Beyond The Mouse: A Weekly Disney Podcast

We are finally back! Craig and his family finally made it back to Walt Disney World! Anna and Craig speak about their trip overall. We also discuss recent changes to Disney Genie+ as well as discussing some new dining options throughout the park. There is also a follow up to Jordan Fisher’s offer to purchase […]

“We failed the Bechdel test.” Sometimes the boys of the pod leave for Disney World. Sometimes that means the true foundation of BTM, Vanessa Ferguson, has to come in and make sure the show will go on. This week, Vanessa chats with her NPR Illinois Community Voices Co-host Bea Bonner about the 1998 Disney animated […]

“Genie+ terrifies me” Just before leaving for Disney, Craig had a chance to speak with Justin Suiter of DDP Today (formerly Disney Dads Podcast) about the new paid service, Genie+. Justin was able to provide insights into the new service, where it might make the most sense to use and some general tips and tricks […]

“We are waiting for the pity bus…” We are excited to be joined by Tristan and Sean from Of Mice & Main Street Men. We follow the Disney marathon path and go through each of the parks to pick our favorite attraction, food, and show. We hope we can make it through before the Disney […]

“The Great Gonzo!” We are excited to interview Muppet legend, Dave Goelz. Dave has been responsible for creating and portraying Gonzo on The Muppets, as well as numerous other characters including Floyd and Professor Bunsen Honeydew. We talk to Dave about his career. We also focus on his direct work with Jim Henson. Lots of […]

“We need kindness, y’all.” We are excited to bring you our conversation with Jordan Fisher! A mainstay in all things Disney, Jordan has been featured in the parks and in many Disney television and film properties. Today we bring you a conversation with Jordan primarily about his role in the new Pixar film, Turning Red. […]

Time to get into the madness! We are so excited to bring back a 32 team tournament to determine the best Disney attraction on the west coast! We are joined by Matthew Krul of the Imagineer Podcast and David Alpert of E-Ticket to Broadway to breakdown both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure sides of the […]

Time to travel to a galaxy far far away… Join Brett and his intrepid group, the Galactic 5, as they prepare to blast off world on the Halcyon as part of the Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser experience at Walt Disney World. The group discusses what they are looking forward to as they prepare to […]

“Find your park bench” This week Craig and Vanessa speak to Jeff Barnes, who has written two books on The Wisdom of Walt. Recently Jeff has left a career in Higher Education in order to bring his college course on Disneyland to the masses through an online platform. We chat about the history of Disneyland, […]

Running 48.6 miles is pretty Dopey This week Craig is joined by Kimmy and John to chat about their experiences at the recent WDW Marathon Weekend. Both have experience in RunDisney races. The group breaks down the marathon and the Dopey challenge. They also speak about their training routine as well as their thoughts on […]

She’s back, baby! It has been a few minutes since Vanessa has been in a Disney Park, but recently she had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World. She speaks about her experience being sick on property. She also had a chance to experience the new Drawn to Life show at Disney Springs. We discuss […]

Preparation meets opportunity Ashley Brown is a Broadway superstar. She stepped into the lead role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast before originating the titular role of Mary Poppins. We had a chance to speak with her just as she’s heading to Walt Disney World to perform in the Disney on Broadway series as […]

“Our research on this film started with our own families, thinking about where we came from…” We are so grateful this week to have a chance to speak with the filmmakers behind Disney’s 60th animated feature, Encanto. Since arriving in theaters in November and on Disney+ in December, this movie has really struck a cord […]

Draft Time! This week we dive into our fifth draft, all on the attractions of Walt Disney World. Each team will draft seven attractions. Then it is up to you on the BTM social media pages to vote for who will win this round. Brett won the previous draft, so he chose the order that […]

“I always felt like, I know this world…” We are so thrilled to bring you our first episode of the New Year, and it is a big one. Don Hahn is prolific throughout the Disney company. As the producer of such beloved Disney classics as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and The Hunchback […]

“We can’t do this in-person anymore…” Let’s end 2021 with one of our favorite episodes of the year. Craig, Vanessa and Brett look back at the year that was 2021 and look forward to all things Disney in 2022. FEATURING: Craig McFarland, Brett Rutherford and Vanessa Ferguson __________________________________________  Named one of the top 50 Disney […]

“I’m gettin’ tired!” Let us tell you about our friend, Vanessa Ferguson. She’s brilliant, talented, amazing and born in December. That’s right! It is Vanessa’s birthday and we are celebrating by watching Muppet Treasure Island. This classic Muppet feature is available right now on Disney+. Check it out, and let us know what you think […]

“I want to live the best life I possibly can…” We’ve been looking forward to bringing you this interview for a long time. Saul Blinkoff has worked in multiple roles throughout the Disney company. He was involved in the College Program at Disney’s MGM Studios. He worked as an animator during the Disney Renaissance on […]

Duuuuude! You’ll never guess where Brett went recently…. back to Walt Disney World! He traveled to cover the Destination D23 event live and in person. This week, Craig and Brett talk all about the announcements that were made at the parks panel. Brett also gives an overview of his trip to see the new “Drawn […]

We can’t begin to thank you enough. No real episode this week, just a few minutes of gratitude from Craig, Brett and Vanessa. For listeners in the United States, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those outside the United States, we want you to have just the greatest day as well! We will […]

Happy birthday, Mickey! What better time to catch up with the voice of Mickey Mouse than Mickey’s birthday! Bret Iwan has voice Mickey since 2009. We speak to him about stepping into that role, and the interesting backstory that comes with it. Bret is also a talented graphic artist, we talk about his new clothing […]

Brett’s Birthday Bash Classics Crossover Who Framed Roger Rabbit Extravaganza! It’s that time of year again! Brett is turning another year older and we are celebrating with Brett’s Birthday Bash Classics Crossover Noirvember Who Framed Roger Rabbit Extravaganza! Brandon Davis and Eric Flick from the Front Row Classics podcast join in on the fun as […]

“Kindness matters… Final Answer” We are thrilled to bring you our conversation with Yvette Nicole Brown. Not only has she been a mainstay on Disney+, actually she introduced Disney+ to the world at D23 Expo 2019, but she is also a huge Disney fan! It is so much fun to chat with her about the […]

“Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary!” Our host Brett is back from the opening weekend celebration and has some special guests to share everything about their experiences and what our listeners can expect in the 18-month, 50th anniversary celebration! There are new shows, attractions, special culinary treats and more surprises in store as […]

“This is Halloween!” Fresh off the heels of our interview with Oogie Boogie himself, we are doing a deep dive into Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. We are joined on this break down by Meghan and Jacqueline of “I Think You’re Gonna Like This” podcast. They are both huge Nightmare fans and we have […]