. Van also did a short discussion about some of the coverage by Disney fan sites of the monorail tragedy but chose not to include it in the downloadable show. He provided the link in his show notes, and the audio can be listened to here. I am in full agreement of what Van said and applaud this effort. Thank you, Van for saying what a lot of people were thinking. Time: 35:18
    
• Running to Disney
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 25, Gordon talks about one of the major hurdles that plagues runners…the "grand canyon" of running funks (which I would likely live in). He brings on Hope Jones, a former student and leader of the primary group that sets up and times distance events in North Carolina, to discuss the loss of motivation, the lack of desire, and other pitfalls in the canyon. This episode is the first part of the interview. He then introduces a new segment where he spotlights a blog every week. This week's blog (one that I follow…the link is on the right-hand side of my blog) is disneyfrankness's "The At-Large Disney Fan". Frank is blogging his efforts to get into a healthier lifestyle. If his name sounds familiar, he was the spearhead behind the Twitter tribute to Austin Wuennenberg. Gordon then wraps up the show with listener feedback. Time: 1:08:24
    
• Those Darn Cats
  
  • 7/14/09 – Episode 61, The Cats hop in their own time machine to head back to the 1964 World's Fair in New York, which played such a major role in many of the attractions that are now in the parks. This is going to be extremely interesting for those who like learning about the history of the Disney company. Included is about 11-12 minutes of audio from the attractions as well as from an interview with Walt on the '64 Fair. Time: 25:38
    
• WDW News Today
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 101, after the monster 100^th episode, this one clocks in at a mere 2.25 hours. They start off with the Weekend Update (the news name for the news and rumors segment…I can't wait for Opera Guy to do a bit). After that, they turn the content over (with wavering hand) to Jeff Arauz, who brings in a roundtable discussions on some interesting topics (characters meet-and-greets, Photopass, and "to EMH or not to EMH"). Jeff then does a Disneyfied version of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (called "The Bibbity, the Bobbity, and the Boo") on Expedition Everest. Time: 2:18:46
    
• WDW Radio Show
  
  • 7/12/09 – Episode 127, I don't know how he does it, but Lou brings on one of the biggest names associated with a Disney production. Lou brings on none other than Dame Julie Andrews to talk about what it was like filming Mary Poppins. There simply isn't much more to be said…it's JULIE ANDREWS! A must-listen for fans of the film. Time: 36:53
    
• WDW Today
  
  • 7/13/09 – Episode 590, In a major faux pas in podcast reporting, I accidently listened to and then deleted this one off the iPod (I usually just uncheck the listened to one and only delete them after I put the update in the draft). Oops on my part. Yeah, I could have done the "unsub" and resubscribe, but they usually have over 100 available for downloads, I didn't feel like going through the entire list. ANYWAYS (sorry, guys…A.D.D.) I had to go to the site to refresh my memory on what this one was about but remembered it as soon as I saw the show title. Beci's back with Matt, Newell, and Annette to give the pros and cons of one of my favorite perks of staying on-site: Disney's Magical Express. Time: 23:19
    
  • 7/15/09 – Episode 591, Wednesdays mean one thing…Listener questions! In their fruitless attempt to get caught up on the mountain of e-mails, the crew (Matt, Len, Newell, and Annette) tackle questions pertaining to Magical Express (sound familiar?), what other podcasts the hosts listen to, DDP vs DDE (sorry, I'll still be calling Tables in Wonderland the DDE for a while yet), how to pronounce Oconomowoc (oh-CON-oh-mow-wok…when I write it, it'll be a breeze as I live in the village of "Downs"), changes to the crowd patterns with Space Mtn/TTA closed and HoP open, and more. Time: 31:27
    
  • 7/17/09 – Episode 592, the crew brings on former Imagineer Shawn Slater (author of one the blogs I follow…DisneyShawn…check the list on the right of the screen of my blog for the link), to talk about some of the magic he was able to make in the parks, including work on the DRU-1 at Epcot's Living Seas. Don't know what the DRU-1 is? It's a "Dolphin Robotic Unit" (YouTube video is at the WDW Today website…this thing was amazing!). Unfortunately, it only saw the light of day for a short period of time…way too short in my opinion. This one's really informative, with some absolutely laugh-out loud funny parts too (They gave it an '8'). Time: 17:55
    
• A Window to the Magic
  
  • 7/13/09 – Episode 199.75, well, we're inching closer to episode 200 (in case you haven't figured it out yet, show 200 will be from the Friends of the Magic meet. I'm giving the description to Above the Firehouse, so read that for more information. Time: 53:25
    
• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod
  
  • 7/15/09 – Episode 40, Aaron takes on one of the tougher tasks, ranking the ten Pixar movies. This one's sure to get some feedback. My list would differ drastically (if I were even ever able to create such a list), but Aaron's insight and personal views on the storylines of the movies is really in-depth and thought out well. Good job! The winner of Contest #5 is announced, and he ends with a statement from Jesse, a former host of the extinct Mousepod podcast, who comments about a new podcast of the same name. Time: 1:24:42

The Victory Garden (?) Mid-July

Okay, okay, okay...so I haven't been updating like I thought I would be. It's still there, and it's actually producing some stuff. There were some minor snafus with my first try doing intercropping...mostly that the onions are thriving and going crazy. I switched hybrids...I had been planting the Stuttgarter variety for years and had marginal results...only green onions from sets, and about 50% success in getting them to actually grow. I can't remember what type these are, but I know where I got them...they ALL emerged from the ground, and they're bulbing beautifully.


The main problem with that, however, is that I had intended on having them out of the ground already to make room between two rows of green beans. It's crowded!





You can kind of see them just above the center...the row goes left. I've been pulling them for spacing and telling my neighbors to take whatever they need as we still have tons left.




Because of the onions still taking up room, I decided not to put in the basil that I had planned on the other side of the beans (where the onions are in front of)...I knew it was going to be a really tight fit with the broccoli.




Oh...the broccoli....the @#$($^!@#@$%#$@ broccoli. I might be dining on some hasenpfeffer in the near future because the damn rabbits mowed down the broccoli plants (not counting the 2 that got trampled on by the boys). They had spinach. They had lettuce. Do they go for that?


NO!


They decide to go for the cole crops!




After they leveled the broccoli, they started turning to the cabbage. I actually watched this tiny bunny eat about twice his weight when he attacked one of the base leaves on the cabbage. I actually let him take that one out as it was getting in the way of the tomatoes. Hey, with the broccoli gone, we bought a basil plant from the local farmer's market and planted it in the broccoli row. It's not taking too well...I'm still trying to decide if I want to sow some basil now or not...it will be pushing it to get a lot of leaves by late summer.


Speaking of getting in the way...HOLY COW the squash got big!






I'm going to put in a disclaimer here that I have used fertilizer VERY sparingly. We've had some good rain at the right time, and the summer has been fairly mild. I was hoping the sun would reflect off the house, and it looks like that's exactly what's happening. I had planted one hill of acorn squash, one hill of spaghetti squash, and two hills of zucchini. One of the zucchini hills didn't germinate, so, when I thinned out the other hills (2 plants per hill), I attempted to transplant into the bare hill. Miraculously, both plants took, and all 4 hills are going crazy. The runner vines on the spaghetti squash are constantly being moved by me to fit where I want them to fit (the runners are winning). We've harvested all but one cabbage plant, which is still developing the head (in a bit more shade, near the deck).


...and then there are the tomatoes.




Again, I'm not using much fertilizer at all. There must be a lot of nitrogen in the soil because I feel like I'm in a Jurassic Park setting sometimes when I'm working in the garden. The tomato plants are so big that a rain will put too much weight on the cages, and they topple over. The scary thing is that I'm pruning the plants like crazy to reduce the chances of this happening. There are hundreds of tomatoes growing...Sheri is considering an attempt at canning them if we get a good enough crop.



Soooooo....are we actually getting anything from the garden, or just a pretty show? I'll let you decide:






To give you a little perspective...that long zucchini is over 13 inches long. That head of cabbage easily tops 4 lbs in weight. The Zatarain's...well, we don't grow rice in central Illinois. We're pulling onions like that almost every day, and the zucchini is starting its offensive. We should be able to provide cole slaw for the neighborhood for a month with that head of cabbage. We're getting green beans now in the first planting, and both plantings of limas are starting to blossom. I was so proud of the fact that we had green beans already...that is, until we went to the farmer's market and found that three of the stalls also had beans (grrrrr...way to burst my bubble). We're starting to get cherry tomatoes, and we're about a week or two from the onset of the regular tomatoes. The acorn squash is progressing nicely, but, being a winter squash, it has a while to mature yet. The spaghetti squash, however, apparently didn't get the message that it's also a winter variety, because there are 3 or 4 that look to be full-size already. I'm resisting the temptation to pick one. Sufficed to say, I think we're going to be very busy in about 10 days.



As the harvest really takes off (like it hasn't already), we'll provide some more updates.

Disney Podcast Updates, 6/30 to 7/10

Well, I'm finally back to a Friday schedule, though it was not exactly planned. Lots of updates in here...47 to be precise. Hopefully I'll be able to keep to this schedule of updating on Friday for a while.

Before getting to the shows, however, I would like to take just a moment to recognize the passing of a Cast Member. As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, a tragic event unfolded early in the morning on July 5^th, where Cast Member and Monorail Pilot Austin Wuennenberg lost his life in a collision between Monorail Pink and Monorail Purple at the TTC. From all accounts, he absolutely loved what he did at the Walt Disney World Resort and spread magic to many, many families. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

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.

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.

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

• Above the Firehouse
  
  • 7/10/09 – Document download (I never knew you could do this on iTunes!). A PDF of the schedule for the upcoming Friends of the Magic Event. Ummm…Pages: 2
    
• The Adventures of a Teenage Disney Geek
  
  • 7/4/09 – Episode 56, Keegan starts off the show with a little more Westfest audio, starting off in Frontierland and heading to the Matterhorn. From there, they wreak havoc on the Autopia with Liana and Brian. I'm not sure if Brian or Keegan is the teen in Autopia. Keegan then jets off to the east coast for a second dose of Disney fun in Orlando. The rest of the superfamily meets up with Keegan at WDW, including LFFG (Lightning Fast Fat Guy), MommyGeek, and Mrs. Buckethead. "Baby Minnie" also makes a surprise appearance in the Haunted Mansion. Time: 1:09:14
    
• All About the Mouse
  
  • 7/3/09 – Episode 116, Jonathon is taking a driving tour of Seattle during the taping of this show (he got stuck at work and couldn't make it to his computer at home). In this show, Bryan interviews Scotty Kilwein and Ray McGee, better known as the deuling pianos at Jellyrolls. After this interview, the Disney Feud follows, with Shane and Lester of Communicore Online against Wayne and Trace of the Disney Dudes. Since Jonathon couldn't be in the taping, they are holding off on the usual news and roll call segments. The show wraps up with some audio submitted by All About the Corn host DW60 (aka Jeff_W). This patriotically-themed audio is called, A Salute to All States, But Mostly Iowa. (I kid you not!) Show note: Sign-ups are now going on for the Disney's "$100,000" Pyramid. Time 58:40.
    
  • 7/10/09 – Episode 117, Jonathon is gone…so Bryan brings on Paul and Tairy for another insanity-filled show. Oh, wait…apparently, Shane Roberts from Communicore Online is guest-hosting (I'm just reporting what I was given for the show's information). They start off with the rough news of the monorail accident. They then talk about some less-depressing news before going to the AllAboutTheMouseketeer Roll Call. Then, a really good interview with Jim Shore, an artist who has had a hand in much of the merchandise that you can buy at the Disney parks, specifically figurines and sculpture designs follows. Up next is a roundtable discussion with Bryan, Paul, Tairy, Shane, Greg Whalen, and Marissa Gordon talk about what to do outside of the Disney parks but still on Disney World property. Those of you suffering from Disney Feud withdrawal will have to wait one more week. Time: 1:59:13
    
• Be our Guest
  
  • 7/2/09 – Episode 138, In honor of the 4^th of July, the BOG crew talks a little about the freedoms that this country allows before turning to Disney and a walk-through of MKs Liberty Square, where they discuss the attractions, stores, restaurants, and more. Time: 35:03
    
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 139, Forum member Darlene gives a report of her recent WDW trip where she celebrated her birthday. While there, she and her family stayed at POR. Included is a review of the resort, Yee-Ha Bob, and a meeting with a T-Rex. Time: 42:30
    
  • 7/9/09 – Episode 140, Much of the crew (recording from WDW...and rubbing it in) channels Stacy from the Resort TV (if you've ever stayed on-site, you've seen her a million times as you can't stop watching the "Must See" at WDW) for this show. Mike, Rikki, and Pam do their own version of the Top 7 Must Sees. Time: 26:45
    
• Character Breakfast
  
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 73, Sorcerer is joined by Christasmic for this show. Jeff does the news before a CB rant ensues (which I honestly feel is fully warranted!). Imagine and Pluto are AWOL this week, but they did send in their monorail segment, where they look at the China and Japan pavilions over at Epcot's World Showcase. Some non-Corbin "Celebrate You" music is included and reviewed (to rave reviews by all). Then, in the Animation Courtyard segment, Chris interviews some unknown guy by the name of Lou Mongello. To wrap up the show, Sorcerer and Chris are joined by virtual/soundboard Jeff, Pluto, and Imagine for listener questions. Time: 1:28:12
    
• Communicore Online
  
  • 6/28/09, Episode 34, I must have missed this one in the last update…sorry about that, Shane! Lester's back with the news for this show. "Hidden Mickeys" is next, where the spotlight is the Jungle Cruise. Shane dons his leisure suit to explain how disco makes its mark on a most un-disco like attraction. The refurb recap follows, and Shane follows with a "Short" tribute to Canada Day (three guesses what the audio is from). Listener feedback and a little rant on Disney Dining reservations wraps up the show. Time: 26:10.
    
• The Disney Pincast
  
  • 7/6/09 – Episode 67, After news and pin updates...WAIT! John and Tom aren't here for this show as they are at the 2009 Museum of Pintiquities event (aka MOP) at World Showcase in Epcot. In this audio from the event are Scoop Sanderson and Steven Miller. Time: 1:04:50
    
• Disney Tidbits
  
  • 7/5/09 – EPISODE 52 Tairy drops 13 stories in this show as she gives tidbits on one of DHS's favorite attractions: the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Time: 13:38
    
• Extinct Attractions
  
  • 6/30/09, In this show, Brian is catatonic from all the news of Michael Jackson, so the crew does everything they can to get him off the couch (again) for the show. This episode features Deb and David (and virtual Liana) with the chat room and focuses on Captain EO. Time: 46:50
    
  • 7/5/09, It's a vidcast! David's in this short clip talking about the new edition of the book, Anaheim Vacationland, where he looks at the evolution and devolution of the area surrounding the Disneyland resort from the 1950s to the present. Time: 8:40
    
  • 7/7/09, This show is titled: So Sand Summer Sorrows. David, Liana, Deb, and the chat room, start off with the news of the monorail accident and then discuss. About ten minutes in, they try to switch gears to give some happier music (yes, it ultimately turns into Xanadu) before getting into some more news. The news goes on with musical bits intermingled throughout. A lot of audio revolves around the recently reopened Hall of Presidents. Old monkeys somehow play into the fray, as well as the Pirate Shuffle and more oddities. I think alcohol was ultimately involved. Time: 1:23:19
    
  • 7/8/09, Brian looks back at the origins of Extinct Attractions, with Dave's appearance on "Stu's Show" back from May 2, 2007. Time: 1:50:05
    
• Imagineering My Way
  
  • 7/2/09 – Episode 44, Greg's got another packed show with a report card on the 50's Prime Time Café at DHS, taking the IMW bulldozer to Dumbo 2.0 (aka the Magic Carpets of Aladdin), doppelganger on the Hall of Presidents (this is the main portion of the show), and a look back at the 4-year run of the flying saucers attraction in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The show wraps with DIY Imagineering and a special bonus track: audio of Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln from the 1964 World's Fair. Time: 52:31
    
• Inside the Magic
  
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 222, After announcing the news of the monorail tragedy, Ricky does an interview with Imagineer Kathy Rogers, who was instrumental in the refurb of The Hall of Presidents. The rest of the show is pretty much based on listener feedback and reviews, including feedback on the parade episode a while back, a review of the D23 event in Chicago in late June, a review of the Christmas Carol train, and more. Listener Andy gives some feedback on the online dining reservation system. Ricky then reads many responses from a question posted on his forum regarding Michael Jackson. Time: 1:13:37
    
  • 7/5/09 – Video Supplement to Episode 222, scenes from the citizenship ceremony at MK. Time: 8:32
    
  • 7/5/09 – Video Supplement to Episode 222, The Voices of Liberty perform a fantastic rendition of God Bless the U.S.A. during the citizenship ceremony. Time: 3:59
    
• Magic City Mayhem
  
  • 7/02/09, Mikey starts the show with a little outside video near the newly-opened Pirates' League over in Adventureland. After that, he makes an interesting discovery of identical twins in the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion. Next up, he checks out Luxo, Jr. over in DHS and then gives some snippets at Stitch's Supersonic Celebration, combined with Michael Jackson. JustMikey then gives some footage from the Museum of Pintiquities, which was showing at Epcot
    
• Magical Definition
  
  • 7/5/09 – Jim and Nathan look back at the relationship between Michael Jackson and the Disney Corporation. Also included is news and rumors . Time 43:38
    
• Micecast
  
  • 7/6/09 – Nate Parrish from WEDWay Radio is the guest on this show, along with Greg, Mike, and Shaft. In this show, they talk tunnels, the environment, walkways, and all sorts of other things, most which revolve around WDW vs Disneyland. There's some really good debate here! Time: 2:30:27
    
• Mortis Matinee
  
  • 6/28/09 – Episode 11, Fresh from their move to Key West but still in a hotel (gotta love the military) the Mortis clan reviews Treasure Island…definitely one of the movies on my "to see" list. After the review of the movie, Scott provides a report of their recent trip to Disney World. Also in this show is in-park audio of Pirates of the Caribbean. Time: 42:45
    
• Mouse Comedy
  
  • 7/5/09 – Show 56, After getting wanded at the airport and giving a little overview of her recent trip to SoCal, Tairy joins Jonathon to look at Captain EO. While most podcasts did a memorial/homage to MJ, the hosts stay true to form and give a MST3K look at the show. They also talk about the upcoming Friends of the Magic event. Time: 1:02:21
    
• Mouse Droppings
  
  • 7/7/09 – Episode 8, I'm soooo glad that Matt isn't at Seussland again as I was straining to give his update in rhyme the entire time (DAMN, did it again!). In this show, Living With the Land (one of my favorites) is dropped into your MP3 player. Mush's note…if you haven't done the "Behind the Seeds" tour, I'd highly recommend it! Time: 20:16
    
• Mouse Guest
  
  • 7/4/09 – Episode 206, News and celebrations start out the show. Full audio from the newly-refurbished Hall of Presidents follows, which gets me thinking that my older son might almost be ready for that attraction. Also in the show is an update on The Little Mermaid's run ending on Broadway as well as the opening of the new Pirate's League over in Adventureland. Mail wraps up the show, with a REALLY good talk about what it's like losing a child in the parks (yes, it can happen). Don't forget that the finals of the Disney Villain's tournament is going on – Maleficent vs Ursula. Time: 1:11:53
    
• MouseStation
  
  • 7/2/09 – Episode 324, Mike and Mark continue their featured topic of their favorite ride vehicles at particular parks. This show has them looking at the Anaheim parks. Time: 29:58
    
  • 7/6/09 – Episode 325, A Special Report starts the show with the news of the monorail accident. Then they get into the regular show with the tip of the week and then look at DHS's Block Party Bash for the featured attraction. Andrew does his MousePlanet updates where he recaps last week on Last Week this week (next week, this week will be last week, and he'll recap this week on Last Week, next week) (I want to know how many takes it took to get that right the first time!). Listener feedback follows, including Barney making a cameo appearance, and listener Joey giving some voice mail feedback on Start Tours, to end the show. Time: 37:45
    
  • 7/8/09 – Episode 326, the hosts have Pixar's Up in their sights for their Thursday Featured Topic. Time: 30:49
    
• Northern Mouse
  
  • 7/3/09 – Episode 47, Our friend up north gives us this vidcast today of the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps, in honor of the U.S.'s Independence Day. Time: 11:07
    
• Original D
  
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 7, Having followed his Twitter updates, I know he was having some problems with the podcast, so it's great to see a new show here! Ryan gives us a vidcast for this episode, focusing on Disneyland's 50-year old attractions and a video resort update, complete with shots of the attractions being talked about, including the Cosmic Wave area of Tomorrowland, the newly-reopened Astro Orbiter, and the tons of construction over at DCA. Ryan then moves on to Summer Nightastic, including a full-video of the Main Street Electrical Parade. You'll have Broke Hoedown running through your mind for weeks afterward. Time: 12:59.
    
• Those Darn Cats
  
  • 6/30/09 – Episode 59, They slipped this one in right after I released the last update. In this show, the Cats and the Whachamacalit discuss the rumors of the updates to Star Tours. Included is some audio to the pre-show of the show as well as plenty of tangents, including Star Wars Weekend, the opening of All About the Mouse, and Alien-French-English translations of the show, Rick Astley, and "Disney Mountain High." Time: 32:21.
    
  • 7/7/09 – Episode 60, As all of us Disney Freaks have done at one time or another, Lisa overhears a co-worker mention a couple of buzzwords that can only mean a Disney World trip and ends up helping plan their vacation! (Admit it…you've done it too!). This show provides a trip report from "co-worker Bruce" Time: 25:28.
    
• WDW News Today
  
  • 6/21/09 – Tom, I owe you an apology for the delay in getting this one out…I had some problems downloading this episode, and I unknowingly missed including this in the last update. Anyways, it's the long-awaited Episode 100 of WDWNT. Coming in at a monster 3 hours and 51 minutes, there's a LOT in this show. One of the reasons I decided to wait until Friday to get this posted was because I listened to almost the entire show! First comes the induction of Jose Castillo, Brian Summer, and Jason Diffendal into the WDWNT Hall of Fame. After the festivities, they play "Where in the World is Tom Corless" with a number of contestants…I found myself actually screaming at the iPod here ("IT'S THE @#$#%$@%$^ TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!!"). They then go back to the future for one of a most in-depth discussions of a most controversial attraction: the many variations of Journey Into Imagination. Seriously…it was in-depth (from 40:39 to 3:18:45, and I listened to every minute of it...and I haven't even experienced the attraction at all!). Mayor Justin is back with some Town Square Talk as he brings you what's going on around the WDWNT family of shows. They end the show with a number of congratulatory voice mails that fans called in. Time: 3:51:19.
    
• WDW Radio Show
  
  • 7/3/09 – Video, Take a ride on Breathless II. Captains Mike and Todd talk with Lou before they head out (at night!) on the famous boat, docked at the Yacht and Beach Club resort. I've seen it crawling along during the day, but that thing can MOVE. Included is a brief look at Illuminations from the cruise. Time: 5:22
    
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 126, With the Hall of Presidents reopening, Lou interviews Disney Imagineering Senior Vice President of Creative Development Eric Jacobson (I'd like to see that business card with that title!). Eric talks about what went into the update to the attraction, including the new animatronic and going to the White House to get President Obama's voice recording and thoughts on the show. With the passing of Michael Jackson, Lou travels in his Wayback machine with Passamaquoddy blog resident and owner of The Pretty Good Movie Ride, Glenn Whalen for a Disney Scene Investigation of Captain EO. Lou then picks the winner of the "name that attraction" contest (I forgot to submit my answers!) and gives a new set of 5 audio clips for the next contest (you have until the 19^th to submit your answers). Time: 1:18:37
    
  • 7/9/09 – Video, Restraining from any jokes about height, Lou takes us one a ride the Characters in Flight balloon at Downtown Disney, with some breathtaking views. There's something about the production of this video that has me thinking back to some of Walt's older documentaries…whether it's the music, or the way the scenes are laid out, I'm not sure. I really liked this one, though. Time: 5:01
    
• WDW Today
  
  • 7/1/09 – Episode 585, Matt, Newell, Scopa (who inadvertently calls Newell a jerk while rightfully calling Hochberg a jerk after the last question is answered…you'll just have to listen to understand), Len, and Annette tackle more listener questions. Time: 36:27
    
  • 7/1/09 – Live Show 34 is posted. Original Air Date: 6/29/09. Time: 2:08:24
    
  • 7/3/09 – Episode 586, Matt joins Scopa, Newell, Len, the Fabulous Annette, and cartoonist Chris Eliopoulos for this show. If you don't know who Chris is, one of his productions is the online Misery Loves Sherman cartoon, which is absolutely hilarious. He actually had a run in the strip where the family (including 2 aliens and "Death") goes to Walt Disney World. The first day of that run is located here. ANYWAYS…Chris joins the show to discuss the potential reasons as to why Stitch fails to "not suck" (Len's terms) when translating the character into attractions (Stitch's Great Mistake..errr….Stitch's Great Escape and the new record-holder for shortest run for an attraction: Stitch's Supersonic Celebration). Time: 25:42
    
  • 7/5/09 – Episode 587, Matt, Mike, Mike, and allears.net writer (and fellow higher ed academician) Michelle Scribner-MacLean get together to talk about a topic suggested by two different listeners: recommendations for staying at the Epcot-area resorts. Time: 16:30. As an aside, our sympathies are with Len this week as he is dealing with the passing of his father over the weekend.
    
  • 7/7/09 – Episode 588, Matt's always mentioned first, so I'm changing it up (wait, I just mentioned him)…Newell, Scopa (a senior feature), and Michelle (Boom Boom Pow) Scribner-MacLean join Matt for listener questions. Time: 34:56.
    
  • 7/10/09 – Episode, 589, love is in the air in this episode as Matt, Newell, and Annette are joined by Beci Mahnken to discuss a couple of e-mails that the crew got on the topic of romance. The first message deals with unique places to pop the question. I swear that Mike Newell and I are distantly related as the first ideas that crossed my mind on where to propose were A) the stretch room of the Haunted Mansion (lights go out, and you drop to one knee…lights come on, and there you are); and B) before the first fall on the Tower of Terror (WILL YOU MARRY MEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee…). Mike was on the same wavelength with ToT! The second question on WDW Love Line is obvious and not-so-obvious romantic places on property. Time: 20:01
    
• WEDWay Radio
  
  • 7/1/09 – Episode 20, Stupid Judy, stupid energy! Nate and Matt start off with a little News from around the world. Following that, they hop into the retro-magic for a look at the Universe of Energy, both old and new. This is one of those attractions that I haven't done yet…after listening to this show, I'll have to pencil that one in. Time: 40:48
    
• A Window to the Magic
  
  • 7/10/09 – (same as on ATFH podcast) Document download (I never knew you could do this on iTunes!). A PDF of the schedule for the upcoming Friends of the Magic Event. Ummm…Pages: 2
    
• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod
  
  • 7/3/09 – Aaron reposts a patriotic episode from July 4,
    2006, where he shows the inter-relationship between American history and Walt Disney. Even for Disney Freaks, there's a lot of information and trivia that many of you probably didn't know. Time: 50:05
    
  • 7/8/09 – Episode 39, The mail bag is opened, and Aaron goes through lots of listener feedback in this show. His responses to the e-mails is really in-depth on many fronts, especially on such topics as what makes a good villain (characters like Frollo vs. characters like Maleficent), why he wasn't a big fan of Cars, the lady gangsters in the Great Movie Ride, Hades being rightfully compared to Satan, and the obvious follow-up to the Miley Cyrus episode…the Jonas Brothers! At the end of the show, Aaron announces a contest for the listeners. Oh, Aaron Wallace, answerer of messages, then concludes his show (with apologies to Mouse of Zen…had to try out my own haiku) Time: 1:40:40
    

WDW 10-Year Anniversary Trip, Day 6, Roses are Red, Bad Busses are Blue: Part 1

Day 6: Roses are Red, Bad Busses are Blue

Good Morning, Good MOOOrning. It’s great to stay up late. Good Morning. Good Morning to You!

That was my response to Stitch when he called at 7:30, and I put him on speakerphone.

For wardrobe selection, I went with the Mickey/Donald attitude shirt that I’ve seen at least 12 others wear. Sheri opts for a lime green shirt.

Lime green? NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo........

Good Lord, woman, have I taught you nothing?!! I told her I was going to count how many people stared at her in the parks wondering what her name was over there. In case you haven't figured out yet, I'm not a huge Disboards fan.


We’ve lasted 5 days without really eating at the Pop food court (except for the first day there when we grabbed lunch) (and the donuts) (and the rice krispie treats) (and the pop refillable mu…OKAY!!!!! SO I’M WRONG!!!). I was in the mood for a Mickey waffle with fruit topping. We get ready and head down to the food court and…ummm…there’s no Mickey waffle.

This is what I want:





They don’t have that…they have this instead:



It just ain’t the same.

I manage to choke down the PopWaffle (because in my mind, it tastes nothing like it's supposed to, despite the fact that they're exact same recipe), and we head to the bus stops. A quick SNAP of the fingers, and a bus for MK rolls on up. Now, I’ve heard the horror stories about the busses…this is the second time we’ve stayed on site, both times at a value resort. We have no complaints whatsoever, whether it’s just our luck, our not worrying much about it, or whatever.

We get to Magic Kingdom at 8:35 and immediately notice that it’s a little more crowded than last time, though it’s still really quiet. 8:48, and...




...in case you missed it from Day 2.



Sheila Shufflehop was just a touch early because there was a long, awkward pause once before Mickey started to reply, and she almost started laughing as Mickey had his hands up in the air ready to talk, but he just couldn't say what he wanted to say for some reason. We watched them finish the first time, so we didn’t feel guilty about heading into MK while the CMs were still smiling and dancing. As we entered Main Street USA, I looked back for PandyPaws/Donna/Erika/insert_name_here (sorry Donna). Nope. It’s about this time that I start to question whether I missed a post where she’s not on the trains anymore (Okay, I cheated as I’m writing this…sounds like Donna is also conductor, Main Street driver, trainer, etc.). We’ll look for you and wave if we see ya in December.

Sheri has a mission today…hunt down every Photopass guy/gal on Main Street and have him/her take our picture with the castle in the background to maximize our chances of getting a good pic. Obviously, as this was 2 years ago, the Photopass pics aren't available anymore, but Photopass dudes and dudettes are almost always fine taking pics with your own camera too.






We went through the castle and walked onto Peter Pan and then over to iasw. We really didn’t have any agenda today…just wanted to take in the rides and the atmosphere. While waiting to get on the iasw boat, the CM tells us that she’s going to put us lovebirds in the back of the boat but that they’d be watching us to make sure we weren’t doing anything bad. I asked her if they had cameras every couple of feet. She said that we should be more worried about the motion sensors on the boat. I about fell in the water laughing...wasn't expecting that from a CM.


Sheri and I (okay, mostly me…Sheri usually just rolls her eyes when I come up with this stuff) have decided to come up with different storylines for the ride to make it more appealing:






A Dingo Ate my Baby!







Mafia Platypuses – the way they toss their eggs like that cracks me up.







Animatronics Gone Wild – Upskirts







Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena





For the record, wifey had the camera the whole time taking these shots. She physically harmed me when I told her I'm using these shots in the TR...she thinks they're all bad pics because of the lighting.



We headed out and walked back towards the castle. For some reason we always go around the castle from the back on the right-hand path. This time we decided to do the left-hand path. We saw the wishing well for the first time (Again…how in the Hell did we miss this?). We also saw the garden where they do Story Time with Bell. Then we saw the rose garden for the first time.









Sheri starts reading the variety signs out loud to me, and I respond that yes, I can read. She fires back in a little girl’s voice “I CAN REEEEEAAAAD!!”

Catchphrase of the day.


We attack another photopass guy near the roses. While we’re getting the pics taken, another Photopass dude starts doing the bunny ears on the one taking our pics. They look and act like they enjoy what they do. Afterwards, Sheri asks if I want to do Space Mountain since we’re close to Tomorrowland. SURE! I didn’t think she’d want to ride it again so I steered us to Fantasyland first. We skip over to Space Mountain, where the posted time was 20 minutes…on in about 8. This ride was different…we were in the front car for the first time, and, when there’s no car in front of you to tell you which way you’re going, it’s a LOT more exciting. Sheri’s laughing not knowing which way we’re turning next, so I’m trying to shout back to her where we’re going.

“Left! Right! Leff…NOOOOOO RRIGGGHAAAAAAHHHHAAAHAAHAAAAA”




Lindsay was definitely right when she mentioned that it’s better up front when it’s warmer!

We got off the ride and proceed to commit a major touring faux pas…we stopped to talk about where to go next.

I see the Carousel of Progress turning around, so I suggest that. Hey, it’s something we haven’t done before, so let’s hop on! Not bad…though the jump in time between the last 2 scenes is quite astonishing.

We cross the Tomorrowland Bridge and head through the hub. The characters were heading off the castle platform to sign autographs, so there was a slight bottleneck. We walk around a bit just looking at things and ultimately find ourselves in front of the Haunted Mansion. We hop in line and are in the stretch room in less than a minute. From there we head around the river towards the raft for Tom Sawyer Island. This is another research trip for us to see how the boys would like this area.

Oh, Gawd, we’d never be able to pull them off the island!!! We’d be nervous wrecks trying to keep up with them and not losing them, but they would have a blast over there. I think Sheri was a bit freaked with the bats in the caves. Yeah, we’ll have to take them on here next time.

Back over to Adventureland so we could devour another Dole Whip. While sitting there, it looks like the Dream Team was at work with some folks nearby. Not sure what (or even if) they won. They seemed pretty happy, so I’m guessing that they did win something.

We head towards Main Street as it was getting to be around noon time. Nick and I had talked via AIM a few days before we left for Florida, and he said he’d be arriving at MCO around noon and might swing by WDW to meet up for lunch. We decided to head back and rest, and, in case he came over, Pop would be near the entrances. We stopped at the Confectionary to pick up some cotton candy for the boys. I recall hearing about how good Wonka bars are (from Matt Hochberg of studioscental.org and the WDWToday podcast), so we bought one and had it for lunch. As we devoured the bar, we headed out under the train station for the busses. More ducks assaulted us at the bus stop while we waited for the bus. It showed up after about 8 or so minutes (I forgot to snap), and we head to Pop.

Part 2 is located HERE.