How to Beat the Crowds at Walt Disney World -Essential Tips

Welcome to GBMW Live, We’re diving into one of the biggest challenges at Walt Disney World… CROWDS.Whether you’re planning your very first trip or you’re a seasoned UK visitor returning to the magic, we’re sharing our best real-life strategies to help you avoid long queues, dodge the busiest areas, and keep the magic flowing all day long.We’ll cover:✨ How to plan your day to avoid the worst crowds✨ Rope drop vs staying late — what actually works✨ Park-by-park crowd strategies (MK, EPCOT, DHS, DAK)✨ Tips for families, sensory needs & accessibility✨ When Genie+ genuinely helps… and when it doesn’t✨ Food, transport & break-time hacks✨ Your best tips from the live chat!Whether you’re visiting in peak season or planning an upcoming holiday, these tips will help you have a smoother, more magical Disney day.

Enjoy the Show

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Welcome friends across the world, and for those who
regularly join us from the USA, may we extend a Happy
Thanksgiving Eve to you all. And quite possibly note that
discussion tonight will very possibly make a Disney Day on
Thanksgiving a little bit better.
We'll be exploring how you can make your park day a little bit
more calm and enjoyable and whenyou can, when you maybe find

(00:25):
that those holiday crowds becomea little bit too much.
As always, John is in the live chat.
Welcome to the great British Mickey Waffle live.

(01:02):
Well, it's Wednesday, thank goodness, and I'm certainly glad
we've got this way halfway through the week.
Anyway, there's so much to sharethis week, and all I can start
by doing is, well, welcoming my fellow wafflers.
Good evening, Ben. How are you?
I'm good, John. How are you?
Am I right? Yeah.
It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday.

(01:24):
It's nearly Friday. It's nearly Friday.
I think that's the only way I think I'm looking.
At the Eastern my annual leave this week I have Friday and next
Monday off so I'm looking forward to it.
Oh. Nice long weekend.
That sounds good. Yeah.
I think that's definitely going to be this weekend.
And the other thing as well. And I'm just going to throw this

(01:44):
out there because, Claire, you're going to Orlando on
Monday, all right, For some, is all I'm saying, you know?
Yeah. So yeah, that's that's is it?
Is that exciting? To you too, thank you very much
for. Is it as exciting as it sounds

(02:07):
because you're only going for a short period of time?
Aren't you're not going for a big long holiday?
No, I'm going for five nights, which means that like every day
and evening is packed full. And currently I don't have any
time to go to Disney Springs at all, which is a bit of nichy
because I need to go. There's a couple of things I
need to buy, so I'm not quite sure how it's all going to fit

(02:28):
in. I think I'm just going to not
sleep. I think that's brilliant.
And then just you can sleep on the plane, right?
That'll be fine. It'll be fine.
Just from the minute I arrive tothe minute I leave, I will be
busy. I think that's what you should
be. Sounds so cool.
Love it. And actually, it just comes at
the right time in the year, doesn't it?

(02:49):
Because you're going to do something totally improbable,
getting a little bit of Disney magic and that's that'll see you
through Christmas. That'll be that'll be fine.
Yeah, yeah. I'm really looking forward to
it. There's lots of people to catch
up with and yeah, it's going to be a good a good week.
It's a great night of December. I don't mind December, but you

(03:11):
know this isn't in Walt Disney World.
Yes, definitely. You'll.
Be able to go somewhere without having to turn the heating on.
I know. Well, I am like packing is not
happening yet. I have many so it will not.
Last minute depends on what will.
Happen on Sunday evening. It'll be fine.

(03:33):
The thing is, though, you're notgoing to be the only waffler
that's out there because as we as we start the show, I think
Robin is due to land in Orlando International Airport.
And even time I wait for the text to go and just, you know,
I'm here. I'm here, Orlando.
But that would be, Yeah. And I know you, you've already
got plans where we might get on to them later in the show,

(03:55):
actually. Because actually, that be we
might, might. Just outside.
We'll talk about Jolly Wood Night.
Sounds quite, quite something. Yeah.
Sounds good, right? Shall we?
I know we've got loads to pass on what I've can't see.
Sean's going. What's he's saying now?
Goodness. Sean and Claire's week of fun

(04:15):
featuring Sean's boyfriend. Oh my and Robin as well.
So. Yeah, it's going to be.
That's going to be so cool. Have a great time, Sean.
I know you will. He's on the serious countdown.
He's he's he's off to the airport on Friday, so.

(04:37):
I'm mine, it's so cool. Not long, and then you'll lead
him a strike that'll be. He said that to me earlier.
He said me a rest, saying I'm a bad influence.
I was just like, all I did was tell you I put a lightning lane
for writing Jingle. I didn't tell you you had to

(04:57):
book. You know, I don't want to stand
in a massive key for the Jingle cruise.
I'm going to book a lightning lane.
That's something we're going to talk about later.
I think because Lightning Lanes all went away, everyone looks
booking to try and prevent crowds or to try and get out
crowds, so that might be a good topic, but I think there's so
much news, I think it's probablytime we kick off with it.

(05:19):
Definitely. So for the first time in
forever, see what I did there? Let's start at Disneyland Paris.
But actually, despite the, the recent snowfall that we reported
last week, I think it was that'sbeen completely overtaken by the

(05:42):
news of Disney Adventure World has been announced with an
opening date of the 29th of March 2026, which includes World
of Frozen Adventure by AdventureWay and goodness knows what
else. But I'll tell you what, it just
looks absolutely incredible. What's your what's your take on

(06:04):
it? Because I'm no better client
particularly. I know you've been there design
Paris Times and, and it kind of it's kind of been on the back
burner, hasn't it? Certainly off everyone's radar,
John, the the construction of all this.
But what? What an unveiling.
We wanted to like wait till Frozen's there before going

(06:26):
again, just maybe because we haven't been, we didn't realise
the other day that we haven't been there since 2022.
So we're probably over your trip, but I think this might be
one of the things that makes youwant to go back there.
But I think the crowds, especially during the first
opening few months, are going tobe quite busy.
Yeah, I would think so. For me, I think that the fact

(06:49):
that it is a new developed area,it's not like they're
redeveloping an area. You know, when they redid the
Marvel area from what it was before with, you know, a random
selection of Armageddon and various things because it is a
new expansion of the park, I think they've been able to keep
it quite hidden. They've had big walls.

(07:10):
They've not, you know, they've, it's not been in a sight line
for many things. Quite frankly, Disney Studios or
whatever they're calling it now because people don't hang around
here very long at the moment. And those bits that back on to
there have are very much indoor attractions, unless you're on

(07:31):
the top of one of the toy soldier parachutes.
Yeah, you've got the Iron Man coaster, which is all indoors.
You haven't really got anything outdoors that you can see.
So I think they've done a reallygood job at keeping things
hidden, to be honest with you. And I think the announcements of
what it looks like and what's going to be there faster past
what I thought it was going to look like.
I think having read some of the information and looked at the

(07:54):
pictures and the and the, the actual stills from the the
progress that they're at at the moment.
Adventure way. Yeah.
Really reminds me of Celestial Park.
Yes, that was, I was, I was going to say that as well.
And, and the way that they're actually advertising the actual
central hub with the, you know, and it's exactly the same.

(08:18):
Yeah, it's the same thing. And the bar and the walkway and
the. Yet I'm like I'm.
Fountains. Good grief.
So then I was, I'm impressed. I think it looks beautiful,
which is in keeping with Disneyland Paris.

(08:39):
You know, it is the most stunning park, the Disneyland
park and and you know, Disney Studios has always been in need
of something to bring it up to that standard because you know,
Disneyland party in Paris is incredible.
They some of the attractions aresignificant.
Parcel is the most beautiful in the whole world.

(09:02):
And I just think that this will elevate the other park to a
similar level, I hope. And I think what they've done
with Arendelle, it looks absolutely incredible and
slightly disappointed by the Rapunzel off the shelf.
Attraction. But you know what it will, it
will be a crowd eater and peoplewill like it.

(09:24):
It will be beautiful at night with the lanterns and stuff.
So I just, I think, I think there's a lot to like and a lot
to find out. Yeah, and they've also got a
Lion King area that will follow later as well, isn't there?
You know, Yeah. Then it's probably the absental
leak that was on the Imagineers video.
No, let's say you had originallythe three areas.

(09:44):
One of them was originally goingto be like Galaxy's Edge was
going to be a copy of Star Wars.And no, it's showing stuff from
future Avatar. And it.
Looks like there may be Pandora coming to Paris.
Oh, that'd be a game changer. How popular?
Because obviously you've got an annual Kingdom and it's heading

(10:06):
to Disneyland. So I don't know.
It'll be something easy for Disney.
Right that they build in Disneyland Paris, though it's
not going to be there till 2035,so let's be in line with the
next Avatar film. I just, I'm really pleased that

(10:26):
Disneyland Paris is getting something new.
It's a rehash of something. And so I'm sure it'll be super
busy next summer, like insanely busy.
I'm not sure that I'm going to be going anywhere near
Disneyland Paris. But yeah, but maybe early 2027
Christmas, something like that. I'd say I'd say you one thing,

(10:48):
though, Claire does does a pieceof merch that when I saw it, I
thought, I have to. It's one of the things you see.
And you think, Oh my word, that is so clever.
It's like baby trolls. Yeah, they look.
They look. Cute.
But it's like Grogu but trolls. But it's.
Amazing, but you interact with other.
Trolls. If anyone else buys one, you're

(11:09):
going to have these trolls actually.
And they're really cool. They look so superb.
Olaf Roman Gobel. Yes, now that.
Yeah. Now that is something in the
Asia because that's that's at Hong Kong Disneyland, isn't it?
And at Paris it is. It's a deformable costume that

(11:31):
actually behaves like snow. Now, how on earth that actually
is made and how you go about theimagineering of that, I'm not,
I'm not going to give any anything away, but it is on the
was it, we call it imagineering on the.
Yeah, from from Disney, so do check that out.
But it looks amazing. It looks it just looks like oh,

(11:55):
life in real life. I just, yeah, it blew me away
when I saw it. Yeah, I think it's all going to
just a mean that they put the prices up even more and I don't
know how they can afford to do that because.
They've already, they've alreadyput them up €500 on the annual
passes for the year, right? So hotel prices will be and

(12:17):
we'll already have skyrocketed for the 29th of March onwards
I'm sure. But that might mean there's some
discounts coming for Walt DisneyWorld for UK guests instead
perhaps. So keep an eye out for that.
Not promising anything, but if we're.
Already on quite decently pricedtickets for next next year

(12:38):
anyway aren't we so. It'll be interesting to see what
happens because I think there'llbe a bit of a mass exodus to
Paris. Good call, Ben.
I put a bit in the news. Just one for you basically.
And some people missed this. And actually I don't think it
was. It was it was only when we sat
down and watched the Grand Prix at the weekend that Mickey

(13:00):
Mickey made an appearance at Vegas.
Fantastic. It was just brilliant.
It was superb. It was.
I couldn't complain. I'm not sure how the team brands
go together, but there are some how.
Long before Disney have a have aa team.
I'm not sure. I don't know, maybe the hinting
go replacement of Speedway, I don't.

(13:22):
Know that's true, yeah. No, I mean before they have an
F1 team, yeah. Yeah, I'm.
Not have done more for owning the sport than they have
Crematory for a team. Yeah, I think I think the yeah,
I think the issue was on on Sunday was that the whole fact
that McLaren getting disqualified for a hers breadth

(13:42):
of a skim of an underplay and. Terry Crews driving the top
three drivers in a pink Cadillacmade out on Lego.
Oh, there you go. I didn't see that one.
Missed that one. Was that just another excuse to
get a few few more pink Cadillacsongs?
And you know. Yeah.

(14:03):
Which obviously, since Springsteen wrote it, it's more
money for Springsteen. There we go.
Anyway, we'll move on before we bought before we bought Clay
entirely our nap again, this is another one for Ubank because
actually there announced that Boardwalk is going to be the
next resort to have a refurb next year that's.

(14:24):
But it just had a refurb. No, that's what surprised me.
I'm. Not even sure they've finished
it. What are they refurbing?
And they're restarting the refurb.
The boardwalk in rooms, I know alot of rooms were were done and
I think a lot of the in rooms were I wonder whether there's
they've uncovered some more things because they didn't it

(14:45):
wasn't that long ago, but it wasfinished I.
Was going to say it feels like it was earlier this year.
They are closing the artwork gallery, there's something to do
with that. But that was a shame.
We spent a few hours, a few minutes walking through that
gallery and realised that how expensive some of the items were
going. No, I can't.
Do you think people really do goand buy something from there?

(15:11):
You know, $12,000 piece of art? Do people actually do that?
I don't know. It's like the like the Arebas,
the other stuff, I'm not allowedin there because I'm just like,
knock everything over. Who comes on holiday to Walt
Disney World, bearing in mind the type of, you know, holiday

(15:34):
that it is, and spends $20,000 on a piece of crystal art?
It's like not a family, it's. I'll just, I think, you know,
Minnie, if I'm just going to spend $20,000 on a piece of art,
I don't think I'd be buying it at Walt Disney World.
If I'm probably buying more DVC points, but that's probably it.

(15:59):
Yeah, just like a strange situation.
Yeah, tell you what, I'm going to final bit of news, and this
is actually something that I think goes under the radar quite
a bit, but it broke yesterday. And I actually think it's
probably insignificant to many people.
But actually I just think it is a really it's it fits in with so

(16:19):
much of what we've spoken about since the pandemic.
But actually, Epcot is seeing the return of the marching bands
that haven't been there since before a pandemic, the youth
bands from the Disney Imagination Campus programme,
and they are invited to share their music live and that kind.
They basically go from the American Adventure Pavilion and

(16:41):
they do a complete circuit of World Showcase, usually over
morning. That's quite a big step.
It is. I just think, I just think it's
quite the superb thing to see again, live music.
I know we spoke about this, thisKatie in the mid month show,
just the whole thing about not, not this entire thing, but

(17:04):
actually that whole imagination campus in which she obviously
she's involved, but that love oflive of the arts and the of live
music and see this. I just think it's for me, when I
read this, I just thought, oh, thank goodness, somebody,
somebody's getting there with this and actually replacing
stuff and actually giving peoplethat that sort of dream that you

(17:28):
can go to Disney World and you actually, you can go and play as
part of your matching band and actually fulfill that life
dream, isn't it, you know? So I, I know that.
I think it's Lisa Milam's daughter has done that, Yeah,
with her, with her high school marching band in Walt Disney
World. And I think they did Magic
Kingdom. But actually Disneyland Paris

(17:50):
have an amazing performance programme and they have lots and
lots of bands, choirs, dance groups who go and they do a
whole day programme where they get to go and do some parade
practice and then they get to dance down Main Street or, you
know, play or whatever, or sing on whatever on one of the stages

(18:11):
around usually this castle stage.
And they're brilliant at it. So I think it's it's, it is one
of those programmes to support youth arts that Disney is very
committed to. So I'm really excited.
Do you know when that starts, John?
Is it going to be happening nextweek?
I think it started. I think there was a picture of

(18:31):
certainly was pictures of them yesterday.
I might double check, but I'm sure it is it has has begun.
It's just it's just it just fitsfitted so nicely with the
conversation we had in the mid month show.
And I just, you know, I, I just looked the whole.
Fact. I did miss that.
That's brilliant. I will.
Look out for that next week, yeah.

(18:52):
And then basically one bit of news that it just fits in with
our discussion and that actuallyfits in perfectly with what I'm,
I'm plugging all our different podcasts in.
So our first of the month show is out next Monday, which is a
bit scary really, which means it's the 1st of December.
But we share the best times of the year to visit Walt Disney.

(19:13):
Well, take it, take you through the calendar.
So enjoy, you actually get the best possible opportunity to
make the most of those Black Friday Deals that might, you
know, that might fall your way this week.
But it's quite interesting to actually see and that this is
where it'll fit into tonight's discussion.
But I tell you what, as of last Friday, there was no Lightning

(19:36):
Lane premier passes nor single lane lane passes available for
Thanksgiving through each of theparks.
Now that for me tells its own tale about how much money
Lightning Lanes are actually bringing in.
And I guess if you are only going for a really short period
of time, that's where you know, they read that, that premier

(20:00):
pass to me, it's just like, it'slike taking, I won't say what I
was going to say. I just think it's overpriced.
That's probably that's the the polite way of saying it.
And he's saying by $400.00 for like Magic Kingdom, 11 day per
person. It's like there's a.
Team up some friends and get AVIP tour people.

(20:23):
Yeah, it's just. Costing the same.
It really is crazy, you know, And, and I think with that in
mind, I think it's probably a perfect time to actually, yeah,
let's let's soak up the holidayswithin the US It is
Thanksgiving. The crowds are massive.
We know that that's always goingto be an issue if you're you're

(20:46):
out into Walt Disney World this week.
Hence the reason Claire's not going until Monday, when the
crowds will absolutely slump as everyone goes back to work.
No way, because I'm there. Do you know what, though?
Even even though Thanksgiving isdone and it's meant to be a
quiet week, there were annual past hotel discards next week to

(21:11):
be had. It's just they've obviously I
think until the 5th or the 6th, there's no, no discounted rooms.
So they obviously don't need to do that that week.
So it's they're still going to be quite busy I think.
Yeah. I think in time off for
Thanksgiving, they want to add an extra few days, yeah.
You'd build around it. Wouldn't they're going to have a

(21:32):
Ben Long weekend? I'm sorry.
I wish I was 50 world. And how do you?
Maybe you should. How do you manage the crowds at
Walt Disney World? And is, is there actually a way
to avoid them? Is there is there a trick to it?
Is there a is, is each part different?

(21:53):
Let's let's explore it and let'ssee, let's see where we go with
this. Let's start in Magic Kingdom
because actually this is this isthe one that I think I think
creates some of the biggest bottlenecks.
And it isn't it's not going to be helped over this weekend of
Thanksgiving given the fact thatthere's a load of boards and
step. We still haven't got Big Thunder
Mountain back open. And obviously we haven't got

(22:16):
that beautiful big boat that used to soak up hundreds of
people and take them on 1/2 hourlap round the the park.
And then we don't have just a nice little island for people to
go and just lose themselves for a bit as well.
So yeah, so Magic Kingdom, what what's your go?
What's your go to? Kind of how to avoid the crowds.

(22:39):
OK, so #1 and I can only go on my experience.
I would because I'm not particularly bothered about
seeing Happy Ever After and having watched Starlight, I'm
probably not hanging around for that either.
And choose a day if you're thereat a time, I'm thinking October,
September, October, November, December.

(23:00):
Choose a day has a party in the evening and get out of bed and
get there early and make absolute advantage is the fact
that on those days where a partyis happening, there is nobody
there in the morning, even the busiest of times.
Can I point out, can I point out, Claire, you told us this
last year and actually it works.It works 100% even in August.

(23:24):
So it works. And the other side to that is
the fact that if you know there's a party the following
the morning following the party tends to be busy.
Oh yeah, yeah, because people haven't.
Got people who couldn't and yeahand people who have a missed
maybe missed out on a Magic Kingdom day tend to go in the

(23:47):
day after and. Yeah, they avoid the day of the
party because Park shuts at six,so.
Family don't feel. Again there were 8 and you do
park opening and you can. I've done it several times with
family, with friend and on my own and you can smash if you if
you are there just to do attractions and that's not my

(24:09):
usual style. But if your intention is to try
and get some of those big ticketattractions, get Haunted
Mansion, pirates, Tiana's, you know Tron those space mountain,
get them done. You can get most of those done
by 10:30 if you're there early on an on a party day and then
make the mess most of the rest of the day.

(24:30):
As the park gets busier around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon,
that's the time to that's, that's not that I'm doing that
on Tuesday at all. We'll come to that in a minute.
Then how do how do you guys tendto plan your day when it's busy?
We're, we're on site usually, sogenerally we need to work out
what time we can get into the park and when.

(24:53):
If you're off site, you've got to think that actually the Magic
Kingdom might be opening, say half 8 wherever it's open at
9:00. So you got to show and work out
on. It's not just getting that for
early entry. We found getting there to get in
that queue for early entry makesthe mostly difference.
So we can go things like and it's done the opposite way.

(25:14):
It like what you're saying Claire about and focus on what
attractions you want to do and it's just working out what's
open during that because we're always like, well, Frontierland
isn't open during the extra 30 minutes, so it's going to work
out. You do Fantasyland or you do
Tomorrowland and then it's working out a plan of that.

(25:34):
But it's really difficult because we are someone who will
like to do rope job but also enjoy being there for evening
fireworks and Starlight. And when we were over Christmas
the other year, because then we were there actually of the week
between Christmas and New Year. That Christmas past season
finished. But they were still having the

(25:55):
parade twice a day during the middle of the day, which meant
that at 12:00 and at 3:00 there was parades going on.
But it was it was quite busy. What did go in our favour is
that Elsa showed up and made it very cold at the beginning of
that week. So when it's that cold, no one
turns up. So we made the most of that.

(26:16):
But what I don't understand is when people are on site and they
go for early hours so they'll get there at 7:30, then like
like you're saying, you get there pre park opening, they'll
get into the park at 7/30, 8:00 in the morning and then they go
and stand in a line in the Main Street bakery to get a cup of
coffee. You've waited like an hour.

(26:40):
Number one, you're on Spike. You've got a coffee maker in
your room. That's first point.
So have your coffee before you come, but what is the point in
using early ammo words? Even if you just want to wander
around and see stuff and take photos where there's nobody
there, you know, go back to Gaston's tablet and take photos

(27:00):
around the area with no one in them.
Please don't go and waste that time in in a queue for a
Starbucks that just doesn't. I don't get it.
Like what we used to be present as breakfast to, we would do the
mobile order, but with mobile order for like an hour or two
after the park is open. So we've got OK, we'll hit the
attractions, do what we're goingto do, not for how long 7 door

(27:22):
going to be because sometimes inthe morning it depends how early
you've got there. You're on and off in 2020
minutes. Exactly that, and you've got
Fry's Nook right there. You know you can mobile order
for there. Yeah.
Yeah. Don't.
Oh I just, I don't get it. But it means one less person in
a key for me. Yeah, I think that's also worth
worth pointing out as well, Claire, that when you when you a

(27:44):
lot of these a lot of these theme parks, the way they're
actually designed is to upset the flow of people as the
answer. So everything's a distraction.
And if you can actually ignore the distractions and that's the
aim to get, you know, as far as certainly Magic Kingdom, for us,
it was always Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain.

(28:06):
And you go with a, with a, an actual mission that nor anything
else. Let's just go and get that done
and we'll go from there. I think a lot of people, and I
think this is the other thing I encountered this summer was the
fact that if you actually limit your actual own expectations, I

(28:27):
think they said this a few timesand I think we said it with with
Katie as well. But a lot of people go with this
sense of entitlement of I've paid for my ticket.
I should, I should be front of every queue.
I should be here, there everywhere.
And it's my divine right to do so And actually reel yourself in
a little bit. You know, our, our day that we,

(28:50):
we spent Epic Universe in the summer, we had no expectation of
because we just thought, well, we'll go and we'll see what it's
like. If it's too busy, well, OK,
we'll just have a walk around. We'll just take some pictures
and that'd be quite nice. And when we got in there, we
just got absorbed into it. Yes.
We didn't eat breakfast until 1:00 PM in the afternoon as I

(29:12):
was trying to. She's just.
None of us are wasted away. No.
And it's just like you've just become completely absorbed
because you can pick up decent queue times if you keep, if you
keep refreshing the app, you keep an eye on Worm where the
big crowds have gone to a certain place.
Then go the. Other way, don't follow them.

(29:33):
Go with the other. Yeah, go the other way.
If you've seen the parade, then in Magic Kingdom in particular,
you can get on to some of those rides very easily when the
parade is going, yeah. The side of the parade.
Get around the back of it and yeah.
Miss out on the parade and actually you can see the parade
very easily from any location the next time you're in the

(29:56):
park. So you have a little bit of
rationale about exactly what youcan actually achieve, what you
want to achieve. But also remind yourself that,
yeah, I'm going back again, so don't flog it so that either you
do you get really irate or your kids get irate or other people

(30:17):
get irate because you're being completely selfish.
I think that's probably the way I would do it.
And just just reel yourself in alittle bit and just see what you
can actually go and experience. I think it's going in with a
little bit of a plan and especially if you're only going
for a few days, then it's more difficult than if you're going
for two weeks because there are going to be certain things that

(30:37):
are on certain days that are OK.I've been planning three days at
Magic Kingdom. I've got three more chances to
get on those attractions. If it's like 5 days like you
Claire, and I've only got one day in Magic Kingdom, I want to
work out what what do I want to achieve on that day And that's
what I'm going to go for. If there's a must do that I want
to do you. You try and aim for that.

(30:59):
Yeah, and I actually, I was sortof saying at the beginning of
the show, I've actually booked Lightning Lanes for Tuesday when
I'm in Magic Kingdom because of the fact I know there are things
I do want to do. I want to do Jingle Cruise
because because of Jingle Cruiseand I love it and I'll
definitely want to get on Haunted Mansion and and things,
you know, none. I haven't booked a lightning

(31:20):
named Tron. If I do it, I do it.
If I don't, I don't but and 7 dwarfs I can live without it.
It it's not a massive draw for me.
I really want to maximize the time that I have and if that
means I don't have standard big queues then it cost me $24.00 I
think for the day, which actually isn't.

(31:44):
I was paid more than that for a lightning lane in Magic Kingdom
I. I tend to think that, you know,
lightning lanes are useful if ifyou are on a limited time and
also in certain parts more than others.
You know, I wouldn't bother withlightning lanes, the multi
lightning lane in Animal Kingdomor Epcot.
I would use them in Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom.

(32:06):
So you know, I'm on my own. I can meander as I wish, but I
have paid that for them next week.
I actually think that's a good use of them.
And there's an advocate of an advocate who forever would say,
I don't like lightning lanes, I don't like paying for them.

(32:26):
But I actually think if you're on your own, I think that's that
for me is a really. Good, smash it out.
I can just hold them and. Great use of your time though
and actually it avoids you. I'm be stood in a queue having
to make small talk with somebodythat you don't like anyone.

(32:48):
But that's exactly that, John and I know I'm on a limited time
because the part that's Dicks and actually I need to be out of
there before then because I'm doing something in the evening.
So it is a case of sort of for me almost starting at the
finishing point and working backwards as to what do I need
to do that day. And I think if if you in a big
so lightning lane for me don't work when you're in a big group

(33:10):
of people who can't decide what they want to do because you've
been all your time going, what are we going to see?
You get in the queue and then you spend the next 20 minutes
having the most mind numbing argument around.
So what are we going to do the next lightning lane for?
I don't want to do that or we'vealready done.
I'm just like, for me, I'm on myown.
I can just go right next one ping.
I'll just smash everything out and I will grab food and drink

(33:34):
as I wish and stop if I want to.And you know, it doesn't matter.
Whereas if you've got to satisfya group of people who've got
different wants, it's sometimes better not to bother the
lightning because you then can split up and you can, you know,
I can go to World, someone else can go and queue for Peter Pan
Good luck, you know, and. Minute key before you get.

(33:56):
Off that, yeah. So I just think it they they
work in certain circumstances and not all.
Yeah, I actually, I'll actually add to that Claire as well,
because actually I was 1/2 expected in the summer.
I was, I was, you know, I was prepared to pay for the
Lightning loan and like middle of August, you're thinking I
might get a bit busy. But actually we managed it.

(34:17):
And we actually, we, we went down that approach that you had
been about splitting the park into chumps and, and recognizing
that there's, if you go with thethought, we're going to queue up
for that, take the hit on that and then see what else you can
pick up. And then the next time you're in
the park, go a different route, flying out exactly what you hope
to achieve and be flexible. And we never, we never actually

(34:41):
went and bought one in the summer.
And I think that was again, we got maybe got lucky.
Maybe we're there on the right day.
Because again, there are tools out there where you can actually
look at busy day guides and actually look at which park is
most recommended. You know, they're using data
over a period of years. So, you know, don't just cast it

(35:03):
aside and go, what do they know it actually it does.
Help. I think that those the busy day
guides and I am going to throw out touring plans because that's
the one that I use. And I, I have a subscription
touring plans for Disney World and for Universal Orlando.
And I, I think it's a really, really valuable website.

(35:24):
And I know we did shows about websites that help you before.
I think touring plans is excellent.
I don't. Weirdly, I never use the touring
plans element of it. No.
But I do use the busy day guide,I do use the planning tools and
I use the hotel room, hotel roomrequests and look at the views

(35:44):
from the hotel rooms to pick outwhich room I want to request.
So I do think it's, it's worth every penny.
And I use the busy day guides every time.
So when I was planning which days to go where, I was using
that definitely. We did something similar for
August. We used touring plans, but a mix
of the busy day guide, but also Undercover Tourists has got

(36:05):
their own one as well, three. And a lot of them what come up
with very similar information. So they're all going to get the
same thing, the same. And I thought that was that was
quite useful. Obviously the only thing for us
was which day did we choose for Epic?
Because you're not going to knowsuch a new park and we're all
three of us had so different experiences.

(36:25):
Yeah. We went on a dry day, that was
all. But it was so hot, but being in
the family trying to everyone had a different idea of what
they wanted to do times and it'sjust like yeah, you can't
organize that sort sort of thing.
So and John like Epcot and we didn't buy Lightning Lane, but

(36:51):
end of our day, but we did once go on the plan for Epcot early
entry to go and join the Kiev test track.
And then we were on and on that and it took us 20 minutes I
think on, on and off. And it was like we spent the
rest of the morning before it rained.
Literally every other attractiondidn't realise how much we've
managed to get done on a Sunday.I think that's a good call, but

(37:15):
just going back to the busy day guide, I actually quite like to
compare like like you said, I'vegot touring plan subscription,
but also I will look at what theDIB has to say and I will also
look at the Undercover tourist. One.
The one thing I have found in the past that with touring
plans, I end up in the right park more often then maybe some

(37:40):
of the others. And that's that goes not just
this year or last year. I was over probably 10, probably
too many years. That might be 15 years of
looking at them and just trying to just trying to map out where
would be the best place on that particular day.
You know, use them, they're there and on the whole they're

(38:03):
free. I know touring plans you do have
to subscribe for some of the more detailed and more more wide
and stuff. But if you're there on the day,
you can actually see what they predicted as being and you can,
you can. They've got an app as well that
you can see live updates in crowd levels, so I think that's
also quite useful. Touring point.
Yeah, that winds me up because Iif I print it out, what, what

(38:29):
that day and then suddenly you're in the park on the day
and it's gone from like, oh, it's going to be a six and then
you're in the park. So day is an 8.
I'm like, Oh yeah, now you now you tell me, mate, But it's one
of them. And and also in Magic Kingdom,
because I think one of the things to also bear in mind with

(38:51):
the Magic Kingdom is the fact it's a beautiful place to people
watch. So don't always just keep
yourself, you know, and don't put yourself in that position
where you're just chasing yourself from different ride to
different ride createspace and create time and you play and
just just chill out. Where's your place to chill out?
Where's your favorite place to hang out and watch people?

(39:11):
Thanks. Ripper.
Boat. I actually really love at the
very end, at the very end of Main Street where the railway
station is. I love just coming up, walking
up the steps, but taking that look right down Main Street and
you get just you just get to seesuch elation as people are

(39:35):
walking in, but also when peopleare leaving at the end of the
day. Plus, if you time it right, it's
a great place, place to watch the flag retreat as well, which
I, I didn't realise. I actually I'd watched it that
many times this this current year, but it seemed to be every
time we're in Magic Kingdom. We just kind of, it happened as

(39:57):
if by magic and and it was again.
Don't miss it. Look at what?
Yeah, it's usually about 5:00, but it's a beautiful place to
actually just watch that, watch the ceremony, watch people being
completely just. I don't.
It's just, it's beautiful. I actually, I just love the fact
that you can actually do, if you're there early, you can get

(40:20):
a good view of the parade in theafternoon, but you don't have to
be there early. But yeah, it's one of my
favorite spots. What about you?
I quite like the benches underneath the Liberty tree, so
there are all the way around that segment which has got
Liberty Tree in it. In Liberty Square, there are

(40:40):
benches, and as long as they're not, it's all.
You know. Cordoned off for a parade
coming. That's a really nice place to
hang out. It's a little bit shaded and I
just think it's it's actually a really pretty area to hang out
in. I think it's pretty underrated
and people just walk past it because there's like the popcorn

(41:03):
cart opposite of where the ferryboat used to be.
And nobody really walked around that side of the Liberty Square
because they're walking straightto get to Main Street.
So that little garden area is, is actually quite, quite nice.
And then the tangle, the bit by the tangle toilets is quite good
to sit and hang out. You know, we, the phone charges
are in the log stumps. That's also quite a good place.

(41:27):
What about you, Ben? And we tend to like normally
have grabbed an ice cream or a coffee.
So we'll always end up outside the Plaza.
So just looking towards and halfso sitting down and you've got
the sort of umbrellas and and and the seats there, but we'll
normally be as close to the railing as possible.

(41:47):
So it's not April. What was still all of the chairs
you've been going on? So right by the by Casey's
Corner pianist. At the opposite side, usually,
but sometimes we will. OK.
Thank you both, Grayson. I think, I think actually a lot
of people miss some of those areas just around the hub before

(42:08):
you enter into each of the lands.
There are just some really nicely shaded and nicely sort of
they're just totally off the beaten track and like you see
people and they've got acres of space.
It's like they're the astroturf bits.
Yeah, reading the Mad, You know,at the top of Main Street, you

(42:29):
can go and sit on the Astro. I've done that a few times.
You can take some amazing photos.
Just hanging out on the Astroturf and going go and sit
on the ground. It's dry.
A lot of interesting because there's railings.
Around, yeah, you can't go in there and they do do some photo
stuff in there, but you can sit in the corner of it and just
chill out and lay down and spread out and lie back and look
at sky and listen to the music and are grateful for being in

(42:52):
Magic Kingdom. Not that I've done that.
Oh, no, it's that's a really cracking spot.
I'll tell you what, I'm just aware of time.
I'm. I don't know, you've only done
my part. No, I that was the thing.
I was thinking we were going to get through this really quickly,
you know, and let's go to studios next, because actually

(43:13):
the studios is actually quite a apart from, apart from going to
the baseline tap house for a beer and sitting outside and
just watching the people pass by.
I don't know. I have no idea.
You would never catch me doing that with a charcuterie board
and press watch. Just long in the large mango
cart. Thank you very much.

(43:37):
But yeah, the the studios is a bit of a strange place because
actually, yeah, you don't reallyget that opportunity until maybe
you get to later on in the day when you can actually go and you
can go and enjoy Fantasmic or you've got the animation show on
the Chinese Theatre. Well, yeah.
And if you're that way inclined,you can sit and chill out, just

(43:59):
have a nice time of it. I was trying to find that you
kind of keep moving and you you keep sort of you don't.
I'm just doing more steps in studios than I expect to in
comparison to other because it feels cool.
I ended up doing more. I think a lot of it is if I'm
watching a show a certain time and then I'm going to that

(44:19):
attraction Galaxy Zedge, doing that, then go back to a show and
then once I've left the show, I'm then doing something.
Is is the key to it then becauseyou actually you're not always
on the go to from ride to ride, you're actually interspersing it
with a show or you're on railway.
Where you sit down, it's more ofthat.

(44:41):
I find we do it Studios especially now you've got like
Villains, Fantasmic, all of 1's,Little Mermaid, all the things
that you want to add into your day.
There's so much if you're tryingto do all of shows in one day.
And I do think it is the part that if I was to buy Lightning
Lane, that would be the one I would do to get the most value
out of, because I think we've managed to get most of the

(45:03):
attractions and shows all done in one day.
Yeah, with that. Yeah, if you've only got one
day, then a lightning lay in theHollywood studios is actually
quite good value. I mean, you're going to knock an
hour and a bit off the time for the queue for toy anything into
a storyline to start with, so. Yeah, and also the and the other
one as well. Save yourself a bit of time.

(45:24):
If you've seen the Indiana Jonesshow before, then just give it a
miss. You know, I I gave up at least
45 minutes of my life this summer.
Very dare you. It's amazing.
Millie specifically asked to go and see it because I'm location
John, you know, I've seen it so many times.

(45:45):
But Millie actually said one dayhe said, can we go and see
Indiana Jones? I was like, yeah, but I like to
sit nice and close to the tech. And then I spend the whole time
thinking, are they just actors or are they actually doing
stuff? And I don't know the answer to
that. I'd like to know.

(46:06):
And Zach knows someone who workson the show, so I might ask you.
But I sit there watching them and they've got flashing lights
and they're pressing things and things are happening.
I'm just thinking either this isreally well choreographed and
these are just actors sitting there doing stuff, or they are
actually controlling the show. I don't know which it is.
Yeah. I think that's on the show, or I
like to think they are. No, that's what I that's my

(46:27):
brain. Then I think, I think they are.
But then you know what? That could easily be Harrison
Ford sliding down that rope. So are.
You sure, Claire? Do you need classes?
You know, maybe one day. Bit of Disney magic, you know.
Maybe, maybe one day some ageing70 odd year old will come down.

(46:50):
Yeah, but they'll do a risk assessment.
They won't let him do it. Well, you.
Know. It's 30 year old stunt double
will be there instead. So that might that might be that
might be a better bet I. Think that's the thing.
It's like it's working out what you'd want.
And Indiana Jones, we haven't done it in a few years, but it's

(47:10):
not something we do every time where we do prose and show every
time just because we can't stop.Like what about?
Beauty and the Beast. Oh, I've seen it once and avoid
it now. Oh, he would say, yeah, Last
time we did it was 2021. Yeah, just because we did.
We tried to do everything duringthe year.
We the first trip we went back but then nice.

(47:30):
My first solo trip I did to Beauty and the Beast having
never ever ever done it and now I know why I've never ever it
really. It really didn't hit for me it.
Doesn't. It doesn't for me, but it was
one of those things that we wentto last year and I just thought,
OK, there we go. Tick done.

(47:52):
Don't used to it for another 10 years.
Yeah, I think that's exactly, yeah.
But am I wrong in thinking that there is a real lack of of just
like areas to chill out in the studios unless you go to the
show? I would I would say that I chill
out in the in the shops, in the stores, in studios.
I will hang out in the looking at merch because there's some

(48:15):
cool merchandise locations looking at the windows.
Echo Lake at this time of year, and I know I've said this
before, Echo Lake is probably myfavorite place in all Disney
World because the music, the background loop for Echo Lake
Christmas, it's got the little rain, cute little Bambi
reindeer. It's got Gertie with her bauble

(48:36):
and the music is amazing. And so like vintage retro
Christmas, so like 40s Christmasis totally my vibe.
So that will be when I'm there next week when I'm in Hollywood
Studios. I will hang out there for a bit.
I'll probably get a coffee and I'll sit out near Gertie and
just enjoy that. Usually when I go on terror of

(48:58):
terror because you can just sit there with a coffee at.
When you just watch it coming off.
Coming for the ride and yeah, it's just peaceful, which I said
like it's all next Tower of Terror, hearing everyone
screaming on the ride, Yeah. Yeah, I think, I think going
back to going back to the whole title of the show though, can

(49:19):
you escape the crowds in the studios?
And I actually don't think you can.
I think it's the one place whereunless you, unless you see that
magic #13 outside the the Tower of Terror, you just know that
when you see a queue coming backdown towards that entrance

(49:40):
turnstile and you think I'm going to be here a while.
Yeah. Same for rock and roller
coaster. When you see the outside.
Yeah. And you're just like, OK, well,
maybe go single rider. That's an hour and a half.
Yeah. And yeah, and the same with
Mickey and Minnie's as well. It kind of, it wears it's kind
of it's hat on its shirt in a way of just the fact that you

(50:04):
don't really have anything else apart from the shows to actually
fill in your time. So which is possibly the
opposite of what Animal Kingdom is, because actually in Animal
Kingdom, when you've got big crowds and you've got long wait
times on the main rides, you canactually you.
Can hide elsewhere you. Can and yeah.

(50:28):
The amount of manual Kingdom. Maharaja Uncle Trek.
Guerrilla Falls. Yeah.
The experience we have to be wasthat merry menagerie with
Christmas. There's so much entertainment in
that bit walking towards the tree.
The we just would walk out the shop and just here there's still
drums being played and just the Christmas loop.

(50:51):
I know Clay, you mentioned aboutHollywood studios, but there's
something I find about the annual Kingdom Christmas loop.
Just it's really, really good. But I think the jamming Jingle
parade, that would be brilliant.Now we're talking.
That's been back 20 years. I.

(51:11):
Do quite like, I like the so even in the middle of summer or
when I'm on my own and if it's not busy, I will always pick up
those trails. I think they're vastly
underrated in terms of theming, in terms of the interaction you
can have with cast members. Do I go out to Rafiki's?

(51:31):
I don't. I know I I like once in once
every five trips like. We we try to do once a trip.
Because that is a great way to beat crowds to go out there.
It's like a little Oasis. There's nice bathrooms.
There's things to see if your kids are in, you know, you or

(51:51):
your kids are interested in animal welfare.
There's the veterinary section. There is and then there's the
animation bit. So there is low steed.
I, you know, do I want to go andget jumped out by a stinky goat?
Absolutely not. I think they should get rid of
that bit really. But yeah, suitable to, I know.
Yeah, it is an actual one-of-a-kind, isn't it?

(52:14):
And actually, the one thing, again, depending on what time of
year you're at, which again, fits in with the December, the
first show, it's a type of placethat if you know that the rain's
coming and you're there in August and it's everywhere else
is busy. And again, if you're on
Expedition Everest, you know Everest is going to go down for
an hour or so, you know, jump onthe train, get yourself in

(52:37):
there. And actually, it will just keep
you. You'll stay dry, but you'll keep
the kids entertained. Just purely from the fact that
it's undercover and nobody else knows it's there.
It's really weird people don't make the effort.
Yeah, yeah. For Christmas, I remember and
looking there was the day that Ithink we realized that we'd

(52:59):
burned out. So we've been because we're only
there for a week. We were literally getting
leaving a room 6:00 in the morning, getting back past
midnight. And it was just the day because
Animal Kingdom were there for early entry at like 7:00 AM and
by 11:00 we tried to do both of the shows for Lion King and
Finding Nemo, but we couldn't dothem because every time we got

(53:22):
to the queue and they said like it's a 2 hour wait.
There was to a point where they were cutting the line off
because it was so busy that day that it was like we decided like
sometimes the you get to a pointwhere I was like this is in the
park for us today. So we just went to Disney
Springs instead where it was empty, but it was just sometimes

(53:42):
you just get to that point in the day where you go like, no,
we need to try this another day.And when we went back the next
day off and it was perfect, the managed to get all of that done.
I think that's a good call, but I think that's worth discussing
as well because actually the does come a cut off time where
if I pass, and again, usually when the rain comes, where all
the outside rides are short and then everyone then gets if

(54:05):
you've bought a lightning line that you then get it transferred
to come back and use any time they're all going to go a lot
quicker than you are if you within the general queue.
So you've always and it's alwaysworked that way, even when fast
pass was around. It is it just becomes cut your
losses. Let's let's keep a sense of

(54:27):
decorum and a sense of in a way,a sense of reality about what
you're doing and just like chillout, get out, go and put the air
con on the car or it's cold, it's cold in December.
Put the heating on and the car, which higher cars, higher cars
are not used to. But yeah, go and find something

(54:49):
else to do because actually whatyou don't want is to ruin not
just your holiday, but also yourmemories by again, just being
maybe that little bit selfish injust trying to Max out way too
much. But like I say, I think Animal
Kingdom is one place that I think you can actually, I know

(55:09):
we spoke about a Disney Day without rides.
I think we said this is, this iscertainly one part where you
actually, you can do that. But you can actually, you can
avoid the crowds by just taking things slower and just go in and
doing, doing the business other people don't want to do.
It's a very strange thing, whichleads us perfectly.

(55:33):
I kept this to last because I thought it'd be the longest one
that we'd do. But this is perfectly to to
Epcot. You know, Epcot when it's busy
is is still doable and it's depends.
I'll probably take it in two, two different ways.
If the rides are busy, then there's loads to do.

(55:54):
If World Showcase is busy with people who are maybe on.
They're having a good time. Yes.
OK, that's a nice way. That's yeah, that's, that's the
way you can describe it. Yeah.
There's still enough to go and do elsewhere so that you're not
involving yourself with the people who are out for a weekend
splashing the credit card and then don't remember that way too

(56:16):
much to drink. So I've got a list of about 10
places and that come right, you guys go 1st and then I'll pick
up with anything that we haven'tmissed because there are some
parts of Epcot where if it's busy, if there's big crowds,
there is just some perfect places to go.

(56:38):
Oh, OK, I was going to let Ben go because I started the last
time. All right, OK, Go on then, Ben.
It's being polite. Let's keep it fair.
That's it. Back of the UK pavilion, not
everyone going back there and it's some actually during
holiday season you're going to see Father Christmas and
sometimes the day. It's quite, quite interesting
sort of story and usually they've got band playing as well

(57:01):
and it's not something and people hear the music as they
walk through the pavilion, but they don't always take that turn
and go and find out where it's coming from.
OK, that's. A nice corner, right?
I'm going to go Moana's. I've been Moana's area, the
water. And certainly a water.
That's what it's called. Don't hang out there because

(57:23):
actually it doesn't matter how many people are in there.
You can still you can wait for people to go past you and I can
spend an hour in there. Easily.
The music is amazing. I'm not sure how it would be in
the cold if it was a really coldday I'm not sure but I just
think it's fun and watching other people interacting with
things I love. So like, you know, the, the

(57:43):
waterfall bit or everyone, there's like 7 spots where
everyone stands and you feel together.
And I love watching people complete strangers trying to
sink each other and they eventually someone goes right,
all together now 123 and you cansee all these people trying to
do it on their own and it doesn't quite work.
And then gradually all the little slots fill up and then
someone goes, coordinates it alland takes the lead.

(58:05):
And I love watching that from a distance.
It's really cool because you just see this collaboration and,
and like teamwork that happens. It's a complete side hustle in
terms of, you know, you're in a,you're in a theme park.
This is what we're talking aboutwith Katie.
You're in a theme park, you're learning stuff about water and
the cycle of water and you're learning the leadership and
teams, team building skills thatyou didn't know that you were

(58:26):
learning. I just love it, It's brilliant.
Technology that's in that area as well, it's.
Great. I just love the bit where that
you start the water curtain where you're walking through and
it's like, is it going to open? But it works every time.
I've not seen anyone get wet yet.
And no, wait, wait for it. Where would you go, John?

(58:51):
How we got the America Pearly and the American adventure and
just get yourself absorbed within the most beautiful sounds
and and just voices of liberty in itself.
But do take, do take the time tojust look at the exhibits that
are on display and and then justlook at the look at the flags as
you go away the escalator up thestairs.

(59:14):
And then you've got the most perfect excuse if you need one,
to have a little snooze. However, I don't because
actually, I really love the the presentation and the film and
the just everything about it. And I, I really do.
I, I feel it's one of those places that even if the park is
busy, this place. Yeah.

(59:37):
And even if even if it was rammed in there, that theatre is
so big it would it would eat up so many people that you actually
would still be guaranteed to seethat's.
Cool, I do. I do like that it's very
comfortable. Yeah, Yeah, it is.
And actually I if you, if you listen to this and you're from
the UK, then I actually feel that it, it's very, very much

(01:00:01):
done retelling you that the history of America.
I actually think they do as a they don't.
They don't really diss us as badly as we really deserve.
Oh, do you know what, John? I go having been in that
particular attraction a number of times.
Yeah. I think the thing that I take

(01:00:23):
away from it as a, as a non American, so obviously,
regardless of which other nationality might be, the thing
that I take away from that everysingle time I watch it is an
understanding or at least an appreciation off the patriotism
to the United States of America.And the way in which people feel
about their flag, about their country, about their amendments,

(01:00:46):
about their, you know, all of you know, their their the fact
that they are a state which celebrates adventure and
discovery and and you know, independence and all of those
things that that particular showdemonstrates that in a way that
I can understand. I'm not one of them, but I

(01:01:08):
appreciate why people feel the way they do it.
I think it does Uka bit dirty insome places, but you know, I'm
not going to I'm not going to hold it against them, But I just
for me, there's something about if you've never done it and
you're from the UK, go and watchit because next time you see

(01:01:30):
people standing at Flag Retreat,for example, you will understand
why that is important to them. They say thank you to their
veterans, thank you for their service.
And he's like, you will understand why that is
important. So I think in terms of like the
education about the country you're visiting, it actually
does far more than you realise. That's my view of it.

(01:01:52):
Sorry that got a bit deep for a minute.
Sorry. No, I'm, I'm totally with you.
And actually that that's the main reason I enjoy going,
because I actually enjoy the reminder of the fact that
America is still a very young country.
Oh. 250 years isn't. It yeah.
And people forget that, you know, people forget that it in
it's still, in a way, it's stillI.

(01:02:14):
Think I've got cheese older thanthat in my fridge or you smell
like it when I open my fridge. That would be my, that would be
my go to place. That's the top of my list and I
really feel that, you know, I would do it this service if I
didn't include that as much. Yeah, yeah, sorry.
It's good cool. Yeah, good cool.

(01:02:36):
I think, I think for me, there's, there's something about
hanging out in the Mexico Pavilion.
Yeah, yeah. Just getting inside and chill
and look at all the trinkets andthe stuff and look at how much
it costs and they go not for me.When we was there and when it
was really cold, it was they hadthe mariachi band indoors.
So it was so cold outside and itwas just we we did the stop of

(01:03:00):
the meet and greet in Norway forAnna and Elson, blaming her for
why it was so cold did. You tell her.
Though Oh yeah, she she admittedit was her fault.
Socks, that was a that was a good day, but it was a day when
it was so quiet in Epcot. Then we walked into like the
Mexican Fillion sort of like just have wander around and it's
like we can hear the mariachi band.
It's like turning around where they normally are outside was

(01:03:22):
like, no, that doesn't sound right.
So we walked close and further in.
It was like, yeah, they were just outside and, and just just
inside it was. In that lobby.
Yeah, I actually feel that. I know we're probably in repeat
mode in a way, because every time we start talking about
World Showcase, we we keep ending up in in certain places

(01:03:45):
because actually they are such good places to go and lose
yourself. Rather than putting yourself in
a 2 hour queue for sorry or put yourself in a massive queue for
test track. You can actually just go and
just just you basically fade into the park.
And yeah, I think that that one thing, one thing is really good.

(01:04:05):
And Noah said this before, but actually, once you miss the
morning rush, go to the front ofthe park again and just just
start again. Yeah.
But just get the whole again, talking the music loop, but just
absorbing it when you haven't got people rushing by you and
the crowd's known by you. Yeah.

(01:04:25):
Well, celebration Luke, I am coming for you next week like
and or wait and I will have to FaceTime Morgan and play it to
him. Yeah, I can understand that.
The other place it's quite cool to hang out if you're trying to
avoid the crowds but don't want to go too far.
Club cool. Yeah, don't get your free sodas

(01:04:47):
do. You know.
Do the whole. Lot do the whole lot in One Cup
and also Creations is an amazingstore and if they haven't got it
in creations they'll be able to tell you where to get it but
it's a bit like mouse gear. Independent.
So much in that shop. Creations is excellent store.
It's got so much in it and the more you look, the more you find

(01:05:11):
the homeware section is really good.
So I love hanging out in Creations and the attraction
that I find never has a line is mission space.
Green Orange tends to build a bit because I think people like
the the jeopardy are of are theygoing to feel rubbish
afterwards, live orbit or not. But mission space green is

(01:05:35):
usually a 5 minute walk on. So if you if you don't, if you
if you're not claustrophobic andyou don't mind like small
spaces, they're in my mission space green because it's
actually a great attraction and you won't wait.
Sorry, just a. And and that.
Throw it in there. And the other one as well is

(01:05:56):
genuinely one my. I knew you were going there. 5
minutes, you know, 5 minutes. 10minutes is always worth it.
I've. Never done the Pixar shorts next
door. Haven't.
You. No, no, never.
Ever, ever. It's worth it just for paper.
I really love paper and I actually, I actually feel that
the the shorts need a little bitof a refresh and a little bit of

(01:06:17):
that, a little bit of TLC just to make more people get in
there. They're worth seeing.
I think the theatre itself is underutilised.
I think they could do a whole lot more with it.
What like put like a a sci-fi style 20 minute show with
dancing and singing in it? Maybe you're maybe just only,

(01:06:37):
only I shook the audience back. And I'll be, I'll be sort of at
that. As long as as long as Michael
Jackson doesn't come back in, we're all right.
Oh yeah, I don't think. He's Michael Jackson.
In the dark is never a good thing.
You know, that's so bad. No, that's meant on a child
protection point of view, not from anything else.
Wendy and the chat has just saidCreations and Mitsukoshi are so

(01:07:00):
big she likes spending time there.
Absolutely Mitsukoshi. That is a great place to hide
out if it's. We're shopping now.
That's it. Go and get your pearls to do
join in. Watch everyone else and see what
they get. Yeah, and that's not how you but
stay a bit longer to see what happens the next time, because

(01:07:23):
it's exactly the same show. It is, but the pearls are all
different. Yeah.
They've gone up the price a lot as well.
Oh, have they? Yeah.
They used to be like $18.00, they're now like 35.
They've got up a lot maybe, and I got within the summer and I
was like, that's a lot more money than I expected.

(01:07:45):
Yeah, yeah. So I'm ever doing that again in
a in a rush. I can't, you know, I can't think
of a bad place, you know, because and, and again, I think
this has comes comes from the fact that you can always go for
a drink and you can always find somewhere. 360 films, cans and
far and wide, and sing along at the end.
But because just got that space to absorb, absorb the crowds.

(01:08:10):
And even if you're there over Christmas, you certainly if
you're there for New Year, it always used to.
Yeah, I think it was going back probably 15 years.
I think I had a photo sent to me.
There was a 5 hour queue for Sauron and and you're just like,
you're not going to, you're justnot going to do it.
Why? Would you do that just?

(01:08:30):
Yeah, don't get. Just go and go and just explore
and just go and so cop the atmosphere.
And that really is probably the biggest message from all of
this. It's the fact that don't fight
against a big crowd, probably a lesson in life.
Don't fight against a big crowd.But.
Just keeps the main. I think that's exactly it.

(01:08:50):
Keep it on the Katie, keep on the Katie thing and go go with,
go with the flow. Going to go into a park and it's
going to be really busy, but sometimes you end up going to a
park expecting it to be busy andactually isn't just making the
most of what what the day has instore for you.
Yeah, I think so. And it is still magical.
And I think that's, that's what,you know, as much as we would

(01:09:14):
all love to just take ourselves into a theme park and find
ourselves the only people withinthat whole theme park all day,
it's never going to happen. So.
Unlike the atmosphere of other people, yeah, I don't like being
near them. I do like the atmosphere.
Actually, I don't actually, I like it.
I think it's a really, it just, it becomes more magical because

(01:09:37):
actually you're seeing the joy of so many more people.
And I would even say some of theperformers on the parade,
irrespective of whatever park you're in, they kind of they're
feeding off the fact that it's abusy day.
And so they're putting so much more into their performance as
well. I think interact with them, you
know, be part of it. Join in.
Yeah, You know, don't just standthere with your phone in front

(01:09:59):
of your face. Oh goodness, yeah, worse than
you could do. So I think there's lots of ways
that you can beat the crowds there.
John, I think we've covered evenmentioned go on a resort tour or
Nick to Disney Springs. No, book it up for a future show
because actually as we get into the new year, we'll be looking
for different ideas for a Wednesday and different,

(01:10:22):
different things to do. But also different bits of
inspiration for our own holidays.
And I think that's that's the key thing from all of this is
the fact that we we love going to our special place.
We all love the fact that it doesn't matter how many people
are there. It is truly magical.
And Claire, it's probably a pertinent time to say, just hope

(01:10:42):
you have a fantastic time. I know you and Robin are going
to catch up, which, again, is possibly the last little thing
of, you know, is it worthwhile buying a ticket for a party
night? And I think because of the
reduced crowd, because of the, because of the reduced crowds,
it's worth doing it. Yeah.

(01:11:03):
Yeah, and what John is hinting at is that I was bullied.
Bullied and force. My arm was twisted up my back
when we were recording two nights ago.
I think that I think that might still be I'm not sure Ben,
whether or not he made the cut into the show, but it.

(01:11:23):
Was it really was. There was definitely like
passive aggressive commenting going on.
And so on the day that I arrive,so I'm going to do a
transatlantic flight, grab my car, drive to my hotel, drop my
stuff, get changed and go to Jolly Good nights.

(01:11:44):
And I worked, I worked out. But actually I, so my original
plan on Monday was to go to Disney Springs.
So I was going to be, so Sean and Michael are going to Jolly
Wood nights on Monday. And I was like, oh, do you want
to go to Disney Springs? So I'm like, no, we're going to
jolly Wood nights. So I was like, OK.
And I decided when we planned itages ago, I was going to do
Johnny Wood nights or the Christmas party because I've
never done the Christmas party and I have done jolly wood

(01:12:05):
nights. I'm like, I'm going to do the
Christmas party. That's all put forth and then I
was like Monday night, I'm goingto get there.
I'm going to jump on the bus, I'm going to go down to Disney
Springs, do a bit of shopping that I need to do, have a drink
menu just like hang out and you know, get back to the hotel like
10/30, 11:00 at night and get a good night.

(01:12:27):
See, and then I thought, well, I'm totally not going to do that
because actually by the time I get to Disney Springs, I'm just
going to be exhausted. I'm going to be on my own.
I'm just going to want to get onthe back on the bus.
I'm going to fall asleep on the Disney bus in the dark on the
way back to the hotel. So if I go to Jellywood Nights,
I will definitely stay up and sort out my jet lag and I get to
hang out with Sean, Michael and Robin.

(01:12:51):
And the decider for me was that I can go and meet Bing Bong.
So Bing Bong, I'm coming for you.
And I said to maybe. Do you think he smells of bubble
gum? She went no, Mummy, he'll smell
a sweaty costume. Was like, I really hope not, But

(01:13:13):
I don't go and have a hug from Bing Bong.
That's it. That's a deal breaker for me.
We'll be asking you about the smelly costume then when you
come back, that's probably the first time that you know when
that time and your kids are getting to that particular age
and. Stage.
She's cutting. She's cutting.
Yeah, she's Bruce. Yeah.

(01:13:34):
So Phineas and Ferb Bing Bong, we're going to do all the meet
and greets, We're going to go and see the shows and, yeah,
hang out and have fun. Wonderful.
That sounds. That sounds.
Brilliant. Starting with a blast.
Absolutely getting on how how I mean to go on with the rest of
the the rest of the. Week I get in over straight
away. Yeah, right.
Yeah, just don't, just just keepgoing and the whole.

(01:13:58):
Yeah, so coffee's full. Yeah, I think it'll be a lot.
Yeah, I've been might. You might need a lot of coffee.
Just just balance out, balance it, balance out.
I'll be imagining about 8:00 next morning.
It will be good I'd. Say you'd be two hour key for
coffee and. I know just that's brilliant.

(01:14:20):
Have a great time. I know you, I know you, I know
you will. That's a bit.
I look forward to seeing loads of pictures on you, SO and.
We should. We should wish all our American
friends. That was how well I was going to
finish the show. I was I'd.
Rather finish so I have no idea rather.
Than finishing the way we'd go. I've got that all boxed up.
I was going to say a big thank you to everyone in the chat

(01:14:41):
because actually we didn't actually get round to you guys
at the start of the show becausewe just had so much news.
And I do apologise because I know we've had so many people
there. Sean, have a great time as well
while you're away. Heather, thank you for joining
us as always. We know you've been there.
When do you've been in the chat as well?
The list is endless. If I missed you, I do apologize
because actually I should reallyput my glasses on for this

(01:15:05):
particular because I'm just scrolling through YouTube to see
if I've missed anyone. But any.
If I did, I do apologize, but wewe know you're there and we
really appreciate it. If you listen on the podcast on
Friday, can I also just leave the apologies until the end?
I think that's probably the bestway.
And we had an attack of the gremlins last week.

(01:15:27):
And I think Bennett was your something to do with your
microphone or something. So if you made it through the
whole of last Friday's podcast, thank you.
We appreciate that. We'd no idea how that that sort
of it occurred or anything like that, but thanks for thanks for
so just enduring that as we went.

(01:15:48):
It was a show that had lots of gremlins from cameras that I
think not to work. It was bizarre and we and we, it
happens from time to time. But most importantly, rather
than finishing as we normally do, I'm just simply going to
raise a glass. I'm going to wish every one of
our friends in the USA very special.

(01:16:08):
A very happy Thanksgiving from everybody.
The great British Mickey Waffle.Happy Thanksgiving, guys.
Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving.