Catching up

Last year I blogged an average of 2 entries a month (though they weren't spread out that evenly).  So that means I'm way behind this year!  I thought I'd write a quick update blog about what's going on in my life and the geek world.

First, I have to acknowledge the gravity shifting and terribly sad news that Leonard Nimoy passed away last week.  I still don't really have the words to express what a loss his passing is to the Star Trek community, the theatre world and the film industry.  As Spock often says: "Live Long and Prosper".  Mr. Nimoy did both while generously giving back so much to the world.  I don't know what else to say but I want to share his final tweet:

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So, what else have I missed by not blogging.  An update on Gotham-- a wrote a while back that I was having trouble wrapping my head around the Gotham version of the Batman universe.  I'm past that struggle now and am fully embracing the show's interpretation.  Fish Mooney has developed into an interesting character and the Penguin is slowly but surely becoming recognizable.  He occasionally backslides into being a sniveling brat but we're starting to see more of the mob boss that he will become.

I'm also pretty happy with how Bruce is developing.  His detective skills are starting to come to the surface as his is moral code.  I mean, he has a long way to go before he become Batman (and I don't think we'll ever really see that happen until maybe the series finale) but it's a fun journey.

In Disney news, Tim and I took a trip to Walt Disney World in January.   This was kind of a bonus trip for us.  We weren't sure what my work schedule was going to be like so we waited until the last minute to book it.  As most of my work for Jan & Feb dried up (the life of a free-lance stage manager) we decided to take advantage of the free time and head down south to warmer weather and bigger castles.

We stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort on WDW property-- my first time at an All-Star.  We'd done one value resort before when we stayed at Pop Century.  It was fine!  Not as luxurious as the Wilderness Lodge (my favorite) but it was convenient, comfortable & still more magical than staying off property.

We have another trip planned for later this year, so we did the math and decided to buy annual passes because we'll save some money that way.  So now I can say that I am an annual passholder at Walt Disney World-- something I didn't think I'd do without living in Florida.

Tim and I are also toying with the idea of starting a Disney podcast about our trips, tips of planning your trip, our thoughts on the Disney company's current ventures, reviews of Disney's shows on Broadway, etc.  I really need some kind of creative outlet and this idea sounds like a lot of fun.   So look for that to come out soon!

RIP Maelstrom

Although it's been rumored for a while, Walt Disney World officially announced today that they'll be closing the boat ride attraction, Maelstrom, in the Norway pavilion at EPCOT and replacing it with a similar ride inspired by the hit movie Frozen.  According to the Disney Parks Blog, 

The new attraction, which replaces Maelstrom, will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film. The pavilion will also include a royal greeting location where Anna and Elsa can meet our guests.

This comes at no surprise since Frozen is a run a way hit.  Tim and I just got back from visiting Walt Disney World last week, and although we were there in the off season when crowd counts are low, there were still long lines at every Frozen themed meet & greet, gift shop, & show.  WDW needs a Frozen attraction, simply to meet demand and make their guests happy.  I can understand why they wouldn't put it in Magic Kingdom.  That park just had millions of dollars poured into it with the New Fantasyland expansion.  Disney's Studios Park is about to get a huge Star Wars expansion (or so it's rumored).  Also, even though the "Frozen Summer of Fun" event is happening at the Studios park, it seems an odd match up.  They start the event each day with Anna and Elsa making a grand entrance into the park and being welcomed to "Hollywoodland"... it just doesn't feel like their "home attraction" should be in the park that's all about the making of movies.   Honestly, the studios park has lost it's focus-- but that's a topic for another day.

A Star Trek Theme Park Attraction Needs To Happen!

There's a lot for a Geek to do in Orlando, Florida.  Harry Potter fans that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando.  Star Wars fans have Star Tours, Star Wars weekends (and hopefully much more soon) at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Transformers fans at the Transformers: The Ride 3D, also at Universal.  Avatar fans will be getting an Avatar land at Disney's Animal Kingdom soon.  Well, what about us Trekkies??   A few years ago we had Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas, but it's been closed for years now.  And the museum tour (Star Trek: The Exhibition) is fun-- but it's no theme park attraction!   There seems to a huge hole in the geek world.  A hole that can only be filled with a Star Trek Theme Park!

On the international level, this problem is being solved.  The Paramount Studios Park in Murcia Spain that's under construction now will have a Tomorrowland type section called Plaza Futura that has a great Trek presence.    Here are some images.  You can find much more over at Trekmovie.com. 






This land includes a motion simulator ride and a "warp speed roller coaster".  Sounds great!  More of that, right?  A few years ago there were reports of Star Trek being a part of a Red Sea theme park in Aqaba, Jordan-- it sounds like that that idea might be dead now.  

But what here in the US?  Sadly, there are no Paramount parks here anymore (they sold them a few years ago).  But Paramount/CBS could still license Star Trek to a theme park.  Paramount did just that with the Transformers film franchise and Universal Studios, Orlando!   I think they should do that with Trek as well! It's a perfect fit, right?  These two companies are already friends!!

I'm not the only one to have thought of this.  In fact, back in the late 80s / early 90's Universal Studios totally did have attraction called "Star Trek Adventure".   According to Wikipedia, it was

"A $7 million attraction located inside the Panasonic Theater based on the Star Trek TV series where guests volunteer to put on costumes and be placed on sets from the show. Once all scenes were captured, the finished product was shown to the audiences. The audience members were also to be able to buy a copy of the video."

Curious?  Of course you are!  Lucky for you, a number of these VHS tapes were so loved that they've been digitized and uploaded to youtube.  The resulting 10 minute clips are... well pretty terrible.  But still fun in a vintage "when green screen seemed like a magic" kind of way.  And it's great that they got all the original actors to shoot this!  Here you go:

Why am I bringing all this up now?  Am I just whining?  No!  I'm bringing this up because according ThemeParkTourist.com, some patrons at Universal Studios were recently asked to take a survey.  On that survey they were asked what properties they would be interested in seeing in the park.  What was on the list (along with many other things)?  STAR TREK!  This might seem like nothing- but the guys over at Pardon the Pixie Dust Podcast seem to think otherwise.   And so do other theme park bloggers and excitable Trekkies like myself.  I think that this idea has a lot of potential.  Hear me out:

• They don't need to build a whole land (ala Harry Potter).  They can just build one amazing attraction (ala Transformers) and I'd be pretty happy.  
• There is a built in fan base.  This property is coming up on it's 50th anniversary and while it's not as popular as it was in the mid-late 1990's, it's still a potential cash cow. 
• There's no end in sight for this property.  A 3rd "JJ-verse" movie is in the works.  Most people in the know say that a new TV show will probably follow soon once the movies wrap.  Not to mention the books, comics, and other creative content that's still being produced. 
• Speaking of, there are several crowd funded fan films out there and more being shot as I type this--- professional quality films funded 100% by fans.  WE WILL SPEND MONEY ON STAR TREK! 
•  Speaking of cash cow, the 2009 and 2012 films have grossed a combined $486,508,680 (according to boxofficemojo.com) 
• Disney owns Star Wars now and is highly likely to roll out plans for a new Star Wars land at Disney Hollywood Studios soon.    Star Trek would be a great property to compete for those vacation dollars.   
• Currently the biggest Star Trek convention in the US happens in Las Vegas.  Build a Star Trek land in Orlando and I bet a a huge convention could happen there and bring in more money for the city.  

What do you think??  Let me know your thoughts!  

Our #DisneySide House Warming Party!

Our #DisneySide House Warming Party was this weekend!  We had so much fun!  I decorated up our new apartment with all the goodies that came in the kit from Disney.  Our table is a bit too small for the tablecloth so I folded it in half.  Then we made yummy cupcakes and used Mickey Mouse the cupcake papers.  We also made cookies with the cookie cutters, bought some finger foods at COSTCO like pizza bagels and mini egg rolls.  Topping it all off with chips and salsa and we had a full party spread for our guests!  I put out the cups, plates and napkins for use as well.

I inflated all the balloons, hung some of them and then spread the rest on the ground.  Simple but fun.  I also hung the decoration in the archway between our living room and dining area.  There's a step down and a railing there so it seemed natural to divide the space.  It looked great!






I continued the decorating theme with our own collection of Disney memorabilia.  Our plush Sven from Frozen took center stage near the table.  Since I used a Frozen theme for our punchbowl.com invitations, it only seemed fitting that our favorite reindeer be in attendance.  He wasn't the only plush figure there though.  Band leader Mickey, Pascal, the Fairy Godmother, and Cri-Kee were also part of the party for good measure.   As a final touch, we set the Apple TV to scroll thru our Walt Disney World vacation photos as a screensaver.

I put together 10 party favor packets with the Mickey/Minnie heart print, a Run Disney cheer card, bracelet, & window cling, a box of dried cranberries, a Mickey sticker and a Donald tattoo and a Muppet movie calendar postcard.  We ended up with 13 guests so some of the couples had to share packets.  But they gifts went over very well!!  The Mickey/Minnie heart poster was the clear favorite.

 After everyone had their fill of yummy treats, we played a bit of Disney trivia and had a long group discussion about what our favorite rides are!  Tim and I are in the process of decorating our bathroom in a Hollywood Tower Hotel theme, which was the inspiration for this turn of topics.  I love the theming of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror thrill ride, but don't like the actual thrills.  I'm much more of a Haunted Mansion type, personally.  Speaking of Haunted Mansion, whenever that new movie finally comes out, we might have to organize a group to go the NYC premier because we're all pretty excited for it!

I'm SO EXCITED about our trip to Disneyland Paris!  We'll be there in less than a month!!   So, obviously, there was a lot of chatter about that- what we plan to do there, where we're staying, how long we'll be in France, etc.  I can't wait to show my #DisneySide a la Francais!

The party lasted until about 1am but Lola did not.  Below is a picture of her crashed out on our Mickey Mouse throw blanket.  It was just too much excitement for our little Chihuahua.

**DISCLAIMER**

 I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @Home Celebration.  The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks, or MomSelect.

My Disney Side @Home Celebration Kit Arrived!!

Our Disney Side @Home Celebration kit came today!!  I'm super excited and humbled by this amazing gift from the Walt Disney Company!   Now we are all set to plan an amazing house warming party where our friends and we can show our Disney Side in style!

Here it is!  I got so excited when I saw that label!

Getting Impatient!

I've been obsessed all week about My Disney Side @Home Disney Celebration kit which is supposed to arrive sometime before the end of the month!   Each kit is supposed to be a little unique, but that hasn't kept me from obsessing over what other people have posted online about their kits!  Check out what these other hosts have posted here, here, and here!  AMAZING, RIGHT?

Now that Tim and I have finally found our new apartment, our Disney Side celebration will be a house warming party.  A few of our friends have kids, but this will be mainly an adult party.  I haven't settled on a theme yet.  At this point I'm just brainstorming.  Here are a few random thoughts from my notebook:

• Decorating with printed out Vintage Disney Attraction Posters? 
• Encouraging our guests to wear fun geeky Disney related costumes or t-shirts. I know our friends have Star Wars,  Muppets, & Marvel shirts!  
• Giving out pins as party favors?  We have a bunch from our last pin trading experience!
• Giving out Disney hotel soaps and shampoos guest gifts.  
• Recreating some park food like Popcorn, churros, mickey bars, Lafew’s Brew, Dole Whip
• Have Disney music playlist running in the bathroom ipod dock
• Have Disney movie playing in living room? 
• Vintage Mickey cartoons from a youtube playlist playing on an iPad in the kitchen? 
• Everyone gets to wear an ear hat from our collection for a fun photo op! 
• Play Disney Apples to Apples

Ohhh the possibilities!  

Well, as soon as my kit arrives I'll make sure to post lots of pictures!  :) 

Geek Club!

I’ve been watching a lot of Big Bang Theory lately-- in fact I’ve marathoned the whole show and now I’m caught up to the current season.  It’s such a fun show-- and very relatable!  It also makes me a little jealous.  Wouldn’t it be fun to have a “gang” of geeky friends who always have a board game night, a video game night, a comic book store night… etc.   We could even make a podcast together like Fun with Flags!  Haha! 


Something else got me to thinking about forming a “gang”.  I was listening to “The Disney Hipster Podcast” the other day when I realized something.  It’s clearly just 4 close friends who get together, drink and eat and talk about a shared interest every week or so.  They happen to record it and publish it as a podcast.   It’s basically a little club!  

I’m a member of a Star Trek fan club-- but it’s a correspondence chapter meaning we don’t actually meet in person we just communicate via e-mail, Facebook and the web.  While it should be fun to connect with people who also love Star Trek, I’ve found it to be a pretty empty experience.  My fellow club members live all over the country and all have such busy schedules.  We occasionally e-mail but the conversations never get too deep or interesting.  I also have a weird schedule so when they plan a “watch party” (an event where we all watch the same movie or episode and gather in a chat room to discuss) it’s usually when I’m working so I can’t do it.   We theatre folk have such strange schedules!

Anyway, I find myself fantasizing about starting my own little Star Trek fan club.  It would be small. Just a few close friends with a shared interest of Trek.  We’d gather once a month maybe- often at one of our apartments.  We’d eat together, drink and watch some Star Trek.  It could be a bit of a book club-- or comic book club too. Sometimes it would be game night and we could play “Star Trek Scene It” or “Star Trek Settlers of Catan”.  Ooo.. or we could play Klingon Boggle like they do on Big Bang Theory!  Haha!  

We could also start a roleplaying campaign!  I have everything you need to play the Star Trek tabletop roleplaying game that was published a few years ago.  It’s a little different than D&D but we could get the hang of it.  We could set up a whole fictional ship and roles and titles for the purpose of the roleplay-- that would be fun!  


Of course when the new JJ Abrams movie comes out in 2016 we’d go on opening day-- maybe in costume!  And then there’s conventions and comic cons… lots of outings that we could make.  

So yeah.  This is all just in my imagination.  Me and my Geeky friends.  Sounds fun right? Interested?  

Starting to Plan My Disney Side @Home Celebration Party!!

A couple weeks ago I filled out a survey / contest entry form to host an @Home Celebration party themed around the Show Your Disney Side campaign.  Well guess what!   Along with hundreds of others-- I WON!   Basically I've agreed to

• Host a gathering and invite friends to attend.
• Share my experience online via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, your personal blog, and any other available social media channels
• Participate in a short online survey after hosting your party, and share links to your social media posts.

And for that I'll get a @Home Celebration kit, containing party favors, decorations, games, activities, recipe ideas and special host gifts!   I can't tell you how excited I am!  I think most of the other winners have children.  It was organized by a BSM Media which focuses on mothers.  It's nice to see that they didn't discriminate, however and selected some childless Disney fan bloggers to participate as well.  

About the party itself-- it has to be in the last two weeks of February which is perfect for us!  We'll be moving at the first of the month and that gives us a couple weeks to get settled in before hosting the event.  I think it will be a house warming party as well. :) 

I'm eagerly waiting for my kit-- but in the mean time I'm getting some great theme ideas at http://www.disneysidecelebrations.com.  :)

[Image Credit: http://sugarnspice-life.com]

What to Wear & Carry in WDW

In today's blog I discuss how to take care of yourself in Walt Disney World.  In order not to get over heated, dehydrated, blistered, and miserable I take extra steps to wear comfortable clothes and pack a bag of must-have items.

Throwback Thursday Disney Style!

The internet has introduced a number of traditions.  One of these is "Throwback Thursday".  Most people celebrate this by uploaded an old photo of themselves as their Facebook profile picture.  Or some folks will tweet an old picture from their past in a "remember when" kind of way.

I'd like to take this a moment on this "Throwback Thursday" to talk about the Disneyland and Walt Disney World of yesterday and share with you several web links and blogs on the topic.

First, let's look at the Walt Disney Company's own official department dedicated to looking back thru time.  The Disney Archives and Collections Department has a great web page full of images from the company's past.  Plus, D23 The official Disney Fan Club, produces a series of videos called the Armchair Archivist.   I can get lost watching these on YouTube!  Here is an embedded video link to the whole playlist.


Then there are fan created webpages, blogs and photograhy collections all dedicated to the Disney. Here are some of my favorite:

• Yesterland is a great website all about closed Disneyland and WDW attractions.  Ever wonder what Cranium Command was like in the Wonder of Life Pavilion at EPCOT?  Want to take a trip back in time to see the original Dumbo ride before it was replaced with the new version?  Then this is the website for you!  

• Walt Dated World is similar to Yesterland but it's not as easy to navigate.  Still, it's worth checking out all their photos of what WDW was like in the 70's and 80's. 

• Daveland's Disneyland.  Dave DeCaro is a talented artist & photographer who also has created this treasure trove of vintage & current photographs and research all about Disneyland, the Disneyland Hotel and Walt Disney World.  Trust me, you can get lost in there! 

• BoingBoing is calls itself "the web's favorite zine devoted to the weird, wonderful and wicked things to be found in technology and culture".  But, thanks is large part to Cory Doctorow, the site often covers Disney history.  :) 

• The Original EPCOT webpage is less about what was and more about what might have been.  So it almost doesn't fit on this list.  But still, it's worth checking out.  

• Imagineering Disney is my most recent discovery.  I just spent hours clicking around this blog and reading all about Disney's involvement in the 1964 World's Fair, the new closed Discover Island and River Country in WDW.  Also make sure to check out the extensive
  "Friends of the Blog" list on the right side of the page for hours and hours of more entertainment. 

What if Disney Owned Star Trek?

Check out my latest video blog where I ask the question "What if Star Trek was owned by the Walt Disney Company?"   It's not that hard to imagine, especially since Disney currently owns both Star Wars & Marvel.   Let's look at what they've done with those other geeky franchises.  :) Also-- I give three examples of Star Trek that you can find at Walt Disney World today. :)

Walt Disney World in 1977

Here is a quick video blog that I did where I share some of my family's home footage from Walt Disney World in 1977.  Check out my YouTube Channel for more.

My Favorite Disney Podcasts

My Favorite Disney Podcasts!

WDW Radio with Lou Mongello: http://www.wdwradio.com/
Inside the Magic with Ricky Brigante: http://www.insidethemagic.net/
The Unofficial Guide's Disney Dish with Jim HIll: http://jimhillmedia.com/p/podcasts.aspx
Wedway Radio & Wedway Now: http://wedwayradio.squarespace.com/
Moustalgia: http://www.mousetalgia.com/
Disney Hipsters: http://www.disneyhipsters.com/

For more Disney podcasts go to:
Touring Plans.com Podcast Network: http://blog.touringplans.com/2013/06/27/introducing-the-touringplans-com-podcast-network/

Welcome, Foolish Mortals...

The Haunted Mansion is by far my favorite ride at Walt Disney World so I thought I'd blog about it!  A grand haunted mansion stands in both  Disneyland in California and in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.  One day we'll make the trek out to California and visit Disneyland--- but until then the only Haunted Mansion memories I have are from the park in Florida.

A big part of my fascination with the Haunted Mansion goes back to my childhood. Halloween was pretty much tied with Christmas for the "favorite holiday" award back then.  It wasn't just the candy either-- it was the fantasy of it touching a world beyond our own.  While my sister and I were out trick-or-treating I'd look up to the sky to see if I could catch a glimpse a witch on her broom-- or of a passing specter.  This fascination didn't wain after October was over.  When I was in the 2nd grade I bought a haunted house activity book at the Scholastic Book Fair that became my favorite book!  I spent hours working the puzzles and coloring in the images of goblins and ghouls.   I think it's that same little boy inside me who can't stop smiling whenever I ride the Haunted Mansion.

Let me share some cool Haunted Mansion stuff from the internet.  First up, anyone looking for a hitchhiking ghost should go checkout www.doombuggies.com.  This fan created and operatred website has just about everything you ever wanted to know about my favorite ride!  You can download desktop wallpapers there-- or you can click below and download the desktop wallpaper that I made. I took this photo from the Liberty Square River Boat and then photoshopped it a bit to make it into a cool wallpaper. :)

There are many legends surrounding the haunted mansion.  One of the most interesting is that of The Hatbox Ghost-- a one time resident of the original Haunted Mansion in California.  Check out the video below about this happy haunt. :)  I wish he would come back to the mansion.

I Wanna Ride Batman!!

Tim is spending the day with Lauren at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey!  He's been texting me photos of super hero inspired roller coasters like Superman: Ultimate Flight.   This coaster looks SCARY but I'm still kind of attracted to it!  Why?  Well, I love Superman.  I love comic book superheros!  But ultimately, I'm not a roller coaster fan so I'd probably never get on Superman: Ultimate Flight.  I just don't like the feeling of my stomach sinking as the coaster decends a drop and then goes into a roll.  Ugh.

This isn't to say that I hate all thrill rides!  I actually love simulator rides.  My favorites include Mission: Space at Epcot and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal Studios, Florida.  These rides give me the thrill and exhilaration that some people get out of roller coasters without actually dropping me 60 feet or making me feel like I might die.   They actually do much more than that-- they immerse me in a totally believable adventure.  It's easy to believe that you are really flying on a broomstick behind Harry chasing a dragon!   And Harry Potter isn't the only hero with a cool simulator ride at Universal Studios.  The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman is another top notch ride and it has comic book appeal as well.  I've never been the biggest Spiderman fan though.  Don't get me wrong-- I read Spiderman comics as a kid but I was always much more into Batman.  But there is no Batman simulator ride at Universal.  This is mainly due to the fact that Universal Studios has a contract with Marvel (now owned by Disney) for their characters (Spiderman, Captain America, Hulk, Ironman).  Batman and his "super friends" like Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman are all DC / Warner Bros. characters.

As far as I know, here in the US you can only find the DC characters in Six Flags parks.  Six Flags is known for their gut dropping / death defying roller coasters and NOT for simulator rides.  So instead of a Harry Potter or Spiderman like ride, there are only Batman Roller coasters like Batman: The Ride and The Dark Knight Coaster (both at Six Flags in New Jersey).   I did some internet research, however, and found that there IS a Batman simulator ride out there in the world!  Batman Adventure: The Ride 2 can be found at Warner Brothers Movie World in Austrailia!  Check out the video below of this really cool attraction!  The best part is that you're riding in a batwing piloted by Batgirl!!!  I wish I could ride it SO BAD!  But I'll just have to settle for watching Batman: The Animated Series (I just picked up season 1 on DVD).  Here is a bit of trivia.  The voice of Batman that you'll hear in the ride video below is Kevin Conroy.  He has voiced Batman since the early 90's and is best known for Batman: The Animated Series!  :)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEKcAFVncKU]

Walt Disney World Podcast

Tim recently introduced me to the world of Walt Disney World podcasts.  His favorite (and now mine) is WDW Radio which can be found in iTunes or at wdwradio.com.  The podcast is hosted by Disney World guru Lou Mongello. 

Tim and I are really gearing up for our 2nd trip to Walt Disney World Resort this year.  We spent a week in Disney back in January with some dear friends and are going back for a few days in August just on our own.   This will be our last Disney vacation before our honeymoon next year!  So we'll be doing some gift registry stuff at Downtown Disney and honeymoon planning while we're there.  Other than that, it will be a nice relaxing trip before our work lives get busy in the fall. 

But getting back to the podcast, WDW Radio is helping get me in the mood for some Disney days!  But what is a Disney World podcast like?  Well, the website promotes WDW Radio as being "From Lou Mongello, author of the Walt Disney World Trivia Books, this unofficial Disney podcast focuses on Walt Disney World and features: Walt Disney World News, Rumors, Interviews, Disney Trivia, History, Vacation Planning, Attraction, Dining & Resort Reviews, Contests, Special Guests, & More!"  Mr. Mongello does a great job producing an entertaining and informative program.  I'm amazed at his wealth of WDW knowledge and am thankful that he's sharing that gift with all of us!  The podcast also features guests who range from other experts to Disney cast members.

These podcasts might not be for everyone.  If you've only been to Disney World once... back in the 90's... and walked away saying something like "It's cool but it's no Six Flags" then you might be bored listening to WDW Radio.  But if the Magic Kingdom is your happy place then you need to subscribe to this podcast!  First of all, he has the scoop on rumors for what's coming in the parks, what rides are getting upgrades, what new ideas Disney is testing (like "smart" refillable mugs that expire after you check out of the resort so you can't bring them back next year and not pay for Coke).  He also provides lists like "The top ten counter service meals in Disney" and advice on things not to miss in the parks.   He knows all kinds of little tidbits.  For example, there are all kinds of little sound bites that the average guest might miss.  Like, if you pick up the fake pay phone in Main Street USA. you can listen in on a "party line".  And if you pause to listen in front of the fake music studio (also on Main Street USA) you can hear someone getting voice lessons. :)  I just love the attention to detail that Disney puts into their parks.  And this podcast helps me enjoy that.  Geeky?  Yes.  Cool? Yes.