WDW Fan Zone Show

With all of the activity in 2026 to refurbish and refresh existing attractions, spaces, and other experiences, we wanted to each share our Top 3. There is more to come next year and beyond, but this week we focus on what’s new at Walt Disney World in 2026, whether we experienced it already or really want to soon. Do we pick Big Thunder, Buzz Lightyear, Muppets, Soarin' Across America, Test Track,...

We don't have a regular show this week as John is traveling. However, during his trip, he captured the full Carousel of Progress show at the Magic Kingdom prior to its closing for re-imagining in just a couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Now that the plans to update the Carousel of Progress have been shared by Disney, our hosts weigh in with their thoughts. We will share what we see as the wins and losses for what promises to be the largest change to this classic Disney attraction in its 60+ year history.

Fresh off his early June trip to Walt Disney World, Kurt lets us know what new/refurbished experiences he tried and what he thought of them (without giving too much away). He shares perceptions on Rock n Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Zootopoia Better Zoogether, Smugglers Run, and more. He also also gives us a report on crowd...

We don't have a normal podcast this week as we observe Memorial Day and remember and thank those who have served our country and given the ultimate sacrifice for us. This week we share a recording of the American Adventure attraction/show from Epcot recorded some years ago by John.

This week our crew is dining Al fresco as we explore some of the locations where you can enjoy your meal outside. We’ll talk about some of our favorite places to do whether counter service or table service, considerations such as weather or special events, and when we think it makes sense or doesn’t.

With the Advent of AI in more aspects of daily life, we put it to the test this episode for Disney World planning. Our hosts will ask questions that they and other guests might have, and then we will ask some AI sites to answer them. Finally, we’ll compare our advice to what AI offers. Do you use AI in your planning now?

With the Advent of AI in more aspects of daily life, we put it to the test this episode for Disney World planning. Our hosts will ask questions that they and other guests might have, and then we will ask some AI sites to answer them. Finally, we’ll compare our advice to what AI offers. Do you use AI in your planning now?

Dues to its size and level of entertainment can be a complex place, especially to newcomers. This can lead to misconceptions and miscalculations and misunderstandings. In this show, our hosts share where we see these in visiting parks, experiencing attractions and shows, dining, transportation, shopping, and more. We hope some of these insights help you become more prepared and less confused.

Spring is in bloom, both literally and figuratively at Walt Disney World with events such as Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival and the runDisney Springtime Surprise event. This week we have various insight to share about traveling to Walt Disney World this time of year, as well as some observations from John's recent trip including the races, Flower and Garden treats, attraction updates to Frozen...

Walt Disney World is known for lots of food and dining choices, and many guests look forward to table service dining at the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. But is table service always the best choice for enjoying your Disney trips. This week, we discuss our pros and cons for table service dining at Walt Disney World.

As Walt Disney World prepares for new theming and re-imagining including Tropical Americas, Piston Peak, and Monstropolis our hosts rate and comment on past re-theming efforts. We look at large re-themes including New Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toy Storyland, Galaxy’s Edge, and Pandora. We also look at Epcot pavilion changes such as Universe of Energy, Horizons, The Seas, World of Motion, and Jour...

Walt Disney World is all about storytelling. In this week’s episode our team explores how time is a major factor in the narrative and theming. From time travel to future or past period settings for lands, attractions, restaurants, hotels, and more we share our perceptions of the stories they tell.

In this week’s episode, our team works through several aspects of a WDW trip and shares what we wish we knew on our first trip. We look at resort hotels, parks, attractions, dining (table service, counter service, lounges, and snacks), entertainment, resort transportation, shopping and merchandise, and general topics. We hope these help new and first time visitors with upcoming trips.

In this episode, our hosts share their likes and dislikes for shopping at Walt Disney World. Merchandise is a huge part of the experience at the resort from parks to hotels to Disney Springs. Disney is continually changing the items we wear and use and play with and collect, and we share where they hit the mark for us and where we see room for improvement.

In this episode, our panel shares the frequency that they typically engage in experiences at the Walt Disney World resort including attractions, restaurants, shows, park entry, and more. We share whether we almost always, often, sometimes, seldom, or almost never experience, starting with the Magic Kingdom and see how far we get. As we discuss popular attractions like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of t...

This week, John reports back on our co-host requests for resort updates including The Beak and Barrel, GEO 82, the updated Little Mermaid show, Villains: Unfairly Ever After, the Polynesian Tower, construction at the parks, Starlight parade, Test Track, and more.

In addition to all of the WDW News with Jess, we have some requests for our host. With John preparing to leave for a February trip to Walt Disney World trip, our podcast team will present him with experiences or questions to research while there. The requests could be newly opened attractions, restaurants, lounges, or shows, constructions walls and sites, or any other items of interest. John will...

Exploring and experience Walt Disney World can take a lot of energy, so breakfast can be important to start the day. This week we talk about all the options for getting breakfast including resort counter service and table service, in-room options, Starbucks, park dining, character dining, and more. We'll also discuss tradeoffs for the different choices and share some of our standards and favorites...

Walt Disney World has lots of choices for staying in the magic from value to moderate to deluxe resorts to Disney Vacation Club and even Fort Wilderness. In this episode, our hosts each share the various factors that they use when deciding where to stay on site, or what others might consider when deciding. Pricing, location, amenities, dining, and other aspects can guide the final decision.

2025 saw a lot of change at Walt Disney World and those and future changes resulted in losses (some of them very personal). Our hosts each share their Top 10 biggest losses from last year and their thoughts on the global and personal impacts.

There are almost countless table service restaurants, counter service locations, lounges, and food carts around the Walt Disney World Resort in the parks and at the resort hotels. In fact, there are more than 250 of them, not including Disney Springs. In this episode, we will quiz our hosts to see how many know where some lesser known food outlets can be found and what is served there. Play along...

In this episode, John poses several choices to our hosts where they have to pick one attraction, experience, resort hotel, food item, or other type of item. Our hosts will have to pick which they’d choose and why. It should be fun as we see how easy or hard the choices are and who chooses what. For example: Mickey Bar or Churro!

There is such a wealth of experiences to be had at the Walt Disney World Resort - both in the parks and beyond. However, not everyone is as big of a Disney fan as we are. Today, we each share our Top 3 experiences for guests who aren’t already Disney fans and our Top 3 for those who aren’t big Disney fans, especially big Walt Disney World fans.

Now that we are in the holiday season, we will discuss the experience gifts we would give to our family and friends that are add-on experiences at Walt Disney World. These are experiences (not including dining) that incur an additional cost over and above theme park tickets and resort stays. These are the ones we think provide good value so we want to give them (if only we had the extra money to b...