Disney At Work Podcast

In recent weeks there have been a large number of details released not just for Walt Disney World but for Disneyland as well. While previous podcasts have been reminiscing all things Muppets the end of MuppetVision 3D and taking a look at Adventureland at Disneyland, there have been considerable announcements, hints and insights that have occurred. And we want to cover them all! From Disneyland we'll look at Avatar and Coco at Disney California Adventure, as well as a new park entry. Then we'll head over to Walt Disney World to look at Disney's Starlight Parade logistics, Test Track Re-Imagined, Tropical America Developments and even the new Monstropolis at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's a busy podcast for this week, so hang on as we have so much to share! ____________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disne

Welcome to our ongoing celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. In many ways, Adventureland is truly the most immersive of all the lands of Disneyland. And yet, from a pedestrian space, it's perhaps one of the smallest. If you're just walking through it you can go from entrance to exit in about a minute. Unless of course Fantasmic! is going on in New Orleans Square and Fireworks are getting ready on Main Street. Then it's one of the most congested places on the map. And yet, day or night, Adventureland is full of tropical wonder and a jungle of detail. From the Enchanted Tiki Room to the Adventureland Treehouse; From the exotic Jungle Cruise to the high thrills of Indiana Jones Adventure. Join us as we celebrate the amazing True-Life Adventures of Disneyland's Adventureland. ____________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we b

Something happened over the weekend that I probably never quite envisioned. And neither did thousands of guests who always found time to spend a few moments with Jim Henson's Muppet-Vision 3D. We celebrate this film, and its creator, sharing some insights of how all this came to be. We'll take a look at the Muppets over the years as they've come to be a part of The Walt Disney World Resort. We'll talk about all of the components that made up Muppet Courtyard, and what made Muppet-Vision 3D so really special. Join us as we commemorate this attraction, its setting and consider both its past and future. It's a rousing 3 hour finale, but we're trying to keep it around 40 minutes. ____________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

News this week and last has broken out about happenings at the Magic Kingdom, and they include some very important dates. Last week was an announcement of Disney Starlight Parade's opening date. Plus they showcased the finale as well as the order of the parade floats. We'll talk about that and the implications of this date to its nightly schedule and what it means to thousands of pass holders who will want to go to the Magic Kingdom alongside all other tourists. But first we look at some big announcements that came about from around Frontierland as well this week. At the top of those announcements comes the fact that the Rivers of America, Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer's Island will close in a few weeks on July 7th. We'll explore some very cool details that will come to this new mini-land within Frontierland. ____________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supp

This summer has not only brought a completely new theme park to the Orlando tourist scape, but within it, two impressive theatrical shows within its park's gates. At the same time, Disney's Hollywood Studios has opened two theatrical shows within its studio gates. In a showdown, we'll look at Le Cirque Arcanus in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter--Ministry of Magic as well as The Untrainable Dragon from the Isle of Berk--both premiering at Epic Universe. We'll also take a look at two new shows that just premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid Musical Adventure. From queue to finale, from performers to technical staging, we'll look at which of these fare best and are worth your time. The competition is tough, so join us as we look at these four new theatrical shows in two very unique Florida theme parks. ____________________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insigh

There is so much to love about Universal’s new Epic Universe. And if they get it to work, it will be even better. Many have already done podcasts early on and shared what they loved or didn’t love about the park. Reviews of favorite attractions, food, souvenirs and so forth are out there. My wife and I, two of my daughters and my son-in-law have all attended, and for the most part, we had not only a solid experience, but we look forward to the time we can go back again. It’s definitely a place worth repeating. I look forward to an opportunity to share our family’s review of the experience, but my focus is not so much from a guest point of view but from a park design and operational focus. And there’s so much here that is working. I will look at issues of park layout, scale and scope, thematic approach, interactivity, operations and more. Since this is Disney Insights, we want to consider these approaches in comparison to best practices Disney employs.It’s not just a critical look at the design and operation o

We are on the monorail heading to the Magic Kingdom to canvas many updates from the Emporium to Big Thunder, from the Astro Orbiter to the new DVC lounge, McKim's Mile House. In the process we'll check on all sorts of construction activity, visit a number of shops throughout the park, and take in Gaston's Tavern, where we try out some new tasty treats. Join us on the Magic Kingdom Update here at Disney Insights. _________________________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the

Yes! We predicted yesterday that Disney was going to announce a new park in Abu Dhabi, and that announcement has come to pass! "A whole new world" is coming to this corner of the world. With over four billion guests having visited some six Disney theme park destinations around the world, let's look at this newest Disney resort in Abu Dhabi, which will be the seventh in the world. This was part of its 2025 2nd quarter presentation, and the announcement dwarfed everything else. Why build here, and exactly where is it going? What will make this different than anything ever built before? How will it be built and managed? Let's explore what's new coming to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. _________________________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the

Breaking news this morning as rumors about that Disney could be announcing a brand new theme park slated for United Arab Emirates. The possibility is that an announcement could be made Wednesday morning, May 7th, but some sources suggest this may be happening and in time with the 2nd Quarter 2025 announcements from Disney happening at the same time. Check it out! _______________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually fr

We continue our celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. We started this series at Disneyland with a look at Tomorrow. We now wind the clock backwards and start at the entrance of the park. Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland is a remarkable place. It is the only land in the only park that had an apartment for Walt Disney where he stayed regularly to "walk in the shoes of his guests." That kind of immersion allowed him to see new possibilities in how to create "The Happiest Place on Earth". I have walked this street for over 60 years and I want to share just how really special it is. It is not only the red carpet to any Disney fan, but we see how these places amaze not just from the guest view, but from a leadership view point. It's a perspective that permits you to see how you can build your own employees and create a great customer experience. Join us as we "Walk Down the Middle of Main Street, U.S.A" to see how Walt Disney personally touched this park, and how its design is a message for organizations bi

While it’s been more than 5 years since Disney has opened up a brand new park in Shanghai, there is something to be said for the enormous transformation that has been underway for Disneyland Paris as a whole, and in particular, Disney Adventure World, formerly known as Walt Disney Studios Paris. Since Avengers Campus first opened, work has been spent on improving existing rides and shows, as well as creating whole new lands and attractions. Some 90% of the park’s original offerings will have been redone, and its foot prints will be nearly doubled in size. And beyond this, Disneyland Paris is very much re-shaping its resort experience and completely redefining the look and feel of its retail-dining space, Disney Village All these efforts and announcements come at a time when Universal has announced a new park in Bedfordshire, England with a targeted date of opening in 2031. _______________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Pa

Since debuting in December just a few months ago, The Disney Treasure has been the talk of the cruise line experience. Part of a new class of ships, and a sibling to the Disney Wish, this Disney Cruise Line offering has become very popular. We're fortunate to have Chris Konecny, also known as DCLCruisingDad, to share with us his family's experience aboard this eight day, seven night journey. We talk about getting there, getting on, and having a ton of fun. We discuss a little bit about its destinations to include Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica. But we especially talk about what makes this ship so spectacular, from food to entertainment; from decor to crew. And Chris offers some great tips for making your next trip even more enjoyable. So join us for tips and insights from Disney Cruise Line's Disney Treasure. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with,

We visit Walt Disney World to check out Disney's Hollywood Studios and to get an update about everything going on in the park. We canvas the entire property, check out some retail plus food & beverage. Did we mention meeting up with all 7 of the Dwarfs?! Where Star Wars first showed up in this park (and it's not Star Tours)?! How about the best fried chicken in Disney's parks?! Or the cremated remains of Don Onar's Parents?! Join us as we share little known secrets about the park, and talk more about its future! ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about.

As if little announcements would keep attention away from the opening of Epic Universe, Disney keeps dropping posts and instagrams about what's on their docket in the next months to come. We'll take a look at this, and give insight to what it means. Disneyland has a big 70th anniversary coming, but what of The Walt Disney World Resort? We'll share what we've learned and what it means, especially in the context of a FastCompany article where Disney experts shared what it means to create the "Disney Bubble". Then we'll share about another time when Diagon Alley opened at Universal here in Orlando and how Disney pivoted to create a Frozen Summer. Disney needs to save summer, is this possible? We'll look at how in a matter of weeks, Disney turned around the summer of 2014 and made come alive. Join us as we look at whether the bubble can same Disney's Summer, along with Disney announcement insights. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Soci

With a new live action film out, There is much to be said about the importance of Walt Disney’s classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Not only was the original animated Snow White successful in the box office, it has been an important part of the Disney theme park experience world-wide. Since Disneyland opened in 1955, Snow White has come alive for guests to visit and experience. Through character meet ‘n’ greets, parades, merchandise, and attractions, Snow White is a significant presence found in every Disney Magic Kingdom park. And it can be seen in nearly every other park as well in some form or another. It will surprise you some of the places Snow White shows up. So this podcast allows us to celebrate Snow White in the parks. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic

This weekend fans said their final farewells to "It's Tough to be a Bug." This film has entertained guests since Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998. It was the centerpiece of the Tree of Life, which serves as the icon to the park. We look at the origins of how the attraction came to be. We'll look at what was so great--and what was not so great about this attraction. With the official closing this week, we'll talk about the transition to the new replacement show, "Zootopia, Better Zoogether" We'll look at what has been shared to date, and project what might be the plot of this show. Then we'll close off with a little known story about Pixar when it went into crisis mode of creating A Bug's Life and Toy Story II, all within a year. It may be tough to be a bug, but at one time, it may have been tougher to be a Pixar employee. So join us as we bid adieu to It's Tough to be a Bug. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney In

This weekend a Disney Imagineering presentation was given at the South by Southwest SXSW Conference in Austin Texas. Thinking that it was a Future of World-Building at Disney presentation given by Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro, I was surprised to see that there were several Imagineers that made up the presentation. Even more interesting was the fact that Josh was accompanied by Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, who then brought three key studio leaders, Jon Favreau with Star Wars, Pete Docter with Pixar, and Kevin Fiege of Marvel. Together both Entertainment and Experiences partnered together to talk about major attractions coming to Disney. We bring some important insights from not only this and from other Imagineering activities going on, but we also counter it with some negativity that has been coming from former Imagineers that "The Emperors at 1401 Flower Street are butt naked and don't know it." We'll consider those opinions to better understand what is working and what is not. J

When Disneyland premiered in 1955, it was so unique above anything else that was found in the world. And yet, its roots are found in sources that are across the globe. We look at those major influences that shaped not only Walt Disney's interest in building an amusement enterprise, but in how that was actually shaped and created. These sources stem from even before his birth and can be found along his travels throughout the United States and Europe. And while his intent was to create a place that parents and children could enjoy together, the result of is a place that welcomes all who come to this happy place. Join us as we share the inspiration Walt found on the journey to Disneyland. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the m

This month marks the 85th anniversary of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. While Walt Disney had a couple of other smaller studio locations previously, this location has flourished for decades and has remained the headquarters of The Walt Disney Company. We'll look at how these studios came about, how it became a world-class facility, what set it apart from other movie studios in town, and why it was such an "employee-friendly" place. And we'll look at how all that still happens today! With all of this we'll share some lessons for any business location or place of business. And we'll also suggest how it contrasts with Disney's Hollywood Studios, as it points to a particular problem the Studios has that is different than the other Walt Disney World theme park experiences. So join us for the 85th anniversary of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--Mo

Join us today as we take a look at not one, not two but three phenomenal Disney Resorts across Asia. Today we're joined by David and Leah Zanolla of Zanolla Travel. They recently hosted a group along with their family that visited Asia over the holidays. This included Hong Kong Disneyland, where the new World of Frozen premiered last year. In China, they had a chance to share their favorite moments visiting the new Zootopia attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. And then there is Tokyo Disney Resort. Here they saw not only the new Fantasy Springs attraction that included mini-lands centered around Tangled, Frozen and Peter Pan, but also the much talked about Beauty and the Beast attraction. Plus highlights of other amazing experiences during their journey. So join us for the best of Disney Parks in Asia, to includes some incredible new attractions. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insi