WDW DIS-Cussion Show Episode 14

This week on the show Ryan, Brandon Glover and myself are joined by some very special guests. Alison Gabbard ad Derek Burgan join us to talk about what like and do not like at WDW when the suns goes down. the conversation goes off track a little bit but Alison and Derek contribute in a big way on this weeks show. 


Join us for episode 14 of the WDW DIS-Cussion Show. 

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This Week in Podcasting June 17-23

Dave’s Disney View 6/17/12: Grrrrr. This was a show where when I saw the title I got really excited, but was less than impressed with the finished product. This is my second time listening to DDV and I had heard some really good things about the show. Host Dave sounds like a really nice guy and seems to know a lot more than your average Disney podcaster about WDW. The title of this weeks show is “100 Things at Walt Disney World”. Dave is going to go down his bucket list of 100 things to do at WDW. The mere thought of this kind of a countdown on a podcast had me very excited.  I downloaded the show and notices that there was something wrong. The length of the show is only 23 minutes long. Was Dave going to break up these 100 things over the course of a few shows? It turns out Dave is going to tackle all 100 things in 23 minutes? How is that possible? Dave starts his show off and begins to race down his list. He spends maybe about 15 seconds on each topic. This is such a shame because Dave is so articulate and has some really great ideas for things to do. I really think he should have spent more time on these activities and maybe broke this topic up into a few different shows. As I listened to Dave race down his list I thought about what a waste this was and I felt a little bit “robbed”. Dramatic I know, but I walked away from this show wanting so much more. It felt like this list was a chore for Dave and he was going so fast just to get through the list. This show was a good listen, but you will walk away frustrated because the host did not spend much time on different topics. I did enjoy the show, but when it was over, I was very, very upset. Maybe next time…

Of Mice and MenEpisode 38: Not to be confused with the Of Mouse and Man show, this show brings a different type of content and offers a different type of laugh. This was my first time listening to this show and I really was not sure what to expect. The show is hosted by a few different characters that each bring a type of flavor to this show. Hosted by Jason, Brian, Ally, and Brittany, this show is not as polished and professional as WDW Radio, but it has a certain immature, innocent quality to it that will keep you guessing. Some listeners like structure and a rigid format. If you do then this show may not be the show for you. The crew starts out with a set of topics and segments but they seem to have a hard time sticking to it. That is not always a bad thing though. To listen to the crew drive the car off the cliff and then desperately try and fail to get it back on the road is funny and entertaining. This group obviously loves Disney and they have a true passion for it. They know their stuff and seem to get along with each other very well. There was one major glaring pothole sixed problem with this show. About halfway into the show one of the hosts decides to open a bag of chips and eat them right in front of his microphone. While at the time this made have seemed like a funny and cool bit, it turned out to be just annoying and a massive turn off for me. I really was interested in what the host was saying, but to have to listen crunching and chewing really was not the thing to keep me engaged with the show. This week they talk about some of the recent Disney news, and other general Disney chatter. If they can avoid that kind of stuff in the future and maybe focus a bit more on their topics, this show will be a must listen each time it is released.     

3 Moms and the MouseEpisode 37: Again, a Disney podcast about moms preparing for a trip to Disney? Eh, im not so sure about this. As previously documented, as a 25 year old nerd, I have a hard time relating to these kinds of shows. This weeks show is about what the moms do to stretch their dollars when at WDW. The moms are very knowledgeable and personable. I was impressed about how experienced they are and how well they deliver their advice. Unlike some of the other Disney mommy shows out there, I do not get the vibe that these moms are as protective of their kids. I start to roll my eyes at some of these Disney mommy advice shows when they say things like, “We don’t stay at EPCOT after 7pm because there are nothing but drunk people walking around.” Give me a break lady. Nothing will annoy me faster than a Disney helicopter mommy who still wont let her 13 year old son on Space Mountain because it too intense. That being said, the moms on this show are funny, laid back, and very easy to listen to. Not being a mother, I still found this show to be somewhat helpful and the tips and hints they bring up are very useful. This weeks show was nothing too extraordinary, but good for the content that was offered up. Each one of the moms was funny, and they seem to be able to relate to each other easily; again, nothing too out of the ordinary, just a very utilitarian show this week. No history, no rumors, just a good old fashioned touring prep type of podcast.     

Show of the Week:DIBBCast Episode28Xtra:Uh oh. Here we go; another British Disney podcast. I have shown in the past how out of touch I am with the UK Disney podcasting scene. With that being said, let’s dive into my first time listening to DIBBCast. This show was a bit easier for me to understand than some of the other UK shows out there. Hosted by Robb and James, this weeks show is a spinoff from the DIBBCast main shows and was a very easy listen for me. The show is pretty lighthearted but serious enough to keep my attention. From talking about trips to Vegas to AVATAR land, this weeks show was laid back and relaxing. No arguing, yelling, and murky details about travel or Mouse Meets references. The hosts are funny and do a good job at keeping the show light and crisp. These two hosts have that classic sense of British humor that I used to love when I was a kid. More than that, the hosts seem to be smart as a whip. No matter which topic they were talking about, they seemed to know the story, history, and details of the topic. I was very impressed with the audio quality, and also the structure of the show. They moved from segment to segment almost seamlessly and effortlessly. This podcast seemed more like a true radio show than it did an online podcast. To be honest, I didn’t even mind the Disneyland Paris talk. This used to be a big hang up for me on some of the other UK shows. Is this weeks show as extravagant as some of the other Shows of the Week? No. No major focus on history or touring. Its mostly news and random chatter, but that’s what I like about the show. It was smooth and very easy to listen to. Unlike some of the other UK shows, it was not over scripted or over produced. I think that is a trap that many shows fall into. These guys do not. Much like Gordon Ramsay would say, “Simple, rustic!” 

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Return of the WDW DIS-Cussion Show

The WDW DIS-Cussion Show has returned and this time I have been invited on the show by host Ryan Kennedy! Join me, Ryan, Brandon Glover, and Nick Deweerdt. On this weeks show we talk about some of the latest Disney news, and we also share some of our weird and strange stories from around WDW.


Join us for episode 13 of the WDW DIS-Cussion Show. 

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This Week in Podcasting June 10-16

Coaster Radio Episode 635: I am always a little bit at a loss for words when trying to do a review of Coaster Radio. Not because the show is bad but because on some shows there is a lack of a central theme and that can drive a reviewer crazy when trying to flesh out to a reader what the show is about. That being said, this weeks show starts off with a very well done trip report from a Coaster Radio fan from California Adventures new Cars Land. The fan doing the trip report is very focused and gave a great job giving a description of the new land and with sharing what Disney did well and what Disney didn’t do well. Mike and EB are very quick and very funny. They do a great job at keeping the show fresh and keeping the audience entertained. They continue the shows with another trip report and then they go through some listener about different parks around the country. This week’s show is “light” on content but what they do discuss is well worth listening to. Typically I am not the biggest fan of a listener question or listener email show but I still enjoyed the show. I just wasn’t blown away by this week’s offering form Mike and EB, and that is rare. Still give it a listen just don’t expect too much.

Disney, IndianaEpisode 102: I am not the biggest fan of shows that rely really heavily on scripts and segment gimmicks. Disney, Indiana is a heavily, partially fictional, scripted show, and I just cannot get into it at all. I listen to shows for news and information; not gimmicks and scripted non sense. Ok, maybe nonsense is a harsh word, but I am not a fan of that sort of thing at all. Its simply annoying, and corny to hear the same prerecorded and heavily scripted promos every show. After the scripted bit, the hosts get into the real topic of this weeks show. This week they talk about their upcoming trip to Disneyland. The whole idea of Disney, Indiana being a town and having a movie theatre and being able to buy an address there is novel, but the novelty has worn off for me and I really am not seeing that much value in the gimmick. I must say that I do like the audio from the Disney promotions and commercials that are put into the show. The hosts do give a great run down of what is going on at the new Cars Land. Very detailed and well done. For the most part I think this show is worth the listen, its just a few small bad spots that kind of make it a little bit of a difficult listen.     

 DisDads Episode 32: This week the DisDads take on a topic that every Disney World Fanboy cam appreciate and get excited about. The topic of this week’s show is Blue Sky Animal Kingdom. The dads talk about what attractions, restaurants, shows, etc. they would rip out of Animal Kingdom. They even go a little bit further and discuss what they would take the time to rehab in the park also. I was a little bit ho hum about this topic because I was afraid I was going to get the usual, “Rip out Dinoland”, and “Fix the Yeti” comments. That was a part of the show but it was not the main focus. The dads take the time to really think about what they would do to the park and how those moves would affect them and the ways they tour the parks. Main host Erin does a great job at keeping the show on track and really forcing the other hosts to defend and expand on their ideas and opinions. Even though I disagree with about half of what the panel said on this show, I still have to applaud them for putting on a great show this week and giving their audience a great topic and providing some really great content. I really hope to hear more shows like this and I really hope the DisDads continue to offer up more of this type of critical and creative show content.  

Show of the Week: Generation Mouse Episode 65: To be honest I should say that I am a fan of the Generation Mouse podcast, but when I saw the title of this weeks show on the iTunes run down I was very hesitant to download it. In fact, I waited two days before I finally downloaded the show and my expectations we set very, very low. Why? The title of this weeks show is, “Once Upon a Time”. I knew right from the start that the Gen Mouse crew would be discussing the ABC series Once Upon a Time. From the time the show started I had absolutely zero interest in the show, and a lot of the podcasts that were dedicated to it. I bit my tongue, took a deep breath, and made a promise to try to get myself through, at least, the first 15 minutes of this podcast. I should say that I really do applaud the crew for not taking the “Cars Land” bait like every other podcast did this week. They took a step away from their original content and talked about something different. The reason why they did this is because they are very passionate about this tv show, and that passion shows on this weeks show when they run down the entire seasons happenings.  As a word of caution, they do tell you everything that happens on Once Upon a Time; spoilers and all. Not only did they keep my attention for the entire podcast, but not I am going to make an effort to watch Once Upon a Time. Their opinions and analysis of the tv show is well thought out, and articulate. At times host Mark does get confused about some of the details but the girls straighten him out. I do warn that this week’s podcast is not for everyone. They kind of get mired in the minute details of the show and get into a lot of, “Well so and so met so and so, and then had a fight with so and so, because he didn’t like so and so”. It can get a little confusing at times, but if you hang in there it is worth it. Again, no theme park history, news, or stories this week. But they do have a really great discussion about a TV show that I previously had no interest in. Thanks to this week’s Generation Mouse podcast I am going to give Once Upon a Time a shot.   

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Return of the WDW DIS-Cussion Show

On June 24th the WDW DIS-Cussion show will return to the airwaves! The show will be hosted by Ryan Kennedy, Anthony King, Brandon Glover, Casey Kolb, and myself.

Dont forget June24th!!!

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Leonard Kinsey's Our Kingdom of Dust

Disney World bad boy Leonard Kinsey is at it again with his new fiction piece Our Kingdom of Dust. Kinsey broke into the Disney scene with his nonfiction hit The Dark Side of Disney. In Dark Side of Disney Kinsey shares some of the super secrets that Disney does not want you to know about. It was a massive success and had the entire Disney community, including some not too happy Disney managers, buzzing.

In Our Kingdom of Dust Kinsey takes a step in a different direction but doesn’t stray away from writing about the true dark side of Disney. This debut novel for Kinsey is almost guaranteed to be like none you have ever read before. It is a mix of Great Expectations, or Catcher in the Rye,but with a hell of a lot more drugs, sex, cursing, and debauchery. I think the term “page turner” is used far too often when it comes to reviews of novels, but I have to say that this book was a true page turner. Kinsey manages to keep you crying, guessing, and laughing not only from page to page but from paragraph to paragraph. 

In the book you following the struggles and adventures of aging Disney fan Blaine McKinnon. Blaine is a 30 something millionaire who realizes that even though he has it all, a massively successful business, millions of dollars, and lots of hangers on who he thinks are his friends; he really has nothing at all. Through a series of very tragic and sad events, Blaine makes the decision to head off to the place where he could get in touch with his inner child, EPCOT Center. But Blaines story is so tragic and unfortunate even his trip from the airport to the Beach Club hotel doesn’t go as planned. 

The most tragic part of this novel isn’t that Blaine has an awful best friend, or the fact that his dog was murdered in cold blood; the sad part about this story really hits when Blaine arrives at EPCOT and realizes that this was not the same park he visited alongside his now dead parents when he was a child. When Blaine walks into EPCOT, this time alone, he is shocked by what he sees.    

“There was a huge wand stuck out of the side of the globe. Mickeys hand was holding the wand, and there were little red stars everywhere. “Epcot” was written above it in an ugly, decidedly non-futuristic font .“ Something was very wrong here” 

The magnitude of this change and the rest of the big life changes that had happened to Blaine all come crashing down at once when he realized that the fan favorite ride Horizons had been torn down.   

“The ride that my parents and I loved so much was gone. For a moment the pain of their death hit me all over again.”

 

Kinsey manages to balance this kind of dramatic sadness with a really sick twisted and funny level of humor. When Blaine enters another fan favorite attraction Imagination…

“What the hell was Monty Python doing in EPCOT Center?”

Blaine continues to lament when he meets the latest version of Figment…

“Figment farted on the audience at one point and I swear I wanted to punch someone.”

This is the exact mix of humor and sadness that makes this novel a page turner. I found myself laughing, and moved to tears while on the same page of the book. Much like Space Mountain or Tower of Terror, Our Kingdom of Dust is a roller coaster of a ride. Blaine’s adventures around The World are filled with surprise and shock. He soon discovers that there is a special kind of “dust” that helps some of the Disney Cast Members and fans get back to that nostalgic feeling that they are longing for. Blaine is confronted with having to face his past, present, and future. Blaine meets a cast of characters  so imaginative and weird that only the same guy who is daring enough to sneak around Magic Kingdom utilidors and crazy enough to put rum in his Dole Whips could think of.  

At its soul, Our Kingdom of dust is a novel about confronting life’s challenges, and coming home. Leonard Kinsey really hits the ball out of the park and shakes off the curse of a sophomore slump with his second book. This book is funny, sad, and powerful. Following Blaine around Orlando is a true adventure and you never know what is going to happen to him next. Kinsey really leaves you questioning some of the events in your own life, and a book that can allow you to look in the mirror and entertain you at the same time is truly a book worth reading!  

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This Week in Podcasting June 3-9

A Couple of DisneyGeeks June 2, 2012: Sigh..Damnit! These guys seem really, really cool. They are likeable and really know their Disney history. There is only one problem with this podcast, but it is a HUGE problem. The hosts of this show need to really take a look at their audio. This sound on this show is grainy, static filled, and damn near unlistenable! It sounds like the hosts are talking to each other through tin cans and recording the show on an old 45 record. I can not even believe that they would even out the show out like this. I have to crank my volume up by 50% just to get a hint of what they are saying. I am not exaggerating in the least bit. I was really looking forward to hearing these guys talk about Disney Imagineers of the past, but 10 seconds into the show I knew that it was going to be a rough listen. It didn’t matter what they said, or how good the content of the show is because the audio, or lack thereof is so distracting you cant focus on what the hosts are saying. This is nothing more than disappointing, upsetting and I think the hosts of this show should really think twice before releasing a show that has such major production and audio problems.

Of Mouse and Man Show#9: This is quickly becoming one of my must listen shows. its not quite there yet, but it is climbing the ladder. I should say that without Scarlett, this show would not be as entertaining. Her constant ranting, cursing, and WTF logic is very funny and great to listen to. The bit where they have a guest host play a different character each week is very tired, kind of forced, and not needed at all. That gag is nothing but distracting to the listener and should be removed as soon as possible. This week the crew talks about the recent information that has come from Disney about the new Dueling Dumbos attraction and queueless queue. at Magic Kingdom. The segment where the hosts are asked if they could design a queueless lounge for any ride is very funny. Per usual the crew does not take this topic seriously, but I have come to expect that from this show. Don’t get your hopes up on this show for hardcore history, information, and content. Just relax and enjoy the cursing and poop jokes. Not every podcast needs to be as serious as an NPR news hour. (Shudder)  Once again, Scarlett goes off and has an epic rant. I can not understate how much she contributes to this weeks show. The hosts also discuss the recent jump in admission prices to WDW. As they share their disgust with the price increases I started to wonder how fine the line was between complaining and ranting.  The chemistry between the hosts is nothing but top notch. Just when the host who plays a different character each week starts to get on your nerves, Scarlett jumps in with a few well-placed bad words and gives you a reason to not tune out. Host Bryan tries so hard to keep the rest of the crew on track and focused, but much like Tim from WDW Fanboys, he often falls short. I really wanted to make this weeks offering from Of Mouse and Man Show of the Week, but its just missing that little bit of something to get it over the top. Maybe, in time it, will get there.  If you want to hear a highly entertaining, slightly informative, and funny show, give this new comer to the much too crowded Disney Podcast scene a shot.  

Inside The Magic Show374: Ricky is just a professional, and it makes me sick. This show is so well structured and has such great sound and production quality I feel like vomiting. Not the kind of, “this show stinks” vomit, but the “I wish I could produce a show 10% as good as this one” kind of vomit. That’s the tastiest vomit there is. Ricky tends not to stray too far away from his usual show format. A news segment, a ride, hotel or restaurant review, and then an interview. The stagnant formatting style can cause comfort or pain. Comfort because you know what to expect, or pain from the mundane same old stuff. Pick your poison. Per usual, this weeks show is no exception. Ricky runs down the news from WDW, Disneyland, Seaworld, etc… He also has a must hear interview with a Disney Imagineer about the new Disney Art of Animation resort. Ricky is a pro at this and knows which questions to ask. My only complaint would be that, much like Lou M, Ricky tends to play nice when it comes to discussing all things Disney. Sometimes overly positive and that can often prevent the true story form coming out. This weeks show Is nothing out of the ordinary, and that’s a good thing for ITM fans; same great audio, production, and content from Ricky.

Show of the Week: DisgeekPodcast Episode 37: I am trying really hard to find something bad to say about this show, but I really can’t. This week Daniel and friends talk about the 20^th anniversary performance of Disneyland’s Fantasmic. They also discuss a recent trip to DCA’s Mad Tea Party, and just like every other Disney podcast, they rant and rave about the increase in Disney ticket prices. Daniel has such a great understanding and grasps of what the listener wants to hear. There is no wasted time at all in this show. Its not that the shows format is air tight, it’s just that everything the hosts say is worth hearing. They do not waste the listener’s time and they make every second count. As someone who has never been to Disneyland I really do count on this show every other week for information and to get a grip on what’s going on over on the other coast. Another thing that helps separate this show from the others is the analysis. Any show can bring you the news and an interview with an imagineer, but the DisGeek hosts have some of the best ideas, opinions, and thoughts out there. They are smart, funny, and really do a great job at getting their point across. If I could make this blog half as articulate as these show hosts are, I would be pulling Lou Mongello type of numbers. From top to bottom this weeks show it a great listen. I am now even more excited to visit the Mad Tea Party and very curious to comparemy experience there with the hosts. Its because of shows like this week’s that keep me coming back to DisGeek for more. The audio at the end of the show of the special 20^th anniversary Fantasmic is even worth the listen. 

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May Show of the Month

I gave you, the readers, a chance to vote on which one of the three Shows of the Week from May you thought should be Show of the Month. The votes came in via twitter @wakefieldreport and the winner and May Show of the month is.......

Show of the Month: Mousestation Episode 447: On this weeks show host Mark makes us all jealous and share some stories and audio from his recent trip to a behind the scenes trip around new Fantasyland in WDW. The audio portion is really neat and brings to the forefront some rare and very special audio. I really wish they would have entered I some pictures along with the audio walk along. Kind of the way WDWNT does with their enhanced podcast, but maybe I am being too greedy and just enjoy the great audio on the show. Mark on eon one interview with Imaginer Chris Beaty is really well done. He manages to get some really important information out of him. Mark definitely knows his stuff and he asks Chris some very interesting questions about the relationship between the new Fantasyland construction and the former 20,000 leagues attraction. That is a question that only a pro who is well versed in WDW history could ask! A big thanks to Mark for reminding me of how little I know about WDW history.  He also asks Chris about sightlines and other things. This interview is a cant miss for anyone who is anticipating the opening of New Fantasyland. The interview with Danielle Duffy is just as good. As someone who does not stay on site I was not as thrilled about the Art of Animation resort, but the interview was still a good listen. This show is very well organized. The hosts have a great presence and really know how to navigate the listener around a podcast. I really find the whole “Mouse Planet” gimmick and mentions kind of forced and corny but its not too much, but it does kind of distract me as a listener. Give me a simple, straight forward listen. Tell me stories and make me laugh. I do not need to hear that I am to, “keep my hands and feet inside the podcast”. I hate it when shows do that. That being said, I am very happy with this show. I am surprised I have made it this long and I am just now getting around to listening to and reviewing the show. At the end of the day, of all the podcasts I listened to this week, I learned the most from Mousesation. Packed with insider information and a splash of Disney history, I was very surprised and pleased with this show. Its my first time listening to the show and my first time reviewing it and it has already won its first Show of the Week! That’s impressive.  

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Photo Roll Call: Disney Hollywood Studios Sunset Boulevard

 

                                                            

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