Mike Ellis

On the Road with Mickey #46 – Attraction Refresh: Which One, How, and Why?

November 16, 2020 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

Attraction Refresh: Which One, How, and Why?

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, and she’s Sophie, and We’re on the Road with Mickey! This is episode #46 for November 16, 2020, and our feature topic today is Attraction Refresh: Which One, How, and Why? Grab a drink, relax, and join us as we talk about all the great things that we just can’t wait to reopen! Here’s our rundown of what we talked about:

Cheddar from the Big Cheese
- Mike: Tonight after park closes, the Magic Kingdom will be testing fireworks! Yay!
- Sophie: Are you going to attend the 2021 Epcot International Festival of the Arts? If you are great news! Voices of Liberty will be returning and performing a brand new showcase called “The Disney Songbook” at the American Gardens Theatre!
- Sophie: We already talked about how Cinderella Castle has the new holiday overlays on the Castle after dark. Well, over at Hollywood Studios, the same is happening at the Hollywood Tower Hotel — site of the Tower of Terror. You can see these overlays over on Instagram. I can’t wait to see them myself! https://www.instagram.com/p/CHY8RwZFBPK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
- Mike: Disney is going to be updating the disneygiftcard.com website, which you can use to store your Disney Gift Cards on. The key, though, is with the update, ALL of the accounts already on the site will be wiped out, so if you have an account with some balances on cards, you need to make sure you have those cards on hand. That will all be happening on January 19, 2021, so make plans now if this applies to you!
Connect with us! Here’s how:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadwithMickey
- YouTube: On the Road with Mickey
- Instagram: On the Road with Mickey
- Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
- Phone Voicemail: 919-799-8390
Feature Topic: Attraction Refresh: Which One, How, and Why?
- Sophie’s Choice
  - The Flying Carpets of Aladdin becomes a part of a new land in the Magic Kingdom
  - We get a new land that looks a lot like Agrabah, an extension of Adventureland into a desert biome.
  - The flying carpets become a virtual reality ride, like soarin or flight of passage.
  - There’s a roller coaster in there somewhere, like riding through the cave of wonders
  - And of course there are meet and greets with Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie
  - And in place of the flying carpets of Aladdin, there could be something else. Maybe a nice fountain, or a place for performers to hold little shows. (and a tiny lamp)
- Mike’s Choice
  - Dinoland, U.S.A. becomes Russell and Carl’s Adventure Land
    - Paradise Falls Flyers – Triceratops Spin
    - Escape from the Ravine – Primeval Whirl
    - Wilderness Explorers – Dig Site
    - Carl and Ellie’s Restaurant – table service
    - Kevin’s Treats – little kiosk
    - Journey to Paradise Falls – Dinosaur ride
    - Russell’s Outfitters – shopping
- Listener’s Choices
  - Courtney’s choice: Peter Pan
  - Cathy: it’s a small world
  - Cindy: Journey into Imagination
  - Jeff: Tomorrowland Speedway
  - Monica: Animatronics for Little Mermaid
This Day in Disney History for November 16
Disney Who’s Who Character
Walt Disney Quote
Charity Spotlight – Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue
- From now until the end of the year, we are going to focus on a special charity to talk about. The charity we have selected is the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (https://goldenrescuenc.org/) – This charity works to help abandoned Golden Retrievers find their forever home. We have used them twice now, once with our boy Regan and the second time with our boy River, and they are wonderful to work with. If you are interested in donating to their organization, the place to do so is at https://goldenrescuenc.org/support-nrgrr
Sponsorship
- On the Road with Mickey is sponsored by Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis and Tech Solutions NC. If you have any computing or travel needs, reach out to them! Tech Solutions is found at techsolutionsnc.com or on Facebook, and you can reach Mike for travel needs at mike@pixievacations.com or on Facebook at Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis

As always, thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun talking Disney, and I’m glad you are enjoying it as well! Remember, you can reach us in many ways — first, by email to info@ontheroadwithmickey.com. Second, you can leave us a voicemail at our voicemail box 919-799-8390. You can also talk to us on our Facebook Page, On the Road with Mickey or in our On the Road with Mickey Group. Feel free to join us! Have a great week, and we’ll be back to talk with you again next week!

On the Road with Mickey #45 – At Least Ten Things at WDW We can’t wait to reopen

November 9, 2020 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

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At Least Ten Things at WDW We can’t wait to reopen

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, and she’s Sophie, and We’re on the Road with Mickey! This is episode #45 for November 9, 2020, and our feature topic today is At Least Ten Things at WDW We can’t wait to reopen. Grab a drink, relax, and join us as we talk about all the great things that we just can’t wait to reopen! Here’s our rundown of what we talked about:

Cheddar from the Big Cheese
- Mike: Practically overnight, the Walt Disney World resort went from halloween/fall decorations to Christmas decorations! All parks have decorations up; officially, they will all be in place as of last Friday, November 6th.
- Sophie: The Disney Parks Blog has introduced a special section called “Everything Holidays” to celebrate the Disney Magic of the season. It’s basically a collection of posts all having to do with the holidays this year. We’ll post the link to it in the show notes: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/topics/holidays-at-disney/
- Sophie: Over at Disneyland, Buena Vista Street at California Adventure Park is slated to open on November 19th; that will provide an extension of the Downtown Disney district. Several eateries will be open, including the Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining, which is brand new and is part of the Carthay Circle Restaurant. Additionally, there will be shopping, with such stores as Elias & Co., Julius Katz & Sons, Kingswell Camera Shop and Trolley Treats. Lastly, starting on the 19th, there will be a $10 fee per car for parking at the Simba Lot for the Downtown Disney District. Also, keep in mind that the number of guests allowed to visit will be limited to promote physical distancing. The mobile waitlist system will be in force for Buena Vista Street like it is for the District already.
- Mike: Lastly, over at Universal we had a couple of announcements regarding hotels. First, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel will reopen on December 1st. They were closed due to the Pandemic and hadn’t reopened in June like other Universal hotels had. Secondly, the Endless Summer — Dockside Inn and Suites hotel, which was supposed to open in March, I think, but didn’t because of the Pandemic, has been slated to have their grand opening on December 15th. The Endless Summer hotels are Value hotels that have a lot of suites for larger families and incredible prices. Let me know if you want to look at staying there for your next Universal vacation.
Connect with us! Here’s how:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadwithMickey
- YouTube: On the Road with Mickey
- Instagram: On the Road with Mickey
- Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
- Phone Voicemail: 919-799-8390
Feature Topic: At Least Ten Things at WDW We can’t wait to reopen
- Peoplemover
- WDW Railroad
- Crystal Palace
- Fireworks Shows
- Parades
- Gingerbread House
- Columbia Harbour House
- Festival of the Lion King
- Character Meet and Greets
- Resort Hopping
- Epcot Candlelight Processional
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
- Visiting without requiring a mask
This Day in Disney History for November 9
Disney Who’s Who Character
Walt Disney Quote
Charity Spotlight – Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue
- From now until the end of the year, we are going to focus on a special charity to talk about. The charity we have selected is the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (https://goldenrescuenc.org/) – This charity works to help abandoned Golden Retrievers find their forever home. We have used them twice now, once with our boy Regan and the second time with our boy River, and they are wonderful to work with. If you are interested in donating to their organization, the place to do so is at https://goldenrescuenc.org/support-nrgrr
Sponsorship
- On the Road with Mickey is sponsored by Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis and Tech Solutions NC. If you have any computing or travel needs, reach out to them! Tech Solutions is found at techsolutionsnc.com or on Facebook, and you can reach Mike for travel needs at mike@pixievacations.com or on Facebook at Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis

On the Road with Mickey #44 – Nighttime Experiences at Disney

November 2, 2020 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

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Nighttime Experiences at Disney

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, and she’s Sophie, and We’re on the Road with Mickey! This is episode #44 for November 2, 2020, and our feature topic today is the Nighttime Experiences at Disney. Grab a drink, relax, and join us as we talk about all the great things you can do at Disney after the sun goes down! Here’s our rundown of what we talked about:

Cheddar from the Big Cheese

Mike: Sadly, the layoffs at Disney continue. We heard that practically all of the Cast Members, if not all of them, that work on the stage shows and things like that — for example, Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Musical — have been laid off. The list is long and sad, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the Cast Members affected and their families. If you wish to help them out, the Cast Member Pantry is accepting donations. To leave a donation, send some money via VENMO to @castmemberpantry.
Mike: In other COVID news, the government in France has implemented a mandatory lockdown due to a spike in cases in Europe. As a result, Disneyland Paris is having to close. They closed effective October 30, 2020.
Sophie: Over at Disney Springs, the Lego Store has put up a model of The Child made entirely of Legos. You can see it over on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0bJOTHoxW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sophie: Lastly, there is at least some short-term good news. Disney has called back about 200 Cast Members to work in the shopping and dining facilities over on Buena Vista Street at California Adventure Park.
Connect with us! Here’s how:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadwithMickey
- YouTube: On the Road with Mickey
- Instagram: On the Road with Mickey
- Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
- Phone Voicemail: 919-799-8390

Feature Topic: Nighttime Experiences at Disney
- During normal years, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the fall.
- Evening Extra Magic Hours, especially at Magic Kingdom and Epcot
- Back in the day, Animal Kingdom Block Party at DinoLand, U.S.A.
- Dueling Piano Bar at Jellyrolls at Disney’s Boardwalk
- Tomorrowland at Night! Especially Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover at Night!
- People Watching while sitting on a bench eating popcorn.
- Fireworks at Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
- Fantasmic!
- Riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train during the fireworks!
- Back in the day, Main Street Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom
- World of Color
This Day in Disney History for November 2
Disney Who’s Who Character
Walt Disney Quote
Charity Spotlight – Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue
- From now until the end of the year, we are going to focus on a special charity to talk about. The charity we have selected is the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (https://goldenrescuenc.org/) – This charity works to help abandoned Golden Retrievers find their forever home. We have used them twice now, once with our boy Regan and the second time with our boy River, and they are wonderful to work with. If you are interested in donating to their organization, the place to do so is at https://goldenrescuenc.org/support-nrgrr
Sponsorship
- On the Road with Mickey is sponsored by Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis and Tech Solutions NC. If you have any computing or travel needs, reach out to them! Tech Solutions is found at techsolutionsnc.com or on Facebook, and you can reach Mike for travel needs at mike@pixievacations.com or on Facebook at Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis

On the Road with Mickey #43 – Original Magic Kingdom Attractions

October 26, 2020 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

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Original Magic Kingdom Attractions

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, and she’s Sophie, and We’re on the Road with Mickey! This is episode #43 for October 26, 2020, and our feature topic today is the Original Magic Kingdom Attractions. Grab a drink, relax, and join us as we talk about our rankings of the original attractions from October 1, 1971 that are still around to this day! Here’s our rundown of what we talked about:

Cheddar from the Big Cheese
- Mike: Last Wednesday the 21st, Disney released three promotions for early 2021! Up to 35% off rooms for January 3rd through April 17, 2021, Up to 40% off rooms for Annual Passholders for the same dates, and up to 35% off rooms for Florida Residents. The difference between the regular room offer and the Florida Resident room offer is that the regular must be booked by March 15th while the Florida Resident promotion can be booked until April 17th.
- Sophie: Disney released dates for the 2021 Epcot International Festival of the Arts event they have. Those dates are set for January 8 – February 22, 2021. There are sections on Culinary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts for you to check out.
- Mike: In COVID news, the government in California is really playing hard ball when it comes to reopening Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and other theme parks. I know we all have our opinions on whether or not the theme parks should reopen in California, and I’m not going to get into all of that. Two things I will say, though — 1) it really feels like there is something personal in the way Governor Newsome has put such harsh restrictions on theme parks, and 2) at the end of the day, the ones caught in the middle are the people that work at these theme parks, and indirectly, the industries that also rely on the theme parks being open for a lot of their business. The longer the parks are closed, the more likely there will be that a lot of these smaller businesses won’t be able to reopen — ever — because they just can’t get out from under water.
  Also, over in Florida, signs for The Void in Disney Springs were recently taken down — sadly, the COVID crisis caused that incredible experience venue to shut its doors for good. It’s a shame because that was such a cool experience, and I’m glad I was able to experience it once.
- Sophie: Lastly, if you are a fan of Disney’s All Star Movies Resort, exciting news — the resort will be reopening beginning on February 9, 2021! No reopening dates for the other All Star Resorts (Music and Sports), and still no reopening dates for the Port Orleans Resorts, but this is one step closer to a normal existence!
Connect with us! Here’s how:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadwithMickey
- YouTube: On the Road with Mickey
- Instagram: On the Road with Mickey
- Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
- Phone Voicemail: 919-799-8390
Feature Topic: Ranking the MK Original Attractions
- October 1, 1971 Original Magic Kingdom Attractions:
  - Country Bear Jamboree
  - Dumbo
  - Hall of Presidents
  - Haunted Mansion
  - “It’s a small world”
  - Jungle Cruise
  - Mad Tea Party
  - Peter Pan’s Flight
  - Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
  - Swiss Family Treehouse
  - Tomorrowland Speedway
  - Walt Disney World Railroad
  - Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
This Day in Disney History for October 26
Charity Spotlight – Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue
- From now until the end of the year, we are going to focus on a special charity to talk about. The charity we have selected is the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (https://goldenrescuenc.org/) – This charity works to help abandoned Golden Retrievers find their forever home. We have used them twice now, once with our boy Regan and the second time with our boy River, and they are wonderful to work with. If you are interested in donating to their organization, the place to do so is at https://goldenrescuenc.org/support-nrgrr
Sponsorship
- On the Road with Mickey is sponsored by Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis and Tech Solutions NC. If you have any computing or travel needs, reach out to them! Tech Solutions is found at techsolutionsnc.com or on Facebook, and you can reach Mike for travel needs at mike@pixievacations.com or on Facebook at Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis

On the Road with Mickey Episode #42 – Holidays at Walt Disney World

October 19, 2020 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Holidays at Walt Disney World

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, and she’s Sophie, and We’re on the Road with Mickey! This is episode #42 for October 19, 2020, and our feature topic today is the Holidays at Walt Disney World. Grab a drink, relax, and join us as we talk about the magic of the holidays! Here’s our rundown of what we talked about:

Cheddar from the Big Cheese
- Mike: Last Thursday, October 15, Disney opened up packages for the rest of 2021. Before then, the latest you could make a reservation was through September 27, 2021, but now you can make reservations throughout all of December and even into January, 2022!
- Sophie: We’re counting down the days — less than two weeks until the premier of The Mandalorian, Season 2! To be exact, we’re 11 days until the premier at the time the podcast went live! Remember, Season 2, Episode 1 airs on Friday, October 30, 2020.
- Mike: Well, I thought that Disneyland would reopen by the end of October. Turns out I was wrong. Disney has sent out emails to those that are booked at Disneyland hotels through October 31 informing them they can cancel or move their dates. At this point, we just don’t know when Disneyland will reopen.
- Sophie: Lastly, a central Florida couple has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise funds for the Cast Member Pantry to help Disney Cast Members who were affected by the layoffs.

Connect with us! Here’s how:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadwithMickey
- YouTube: On the Road with Mickey
- Email: info@ontheroadwithmickey.com
- Phone Voicemail: 919-799-8390
Feature Topic: Holidays at Walt Disney World
- Getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving
- The Magic of the Disney Seasons
  - Holiday decorations begin on November 6th
- What’s different this year?
  - No Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
  - No Candlelight Processional at Epcot
  - No special fireworks
  - Cavalcades instead of parades

This Day in Disney History for October 19
Disney Who’s Who Character
Walt Disney Quote
Charity Spotlight – Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue
- From now until the end of the year, we are going to focus on a special charity to talk about. The charity we have selected is the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (https://goldenrescuenc.org/) – This charity works to help abandoned Golden Retrievers find their forever home. We have used them twice now, once with our boy Regan and the second time with our boy River, and they are wonderful to work with. If you are interested in donating to their organization, the place to do so is at https://goldenrescuenc.org/support-nrgrr
Sponsorship
- On the Road with Mickey is sponsored by Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis and Tech Solutions NC. If you have any computing or travel needs, reach out to them! Tech Solutions is found at techsolutionsnc.com or on Facebook, and you can reach Mike for travel needs at mike@pixievacations.com or on Facebook at Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis

Attraction Refresh: Which One, How, and Why?

At Least Ten Things at WDW We can’t wait to reopen

Nighttime Experiences at Disney

Original Magic Kingdom Attractions

Holidays at Walt Disney World

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