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Episode 405: Welcome back to another exciting episode of the Traveling with the Mouse podcast. Today, we have an exhilarating lineup as we delve into our summer trip previews. Our first adventure takes us to the enchanting wilderness of Fort Wilderness, where our co-host, Jason, previews his memorial day weekend trip. We will hear more about that next week. Next, Jon is eagerly counting down the days until his visit to Orlando. With Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort on his itinerary, he will be staying at an Air bnb in the Windsor Hills area. I will also be returning in a few weeks with Jason back to Disney but this time we will be staying in a treehouse villa. Of course, we can’t forget the latest news from the ever-evolving world of Disney. In this episode, we’ll be discussing some exciting updates, including the upcoming VIPassholder days in June. This exclusive event is a fantastic opportunity for Annual Passholders to enjoy extra perks, unique experiences, and unforgettable moments within the parks. Star Cruiser is now sold out and the Pixar Place hotel concept art is interesting. So, fellow travel enthusiasts, join us on this episode of Traveling with the Mouse podcast as we embark on incredible journeys, discuss the latest news, and fuel our wanderlust. Whether you’re camping at Fort Wilderness, exploring the magical parks of Orlando, or eagerly awaiting your next adventure, this episode is sure to ignite your passion for travel and all things Disney.

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Episode 369: We catch up on the Disney news of the week. Disney had a big earnings call this week and the profits are back up to pre-pandemic levels. We talk about how the parks are a big reason for that and what it could mean for future developments. Disney remains silent about magic key renewals as they try to increase guest yields. We discuss how that could impact things in a negative way in the long term. Meanwhile a new update to Genie plus creates a problem with park hopping and securing lightning lanes. Also, what’s up with Chapek’s Beard?

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Episode 338: We are back after the Thanksgiving break and we decided that with all of the negative news lately that we should take a look back at some happy Disney memories that we have had over the years! But first we hit some of the latest headlines from the past couple of weeks. There was a lackluster Disney parks update from Josh D’Amaro. There are a more shakeups in the leadership of the company. (Hopefully for the better) and Disney World has stopped selling annual passes. We all saw different things on Disney+ over the break and we give our reviews. Then we get into the happy Disney memories segment. We start by talking about our favorite holiday memories at Disney and the conversation evolves from there. We hope that it will be more uplifting than what the current vibe is around the Disney community right now.

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Episode 335: We are back this week with another stellar episode! We discuss what we like about the being Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World. Jason is excited after booking his second Disney cruise so we talk about Disney Cruise line and what we can expect while sailing during the times that we are in. We also cover some news like the petition to fire a certain CEO, parking lot trams wont be coming back until at least 2022, and club level is starting to come back to the resorts at Walt Disney World. Oh yeah, we also give some updated thoughts on the Disney Genie and what we think of it two weeks since it went live. Jason doesn’t hold back.

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Episode 332: This week Jon previews his upcoming trip to Walt Disney World! We also revisit our thoughts on the new nighttime spectaculars and see if our thoughts have changed now that we have had a week to mull it over. We also discuss some news like the return of character meets. It will be a modified experience than it was pre-covid but at least the character meets are coming back! Also, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is return in December. Cast compliments can now be done on the My Disney Experience app and passholders are soon going to have exclusive effects when entering the parks at the tap-styles. During Jon’s trip this week he plans to see the new nighttime shows in person and will also dine at Ohana and Steakhouse 71. We look forward to hearing all about it next week!

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Episode: 327. The hits just keep coming! This week we discuss the new and not at all confusing Disney World Annual Pass program. But first we discuss some of the other headlines of the week. Space 220 has an opening date of September 20th but we are still skeptical. The swan reserve is delayed yet again. Lightning lane “stickers” have been place on the old Fast Pass plus entrances at certain attractions. Living with the land was down for 2 weeks. The bright spot that we found in the news this week was that we are all looking forward to the Le Creperie de Paris opening. The menu sounds delicious! We wrap the show by going through the new naming convention for the annual pass program and what perks have been removed from the old program that will now be add-ons for an additional fee (Boo!).

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Episode 301: In this episode this we discuss the latest Disney news and give a construction update on the various construction project going on at Walt Disney World. Jason, points out that his favorite attraction, The Tom Sawyer Island Rafts. The Soul of Jazz exhibit is now open at Epcot and Annual Passholders will get a 30% discount on merch again for the next month. The park hours have been extended for the President’s Day holiday week. There has been a new record for the Points challenge this past week. Can someone beat the new record next week with the longer hours? We wrap the show by giving a collection of the different tips that we have learned over the past several months traveling to Walt Disney world during Covid-19.

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3ACC24F1-1C1F-4ABE-858D-C3E1FB9BDF4DEpisode:279. Today, we reveal that one of us has tested positive for Corona-virus. We also discuss the latest Disney News. The movie release of Mulan is coming to Disney+ for an additional fee. The Disney 3rd quarter earnings call happened this week and there’s some good and bad things that came out of it. Annual Passholders are continuing to see some extra love and attention these days with extended discounts and of course a new magnet! (one per household). The average wait times for 3 of the 4 Walt Disney world parks has gone up week by week since re-opening but one park has seen wait times go down. Could you guess which one? Splash mountain had a boat sink as well this week and had to close for a couple of days. Isn’t that the attraction to have a boat sink this year?

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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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8C625507-5F7B-4F59-9F55-B6E02FF336F9Episode 270: Today Jason returns to the show and fills us in on the work that he has been doing to help combat the spread of Covid-19. He also gives us his thoughts on what the parks will be like once they reopen. We also discuss Disney’s statement regarding the unjust murder of George Floyd by a police officer. We later go into some other news around spaceship earth and what it will be like when Epcot reopens. Annual Passholders will have the option of partial refunds or date extensions when the parks reopen…but what will the restart date be? Shanghai might be an indication the extension being longer than expected.

 

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Episode 227: Today we are discussing some of the latest Disney news and giving a lot of construction updates. Later on in the episode Jason and I give our review of our recent stay at the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort! We have a lot more content coming soon so stay tuned!

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20190620_024705476_iOSEpisode 221: We have a lot of news stories to cover this week. Price increases have been rolled out at Walt Disney World. There are a few good news stories…The leave a legacy stones have been removed from one side of the entrance to Epcot and Passholder’s are getting a preview of Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios sometime in August! We do have another crazy rumor to discuss that involves the Country Bear Jamboree (say it aint so!) We also cover some construction updates at California Adventure and at Magic Kingdom.

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Today’s News Topics include:

  • Slinky Dog Dash Coaster Tails have been removed because of Safety Concerns
  • New concept art for Riviera Resort
  • Disney releases the music of Pandora album
  • New details about Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
  • Bob Iger Reveals the opening time frame for Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge
  • The Disney CEO is in some hot water on Social Media after comments about attractions in the Parks
  • Disneyland increases ticket prices…again

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Today’s News topics:

  • Annual Passholders now have to show ID for Disney Parking
  • Completed Millennium Falcon is now at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge
  • Joey Fatone will now be the narrator for the Christmas Candlelight processional
  • Gardian’s Coaster track now being installed
  • Monorail has another incident this time the doors wont open for several stops
  • Disney Bus crash sends 15 to the hospital
  • New high speed rail proposal could include a stop at Walt Disney World
  • Disney Skyliner testing seen at Caribbean Beach resort
  • Disney After Hours debuts at Hollywood Studios
  • Disneyland is cracking down on Merchandise re-sellers by revoking annual passes
  • Tokyo Disneyland’s new Beauty and the Beast attraction looks amazing

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Today I go over the basics of the Walt Disney World annual Pass! I start by going over the different types of passes and the current rates for those passes. I then talk about the process of activating your pass and how to get your passholder magic bands and magnets. I also, discuss the benefits of being a passholder including, discounts on hotels, merchandise, and dinning. I talk about what I think is the best benefit…the inclusion of memory maker and some of the other smaller benefits that I think are worth mentioning. I hope that this helps you determine if an annual pass is right for you.

Link to the passholder site

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Today’s news topics include:

  • John Lasseter will step down from Disney by the end of the year.
  • Walt Disney World monorail has another unique breakdown
  • My Disney Experience app went down for 45 minutes
  • 2019 vacation packages will be available starting June 19th
  • Block-out dates for Certain Annual Passes lifted for the month of June
  • Richard Gerth…the longtime greater at the Grand Floridian dies at age 92
  • Frozen on Broadway is 0-3 at the Tony awards
  • Solo is estimated to lose $80 million dollars
  • More details on the delays around the release of Toy Story 4
  • Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean re-opens
  • New contest gives the winner a night to camp in Pandora for a night
  • Disney Visa card members can purchase Disneyland’s Halloween party tickets early
  • New merchandise debuts at Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian

 

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In this week’s news episode we discuss the following:

  • Millennium falcon attraction pieces being set into place in Disneyland
  • Club 33 doorbell placed at American Adventure in EPCOT
  • Wonders of Life pavilion no longer a festival center?
  • Rumored changes coming to Disneyland annual passes for next year
  • Pinocchio Village Haus to start serving a buffet dinner
  • New 350-Room Hotel to be located near the Swan & Dolphin
  • Pirates of the Caribbean closes for refurbishment of the auction scene