The Mad Chatters Podcast | Walt Disney World and Around the Disney Universe

This week we get back to Disney basics — and get a bit sappy in the process. Join us as we open up about the Disney movies we watched the most as children, the movie moments that made us cry, the Disney souvenirs we treasure the most, our favorite Disney memories, and more! In the segment "This Week in Disney History," we look back at events such as the 50th Academy Awards and the restoration of t...

Not every idea is gold. On this week's show we look back at eight specific ideas implemented at Walt Disney World that had less-than-stellar results. From attractions guests loathed to audio-animatronics that didn't quite live up to what Disney promised, we discuss Walt Disney World's biggest flops and bombs over the last four decades. In a round of Armchair Imagineering, we present our ideas for...

With few characters, only two rides, and not a single show that requires you to arrive early, World Showcase is unlike any other area in Walt Disney World and remains an enigma to many vacationers. On this week's show, we take a close look at the 11 pavilions that make up World Showcase and discuss what it is that makes this area worth a visit, from the hidden gems we love to the can't-miss dining...

This week our series on the table service restaurants at Walt Disney World takes us to the BoardWalk area, where we visit nine dining locations at three different Disney resort hotels, including Beaches & Cream, Flying Fish, Yachtsman Steakhouse, and the new Ale & Compass. Join us for another culinary tour as we read these menus and give our own takes. In another Mad Chatter game, we try to guess...

It's A Small World (After All), Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Winnie the Pooh  —  Besides being some of the most iconic and recognizable Disney songs of all time, these tunes have something else in common: They were penned by the Sherman brothers! On this week's episode we take a closer look at Robert and Richard Sherman, their rich history with The Walt Disney Company, and the most memorabl...

Remember that time Disney came under attack for something it had produced that was considered culturally insensitive? In truth, Disney has had to address this issue many, MANY times over the last several decades. When you've been around for as long as The Walt Disney Company has, it's almost inevitable that you will run into these kinds of problems as times change and people evolve. On this week's...

Did you know Big Thunder Mountain is located in the town of Tumbleweed and sits on Native American burial ground? Or that the steam train you board before riding Expedition Everest once transported tea for the Royal Anandapur Tea Company? Disney is all about storytelling. Sometimes understanding the story is easy, but other times it requires a bit of digging. Enter our latest episode... On show 17...

What foods do you still dream about when you return home after a Walt Disney World vacation? What Disney treats make your mouth water the most when you think about them? That's the very question we answer on this week's show! Join us as we each count down the top five foods we've eaten at Walt Disney World. (We don't recommend listening on an empty stomach.) Also on our 175th episode, we share our...

From 1995's Toy Story to Pixar's most recent release, Coco , we're diving deep into Pixar's catalog. On this week's episode, we look more closely at the Pixar films by discussing the ways in which each one is represented at Walt Disney World. Join us as we scour the parks for signs of our favorite Pixar movies and characters, from rides to musicals to meet and greets and beyond, and give our take...

Special guest Ben Lancaster ( @WaltsFrzenHead on Twitter ) joins us for another round of our favorite hypothetical extravaganza: a MAD Q PARTY! This week's lineup of off-the-wall questions related to the Disney universe includes: What's an element from an extinct attraction you'd like to see return in some form?  Who is the next celebrity you want to see make a surprise appearance at an attraction...

This week we're joined by special guest and Broadway star Jenn Gambatese, who just wrapped up a weekend of performances at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts as part of its "Disney on Broadway" concert series. We spoke to Jenn about her extensive Broadway career, her favorite roles (including Jane in Disney's Tarzan), and what it was like filling in last minute at the Epcot festival. Als...

We've gathered here tonight around the fire, as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us, to share the light and to share a story — the story of how one nighttime show is turning 30 years old this month! Join us as we look back at three decades of IllumiNations, the fireworks/laser/fire spectacular that takes place every night on World Showcase Lagoon. On th...

Toy Story Land! Avengers: Infinity War! Animal Kingdom's 20th anniversary! Surprise announcements? On this week's episode we highlight 18 things the Disney universe will bring us in 2018, from new restaurants to blockbuster films to exciting updates on the many construction projects happening at the parks. Join us as we look ahead to an exciting year for Disney fans. Also on show 170, we create a...

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to raise the curtain on our annual awards night. It's time for the Chatties! As we always do whenever another year comes to an end, on this week's episode we highlight the best and worst moments throughout The Walt Disney Company in the year 2017. Tune in to find out what events, attractions, and announcements will take home the...

After 3+ years of podcasting, the three of us finally visited a Disney park TOGETHER! On this week's show we give a full report of the things we saw, ate, and experienced on our trip to Walt Disney World, including the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail, two different viewings of Candlelight Processional, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, and much more! Come join us...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – The Mad Chatters proudly present our spectacular(ish) deep dive into Magic Kingdom's many festival pageants of magic and imagination over the last 46 years. On this week's show, special guest Aaron Wallace of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod joins us for a detailed look at the parades, street parties, and cavalcades that have traveled down Main Street, U.S.A. since Magic Ki...

Join us for a musical tour of Epcot! On this week's show we take a virtual walk-through of Future World and World Showcase, stopping along the way to discuss the background music and original songs you'll hear in each area. From the classically Epcot loops at The Land Pavilion and Innoventions to the soaring patriotic anthems "Golden Dream" and "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)," we highlight th...

For our latest episode, come hungry and come often. This week we're eating our way through The Landing and Town Center, two of the newest areas at Disney Springs. Join us as we read the menus and provide short reviews of new restaurants such as STK, The BOATHOUSE, and Frontera Cocina, as well as classics like Raglan Road. Also on this week's show, we play "Once Upon a Line," in which we try to gue...

Walt famously said, "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse." On this week's show, that mouse takes center stage as we celebrate Mickey's 89th birthday! We are thrilled to welcome to the show special guest Christopher Willis, who provides the music for Mickey Mouse , the series of cartoon shorts that airs on The Disney Channel. On this episode Chris...

Two things for which Walt Disney World is known worldwide are (A) long lines and (B) excellent storytelling. On this week's show we highlight the one area in which these two elements come together: themed queues. Even while you're waiting in line at Disney theme parks, you are seeing a story unfold. On this episode we list the qualities that we think all of the best queues share, from immersivenes...

Goodbye, Halloween, Hello, Christmas! Whether you're ready for it or not, the holiday season is about to be in full swing at Walt Disney World. On this week's show, we give a preview of the holiday offerings you can expect to find at the four parks so you can be sure not to miss a thing if you happen to be planning a trip in November or December. In a holiday edition of Armchair Imagineering, we p...

It's Halloween(loween), everybody! And on this week's show the Disney villains are coming out to say BOO (to you and you and you and you), as we take a look at the best in-park representations of those dastardly men, women, and creatures we love to hate. Join us as we count down our top five incorporations of the Disney villains into the Disney parks, from audio-animatronics to show scenes and bey...

Most everyone's mad here—and we wouldn't have it any other way! This week we're bringing you another Mad Q Party, featuring ten new off-the-wall questions related to the Disney parks, the Disney films, and the rest of the Disney universe. Join us as we have fun discussing the Disney documentaries we want to see get made, the Disney tattoos we wouldn't mind having, and much more! In a round of The...

When you gotta go, you gotta go. That's true. But that doesn't mean you can't be educated about WHERE to go when you gotta go! Enter Episode 159... On this week's show we go park by park in order to highlight our favorite restrooms to use in Walt Disney World, based on criteria including size, design, crowds, space, and more. We also pick out a few restrooms we recommend avoiding if you can help i...

Epcot takes center stage once again on this week's show as we do a deep dive into the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Join us for a tour around World Showcase as we share highlights from the festival, discuss the items that sound the best to us, and list the pros, the cons, and our own tips for this fan-favorite event. In our latest trip report, Derek provides coverage of Epcot's 35th an...