Wakefield Report

Dis After Dark: Episode 3

2012-02-28T07:18:00.005-08:00

This week I had the honor, and pleasure to co host episode 3 of Dis After Dark. I joined hosts Nick and Paul as we talked about new Disneyland giveaways, vinylmation, and more.

It was a real pleasure to hosts with the guys and I look forward to more!

Twitter:
@disafterdark
@wakefieldreport

Your Mousecast Show #43: The Lee and Chris Show

2012-02-21T15:13:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege to guest host episode show #43 of Your Mousecast. On the show we have a trip report, cover some Disney news, and there is an interview with an expert on RFID usage at WDW.

Big thanks to Allen and my other guest host Lee Mallaby from the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast.

Click here for audio!

Twitter
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@uuopodcast
@yourmousecast

This Week in Podcasting February 12-18

2012-02-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

I should start off this week by apologizing for missing an entry last week. I was spending a few days at Walt Disney World and the more than relaxing conditions at our Sheraton Vistana Villa made for a bit of a hostile writing environment. I would like to tell you all that it wont happen again. Yes, I would like to tell you that......

Minnie Minxes Episode 1: This is yet another new Disney podcast. The one thing that separates this show a bit was the amount of hype that hosts Kim and Laura put behind the show leading up to the first episode. This show, like every theme park podcast from the UK, is a heavily segment based podcast. I think the Brits have cornered the market when it comes to segment based podcasting. The first episode starts off a little bit rough audio wise. In the introduction segment co host Kim kind of sounds like she is broadcasting from the bottom of the ocean using a paper cup. Her audio quality does not get much better throughout the show. I found myself having to constantly adjust the volume on my ipod while listening to this episode. Aside from the audio difficulty, the majority of this show is very decent. The two ladies have had some experience on other Disney podcast and they bring a lot of spirit to the table. The girls do bring an interesting take on the parks, and you can tell they are true fans, who enjoy talking about Disney. This weeks show content is standard for any first show for a podcast. Its alright, but not must hear information. I imagine as time goes on the girls will offer up some choice, quality content. I really hope they are able to fix the audio quality, because this show would be a great edition to any theme park podcasting fan. Lord knows if I tried doing a podcast by myself it wouldn't sound anywhere near as good as this show does.

Dis Unplugged February 15: Anyone who has heard me talk more than 10 minutes about Disney podcasting is going to find this next statement a bit shocking. This weeks Dis Unplugged show
was quite enjoyable. Maybe its because host Pete was away, whats new there though, or maybe it was because the content on this weeks show was decent, useful, and informative. I often find myself in a hypocritical catch 22 when it comes to the Dis Unplugged show. I am a subscriber to the Eric Bischoff philosophy of "Controversy Creates Cash". I love to hear shows where the group criticizes and lays into Disney for their greedy ways. I hate listening to a show where they only spew Disney love, and "everything Disney does is amazing and perfect!" On the other hand, I often times find this show unlistenable because the group does nothing but complain??!! This week the Dis crew gives a review of some Animal Kingdom lodge counter service dining and they also give a well rounded and informative look at the new Magic Kingdom game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Their views and opinions are grounded, and very in touch with the average WDW fan. For a show that has been sliding down hill for the last year or so, this week podcast is a decent listen with some useable information.

Dis After Dark Episode 2: I love this shows opening line, "Warning, this show childish adult content and is intended for immature mature audiences!" This is such a different show. I do not know what I was expecting but I was not expecting this. The hosts have an almost unashamed disposition. They are so upfront and honest with their views its refreshing. Usually when you get a "mature" podcast like this one, the general content and information from the show is top notch. Both hosts are up front and make it a point to tell you how they feel without holding anything back. On episode 2 they discuss some Disneyland Paris news, talk about the new Habit Heroes game at EPCOT, and they Nick has a choice rant about the general theme of Universal Orlando's Ride the Movies campaign. The show's Stupid Question is very funny and I am looking forward to more of these in the future. Yet another new Disney podcast, this one has managed to grab a lot of attention, and stand out from the other Disney podcast "noise." The hosts approach to their show isn't up tight or overly stressful which translates to the audience. Its a nice, funny, and strangely enough, peaceful listen. Nothing too overcharged or rushed.

Disneybrit Episode 88: This podcast is a good example of give and take. The host are extremely personable and likeable. The show is a little bit of a chore for me to listen to though. Ok, maybe saying it is a chore is a bit harsh but I do find my mind wondering while listening to this weeks show in particular. Dont get me wrong, its not the hosts fault, its mine. A lot of the content on this weeks show is focused on Disneyland Paris, and as someone who is not interested in DLP I just did not connect with this weeks show like usual. I really wish I could put myself in the perfect mood and perfect setting when listening to a podcast but that is not always the case. Outside of the DLP talk the team did touch on some of the recent WDW news including the new Art of Animation artwork, new fastpass rules, and more. The save UK Vinylmation segment did not click with me either. I really do not mean to rag on the show, but I just did not find it too terribly relate able. The information was useful, and important but for someone who lives in the US, this weeks show was a too much Brit. The crew does get major points for putting the Brit in Disneybrit. Useful for those of you who live in the UK, but not as much for us Yanks.

SHOW OF THE WEEK: The Rotoscopers Episodes 1 and 2: Ok, so im cheating. Ok, ok, so im really cheating. I'm including a podcast from two weeks ago, but this show isnt even a theme park podcast. With the risk of this blog sounding repetitive, I am a hypocrite! It's true, but I believe this show deserves tons of recognition, and accolades. The three young hosts have chosen to tackle some very difficult subjects and they are wading out into what are uncharted waters. I dont even know where to begin, but ill try. The show is billed as, "A podcast for animation addicts. Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, Don Bluth & everything in between!" I was already sold on the idea from there. Within the first 15 minutes of listening to episode 1 my mind was blown. Just when I thought I had heard everything there was to hear about Disney, this group opened up a new door for me. The hosting crew consist of two girls, one a self described "Disney Freakazoid", and the other a professional singer/Disney fan. Now I dont want to come across as sexist, but a lot of the times when I hear women on podcast their voice comes across as loud, whiny, and some are just unlistenable. Most of the time, they are over excited because of the subject matter, and maybe that accounts for the high pitch sound that sends me reeling. That being said, these two girls have bucked that trend for me and I find theme extremely listenable, likeable, and funny. The other host is Mason Smith who is an animation student at BYU. Put these three hosts together and you have some of the best podcasting I have heard. The show content is so well researched and thought out I was swimming in information. Keep in mind that the crew has only put out two shows, but they sound like they have been friends and co host for years and years. I could go on for days about this young show, but let me just say that. 1. Its not a theme park podcast 2. ANY Disney/animation fan will find it very informative and 3. This show is a growing on me like algae in the lagoon at Animal Kingdom. This, im sure, is not the last you will hear about this show.

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Wakefield Report Logo Contest!!!!!

2012-02-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

Wakefield Report needs a logo. I am as good of an artist as I am a writer. So instead of butchering a logo myself, I have decided to crowd source the project out to you, the readers.

I am looking for a logo that is simple and easy on the eyes, with a focus on the "W" in Wakefield and the "R" in Report. The style, font, color, etc is up to you.

I will chose only one logo. If I chose to use your logo you will be given your choice of a copy of Leonard Kinsey's Dark Side of Disney book, or a Disney Vinylmation. The Vinylmation will be chosen by me at random.

You can submit your entry via email at indy1834@gmail.com or send it to me on twitter @wakefieldreport

The deadline for this contest will be March 1st.

Thanks for reading, listening, and submitting.

Good Luck!

Universal Orlando Discussion Show Episode 2

2012-02-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Episode 2 of the Universal Orlando Discussion Show is out! Check it out at usfdiscussion.wordpress.com Host Ryan Barr is joined by Brandon Glover and myself as we talk about Universal Studios Orlando Islands of Adventure. Give us your feedback on the Facebook page or on twitter.https://twitter.com/#!/WDWDISCussion

Thanks for listening!

This Week in Podcasting: Jan 29-Feb 4

2012-02-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

WDWNT Episode 227: Thisweek host Tom and his crew offer up a rare “themed” show. They turn the focusfor show 227 to the cars of WDW. They start off the show with a ExpeditionEveroth. Co host Adam Roth talks with Tom Coreless about the new exotic carexperience at the Walt Disney World Speedway. Adam gives the best review ofthis experience that I have heard to date. His information is spot on and verydetailed. Adam also does a great job at not only conveying what happened duringthe experience, but he also manages to convey how he felt during the drivingexperience. The team also does one oftheir “Back to the Future” segments. Personally, this segment is my favorite inall of Disney podcasting. This newestedition of Back to the Future did not disappoint. The team goes over thehistory of the WDW Speedway in the Magic Kingdom. They do the standard, greatjob art uncovering the history and behind the scenes stories of this attraction.I really like how the team visits the other Disney parks across the globe anddiscusses the history of other Disney parks Speedways. This week’s show is nota “must listen” necessarily, but it is still a good listen for any WDWfan.

Magical DefinitionPodcast Sunday Jan,29: This podcast from hosts Nathan Rose and Jim Hillcontinues to deliver quality information about theme parks and the Disneycompany I general. This week the decided to do a listener email show. Theformat is as simple as it sounds. Jim and Nathan field about three or fouremails from fans. Jim does a great job at answering the listeners’ questionsand providing some really great can’t miss information. Jim Hill is a wealth ofbehind the scenes information, and if you have ever wondered about what “behindthe magic”, do yourself a favor and listen to this podcast.

Inside the Magic Show356: This week w have another well produced, and well laid out show fromhost Ricky. The structure of this show is one of the best I have heard. This weekRicky talks about his recent trip to Disneyland. He goes into some great depthsdiscussing his stay at the newly refurbished Disneyland Hotel. He also talksabout the different dining experiences he had while out on the west coast. Thisshow was pretty decent. Ricky was not afraid to be critical of Disney and someof the things he thought they could improve on. It is interesting to hear hisunique and different views about the resort. This show is pretty informative tosomeone who is interested in going to Disneyland and needs to know about thehotels, and restaurants. The news section at the beginning of the show is choiceas well. Ricky has a unique format when it comes to covering news stories. He stayson topic, gets the point across, and then moves on. Thumps up two Ricky for asomewhat watered down but still listenable show this week.

Unofficial UniversalPodcast Episode 23: Lee, Tracey, Darren, and Hunter bring their fansanother fun filled show on episode 23. This week they talk about the latestnews from Universal Studios Florida. Part of this show was a bit of a repeat oftheir announcement show from last week. Either way they do give unique and interestinginsight on the big news that came from Universal late last month. The featuredsegment on this week’s show is their Walk the Walk segment. The team venturesthrough the Woody woodpeckers Kid zone. This is a very, very funny segment.Although, I don’t think the team initially set out for the segment to be funny,that’s what it turned into. The hosts do a really great job at being serious,but at the same time, not taking themselves too seriously. It was not the mostinformative segment but the team did a great job at keeping it light and givingsome great opinions on the kid zone. Co host Hunter does another great fact Huntersegment on the E.T attraction. Fan Andy Hughes calls I with a brief trip reportwhich puts a nice bow on what is another stellar show from the UUOP crew.

SHOW OF THE WEEK: WDWFanBoys Episode 112: For anyone whohas read more than one of these podcast reviews its no secret that I am a hugeJim Hill mark. He is a choice source for information and behind the scenessecrets when it comes to Disney and Universal. This week the fanboys team Jimup with long time fan favorite Ron Schneider. The show starts out with theusual introductions and plugs, and after that for the two hours Ron and Jim beginto tear a hole into what was, up until then, my view of the Disney fanboycommunity. They share their opinions when it comes to “arm chair imagineers”and they don’t leave anything to the imagination. No pun intended. FanboysBret, Tim and Paul do a great job at throwing counter points at the twoexperts. Ron and Jim, as usual, pull back the curtain and let the fans behindthe scenes as they share more unheard stories from Disney and Universal. This showis without a doubt one of, if not, the best WDWFanboy episodes I have heard;and not just because Jim and Ron are on. The hosting crew really does a greatjob at pushing forward new, and interesting ideas for the theme parks. These guysare fanboys in every sense of the word. They care about the parks, and they wantto see the parks do well. Let it be known that this show is quickly making itsway up my favorites list!

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Show of the Month: January

2012-02-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

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

Show of the Month: Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast Episode 20 and Special Outtakes Show:

"Hello internet!"

On the show this week hosts Lee,Tracey and Darren are visited by former Universal Studios Orlando team

member RonSchneider. Ron shares stories with the crew about the first ever Christmascelebration at

Universal Orlando. Ron offers up some great insight and tellssome very funny stories. Host Lee Mallaby

lands yet another top notch interviewwith a true theme park insider. Lee is a great interviewer and does a

great job at asking the important questions, while making sure he does not take the spotlight off of his guest.

UUOP continues to be one of my favorite themepark podcast out there today. The way they present their

news at the beginning ofthe show is one of my favorite segments and I look forward to it. With only 20

episodes under their belt the crew at UUOP continues to get better and better.Podcasting is much like a

theme park attraction; it’s all about storytelling,and these guys have managed to get some of the best story

tellers in theindustry on the show. The bonusouttakes show was a special treat. As someone who used to

host a small local highschool TV news show I can appreciate a good blooper. With the special editionof

the bloopers show I think UUOP is more than worthy of “Show of the Week’. The bit where co host

Hunters family member keepsbursting into is room during the show is hilarious! The bonus show will have

you laughing from beginning to end and is well worth the extra download. I lookforward to watching this

show progress and grow in 2012!

Congrats Lee, Tracey, Darren and Hunter!

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This Week in Podcasting: January 22-28

2012-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Disney, Indiana Episode 92: I should start off this review bysaying that I am from Indianapolis, Indiana so this show gets major points fromme from the start for its name alone. I am a big fan of shows where you sit thehosts down and let them talk nonstop for hours on end. No cuts, no edits, andno pausing. After listening to shows like Mouse Lounge and Disney, Indiana, Iam warming up to segment based shows. I am very impressed with the productionquality of this show. This week the crew takes a comprehensive look at Disney’sBeauty and the Beast. They start off their shows by giving a very detailed rundown on the making of and history of the movie. Then they toss in some audio ofwell known Beauty and the Beast songs. The songs they present are some rareones. Foreign versions and I think a Broadway version makes its way into thepodcast. The scripted segments are a little bit corny for my taste but the showoverall is very impressive. My fellow Hoosiers, Scott and Tracey should be veryproud with this high quality and entertaining production they have!

Generation Mouse Episode 50: This is another one of those underratedshows that I do not hear many fans talking about. This show is so funny. Theyoung group of hosts really have a passion and love for WDW, and it reallyshows in their podcast! This week they revisit the topic of their first show. Theygive their top 5 must do’s in Disney. The subject has been done before but thespin that this crew gives the topic makes it worth listening to. Their views andideas are a breath of fresh air and a joy to listen to. The group also does agreat job at giving a different, non standard, set of top 5 things to do at WDW.They market their show as opinions from young adults but this show can appealto any age group. You can tell in their voices that, while young, this group isfilled with true professionals. They also have a lot of charisma which is veryimportant for a group of podcast hosts.

Dis Dad Episode 22: I am not a dad, yet…so I did notthink I would find this podcast useful. I assumed it was a panel of dadstalking what they do at WDW while their wives and kids ride the rides and seethe shows. My assumption that this podcast would be so one dimensional anduninteresting was completely wrong! This week’s show started off a little bitslow. Hosts Ryan, Aaron, Eric, and Carl started off by talking about theiropinions of the WDW monorail resorts. The topic seemed a bit forced, and thecrew did not seem to be too into it for the first half of the show. They didgive some good advice and info, but the segment just didn’t connect with me.Maybe I was in a bad mood or distracted. For some reason, unknown to me, abouthalfway into the show, the podcast picked up a lot of steam and really caught,and kept my attention. They begin to throw fact after fact at the audience andI found myself really enjoying this week’s show. They panel puts guest Carl onthe hot seat and gives him 10 questions to answer. The show all together isgood. Not fantastic, but I will definitely give their next show a listen and Ilook forward to hearing a whole new perspective on Disney.

Your Mousecast #41: The hosts this week are joined byAdam Goodger of Disney Brit to talk about MouseMeets 2012. Adam does a good jobat keeping up with the hosts interesting sense of humor and gets across somereally good info to those who are interested in going to the event in the U.K. Thesegment is funny and informative; what more could you ask for? The hosts arealso joined by a fan who gives a very funny trip report from her latest trip toWDW. All of this along with the unique look on the news from the Your Mousecastcrew makes this week’s show standard fare; very funny, quick, witty, and informative.I am continually impressed with the crew’s ability to keep the show so humorousyet informative at the same time!

Show of the Week: Mouse Lounge Season 6 Episode 10: Let me start off by saying that I think the Mouse Loungepodcast may be the most underrated show out there today. Gary Chambers is atrue professional and deserves a lot of credit for the high quality productionhe puts on. This week he brings his fans a show that is filled with some of thebest Disney audio I have heard so far this year. Featured in this week’s showis a trip around EPCOT’s World Showcase. Gary brings us audio of live musicperformances from each country around the lagoon. As someone who is not thebiggest EPCOT fan, this music was new to me, and I genuinely found itentertaining, Gary also mixes in a Danny Kaye introduction to World Showcase,and a special Illuminations mix, but the segments that started this week’s showtruly made this week’s editions of the Mouse Lounge a must listen. Gary digsout, from the BBC archives, a Russell Davis piece about Walt Disney.Davis interviews a young Walt, and gets some interesting insight into the manbehind the mouse. Mouse Lounge host Chambers also presents a Disney Archive,and Capitol Records 1954 hit, Mickey Mouse’s Birthday Party. This week’s MouseLounge was more than a joy to listen to.

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Universal Orlando Discussion Show

2012-01-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

I am privileged to announce the first Universal Orlando Discussion Podcast! Host Ryan Barr is joined by myself and Brandon Glover. The format is painfully simple; three Universal Orlando fans chatting about what is one of the greatest parks in Orlando. You can visit the official site here. A few people have already asked the obvious and NO, I will not be reviewing the Universal Discussion Podcast on Wakefield Report. You, however, can. Feel free to visit the site, subscribe to the feed, and LIKE the show on Facebook and tell us how you feel. We look forward to bringing you quality and entertaining audio!

This Week in Podcasting January 15-21

2012-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

WDW Discussion Show #5: This week’s show was a little bitdifficult to listen to. The content and information was enjoyable and veryusable but the show lacked some structure and the foundation lost its footingwithin the first 10 minutes of the show. This week the hosts give their own A-Erating to attractions in the Magic Kingdom. The premise of the show is good butthe execution is weak. Co host Anthony King kind of bullies his way through theshow and is constantly reminding host Ryan Barr the he is older than him. Every5 minutes Tony blurts out something like, “Well that’s because you’re a kid”,or something. It’s quite distracting and a huge turn off. I’m not sure if thatwill continue but I would hope it won’t. That being said; the show is veryyoung and the content that they do manage to provide is very insightful andinteresting. If you ignore some of the minor hang-ups I had about the show, itwas somewhat of a good listen. I spent over 4 hours recently recording a newpodcast with host Ryan Barr, and he is very smart, passionate, and interested inothers opinions. That’s the important thing. I’m not trying to rag on the show,as much as I am giving my readers a bit of a warning that this week’s show is alittle rocky, but I’m sure it will get better. Ryan and crew did release a second show this week that I did not have time to listen to before writing this article. It is an interview with Dark Side of Disney author Leonard Kinsey. I am sure it is a great show and interview!

In the Loop Rebooted Jan 16: The show this week from Clint, Adam,and the Legend is nothing out of the ordinary for regular In the Looplisteners. Legend does share some very important information about updates andrehabs from the Orlando parks. The crew plays a fan favorite game, I’ve gotFive on it, where the winner gets a Coater Clock! Surprisingly, the only peoplewho want to call in and win the “clock”, are young people under the age of 16. LikeI have said before, this show is one of the best produced podcasts out there. Clintand his co hosts are funny, witty, and very open to engaging with theiraudience. Each show brings lots of laughs and really great updates about themeparks.

WDW Today Episodes 982-983: Matt Hochberg and crew are back for anotherfull week of shows. On episode 982 they take a look at the “One More Disney Day”promotion that was rolled out on January 1^st. The crew is a bit lategetting to this topic but I not going to hold that against them because Iadmire and respect their expertise so much, I look forward to their views andopinions. The information and conversation in this show is a bit generic, butthe hosts do offer up some unique thoughts. A few of them do intend on stayingat the park for the entire 24 hours and I think they are planning a meet ortwo. On episode 983 the crew talks about the music loops at WDW and how it affectsthe mood and atmosphere at Disney parks and resorts. I am not the biggest fanof listening and dissecting Disney music loops so I have to admit listening tothis show was nothing more than background noise for me while I played Xbox(Iknow, background noise, I realize how ironic that is.)

WDW Fan Boys Show #110: This week show from Bret, Tim, andPaul is not the most flamboyant or glamorous. It is a long trip report fromBret and Tim. The two were down at WDW for a week or so during and after the NewYear holiday. They share some stories with their listeners but the bulk of theactual content is nothing to lose sleep over if you miss the show. Bret shareshis adventures at EPCOT on New Years and reminds me of why I don’t want to setfoot near WDW during the holidays. Co host Tim does offer up some really greatinformation to listeners who might be traveling to the park with a family memberwith disabilities. Tim talks about how the guest assistance card works andshares the challenges and adventuress of having a disabled family member atWDW. In all, this weeks show is not too spectacular but it’s nice to listen toa few friends sit and chat for a bit about their recent trip to Disney andUniversal.

Show of the Week: The DisGeek Podcast Episode 30: This week’s offering from hosts Daniel and Paul isvery deserving of Show of the Week. The show starts off with a pretty good newsegment. The hosts break down the latest movements and happenings Disneyland. Iam someone who does not spend a lot of time listening to DL podcasts, but thisshow is a must listen for any Disney fan. There are some very important thingsthat make this Show of the Week. The feature segment this week is an interviewwith Jae Brattain about former Disney imagineer Roger Broggie. Jae tooka lot of time to research this topic and he really knows his stuff. He offersup a lot of important and fun information. This segment is a must hear; butwhat really makes this week’s show top notch is the rant that co host Paul goeson. The team presents the news that the Disney dance club elecTRONica is beingreplaced by the Tim Burton inspired Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Tea Party. Therant is too good to put into words, but I can assure you it is an earlyfavorite of Rant of the Year!

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This Week in Podcasting January 8-14

2012-01-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

WEDWAY 104: What can I say about WEDWAY that I haven’talready said. Once again, the brothers Parrish turn in another fabulousepisode. Packed with history, stories, and a bit humor, the show this week is anotherfun trip into Disney’s past. This week Matt and Nate are joined by author and Disneyhistorian Sam Gennawey and talk about the Disneyland and Disney World themed land“Adventureland”. Sam is a great interview. I recommend that you pull out anAdventure land map to keep track of what the hosts and Sam are talking about.Sam shares some really great stories and is a real treat to listen to. Withoutmuch fanfare the Parrish brothers turn out another stellar episode that had meclinging to my headphones and wanting to hear just one more minute of thepodcast. Also I should say the WEDWAY Radio has my favorite show opening audio!

WDWNT #225: If you are a fan of the usual formatfor WDWNT then you might find this week’s show a little bit different orlacking. Host Tom Coreless has a bit of a shortened show this weeks when he isjoined by co host Scott Smith to talk about the new Magic Kingdom interactivegame, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Nothingtoo fancy n this show as Scott shares his experience and thoughts on playingthe game. Tom does a great job at providing the listener with images from thegame using WDWNT’s unique enhanced show technology. At times, Scott does comeacross as a bit too nitpicky and critical of the game. Scott seems to be theone in the WDWNT hosting group who is always there to criticize or be generallynegative about something; but maybe I’mthe one who is criticizing too much. Altogether this week’s show is a reallygood listen and I enjoyed hearing the details about the game from Scott andTom.

Mousechat.net Jan 7, 2012: Hosts Lisa, Bob, Chris and Laruentake some time this week to look at what’s ahead for Disney World and UniversalOrlando in 2012 and they also discuss which attractions in WDW are the mostunderrated. The crew does a great job this week breaking down everything that’scoming to Orlando in 2012. I am a new listener to this show and I am veryimpressed with their professionalism and their willingness to listen to theother talk. Often times when you have multiple hosts in podcasting they arebusy talking over each other or you can tell that they are just waiting fortheir co host to stop speaking so they can say their own piece; but the Mousechatters are very different. Their opinions on topics are very well thought outand there was even some disagreement between the hosts on a few topics. Like I said,I’m new to this podcast. I’m not sure if every show is as good as this week’s,but if they are then this show will soon be a favorite of mine.

Coasterradio.com #615: This week’s coasterradio.com show wasa real treat. The hosts are joined by Seth Kubersky who is the author of "UniversalStudios 2012: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park.". Seth shares some really great insightand information with hosts about how things unfolded at Universal Orlando lastyear and what is set to go down this year at UOR. In the same vein as Jim Hill,Seth has a unique behind the scenes perspective that only a few theme parkinsiders can provide. Hosts Mike and E.B did a great job of holding things downas well. Mike and E.B remind me of a throwback AM morning radio duo who keepyou laughing on your way into work while managing to throw some nuggets of newsyour way. The crew discusses what may or may not replace the now empty JAWS andAmity area at Universal. They even manage to get in a quick lesson on the “ethics”of theme park journalism. The information exchanged during this show is musthear for any Universal Orlando or Harry Potter fan. This show is definitelyworth the listen in what was otherwise a slow and stale week in theme parkpodcasting,

Show of the Week: WDW Radio #256: Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a bigfan of WDW Radio. It is not near the top of my must listen shows for the week,and if I go a week or two without listening I am not heartbroken. That beingsaid, this week’s offering from Lou Mon J-e-ll-o(its alive!) blew me the effout of the water. I downloaded this show at my house and then went on what wasgoing to be a leisurely bike ride to Siesta Key Beach here in Sarasota, Florida(rated the number 1 beach in America by Dr. Beach btw). The bike ride takesabout 30 minutes. As I started listening to this week’s WDW Radio, I heard Louintroduce his guest for this week, JimKorkis. My interest was piqued; but then when I heard Lou say that he and Jimwere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and that they were going to discuss thehistory and legacy of the Disney film The Rocketeer I was ready to turn off thepodcast and coast to the beach with Dave Matthews Band in my ears. I am so glad I decided to listen to this showinstead. With little to no knowledge of the Rocketeer I learned a hell of a lotof new thing about the film and the hidden gems in DHS from this show. Asusual, Korkis is a huge source for Disney knowledge and he unleashed his mightybrainy fury of Lou’s listeners this week. I am headed to DHS on January 17, andI plan on looking for the artifacts that Jim and Lou talked about. This showcovers almost everything you want to know, or everything you didn’t know youwanted to know about the Rocketeer.

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This Week in Podcasting January 1 - 7

2012-01-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

In the Loop RebootedJan 2: This week thecoaster crew hosts are joined by Doug Barnes of The Season Pass Podcast. The iTunesdescription for this week’s show says it all, “They BS more then they chat.”This is completely true. The show this week is a little bit less structuredthan usual but if you’ve listened to this show more than one, you are used toit, and you have learned to love it. Special host Doug adds more comedy andinsight on this show. I guarantee you will laugh from start to finish whilelistening to this week’s show. Listener Gavin calls in with his trip reportfrom his recent visit to Dolly Wood. Gavin in young and offers insight andanalysis like no one else can. The “kettle corn” segment is the best. The crewtries to call co host Legend to get some first hand, on sight reporting of theclosing of the Universal Orlando JAWS ride, but he won’t answer the damn phone! You will never think about your computer mouse the same way after listening to this week's show.This week’s show in particular takes on a stream of consciousness type of flowthat will keep you on your toes. This show is always in my weekly rotation andI listen to it live, or download it for a morning bike ride to work.

Be Our Guest Podcast Episode399: This show isthe warm, fluffy, cuddle kind of show that really makes you feel good. Not thatmuch controversy, or arguments and really relaxing. BOG is a neat show that Ilike to listen to while trying to relax from a hectic day of retail management.On this week’s show host Mike Rahlmann flies solo this week and interviews twoDisney fans about their most recent visit to WDW. The couple is very likeableand seems to have a good time while on the show. Host Mike does a good job at steeringinterviews and does a good job at pulling the important information out of hisguests. This week’s show is just a trip report and a little one dimensional. Nonews, rumors or other content, but that’s ok. This is a very good trip reportfrom the guests. The really make a conscious effort to share their trip withthe BOG listeners. Trip reports are a great and unique way of podcast hostconnecting with their fans and sharing information with their listeners.

WDW RadioShow 255: Whew! This week’s offering from Disney podcasting overlord LouMon(j-e-ll-o) is monster two and a half hour show. I have to say that I am notthe biggest WDW Radio fan. Lou’s show tends to lack objectivity at times; andwhile I don’t think every show needs to rag on Disney on each and every show, Ido think the same old, “Disney is great and wonderful all the time” get verytired after about three shows. That being said I was hooked on this week’s WDWRadio show after about the first 10 minutes of listening. Lou was joined by afew co hosts for this special show where they look back on 2011 Disney news andhappenings. From attraction openings, closings, AVATAR, cruise lines and restaurantsthis show covers almost everything Disney in 2011. Except for a certain newannoying theme park blog debuting in late fall of 2011. Lou has some reallygreat insight and opinions on what went down at Disney in the past year, but Ihave to go back to the lack of objectivity. At one point in the show he even managesto put over Stitches great Escape! No one, I mean no one is such a huge fan ofWalt Disney World that they can put that attraction over. Somehow overlypositive Lou manages to do it though. Other than that this week’s show was ahuge success in my book. I really enjoyed listening to this show and it was anearly favorite of mine to be show of the week.

Inside the Magic Show #352: This week’s shows from host RickyBrigante is over four and a half hours long….! I’m still listening to it and I’llget around to doing a review on it around the third week in May.

Betamouse #92: This was the finale show for HenryWork and the Betamouse crew. They all got together for a live show and talkedabout the past present and future of Disney tech. They all did a greatretrospective on their previous episodes running down show topics and guests. Afterlistening to them run down the previous episodes I am now more curious thanever to go back into the Betamouse archives and listen to them all. Throughoutthe entirety of the live show the crew took live calls from listeners, formerguests, and others. It was very fun, yet sad to listen to the crew reminisceabout the past 91 shows. Really consider taking some time out of your day tolisten to this genuine group of friends say good bye.

Show of the week: Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast #21: Damnit! Damnit, damnit, damnit! I wastrying really really hard to not repeat “Show of the Week” in the first fewmonths of this blog. I was trying even harder to not have a back to back “Showof the Week” winner. I was trying extremely hard not to seem like a whoreishshill for UUOP (even though I really am!), but the purpose of this part of theblog is to showcase which show I think offers up the most information, content,and history to the average theme park podcast listener. This week UnofficialUniversal podcast is a tribute show to JAWS. When I first heard about the ideafor this show I thought, “Well, ok, that should be decent.” Decent it was not;this show was freaking awesome. I can say that this is an early Show of the Year candidate! Lee and Traceyopen the show by giving us their thoughts of the classic Universal ride closing.Then they invite a former Universal JAWS skipper on to talk about hisexperiences and adventures on the attraction. The insight offered up by thisformer skipper is amazing. The behind the scenes info he shares would rival thekind offered by Jim Hill. Speaking of Jim Hill, he is also on the show andgives information on the building and evolution of the famous ride. There isalso a helping of cast member SPEW stories, trip reports, a fact Huntersegment, emails from fans, and much much more. This show is without a doubtstory telling at its best. This is everything I think a podcast should be! Two thumbsall te way up to Lee, Darren, and Tracey for putting out an instant classic!

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CONFESSION AND RESOLUTIONS FROM AN ORLANDO THEME PARK FAN

2012-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

I first ventured into the Orlando area theme parks in thespring of 2010. While a seasoned veteran in theme parks in general, I am astill a bit of a novice when it comes to the Big 3 in Orlando. Although amonthly visit to Orlando is helping me play catch up. I think as someone who ispushing himself as a source for “theme park news, reviews, ideas and opinions”,I should take a look at the things I have and have not done inside and outsideof the Orlando area. I figured what better way to kick off the New Year thanwith a slate of confessions and resolutions to share with all ten of myreaders!

Confession # 1. I go to Orlando for a theme park visit, be itUniversal or WDW, about once a month. I live about 2 hours south of Orlando inthe Gulf coast city of Sarasota. So needless to say the last thing I want to doafter a full day of theme park touring is make the 2 hour trek back home in themiddle of the night. I always get a hotel room for the night. Most of thesemonthly trips are multi day trips. On these, obviously, a hotel room is a must.In 2011 I logged about 25 hotel nights in about 13 different hotels in Orlando.None, nada, zero, zilch of these nights were spent inside of a WDW or Universalhotel! That’s right. I have my own semi successful theme park blog, but who doesn’tnow a days, and I have not stayed “on property!” I am ashamed and embarrassed,but I have my reasons. The average nights stay for an on property, value levelhotel stay at WDW is about $90 depending on the time of the year. These hotelsare well themed and close to the Disney parks. I however, have chosen the cheaproute when it comes to staying overnight in Orlando. I bid for hotel roomsonline on priceline.com. This is an uncharted and scary experience for most Orlandovisitors but I think it’s really easy and well worth the time. In 2011, the most I paid for a hotel room inOrlando was $65 a night. The lowest star level hotel I visited was 3 stars; thefurthest I have been from WDW was only about a 20 minute drive from my hotel onI-drive by Universal Orlando. The value and quality is a no brainer for me. Iam in love with bidding for hotels because it is considerably cheaper thanstaying on property at WDW or, god forbid, the very expensive hotels insideUniversal Studios gates. That being said, it is time to stop making excuses,stop being cheap, and it’s time to start experiencing life inside the resorthotels.

Resolution: In2012 I plan on staying at 3 different Walt Disney World resort hotels. One value, one moderate, and, gulp… one deluxeDisney hotel. I would love to stay at Pop Century and since I am a premiumannual passholder I get a considerable room discount. I would love to stay atPort Orleans and maybe even, again, gulp….the Grand Floridian! In addition, Iam absolutely dying to spend at least one night at the Universal Studios Hard RockHotel! I have heard so many good things about this place and I know, after thesting of the price wears off, I would love to spend a night in the Hard Rock. Thehour early entry into the theme parks does not hurt either.

Confession #2: Thisconfession is personally as shocking asmy first one. I am a hardcore, tothe bone, balls out theme park tourist. I want to ride as many rides, see asmany shows, and watch as many parades as possible. When you are so committed tosuch a balls to the walls them park lifestyle something has to give. For me, unfortunately,it has been sit down, table service dining inside the theme parks and hotels. Ido have another reason for not enjoying fine restaurants like Chef Mickey’s, 50’sPrimetime Café or Confisco Grille. The price (are you sensing a theme here?). Iam the kind of theme park tourist who packs his back pack full of cookies,chips, and other unhealthy snacks that melt and leave a mess in my bag by thesecond hour in the park. I do make it a point to seek out a counter service restaurantfor my lunch while inside the parks, but I know it’s not the same. I can easilysuck it up and pay the extra dough for a dinner, but I have been choosing totake the cheap route (Golden Corral). I have also heard multiple horror storiesabout how the food at table service venues, at WDW in particular, is nowherenear the quality and value that it should be.

Resolution: Forevery horror story I have heard about the food at these restaurants, I haveheard two about how good the selection is at these places. Tonga toast! How canI call myself a Disney World freak, and I have never tasted Tonga Toast!? Howcan I call The Lost Continent one of my favorite lands at Universal (hush) andI have never been to Mythos?! I am a fraud, a cheat, and a loser. I resolve to dineat a table service venue in each and every one of the major Orlando theme parksin 2012. I can, nay, I will rightthis wrong!

Confession #3: Ilove Walt Disney World! I love Universal Studios! Each time I go to these parksit feels like my first time all over again. The two hour drive there each monthcan’t be over with fast enough. All of my Orlando hotel check ins are in themiddle of the night at like 1 or 2 am! Why? When we arrive in Orlando we could stop by the hotel, check in, throwour bags downs, and then head to the parks; but I get so excited and impatientto walk though those gates, we totally skip the hotel process and go right tothe park. Because of this love for Disney and Universal that generates a lackof patience and abundance of ADD, I have nevervisited Sea World Orlando! I love animals and zoos, and I love dolphinshows, but every time I sit down to plan an Orlando trip and add in a Sea Worldday a little voice in the back of my mind says, “But that’s a day you can spendat Disney!”

Resolution: In2012 I am determined to stomp a mud hole in that little voice and silence himforever. Sea World is a world class theme park and I can’t wait to plan a tripthere. 2012 will be the year of Shamu!

Confession #4: I wouldlike to make a public apology to about 3000 people. These 3000 people have submittedthemselves to the worst kind of torture, pain, and agony imaginable. They arethe visitors and viewers of youtube.com/prideofsimba. Prideofsimba was ayoutube channel that I started about a year or so ago to share my Disney videoswith my Facebook friends. The videos on this site are shaky, out of focus, andpoorly produced monsters that showcase and highlight how much of an amateur I trulyam. It was started innocently enough and I do love the heck out of it, but theproduction quality leaves a lot to be desired. I did spend a lot of timewondering if I should even keep the channel up. There are countless channelsout there filled with people who have much better cameras and talents than me. Sowhy should anyone spend their valuable time visiting my channel and watching myvideos?

Resolution: Ibegged, groveled, and pleaded to my partner Daniel for a new digital camera forChristmas. On Christmas morning my dreams came true and I got a brand newcamera! I am constantly thinking of new ways to entertain, and inform my YouTubeviewers. I have some pretty good ideas, I think, of ways to make my videosstand out from the rest and I am committed in 2012 to providing quality contentto youtube.com/prideofsimba Stay tuned!

Well there it is, for better or for worse, those are my 2012confessions and resolutions. I really hope that my fan boy card is not revoked.I hope to accomplish all of these things in 2012. It is going to involve me steppingoutside of my comfort zone a little bit, and taking some chances. Orlando has alot to offer and I have only scratched the surface. 2012 will be a year of adventure, mystery,and fun. I hope to see you in the parks, hotels, and restaurants. If you wouldlike to meet up in 2012 in any of these places feel free to hit me up ontwitter @wakefieldreport

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This Week in Podcasting December 25-31

2012-01-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

WDWNT 2011 ChristmasPodcast Parade: Bonuspoints to Tom Coreless and crew for doing something unique and different for aChristmas time podcast. The guys really step outside of the box for theirannual Christmas Podcast Parade. As the warning on the show noted states, “Thisshow is a comedy show with no education value what so ever!” With that beingestablished I really enjoyed it. I had second and third thoughts when I firstdownloaded this show, but I decided to give it a shot. The show is 100%scripted with the hosts playing various characters throughout the almost twoand a half hour show. At times the content is immature and forced but like anytelevision skit show it has its share of ups and downs. The segments, for themost part, are funny, unique, and original. I am really impressed with the levelof talent of the hosts. They really put a lot of work and thought into thisshow. If you are getting tired of the regular ho hum “What is there to do in Disneyduring Christmas” type of shoe, you should really give this show a listen. Giveit time. It is very well produced and very funny!

The Season Pass PodcastEpisode 188: Thecrew is visited by and interviews author Chris Dearman. Dearman is the authorof Santa’s Village Gone Wild. Once again Season Pass host Doug Barnesdoes a great job at interviewing the author and Dearman gives a lot of insightand information into a little known Chicago area park. The stories shared onthis show are true one of a kind adventures that you will definitely want tohear. The show is light on news this week but you won’t even think about newsonce you listen to the first five minutes of this show. While other shows tryto cover a variety of different topics each week, the season pass does a greatjob at putting all of its focus on one topic. This show has great productionquality the quality of the content is second to none!

WDW Dis Cussion ShowEpisode 4: On thisepisode host Ryan Barr is joined by his regular co hosts Casey Kol, Ron Bidnez,Tony King and once again WDW Fanboys co host Paul Miller pops in for a guesthost spot. The group talks about the holiday happenings at Disney World. Thissame topic was talked about on plenty of other podcasts this week, so it wasnot the most dynamic show .Although I don’t think many other people are insane enoughto listen to as many podcasts each week as me. When I started listening to theshow I kind of got down in the dumps about hearing the same old informationabout celebrating Christmas at WDW, but the crew soon pulled me out of the pits with their great storiesand unique perspective. Sometimes having more than three or four hosts on ashow can be a bit challenging for a host and overwhelming for a listener, butthis crew manages to make it work. Major points to this young podcasting crewfor knowledge, and chemistry. The show is not perfect by any stretch but it isa good listen. With a runtime of about 50 minutes this would be a good show tolisten to on a lunch break in the middle of the week. The show is a bit lighton news and behind the scenes information, but they make up for that with indepth first hand, personal experiences from inside the parks. If you like WDWFanboys you will most likely enjoy this show.

Magical DefinitionPodcast-Unwrapping Disney’s Christmas Carol: When almost every other podcast this week was wrappingup 2011, or going over the holiday happenings at Walt Disney World, Magical Definitionhosts Jim Hill and Nathan Rose took a different approach. On the showthe two hosts explain and break down how the Disney marketing machine helpeddevelop, push, and market the 2009 Disney film, A Christmas Carol. Jim Hill offersnever before heard information and access to the inside world of Disneymarketing. He discusses where the marketing team went wrong, and what they didright. When it comes to marketing a movie, Jim Hill makes it clear that Disneyhas the precision of a military operation. As always, listening to this show ispure joy! Nathan and Jim have great chemistry and a good job at bouncingquestions and ideas off of each other. It was very refreshing to hear the hostsapproach this holiday show differently. It is a stellar show that is well worththe listen.

Show of the Week: Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast Episode 20 and Special Outtakes Show:

"Hello internet!"

On the show this week hosts Lee,Tracey and Darren are visited by former Universal Studios Orlando team member RonSchneider. Ron shares stories with the crew about the first ever Christmascelebration at Universal Orlando. Ron offers up some great insight and tellssome very funny stories. Host Lee Mallaby lands yet another top notch interviewwith a true theme park insider. Lee is a great interviewer and does a great job at asking the important questions, while making sure he does not take the spotlight off of his guest. UUOP continues to be one of my favorite themepark podcast out there today. The way they present their news at the beginning ofthe show is one of my favorite segments and I look forward to it. With only 20episodes under their belt the crew at UUOP continues to get better and better.Podcasting is much like a theme park attraction; it’s all about storytelling,and these guys have managed to get some of the best story tellers in theindustry on the show. The bonusouttakes show was a special treat. As someone who used to host a small local highschool TV news show I can appreciate a good blooper. With the special editionof the bloopers show I think UUOP is more than worthy of “Show of the Week’. The bit where co host Hunters family member keepsbursting into is room during the show is hilarious! The bonus show will haveyou laughing from beginning to end and is well worth the extra download. I lookforward to watching this show progress and grow in 2012!

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THIS WEEK IN PODCASTING: DECEMBER 18-24, 2011

2011-12-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

WDW FanBoys Episode 106: IN this show hosts Bret, Tim and Paulcover what merchandise they think Disney geeks and fans would love to find undertheir tree for Christmas. This show is filled with great stories and interactionbetween the hosts. They offer up some suggestions of what to buy, and sharewhich memorabilia they own. Check out their website for good pictures of the merchandisethat they own. They continue to mature and hone their podcasting techniques andthis show in particular was very informative and fun to listen to. I reallyfeel like the hosts compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They arevery personable and seem, at least, to be interested in what the other issaying. A good solid offering from the crew this week.

Season Pass Podcast Episode 187: On this week show Doug Barnesand Brent Young interview Pete Owens who is the Media/Public Relations Managerfor Dollywood Company. As someone who has never been to Dollywood, I found thisshow very interesting. The interview does a great job and covering the pastpresent and future of the Tennessee Park. I learned a hell of a lot from thisshow. Pete Owens really knows his stuff and told some really great storiesabout how the park came to be. I’m a real nerd for that kind of stuff. Host DougBarnes asks some really great questions and does a great job at getting the necessaryinformation out of his guest. The trio also covers the upcoming Wild Eaglecoaster that is being built in Dollywood. TSPP continues to impress me. It is aquality and professional show.

Remotely Universal Episode 4 CaptainJakes Casino: Theshow hosts Will and Logan try to explore the consequences and effects of apossible casino being put in the family tourism Mecca of Orlando. On thesurface it would seem like a good topic for a show, but the hosts just can’tquite pull it off. The hosts are inexperienced, and not just in podcasting, Iwonder if the pair has even been to Universal Studios. Their working knowledgeof the parks is mediocre at best. It almost seems like when covering a topicabout the park, they are reading off of a map or Universal’s Wikipedia page. Whenthe hosts give their opinion on a certain topic or news story, their thoughtsare undefined and one dimensional at best. (And I bet a lot of you are sayingthat same thing about this blog right now!) Was there a need for anotherUniversal Studios podcast? Of course there was, but I think the crew over atWDW Today just thought they could throw two guys in front of a microphone andmake a show about Universal and make some money off of it. The show does havegreat production quality and some good structure, but as we already know, greatstructure without quality content does not a good show make. Bottom line is, ifyou follow the usual theme park suspects on twitter and facebook, and you readscreamscape once a week, you really aren’t going to miss much by not listeningto this podcast. The hosts are very likeable and personable but this show has along way to go. Money can’t buy content, passion, and charisma. I’ll keeplistening to this show and I hope it improves.

WDWNT Episodes 222 – 223: On episode 222 the crew finally wrapped up their two and a half yearquest to determine what era was the Golden age in Walt Disney World history.They give their opinions on which time period in Downtown Disney and the watersparks was the best era. The opinions they offer up are solid and hold a lot ofwater. I really enjoyed listening to the crew wrap this segment up. Which yearin Walt Disney World history will “be the defining moment in 4 decadesof incredible attractions, dining, and entertainment?” You’ll have to listen to find out. Trust me;it will be well worth your time. On episode223 host Tom Corless gives a one on one interview with the author and Disneycritic Kevin Yee. Kevin Yee is a writer of miceage.com and author of bookslike, Your Day at Disney, and Mouse Trap. On this show he offers some greatinsight and sharp pointed opinions about the state of WDW today. Kevin is agreat writer and is not afraid to be objective. Host Tom does a great job atinteracting with Kevin and the two make the show very easy to listen to. Bothshows this week from WDWNT offer upgood information and lots of fun. Yes, I cheated a bit as episode 222 was released on the December,16. I am sure this will ruin the little credibility and good standing I had with the theme park fan community.

SHOW OF THE WEEK: UnofficialGuide Disney Dish Episodes 3-4: The purpose of the show of the week is toshare with fans the podcast that has the most information, history, and fun eachweek. Without a doubt the Disney Dish brings all of those things and more tothe podcasting table this week. Perpetual Rebel Spy Jim Hill and UnofficialGuide guru Len Testa, are your host for this delightfully simple podcast. Theformat for the show is great; give Len and Jim a recorder and have them walkaround the theme parks and tell stories. When I went through my Top TenPodcast, the Jim Hill and Nathan Rose show Magical Definition was at the top ofmy list for a reason. Disney Dish is this week’s show of the week for the samereason. Jim and Len pack these walk through shows with tons of history andinformation. Humor plays a big part in the shows as well. Jim and Len arealmost unknowingly funny. During the Animal Kingdom show, Len mentions thebuzzards circling over the hosts, and Jim Hill looks up and screams, “I’m notdead yet!” Listening to Jim tell stories as the pair walk through Animal Kingdomand EPCOT is pure joy. Jim dissects each ride, pavilion, and retail shop. Jimis such a wealth of information and knowledge. He shares stories from him aboutwhat attractions could have been and why they never came to be. The section ofepisode 3 when the hosts talk about the future AVATAR land in Animal Kingdom isfull of useful never before heard information. I really look forward to moreshows from Len and Jim.

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OCCUPY DISNEY! Examining how Disney is milking every penny out of its theme park fans, one parade at a time. PART 2: Merchandising

2011-12-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

Disney loves to make money, and one of the most successfulmethods of making money for the Disney Company is their merchandising division.To be more formal it’s the Disney Consumer Products arm of the company. They produce toys, clothing,and other merchandising based upon Disney-owned properties. Disney isconsidered to be at the very top of the mountain when it comes tomerchandising. They approach their merchandising with precision pin pointaccuracy that even Seal Team 6 would admire. Just think about the way they getyour kids wrapped up into Disney characters. Lets take Disney/Pixar Cars forexample. First your kids see the promotion for the movie on the Disney channel.Then you buy your kid the hat and shirt he sees in the apparel section of WalMart. Maybe your kid wears that hat or shirt to the movie. After seeing themovie your child is whipped into a Cars frenzy and tells you he wants MOREmerchandise! Then you hear that there is a character meet and greet at WaltDisney World. Maybe you buy a Cars stroller to cart the kid around in while atWDW. While at WDW Disney hits you over the head with kiosk after kiosk of Carshats, light up spinners, shirts, books, cups, etc… Bottom line Disney isfocused on building great characters with lots of depth and dimension; for thesake of a good story, yes, but more so for the purposes of turning a goodcharacter into a merchandising, money making machine.

While the money they make from theme park admission, hotels,and restaurants is big and important, one of the top priorities at Walt DisneyWorld is selling merchandise. Merchandise reached more than 90 countries and generated an estimated $40 billion at retail in 2010. Over the last 88 years Disney has developed oneof the most loyal and fanatic fan bases in all of corporate America. Disneyfans will walk through a wall of fire to get the latest limited edition pin, orcut off their right arm just to get a chance to stand in line to buy theirdaughter a new dress from the latest Disney princess movie. On top of all ofthis madness there is one section of Disney fans who take it to a new level ofextreme. Disneyana is a term for toys, books, animation, theme-parksouvenirs, and other collectibles produced by the Disney Company. Disneyana collectors will stop at nothing toget the latest limited edition, must have Disney novelty. More importantly, tothe Disney Company Disneyana fans will pay almost any price for these preciousobjects. It is a bit unfair to talk prices and value when it comes to Disneyanacollectors. After all, they are in the business of collecting and reselling,and Disney has little to no responsibility for the inflated after market valueof these products.

Often times Disney finds itself lacking fun, interesting,and lovable characters that they can pimp out to young children who beg theirparents to go out and merchandise of said character. So, instead of pushing itswriters and character developers to come up with new characters, Disney haschosen to buy other characters. Disney is like a hungry monster that likes togobble up intellectual property and characters like Michael Moore likes togobble jelly donuts. Pixar is a big example of this, but now many beloved Pixarcharacters have been created under the Disney umbrella so its one in the same. Other casualties include,Marvel Characters, Inc., TheMuppets, The Baby Einstein Company, and to a smaller extentESPN. On the $4 billion purchase of Marvel, Disney chief Bob Iger said that thedeal, will “allow Disney to sell Marvel's vast array of characters andproperties across different media platforms and in many more markets.” Disney was hungry and a little desperate tobring more characters and content into the fold, but more importantly Disneysaw an opportunity to make a truck load of money off of Spidey and pals merchandise.

Greed does have its price. The first Disney Store (thentitled "The Disney Store") opened in Glendale, California on March18, 1987. As any kid from the 90’s would tell you, going to the Disney storewas like going to Disney World without actually going to Orlando. During the90’s and the 2000’s the Disney stores saw very strong sales, but in 2004 afterseeing massive operating costs and the exit of key executives in DisneyConsumer Products, Disney decided to convert most of its Disney Stores into alicensed operation. In 2008 Disney purchased back the stores and closed almost40% of all Disney Stores. It was a massive failure and it put a huge spotlighton Disney’s greed. Disney stores were liquidated and closed faster than ChairmanMao closed churches and temples. Disney said that they believed a smaller chain"could add value to the Company in the promotion and monetization of itsgrowing number of robust franchises". Today, with the exception of themassive World of Disney store in Downtown Disney, the Disney Store is literallya shell of what it used to be. You can still find what was a Disney Store inyour local mall today; just look for a temporary Halloween costume shop or thenewest Victoria Secret. Look closely, yup, that used to be a Disney Store.

From watered down Disney stores in malls, to overpriced themepark princess makeovers Disney is making bank on selling crap to its fans. Theyhave managed to homogenize their theme park merchandise under the much hatedDisney Parks label. You can read a very passionate letter to the Disney Companyfrom Ola Suddeth titled “Please Give us Quality Park Merchandise Again!”Theyhave shoved worthless stuffed toys on end caps at Wal Mart and they have pricedtheir in park merchandise into the stratosphere. As we “Occupy Disney”, there is a wayto fight back against this monstermega evil corporation. Mousesurplus.com is a site where Disneyana collectorscan buy theme park and resort treasures. While most of the prices for themerchandise on mousesurplus.com is a bit hard to swallow, like a DisneyTomorrowland Transit Authority Attraction Door for $800, there are somereally good deals on the site. Mousesavers.com has a decent guide to some discountedDisney merchandise. You too, can write your own letter to the head of DisneyConsumer Products, Bob Chapek, and tell him how you feel about the overpriced,cheaply made, homogenized crap Disney is spitting out at its all too willingfans. In the end it is the responsibility of the Disney Company to make as much money for its shareholders as possible, but it is also our responsibility, as consumers, to keep Disney in check.

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THIS WEEK IN PODCASTING: DECEMBER 11-17, 2011

2011-12-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

WDW Kingdomcast Episode 7, Drinking Around the World: This week’s show features special guest Leonard Kinsey, authorof The Dark Side of Disney. As is the usual with this show there is a lot ofcursing, drinking, and farting. Nothing wrong with that, if that’s what your inthe mood for. The premise of the show starts out innocently enough; lets walkaround world showcase and talk about the best places to drink. This formatended up molested and abused by about the third country. Drinking shots afterevery country can do that to you. Its not the best the WDW Kingdomcast hostshave to offer, but it wasn’t a bad listen. Slightly entertaining and funny,this show was fun to listen to while sitting back in my game chair and playingWWE12. Any show that has Leonard Kinsey on it will get my attention.

Betanouse #90Optimized Touring Plans: This week was a week of highs and lows forBetamouse fans. Host Henry Work discussed how to use the new Touring Plansapplication which optimizes in park touring plans. Joined by Unofficial WDW Guideand Touring Plans guru Len Testa, Henry breaks down different situations youmay find yourself in while using the new Touring Plans application. The two goback and forth and really put the application through its paces. The newapplication allows you to update, change and adjust your on the go, in the parktouring plan. If you find yourself in the park consider using the free app.Good conversation and interaction between Len and Henry. On a much more depressingside, Betamouse host Henry Work announced that he will be leaving his post atTouring Plans and his position as host of the show. He will be working for theDisney Company. As a result he will be discontinuing the Betamouse podcast. If youhaven’t listened to the show yet, I’d say it’s time you begun. Start downloadingand you wil learn a ton about WDW tech!

In the Loop RebootedDecember 12 2011: The Coaster Crew does it again. Another show filled withmarginal theme park info, half cocked opinions about upcoming attractions andslightly less foul language. All kidding aside, host Clint is a trueprofessional and puts on one of the best produced shows I’ve ever heard. This week’sshow sees a fun contest for tickets to Dollywood. Co host Joel does give somereally insightful views and opinions on the latest happenings at Disney. I lovethe live interaction the hosts have with the fans in the chat room. Any podcastthat takes live phone calls from listeners gets bonus points from me. AlecBaldwin is this weeks Douche of the Week.

WDW Today Shows 967, 968: In addition tothe usual “Listener Questions” show this week MattHochberg and the rest of the WDW Today crew gave us episode 967. The hostspick a value or moderate resort at WDW and explain how they would turn it intoa deluxe resort. The idea had a lot of merit and potential but I think the crewmay have phoned this one in. With predictable answers like, “I would add a tableservice restaurant” or “I would make the pool bigger”, I think the crew really wasteda golden opportunity. This topic had lots of potential but trying to squeezethe opinions of 5 different people into 15 minutes really waters down the show.They can really do better. Words I have heard my mom repeat a thousand times.

The Dis Unplugged December 14 2011: Thisweek’s show from the Dis was… sigh…. I mean it was…..sigh……What I’m trying tosay is that the show was very……sigh…. Ok, ok. This week’s show did not offer upmuch in the way of news, content, information, or entertainment. I guess youcould say it was their year in review show? The crew was broadcasting live fromthe Swan and Dolphin hotel the morning after their big party at UniversalWizarding World of Harry Potter. The show opened up like any other DisUnplugges show; the crew glossed over a few news stories and then spent a lotof time trying to sell you Dreams Unlimited trips. Sigh. This weeks show was achance for the Dis to thank their fans for listening and buying all those expensiveoverpriced trips from Dreams Unlimited travel. I say it was a chance for the crew to thank the fans,but instead the show consisted of fan after fan walking up to the mic andthanking the podcast crew for all they do. Again… sigh…. How this show managesto maintain such a loyal almost fanatical fan base I have no earthly clue. Theymust be taking a page out of Ron Pauls book. If you missed this show, thankyourself!

Your Mousecast Show 38 –Back in Time: Thisis another one of those shows that continues to get better and better with eachnew edition. The hosts continue to gel and their interaction with each other isgreat. They also have one of the best and most entertaining news recap segmentsin Disney podcasting. On this week’s edition the crew talks to Disney historianJim Korkis. Jim talks about some general Disney history and also makes anappeal to all the single ladies in the UK. The hosts didn’t miss a beat when itcame to trying to keep up with Jims slightly twisted since of humor. Hosts Alan,Chris and Steve did a great job at asking Jim insightful questions, and Jim didan equally great job at answering them. A very interesting and informativelisten for any Disney podcasting fan. Your Mousecast may be one of the most underappreciatedshows out there.

SHOW OF THEWEEK: WEDWAY 100 This may not only be just the showof the week, but this may be the show of the year! In WEDWAY 100 we listen tothe first meeting of the Metro RetroHistorical Society. The society consists of Disney historians Michael Crawford of Progress City USA and George Taylor of Imaginerding. With WEDWAY Radio hosts Mattand Nate Parrish they discussed the vision, implementation, and changes to thepavilions in EPCOT’s future world. I am not a huge fan of EPCOT, and in fact,EPCOT may be my least favorite park in WDW, but I was glued to my iPod for theentire episode. I learned so much from this show and the hosts, and since I ama nerd, learning is my favorite activity! When the MetRet society takes usthrough the Land pavilion I was so tuned into the show I nearly rollerbladed intoa busy intersection. I was drowning in the depth and wealth of informationbeing presented by the crew. When talking about the history of the SEASpavilion I could see myself walking though it with the crew. This show waspodcasting gold; packed with useful information, great interaction between thehosts. In addition, Matt and Nate seem to get better and better with eachpodcast! You would be hard pressed to find another set of podcast hosts whohave more chemistry, knowledge and passion than these sibling hosts. As awrestling fan I have seen very few 5 star matches, and as a podcast fan I haveheard very few5 star shows; this one may be one. But you don’t have to take myword for it. Listen for yourself!

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WHO DOES IT BETTER: WALT DISNEY WORLD VS. UNIVERSAL ORLANDO….PART 1

2011-12-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

The rivalry between WDW and UOR has a long history. From theopening of UOR to the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter these twotheme park companies have traded blows for the last 20 years. It is believedthat before Universal landed the Wizarding World that Disney was in talks withJK Rowling but talks broke down and Rowling took the wizard a few miles northon I-4. With the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter many DisneyWorld fan boys have left the Disney resort and made the journey to Universal tovisit Harry and crew. With many people discovering Universal Studios Orlandofor the first time after a lifetime of nothing but Mickey they find out thatthere is a lot more to UOR than they knew. Some WDW fan boys come to a scaryrealization. They find that there are some things that Universal does BETTERthan Disney! So let’s explore who does it better, Disney or Universal.

PARKING at Disney: Both of the Orlando resortscharge you about the same to park. Parking at Disney has always been a bit of ahassle for me. When you step out of your car you can hear the words of WaltDisney echoing around you; “Here in Florida, we have something special we neverenjoyed at Disneyland...the blessing of size.” What Walt saw as a blessing, many first timevisitors to Disney see as a nightmare. The parking lots at the four theme parksof WDW are HUGE! You have two choices once your car is parked. You can walk thelong hot sweaty walk to the park entrance or you can take a tram. In theory theDisney trams are great, but in reality I find them to be a massive hassle. Again,in theory you get out of your car, walk to the end of your row, hop on the tramand take the short tram ride to the park entrance. In reality you get out ofyour car, walk to the end of your row and hope that the tram is there waitingfor you. This doesn’t always happen. It could take up to ten minutes at certainparks for another tram to come around to pick you up. Once on the tram you haveto wait, and wait, and wait. Cars are continually entering the lot and peopleare continually racing to the end of their row to catch the tram you arealready on. Depending on the type of tram operator you have, you may wait untilthe tram is full to take off. Sometimes you get lucky and the tram driver cansee another tram is pulling up and the one your tram takes off. So great, yourtram is moving and it’s time to relax and start your vacation right? Wrong!Suddenly you hear a noise that is louder than a T REX eating a jet engine. Ifthe roaring sound of the engine isn’t loud enough, you might be unfortunate enoughto be sitting under one of the equally loud and equally annoying tram speakers.The tram attendant is giving out very useful information but the speakers areway too loud and ear piercing. By the time your tram has arrived at the frontgate you are prepared for a long day at Disney; lots of waiting, and very loudnoises. If you chose to skip the tram and walk then you probably beat the tramto the front. You have saved yourself a lot of waiting and saved your hearing,but this is Florida and you just walked across a black tar parking lot in over90 degree heat with a couple of kids and a backpack filled with the everythingyou are going to need to make it through the your day. Pick your poison withDisney parking. Me, I walk!

PARKING at Universal: Parking at Universal Orlandois not quite the adventure you get at WDW. Universal does not have massive openparking lots like the ones at Disney. UOR instead has one multilevel coveredparking garage. After parking your car you make the journey to the escalatorsor elevators to make your way to the appropriate level to get to the parkentrance. Once on the correct level you can take a series of moving walkways,or you can take just walk to the entrance of CityWalk. The walkways are allcovered and with the exception of a few ambitious people trying to run past youon the moving walkway, the walk to the entrance is fairly easy. It’s a lot likebeing in an airport and walking from security to your terminal. Its covered, there’sa lot to look at and you can go at your own pace.

So who does it better?This one is pretty obvious: UniversalOrlando

Now that you have made it to the front gate it is time toenter the park. Visitors to both Universal Studios and Disney World see thesame thing when they enter the theme park. A person and a camera.

PHOTOPASS at Disney World: When entering WDW youare immediately greeted by a person with a smiling face and a camera. They sayhello and you walk about your business. If you want them to take a picture ofyou, you can just simply walk up to them and ask to take a photo. After thephoto they scan a small card about and hand it to you. You can take this cardto any Disney photo pass photographer, hand it to them and your photos will accumulatethroughout your vacation. The photographers are even floating around in thelazy rivers at Disney’s water parks. The price for Disney’s photo pass is thesame if you take 1 picture or 200! At $120 it’s a great value if you take a tonof pictures. The photographers can even add in different photo shop typetechniques to your pictures to show your family holding a baby dinosaur. Thephotographers are polite courteous and will gladly take a picture of you andyour family with your own personal camera.

PHOTOPASS at Universal: When entering a park atthe Universal Orlando resort you are ~~greeted~~ accosted by a Universalphotographer who yells at your family, “Hey guys look over here!” “Guys smile!Come on smile!” Imagine running through the perfume department at Macys with abunch of middle aged cat ladies in pants suits trying to spray you with thelatest scent from Lady Ga Ga or Justin Bieber. #shudder. If you do not respond to that, have no fear.The Universal photographer won’t hesitate to throw himself in front of you totake a picture. No matter where in the park you are. The photographers willeven take a picture of you entering the park. No, not in front of the parkicon, just a picture of you entering the park. Imagine a picture of you dazedconfused, and trying to fit that damn park ticket back into your wallet. Who doesn’twant a picture like that!? The Universal photographers in the front areextremely aggressive and very annoying. (Imagine a Universal photographer on a Disneytram. Eek.) On the bright side you may only run into these aggressive overbearing photogs when you enter the park. They are virtually nonexistent in therest of the park. Maybe they turn up at a random unscheduled character meet andgreet (more on that in a future edition), but that’s about it. At Disney thepark wide photography service is called Photo Pass. At Universal Orlando theservice is called….um…..one second, let me check google…. Ok, it’s calledUniversal photo connect. You don’t see that around the park much, maybe theyare trying to keep it a secret. Remember how I said at Disney they give you onecard with all of your pictures on it? Neat right? Well Universal decided tobreak the mode and revolutionize the business by giving a different card forevery picture they take of you! Who doesn’t want to walk around the park withabout 20 different strips in their pocket or bag? The price for Universal PhotoConnect is about $20. That’s $20 per photo. You can buy your ride photos forabout $5 but the process involves buying a different card, and it just gets convolutedand confusing from there

So who does it better?Walt Disney World

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OCCUPY DISNEY! Examining how Disney is milking every penny out of its theme park fans, one parade at a time. PART 1

2011-11-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

The time has come for us all to join hands, stand in unity, and OCCUPY DISNEY! This is a story of a company that is not uncommon but strangely unique. A company that has built a loyal following of fans and at every turn the company has taken advantage of those fans.

Now before I begin to lay into Disney for its greedy, unsavory practices I should say that I am a premium Disney annual pass holder. I have about 20 or so Disney VHS tapes sitting on my book shelf. I run to the theatre whenever Disney releases a new Pirates movie or feature animated film. I own Epic Mickey, about 5 Mickey ears, and I have saved countless WDW fast passes. In short, I am a hypocrite! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a walk down memory lane.

When Walt Disney World opened in 1971 the price of admission for an adult was $3.50. Adjusted for inflation that would be $18.63 in “today’s money.” Now that $3.50 in 1971 only covered general admission. For an extra $1.25 you could purchase the adventure book containing an A, B, C, 2 D, and 2 E tickets. There were plenty of other options to buy different ticket packages. Ticket prices had steady yearly increases until 1983 when Disney abolished the ticket system and moved to a simple all rides included general admission price.

In 1983 the admission to WDW increased to $17.00, adjusted for inflation that would be $36.72 today. That is a far cry from the $90.53 price of admission at WDW today. From 1971 to 1983 the value of a one day, one park ticket had almost doubled. By 1984 a one day one park ticket price was $18.00, 1985 $21.50, and by 1986 $26.00! A 1986 ticket in today’s money would cost $51.00! So why such a drastic increase in ticket prices? Disney did build a $1.4 billion park called EPCOT. The company’s animation division was in the middle of hitting rock bottom with production bombs that bleed money like The Black Cauldron. There was however one major overriding factor that could directly be attributed to the massive rise in theme park admission.

In 1984 there was a new Disney chairman who would usher in record breaking animated films, 2 new theme parks, and higher theme park admission prices. Before heading up Disney Michael Eisner was chairman and CEO of the Paramount pictures movie division. He took no prisoners when it came to making the company money. He didn’t miss a step when it came to bringing that same mentality to Disney. When Eisner came to Disney and saw how much the company was charging for theme park admission he was appalled. Appalled because he knew that the company could be charging WAY more! By the time he was unceremoniously ousted from the company, more on that later, Eisner had changed the theme park and film division at Disney from a $3 billion enterprise to a $60 billion powerhouse.

By the time Eisner left the park in 2005 a one day, one park admission ticket was $59.75. The initial “blame” for the rise in ticket prices went to Eisner, but from the time he left to present day ticket prices continue to soar. In the six years following Eisner’s assisted resignation ticket prices have risen over 60%. The high the company got from Eisner’s money making strategies was too irresistible to shake after the drug dealer was gone. From 2006 to now ticket prices rose $4 or so each year. Small enough increases each year that even some of the savviest Disney World fans wouldn’t flinch. The Disney Company has seen massive profits as they continue to increase one day, multi day, and annual park admission prices.

Admission increases have gone over as well as a dry fart from a wet dog, but there is one thing that will cause Disney to slow down and think about their slow yearly increases in ticket prices. This is something that both the Disney Company and Disney fans are in fear of. If steady increases continue at this rate, by 2013 a one day one park admission ticket to Disney World will cost $100. This is a mental hurdle that Disney is approaching with a lot of caution. Many insiders wonder if Disney will even have the courage to approach a $100 ticket. If you ask any Disney fan they would probably tell you that today’s ticket prices are just right. Today’s ticket price is $90.53. Imagine if in 1983 you had to pay $42 for entry to EPCOT, instead of the actual $17. That’s how far ahead of inflation the price of Disney World tickets have become. But fear not Disney geeks, nerds, and cross over Star Wars fans. There is something we can do.

In his unconventional and hilarious book, The Dark Side of Disney, Leonard Kinsey gives advice on how to actually sneak into Disney. While it would save you money, I wouldn’t suggest it! The best way to “fight back” against Disney is to do two simple things. Step 1: Write to Disney’s worldwide president of park operations Meg Crofton at meg.crofton@disney.com and tell her how you feel about the continual rise in Disney theme park prices. Step 2: Don’t go to the parks! Following step 2 will help give step 1 teeth and really show the Disney Company that you mean business and will not be taken advantage of. It all has to start with just one person. One person can make a difference. Will it be you? Because it sure as hell won’t be me! With new Fantasyland opening in 2012 and Avatarland coming in a few years, I am more than happy to bend over for Ms. Crofton, smile, and ask for another one. Maybe in July when it is time to renew my AP my attitude will change. One thing is for sure, the main reason Disney is taking advantage of its fans is because we are allowing it to.

Keep checking back for more OCCUPY DISNEY articles!

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My TOP TEN Theme park podcasts PART 4: Number 3-1

2011-11-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

There are dozens upon dozens of theme park podcasts covering many different theme parks and topics. If you head over to itunes and enter “theme park” you will get 237 results! That is a lot of information and a lot of opinions from a lot of different people. That being said, there is always room for one more. (Go ahead Disney geeks, giggle with me.)

To create your own podcast there are a few things you have to do. Ok, well there are more than just a few things that you have to do, but these are some of the simple things you need.

Step 1: You will need a microphone, computer, a website or hosting service to upload your podcast to, and an RSS feed.

Step 2: Figure out what topic you want to cover and write a rough draft of a script for your show. Make sure you know your topic well, and make sure your thoughts are clear, crisp and easy to understand.

Step 3: Download easy to use recording software like audacity and make sure you download an MP3 encoder.

Step 4: Find yourself a hosting provider like podbean, podcast.com, easypodcast.com, podango, or podpress.

It gets very technical but that is sort of the bare bones of the operation. There are three thing I look for in a podcast; production quality, content, and efficient use of time. One particular podcast I listen to has great content and production quality, but the host puts a long music break in between every news story. Use your time wisely. Make sure your production quality is decent. Background noises and breathing into the mike don’t make for an enjoyable listening experience for the listener. The most important thing about podcasting is make sure you are passionate about your content. Make it about something you love and have a passion for. Podcasting is supposed to be a fun way to share information with the rest of the world!

3. THE SEASON PASS PODCAST: This show is a well rounded look at theme parks all over the United States. The host travels often to different parks and so he has a great working knowledge of the ins and outs of them. The show has high production quality and even their live shows are easy on the ear. A rotating list of co host always keeps the ideas and opinions fresh. With a huge archive of shows I often go back and download older episodes and continue to learn more and more about parks I hope to visit one day.

STRENGTHS: The host is able to get the cream of the crop when it comes to guests for the show. Insiders, ride makers, and fans; this show is a must listen for it guest appearances alone.

WEAKNESS: Not really a weakness but the show may be a huge turn off for strict Disney or Universal Studios fans. The host covers parks all over the country.

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 90 MINS RATING: PG-13 WEBSITE: seasonpasspodcast.com

2. 100% UNOFFICIAL UNIVERSAL ORLANDO PODCAST (UUOP): This is a relatively new show but in the short amount of time it has managed to capture a niche and untapped audience. Until this podcast debuted Universal Orlando fans were stuck listening to every other show hoping that the host would accidentally mention the news coming out of the Orlando resort. The host and his wife came in with guns blazing, took the Universal bull by the horns and they haven’t looked back yet. For its sheer ballsyness and uniqueness this show is one of my favorites and has captured the number two spot on my countdown. I believe in a year’s time this show may be my number 1!

STRENGTHS: I love almost everything about this show. It is so refreshing downloading the show and listening to all new, fresh information about Universal Orlando. The host have the unique opportunity to bring the listener unfiltered thoughts and opinions about UO. On top of everything else, the host’s passion for the Universal Resort really comes across to the listener.

WEAKNESS: The show is still very young and it has a lot of room for growth AND failure. At some point in time the show will have to go through some growing pains, but that is where passion for your topic really helps.

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 60MINS RATING: PG WEBSITE: http://unofficialuniversalorlando.podbean.com/

1: MAGICAL DEFINITION: I have never learned more from any other podcast then I have from this one. Each and every episode is filled with news, rumors, and unfiltered unbiased opinions about Disney. The co host is considered the ultimate Disney insider and brings must hear, must read information every week. When I wake up in the morning a new show is due out I immediately check iTunes to get the new download. If you are a Disney fan you will LOVE this show.

STRENGTHS: Two words, one name; JIM HILL! The show does a great job at covering Disney movies, theme parks, consumer products, tv shows, and everything in between.

WEAKNESS: When it come to social networking this show is not the best. It isn’t the easiest to find on twitter or facebook. The hosts have very busy lived and don’t have a lot of time to posts on social media sites.

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 40MINS RATING: PG-13 WEBSITE: www.magicaldefinition.com

Well there it is. For better or for worse those are my top ten theme park podcasts. Feel free to message me on twitter @wakefieldreport or send me an email at indy1834@gmail.com with your thoughts idea and opinions. Coming soon WAKEFIELDREPORT.COM

FUTURE POSTS INCLUDE:

Was Walt Disney really a great leader?

OCCUPY DISNEY!

Making the case for Universal Studios Orlando

Podcast Breakdown

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My TOP TEN Theme park podcasts PART 3: Number 6-4

2011-11-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

So there you are, Ipod in hand, and you are pressing the refresh button for your favorite theme park podcast like there’s no tomorrow. If there is one thing that a theme park podcasting fan needs to have a lot of; it’s the talent of being patient. Podcast hosts work very hard to get their shows up in time each and every week. It is very easy to send an angry email or post an angry message on a board because your favorite show is a few days late. Podcast hosts don’t make a TON of money from their shows. In fact, most hosts spend more money producing their product then anything they make off of their show. When push comes to shove, podcast host “have a life”, and sometimes life gets in the way of their show. I can attest to this personally. The latest entry for this series was due out Wednesday November 18, 2011 but because of a terrible tooth ache and over medicating, the entry is coming out 2 days late. Sorry for the delay. I was shocked to get a few messages on facebook and twitter @wakefieldreport asking where the latest entry was.

Like I said before, podcasting is not an easy thing to do. Next week we will go through what it takes to record, produce, and post a podcast.

6. Betamouse: Disney podcasting is a niche field. This podcast fills a sub niche. Betamouse is the tech guide to everything Disney. Each and every episode is filled with discussion about the latest technology being used at the Disney resorts. The hosts know their stuff. For someone like me is not too tech savvy, this podcast helps me stay in touch with the latest and greatest of what’s going on in the tech world of Disney. STRENGTHS: The show is filled with experts how have well thought out views and opinions. The hosts are very passionate about advancing the technology in the parks and resorts. WEAKNESS: Tech talk is great but once you limit your show to a single topic it can tend to get a little bit repetitive.

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 40MINS RATING: PG WEBSITE: www.betamouse.net

5. WDWNT: This show is so deserving of a top 5 spot in my list! Each show the crew gets better and better. With segments like “The top 40 moments in Walt Disney World” and what might possibly be my favorite podcasting segment, “Back to the Future”, this show is a must listen for any Disney or theme park fan. I cannot sing the praises of this show enough. The hosts are knowledgeable and passionate. The show has a unique format called an enhanced podcast which allows you to skip, rewind, and navigate through different segments of the show. The enhanced version even allows the host to share different pictures with listeners. STRENGTHS: If you can only listen to one segment make sure it is “Back to the Future”. The segment breaks down the history and story of different Disney attractions to a level that any Disney fan can appreciate. The enhanced version of the show makes for easy navigation and adds an extra bonus for the listener. WEAKNESS: The host is big on making lists like “The top 20 biggest moments in Hollywood Studios history”. I am a huge fan of these types of list. When the crew at WDWNT does a list show the discussion is very passionate and sometimes heated. There is one co host in particular who always tends to cross his arms and refuses to agree with the other hosts o matter what, and he defends his position with venom and anger. He tends to go out of his way to be difficult and disagree with the rest of the crew just because, and this tends to put the listener in an awkward position. It’s kind of like going over a friend’s house and listening to his wife yell at him in the next room. <Weird>

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 120MINS RATING: PG13 WEBSITE: http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/tag/wdwnt-podcast

4. WEDWAY RADIO/WEDWAY NOW!: This show started out as another one of those sub niche podcast. The show WEDWAY Radio goes deep into Walt Disney history. Notice I didn’t say Disney World history but Walt Disney history. The coverage of different topics from the two hosts is nothing less than top notch and comprehensive! This is one of those shows where I am constantly pressing the refresh button on iTunes praying that a new podcast is going to be released. The hosts are brothers and they can easily relate to each other or respectfully disagree with the other. I am in awe with some of the topics they decide to cover on a weekly basis. I have learned so much about Walt Disney from this podcast.

STREGTHS: WEDWAY NOW!: The edition of WEDWAY NOW! came from the hosts the first week in October. It is about a 30 minute show that covers the latest news from the Disney Parks and the Disney Company. The hosts have great chemistry and seem genuinely interested in what the other has to say. WEAKNESS: One little complaint I would have about this show is that the hosts tend to trail off the topic they are covering from time to time. Little asides here and there are ok, but the hosts seem to get easily side tracked and this could lose the listeners attention. It is nothing big enough to turn me off as a listener.

AVG SHOW LENGTH: 60MINS RATING: PG WEBSITE: http://wedwayradio.squarespace.com/

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