See WDW! Near & Far

1/7/22 - Happy New Year! This week we discuss things we are looking forward to coming from the parks in this new year. But first, we discuss John's experiences in or around the parks, this week, and finish with our weekly review of the the SeeWDW and SeeUO social media channels. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode!  You can send comments and questions to see.wdwnearandf...

12/31/21 - This week, we talk about our best locations for the shows around Walt Disney World. Whether you are going to one of the indoor shows or the outdoor end of the night extravaganzas, we will give you our favorite spots to experience them. But first, we discuss John's experiences in the park, this week, and finish with our weekly review of the the SeeWDW and SeeUO social media channels. Tha...

12/24/21 - This episode is almost like a sequel to our popular moving to Orlando series (Episodes 16,17, and 19). John summarizes life since moving and then gives us insight into his current house hunt. We discuss why he wants to move, where he wants to move, and the details involved on the ground currently in the area. Here's a hint, things have drastically changed with the housing market over th...

12/17/21 - This week, we talk about Mike's recent 3 day visit to the parks. From flight to in park experience, we cover it all. But first, we discuss John's experiences in the park, this week, and finish with our weekly review of the the SeeWDW and SeeUO social media channels. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode!  You can send comments and questions to see.wdwnearandfar...

12/10/21 - This week, we discuss the holiday experiences at the parks. As the parks continue to drive toward normalcy, we talk about what each of them have to offer for the seasonal experience. But first, we discuss John's experiences in the park, this week, and finish with our weekly review of the the SeeWDW and SeeUO social media channels. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another...

12/03/21 - This week, we discuss John's experience at Disney's Very Merriest After Hours at the Magic Kingdom. It appears that Disney is using these "after hour" events as replacements for the traditional holiday parties. We talk about what this party offers and compare it to the traditional parties of the past. But first, we discuss John's experiences in the park, this week, and finish with our w...

11/25/21 - John is back and he has plenty of observations. He had several visits to the parks during this Lightning Lane era. What did he observe with the new "planning" service? He also experienced Give Kid's the World's Night of a Million Lights in its second year. He tells us about the differences from year on to year two. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode!  You ca...

11/19/21 - This week's episode is a little different. John was spending time with family, this past week. That gave Mike a chance to showcase three of his favorite discussion since the podcast began in May 2020. First, we go back to a discussion on introverts in Disney parks. Next, we get the experience of DVC ownership. Last, we go back to the Disney furloughs of 2020 and how they effected John's...

11/11/21 - This week, we discuss Walt Disney World around the holidays. We cover Halloween and the winter holidays from a local and vacationer perspective. Is it worth the cost for after hour holiday parties? Is the seasonal overlays and events worth taking the trip or should you go during regular season? We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and revi...

11/05/21 - This week, we give 5 money saving tips for locals from John. Mike gives his 5 money saving tips from a vacation perspective. Amazingly, there is some synergy between parts of the lists. We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and review what people responded to. Thanks for tuning in. We will be back soon with another episode!  You can se...

10/29/21 - This week, we give our thoughts on Disney's Lightning Lane and Genie. This multifaceted system is part fastpass replacement/monetization, part planning software, and part crowd flow control. How is this going to change the Disney experience? We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and review what people responded to. Thanks for tuning in. We...

10/22/21 - This week, we talk about our experiences and opinions on each of the Halloween Horror Nights houses. Recently, Mike had a chance to visit HHN for the first time giving the perspective of a vacation visitor while John is a returning guest. We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and review what people responded to. Thanks for tuning in. We wil...

10/15/21 - It is finally time! Walt Disney World's 50th! Fortunately, John and Mike were there to experience this monumental event on October 1st. Was it everything we had hoped for? How were the new night time shows? What special and completely unplanned thing did Mike and his wife do to celebrate the 50th? What did we experience on the 50th? We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW s...

10/1/21 - Disney took risks! They created attractions that pushed the boundaries. We talk about a few on this weeks episode. One, in particular, was Alien Encounter. We talk about this era and attraction in our discussion. But first, we discuss John's adventures for the week including his trip to Key West and a few parks visits including another visit to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. We wra...

9/24/21 - John finally makes it out to Halloween Horror Nights 30 at Universal Studios. EPCOT's Creation Shop and Club Cool finally open. John got a peak at them and fills us in on what he thinks. Next, we complete our two part series on the current state of Disney World's transportation experiences. We wrap up the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and review wh...

9/17/21 - After taking a week off, due to Labor Day travel for John, we are back. While on his trip back to Pennsylvania, John stopped and met Mike and his family at Hershey's Chocolate World. We discuss this and John's experience with the Ratatouille ride once he returned to Florida. We cover quite a bit of ground as John has two weeks worth of park observations. Next, we begin a two part series...

9/03/21 - What is the firework experience like at Walt Disney World? We talk about the shows from past and present and discuss what the experience is like. From the shows, themselves, to what it is like afterward, we talk about it this week. But first, John talks about his week in the parks. We complete the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and review what peopl...

8/27/21 - FastPass has been gone since the park shut down of 2020. Recently, Disney announced the official end of the system to be replaced by a new monetized system. We take a look back at what was and discuss the various FP systems and our memories of them. But first, John talks about his week in the parks. We complete the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels performed and...

8/20/21 - It's Florida. It's going to rain at some point on your trip. What do you do when getting caught in the deluge? This is the final part of a four episode series where we discuss what we do or have done when getting caught in the rain at each of the parks. How do we prepare? What happens if we get caught unprepared? Where do we go and what do we do in each park when the storm comes? But fir...

8/13/21 - It's Florida. It's going to rain at some point on your trip. What do you do when getting caught in the deluge? This is part three of a four part series where we discuss what we do or have done when getting caught in the rain at each of the parks. How do we prepare? What happens if we get caught unprepared? Where do we go and what do we do in each park when the storm comes? But first, Joh...

8/06/21 - It's Florida. It's going to rain at some point on your trip. What do you do when getting caught in the deluge? This is part two of a four part series where we discuss what we do or have done when getting caught in the rain at each of the parks. How do we prepare? what happens if we get caught unprepared? Where do we go and what do we do in each park when the storm comes? But first, John...

7/30/21 - It's Florida. It's going to rain at some point on your trip. What do you do when getting caught in the deluge? Today is the beginning of a four part series where we discuss what we do or have done when getting caught in the rain at each of the parks. How do we prepare? what happens if we get caught unprepared? Where do we go and what do we do in each park when the storm comes? But first,...

7/23/21 - This week on the SeeWDW near and Far podcast, we discuss Disney's neglect of the future as a company. Why do they no longer design and build based on a futurist view? Do they design based on a net societal benefit looking toward the future? Why have they abandonned Walt's hopeful attitude toward looking ahead? We complete the episode with a look at how the SeeWDW social media channels pe...

7/21/21 - This week on the SeeWDW near and Far podcast, we conclude our series profiling changes over the last 20 years at each of the Disney parks. In this series, we highlight some of these changes and express our opinion on whether they were net benefits or disappointments. After each discussion, we tally up a score to determine if these changes were worth it. This week's profile is part 2 of M...

7/16/21 - This week on the SeeWDW near and Far podcast, we continue our series profiling changes over the last 20 years at each of the Disney parks. In this series, we will highlight some of these changes and express our opinion on whether they were net benefits or disappointments. After each discussion, we tally up a score to determine if these changes were worth it. This week's profile is Magic...