Disney At Work Podcast

We've had a chance to review Remy's Ratatouille Experience last week. Since then we've visited the attraction another three times and have had a chance to really map out the entire extension of the park behind what has been traditionally considered the France pavilion. In size, the addition is the equivalent if not larger of a World Showcase land like the United Kingdom, or Italy. We canvas the entire area of the park, giving our impressions. We also talk about some of the food & beverage we had a chance to taste. Then finally, we revisit the attraction with some additional thoughts not shared previously. This is not am impressions de France as we know it, but an impressions de Remy's France. And make sure you check out our Disney at Play site where we have photos, videos and links!

Long overdue, we visit Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World not just for an update at what's currently happening there, but as a chance to discuss various happenings occurring throughout all of Walt Disney World. We see preparations occurring throughout the park for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary. We look at attractions that are re-opening such as Beauty & the Beast: Live on Stage. Crowds have been considerably down over the last couple of weeks at attractions as new as Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Will they stay that way? We discuss the ins and outs of virtual queues with Rise of the Resistance plus check out some cool details you may not have seen in this attraction. We look at Halloween food & beverage offerings off of Sunset Boulevard, and finish off our day with the Wonderful World of Animation. And be sure to see the photos that are part of this update at Disney at Play.

The title may seem confusing, after all, there is barely a Disney fan that doesn't know that Walt Disney World opened its doors to its first paid guests on October 1st, 1971. And the official dedication weekend was October 23rd, 24th and 25th, with the last day being the moment Roy O. Disney would dedicate the park. But there's another park opening story, and it's about the first day that families actually came into the Magic Kingdom with available attractions, restaurants and stores all running. That story we will share with you on this the 50th anniversary day of when it opened. It's a great story, and it has implications for any organization. Make sure you subscribe to DisneyatWork.com for more posts and podcasts!

With Ratatouille opening at Epcot, we had a sneak peak at this new attraction to Walt Disney World. Riding it three times in a row gave us some insights that we want to share with you. What's the attraction like, how does it compare, and how popular will it be? We'll discuss the new area that it sits in, the queue, and the ride itself. Are you going to want to ride this? You bet! Will you want to pay extra for this as a Lightning Lane select experience? Hmmm....Find out as we go into the details of this new attraction and what's it's like. I think you'll be excited for your next visit to it. Note that this is going to have spoilers attached, but that the ride is like the movie, so you are not getting some unique plot line. Moreover, this will help you make the decision as to whether you want to to utilize a Lightning Lane select experience to ride this attraction.

With a few surprises on several levels, the new annual pass program has been announced for the Walt Disney World Resort. Passes will again be sold to all starting September 8th. There are four tiers and we give you the run through of each, discussing not only what is included but what is not. We also look at water park and photo pass add ons, and what they mean. Is it a good value, and how does it compare to what they did before or how Disneyland's program was announced. Be sure to check out the attending post with details at Disney at Play. Please subscribe!

Join us for this very action packed Magic Kingdom show where we take happenings from two visits to the park this last week and combine them into one big update. Among the many things happening we check out: Main Street Station Completed 50th Medallion on Cinderella Castle Scaffolding on the Be Our Guest Castle and Mountain New shops, eateries and services re-opened Major paint job on Storybook Circus Ongoing work for the new Tron attraction A new paint job on the entrance to "it's a small world" The re-opening of Columbia Harbor House Re-establishment of the original walk-through portion of Haunted Mansion Rehab of the Frontierland Shootin' Gallery Construction update on Splash Mountain Ongoing refurbishment of Jungle Cruise Re-opening of Monster's Laugh Floor One of our last looks at Tinker Bell's flight in Happily Ever After You can also check out the full video at our J. Jeff Kober Channel. Please subscribe there as well!

The Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World has been a little slower completing its renovation than Disneyland, but what it offers is fun and so worth checking out. Not only have there been major changes made to the attraction, but there are changes to the queue as well. We'll discuss all of this and how it compares to the Disneyland version. We'll then share some other Jungle Cruise offerings as well. So climb aboard this Disney at Play podcast. More videos and links to include other Jungle Cruise posts and podcasts when you visit DisneyatPlay.com.  

Well...the genie is out of the bottle, and it offers phenomenal additional costs with itty bitty value. We look at this new Genie program, what is known as Genie+ as well as Lightning Lane, along with it's two options. We compare this to the previous Disney programs of FastPass, FastPASS+ and MaxPass. We talk about changes and additions to the apps, what's happening to virtual queues, and how Disability Access Service guests are impacted. Then we'll project what this means to annual pass holders. It's big, it's complicated, and it's expensive, but Disney keeps reassuring you that it is designed with it's Superfans in mind. Is it? We have a comprehensive list of the advantages and disadvantages. When this launches, will your wish be that none of this ever happened in the first place? We'll explore that reality and more in this very involved Disney at Play podcast. Check out important links, videos and more at our post for this podcast at Disney at Play.

Drew Ostler and his family had an opportunity to visit the Disneyland Resort during a few weeks ago right before masks were again required indoors and on attractions. We hear from Drew and his experiences in the park. We offer all the highlights of Avengers Campus and compare it to Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure. We talk about the Coco addition to Mickey's PhilarMagic. We discuss the significance of changes made recently on the newly renovated Jungle Cruise over at Disneyland Park. And we consider the comparisons made between Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Avengers Campus. And Snow White's Enchanted Wish! There's no way we're not going to talk about that. So join us for this terrific trip report as we visit the Disneyland Resort.

After our previous podcast that studied the issues attending to signing up and embarking on the Disney Dream, we bring you an entire review of how that first voyage went. If you are at all thinking about going on a Disney cruise in the weeks and months ahead, this is the podcast for you. We are joined by Leah and David Zanolla of Out The Door Travel, who gives us their insights and perspectives of the entire experience. From rooms to dining, from kids clubs to entertainment; from poolside to Castaway Cay, we look at how returning from this pandemic may have actually created a better cruising experience in many respects. Join us for this fascinating look at the Disney Dream's first voyage out of Port Canaveral in nearly a year and a half. Photos and more details available at Disney at Play. Hopefully this podcast has made you excited to set sail with the Disney Cruise Line. David and Leah with Out the Door Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one! Be s

We join David and Leah Zanolla as they prepare and step aboard the Disney Dream for the first cruise since the pandemic began. We'll talk about all the new requirements made of both passengers that have and have not been vaccinated. David & Leah will step aboard to see how things have been modified as the ship takes off on embarkation day. They'll share their impressions not only of the ship and staff, but in context of cases of COVID rising here in Florida. At the same time, news has come out that Norwegian Cruise Line won in court as a Federal judge invalidated Florida's rule that bars businesses from requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination from their customers. Oh...David and Leah stayed prior to their trip at Disney's Polynesian Resort. So they'll chat about the new Moana-style rooms. You will want to check out David and Leah's videos on Facebook. Hopefully this podcast has made you excited to set sail with the Disney Cruise Line. David and Leah with Out the Door Travel know Disney in ways few do a

Forget the 2.8 million you need to go into space with Jeff Bezos or even the 250K you need to board Virgin Galactic's space plane. More affordable pricing can be found on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, even if technically you don't ever really go any higher than your second floor accommodation. Still, meals and more are included in this two night, but not quite two day voyage. We'll look at the price points for this new Walt Disney World offering. And we'll study the sample itinerary to see if if it's worth the price. Are you wanting to spend this kind of money to immerse yourself in Star Wars? Be sure to visit our post showcasing the itinerary and pricing at Disney at Play.

Even though Walt Disney World reopened nearly a year before Disneyland came out of COVID, Disneyland's new annual pass program, Magic Key, has been announced. We look at what makes this different not just from the previous Disneyland passport programs, but how it differs from the current Walt Disney World annual passport program in place. Moreover, we look at what implications there may be when Walt Disney World resumes the new sales of annual passes in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary. Those which details will be released later this month, but what's happening at Disneyland may give us lots of insight to what will soon happen at Walt Disney World. You can see the post for this podcast at Disney at Play.

Ratatouille opens soon on October 1st, but what queueing systems will be part of that attraction experience? There has been a lot of talk recently about the future of FastPass, whether it was coming back, or whether something instead would come in its place. Recently Disneyland Paris has opened up Disney Premier Access which invites guests to purchase a FastPass option to go on popular attractions. This is somewhat in alignment with what Shanghai and Hong Kong have already done. Many in the Disney universe believe this is a sign of the future for Walt Disney World's FastPass and Disneyland's MaxPass. We look in to the history of all this, what is involved here, and what's working and not working. We also look at something called the Standby Pass, which also suggests insights as to where the future is heading for those not buying an upcharge pass. From all of this we tie it to Disney's opening of the Galactic Starcruiser in Spring of 2022 and the announcement of a Genie app that would help guests plan their va

Amid confusing notices, Disney has announced that beginning July 30, face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) while indoors and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. This includes upon entering and throughout all attractions. Face coverings remain optional for all Guests in outdoor common areas. All the while many former park offerings and experiences have been announced as reopening. We'll look at a number of these announcements as Walt Disney World edges closer to its 50th Anniversary Celebration.

In this Disney at Work post and podcast, I'm joined by my good friend and colleague Claudemir Oliveira, of the Seeds of Dreams Institute. Together we visit all six lands of the Magic Kingdom and in each land we share a story about best practices at Walt Disney World that you can apply back to your organization, whether you are in the public, private or non-profit sector. Claudemir and I were both associated for many years at the Disney Institute, and over the years we've brought hundreds of guests through the streets of this park sharing best-in-business practices. We share those with you as we visit the Magic Kingdom. My thanks for Claudemir joining us on this podcast. A native of Brazil, his enthusiasm is contagious. Claudemir is founder and president of Seeds of Dreams Institute, a company dedicated to the searching of strengths in people and corporations. You can find more about him at Seeds of Dreams. Look for video segment of he and I together on this podcast on YouTube.  

Disney Cruise Line is hitting the high seas again as it begins Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral in August. With this announcement comes a lot of details you will want to know not just before you go, but before you book. We will look at issues relative to your making a reservation, what is required before you leave home; what embarkation day will look like on the ship; where the ship will and will not be going in the near term; what it will be like on the ship in terms of dining, entertainment, kids clubs, characters, shopping and more; and what debarkation day will look like. There's a lot to cover, but if you are even thinking about what it might be like to return to the high seas on a Disney cruise ship, then join us as we go from stem to stern covering what you need to know.

Tusker House in Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom has recently reopened, and we visit for breakfast. We talk about the unusual circumstances that brought us there, and how the experience of seeing Donald Duck was pivotal to my autistic son's enjoyment. We take a look at how they are currently serving the family-style meals inspired by the flavors of Africa, how that has re-shaped the dining experience, and wheth er it was worth the price. We'll also share a little known story of the first time Michael Eisner dined in this facility when the restaurant opened with the rest of the park in 1998. It's a character dining experience worth exploring so pull up a seat and join us! You can see photos, menus and other information at Disney at Play.

The Little Mermaid : Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a dark ride attraction based on the Note! Thanks for joining us. We've had technical difficulties the last couple of days getting a new podcast out to you, so we thought we'd see what happened when we sent a previous podcast. This is our first Dis Reviz! It's from early on, so many of you probably have not heard it before. 1989 Disney animated classic, The Little Mermaid. It sits in Fantasyland Forest in the Magic Kingdom. Guests are able to journey “under the sea” to experience the adventures of Ariel. But this isn’t the first time folks have been going under the sea in this corner of the park. We’re here to talk about the evolution of this ride and it’s roots in another legendary experience, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s a story that starts on opening day at Disneyland, and carries itself all the way to Tokyo Disneyland. During our journey, we'll learn some very unknown stories about the original 20,000 Leagues attraction and its impact on park design

We're back at Disney's Hollywood Studios with a very busy update. We'll talk about all guests completely going through the FastPass line at Rise of the Resistance as well as a modified Rey briefing being provided to guests. There's a new menu at Docking Bay 7, and we'll look at that closely. Fairfax Fare also has a new menu. We'll check out the entirety of the park and see what's going on. The park looks busy but not the parking lot, and there's a reason why as we walk through the park. While on Sunset we conjecture on the opening of Fantasmic! and we do a little bit of shopping on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards before running into Mickey and Minnie. So much to cover, join us!