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On the Road w/Mickey 328 – Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To!

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Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To
Episode 328 – Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To!

Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To!

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, that’s Brenda, and he’s Grogu, and We’re On the Road with Mickey! This is episode 328, and our feature topic is Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To! In this week’s episode, we are talking about those attractions that we appreciate more now than we used to in Walt Disney World! Here’s what we talked about:

  • Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
    • Mike: In Carousel of Progress news, one of the big items is that Debi Derryberry, the voice of Patricia, the daughter, in the version of the show that we now know, is going to be involved in the new format of the show when it re-opens in late Spring 2027. She will be in a new role as Grandmother in the attraction!
    • Sophie: Hooray! For the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, November 26, 2026, a brand new Bluey balloon will make its debut in the parade! The Bluey balloon is 47 feet long, 27.8 feet wide, and 47.2 feet tall! This is not the first time Bluey has been in the parade, but this year’s balloon is inspired by the Christmas special “Christmas Swim” episode with Bluey wearing her festive Christmas crown.
    • Brenda: The Keel laying ceremony for the Disney Believe happened on October 5th. The ceremony is a tradition dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, and a specially minted coin is placed beneath the ship’s keel before major construction continues. The keel is the structural center beneath the ship that runs all the way from the bow to the stern, and the coin was specially minted and features Tinker Bell on one side and part of the ship on the other.
  • Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  • Question of the Week Feedback:
    • What was your favorite Disney Attraction when you were a little kid or someone you went with was a little kid?
      • Sophie: Goofy’s Barnstormer
      • Mike: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
      • Brenda: Peter Pan’s Flight
      • Debbie: Splash Mountain
      • Chandler: Oh! Hands down it’s going to be Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. I was so enthralled and mesmerized by all the animatronics and sets. It started my “how do they do that?” fascination and wanting to get the BTS intel.
      • Sheila: Autotopia when I was a kid. I would go with my family and ride over and over again.
      • Dale: The Great Movie Ride.
      • Paula: We always loved Haunted Mansion, even when my son was small
  • Feature Topic: Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To!
    • Sophie:
      • The Haunted Mansion
      • Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
      • The Hall of Presidents
      • The American Adventure
      • MuppetVision 3D
    • Brenda:
      • PeopleMover
      • Living with the Land
      • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
      • The Great Movie Ride
    • Mike:
      • It’s a Small World
      • Swiss Family Treehouse
      • Frozen Ever After/Maelstrom
      • Mickey & Minnie’s Country Houses
  • Sophie’s Question of the Week:
    • Is there a ride that you just don’t care for? If so, what is it?
      • Brenda: Astro Orbiter
      • Mike: The Tower of Terror
      • Sophie: The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
  • This Day in Disney History for 10/12:
  • The Weekly Disney Windows
    • Wathel Rogers – Main Street Confectionery (Magic Kingdom) – Buena Vista Magic Lantern Slides – Treat Your Friends To Our Special Tricks – Yale Gracey – Bud Martin – Ken O’Brien – Wathel Rogers – 1975
    • The Fortuosity Shop (Disneyland) – “You’ll Cut a Fine Figure” – Wathel Rogers – Menswear – 1992
  • A little bit of Walt
    • “Invent your own job; take such an interest in it that you eat, sleep, dream, walk, talk and live nothing but your work until you succeed. Then you may take on a hobby or two if you feel so inclined.” – Walt Disney

Coming next week: The Story Behind Main Street, U.S.A.

On the Road w/Mickey 327 – Best Attractions for the Whole Family!

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Best Attractions for the Whole Family
Episode 327 – Best Attractions for the Whole Family!

Best Attractions for the Whole Family!

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, that’s Brenda, and he’s Grogu, and We’re On the Road with Mickey! This is episode 327, and our feature topic is the Best Attractions for the Whole Family! In this week’s episode, we are talking about our favorite resort lobbies in Walt Disney World! Here’s what we talked about:

  • Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
    • Brenda: As of September 21st, the single rider line option at Expedition Everest has gone away forever. Disney tested an updated pre-sorting system in the standby queue that divides guests into odd and even party groups before the loading platform. This grouping method fills empty train seats effectively, which supposedly lowers average standby wait times.
    • Mike: Have you ever wanted to work at Walt Disney World? Well, if your name is Sophie, then pay attention! Walt Disney World is going to be adding 5,000 new Cast Members in the next five years, spanning all areas of the resort! This is because of the investment that Disney is making into Walt Disney World – they are going to be pouring in up to 17 billion dollars over the next 10 to 20 years, and that will require Cast Members to make it work. If you are interested in applying, go to Disneyjobs.com to apply!
    • Sophie: Disney has just donated $100,000 to Gorilla Conservation Efforts in celebration of World Gorilla Day on September 24th. This coincides with the arrival of Bakari, the newest silverback gorilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The donation will go to support global gorilla conservation efforts.
  • Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  • Question of the Week Feedback:
    • What is your Preferred Disney Resort?
      • Sophie: Pop Century
      • Mike: Port Orleans Riverside
      • Brenda: Wilderness Lodge
      • Dale: We have never stayed at the Grand Floridian but it is my favorite because I can always find Mary Poppins and Alice In Wonderland there.
      • Sheila: Caribbean Beach and Contemporary
      • Chrissy: All Stars
      • Debbie: I LOVE the Polynesian but can only afford Coronado….and they do a very good job making us feel welcome. But if I ever hit a lottery…Poly here I come. Of course, first I have to buy a ticket.
      • Robin: I loved staying at the Contemporary, but I also love Pop Century.
      • Chandler: I’d love the opportunity to stay at Wilderness, or AKL. My wallet continues to tell me Pop is going to be my answer to this question.
      • Pam: Polynesian, Boardwalk, and Animal Kingdom. Perfect Trifecta
      • Randy: California Grand, Wilderness Lodge
  • Feature Topic: Best Attractions for the Whole Family!
    • It’s a small world (MK)
    • Kilimanjaro Safaris (AK)
    • Na’vi River Journey (AK)
    • Jungle Cruise (MK)
    • Frozen Ever After (Epcot)
    • Mickey’s Philharmagic (MK)
    • Living with the Land (Epcot)
    • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (HS)
    • TTA People Mover (MK)
    • Country Bear Jamboree (MK)
    • Wildlife Express Train (AK)
    • Walt Disney World Railroad (MK)
    • Carousel of Progress (MK)
    • Festival of the Lion King (AK)
    • Finding Nemo: The Musical (AK)
    • Prince Charming Regal Caroussel (MK)
    • Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (MK)
    • Dueling Dumbos (MK)
    • Pirates of the Caribbean (MK)
  • Sophie’s Question of the Week:
    • What was your favorite Disney Attraction when you were a little kid or someone you went with was a little kid?
      • Sophie: Goofy’s Barnstormer
      • Mike: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
      • Brenda: Peter Pan’s Flight
  • This Day in Disney History for 9/28:
  • The Weekly Disney Windows
    • Card Walker – House of Magic (Magic Kingdom) – Dr. Card Walker – Licensed – Practitioner of Psychiatry and Justice of the Peace – We Never Close – Except for Golf – 1972
  • A little bit of Walt
    • “ILife is beautiful. It’s about giving. It’s about family.“ – Walt Disney

Coming next week: Attractions We Appreciate More Now Than We Used To

On the Road w/Mickey 326 – Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World!

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Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World
Episode 326 – Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World!

Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World!

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, that’s Brenda, and he’s Grogu, and We’re On the Road with Mickey! This is episode 326, and our feature topic is the Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World! In this week’s episode, we are talking about our favorite resort lobbies in Walt Disney World! Here’s what we talked about:

  • Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
    • Sophie: The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is now open! It opened on September 14, and Disney had 60 characters there for the opening celebration!
    • Brenda: The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival dates were announced! The festival will run from March 10 – May 31, 2027.
  • Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  • Question of the Week Feedback:
    • There are a lot of little pieces of trivia in the parks. What is a little piece of trivia (or Easter Egg) that you really enjoy?
      • Sophie: The Walt Portrait in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
      • Sophie: The Roy & Minnie Statue along with the Walt & Mickey Statue
      • Mike: The Disneyland & Walt Disney Firehouses, and the way the light from Walt’s Apartment over the Disneyland firehouse that never turns off in memory of Walt.
      • Lee: Trader Sams, The Polynesian Resort, at the very top, if you look at the ceiling, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Keys are hanging from the ceiling because he had too many Mai Tais!
      • Brenda: I like the fun aspects of Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater which we have eaten at a lot. All the license plate registrations were dated to 1955 as a nod to Disneyland as well as the 50’s era cars. Plus, the initials on the car license plates are all nods to Disney Imagineers who worked on the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. On each license plate, the 3 letters are an Imagineer’s initials and the 3 numbers are a reference to their birthdays! I always loved that fun Disney touch.
      • Chandler: The Lost Boys Fire Brigade
  • Feature Topic: Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World!
    • Brenda:
      • Animal Kingdom Lodge – Peter Dominique, Jr. designed (he also designed Wilderness Lodge and Grand Californian)
      • Wilderness Lodge
      • Art of Animation Resort
    • Sophie:
      • Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
      • Port Orleans Riverside & French Quarter
      • Polynesian Resort
      • Caribbean Beach Resort
    • Mike:
      • Disney’s Yacht Club & Disney’s Beach Club
      • Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower
      • Pop Century
  • Sophie’s Question of the Week:
    • What is your Preferred Disney Resort?
    • Sophie: Pop Century
    • Mike: Port Orleans Riverside
    • Brenda: Wilderness Lodge
  • This Day in Disney History for 9/21:
    • 2002: The city of Marceline, Missouri hosts the fourth annual Walt Disney’s Hometown Toonfest.
  • The Weekly Disney Windows
    • Leighton I. Sherwood – First Aid (Disneyland) – Doc Sherwood, M.D – Family Practice – 2014
  • A little bit of Walt
    • “In learning the art of storytelling by animation, I have discovered that language has an anatomy. Every spoken word, whether uttered by a living person or by a cartoon character, has its facial grimace, emphasizing the meaning.” – Walt Disney

Coming next week: Best Attractions for the Whole Family

On the Road w/Mickey 325 – How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks!

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How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks!
Episode 325 – How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks!

How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks!

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, and he’s Grogu, and We’re On the Road with Mickey! Brenda is out this week on vacation, and today we’re joined once again by our good friend Lee! This is episode 325, and our feature topic is the How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks! In this week’s episode, we are talking about how the ideas of Walt still play out in the parks today! Here’s what we talked about:

  • Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
    • The 2026 EPCOT Candlelight Processional narrator lineup has been released! Some notable names: Gary Sinise on November 29-December 1; Neil Patrick Harris from December 10-12, Lauren Daigle December 15-16, and Jodi Benson on December 24-25.
    • Congratulations to Disney Legend Lea Salonga, the voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Mulan in the movie Mulan, for becoming the first Filipina ever to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    • The Glimmering Greenhouses are returning to Epcot for the holidays. In addition to seeing them in the Living with the Land ride, you can also experience them up close with the Behind the Seeds Tour. The Greenhouses will be lit for tours November 27-December 30.
  • Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  • Question of the Week Feedback:
    • What are some of your incredible Disney Memories?
      • Sheila: “Our trips with the Ellis family over the years.”
      • Brenda: “Each and every one of them”
      • Chandler: “When you take your 3yo kiddo for his first trip and he’s not too sure about the characters at Crystal Palace.”
      • Chandler: “When you take your kiddo and he gets to meet the love of his 3yo life.”
      • Chandler: “When your 18yo kiddo asks his dad to ride Aladdin and not his mom.”
      • Chandler: “That time I rode Everest with the kiddo and didn’t know what to expect.”
      • Pam: “Being at Animal Kingdom soft opening”
      • Debbie: “They have all been incredible but one that stands out was December 2001. My Mom and I went down to celebrate Life…Not knowing at the time we both had cancer. The crowds at the parks were very light. We did the Legacy Picture at Epcot and had an unbelievable time…just the two of us.
        We lost her to cancer in October 2004 and I’m now a 23 year cancer survivor. It was our last Disney trip together.
        I bring the Mickey Mouse Snowman every year as my special memory. She bought it for me on that last trip..
      • Robin: “There were these people and two little girls!”
  • Feature Topic: How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks!
    • Keep Moving Forward – the parks will never be completed, things will always be changing
    • Original sketches of Disneyland dating back to 1932.
    • Family atmosphere, the reimagining of areas, not tear down. Frontierland forestry vibe.
    • Epcot – how Walt’s vision for a community of tomorrow became a park, and by extension, communities by Storyliving by Disney
    • How Disney pops up in social media and how the company is incorporated in everyday living.
    • Carousel of Progress – Updating the Decades and incorporating Walt into the show
    • Trashcans and Desired Paths – tiny details that are used to make the parks cleaner
    • When you have a good idea, you stick with it. Example: The Candlelight Processional began, not at Epcot, but at Disneyland in 1955.
  • Sophie’s Question of the Week:
    • There are a lot of little pieces of trivia in the parks. What is a little piece of trivia (or Easter Egg) that you really enjoy?
      • Sophie: The Walt Portrait in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
      • Sophie: The Roy & Minnie Statue along with the Walt & Mickey Statue
      • Mike: The Disneyland & Walt Disney Firehouses, and the way the light from Walt’s Apartment over the Disneyland firehouse that never turns off in memory of Walt.
      • Lee: Trader Sams, The Polynesian Resort, at the very top, if you look at the ceiling, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Keys are hanging from the ceiling because he had too many Mai Tais!
  • This Day in Disney History for 9/14:
  • The Weekly Disney Windows
    • Joyce Carlson – Emporium (Magic Kingdom)- Dolls by Miss Joyce – Dollmaker for the World – Shops in New York, California, Florida, Japan, & Paris – Owner & Founder Joyce Carlson. – 2000
  • A little bit of Walt
    • “The important thing is the family.” – Walt Disney

Coming next week: Best Resort Lobbies at Walt Disney World

On the Road w/Mickey 324 – Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee!

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Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee!
Episode 324 – Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee!

Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee!

Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, and he’s Grogu, and We’re On the Road with Mickey! Brenda is out this week on vacation, and today we’re bringing on our special guests Alisha & Lee to join us on the show! This is episode 324, and our feature topic is the Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee! In this week’s episode, we are sharing our favorite memories! Here’s what we talked about:

  • Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
    • We talked a while back about the changes that Walt Disney World has made regarding the transportation around the resort. Brenda is at Walt Disney World, and she reported back to us on some of those changes. Here’s what she had to say:
    • Leaving Disney Springs: “All we had to do leaving Disney Springs last night was scan our MagicBand.”
    • Taking a Lyft to the Poly: “Lyft driver just said drop off and they let us through.”
    • Lastly, the Grand Floridian Cafe has announced that they will re-open from their long refurbishment on November 2, 2026
  • Connect with us! Here’s how: 
  • Question of the Week Feedback:
    • What is one of your favorite Disney comfort foods?
      • Hannah: “Casey’s corn dog nuggets”
      • PJ: “Popcorn”
      • Chandler: “Disneyland Churro.”
      • PJ: “Dole whips!”
      • Robin: “Mickey waffles!”
      • Pam: “Polynesian Bread Pudding”
      • Deb: “Dole Whips and the Corn Dog at Sleepy Hollow.”
      • Kim: “Hot salted pretzel with cheese”
      • Alisha: “Jumbo Turkey Leg”
      • Lee: “Belgium Waffle Ice Cream Cone at Disney Springs”
      • Sophie: “Cookies and Cream Cookie” at Gideons
      • Sophie: “Beignets” at Port Orleans French Quarter
  • Feature Topic: Incredible Disney Memories with Special Guests Alisha & Lee!
    • Alisha
      • Alisha’s daughter’s first roller coaster – DL Space Mountain w/ a 5yo.
      • Walt Disney World 21st B-Day
      • Planning Daughter’s 21st B-Day trip(?)
    • Lee
      • Going to Disney for the first time (as a teenager)
      • Animal Kingdom Drum sets
      • Photos of the kids growing through the years
      • Coming up: Finding all the Fishing Spots on Disney Property!
      • Soccer golf, pickleball
    • Mike
      • Tiny Sophie’s first ride on Splash Mountain
      • Barnstormer
      • First Trip 47 years ago (age 11)
      • Daddy and Mommy’s trip to Disney while pregnant with Sophie
      • Sophie’s 21st birthday trip
    • Sophie
      • Sophie’s Solo Trip June 2025
      • Florida Reunion 2019
      • Disney Cruising
  • Sophie’s Question of the Week:
    • What are some of your incredible Disney Memories?
  • This Day in Disney History for 9/7:
  • The Weekly Disney Windows
    • Meg Crofton – Disney Clothiers (Magic Kingdom) – Center for Leadership Development & Mentoring – Meg Gilbert Crofton, Founder – “We start leaders on their journeys” – 2015
  • A little bit of Walt
    • “If you can dream it, you can do it. Remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.” – Walt Disney

Coming next week: How Walt Disney’s Original Ideas Still Shape the Parks