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Episode 478: In this week’s episode of Traveling with the Mouse, we’re diving into Disney’s big year at the box office, looking ahead to what 2025 holds for the company, and covering some major updates that Disney fans won’t want to miss. From the surprising success stories of 2024 to the latest theme park changes, there’s a lot to talk about. Let’s break it all down!

Disney’s Box Office Domination in 2024

2024 was a banner year for Disney at the box office. Moana 2 continues to perform strong and with Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine making billions, all eyes are now on Mufasa: The Lion King, set to release this week. In the episode, we discuss whether Mufasa can live up to the hype and continue Disney’s winning streak into 2025.

Another Unexpected Ride Closure for Refurbishment

This week we were surprised to learn that Gran Fiesta Tour is closing for refurbishment in early 2025. It will be closed from January 6th through March 15th. We speculate on whether this is just a standard routine maintenance or is this enough time to convert the ride to a Coco themed attraction?

Updates to the Run Disney Marathon Course

Calling all Run Disney fans! The 2025 Marathon course map has been released, and there are some changes to look out for. This year’s course offers a few changes to the Magic Kingdom section of the route, including a run through Cinderella Castle!

Previewing the 2025 Epcot Festivals

Epcot’s festivals are always a highlight of the Disney calendar, and 2025 is shaping up to be no different. From the International Festival of the Arts to the 30th year for the Flower and Garden Festival. We did notice that Disney seems to be returning to a more traditional schedule for these festivals. It looks like 2025 will have more weeks of “diet Epcot” than any other year since the pre-covid era.

Exploring the Disney Treasure

Last but not least, we take a closer look at the Disney Treasure, the latest addition to Disney’s cruise ship fleet. This ship brings a whole new level of storytelling to the high seas with its unique design, themed dining experiences, and entertainment options. We discuss what sets the Treasure apart from Disney’s other cruise ships and why it should be on your travel bucket list.

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Episode 476: As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re thankful for the steady stream of updates from the parks, but some of these changes are stirring up debate in the Disney community. Let’s dig into the biggest headline: we finally have confirmation on where the much-anticipated Monsters, Inc. land will be going in Hollywood Studios. Drumroll, please… It’s taking over Muppets Courtyard. Yes, you heard that right. That means the days of Muppet fans enjoying the beloved Muppet Vision 3D are numbered. This attraction, a fan favorite for its humor, nostalgia, and Jim Henson magic, will be replaced as part of the Monsters, Inc. expansion.

Disney isn’t bidding farewell to the Muppets just yet. Instead, they’re making their way over to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. We’ve known for a while that Aerosmith’s days as the face of the coaster were limited, and now it’s official: the Muppets are stepping in to fill those big rock-star shoes.

We want to hear your thoughts! Are you excited about the changes? Devastated to see Muppet Vision 3D go? Let us know in the comments or on social media. And don’t forget to tune in to this week’s episode for our full discussion on these updates, plus a look at what else is happening in the Disney-verse.

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Episode 417: of “Traveling with the Mouse” is jam-packed with the latest and most thrilling news from the magical world of Disney. As always, Jon and I are here to give you the inside track on what’s happening and what’s to come.

One of the most anticipated events on the Disney calendar, Destination D23 is right around the corner! Josh D’aMaro will have another parks presentation. We can only hope that it will be better than the one at D23 last year. Expectations are low. We preview ‘Journey of Water,’ a walk-through attraction inspired by the world of ‘Moana’. It promises to be a refreshing blend of creativity, innovation, and Disney magic. If you’re dreaming of a stay at the Yacht and Beach Club in early 2025, you might want to hit the pause button. We’ve got some news that could influence your travel plans. Details in the episode! We also delve into the thrilling expansions set to open soon in Tokyo Disney Resort, and more.

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Episode 315: We take a deep dive into the Haunted Mansion! We explore the history and details of this attraction. Plus did you know that Walt had a favorite stretching room portrait? We do start with the news and cover several of the developing stories this week. Covid-19 guidelines continue to loosen on both coasts. The three caballeros are back at the gran fiesta tour! The Grand Floridian is getting new DVC studios added soon. The dark saber made its way to Galaxy’s Edge. Disney Cruise line released the pricing on the Wish’s inaugural sailing…my wish was for lower pricing! The later sailings in 2022 look better as far as price though.

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Episode 310: We take a look back 50 years ago and discuss a few things at Walt Disney World that haven’t changed. (much) It was another slow news week, aside from the construction updates. We noticed updates to the Contemporary, Several things in Magic Kingdom are continuing to see a refresh, and Epcot has new things opening this summer. That’s right, club cool is returning as well as the new shop with a new name. Cast members can now show visible tattoos and wear visible jewelry and other accessories. Finally we get into our main topic…With the 50th anniversary looming we want to start peppering in some episodes dedicated to the occasion. We are starting by talking about a few things that were there over 50 years ago that are still around today. Some things have changed a little and others haven’t changed at all. Let us know if there’s anything you think we should talk about that we didn’t include on our list.

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3D0E2A1A-789F-488C-B216-10F92A1B9F18Episode 260: We discuss Disney Moderate resorts! On our recent poll the Disney Moderate resorts won hands down. We begin the show with a news discussion. We Talk about Haunted Mansion’s continued problems, The opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and we give our advice on how Disney can save money on construction projects during uncertain economic times. When then go into our main topic of the day, The Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts. We compare them by price, location, food & dining options, pools and amenities, and transportation. Which resort stands above the rest? It turns out the we all agreed on which 2 resorts stand out above the rest…Can you guess which ones? Tune in to find out!

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A few pictures from our Leap Day trip to Walt Disney World. (swipe side to side on Mobile)

Beautiful day at the Haunted Mansion
Transformation on the Castle for the 50th has begun
RIP Mr. Toad
Melvin
Big Al
I like this shot of Henry and Teddi Barra
Liver Lips McGrowl
Castle From Big Thunder
Teddi Barra
The Five Bear Rugs
Who doesn’t love the Country Bear Jamboree?
I like that they give these out now at Splash Mountain
Hands Up!
Bacon and Eggs from The Wave!
Ratatouille Construction Update
The overflow Queue for Ratatouille
Approaching Ratatouille from the Skyliner
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Bridge Construction update from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom
3 meat platter from Reagal Eagle
Do they have health codes on Batuu?
R2D2 it is you!
Main Street right before the parade!
Does anyone notice this sign any more?
Festival of Fantasy parade
Tron in the foreground, Space Mountain in the Background
Fun day at Magic Kingdom comes to an end
The Castle reflecting on Rivers of America
Small World Queue
Would could they be doing to this part of the Queue?

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Episode 201: Disney news for April 4, 2019

Topics:

  • New photopass photo added to the Haunted Mansion
  • There will be no standby access to Galaxy’s Edge through June 23rd
  • 3 Disney Springs restaurants were involved in a credit card data breach
  • Jessie’s Critter Carousel is now open at California Adventure
  • Dumbo debuts at number 1 but below box office expectations
  • Disney adds a Villains After Hours event at Magic Kingdom over the summer
  • Philharmagic is coming to California Adventure
  • Woody’s Roundup BBQ Dining Experience Coming to Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disneyland Paris experienced a litter protest this week
  • Typhoon Lagoon will have its first VIPassholder event
  • Archive recording of Don Rickles will be used for Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 4
  • Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is now open at Hollywood Studios

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6237669224_9cc605f55a_bIn honor of Halloween this week, we are discussing the scariest attractions at the Disney Parks. We start by going through the scariest attractions that are still currently in operation. These attractions are not limited to Walt Disney World but also include Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris all made the list of scary attractions. After we discuss current attractions we go through the attractions that are not longer in operation but definitely deserved a spot on this list! Can you guess what we picked as the scariest attraction of all time? Hint, It is not a current attraction.