Episode 514: The holidays have officially arrived at Walt Disney World, and in this week’s episode of Traveling with the Mouse, Jon and I dive headfirst into all the news and festivities happening across the parks!
First up, we head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom where the Zootopia: Better Together show has debuted inside the Tree of Life Theater. We share our first impressions, reactions, and thoughts on how it fits into Animal Kingdom’s lineup. Is this the right move for the park? Does Zootopia belong there, or is it another IP square peg in a round hole? You know we’ve got opinions. Speaking of Zootopia, Zootopia 2 will be hitting theaters soon, and we discuss whether we’ll be heading to the theater to see it.
Then we turn to the business side of Disney because what’s a Disney conversation these days without a little talk about streaming? Disney+ recently hiked its prices, and we share our thoughts on how this impacts fans, families, and subscribers. We also dig into the ongoing dispute between Disney and YouTube TV because nothing says “holiday cheer” like two media giants arguing over carriage fees.
Episode 507: This week’s episode is jam-packed with Disney news. It seems like the past week has been an avalanche of updates, concept art, and announcements about projects both in progress and on the horizon. Let’s dive into some of the biggest stories we’re covering in Episode 507 of Traveling with the Mouse.
Zootopia 3D Show Gets an Opening Date at Animal Kingdom
Disney has finally given us an opening date for the all-new Zootopia 3D show coming to Animal Kingdom. November 7th is an earlier opening date than we expected but with the release of Zootopia 2 in theaters later that month it makes perfect sense. We discuss the timing, and whether it will bring much-needed energy to Animal Kingdom.
Big Thunder Mountain’s New Concept Art and Backstory
Hang on to your hats and glasses, because Big Thunder Mountain is about to dig deeper into its backstory. Disney released new concept art along with a fleshed-out narrative for the classic attraction. We break down what the updates mean, how much will actually change in the guest experience, and how this retelling fits into Disney’s growing trend of “story-forward” refurbishments.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Becomes Muppets Mayhem
We all know that soon Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is losing Aerosmith and gaining…the Muppets. The new concept art shows released this week shows what the Muppet-ified version of the pre-show will look like. We share our thoughts on the concept art and speculate on how long this change-over might take.
Beak and Barrel Lounge at Magic Kingdom
Avast, ye thirsty travelers! The Beak and Barrel, the new pirate-themed lounge at Magic Kingdom, is just about ready to open its doors, and we’ve got a look inside. From themed cocktails to immersive details, this lounge seems to be another step in Disney’s strategy of creating more unique hangout spaces in the parks. We break down the vibe, and whether this addition is worth the wait.
Spaceship Earth Refurbishment – But for How Long?
Finally, we turn our attention to EPCOT’s icon. Spaceship Earth has closed for refurbishment, but Disney is being vague on just how long it will be down. We talk about what changes might be on the horizon, whether this will be a quick spruce-up or something more significant, and how a long closure would affect the park experience.
Episode 392: Today on the show we’re talking Q1 earnings call and what the aftermath will be. Some new things were announced like new sequels for some of the biggest franchises and a new experience coming to Disneyland. There were also some things that we didn’t want to hear…There will be seven thousand layoffs across the Disney organization and the Theme Park investments got cut by 700 Million dollars. The company is reorganizing to place ESPN out by itself. We can guess what that means as the company is also trying to erase the debt caused by recent acquisitions. Also, Reedy Creek Improvement District will be renamed but will continue on. However, the new board will consist of 5 supervisors that will be hand picked by the governor. There isn’t much Disney can do about it but wait and see how this goes.
Episode 373: The D23 convention wrapped up yesterday and we have some thoughts! Jon and I go through each day of the conference and talk about the highlights and lowlights. The parks panel was a mixed bag of small updates and early concepts that are way out there. Our original predictions for Tron’s opening date are going to end up being pretty close. There are a few cool new updates coming and a lot of meet & greets. Let us know what was your favorite part of this D23? We all know that the pandemic effect is still a real thing and it showed in the parks panel. Josh tried his best to make it exciting and it still fell a little flat but there’s still some cool things on the horizon and there’s always hope that the next D23 will bring with it some more exciting news.
