Be Our Guest Episode428: Le sigh. I am just having a hard time with this show lately. The hosts
are very likeable, but I feel that this show is just to bubbly, light, and giggly.
Maybe I am jaded by shows like Disney After Dark and some other darker podcast,
but this crew is just too happy. That is just not normal. They do take a moment to address the "haters" like me who say that they are overly positive about everything Disney does. This crew comes
across as reluctant to critique anything at WDW. If Hanson, Jesus, and Stacey
from Must Do Disney ran a podcast, it would sound like Be Our Guest. That may
not be all that bad though. Like I said, I’m the one who is jaded and too
thirsty for Disney blood. This hosting crew is nothing more than passionate and
excited about sharing Disney experiences with their listeners. On this weeks
show they cover the new Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside and they also talk
some Fantasyland Imagineering. Because of the great mix of hosts, I would say
that this crew is probably one of the most experienced and knowledgeable
podcasting crews out there today. Again, I would like for them to be a bit more
critical of what they saw. Trust me, everything at WDW is not bubble gum,
glitter, and fairy farts. I did feel like I was being “sold” to a little bit
during the Royal rooms discussion, but I do appreciate them sharing their
experience with me. So now, not only am I jaded, I am a hypocrite. The Imagineering
discussion segment of the show was very predictable and nothing too out of the ordinary.
As usual, I have to give nods to host Mike for great production quality and a
fun music bed to listen to behind the hosts talking. While other shows are
growing on me, I find that Be Our Guest to be a show that I am not losing sleep
over if I do not catch the show as soon as it comes out. Not my cup of tea, but
it may be yours. Try it out.
Walt Cast Episode 138:
This is one of those podcasts that I have wanted to review for a long, long
time. I like the podcast, but I do have a few hang ups with it. However, this
weeks show was nothing less than stellar. Show hosts Shawn and Katie Bonneau
are joined this week by Banks Lee. Banks is an actor, videographer, and Disney
parks fanatic. This week Banks discusses his recent trip to Disneyland in
California. Banks is well versed and knowledgeable about WDW and does a great
job at sharing and comparing his experiences between the two different Disney
parks. As someone who has yet to visit Disneyland, anytime someone begins to
talk about the park, I stand at attention and try to soak in every word. The
great content on this weeks show was complemented by the usual great production
quality, and great host chemistry and interaction. Shawn and Katie are
passionate about Disney parks, and more importantly to me, Disney history. This
would probably go under my list of some of the most underrated theme park
podcast. A very strong offering this week from Walt Cast; nothing too flashy or
sparkly, just a few passionate theme park fans chatting about what they love.
Of Mouse and ManEpisode 3: This is how the crew describes their show on iTunes, “Sometimes
insightful, sometimes goofy, sometimes irreverent, it is a slightly slanted
look at the Disney theme parks.” That pretty much says it all. This show
reminds me a lot of WDW Kingdomcast, and WDW Fanboys. The crew is up front,
honest, and unashamed. The content of this weeks show is pretty straight
forward. The crew opens the show by talking about the latest in Disney news. During
this segment the hosts seemed to be slugging their way through it, and there
were a few stories they truly did not care about. Here, however, is the
difference; while some other shows would “fake” their way through a forced news
segment, this crew was honest in telling the listener they had no interest in a
particular story. This kind of honesty is much appreciated, but if the hosts
are not into the topic, then the listener will not be as engaged, and one of
the top rules in podcasting and radio is to not waste the listeners time. That being
said, the hosts are very likeable and fun to listen to. This weeks show seems
to be somewhat fragmented and disjointed, but that’s ok I guess. The content in
this weeks show was a bit recycled and old, but the hosts’ interaction makes
this show worth the listen. I look forward to listening to more shows from this
crew.
Show of the Week: MouseChat April 15: First
off I should say that this crew turns out more shows than teenage horny rabbits
turn out babies. Every other day or so, when I am updating my podcasts, I see a
new Mouse Chat episode. That is a good thing by the way. On this weeks show co
host Elizabeth shares her trip report form a recent trip to Hong Kong
Disneyland. As with Disneyland in my Walt Cast review, I have never been to
Hong Kong Disneyland so I was listening to every second of this show and trying
mot miss a word or the smallest detail. Luckily for me, Elizabeth did not spare
any details, so I was in Disney geek heaven. Usually, I am not the biggest fan
of shows that are hosted by travel agents because I feel like they are trying
to sell to you during the entire show, but the more I listen to Mouse Chat, the
more I can appreciate the value in having someone who is so experience and knowledgeable
tell you about their Disney experience. Still, don’t expect much love from me
for Dis Unplugged. As Elizabeth
walked the listeners through the Hong Kong resort she does a great job at
bringing forward the visuals and different senses she experienced. Elizabeth shares
her experience in the new Toy Story themed land at Hong Kong, and the other
hosts do a great job at asking her questions. I found that as a question popped
into my mind, another host would jump in and ask Elizabeth the same question. This
show was not really a five star show, but it was as close to a five star show
as you could get without being a five star show. I get the feeling that only
makes sense to me. Suddenly I am getting the feeling that this entire blog is
only making sense to me…. Uh oh……
and
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