Disney Insights

Everyone loves to play" arm chair" Imagineer, so when new attractions or the details around those attractions are announced we immediately question, "what's going on? Why are they doing that". But on our "to do" list of "First World Problems" we can sometimes be too quick to not just speculate but downright criticize something long before it opens to the public. Turning to the Disney parks we look...

I'm so excited to share with you a big announcement of something I've personally been working on for some time. After that we are going to share important news of this week that may have huge bearing on the company moving forward. Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, both former executive leaders of The Walt Disney Company, have returned to solve some its biggest issues tied with ESPN and the long-term pro...

It's still very much summer, but the Fall Food & Wine Festival for Epcot is on. We head over to the park to check out all the latest happenings. We taste test and review a dozen entrees, and we share our thoughts on a number of returning offerings. If you've never been to Epcot's premiere Food & Wine Festival, or if you only come once every couple of years, or if you are an annual pass hol...

It was a privilege to experience Disneyland as it takes center stage in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney. This is what the 50th anniversary for Walt Disney World should have looked like! We chronicle all of this, but we also talk about other fantastic events happening. Rogers the Musical is really worth seeing, and San Fransokyo is well underway. Indiana Jones has been re-touched with m...

I just spent a week at Disneyland. I don't know that this is a trip report. If it is, it's one of the most unusual chronologies that you may ever heard. At the heart of this four day journey is an opportunity to celebrate my autistic son's 21st birthday with my wife and daughter. It's hard to imagine any day that wouldn't be nearly perfect at Disneyland. But this one is a roller coaster of expecta...

In the last 24 hours a number of insights have surfaced. It began with an announcement that the Disney board has voted in favor of Bob Iger's contract being extended as CEO through 2026. CNBC's David Faber asked some real questions on what's working and what's not. This includes selling cable networks such as ABC; putting ESPN into streaming mode; and buying Hulu from Comcast. He then defends the...

Our tenth Disney cruise took us to the waters off Alaska where we spent 7 nights on board the Disney Wonder. Our last podcast told you about the experience onboard the ship and our efforts to make this cruise happen. Sailing mostly in the waters of the Bahamas and the Caribbean, taking a cruise with Disney is usually more about the experience of being on board the ship and less about different exc...

There are many reasons for going on a Disney Cruise, and for many, visiting Alaska is a big bucket list item. Combine the two and you make for a wondrous journey. Join us as we take in the Alaskan waters on board the Disney Wonder for an 8-day, 7-night journey. We discuss the many decisions one has to make in determining if, when and how to take this cruise. We talk about the opportunities and iss...

When added up, it's been a busy June at both Walt Disney World and at Disneyland. We'll cover some important headlines--from Disney dealing with governors in Florida and California, to changes in the Genie+ program; to new shows and lands coming to Disneyland; to new attractions and holiday parties here in Walt Disney World. Join us for this June Disney update! Special Announcement! Jim Korkis nee...

Sixty years of the Enchanted Tiki Room doesn't just mean a lot of decades of bird shows, although that number is enormous. Opened on June 23rd of 1963, The Enchanted Tiki Room represents Walt Disney's first foray into Audio-Animatronics, a new "space age" technology that allowed inanimate characters to perform on cue--and even talk. Six decades of Abraham Lincoln, swashbuckling pirates, singing do...

You see it all the time, headlines that say attendance is down at Walt Disney World or Universal's Epic Universe is going to take away all the business from Disney. Well, is it? We have a strong sense of how parks are faring after the pandemic, now that TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) and AECOM (Architecture, Engineering ,Construction, Operations and Management) has released its Global Attr...

When we started this podcast series examining the lands of Disneyland Park in the Disneyland Paris Resort, we began our first focused podcast with Fantasia Gardens, moved past the Disneyland Hotel, and down the left side of Main Street U.S.A., to include the Liberty arcade. We have then moved through Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Now we will return to Main Street and...

The success of Pixar's Toy Story and its sequels have given way to a number of park attractions and offerings in Disney parks around the world. The biggest compilation of these has been in creating Toy Story Lands in Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Orlando. The premise of these lands is the idea that Andy has created his own playground with his Toy Story pals in his back yard. We look at all of the...

Today Apple made a big announcement. The tech giant announced a new platform, in the same scale as the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Watch. Apple Vision Pro and its headset is Apple's way of embarking in a major way into virtual reality. It offers many benefits and creates an experience that may be unlike any other platform they have previously sold. To that end, moments later Disney CEO Bob Iger pr...

Of all the Tomorrowlands in all the Magic Kingdom-style parks, there is no version more unique than the one in Disneyland Paris, whose title is not Tomorrowland but Discoveryland. Intended to celebrate the scientists and futurists of Europe, the look and feel of this land really stands out above the rest. If steampunk had a theme park, much of this land would serve as home to it. We'll visit the a...

Six years ago this last weekend Disney premiered its newest land, Pandora: World of Avatar. Based on James Cameron’s successful film, this land set a new level of experiences not seen anywhere else. The centerpiece of this experience was Avatar’s Flight of Passage. It is called Flight of Passage because the flight is a rite of passage. We will look at what exactly are those rites of passage that p...

We're heading into summer and it's time to think about how to make it work when you're visiting Disney theme parks--particularly Walt Disney World during the summer months. People are often surprised how hot, humid, wet and rainy a typical summer day can be. We're here to give you decades worth of smart steps you can take as you embark on a Disney day during these months. You can still have a grea...

As part of the 25th Anniversary of Disney's Animal Kingdom, we want to talk about how this park came to be and the leaders that made it happen. I had the privilege of meeting back up with Rick Barongi, the first animal care zoo keeper hired by Imagineering to develop and make Disney's Animal Kingdom a reality. Roy E. Disney, Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Imagineers like Craig Russell, Paul Coms...

While we like going into the weekend with lighter news, this week a couple of key announcements were made, and they are reflective of some tough financial decisions being made particularly at the Walt Disney World Resort. First and foremost, Disney has announced that the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will cease operations in a few months. We explore why this is coming to an end, and most importan...

The biggest guest complaint at Disney Parks is how long the waits are. Guests are always wondering how they can enjoy the experience without getting worn out waiting for one ride after another. Tools such as the Disney app showing wait times, or Touring Plans can direct guests as to where to go next when they are in the parks. But those tools don't always offer context as to what is happening that...

We continue our series focusing on the many lands of Disneyland Paris. This week we explore Fantasyland, which not only built out one of the elegant versions of this land, but sought to create a level of whimsy and magic well beyond just being another European village, which can be found anywhere on this continent. We explore the many attractions, restaurants and retail experiences. A study of all...

Big announcements were made to the Disney experience that affects your reservations, your stay and potentially your dining experience. We will walk through these announcements and try to understand what is happening and what is not. We’re also going to try our hand on why all of this is about 2024 and not a day or month sooner. Are there additional changes we like to see that haven’t been announce...

Some of Walt Disney World’s best restaurant experiences are within her resorts, and the deluxe resorts are the focal point of that kind of dining, epicurean adventure. We visit two such restaurants. First we check out Narcoose’s for dinner with John and Lori Scali at Disney’s Grand Floridian Restaurant. Then my wife and I enjoy an evening at Artist Point for a character meal with Snow White, Dopey...

There is so much happening in the Disney parks and resorts across the world, and it's time to catch up. From Walt Disney World to Disneyland, From Paris to Tokyo, there are really cool things happening and we want to share them with you. Even happenings on the Disney Cruise Line as they celebrate their 25th anniversary. And yes...there are some lawsuits as well. We'll take a few moments to catch y...

The response to Tron Lightcycle/Run in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World has been phenomenal. Guests love the thrill experience, and comparisons are made constantly between it and the new Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rerun. But there's more than just the ride at the center of this attraction. We look at new food & beverage concoctions made available at Energy Bytes. We visit the newly renov...