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Episode: 312. Yeah, we waited 7 hours to ride the PeopleMover this week, but it was totally worth it! We were among the very first park guests to ride after being down for over a year. Jason and I recently returned from a trip to Walt Disney World where we got upgraded to the Grand Floridan. We enjoyed several trips to our favorite bars and lounges on property. We watched the Electric Water Pageant from our hotel room. We had one fantastic table service meals and one not so fantastic meal. We explored Tom Sawyer island and compared the experience to that of Rise of the Resistance….You’ll see what we mean. In the news we discuss the newest update to the Jungle Cruise and Disneyland is open once again! We talk about the latest Ride Every points challenge and the recent controversy surrounding it.

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Episode 309: Today Jon and I discuss some of the top headlines of the week and then we go through Jon’s trip report to Legoland and a park-less trip to Disney at Art of Animation. You can now go mask less for outdoor photos at Walt Disney World. There’s some more delays on Disney Cruise line. Josh D’Amaro teased some new technology coming to the Disney parks as well as a working retractable light saber?!?!? I can’t wait to find out more about that! We get into Jon’s trip report and he walks us through is experience at Legoland. It was a mixed bag of long waits but good service and food that was included with his stay. Next he stayed a few days at the Art of Animation resort to check out the newly refurbished Little Mermaid rooms. He got to have a day at the big blue pool the day that it re-opened. He also had a good meal at Art Smith’s Homecomin’ and an unforgettable dinner at the California Grill. (Recently voted by us as the best thing at Walt Disney World) He capped it all of with Dole whips at the Polynesian and some great Disney cast interaction that reminds us why Disney is still a step above when it comes to service!

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Episode 303: This week Jason and I returned from Walt Disney World and we give our trip report of what it was like during President’s Day weekend. Also, let us know if you like the new format for the trip reports! First we cover some of the news of the week like some financial reports for the Walt Disney company and the subscriber count for Disney plus is nearing 100 million. Disney Dining plan will remain unavailable for the foreseeable future and the Park Pass system is here to stay for now. The park hours remain all over the place but seem to be getting extended each week. More construction is continuing in preparation for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary later this year. In the trip report section, Jason and I talk about our experience at Pop Century resort, the Skyliner Bar crawl that we attempted and getting a boarding group for Rise of the resistance for 2 days in a row and showing up late to see what would happen. We talk about the different dinning experiences that we had this time including Olivia’s, Ale & Compass, and my birthday dinner at California Grill.

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Episode 299: We got to experience a VIP tour at Walt Disney World! We tell you what it was like and if we think it is worth the price. Before we get to that we did have a few news stories to cover like, Disneyland discontinuing their Annual Pass program. We speculate as to what they will have in its place once the pandemic is over. The Muppet show is coming to Disney+ and Hall of Presidents is closed for the addition of President Joe Biden. Jason and I went on a trip this past weekend to Walt Disney world so we have a trip report. We stayed once again at the Gran Destino tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort. We experienced The festival of the arts, Rise of the resistance, and the new ratatouille…walkway. Also during this trip we took a VIP tour and went to all 4 parks and got to see some backstage areas with our very knowledgeable tour guide, Homer. We tell you what we thought of our first experience on a VIP tour!

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Episode 294: Today we hear Jon’s thoughts on his recent trip to Walt Disney World. First we cover some news headlines. McDonalds temporarily halted the distribution of the Runaway Railway Toys. Legendary Disney Imagineer Joe Rhode announced his retirement…We wonder if it is just the timing for him or was there any pressure for him to step down. Disney Springs will get a highspeed rail station in the coming years, where will it go and how will that impact travel to Walt Disney World? Park Hopping is going to return to Walt Disney World in January, we talk about potential strategies for hitting multiple parks. We also give some more construction and refurbishment updates. Jon talks us through the good, the bad and ugly of his trip to Walt Disney World. There were some issues with food service and room maintenance at Caribbean Beach but overall the convenience of the skyliner was a big plus. He got to do Runaway Railway and it was a big hit with the family but there was some disappointment with Rise of the Resistance. Crowds were also an issue at times. Will he go back again anytime soon?

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Episode 290: We start the show by lamenting about the state of Georgia’s sports teams. They seem to always snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. After that we dive into the big Disney news of the week which is not good news for Disneyland in California. The official regulations are out now and the biggest hurdle is that orange county must be in the yellow tier in order for them to be able to open (they are currently in the red tier). It could be well into 2021 before Disneyland is allowed to re-open. In some good news, we are happy that Gran Destino along with the rest of Coronado Springs resort has now re-opened. Adventures by Disney may be cancelled for the rest of this year but next year they are planning to roll out private tours. How much do we think that will cost? In refurbishment news, the People Mover keeps being pushed back. It is now not scheduled to re-open until January 2021. Disney released some new hotel Discounts for early 2021 that are actually good discounts! Start booking them now if you want a good deal because these will probably go fast. We end the news on a rumor about more attractions being test piloted for a virtual queue. Jon recently went to the Pigeon Forge area and spent some time at Dollywood. He walks us through his trip there as well as some museum tours that he experienced.

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Episode 289: Jason just got back from a busy holiday weekend and Walt Disney World. He gives his full trip report but first we do discuss some of the recent Disney News. The drama out of California is continuing to develop. We discuss the latest with the status of Disneyland and when they might be able to get some guidelines on re-opening. Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to Disney’s CEO asking for a details on why they proceeded to lay-off 28k workers while executives full salaries were re-instated. She also questioned the stock buyback policies that Disney has been taking part in over the past few years. Disney did respond but not directly answering her questions. In other news, There’s a new pop-up store for Annual Passholders at Epcot and Ratatouille will have a single rider line. The people mover refurbishment will be delayed yet again and the trailer for the new Pixar film Soul has been released. Jason then goes through his trip report from Walt Disney World over the holiday weekend. He let’s us know what the crowds were like and if Disney enforced the mask policy. He stayed at the Yacht Club and gives us his review on the resort and Stormalong Bay. He also got to experience Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the B-mode for Kylo Ren in Rise of the Resistance.

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9221E064-715E-499E-A61F-1890D477478AEpisode:277. I talk about my recent trip to Walt Disney World! I go through the safety measures that Disney has in place and if it made me feel safe. We also cover the recent news like the fact that Disney has officially announced the closure of three attractions. Could more closures be on the horizon? What other attractions could be at risk? We also talk about the annual pass options for cancelling or extending your pass. During my trip report I talk about the crowd levels on each day and my first ride experience on Mickey and Minnie’s runaway railway. At Epcot I got to experience what I call the Flower, Food, Wine and Garden festival, I give my pick for best dish at the festival. I also had great dinning experiences at California Grill and Olivia’s. Overall if you are considering going to Disney in the near future I would say that you should use extreme caution and make sure that you are OK with the risk but also know that Disney has done a lot to make things as safe as they can.

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141FFA0D-DD6D-4747-BA77-1266BF44CFD1Episode 259: Better late than never! This week we had a delay in our recording schedule because of our recent Disney trip but we have so much news to cover that this is a jumbo episode of Traveling with the Mouse! Disney has a new CEO and Walt Disney world has a very bad week full of ride issues. Spaceship Earth has an official refurbishment date and the Emperor is in fact a clone in Rise of Skywalker. Jason and I went to Disney World this weekend and Jason got to ride Rise of the Resistance for the first…and second time but it wasn’t without drama. We had some really good dining experiences and we survived the crowds and short park hours. This is a big episode…get ready!

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5339BB03-F63A-494A-A821-B8C0CFB3AC39Episode 258: On Today’s show Jason took an impromptu visit to Disneyland in California! He gives us a live trip report as he is experiencing Disneyland for the first time. Apologies in advance for the audio quality of this episode…We had to sacrifice some quality in order to bring in Jason live at Disneyland. We did discuss some news including the new Chewie mode for Smuggler’s Run that is breaking the Disney internet, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride-through details and the New Disney Cruise-line Itineraries for 2021. Don’t worry, we will cover the big news that broke this week soon!

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5374FC43-E6DE-4ACE-8049-7AE5C0BB83DFEpisode 253: Jason recently returned from his first Disney Cruise! He walks us through his experience on a 3 night cruise with a stop at Castaway Cay. We get into a review of the food and entertainment on board the ship. He talks about his experience on Castaway Cay and how to have adult time on a cruise with Kids! He also book ended his cruise with some stops at Walt Disney World. He did a pre-cruise attempt at Rise of the Resistance with a tight window of time. After the cruise he went to Epcot to check out some of the new shows and to experience Festival of the Arts.

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2f586959-c94a-4ad4-b776-905371a019c9Episode 250: I just returned from visiting Walt Disney World during Christmas week. It was certainly crowded but we were still able to ride all of the major rides with minimal waiting. I talk about how we navigated the parks during the busiest time of year and how we were able to ride Rise of the Resistance with a group of 10 people. I proved that even when the parks are busy that Fast Passes can still be acquired and used to your advantage. Also, since today is the start of a new year we take a look at what we are most looking forward to in 2020.  Here’s to another great year of Traveling with the Mouse!

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TWTM_240Episode 240: We catch up on the latest Disney news before discussing Jon’s recent solo trip to Walt Disney World! This week we actually discuss the final trailer to Star Wars Rise of Skywalker and give our thoughts and theories about it. Fuel Rods are now going to cost $3 per swap, and Disney is doubling down on the Villains after hours events in 2020. Jon recently visited Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party and got to spend a lot of time on the Skyliner during his stay at Pop Century Resort. Jon shares some tips that he learned about riding the Skyliner with us. During his trip he also got to hang out in Batuu and visit Jock Lindsay’s Hanger Bar at Disney Springs. 

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238_Episode_PicEpisode 238: We discuss the latest Disney news and Talk about what it’s like to go to Walt Disney World without kids! That’s right Jason and I just returned from a trip with our wive’s and no kids. We talk about what it’s like to go to the Food & Wine festival and eat at signature restaurants without children. I’m not going to lie, it was kind of awesome. We crammed a lot into a weekend trip and we ate a lot of food and had a lot of drinks. We spent time at all 4 parks and had a very memorable dinning experience at Monsieur Paul at the France pavilion! Jason and his family are now DVC members! Look for a DVC episode coming up soon.

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Episode 220: In today’s episode Jon recaps his recent trip to Orlando with a stay at Universal’s Cabana Bay and visits to Sea World and Disney Springs. We talk about his visit to the new Sesame Street area in Sea World and his overall thoughts of the park. He then gives his thoughts on Disney Springs and has a few dinning reviews to share during his time there. He wrapped his trip up with a breakfast at Kona Cafe at the Disney’s Polynesian Village resort!

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In this episode, I discuss my recent Walt Disney World trip. This time I stayed at Pop Century resort and I give my opinion on my first stay at this resort. I also had 2 meals at the Japan pavilion at Epcot. Both were very good but all things considered I liked one a little better than the other. I also had a very special experience on Kilimanjaro Safari…We were there the day that a giraffe gave birth. Also, I discovered a nice quiet spot to view the Happily ever after fireworks at Magic Kingdom. This trip was also my first time visiting over a marathon weekend. I have some tips one how to make the most of the time if you are not involved with the marathon.

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This episode details my recent Walt Disney World trip to catch the end of Food & Wine Festival as well as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for this year. This also marks my first stay and a Disney Value resort. I stayed in the Little Mermaid section of Disney’s Art of Animation. Overall I had a good experience but I look forward to checking out other Value resorts that have the newly refurbished rooms! I give my opinion on this year’s Christmas Party and list my favorite treat locations. I also have 2 new restaurant recommendations…I had exceptional meals at Enzo’s Hideaway at Disney Springs and Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach resort. I will go out of my way to eat at these locations again!

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B04F896B-72F5-4A13-A0FF-01C600279A38In this episode, I conclude my Paris trip report and discuss the different popular sites that I visited in Paris. I give some advice on how to avoid the opportunists that frequent popular tourist areas. I also answer some of the most common questions that I was asked about the trip. Then I talk about my final day at Disneyland Paris! I got to experience their back-lot tour one last time because it will be going away soon and I didn’t give the one at Hollywood studios in Florida a proper goodbye when it closed in 2014. I rode the Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris which is very different from the ones that we know in the U.S. Parks. We ended our trip with a character meal at Cafe Mickey and I have to say it was one of, if not the best character meal I have ever done! The character interaction was phenomenal and we made a lot of great memories. I end the episode by answering the question…Would I go back?

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D7E6AC0D-EBFC-41E1-8C58-DF2640CF4381Today I start my day by day walk-through of my recent trip to Paris, which included 3 days at Disneyland Paris. I discuss how we booked our trip and the price of Disneyland Paris compared to the U.S. Disney parks. I talk about what it’s like to commute to Disneyland Paris by train and how the train system in Paris is pretty easy to figure out. I also talk about some of the frustrations that I had with Disneyland Paris…mainly the app. I had the most expensive lunch ever at Walt’s on Main Street but the experience made it acceptable and I give my thoughts on the Ratatouille attraction that will be coming to Epcot soon! I have a lot more to discuss in Part 2 next week so don’t miss it!

 

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Today we welcome our first guest to the show! Jon’s brother James recently went on a Walt Disney World vacation and we spoke with him about it. As I mentioned in our last episode, Jon is a little preoccupied with the newest addition to his family so I have been going back in the TWTM archives to find some content that we haven’t released before. This is a recording that we made back in May and didn’t know what to do with it. We recorded this through speaker phone so apologies if the quality is not great at times but we hope you will still get some enjoyment out of it. Also, just to let you know, this episode begins as a trip report and then kind of goes all over the place. We talk about attractions, restaurants, and other random Disney topics. It is our intention to get James and my brother on the show to talk about Disney past and present. Let us know what you think and we will get back to our regular schedule soon!