Disney Insights

Welcome to this Disneyland Paris trip report My wife and I had an incredible opportunity to spend time in London during the Queen's Jubilee, in far away places in England, and in Paris as well. But we also spent several days in Disneyland Paris and I can't wait to share! There were many fantastic moments along the way as well as some wonderful surprises at both the Disneyland Parc and the Walt Dis...

As May comes to a close and summer starts up in June, we're here to update you on all the greatest Disney happenings here and afar. We'll start at the Walt Disney World Resort, where the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has officially opened. We'll update you on the latest with that, and then merge those issues with new Genie+ changes that have come about in the last month. From there we...

Not a rumor here, or even an attempt at click bait This is simply conjecture. But I believe and give evidence that the best thing Disney could do in the upcoming D23 conference in Anaheim is announce a new 5th theme park for Walt Disney World. We'll share with you why that makes sense--and even seems plausible. Of course, we can't discuss a potential theme park without supposing some lands for suc...

In almost two weeks my wife and I will be heading to Europe. For my wife this is her first trip as we see the United Kingdom and France. For me it is a returning trip, but as it relates to visiting Disneyland Paris, it has been some 17 years since I last visited. I'm anticipating this trip and excited to not only take in all that is precious and beautiful about this park, but to be able to see thi...

I was fortunate to experience Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind during previews at Epcot, and so I'm excited to share the entire experience with you. We'll go in depth on the entire layout of this attraction, and without really sharing too many details of the story, what you'll experience as you move throughout. This has an impressive queue, but nothing holds a light when it comes to the ride...

The press event for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was held this week. As part of that event, announcements were made about World Celebration & Discovery. Want to know what all that construction was about in the center of former Future World at Epcot? Well, despite ambiguous imagery, it appears we've been given a clearer view of what is coming to the heart of this Walt Disney World Resort....

A centerpiece dining experience has been unveiled at Epcot this last week. Connections, located next to Creations (the gift shop), sits in what is ultimately to become World Celebration. This is the former Electric Umbrella, and before the Stargate Restaurant. But now it's much bigger, brighter, and fortunately tastier. It is two sided with one side dedicated to being a counter service restaurant,...

Resort with his wife and child. What makes this Disneyland trip review interesting is that while Cameron grew up on in the shadows of Walt Disney World, it had been over 20 years since he went to Disneyland for the first and only time. It was only months after Disney California Adventure first opened. He shares his Walt Disney World experience, recalls his first memories of the Disneyland Resort,...

In recent days and weeks the Florida state legislature led by Governor Ron DeSantis has sought to end the Reedy Creek Improvement District, an independent governing body that provides regulatory control and support to The Walt Disney World Resort. Currently, the elephant does not seem afraid of the mouse, and it's looking to stomp on it if possible. There are many people chiming in and various rep...

Diabetes is a real challenge for millions of people, and yet, how do you make it workable at the happiest places on earth? We are joined by David Zanolla who shares with us the challenges that Diabetics face when they are in the Disney Parks. We look at how he and others have taken that issue and made the experience not only workable, but as a place to enjoy. Where to go, what to eat, and how to m...

In 2014 I penned a post on Disney at Work about the 10 things I love about Disney's Hollywood Studios. At the time, the park was celebrating its 25th anniversary. I cover that original list and explain what I was feeling at that time during that major milestone event. But much has happened in the eight years since, and I'm here with a new list that has some old favorites and new delights. How do t...

In our last Disney at Play podcast we spoke of Pleasure Island and it's offerings. We talked about the clubs, the food & beverage, retail and other entertainment. And we spoke about how it came to be and how it competed against Orlando's Church Street Station. In this podcast we look at how well the concept was accepted, and how initially the nighttime venue failed to deliver. We talk about how Mi...

We return to our multi-part series on the heritage of Disney Springs at Walt Disney World. In this podcast we look at the advent of Pleasure Island. Here we look at its history since opening in 1989 adjacent to the Walt Disney World Village. Running next to the Empress Lilly this attraction took on the role of competing against Church Street Station in downtown Orlando. We look at the attractions,...

When Walt Disney recalls the making of his first park, Disneyland, he spoke of days when he sat on a bench eating peanuts. There's a reason they call it a park. This podcast explores the joy of just that. When at Walt Disney World there's nothing like grabbing a favorite snack and enjoying a park bench. We explore those options from Magic Kingdom to Disney's Animal Kingdom, from churros to cupcake...

In our previous podcast, Part I, we chronicled two years of a pandemic that was highlighted by Covid, the Black Lives Movement, and the Presidential Certification by Congress. Titled similarly, this podcast is Part II, but is now called the hastening fall of Bob Chapek, not the long fall. We now move into the last three months of 2023, which in some ways has been nearly as turbulent as the precedi...

Two years ago this month Walt Disney World and Disneyland closed its gates. As events were unfolding world-wide Bob Chapek was named the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, replacing Bob Iger. While some highlights stand out, it has been a painful experience for most involved during this time period. Much of this has been played out not just during a time of Covid, but during a time frame that stretch...

I announced in a post/podcast in December six missing Disney resort hotel options. One of them was announced this week. Disney Vacation Club will build additional villas at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. We look at the announcement and then discuss the pros and cons of this addition, as well as the general response. This addition means that we're saying goodbye to the luau, which has practica...

It's Spring at Epcot and that means the International Flower & Garden Festival is well underway. We'll bring you our three favorite gardens, topiaries and culinary kiosks. But then there's much more as we look at whether you get the bang for your buck with Genie+. Is this park worth it? What about getting an exclusive Lightning Lane option for Ratatouille? Can you do this? Or is there another way...

It's now been a few weeks since guests to include publicists, podcasters and bloggers have experienced Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. What was excitement originally turned 180 degrees just months before the premiere of this new cruise-style experience. Reviewing the reports of at least ten who have visited, we take a look at everything from the arrival to visiting Batuu; from the cabins to the cu...

It's been a while since we dedicated an update to Disney's Animal Kingdom. From the parking lot to Maharajah Jungle Trek, we catch up on this vast and entertaining park. Included is a conversation about whether Fox's Ice Age would ever be a right fit for the park. We talk about what's still missing from the park, and what's not. Have you heard about the 50th anniversary Gold Coins? We visit Mombas...

In an earlier podcast , we spoke about some of the great things happening technology wise at Disney, even as it relates to IT. We'll look at real challenges Disney is facing and how they have consistently struggled with making improvements, adopting innovation, or working across the board instead of in silos. We'll consider how organizations like Disney are re-looking at whether they should have a...

This week Disney announces a new business segment to their Disney Signature Experience. Called Storyliving by Disney, and it is a set of planned communities with a Disney-designed aesthetic and customer service experience. Bloggers and others are referring to it in the same way Epcot was initially thought conceived by Walt himself, which it is not--nor does Disney draw that comparison. It is also...

January and February were always weeks where Epcot seemed especially dead. But Epcot's International Festival of the Arts has not only helped fill the park, it's become a classic of its own. From the rainbow colored lights of Spaceship Earth to the sights and sounds of Disney on Broadway at the American Gardens Theatre, we explore what's new and what's returned to this annual event. We talk about...

The Main Street Confectionary has always been a part of the Main Street USA experience in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. But it hasn't always been the same over the years. We begin 50 years ago with the original history of the store, compare it to other Magic Kingdom style parks, show how it has grown over the years, and how the new store just recently opened is remarkably different than...

Story and technology go a long way back with Disney. Since the advent of sound and Mickey Mouse, Walt understood that technology could not only advance the story being told, but give the organization a competitive advantage in the marketplace. From multi-plane cameras to audio animatronics to streaming on Disney+, Disney has had any number of feats--and hundreds of patents! But what really sets Di...