November 18th marks Mickey Mouse's birthday (Minnie's too) and we're at Disney's Hollywood Studios to celebrate. We go from corner to corner of the park looking for all of the different ways Mickey is celebrated. From the parking lot to Cast Members at Galaxy's Edge, we check on all things Mickey. Make sure you check out our companion video on YouTube where you can see all of this happening as well. Happy Birthday Mickey & Minnie!
Nov 18, 2020•10 min•Ep. 201
Two events occurred this last week that gives us important insights as to how the Disney parks are doing world-wide. Last week Disney CEO shared insights and fielded questions around the previous quarterly report. Then, this week Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products provided a state-the-parks address at IAAPA in a virtual conference presentation. From new construction, hotels, restaurants, entertainment, one-of-a-kind ride vehicles to once-in-a-life-time anniversaries...
Nov 17, 2020•40 min•Ep. 200
We hit the trail at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World to see the park both during the day and night. Beginning and ending at the Christmas Tree in the front of the park, it's a chance to check out all of the holiday decorations found in Discovery Island, DinoLand, Asia, Africa, and Pandora: The World of Avatar. We not only check out the decorations but holiday foods currently offered and other happenings at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Check out our ideas for the best menu ideas at Sat'ul...
Nov 14, 2020•26 min•Ep. 199
Join author Jim Korkis and I as we visit the Magic Kingdom and talk about some of the extinct Magic Kingdom attractions you can't find any more. We talk about major attractions such as Flight to the Moon, the Diamond Horseshoe, and RCA's Space Mountain exhibit. But we also talk about lesser known attractions such as Sword in the Stone Ceremony, Safari Club, West Center Street and the Flower Market. We end with a discussion of our favorite Magic Kingdom parades. It's all part of "Secret Stories o...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 198
With an U.S. election in arrears, President-elect Joe Biden appears to be heading not just toward the White House, but the Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. We offer two very different takes on changing the Hall of Presidents. We take a quick look at the history of this attraction, consider the challenges that came as a result of President Trump's addition, and then consider two possible approaches for moving forward differently on this attraction. Already the Washing...
Nov 09, 2020•45 min•Ep. 197
A full slate of Christmas decorations are now throughout the entire Magic Kingdom. We go through the park to not only check out the holiday look, but to see what else is going on. From continued work on the exterior canopy of Tron, to attractions and offerings that are still not operating; the new "Now" feature on Disney Dining reservations that allow you to see what is available dining wise in the moment; the emptying of the Rivers of America; the arrival of Jingle Cruise and so much more! Be s...
Nov 06, 2020•27 min•Ep. 196
The CDC allowed the ban on cruise ship suspensions to expire, but has identified standards in order to resume cruising. Most of the cruise ship industry announced a day or so later that they would not be cruising until after the first of the year. Then Disney announced that it would not provide any cruises in 2020. We look at this news, as well as explore what will a Disney cruise experience look like when it reopens. We'll explore new port embarkation procedures, possible dining changes, modifi...
Nov 04, 2020•55 min•Ep. 195
We offer a big look at what's going on at Epcot as we visit Halloween day, 2020. We check out changes to the front of the park; take a ride on Soarin'; check out the Waffle kiosk for Epcot's food & wine; Take a boat across World Showcase Lagoon to Morocco; discuss changes in management to the Morocco pavilion; enjoy a stroll through Japan; Check out the Annual Passholder store in Germany; Visit the Shanghai Disney exhibit in China; Look at hints and details of what's to come to Epcot at the ...
Nov 02, 2020•45 min•Ep. 194
With all of the painful news of Disneyland's ongoing closure, it's time to celebrate something wonderful. And this time of year is the time to do that. Join us as we visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to recall the magic and festivities of Halloween. We see Main Street, U.S.A. all decked out, a unique pumpkin way finding experience in the central hub; visit the pumpkin tree in Frontierland as well as a festival Dia de los Muertos. And what could be better than Nightmare Before...
Oct 30, 2020•33 min•Ep. 193
Over the last 24 hours informal news came over social media that many of the performers for the great entertainment and shows at Walt Disney World had been let go. Many took to Facebook and elsewhere to let fans know of their being laid off, and of the bittersweet pain they were feeling, disappointed by the announcement while reflecting on years of being able to perform in what could be considered one of the world's greatest entertainment complexes. We look at the realities of this, what the uni...
Oct 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 192
We visit Disney's Hollywood Studios for a Tour and Update. On our tour we check out the ABC Commissary, Star Tours, and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge with its merchandise and character meet 'n' greets. We take check out the Ronto Wrap at Docking Bay 7, how it compares to the version at Ronto Roasters. We visit Toy Story Land at twilight and the new barbecue restaurant under construction there. After visiting Sunset Boulevard, we look at at the actual wait for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. We en...
Oct 27, 2020•28 min•Ep. 191
It's Halloween, but any time of the year is a great time to celebrate the infamous Haunted Mansion. We are fortunate to have Jason Surrell, Disney Imagineer and author of The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic. We take the time to talk about those Imagineering pioneers who made the mansion a possibility, from Marc Davis, Claude Coates and Rolly Crump, to Ken Anderson, X Attencio, and the original Imagineer, Walt Disney. We'll talk about what makes this attraction so amazing, and shar...
Oct 23, 2020•49 min•Ep. 190
After stalling for months, The State of California has finally created new conditions for theme parks, to include Disneyland to reopen. Those criteria if played out, will probably mean that Disneyland will not reopen this year, possibly not for many more months to come. We look at these new requirements and conditions. We identify their implications and look at how the State of California may have erroneously come to this conclusion. We'll talk about how Disneyland and others have responded to t...
Oct 21, 2020•33 min•Ep. 189
It's a jungle out there, and we look to not only explore it but to relish it, as the weather is really great, and it's a great time to relax and enjoy. We canvas the entire park, checking out the crowds, what's open and closed, and what the total experience is like. Plus we highlight eight wonderful little nooks to sit back and enjoy the park by. And did we mention Flame Tree Barbecue, and perhaps the greatest cupcake ever created at Walt Disney World? All this and more awaits you in our park up...
Oct 19, 2020•36 min•Ep. 188
Disneyland is in the middle of a scrimmage trying to play a political football game. The dictionary describes scrimmage as confused struggle or fight. That's what's at play here. We look at events since the beginning of the pandemic. We especially focus on news this week involving secret inspections by the state of California to Florida parks, Senator Warren demanding responses from Disney executives, and even a staged demonstration being planned in protest of Disneyland's closing. The happiest ...
Oct 16, 2020•29 min•Ep. 187
Jim Korkis is our guest as he shares how Disney and Halloween have come together over the decades. We cover all things haunted, from the Tower of Terror to the Haunted Mansion. We talk about the advent of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties, and some of the best Disney villains, shorts and scary moments in the movies. Did you know that The Headless Horseman almost had an attraction when Magic Kingdom opened in 1971? Did you know that there are three different versions of the Halloween tree o...
Oct 14, 2020•48 min•Ep. 186
We visit the Magic Kingdom and bring it to you live via both video and podcast. We check out everything that is happening to include new nighttime hours at Magic Kingdom, where we get our first glimpse of the 50th Anniversary castle at night. From there we take on every land in the kingdom, and look at new construction, halloween additions, and crowd flow. We capture some key pieces of the magic that always wow the guests, but may not be working because of the challenges management is facing wit...
Oct 12, 2020•53 min•Ep. 185
There has already been much said about the layoffs that occurred this past week at Disney. We were the first podcast to carry that news. Now we want to take the time to give greater introspection and thought about what was happened. This post and podcast is dedicated to two different audiences: 1. Those who are facing the real struggle of being laid off 2. Managers who are having to make similar choices about laying off others We are going to cover not the specifics of who got laid off where, bu...
Oct 09, 2020•42 min•Ep. 184
The answer is "yes", but far less than you think. And there are many factors involved in that answer. In this podcast and post we go into great detail to explore the challenges. Join us as we consider factors that are playing against Disney's ability to increase capacity. We look at Disney's Hollywood Studios in depth to understand what those challenges look like. From retail to food & beverage; from entertainment to character meet 'n' greets; from attractions to shows, we look at what Disne...
Oct 07, 2020•53 min•Ep. 183
Lots of things going on at Epcot in what is one of the largest park renovations for any Disney park. From new construction to new colors to new restrooms to new Food & Wine Festival selections we cover it all in this very busy update. We'll look at the new Living Seas segments on the new Disney+ docuseries. We'll talk about the potential opening dates of HarmoniUS, Space 220 and Ratatouille. All this and so much more on this Epcot Update for October 5th, 2020. Be sure to check out our notes ...
Oct 05, 2020•35 min•Ep. 182
We bring David Zanolla’s sons back as they take over the podcast and share their favorite attractions, food & more at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The photo above shows them playing Sabacc with Cast Members and Chewie. They talk about this wonderful experience in the podcast. You can also listen to their Magic Kingdom podcast and their Epcot podcast....
Oct 02, 2020•23 min•Ep. 181
We bring breaking news that Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro has announced the layoff of some 28,000 domestic Disney Cast Members. This is in response to not just the pandemic that is COVID-19, but also to the failure of California Governor Newsom to provide guidelines and lift restrictions for the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California to open. We study the official statement, and then answer a number of questions related to not only the layoffs but why Disneyland has not re-opened....
Sep 29, 2020•27 min•Ep. 180
Since 1965 The Walt Disney Company has utilized four keys in their parks for delivering a superior customer experience. We've introduced the first three keys in previous posts and podcasts: Safety (49); Courtesy (59) and Show (66). This podcast focuses on the fourth key, Efficiency, and looks at its role in the operation. From ride systems to FastPasses, from park opening times to mobile ordering, efficiency has been an enormous part of the guest experience at Disney. We look at its far reaching...
Sep 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 179
A big part of visiting a Disney theme park is the anticipation that goes with it. In my youth, once you arrived at Disneyland, the anticipation was fed in the form of poster art that would adorn the monorail berms and as you went underneath the train tracks toward Main Street, U.S.A. These weren't just inspiration. These were intended for many years to sell you on the idea of buying additional tickets to go on the rides. So they met a very real business need in the same way a promotional poster ...
Sep 28, 2020•39 min•Ep. 178
One of the most timeless classics at the Disney parks is Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. It is one of the only attractions within the parks that carry's Walt's name. And yet, as venerable as this attraction is, it offers many insights into change management. One might not think of change. and the Tiki Room in the same sentence. But alas, there is quite a lot in terms of change to learn. We look not only at those changes, but what we can learn about the phases of change, and how they relate to...
Sep 25, 2020•26 min•Ep. 177
In this very busy Disney News on Parade we cover the following: Disney executives urge Governor Newsome to provide guidelines so theme parks can reopen. Disney Water Parks Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach to remain closed in 2020. Only one will reopen in Spring 2021. Hong Kong Disneyland announces its reopening on September 25th. Tokyo Disneyland will open its biggest expansion on September 28th. Follow us on DisneyatPlay.com where we have notes, photos, videos and links....
Sep 23, 2020•35 min•Ep. 176
One of the most beloved keepsakes of any Disney visit are the park guide books or guide maps. These navigational and instructional tools have been showing guests where to go since the early days of Disneyland. Though they have evolved over the years, they have been a touchpoint for experiencing the Disney magic. But are they in jeopardy of being replaced eventually by the My Disney Experience app? This post and podcast looks at signs of expiration for the legacy of Disney guidebooks, guide maps ...
Sep 21, 2020•42 min•Ep. 175
Almost every Disney fan can name an attraction in the parks that they wish they had a chance to experience but never did. It may be Horizons or Adventure Through Inner Space or even something as recent as The Great Movie Ride. I've had the great blessing on experiencing a great number of attractions over the years, but there are a few that I've missed. I've dedicated this podcast to sharing the top 7 attractions I wish I could go back and experience. Some you may have never heard about (think Ho...
Sep 18, 2020•46 min•Ep. 174
Fall is upon us and at the Magic Kingdom, that usually means a big salute to Halloween. In the absence of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, we cover what Disney has tried to do to make the holiday succeed during this pandemic. We look at decorations, character cavalcades, food, and merchandise. We also pay homage to those missing pieces this year. All this and more on this Disney at Play post & podcast. Make sure you check out our photos, videos and links on Disney at Play.
Sep 16, 2020•33 min•Ep. 173
In our previous post & podcast , we had a chance to take a look at the retail magic found in Shanghai Disneyland. We had a chance to move up the right side of Mickey Avenue, head over to Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, and then continue counter-clockwise around to Fantasyland. Today we're going to continue that direction, finishing out Fantasyland, move through Toy Story Land, Tomorrowland, and then finish out in Avenue M Arcade. We finish off at World of Disney at Disney Town. Be sure to che...
Sep 14, 2020•30 min•Ep. 172
