See WDW! Near & Far

7/1/23 - Is park Fatigue a thing? Especially in the age of Genie Plus? Is it mostly a local thing or can it be everyone? It's Summer time and the crowds are mostly lower in the parks. Is this what is going on? We discuss this and more on this episode. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! You can send comments and questions to see.wdwnearandfar@gmail.com Who we are -...

This week, John visits EPCOT. Later, he visists the new Minion's Cafe at Universal Studios Florida. He gives us his thoughts and experiences from both visits and more. We finish the show up with a discussion about the SeeWDW social media channels.

06/21/23 - E.T. needs your help to save his planet. But, first you must evade government agents, here on Earth, and others that would capture him for their own purposes. If you do that, E.T. has found a way to take you with him to his "Green Planet". In this weeks episode, we talk about the story, the experience, behind the scenes, and the engineering involved in Universal's E.T. Adv...

This week, John spends some time at Disney's Hollywood Studios where he checks out the new Indiana Jones lounge. Next, we talk about his latest visit to Universal Studios Florida where he checks out the new Minions store. We finish the show up with a discussion about the SeeWDW social media channels.

06/13/23 - Imagine you could walk into a music studio and watch legendary rock band, Aerosmith, record some music for their upcoming album. Then imagine them, due to circumstance, inviting you to their concert with backstage passes and transportation. This is how Disney's Rock N Roller Coaster begins to weave its story. This preceeds a wild ride through the streets of LA on your way to the con...

This week, John spends some time at EPCOT. He talks about some of the new Passholder experiences, some new merchandise, and we discuss a few things at some of the festival booths. We finish the show up with a discussion about the SeeWDW social media channels.

06/06/23 -Did you ever watch your favorite daily dose of social media influencers and wonder if they are being authentic? Did an influencer video convince you to spend thousands on a trip to the galactic starcruiser? This week, we discuss whether these influencers still have the power to influence potential guests. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! You can send comme...

05/30/23 - Imagine you could travel to the Himalayan Mountains on a scientific expedition. This expedition tasks your group of explorers with finding evidence of the existence of the cryptid king, The Yeti. Now, imagine in the middle of this expedition, everything suddenly goes wrong and you are instantly jolted from an adventure filled with mystery and conservation into a terrifying nightmare tha...

This week, John returns to Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure. Later in the week, he made it to Animal Kingdom and talks about the lack of lines in the evening. We finish the show up with a discussion about the SeeWDW social media channels.

05/08/23 - You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone. That is the chilling experience you are faced with when braving the Tower of Terror. In this episode, we ta...

This week, John talks about his visit to the Universal Orlando parks and EPCOT. He gives us a few "regular guy" reviews on some items from Flower and Garden and we close with an update on how the SeeWDW socials are performing including an interesting proposal from TikTok.

05/01/23 - Did you ever get excited about a Disney announcement only to have the company cancel the project a few months or years later? That is what this episode is about. We look at canceled projects from theme parks to attractions in every era of the Disney Parks. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! You can send comments and questions to see.wdwnearandfar@gmail.com...

We are starting a new weekly series covering John's week in the parks and discussions on social media. These will typically be shorter episodes but this week for our first episode, we cover three weeks worth of park visits. Thanks for listening! Our topical weekly podcasts will be live, on YouTube, each Friday and on audio the next Monday. The parks and socials episodes will come live on YouTu...

04/24/23 - In this episode, the extinct but still fan favorite attraction, Horizons. We explore this attraction from top to bottom and try to shed some light onto why it was so special. How did Horizons influence the industry and Disney theme parks, globally? Why did it shut down? When did it open? Who designed it? We discuss all of this and more on this episode. Thanks for tuning in. We will be b...

04/18/23 - In this episode, we discuss the past, present, and future of Spaceship Earth and explore our thoughts on the experience of this day one EPCOT attraction. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! Show Notes Introduction: • Brief history of Spaceship Earth • John Hench was a legendary Imagineer and artist who played a crucial role in the design and development of m...

04/10/23 - Disney parks have always contained a certain level of weirdness. Whether opening gateways to strange fantasy worlds or building attractions with bizarre characters, the company used to let their artists express their creativity in weird ways. This created the feel of the parks. Now, imagineering and the company seem angled more toward IP driven attractions and merchandising. But, there...

04/4/23 - Disney parks have always contained a certain level of weirdness. Whether opening gateways to strange fantasy worlds or building attractions with bizarre characters, the company used to let their artists express their creativity in weird ways. This created the feel of the parks. Now, imagineering and the company seem angled more toward IP driven attractions and merchandising. But, there a...

03/30/23 - Recently, John dined with his family at the Contemporary Resort's California Grill. He talks about the entire experience including watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the hotel. We discuss a few great tips and tricks on some prime locations from the hotel that do not require hotel reservations or dining. We finish up with a discussion on how his social media performed. Thanks...

03/13/23 - Mike and John were able to experience Tron Lightcycle Run previews. We talk about those experiences and discuss Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival for this year. But first, we talk about John's (and Mike's) week in the parks. We finish up with a discussion on how his social media performed. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! You can send comments and questi...

03/2/23 - John experienced Universal's Mardi Gras Ride and Dine. We discuss what it is like being on a float and throwing beads at Universal. This special ticket add on also includes a meal. John talks about the options including his own experience. But first, we talk about John's week in the parks including his experience at Epcot's Festival of the Arts . We finish up with a discussion on how his...

02/13/23 - John experienced Universal's Mardi Gras for 2023. We discuss his experience and what the event has to offer for this year. But first, we talk about John's week in the parks including his experience at Epcot's Festival of the Arts . We finish up with a discussion on how his social media performed. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode! You can send comments and...

02/6/23 - Disney parks have always contained a certain level of weirdness. Whether opening gateways to strange fantasy worlds or building attractions with bizarre characters, the company used to let their artists express their creativity in weird ways. This created the feel of the parks. Now, imagineering and the company seem angled more toward IP driven attractions and merchandising. But, there a...

01/30/23 - Disney parks have always contained a certain level of weirdness. Whether opening gateways to strange fantasy worlds or building attractions with bizarre characters, the company used to let their artists express their creativity in weird ways. This created the feel of the parks. Now, imagineering and the company seem angled more toward IP driven attractions and merchandising. But, there...

01/23/23 - This week, we get slightly emotional in saying goodbye to Splash Mountain. On Sunday, January 22 2023, Splash Mountain closed at Walt Disney World. We discuss our favorite memories, describe what our last ride was like, and air out how we feel about this whole thing. But first, we talk about John's week in the parks and finish up with a discussion on how his social media performed. Than...

01/20/22 - John had a chance to experience Universal Florida's "Great Movie Escape" attraction. He discusses the experience while trying to be as spoiler free as possible. But first, we talk about John's week in the parks and finish up with a discussion on how his social media performed. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode!  You can send comments and questions to see.wd...