Your Disney Questions Answered!

You asked… and we answered! 🙌

In this special listener-focused episode of The Great British Mickey Waffle, we’re handing the microphone over to you — our amazing community of Disney fans.

From underrated attractions and long-lost favourites, to dream bucket list adventures, unforgettable Disney experiences, resort choices, and even ideas for the future of the podcast — we’re tackling your best listener questions with plenty of laughter and waffle along the way.

Join Ben, Becca, and John as they share their honest answers, stories, and tips for making every Disney trip magical, all from a Great British perspective. 🇬🇧✨

💬 Featuring questions from:

Nick Carter • Adam (DevonshireDIS) • Laura • Hannah • Jacob • Colton

✨ About The Great British Mickey Waffle

We’re a UK-based Disney and Orlando podcast sharing stories, planning tips, and park chats about Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond.

Join us every 1st and 15th of the month as we pause… and let the magic come to you.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Ever wondered what we really think is the most underrated
ride in Disney World? Or which attraction we'd love to
see Disney bring back from the past?
Well, you've asked it, and todaywe are answering.
So this episode is something a little bit special because the
very the very first time ever we're turning the show over to
you. Hello, everyone, and welcome

(00:41):
back to the Great British MickeyWaffle.
I'm Ben and today we're doing some of the completely new our
first ever listener Q&A. So we've asked you, our
incredible community, to send inyour Disney questions and you've
sent some absolute gems. So this episode is all about
you, your thoughts, questions, and tips on how to plan your
next trip to the Magic. I'm not here on my own.
So joining me today, we have John and we have Becca.

(01:03):
I hope you're both well today. I wasn't told some of the
questions. Then I thought, Oh my, yeah,
when you, yeah, when you. This is really, this is really
brilliant because I know that we, we talk about on our Live
Wednesday shows on, on YouTube about how people become part of
the show and that adds a certainenergy into it.
But to actually be able to do this as a podcast, to actually

(01:26):
take questions from other people, it's been really good
because some of the questions that we've got coming up are
absolutely cracking questions and they've, they've taken a
better thinking about. So, yeah.
So I've Many thanks to everyone who's been involved in that.
It's been brilliant to see. Of all the shows we've done in
the past, some of them take somepreparation, but this one

(01:48):
because it was like, oh, there was a lot of questions coming
through thick and fast and I'm like, oh, a lot of these are
going to need a lot of thinking about and some of them might
have to extend into a future show.
So definitely make sure that you're you're subscribed but.
I think you might have missed a trip with that opening.
I think you should have gone forthe first time in forever.
For the first time in forever, we've.

(02:09):
Returning the show. I don't want to think of cold
weather or frozen. It's it's it's October.
It's getting colder. That is true, but before we
start, if you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to like
this video and subscribe to the channel.
It really helps other Disney fans find the show.
And also if you listen on Spotify or your favorite podcast

(02:29):
app, make sure to follow and also leave us a quick rating.
We'd love to know what you thinkof our shows.
So I think now is the time, the best time to kick off with the
first. Question.
That's it. This this one, this one is from
Nick Carter over on Instagram. So what's the most underrated
ride or attraction in Disney World in your opinion?

(02:51):
I'm going to start off with Johnfirst because I know you've
probably done a lot of prep for this one.
I've done a lot of thinking for this one and actually I've I've
gone for, I've actually gone forthree because I, I couldn't
narrow it down to 1. So since Claire's not since
Claire's not with us to to actually have shouldn't she
about half a dozen anyway? I think the three are really

(03:12):
obvious ones and I actually feelthat the 33 experiences that
actually you can't not do and yet they're probably three
things that people just don't have on their bucket list and
they don't have on their don't have on their radar when they
actually first ever go in. The first one will be carousel
progress purely because it's a alt original and I feel that it

(03:36):
it it just it it explains so much about just the the actual
genius of Walt in actually his design of of certain things.
And yeah, a load of people go inthere for a snooze on a hot
summer's day in Magic Kingdom. But I says.
It's good for a bit of AC I I do, I do admit that it's.
A really good one for races got a good a good bear shelter out

(04:00):
the rain. But that would be my first
choice. I I really do feel is a must do
and I know this summer it was one, it was certainly one place
that, you know, I notice I've said in last last month's
podcast, we didn't do Magic Kingdom as much as we as we have
previously, But every single time we had to go and do the

(04:21):
carousel just purely because I always have this real fear
having, you know, that whole fear of it might not be in the
next time or the and they're going to change it.
So again, it's that little posterity part as well.
I think that that's happened a lot.
And I know recently in the news,I think it was the president of
the of Walt Disney World actually said about all of the

(04:43):
expansions that are coming to throughout Walt Disney World and
said that they've been looking at underutilised areas.
So when you think of like Tom Sawyer's Island, so actually
Carousel of Progress might have been one that if now they're
updating it, I think we're quite.
Too many people and now it doesn't look like it, but I do
think it's yeah. I think you're right there 100%

(05:03):
and in that same area, it has tobe the people move that because
like it or not, you can give me the, you know, as much of the
love roller coasters, as much asI love things that go fast,
things that just are exhilarating.
There's something about the people moving actually is just
just the use of magnets and the use of the technology.

(05:24):
It's it's just like was way, way, way beyond time and again,
just something that loads of people just oh, OK, It just goes
round in a circle, I think, But it's not it's not it's part of
the it's part of the core of magic Kingdom and I I really
that's that's another one. And the other one is the long
standing 1. And I actually feel this ride is

(05:47):
one that I think we've given more shout outs to in the six
years that we've been doing thisshow.
But living with the land is justthe most magical bit of of what
what you wouldn't expect on the theme park.
And it it is one of those thingsyou can't miss it.
You really can't miss it. And.

(06:08):
It was one of our first ever rides in Epcot it.
Was I think it might have been the first up a ride in Epcot
and. It just something we got.
Out of the circle of life and bit shy than that.
They did and we thought OK, wellwe're in the land pavilion, what
else is here? There was like a 90 minute key
for soaring, but there was like a 5 minute wait for living with
the land. Yeah.

(06:29):
So we went on it. Not sure what this was,
naturally it was educational, enjoyed it, but we've been back
on it pretty much every trip since and there's just
something. Yeah, there is.
And I know, I know our, our junior waffle section, when they
were doing the college program, they actually had a group of

(06:51):
cast members that every single time that they went on living
with the land, you had to take aphotograph of the bananas.
And it was like banana watch allthe way through.
So that carried on. So this summer we were there
without Josh. So we were sending pictures of
the bananas each time we we wereon, we came home and I, I

(07:12):
started watching Disneyland because and they were doing a
live stream and they were on thesame ride, but we'd actually
been, and we'd actually ridden it with Charlie and Stacey.
They sent me a picture of the bananas and it was just like,
and he was on his live stream and he turned, he turned, he
just turns around to the camera and he says, John, I've sent you

(07:35):
a picture of the bananas. I'm just like, that is just so
cool. It's become a little bit of a,
it's not a joke. It's actually a real thing and
it's it's a just a love of such a simple ride.
And the one thing that really delights me is as you get to, I
think it's the end of November, December time, they're going to
put like Christmas lights withinthe ride.

(07:56):
And you can actually do the seeds, seeds behind the seeds
tour, but you're seeing it lit for Christmas, which looks the
most immense experience. And actually I would book myself
a trip just purely for that, this present moment, because
actually it just looks so different, but just adds a
little bit more magic to it. We've had the chance to go

(08:19):
through it while it's been Christmas and it it is
incredible it. Looks brilliant, although I'm
thinking next time we go around Christmas we might need to shoot
behind the seeds at all. Yes, that's still a tour that is
still on the list, Still on. Our list so good and it actually
it's worth saying so you can actually book basically on the
day for behind the scenes and you just basically the staircase

(08:41):
and escalator, which is on the left hand side of the the land
pavilion. There's a little desk that's
kind of just at the exit of living with the land, but they
they generally always have space.
It's not very expensive. We took the kids when they were
younger, so it's accessible for younger kids.

(09:01):
It is a lovely experience because you are actually on the
right, you're actually in the right.
So as people that I don't. Think there's many other rides
at Disney World you can say I'm actually on the right while it's
while it's happening, it's. So beautiful because you're
actually, you're part of the show and it, there's something
so Disney about it that actuallyyou're doing the tour and

(09:23):
there's people in the boat coming past and they're waving
at you and you're thinking, oh, way back and stuff.
And it's, I don't know, it just,it takes it to another level.
It's, it's, it's a tour that's well worth doing.
And I think the last time it's about $35 per per adult if I
remember right. But it's not expensive.
It's not expensive. It's one.

(09:44):
One of the better value, yeah. Very much so.
So, Becca, what's your choice? I'm going to let you have 3
because. You're 3.
It's up to. You you have as many as you
like, but. I technically got 3 but one of
them is kind of combined so I'm going to start and they're all
both at the same park as well. It's a bit of a bit of a theme
actually. So I'm going to start with the
Safari. Oh cool.

(10:05):
I think the Safari and Kingdom is very underrated.
I think people just, they'll go on it, but they won't really
listen or they'll be too involved in taking photos and
things like that that they won'treally experience it feel like.
You're blaming me now? No.
Because I used to do that. I used to just go on that ride
and take photos and not really listen and not really take it

(10:27):
all in. I do now.
And on that same vein, I think alot of people miss out the
tracks, Najahara and Gorilla Falls, and I think they are
amazing. You get to going to see the
animals. The cast members are so
knowledgeable about the animals that they're looking after and

(10:48):
taking care of on a daily basis,and it's different every time.
I think, I think there are two brilliant choices, Becca and and
actually I would say, I would probably even say that I was
very similar to Ben as well and taking too many photos etcetera.
And but this last summer, I don't know why, but the

(11:09):
experience and I don't know whether cast members who are
driving the truck have been toldto go at a slower pace or to
point out different things a little bit more or maybe it's
just a me thing. But what we have found that when
we wrote it this summer, it's been the best and the most
memorable experiences I think we've ever had.

(11:29):
And you know, I think. Claire mentioned in our last
podcast whether when she was there, I think there's a few
that are training, they're earning their ears.
So I wonder whether some of themare quite fresh on going through
the training programs and understanding what they have to
try and fit in and maybe starting off a slightly slower
pace. But I think we've always, we've

(11:50):
all had that opportunity once where we've got caught with a
zebra walking in front of the the truck where you just have to
wait there until they decide to move on it.
Makes it memorable, yeah. Yeah, it does.
And I think it's an easy one forpeople to miss unless you know,
you're sometimes you go there, you see it's a 4050 minute queue

(12:10):
sometimes depends on the time you think is it worth it.
So it's a 20. Minute ride yeah so even if
you've got a dining reservation that you're about to go to I
would suggest coming back later but you're waiting in a 50
minute queue for a 20 minute attraction.
You're not waiting in a 50 minute queue for something

(12:30):
that's going to be over in 2 seconds.
I. Wonder if that puts people off
though as well though, Becca, because actually when you put
the wait time and the right timetogether, you're actually, it
basically is an hour out of yourday.
And so are some people missing it purely because they're
impatient and they want to get further and deeper into the
park? Or are they just missing the

(12:52):
fact that actually it encapsulates everything that
animal Kingdom is all about? And if you do that and then you
do the, the walk as you come offand you turn right rather than
left to to exit, you go to the right.
I think it's Gorilla Falls that,that the one that, that, that
part of the park is a it is justthe most stunning bit of, of

(13:17):
taking what you've seen on a truck and actually putting
yourself just in a different environment and just seeing,
yeah, seeing animals and, and seeing, just seeing what animal
Kingdom does best. Because actually, you know, I
know it's quite contentious within certain theme parks about
the whole animals, etcetera. But we, you know, you do get to

(13:38):
know when you said it about the cast members, the care that they
actually have within that Disneyhave for the animals within
Animal Kingdom is certain to not.
I'm loving this question becauseit's just making me think of.
I had quite a few on my list, but I'm just it's so easy to
think when someone says about a top attraction at Disney, you

(13:59):
think you Tron, you think of flight passage, you think of
going like, OK, what's the most recent one opened?
My under attraction is somethingas relatively new as opened and
it's the journey of water, the Moana when you're the walk
through in Epcot. It's something that to me when
the first time I heard that whenDizzy had announced it, I

(14:20):
thought it's in the wrong park. That looks like it belongs in
Animal Kingdom. But now it's in Epcot walking
through for the first time. We did.
We spent a good 25 minutes walking through just being
involved in everything, reading every bit of detail about the
water cycle and all of the different bits that you you take

(14:41):
into. And it fits perfectly.
Epcot being entertaining, which is what the whole point of what
was trying to create with Epcot,It was something that that goes
back to not just you're being entertained by something, but
you're learning something about it and the technology that
they've used in it. Especially from the bit where

(15:02):
you walk through and the water stops as you walk through.
It's just, it's just incredible.And I just think it fits into
Epcot much more than what I thought it was going to.
But it's so easy for people to walk past and not think about it
and not see it because you're inEpcot.
A lot of times you're either going to I'm going for Guardians

(15:23):
Test Track or Soaring, or I'm walking in and going to World
Showcase to start eating and drinking around the world.
It's actually not easy to find. And I think that's the other
thing you've got to bear in mind.
And even even having experiencedit for a second summer, you can
actually see how people come outof Epcot and that and you say,

(15:44):
oh, did you see the Moana thing?No, where was, where was that?
And, and it really it is hidden and you have to go and find it.
It's, it is beautiful and from afrom an education background,
the way it's been designed on somany different levels for young
kids, you know, and certainly children that you, if you take

(16:06):
them in a stroller, they will see things that are totally
different than an adult does. And if you're in between size,
you see something completely different as well.
It is true Disney Imagineering. And I can only hope that the
people involved in it become as a team, become involved in more,
more designs because actually that has been so well done.

(16:29):
It really has. Yeah.
And it covers so many ages as well.
And I think it's something that I think Disney have done really
well and let's look forward to what they can replicate that in
other projects that they're working on at the minute if.
You only were talking about, youknow, taking photos on the
safari and things. This is actually one place that
if it depends on what time of the day you're in there, because

(16:53):
if you're there during the height of the sun, it's lit, you
know, it's lit absolutely perfectly.
It's really nice and you and youdo get the effects of the steam
and things like that. But you go in at night and as
you get to where the Moana figure is towards the end, but
you actually get a spaceship Earth in the background and the

(17:14):
colours and the actual experience becomes quite becomes
quite magical, becomes quite magical actually.
And it's I say that it reminds. Me a lot of what Pandora used to
be like when it first opened or when you could be there till
late at night but Nick actually sent us a second question along
from everyone at the disload podcast so the next question is

(17:36):
what's something you wish Disneywould bring back to the parks
is. It too early to settle with the
boat. I get the feeling, I get the
feeling this is this is someone,this is someone sat there and
said, right, let's see how soon they can talk about, yeah, the
riverboat, Splash Mountain and, and all the contentious things

(18:01):
that etcetera. So yeah, I've said mine.
That splash mountain's gone, to be fair, yeah.
Well, I'd take I'd take the hat off Tees because actually that's
that's that's two that weren't on my list.
And actually that's that's two that would be as well.
OK. John, as you started before,
what would you bring back to La Parques?
Right. So I'm not, I'm not going to the

(18:21):
obvious one first, right, Because you know, everyone knows
what I'm going to say eventually.
The first one I'm going to go for is the Osbourne Lights and
just just the whole, the whole feeling within the studios was
just second to nothing. And you know, again, you just,

(18:41):
you just wonder, you know, I know it doesn't fit there, but
you could have used all them lights and you could have
repurposed it either at the springs or kept it so that you
could actually find a part to goand put it in because it was
just, it was absolutely just beautiful, you know, and just,
and the way it changed every every year, they kind of tweaked

(19:03):
it and they kind of just either added something or, or because
the park was changing, they would have a different spin on
what you could do and things. It was just brilliant.
I, I, I, I struggle, I would struggle to understand how, you
know, how you would go at Christmas and never experienced

(19:24):
that. Just on the, on the side of the
music part of it, the visual part of it and the very fact
that you would just stand in this one area.
You know, originally you could walk through where the the old
ride was and you can actually itwas more of a walking thing than
than it became. It became just a meeting place.

(19:46):
It's beautiful, absolutely stunning.
I just, it's such a shame that something was wasted and it was
just like without a plan of like, OK, we understand, like it
was coming to an end. We were there for the last year
of it and it was like our first experience was like, wow, this,
why is this going away? But clearly Disney decided not

(20:06):
to have an agreement or work outwhat to do.
With it purposed the whole area,yeah.
Yeah, yeah. What to do do with it in in
future. There must have been somewhere
on Disney property that they could have put it they.
Could put in Monstropolis. Yeah, they've still.
Got them somewhere. I I.
Can't I can't see Disney doing that.

(20:27):
I can imagine I'm trying to but pat test 10 year old like I.
Wonder get new ones. I wouldn't yeah, I wonder if
they got the same issue. You know, they looked at the
electric bill for the for the the studios over the Christmas
bill. It's like all of them bulbs are
going to cost you a whole lot ofelectricity.
Yeah, that might, that might be.No, there's just one when they

(20:49):
put them up and it's not workingand they're going to try and
find a new 10 dear that. Would be brilliant.
Well. Maybe, well, they have
repurposed them. Maybe they're part of the
Starlight Parade. Oh, could they?
Oh, unlikely, looking at the technology that they've used.
But no, I'm going to. I'm going to quickly add another
couple, right? The second one I'm going to
choose is Horizons, purely from the fact that I think if anybody

(21:13):
ever has been a long term Epcot fan, you still think that
Horizons should still be in Epcot.
And I'm one of those people. And actually it was really weird
because actually in the prep forthe show, I'm trying to think of
something. I then went on to YouTube and
found a whole host of videos of people just videoed the whole

(21:37):
ride and I just found myself just absorbed into it.
I just thought, do you know something that's exactly what
Epcot needs right now. It's a brand new horizon, right?
So I go with that one. And my third choice again, I
come for three. I don't know why, but the last
choice has to be Spectrum. I think you've been expecting
it, and I didn't disappoint you on the fact that.

(21:59):
I'll tell you what, it wasn't what I was expecting that you
hadn't said. Oh, Epcot Illuminations.
Yeah. Yeah, no, I couldn't go for
spectrum because actually that was just.
Again, I'll avoid having to use a rant about how badly treated
it was. I think with the illuminations,
I think there was a there has tobe an understanding.
It's the music of illuminations that I miss.

(22:21):
I know as well. But with spectrum, it was a
whole it was a whole package. It was the whole buy in to to
this night time parade. And and as much as much as the
Main Street electrical parade was such a loved similar style
of parade. It never hit home as much as
spectrum magic didn't. I don't know.
I've never been able to understand the difference in the

(22:43):
way I felt about the 2 two parades.
Starlight might get there eventually.
I'm not holding my breath on that one yet, but you're right
Ben, I think eliminations could have made my list.
It didn't because actually understood it by the time it
technology had moved so much that you could not recreate the

(23:03):
whole that globe I'm. Not after I dismantled it, yeah,
but maybe. Not no, but but the way they
could just put them the new showwith the illuminations of music,
and now I'd be well pleased withthat.
I just watched fireworks going up high and then just losing
myself and the the emotion of the music.
That would suit me absolutely fine.

(23:25):
OK, some very good choice to theJohn.
How about you Becca? What's What's on your list to
bring back? To arms wishes.
Oh. I like, I love this.
This is such a good question. Well done, Becca I.
Like being able to watch a fireworks show in Magic Kingdom
and not either and and be able to see it.

(23:45):
Because the problem I have with Happily Ever After and
Enchantment is that if I'm standing halfway down the end of
Main Street, I can't see the projections on the castle
properly. If that's even if I'm standing
by the castle, cast projections.Projections properly.
I'm sure. I mean, usually people have
children on their shoulders. So to be able to actually watch

(24:06):
a whole show and get the whole meaning of the of what's going
on in the show from music and fireworks and not need to be
handheld through the story with pictures and video, I think it's
really nice. I know you like happily ever
after, so I'm very sorry. I think Wishes had its time, had

(24:30):
its place. I enjoyed wishes.
There's no way that I'd ever sayI didn't like Wishes.
I just to me, first time watching Happily Ever after, I
just felt, oh, I understood the story.
And I remember first time you watched Happily Ever after, you
went. What was that I?
Mean granted, for the first timewe watched happily ever after,
we saw it from top of the Borderlands.
Yes, that's. True.

(24:51):
Because, and this is what I mean, you have to be able to see
the projections to get the storyof what's going on with Happily
Ever After. I could watch Wishes from Top of
the World Lounge and not have anissue.
Yeah, that's true, but. Is that the same?
Is there? Anything else on your list or
you just is that is. That the same though Becca as
Illuminations, but you become ensconced by the music and the

(25:11):
fireworks become like an accompaniment to the music,
whereas it's kind of it's. Package isn't it?
It's a whole package. Now, where it's all individual
and like, the music's kind of tagged along as a secondary.
And I think that that might be why both, both Wishes and the

(25:33):
Illuminations still resonate with so many Disney fans now.
Because you actually, yeah, there's there's parts of the the
Wishes soundtrack that even now that you listen to that last
minute and a half where it goes,you know, when Jiminy Cricket
goes and it's the Blue Fairy. And just like you would when you
were watching the fireworks in the park, the, the, the hairs on

(25:56):
the back of your neck stand up and you're suddenly wondering
why you're becoming emotional. And even now thinking about it,
it makes you feel that whole emotion of, of that part of the
music of wishes. And you know, some, somebody
somewhere doesn't understand that.
And it's gone purely for the visual representation.
And I know if if Claire was available to record this.

(26:19):
Claire and I last last year sat sat and watched happily ever
after. And I know she she doesn't like
it. She doesn't buy into it at all.
I have tried so much. I must have.
I always feel as if I'm missing something because when we have
this discussion, normally I keepthinking it's me and I need to

(26:39):
change my mindset from always wanting the past and always
wanting the things that have gone.
And so I go with happily ever after.
I go with a fresh state of mind every single time.
I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy this and it
just doesn't hit. It doesn't hit as hard as wishes
are. I think that's a great choice

(27:00):
backup. And I think it you hit it with
it being the atmosphere in the park, wishes felt very different
to the way and happy ever afterwards.
And also I think people are different now in the park than
what they used to be. I think there's, especially
since COVID, there's a lot of less respect for one another.

(27:23):
And there's unfortunately every,everyone now has a smartphone
where they want to film it. And doesn't matter whether you
seen it once 1015 times, people are still getting their phone
out of pocket, taking pictures, filming it, not actually being
within the moment and watching it.
We were there in 2023 and we sawit five times during our two

(27:45):
week trip from 5 different locations and only one of those
did I film and that was the onlytime I didn't enjoy it.
The rest of it I didn't film andI so it's a very different.
Yeah, I would put it out there to everybody who's who's
listening to this or watching this.
If you go in to watch night timefireworks, be it Fantasmic, be

(28:09):
it Luminous or illuminous, whatever they want to call it a
Epcot, it's not Illuminations oryou're going to happily ever
after. Now, just bear in mind, if you
want to watch a video, you can you watch it on YouTube and with
somebody who's got like top of the range spec video and
equipment and stuff like that. So you'll always be able to see

(28:29):
the video. But when you actually stop and
you actually use your own eyes and you put your phone away and
you're just observing and and just soaking it all in, it's so
much better. 100, it's 100 times.
And for those that don't believethere is stuff on YouTube and
there's a a guy his channel's called Cliff Licks and all his

(28:50):
videos are in like in the 4K6K or 8K and they're from multi
different. They're the best videos I've
ever seen. They're the.
Best videos I've ever seen of, and I'll put a link in in the
description, but I have to admitthey are the best videos I've
seen of the firewall shows. And so we don't have to film, we
can just watch it. And it's always on my sort of

(29:11):
playlist on Youtubers at some point during a working day,
yeah. That's a good call.
What? Are you bringing back?
Oh, there's so much. Shall I say, Muppets?
Because I know that I'll annoy you.
Bring up Muppets. If you want.
No, no, no, no, not my bringing back to the park.
Well, Disney have already boughtback what I wanted to the park
and it's going to be there next year.

(29:32):
And that's going to be the sorcerer Mickey hat to Hollywood
Studios. But I'm going to stick with
Hollywood Studios as as what my choice is and he's going to be.
I would like The Great Movie Ride to make a return in one
guise or another with updated films, updated technology and
new. Storyline.

(29:53):
Yeah, I I think it it when film has changed so much, especially
in the past few years. I think we've spoke briefly
before the show about this, thathow we don't go to the cinema as
much that we don't what we watchfilms in a different way.
We watch films on phones, peopleare travelling a lot.
There are a lot of different ways of consuming that their
content and there are a lot of sort of people that are are

(30:16):
writing films and focusing on how they're being made is so
much different now to what it was.
And it'd be great to see that inHollywood Studios because it's
got the name still as being a studios park.
I'd love to see that somewhere. And I, I know I don't know what
other space they've got at Hollywood Studios to expand, but

(30:36):
or maybe actually if they got rid of the Star Wars hotel.
He could. Expand the Galaxy's edge, go
back there. I don't know, but I'd, I'd love
something like that because whenwe, I love Mickey, Minnie's
Runaway Railway, which replaced it, and when we got to Transco
Disneyland to ride that version,It's so different when you see

(30:56):
the Chinese Theatre experience to what you get walking through
in Disneyland. And I just would, it made me
think of like, I'd love to go back and go through the Great
Movie ride. Whether I'd change, I'd probably
change quite a few of these scenes.
Not sure whether I'd want Wizardof Oz or Alien to be on there,

(31:16):
but I think you could still havequite a few of classically.
Being able to go through the Battle of New York and Avengers.
See. I said I actually think this is
this is actually another show that we get into this because
actually, you mean you mentionedabout putting it in the Star
Wars hotel. But you can actually use most of
the Star Wars films as a way of actually retelling a lot of Star

(31:40):
Wars stuff. And like I've said many times
before, I'm not a great Star Wars fan.
Never have been. Never.
Yeah, it's it's, I've come to the conclusion it's that kind of
genre of film that, you know, itjust, it's not real.
So even like. Yeah.
But it would be brilliant if youactually have part of a great

(32:02):
movie ride and actually go and replace like the Wizard of the
was part with with a Star Wars part or something.
It would fit perfectly. Just imagine, like showing off
the experience of the first StarWars film from 1977.
Yeah, playing. Up the Death Star.
But what I mean is like the technology that we have now that
could replicate what has been has been done through sort of

(32:26):
cinema history, I think would bequite a good thing.
Yeah. I mean, that's a really, really
good one that then yeah, I'm, I'm going to make a note of.
That if we could do a whole. A whole Wednesday show on
something like that, that would be a cracking 1.
So moving on, so this one is from Adam over at Devonshire
Dis. What's at the top of your

(32:47):
remaining Disney bucket list? So I know we've takes a few fair
things off over the years, cruises, different parks,
special events, but there's always something on that list.
John, what is on your list? Oh, now I've thought about this
and actually I know that I've watched for the past year and
know that friend of the show, Andy Goulding from the Most

(33:11):
Magical Podcast has been to every single Disney park in a
year, right? And I have been in touch and I
promised to come and talk to her.
So that might be another future podcast.
I'm not going to go too much beyond that, but to go every see
every cat Disney castle in the world within 12 months is, is
actually quite something. But I'm going to, I'm going to

(33:31):
flip it on its head. Apart from I'll answer Adam's
question. It'd probably be Disneyland will
probably be the bucket list bit.However, I try not to have a
bucket list because actually, every time I've been to Walt
Disney World, irrespective of myage, the age of the kids or

(33:53):
anything else that's been going on, I don't like to always think
I have to do this or what this is a must do because actually I
just want to go and just soak itup.
And you know, we've been back, you know, 10 weeks, something
like that. And it's really, it's been
really horrible. I know I spoke about this in the
last podcast, but it makes you want to go back.

(34:15):
And I don't want to just think I'm only going back for one
thing to take off a list and never have had a list.
I've always got in and just absorbed what I can.
And that's, and I get more of a buzz out of that and then
finding, finding new things out,you know, and that's, that's a
bizarre thing. I've been to Disney that many
times. It's still stuff that I've never

(34:36):
experienced and there's still things within that, not just the
Disney bubble, but the greater Orlando area that I've not
experienced. And, and that's why I keep going
back. It's why people, you know, it's
when people who work, you work, you work with people and they
go, oh, you're going back there again and they don't get it.

(34:57):
And actually, there is so much to actually see over there that
I don't think it would matter how long, how long your bucket
list was. You would still not get it done
no matter how long you went for.But it's the reason why we all
go back. So yeah, that probably flips
your question a little bit, Adam, and I apologize for that,
but. Yeah, there's so much on that
list that wasn't I. Can flip it back.

(35:19):
I've got a little thing that I'mhoping to take off within the
next year or so and then a big thing that might, it'll take a
few years. So the first one is a stay at
the beach club, which I'm hopingwithin the next year or so we
might be able to stay. Even if it's just for a night,
I'll do. And the big one I would like to
go to Tokyo. Tokyo Disneyland is my big.

(35:44):
Big one, why? Why Tokyo and not That's not.
That's not where I thought you were going.
Did you think? I was going Aulani or Ben's got.
Ben because. Aulani is also on the list.
I'm looking at the panel ready and going like as.
He's doing every single one of the cruise ships, so I've got
quite a long bucket list. If he could pause in making any

(36:04):
future cruise ships, that would help.
Yes, but no. I'd love that.
But they're they're. The big ones.
Why Tokyo? Why Tokyo?
Because it it's such a differentculture and I want to experience
not just the Disney part of it, which obviously I do because
there was so many different rides and experiences over at

(36:28):
just Disneyland and the Disney Sea, but I also want to go and
experience Japan as well. I love that.
Can we tie it in with a JapaneseGrand Prix?
Yeah, I'm going. I'm going that far then.
We might. I like not Ben.
OK, so you may not be aware of this because probably because I
haven't told you yet, but in my imaginary head of this imaginary

(36:50):
trip, we're probably never goingto go on.
We're going to spend the weekendbefore this is.
Good. I love that.
And what I love is that you loveFormula One that much.
You actually got the race track right.
That's. Really.
Nice stuff. That's that's attention to
detail. I'll.
Tell you what, Ben, that'll happen.
That's going to happen. That is definitely going to

(37:11):
happen. I can feel it.
That was it. 50th birthday. 50thI was thinking more like 65th
retirement, but OK, on my on my list.
Oh, there's so much that I'd love to go and do.
I've always thought of one day think about doing an adventures
by Disney and that ties in me with Tokyo idea because looking

(37:33):
at going to Tokyo scares me a little bit just from a culture
side of it. And I've seen so many of our
friends go and actually just sayhow easy and simple it is.
But I'd love to just be able to go on a tour group like the
ventures by Disney where they'veorganized it where I can just
they can show me all of these places of Tokyo.
You get to see that you might not get to see if I was just

(37:57):
booking a Tokyo trip. So that that's possibly
something I'd like to do, but which I think is there anything
else that's on my on my list that that I'm desperate to do?
And probably going back to Disneyland and doing it used to
be called as The Walking in whatwas the Footsteps tour, but I

(38:18):
think it's changed its name now.But where you get the
opportunity to go into Hawks apartment, that is something
that is on my list to do. Yeah, I love that.
Thank you, Adam, for that's a really good question.
Very cool. Thanks there.
And also just for anyone listening, so you've already
been watching and want to send your own questions for a future

(38:40):
show. Don't forget you can just pop
into Love Offless Arms on Facebook or drop us Adm on
Instagram or any of our socials.We're looking forward to
including some questions in future shows.
So don't be sure. I do get involved.
But we did have a few other questions that were added last
minute. And this is 1 from Laura so.
It. Follows on a little bit from

(39:00):
what we've just been talking about, but what has been your
best Disney experience so far? You're going to come to me
again, aren't? You.
Yeah, I just I. Can go first if you like because
I know. What's your best Disney
experience? Well, Africa track.
Yep. Hands down worth every penny.
Yeah, yeah, it will. I'm going to say I'm going to

(39:20):
agree. It's it's the exact same thing
for me. Oh, cool.
To not just. The I mean the photos from the
day were amazing. The cast members were brilliant,
knowledgeable, answered all questions.
The group we were with were fantastic as well.
The food. Was really the food was.
Great. But I walked across those
bridges and, well, my fear of heist isn't as bad as Claire's.

(39:45):
I'm not very comfortable at thatheight on a rickety bridge like
that, so I was very proud of myself for getting across that.
It was an incredible experience and it was over that time where
we were just like we booked it thinking like we're not sure
what, whether you're Ms., what, when you'd be able to do it
again or if you'd be able to do it again.

(40:06):
So we thought, let's do it. And it was like, I was just
worried that at one point your nerves would get to you and we'd
cancel it. But I'm so glad we did it and it
was such a good experience. The only recommendation for
anyone who wants to do Wild Africa trekking future.
Try and not book an afternoon slot.
Yeah, because we were there in June and it was like 12:30.

(40:27):
It was very hot. But I have to admit, we would
have looked after wonderful, just wonderful experience with
team members. But yeah, and it cost us, I
think including discount, it wasjust under $200 each for the
sort of three hours that would. Be that'd be a good one, right?
Yeah. Yeah.
I've never done that. Yeah.

(40:48):
I think, I think the cost of it puts me off.
And actually, we could have doneit this summer since we didn't
have the kids. That's an opportunity missed
there. How much to admit?
Yep, I'm going to go deep on this.
So I do apologise for anyone who's listening to this kind of
hits Homer, but I'm going to go there.

(41:11):
And I think, Laura, I think thisagain, I'm I'm sort of I'm
flipping out your question. It should be a really uplifting
1. You know, I could have talked
about doing Tower of Terror 11 times in a row in in 2011 when
we did Summer Night Tastic, which was quite something, but
you get a headache eventually and.

(41:32):
I can imagine. Yeah, it.
Became quite the thing and eventually we got them to just
let us through. Let's not watch the pre show
video because actually we don't need to see that.
I'm going to go deep on this. And actually, when we first
started doing all this, I had noidea about sort of who we'd meet

(41:54):
along the way, the people who'd listen to the show, people who
read, we get to become, you know, we've been friendly with
quite not a lot of people. And, and actually that's been
such an, an upside of it. But somebody with me and and
there was a connection made whenI think when Finding Nemo went
dark, when during the the COVID and O Katie had been on the show

(42:18):
prior to that. And we're just, we're just in
fact, she probably hadn't, I think.
Yeah, I think we just, we just sort of struck up this thing
where they went the show went down and as a family, we we sent
messages to cast members becausewe were heartbroken when it
happened. And then I, I emailed Katie and,
and just sort of reached out because actually I just felt it

(42:40):
was like one of those moments inyour life that if you're a
performer and you don't know what's happening next in your
life, it, you know, it might be a bit of a thing.
And stupidly she replied and, and, and what came from there
has been a friendship. She's been on the show a couple
of times. She is coming back, I do assure
you, when she gets a bit of timein her life.

(43:02):
But that moment of, of just replying to somebody and then
keeping in touch and then actually having them on the
show, having a chat and being and, and just developing a
friendship is something I would never have expected to be in
intensive care after my operation.
And then for Neil and Karen to have gone and found Katie in

(43:24):
Animal Kingdom and recorded a video.
And I know spoken about this a while back, but to actually have
a video sent to you from somebody that you would you've,
you've watched for a number of years, but you've had on this
show and you've, you've, you've struck up a friendship.
But for her to have the whole cast sending you a message to
get well sued. And you know, it was just, it

(43:47):
was, it was just crazy. Just and that for me, that was
Disney magic at its absolute highest and Disney, Disney
bringing people together. And This is why this is so
powerful of a question. And again, Laura, I think this
is this is 1 where Disney kind of transcends everything because

(44:07):
it actually has that magical ability to, to connect people
and, and that, that for me is, is, is the one thing that my
Disney experience there and having, you know, we met Katie
last year. We went, she took us for drinks
this summer, but she remembered that we paid last year for her
dinner and she insisted on buying the drinks.

(44:29):
And I'm like, hang on a minute. I can't remember what I did last
week. And this person who you know,
she's become such a good friend,we, we sat for two hours.
And as much as I know I can talk, take and talk as well.
You can imagine that whole conversation from the minute we
sat down. In fact, before that, it was it
was the minute we kind of met upafter she she finished the show,

(44:51):
everything. That was trying to usher you out
of Nomad. It was, it was, it was
wonderful. And it was just, it's one of
those things where you find a friend who I know that we've
been able to support in, in whatever way we can, but she's
also done the same back end. And that is what Disney does
best. And it doesn't have to be.

(45:13):
And this is this is a bit. And I know, know you've spoken
about this whole thing about letting magic come to you.
But this is this is epitome. This is the epitome of it.
I never sent an e-mail in the first instance expecting Katie
to be become a friend. Yeah, I now have Katie emailing
me say I've not heard from you for a while.
Are you and Ken? I I was just like, she's

(45:35):
checking on me. I'm I'm like good brief.
This is the way it's gone. I mean, yeah.
How how the tables have turned but it's.
Lovely. And I, I, I've never expected
any of that to happen in any other place in the world.
It's just become part of it. Really does show you there's
something about Disney community.
Yeah, I know it's not in every aspect of the Disney community.

(45:56):
Not all of it's positive, not all, but there are so many gems
within the Disney community thatpeople are willing to help and
just be there for one another. Yeah.
And I love that we get the opportunity to do this show,
that we just get to talk about the plays that we love and
amongst with other people that we've met.
And there's so many people in the community we've met since

(46:17):
we've been doing this for over six years now.
Yeah, very. Much so Ben and and I actually
feel that that for me is is actually something that I don't
think if we were talking football, we were talking about
F1, we were talking about golf or anything like that.
It wouldn't be that same shared.It's it's a weird thing.
Yeah, I know I mentioned about Neil and Karen that, you know,

(46:40):
we we first met Neil's family years ago in 2008 on a
Illuminations cruise and it was just like they were looking for
someone to share the cost. So we did.
And from that moment on, we've actually become friends.
You know, I know our kids are incontact just on a daily basis

(47:01):
and that, you know, that's nearly we're nearly getting to
like, what's it 1717 years laterand that that still maintains
today, you know, and I remember I met I met with Neil in a in a
pub. He took me to he took me to a
football game. I'm not I'm not a Man United.
So I'm what's anyway shape or form, but we're we're we're sat,

(47:21):
in fact, we're still up in the Man United pub talking about
Disney. And we suddenly became aware of
the fact that there was the two of us with a massive football
crowd around us, completely lostin conversation about a place
that both of us love. And at that moment, you know,
when you just sort of you kind of wake up to yourself and

(47:42):
you're thinking, Oh, my word, ifsomeone was eavesdropping on
your conversation and they'd be thinking these these two people
here, you know, then, yeah, they're they're not with it.
Yeah. And it's really, it's really
strange like that. And and that's how much, you
know, I know. And I think it sort.

(48:04):
Of replays back to what you saidearlier, John, actually about
when you're at work and like people are kind of like, oh,
what are you going? Where are you going next year on
holiday and you go Disney and they go again.
And it's, it's something that just not, not everyone gets
until you've had the chance to go there and experience it.
And it's it's great when you do find people that do share the
same love of Disney as we do. Yeah, sorry, Laura, I didn't go

(48:25):
as deep with your question as itdid there.
But actually it was really strange because that was one of
the last questions that came in.And you mean, you mean you don't
have time to overthink the answer That was that was my not
overthinking the answer reply. So I dread to think, but I
overthought the answer to that one.
I really we could have been in trouble.

(48:46):
But we're going to, we're going to move on to the next one.
So our next question comes from Hannah.
So, and it's a really good one for anyone who's planning their
Walt Disney World trip. So this is interesting.
And John, you're probably best placed to answer this one, but
favorite villa, resort area and also hotels outside the Disney
bubble and why? Right, so.

(49:07):
I I'm going to say it's difficult with villas for us,
yeah, because we've only just. One but.
I'm going to suggest a few hotels actually.
You go with that and because we we tend not to, if we're out the
bubble, we tend to go villa and we don't do hotel so.
If you're leaving the Disney bubble, look at the price of a
Universal because. Some.

(49:32):
Of the prices, we have seen the Universal Hotels and actually
when you think of the price whenyou factor in car hire and car
parking, everything can actuallywork out very good value.
But we've also stayed in a few other hotels we've done, like
the Clarin in the Lake Buena Vista.
We do not. Recommend that one by the way.
Very cheap, yeah, very cheap. But there's a reason why it's

(49:54):
cheap. But borrowing the borough?
Are going to get broken into every time.
I hear very good things of the Disney Springs area hotels, but
the thing you need to factor into your cost and we did this
for one of our trips when we were looking at going over
Christmas. We in the end we booked with
Disney because the IT was the same cost staying on site at
Disney in an All Star as it was for going to an offsite hotel

(50:21):
with a resort fee added on. So actually it made sense for us
and. Extra parking pricing and things
like that as. Well it can't comes into it, but
the times we've stayed at Universal when we've stayed at
the value hotel and the in our upcoming trip, the price of them
has beaten Disney completely andwith only a 20 minute drive up

(50:41):
the I4. It depends on what.
Obviously, if you're not doing Universal at all in your trip
and it's just Disney, it's probably not worth staying at
Universal depending if you're going to lose the drive.
Yeah, but we, we also our first ever trip was to DoubleTree at
SeaWorld and it's right in the middle of I drive and is one of

(51:04):
you look on their map. It's it's close to universal.
It is Disney. But yes, you have to deal with
the I4. But most places you you tend to
unless you're looking at a villa.
It's a quite an asset as. Well, it was really good and
very good value and it was always classed as one of Virgin
Holiday's favorite hotels. So there was always a perk way.

(51:24):
The resort fee was always included.
Yeah, I was going to say this, Ben.
I think it's worth again, this is this is maybe a topic that
we're going we're going to be able to widen out considerably.
And I think as part of the podcast, we'll keep coming back
to this as in respect of off, off property resorts and off

(51:45):
property hotels. If you book from the UK, there
tends to be a much more transparent knowledge that you
have no resort fee or you have Xamount of dollars per night
resort fee if you go and you tryand book through an American
booking site. I'm trying not to use exact

(52:07):
sites because I don't think that's particularly fair at this
particular point. If you do it in future podcast,
I might, I might, I might revealmy source.
They tend not to be as transparent as to what you pay,
and certainly if you go and booksomeone, what you.
Get as part of that as well because sometimes you'll have a
resort fee which might just cover housekeeping, but then

(52:30):
you've got to think about parking.
And car. Park, Yeah.
And then you when you think it'slike I've got to spend $2125.00
a day to park the car. And obviously if you're off
site, even going to Disney and then spending $3035 to park your
car while you're at the theme park, this is where the big
spreadsheet comes out and you have to sit down and do the
maths and work out what is good value for you.

(52:52):
Yes. I think that's it.
I actually think this is something we will come back to.
And as much, as much as I would love to give you every hotel
policy under the sun, Hannah, I don't think we could get it just
within this. And actually it tends to be you
get what you pay for, which I know sounds a pretty basic

(53:14):
answer. But if you we've, we've stayed
in a couple of hotels whose nameescapes us because we basically
we drive past them now and we still have R.E.M.
We just have memories of 100A green swimming pool.
It's the one near Lake Buena Vista.
Is it the Embassy, Embassy Suites or something?

(53:35):
We don't pay because actually weactually had it on.
We traded in some air miles thatwe had with American Airlines
and we thought we'd be really clever.
You know, when you think, hey, we got we got a couple of nights
accommodation here. It's just like even you just
think this is just a nightmare. And the kids were the kids were
really young. And like every time you come

(53:56):
back into the room, your first first look was to see that the
bags are still there. Your second look was to make
sure what had been pushed underneath the door, because
actually the the gap under the door so big that you came back
and and actually there was that many different there's.
So many pizza leaflets and so much stuff advertising that
would just but for me. That was, that was a really bad

(54:17):
sign because actually, yeah, people from the outside who were
advertising these people access to the hotel.
I, I really struggled with that massively.
And again, it's maybe something that's worth looking and doing a
little bit of preparation work for that your hotel has either
got a barrier so that you're actually staying within a kind

(54:38):
of, in a way a gated community, or it actually doesn't have
people, you know, go on TripAdvisor.
You very quickly get the gist ofexactly what goes on.
So, and, and to be honest, I know sometimes the TripAdvisor
places get about a bad press andthings average, average out the

(55:00):
good and the bad and you see you, you generally get a really
good idea. I always like to go and read
what the best and reviews are, then look at the most recent and
then also look at what the worstis and go like OK well.
I tend to add up the excellent and the good and then the bad
and the awful and see which onesworking out more.
Yeah. Now just kind of dip into the

(55:22):
the villa resort area part of that question because because
Hannah, Hannah, this is this is basically a whole hour's worth
of a shout. And I'm not going to take an
hour to explain it to me. You'll pay more to be closer to
the Disney parks. And if you're further away,
we've had some beautiful villas up near Champions Gate, Lake,

(55:46):
Wilson Preserve. I can't fault where we were and,
and even we've been further out than that on the top of the 27
and the price reduces significantly.
So imagine you've got that little circle around Disney and
you're looking for a villa area,the 192, you're paying the

(56:06):
premium, but actually the premium that you pay, you save.
Because actually, if you're in the park and you want to come
back for an afternoon swim, it'sdoable and you're not wasting a
load of petrol and you're not wasting travel time.
You're basically back, back to the village in 15 minutes, get
your swim done. You can go back into the parks
later on. You've already paid for parking.

(56:27):
So again, that's not an additional cost if you're
further out. And this is the thing, over the
past couple of years we've been on the 192 and absolutely had to
had to really reel ourselves in a little bit because previously
we'd gone for some absolutely delightful villas, but they were
further out. But if you're going out, you're

(56:47):
out for the day. It's too big a trek to actually
get back and then to be botheredactually getting back out again.
So I'm going to I'm going to, I'm going to make a I'm going to
make a suggestion, Hannah, that we come back and we revisit this
possibly in the new year, just because I think it'd be such a
really useful planning question.And I know it wasn't too long

(57:12):
ago we spoke about choosing the right villa, but I don't think
we I think we touched upon the right place.
But again, it's, it's one of them that I think you can't tell
someone where to go and stay because it's always cost
related. And I think that's that's
probably where it'll leave it for now.
Personal preference, yeah. Because it and.

(57:32):
I think maybe we could do it on a, on a live show, maybe one
day. What we could do is we can open
a few villa websites, look on the Google Maps and try and work
out where we'd, we'd like to know because I know we've looked
at villas recently to look at a future trip to see what options
are out there. But no, I I love that I.
Think we, we I. Love the way where we're helping

(57:53):
people with trying to work out what they're doing for their
next trip, but. That's, that's a bit where it's
so nice having the experience of, of having made those
decisions previously and actually, even in retrospect,
you change one trip and you suddenly realise, oh, do you
know something? All that travel time we actually

(58:14):
had was in a little bit. That was the bit of the holiday
we didn't, you weren't. You're never aware of it at the
time. It's only when you go somewhere
else and you realise there we goand and actually.
I'm going to say actually that reminds me of our trip this year
when we moved from Boardwalk to the Polly.

(58:35):
And then realise that how further the Polly was away from
things compared to when we were driving, compared to my
Boardwalk was when we were goingup to Universal and shopping.
And that that side of it was like, oh, it's taken a little
bit longer. And that was on property.
So that that you don't, you don't realise when you're
booking it, but you experience it when you're there.

(58:58):
And talking of experience something when we're there in
August and our next question comes from Matt and Crystal
married to a Disney addict podcast saying can we meet up at
the Rose and Crown again? And I mean, yes, definitely let.
Us know when you're there. If we're there as well, we'll
grab a drink A. 100% that was just because.
There was that was the first time we'd ever been into rose,
the Rose and crown, which we ledto Australia.

(59:20):
Again, that's that's what. Yeah, proud of that.
Yeah, it it was amazing and it was a lovely opportunity to meet
up with so many friends while wewere there.
And I think that's what I love about our trips now compared to
before we started doing the show, how many people we've met
and we've met in person and thatwe take time, that they take

(59:41):
time out of their holidays. We arrange to meet up, go for
meals and maybe doesn't have to be the Rose and Crown.
There are plenty of other placesEpcot that we could go and grab
a drink but. Rose and Crown's a good.
Place there's something about the Rose and crown and it's it's
really weird because even if you're British and you're
thinking. Oh, it's, it's just like, oh,

(01:00:02):
we've got the Rosencram. It's in the UK.
It's easy, but it is a property,You know, even if you go to a
pub in in England these days, itisn't like that.
It isn't there isn't that. Again, it comes about that
shirt. It's clean.
Yeah, but yeah, yeah. And it's got air conditioner as
well. But it's everyone's like they.

(01:00:24):
Designed it by watching EastEnders the coronation shake
and that's what it reminded me of.
Reminded me of Rovers return on the Queen there.
Oh, I. Love that I've got a vision of
an imagineer somewhere that was not the inspiration probably.
Not but but the. Thing is, we've over the years,
we've met so many amazing peoplejust by having a chat.

(01:00:46):
And that's that's a bit that, you know, even this year, the
lab behind the bar, I started talking to about the podcast
because actually he'd noted the fact that each time he came in,
he knew what was ordering. And call me old fashioned, like,
yeah, if the guy behind the bar knows what you're ordering,
that's doing your job to the endof the degree.

(01:01:08):
So he's always knowing he's that, you know, if you'd be
there, he knows I paid cash. So dead easy for him to just
turn that over. So there was one time when we
have we're having a real nice chat with him.
I said, oh, we do this podcast. I said so again.
Beer Mac game. Beer Mac's game.
I'm running out of Beer Max and I need to get some more for next
next time we. Think we've still got some in

(01:01:29):
the other room? We'll send them up to being.
Plentiful, I must admit that there's such a brilliant way of
actually not not just advertising ourselves but
actually giving people that workacross there a little insight to
what they do and and just to just that little bit of I don't
know that little bit of a bit ofhome if they want to they want

(01:01:52):
to come and listen to us and that's really good they're.
Missing a bit of home, especially when they're out out
in the UK pavilion. But Matt Matt and Crystal are
was it married from a married toa Disney addict podcast.
They are absolutely what an amazing family and just I can't
our Claire and I met them last last year and we did a mammoth a

(01:02:18):
tour of the UK pavilion, which Ithink actually got cut into two
separate podcasts and took map and eternity to actually edit
because we like talking but justbeautiful people and I yeah, to
answer their question definitelyand we'll buy the drinks as

(01:02:39):
well. Yes.
Yes, definitely. So on to our next question.
So here's one from Jacob. So our last trip was the
ultimate stay. So it's beach club, full dining
plan, the works, but it's hard to justify that cost again.
What changes would you recommendto reduce the cost without it
feeling too much like a downgrade?
Joe, that's such a good questionand there's so much that you

(01:03:01):
could pick out in that, especially with prices that
especially since the pandemic have gone up year on year on
year. And every time I open that sort
of blogmickey.com, there's like,oh, here's Disney's annual
increase in price. There's always something
happening. And I think a money saving tip
for me, if we're going to go beach club, I would think about

(01:03:26):
renting out DVC points and looking at alternative.
You want to set a deluxe resort,actually staying at renting out
points from an existing member can actually be very cost
effective. We've we've done it before when
we've run out of points. There was one time where we were

(01:03:46):
going for a cruise and we wantedthe two nights before so we
could make sure that we're thereplenty of time just in case of
flight delays or cancellations before the cruise.
So give ourselves a bit of time.We originally we had budgeted
pop and it was coming out about $350.00 for two nights.
We went on to I think it was DVCrental store and we managed to

(01:04:09):
save $50 and book Old Key West for the same for $50 less than
what it would have cost us to stay a pop.
I think this is I, I actually think again, Jacob, I don't
think we can actually totally dothis within the time scale of
this show. But if you come back and keep
listening. We.

(01:04:30):
Will cover every single part of this because actually I know
what we tend to do. And if you look back on previous
shows, we generally do a spell January, February, March time
when a lot of people are bookingfor, for that upcoming year.
We try to focus on planning I would say.
And Becca, this is picked up on your thoughts of Beach Club as

(01:04:54):
well. But in 2019, we stayed, we did
10 nights at the Yacht Club, which is right next door.
I have no idea how we got it forthe price that we did.
It was just, it was one of them,you know, one of them things
that they must have had like a convention that was cancelled or
something. And suddenly all these rooms

(01:05:15):
became available and we just, wegot this absolutely incredible
deal. Never thought I'd do 10 nights
and pay 10 nights on site. But at that point, it was when
you still had the dining plan when it was free and it wasn't
the current pay. You're basically paying for it
anyway. It doesn't matter whether you
say it's free or not. But it was just incredible.

(01:05:39):
Things have changed and even nowlooking for one night in a
Disney hotel for certainly for this summer, it just didn't.
I couldn't justify the cost as opposed to the nightly cost of a
really good villa where you could.
Stay isn't that far away, Yeah. And and then actually that

(01:06:00):
actually changed my whole perception once again of as much
as you like being, and I know Claire's found the same.
It's lovely being on site. It's lovely being in a Disney
hotel or a Universal hotel, but you pay a premium for it.
You know, even looking for a villa last year we sat out
basically with a so budget in mind of about £120 per night.

(01:06:25):
You look at a Disney hotel and looking at certainly looking at
the top end of the beach Club and we were looking so £450 a
night. I'm just saying I can't.
I actually, it doesn't matter how comfortable the bed is.
It doesn't matter how close to the park it is, but.
Also, you might not be the very when you think how if you're
going to a full park day, are you going to be in there all the

(01:06:48):
time? And I think that's, that's the
thing to think about and, and thinking of food actually is
quite a big thing. And I know a lot of there's a
lot of focus on the free dining plan.
And John, you alluded to a minute ago that the free dining
plan, I would call it an included dining plan because the
prices of every hotel, whether it be Disney or not is flexible.

(01:07:11):
So they the rates will go up anddown constantly all throughout
the year. So yes, when there's offers you
need to work out is the actual cost of the dining plan included
in that. Does it?
Does the maths add up? Whether?
You'd be better off waiting. Instead of a free dining plan
offer a free nights offer. I would also suggest looking at

(01:07:37):
Grand Dustino tower, some moderate with a deluxe fill if
you that's. A good call.
Insisting on staying inside at Disney.
Yeah, that's a very good point actually.
And I, I think there's, there's so many different ways and I
think we could do. I think it's.
Going to be this. Is a whole show a whole?
Series on this one. Yeah, yeah, I, I can.

(01:07:57):
I pick up on the word that Jacobused and it's actually without
it feeling too much like a downgrade.
And actually, I think that's a really good way of looking at
it. If you again, it goes back to
the kind of the question that itwas.
Was it Hannah asked as well about planning?
I'm trying to see what it was. Yeah, the the the early question

(01:08:21):
and looking at villas and where you would stay.
I actually feel that if you go for a villa and there's, and I
know Claire and I have been on you guys for quite a while about
the what a villa offers you, butit isn't a downgrade because
actually you have so much private space.
You have so much, yeah. When you look at the square foot
of your room, what you get for your money, if you're going to

(01:08:42):
do that, the it's just working out for you what those perks are
and actually is it worth the cost of if you're saying a beach
club or boardwalk or your club that walk into Webco or that
short stroll to Hollywood Studios, you see?
You're selling, you're selling that to me now.
You're going to cost me more money in the future, but you're

(01:09:03):
selling it. Allison's going to stop you
doing the show. So you're going to spend.
More money, but it's it's a difficult thing, isn't it?
You've got to weigh up what yourexperience of what you want
because we've experienced value moderate and deluxe.
And I have to admit, I love all of them because it gives me that
perk of being on site in the bubble.
But then actually we've been offsite or we've been part of

(01:09:27):
Universal and I haven't missed the Disney bubble bone being at
Universal. So it's a very interesting the
way of doing it, but I'm lookingforward to one day staying in
the villa. But because we've got DVC, it
makes sense for us to use. You're committed to that as
well. I think that's that is another

(01:09:47):
thing. And I know we've done DVC shows
in the past, but again, it's onething I know I've got a friend
who rented points with DVC this summer, absolutely perfect for
what they were were looking for for a couple of nights.
That seems to be the way they can actually cut the cost but
still have that Disney magic. That's certainly one option I

(01:10:09):
think as well. Jacob, I think have a look, have
a look at the villa part of it. Because actually, you know, it
isn't a downgrade. And actually you will find that
if you choose a place that you really want a price that you can
afford, you might be millionaireand you might be listening to
this and thinking I can do threeweeks in the Beach club, but I

(01:10:31):
could take the step down. I never know.
I won't make that assumption. You can buy, you can actually go
and rent some absolutely incredible villas at prices that
I won't pay at prices that probably are on par with per
night stay at the greater grand for Larisi.
And I would hasten to add, like you know.

(01:10:51):
And I think that that's the thing with it there.
You've got your choice at Disneyand Universal and off site
hotels. You're always going to find a
budget value option. You're always going to see sort
of moderate on. You can see deluxe, but the same
goes for villas because as we'vebeen looking through, we've got
like, oh, there's so many more options.
And it was like, oh. That's.

(01:11:11):
Nice. Oh, that's got a pine kitchen.
Like, not sure about, not that one, but it's those sort of
things. It becomes it becomes one of
those things that you actually you've got to have a list of
what you want from your villa. And we're, we're really, we've
got so many different things. And I.

(01:11:32):
Think we found the one also saidwe.
Found the one that we liked quite easily actually.
Maybe it's Maybe we are that fussy that there was only one in
existence. I have to make every time I've
looked at something else, I've gone like, no, it's missing
something from that. The other one has.
So it's one of those things. And thank you, Jacob for that
question because I think. I think we'll come back.

(01:11:54):
We'll come back and thank Jacob again in the future because
actually I think this is, this is a, again, this is such a
massive question And, and if youare a planner, this is something
that again, it's something that we can kind of feed into shows
that actually make it just make it a little bit easier when
you're trying to plan your next trip or your first trip.

(01:12:16):
Because actually that's the mostscary 1 is when you come from
the first time and you really are booking a lot of stuff
blind. And quite often if you don't
listen or you don't read, you know, and I would always, I
would always recommend going to a place called the dip on online
because actually there's loads of planning advice there.
You. End up spending so much more

(01:12:36):
money on that first trip, yeah. You.
Don't. Not doing as much, yeah.
And, and I always, I go back about a number of years, a guy
came and fitted the kitchen in our house and he said, oh,
you're a Disney fan. So, yeah, just a bit.
And he said, no, I was there with the family last year and he

(01:12:56):
told me the numbers that the number of tickets that he bought
for every theme park. And just like the cost of the
whole trip on my, on my word, I could do three trips as a family
of four. I could have done 3 trips what
he actually paid. And I'm thinking if you go, just
go and be more informed. And and that's, that's really

(01:13:17):
where I know a lot of stuff thatwe talk about is about just the
love of Disney, but, but actually there are stuff go and
look at some of our previous shows, go and listen to some of
the advice. It does obviously prices change,
things change, etcetera. But the core principle of
actually making your trip as affordable as possible, actually
it's something that I think thatall of us quite enjoy because

(01:13:40):
actually we don't like, I don't,I don't personally, I don't like
paying more than I have to. No, that's true.
And the worst thing is, once you've booked it, don't look
back. No.
Because you'll always regret it,but on the you don't.
Need to know that the prices have gone down but on.
The odd on the odd times that can help because sometimes they
go. Up and you feel great sometimes.

(01:14:01):
You've booked it with a cancellation policy that lets
you re book at the cheaper price.
Yeah, especially when it's related to car in particular.
So, but we're now down to our final question.
So, and finally from Colton, could you have a subscriber
spotlight where you pick a subscriber at random and feature
them on the podcast? So I like this idea.
It's similar to what we we've done in our past few years, but

(01:14:24):
we we love having listeners joinus on the show to share their
Disney story, favorite park memories and just chat about our
favorite place in the world. So it's sort of a natural
extension of the community we'vebuilt over the years.
So if it sounds like something that you'd enjoy, drop us a
message and it offers arms on Facebook or send us Adm.
We'd love to hear from you and you can feature in a future show

(01:14:46):
that'd. Be great.
I'd love that. I love talking to everyone in
the community because we all do Disney trips differently.
There's always something that weall have a different feel for
what we do. But then that wraps up our first
ever listener Q&A. A huge thank you to everybody
who is sent in a question tonight.

(01:15:07):
And hopefully we've managed to give you the answers to some of
them. And I know some of them we'll
cover in the future show. So we're definitely going to be
doing this again and it's been such a fun way to hear directly
from you. And don't forget, you can catch
us live every Wednesday at 8:30 UK time on YouTube.
And we've got a new podcast episode out on the 1st and 15th
of every month. So if you have enjoyed today's

(01:15:28):
show, make sure to subscribe on YouTube.
Hit the bell soon. Never miss a live show and don't
forget to share out the show with a fellow Disney fan.
It really helps us grow our community.
So until next time, we'll see you soon.
We'll. See you real soon.