Insights Into Things

How would you like an all expense paid trip to some of the best theme parks in the world, and get paid to go? Or maybe getting paid isn't your thing, maybe you'd rather volunteer to work for free for one of the largest entertainment empires in the world. We talk about both of these in this weeks episode along with how well the Disney+ streaming service is going. We've also got Batman news, Thor ne...

This week we take a bit of a detour from our regularly scheduled program and talk about the rough week that Maddie had. Encountering some of the typical issues that teens face like school stress, social anxiety, sleep issues, not feeling too well and a few other things we decided it was best to turn this into a bit of a rant and therapy session for Madison. This was a multi-purpose episode this we...

Returning from the holiday we give you a deep dive into our adventures at Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We look at the overall ambiance, the vendors, the rides and the completely immersive feeling of actually being on the planet Batuu. It's one of the most unique experiences we've ever had in over twenty trips to Walt Disney World in Florida. We've got footage of the experience, int...

Fresh off a two week holiday break your hosts are back discussing our various adventures while away from the studio. We talk about how to keep a teenager occupied on an eleven plus hour drive. What it's like to stay at four different Disney Vacation Club resorts and some of the activities available. Then we'll give you a detailed look at the new Galaxy's Edge world of Black Spire Outpost on the pl...

In this holiday themed episode we take a look at the experimental new ride queing system Disney is using to manage crowds with the new Rise of the Resistance ride at Galaxy's Edge in Orlando Florida. We also talk about Bob Iger's olive branch to Martin Scorsese regarding the on going tumult surrounding the famed directors opinion of Disney's superhero movies. We'll then look at a heart warming sto...

This week we take a break from our more serious topics to celebrate the holidays and explore the nature and origins of Santa Claus. From a 3rd century monk named Saint Nicholas to the familiar depiction given to us by Thomas Nast to the classic portrayal in Clement C. Moore's poem all the way up to the familiar department store Santa's kids line up to talk to every year we look at Santa through th...

How do you direct a show like The Mandalorian and somehow convince your children ages 6 and 11 to keep Baby Yoda a secret? We talk about how Bryce Dallas Howard accomplished this very thing. We'll also take a look at the issues surrounding merchandise for the show and we'll talk about the opening of the new Rise of the Resistance ride in Walt Disney World. In Entertainment News we'll look at how T...

This week we follow up on some of the things we discussed in last weeks Body Image podcast when we discuss Eating Disorders. We highlight two specific disorders, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. We look at some of the common symptoms and learn the signs to watch out for so that we can help out those who might be suffering from these afflictions.   We also take a look at a typical teen diet, s...

This week the show is unintentionally space themed as we talk about some accomplishments of The Mandalorian, an impressive Star Wars merchandise auction, and a feel good Star Wars story about what Disney is doing for a dying fan. In our Entertainment News this week we look at the latest Star Wars The Last Jedi trailer that's less a trailer and more a summation of the journey and intro into what th...

From our family to yours, enjoy this holiday classic narrated by our show hosts.

What is body image and what is the significance of negative or positive body image? We'll discuss this as well as the common causes of body image issues, the impact it has on a developing teen and at what age the issue of body image begins to play a part in our children. We'll also look at the warning signs of negative body image, look at some interesting statistics on body image and offer some he...

We take a deep dive into the effect but sometimes controversial monetization strategies of videos games. We'll look at the various types of monetization outlets, strategies and pro's and con's of each methodology. We'll also take a briefly look at the history of video games and how they've traditionally been monetized in the past before we look at today's modern crop of video games and how develop...

Disney+ continues to struggle with service outages and now accounts being hacked while the stars of Frozen get their own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We find out why we can't yet buy the adorable "Baby Yoda" from the new Mandalorian series and John Williams is back with his 71st Grammy nomination 58 years after his first. In Entertainment News we hear from Aquaman's Willem Dafoe on the sta...

This week we take a fun look at things to do in the fall and winter season. We'll look at outdoor activities we can do during the cold months as well as indoor activities that we can do. We'll also take a look at activities we can do in the fall and winter that help to teach our children important life skills. Then we'll talk about the fall and winter family traditions that we have, what holidays...

By all accounts Disney+ is a smash success...or is Disney just fibbing on their subscriber numbers? We'll talk subscriptions and some controversial decisions and disclaimers on some content from the new streaming network. We'll also look at some exceptionally rare Disney items coming up for auction. Daisey Ridley gives us four words to describe The Rise of Skywalker, Spongebob's Squidward is getti...

Respect is like money. It takes time and effort to earn but can be squandered very easily. This week we talk about what respect is, why it is important not only in our youth but all through life. We'll explore the various ways in which we show each other respect and how to build a model of respect for society. Finally we'll explore ways that parents can help build a culture of respect for our chil...

Star Wars is in the Disney Detective again this week with a new United Airlines Star Wars themed plan as well as Carrie Fishers daughter Billie Lourd's thoughts on being the keeper of the Princess Leia legacy and we'll look at Disney walking back some charges after a backlash and class action lawsuit. DC is in the Entertainment news with casting details for some of the villains in the next install...

This week we take a look at screen violence in the form of video games, television and movies. We look at the different types of violence and the effect it has on today's youth. We'll look at some interesting statistics and several studies that offer insights into both sides of the argument of whether screen violence leads to violence in today's youth. Then we'll take a look at what parents can do...

It's an all Star Wars Disney Detective this week as we try to figure out why Disney seems to want to hide Hayden Christensen. Some sage words of advice from Anthony Daniels on the lead up to the next Star Wars Movie and some candid thoughts Lawrence Kasdan on why Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn't much of a success. In entertainment news we look at thew new Dracula series coming to Netflix, then we ta...

We hit another ten episode milestone so it's time for another Q&A sessions. This time around Madison wanted to get to know mommy a bit more. Asking over thirty questions we take a look at some of the things mommy remembers most fondly about Madison growing up. We take a look at what is still the funniest memory in the form a short home movie, we'll look at what her favorite song was and some of he...

In this episode we explore the nature and definition of presidential impeachment while looking at how it has been employed in the past. We look at what the process entails, how it should be employed and how congress is using it in the modern world. We also look at the current process underway, examine the merits of the facts and explore the impact such actions will have on the future of our countr...

We explore a lot of Marvel and Star Wars news in our Disney Detective this week. Jeremy Renner may loose his Hawkeye role over allegations made by his ex-wife. Ewan McGregor confesses to lying to the fans for four years about the continuing story of Obi-Wan, and Mark Hamill sums up the final Last Jedi Trailer perfectly. In Entertainment News Martin Scorsese gets some backing by Francis Ford Coppol...

This week we're talking about teens and leadership. We'll look at what leadership is, the traits of a good leader and why leadership skills are so important to teens as the grow up. We'll also take a look at how parents can help teach their kids leadership skills and learn how to cope with the challenges of life both in their youth and as the progress into adulthood.

We start this week off with a brief editorial on the strong arm tactics of Disney Entertainment which resulted in us having to edit out scenes from a recent Disney trailer. Then we move on to discuss the new VR experience Avengers: Damage Control, we'll take a look at a new promotion that will pay participants $1,000 to binge watch Disney movies and take a look at a heart warming experience by Cap...

This week we talk about how to cope with grief and loss. Whether it's the death of a friend or family member, a beloved pet or the loss of a relationship everyone experiences various stages of grief. We discuss these stages of grief, how they manifest themselves and how teens specifically are affected by grief and loss. We'll also discuss ways to help those going through such a painful process to...