867 · Walt Disney World Just Got Major Upgrades - and This Summer Is the Best Time to Visit

Lou Mongello: 00:00:35

Walt Disney World has a lot going on this summer.

And I don't mean that in the there's always something going on way. I mean, all four parks at the same time have new attractions, overhauled classics, and genuine reasons to show up. That didn't exist six months ago.

Because this summer at Walt Disney World, I think something different is happening. It's not one new land, it's not one headliner.

It's every park, and I mean every single park, getting meaningful, layered, real updates at the exact same time. And then you zoom out and realize all of it's connected. The attractions, the studios, the streaming, the ip and yes, the food.

A flywheel that is genuinely spinning together. And today we're going park by park through all of it. What changed, why it matters, and whether it actually holds up.

Plus, I'm gonna give you something that most coverage of these new additions doesn't, the thinking behind these decisions. Because I was invited into the room with the people who made them, including Disney leadership imagineers and park operations cast members.

And that context changes how you look at everything. So if you've been thinking about a trip or you're already going, there's a real case to be made that this summer is the time to go.

Because now really is the best time to visit Walt Disney World. Hello, my friend, and welcome to WW radio, your guide to the Disney parks and experiences around the world.

I'm your host and your friend Lou Mongello, and this is show number 867. Whether this is your first episode or you've been here since the very beginning, welcome home or welcome back.

This community has been together for more than 20 years.

And wherever you are right now, in your car, on your run, at the gym, at work, I am so glad that you're here, because this episode is one I've been looking forward to sharing with you all week long. Before we dive in, please Come join the community and conversation over in the WW Radio Clubhouse.

Watch and chat during the live show every Wednesday at 7:30pm Eastern on Facebook and YouTube. And sign up for my free weekly email newsletter over@www.radio.com.

And when you're ready to plan that trip to Walt Disney World, I think by the end of the episode you will be. Because this summer there are real reasons to go sooner rather than later.

Please reach out to my friends and the team over@m MouseFanTravel.com for completely free, personalized and expert vacation planning. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy this week's episode of the WWE Radio show.

This might quietly be one of the biggest overall summer upgrades Walt Disney World has had in years. Not because of one massive new land or E ticket attraction, but because every park, and I think every age group got meaningful upgrades.

At the same time, Disney isn't just adding a few new things this summer. They're upgrading the entire experience at Walt Disney World. And look, every summer, Disney puts out a list of what's new.

And every summer, the coverage of it is pretty much the same. Here's the new attraction, here's the new show, here's how to do it. That's not what today is about.

Because while we are going to cover all of that today, we're gonna dig a little deeper than that.

Because this summer at Walt Disney World, I think there's actually a lot to unpack because it's not about just what has changed, but why it changed and how these decisions get made. And honestly, whether it all holds up once you're actually standing in the queue of it.

And I was invited by Disney last week to Walt Disney World for their Disney Summer Fun Fest and got access to see what is new and got into a room with Disney leadership. And what I want to share with you today is why now is the time. Now is the best time. I use that whenever I can to visit Walt Disney World.

And I wanted to have that conversation with someone who was there with me, who knows Walt Disney World very well and is literally and figuratively living by Disney. She is Serena Lynn from Living by Disney. Serena, welcome back.

Serena Lyn: 00:05:08

Thank you for having me back. I'm excited to dive into. I'm hoping we can remember it all because there was a lot.

Lou Mongello: 00:05:14

There's a lot. And we had borderline heatstroke, I think, a few times.

Serena Lyn: 00:05:18

Yes.

Lou Mongello: 00:05:20

And look, before we get into everything, and I think there really is a lot to get into, I wanna ask you something right off the bat. And I know you're frightened because I didn't tell you this ahead of time.

When you think about Walt Disney World this summer, before we get into any of the specifics, what's the emotion? Like, what's the knee jerk reaction from you? Is it excitement? Is it curiosity? Is it nostalgia?

What is the feeling that you have right now, today about Disney this summer?

Serena Lyn: 00:05:49

Oh, let's see. I mean, I would think it would be excitement.

I think there's a lot that's new and I really, to me, they are leaning more into the things that I think move the needle in terms of making a vacation magical and making a trip to Disney World so much better than just a theme park. And like they're getting that, that that's what they've got and that they need to lean into that stuff even more.

So, yeah, I feel like summer, cool kids, summer last year was great. That was like the first time they were doing it.

They've, they've gone even harder this year with it and the amount of things that they've got in every single park.

I feel like there's a lot of new stuff that people are gonna really, really enjoy and it's gonna make their vacation more magical, which is the whole point.

Lou Mongello: 00:06:39

Yeah, I dig that.

And I think that feeling is what today is all about, like, because by the end of the episode, I want that feeling, I think, to have a lot more behind it in terms of contextually and some of the details.

Last week, the both of us were invited to Walt Disney World for their summer Fun Fest, which was this multi day media event where they previewed everything that's new and updated and enhanced across the resort this summer.

And I think before we get into what's changed and new and what's coming, I want to share a little bit more about something that we were invited to experience because we were privileged, I feel, to be able to sit in on a panel with Disney leadership and executives that when I walked out I was like, okay, this did not feel like a press release that was just read out loud.

It was this genuine open conversation with some of the top leaders in the company who talked openly, I think, about how Disney makes the decisions that we see, how they think about, guest feedback, how they use real empirical data, and how they think about the Internet, which as you can imagine, has a lot of opinions about every single thing that Disney does. So I want to start there because I think it changes how you, the listener might hear everything that comes after it.

Because everything we're going to talk about today, every ride Every attraction, every update, I think makes more sense and might land with more weight the more you understand the thinking behind it.

So, Serena, I think going into the room where we're talking about at where and how the decisions get made is super important because it's not just about top level leadership.

We're talking to park operations, we're talking to imagineering, we're talking to facilities management, who were brought together in this, again, very small group to talk about some things that guests don't think about, which is the how and the why behind the changes that they make.

Serena Lyn: 00:08:39

Yeah, I think it was really powerful because we can all forget, even those of us that are super plugged in just how large of a company and an operation.

Walt Disney, you know, just the resorts, the operations, the theme parks, Disney Springs, you know, there's so much involved in all of the operations to make everything happen, but there's also just a tremendous amount of thought behind everything they do. And I've always felt like when we get these opportunities to go in, especially for you and I, because of the podcasting, we get to do interviews.

And those, to me, are the most valuable parts of the media events, because riding a ride before it's open is great. I mean, that's super fun.

But really, when you get to talk to the people who actually make the decisions or created the things that we're all experiencing, that's when you really are reminded of how magical and special Disney World is.

Because every single person you talk to, from a chef to a resort manager to an operations person to an imagineer to an Internet, is putting their heart and soul into everything that they do. And they're always thinking about how important all of these changes are to the fans.

And so sometimes it's easy to see a decision and be like, oh, I don't know why they're doing that, or, you know, that seems like out of left field. But when you really understand, like, wow, there's a tremendous amount of thought that goes into everything. Like, nothing they do is light.

Nothing they do is without thought. Nothing they do is. Is thinking, well, we don't care what the fans want. We're just going to do this anyway. You know, it's not at all like that.

Then you really realize that there's reasons why they're doing things.

Like, maybe you don't always see them, but you also just appreciate the outcome so much more because you're like, wow, so many people, like, poured everything into this project. And it's really, really important to them that guests really love It.

Lou Mongello: 00:10:35

And it's not, despite what the Internet thinks. It is not just Josh sitting in Burbank going, you know what? I feel we need more Muppets. Let's just. Yeah, that's not it.

And it is, I think it's not just about the what and the how, but it's about the who. Right? Who is making these calls, what data, looking at how they anticipate and sometimes don't anticipate how guests are going to respond.

And while I loved being able to hear from very high level leadership all the way down through the many different levels, I think one of the things that intrigued me and I appreciated most was hearing from someone and a part of the company that we don't normally hear from.

It is the very unsexy side of Disney, but it is the facility asset management, which sounds like, oh, can you give me what is the most boring job title? It's not. It's probably the most important team at Walt Disney World that most guests have never heard of.

It is the: 4000

And when the gates close behind that very last guest, that's when thousands of people get to work and they make every day look and feel to every guest like it's opening day. And one of the things that they said that I loved was, you know, our success is when guests don't notice us. We fail when they do. Right.

Being invisible by design and whose purpose is to remain unseen.

And giving us a sense of how they work with executive and park operations and management and guests really was a nice sort of peek behind the curtain to give us a little bit more understanding about just what it looks like, literally and figuratively behind the scenes.

Serena Lyn: 00:12:35

Yeah, it was really, really interesting.

I also just loved, to me, the fact that they are having these meetings with people like us and inviting us in, telling us, here's what's on our agenda, here's what we're focused on, here's why we're focused on it, and then let's do a Q and A and give you an opportunity to ask us questions and have a very open dialogue. That, that all feels really special to me because it says to me that Disney is thinking, we want the guests in on this process.

We want to invite you into the process.

We want to, you know, communicate what we're doing and why we're doing it and make sure that there's good communication between us and for us getting an opportunity to even have these conversations.

To me says that the leadership team is, is, you know, they're like thinking about this in the right way and prioritizing the guest experience, which is what they should be prioritizing.

So just, just the fact that this communication exists and it's not always been this way, like this is a new sort of priority with them to, to really bring people like us into it and say you're, you know, you're communicating with a lot of guests. So let, let us get in on you and like really communicate what we're doing and why we're doing it so that you can pass it along.

I just think that really about where their priorities are at the moment.

Lou Mongello: 00:14:04

Yeah, I mean we definitely. And look, I've been doing this for 20 years and I've seen such an incredible trend for the things that used to be very closed doors, very secretive.

Now those curtains are being peeled back and it's not just us, but what we're seeing.

And I think Disney wonderfully and brilliantly doing on YouTube and on Disney with I'm imagineering to operations, letting us see what's happening overnight as they transition to the Christmas holiday, how they do installations, what some of these sort of unsung heroes are doing to make that magic really happen.

And I think that changes like what we think about as guests when we walk in and understand, yes, it's magic, but there are people that sort of make, to quote that dream the reality. And there's an army of people that are doing this work overnight.

Very much in step and in concert with high level decision making as well as park operations.

Serena Lyn: 00:15:02

Yeah. And it just, it makes you appreciate it more. Right. Like, like, like it's like getting a gift that's handmade versus bought.

When you understand that somebody put a lot of time and effort into something, then you appreciate it more.

So when you go in as a guest and you're like, wow, they, they transformed this so fast or they did this incredible work and you, you get an opportunity to sort of hear about the people that put the heart and soul into it, then it just, it means more which is what you want.

Lou Mongello: 00:15:31

And you're right for us being able to not just as fans, but sort of stand in the stead of our communities and have a dialogue. Right.

Be able to ask, you know, very open, very honest questions and get feedback from them as opposed to just reading a release or watching a video was one of the things That I very much appreciated. I think there's tremendous value in Q and A, especially when you get the type of answers that we did get.

But for me, the thing about this panel that I think was most informative and insightful was how Disney actually makes decisions. They do not just wake up. It is not Josh just waking up and deciding to change an attraction. It is very data driven, very research driven.

And sometimes, although it doesn't appear to us this way as guests, it's sometimes years in the making. They look at how an attraction is being utilized. Right. What are those utilization rates look like?

What are guest satisfaction scores, the repeat rider data, Broader conversations that are happening, not just looking at surveys or looking at numbers. Tom Swart Island. I'm looking at you. This is not sort of a knee jerk reaction. There's a lot of data that probably definitely went into that.

And the other thing too was deciding how to approach it. The key decision being refreshing an attraction versus a reconcept of an attraction, which are two very different things, like a refresh.

The bones are right. Something just needs an update, right? That story, that experience, there's something that guest love is still there.

Maybe technology has moved, maybe expectations have shifted. Where a reconcept is something more fundamental has changed. That attraction needs a new identity in order to stay relevant.

So, for example, Buzz Lightyear, which we'll talk more about, is a refresh. Same story, same mission, same heart. Maybe gameplay wasn't keeping up with guest expectations.

So you introduce new technology, new blasters, a new character, where Rock N Roller Coaster is a reconcept. The bones are right. The launch, the format, the energy. But maybe the IP has sort of run its course.

Muppets give it a very new, very different identity without changing what makes it thrilling. But the takeaway is that nothing happens by accident.

And I think nothing happens without Disney saying, okay, we understand it, but how was the guest going to feel about this when we announce it and when we open it?

Serena Lyn: 00:18:10

Yeah, and sometimes there is a difference in, you know, the feedback of maybe a super fan versus the average vacation goer too.

Because, you know, some of us are like, like, I know there was so much pushback with the Rivers of America, but the data, I'm sure, showed that it wasn't being utilized. It was a huge piece of land there that just wasn't utilized. And one of the leaders said something about people vote with their feet.

Meaning, like, where they go in the park and where they're spending time is going to show them what is a priority and what space needs to be reevaluated, you know, So I think. I think that there's sometimes reasons behind what they're doing, and sometimes, you know, fans can give them a minute to like, let.

Let's let it open. Let's let it. Let's just see what it is first before we hate on it.

Lou Mongello: 00:19:02

The Internet does not do that. Just.

Serena Lyn: 00:19:04

Yeah, we're not big on that. But the fact is that, that they are thinking a lot of times very long term as well.

You know, sometimes we're like, in the moment, we're like, well, people still know what Aerosmith is. Well, that's true. But what about in 10 years? What about in 20 years? You know, these attractions, they have to last a long time.

When they invest millions of dollars into a refresh like this, they're thinking long term, like, you know, what's going to happen with this. They also are communicating with other parts of the Disney company. You know, things like Toy Story 5 coming out. Okay.

The Buzz Lightyear refresh, Right. Like when announced, Buzz Lightyear, maybe.

Toy Story 5 wasn't even on any of our radars, but the fact is that, that, you know, that IP is getting a whole new installment. So, yeah, reinvestment into that, into that franchise. Makes sense. So, you know, there's reasons why they do things that sometimes maybe aren't our.

Aren't on our horizon yet.

Lou Mongello: 00:19:59

Yeah, because that was always the question. And I've had this conversation, like, over the years with, with different people and different roles.

How does Disney think about the Internet reaction when they're going through this process? Because we know how it goes, right? An attraction closes, speculation starts immediately. Right?

The Internet starts to become expert at armchair imagineering. Then the announcement is made, and then minutes later, everybody loves the attraction that's closing, and they are devastated.

I call the ex girlfriend effect because it's true. Nobody rode Maelstrom until they were announcing it was closing. And then they're like, chain me to the radiator. It is my favorite attraction ever.

You know, I always say, you know, horizons closed not because it was the most popular attraction in the parks. And then the Internet is a funny place. The ride reopens, right? And maybe it's objectively and subjectively better.

It's faster, smoother, and somebody is still going to write 5,000 words about the death of the wildest ride in the wilderness. Like, the Internet is so loud, it's so fast, and it's permanent, right? Those things you cannot, you know, it's written in magic marker.

It's not written in pencil.

And I think when this conversation came up during the Q and A, I was very, like, dialed in to hear what Disney's response was, and they gave a very honest, you know, nuanced answer that it's not that. No, we don't read the comments. They do. And all that feedback is data, like, everything Disney, like Facebook, it's a data company.

Serena Lyn: 00:21:33

Right, right.

Lou Mongello: 00:21:34

And it's also not. They didn't come out and say, well, we're trying to make everybody happy, because they know that they can't.

They distinguish, I think, between the emotional reaction and what is feedback. The emotional. That initial wave is very fast. It's very loud, it's very noisy. Oftentimes negative. Somebody who loves the old thing. Hi, I'm Lou.

Somebody who's excited about the new thing. You know, it's. There's, There's. There's a signal out there, but it's noisy. And I think what feedback is what guests say after they experience it.

It's not the reaction to the announcement. It's the reaction to the attraction itself. Do those satisfaction scores move? And yes, Disney does have a ranking system for guest satisfaction.

Do the people who were skeptical change their minds after writing it? I still remember when they announced Pandora.

And I won't call anybody out specifically, like, planting, like, I will never step foot into Pandora because it doesn't belong in Disney's animal kingdom. And they come off the attraction crying like, pandora's my favorite park, you know?

Do the loudest voices always represent the broader guest population, or is it just a vocal minority? And I think you mentioned buzz. I think buzz is a perfect example.

If you read the online discourse, when the changes are announced, the purists, the mourners say, it doesn't need f. It's perfect just the way it is. And then it reopens, and guest satisfaction jumps 15 percentage points.

Now, we don't necessarily have a barometer of the relative score, but that's a lot. Right.

And the people online, I think, Serena, aren't necessarily the full picture, but they also acknowledge, like, look, we don't always get it right, but we're not making decisions on who was the loudest and most upset person last Tuesday. It is a much longer play in game.

Serena Lyn: 00:23:27

Yeah, definitely. And I think we all get to understand that not everybody, not everything's for us. You know, some things they change.

We're not gonna like, we did like the old one better. Even when it opens. We might even objectively go, yeah, it's a better Ride. But I still like the old one, you know, I mean, I remember when.

Lou Mongello: 00:23:46

Turning into Imagination, I'm still looking at you.

Serena Lyn: 00:23:48

Yeah, Mine was Wishes. I Wishes was my all time favorite show ever and I had a lot of emotional attachment to it. When they said they announced it, it was going.

I was so upset and I was like, I went to every last show, I think for like a week straight I went and saw it. And then, then when Happily Ever after debuted and it was an incredibly good show and I was mad that it was so good, I didn't want to like it.

And finally I was like, yeah, okay, it's, it's good. Yes, it's better, whatever. I still have my feelings about it. But also like, it's objectively a better show.

So, you know, we're all gonna have our attachments to things and that's fine, that's normal.

That's, you know, the Disney guests are very diverse, but the fact that they keep reinventing re innovating and you know, repurposing stuff is what you want. I mean, that's the whole point of it and that's what keeps us coming back.

Lou Mongello: 00:24:45

Yeah.

And I think for me, one of the takeaways, and I've always felt this way, but I think this reinforced it is the relationship between Disney and guests is not as one directional as people might want to think or believe. They listen. They listen not just to what we're saying online. They listen to surveys, they listen to guest feedback, they listen to the data.

I've had the question year over year, you know, does the fan community, do fans actually change Disney's mind? Do I think that the petition that I think is still out there to bring back Mr. Toad's wild ride? No, that's not.

I think the petitions don't necessarily mean that Disney's going to do a 180, but I do believe that there is sort of. While it might not seem obvious, there is a two way dialogue that's going on between Disney and guests and fans.

Serena Lyn: 00:25:40

Yeah.

And I think the fact that Muppets has been having their moment is a really good example of that because there's a lot of people that aren't huge Disney fans that are like Muppets, but Disney fans are like, of course Muppets, obviously, like, we need more Muppets.

So I think that that's just a really good proof that they are listening to fans and they are like, okay, we know you guys are really sad about Mother Vision. Let's see what we can do.

Lou Mongello: 00:26:04

And we use Disney fans as the broadest stroke of the brush, because Disney fans are a very wide, very diverse. You know, we all sort of fall into different levels of fandom and where we are in what I think is a very, very, very complicated Venn diagram.

But I think, like I talked at the very beginning, just because I want to drop in the quote whenever I can, you know, why things are happening now.

And Disney talked about this flywheel and how clearly Walt Disney World, and we've definitely seen this with, as Bob was leaving and Josh was coming in, how the company's really unifying and Walt Disney World does not exist separately from the rest of the Walt Disney Company. And films and streaming and parks, when they work together, each one amplifies the other. We fall in love with something we see on screen.

Grogu, I'm looking at you. It comes to the park, the love deepens. It goes back to the screen. It goes back to the park.

And for that wheel to spin, the park experience and the entertainment calendar have to be synchronized. And I think right now that synchronization is exceptional. You talked about it.

Buzz Lightyears being overhauled as Toy Story 5 comes to theaters in just a few weeks. Rock n Roller Coaster is rethemed to Muppets. We have all these great Muppets specials on Disney. Muppets.

Haunted Mansion may be the single best piece of content on that platform. Smuggler's Run gets the new mission. Mandalorian and Grogu drop to theaters the same day.

Serena Lyn: 00:27:38

Same day, yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:27:39

It is one of the first times that an attraction update and a film like, debut simultaneously ever. Soren gets a new film. It's America's 250th anniversary.

Bluey Animal Kingdom is one of the most watched children and adult shows on the planet right now. This, to me, Serena, is evidence of not just short term, but years of coordinations between the Parks team and the studios.

And the thing that surprised me was how, and I believe it was the Imagineer who talked about how some of these projects haven't been in development that long. Sometimes they're like, hey, this makes sense right now. We need to push hard to get it finished in time for the summer.

Like, you need to move not at your own speed, but at the speed of culture.

Serena Lyn: 00:28:30

Yeah. And you can see that, right?

Like, just you walk around Disney, you're gonna see more projects happening at Disney World right now than in the park's history. There are. And not just, like, little projects, like massive projects that are happening and they're moving Fast.

The rock and roller coaster redo was fast. Soarin fast. Mandalorian Grogu fast.

I mean, you know, and that's something that Disney has hit a lot of criticism around the era of Tron, where it was like, oh, it's taking forever for this one ride to be built. Well, that's in the past. I feel like they.

The team that is there now and the resources they're giving to everything, they're operating on a whole nother level at the moment.

Lou Mongello: 00:29:16

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:29:17

And this idea of speed was something that was reinforced really by everybody in sort of different ways, contextually, of including from very high level management. The speed of hearing what guests are saying and doing something about it before there's this feeling of disconnection that could become permanent.

Like, hey, Disney's not listening to us. No. They want to make sure they respond in a way to let you know you have been heard.

And I also appreciated the acknowledgement, like, we know everything is not perfect. We know that there are opportunities and vulnerabilities, which I found to be reassuring.

Especially, again, having a better sort of idea of what this flywheel looks and feels like, how the integration between all of these different parts of the company come together.

Serena Lyn: 00:30:08

Yeah, it was really interesting. It was one of the coolest parts of this whole event, really.

I think it's anytime you get to really talk to decision makers who are, like, making all of this happen, that's interesting. But they're all very unified in thought at the moment, and I think that that's really, really special.

And I also think that that's why we're gonna see this next era. I feel like we're going into the next era of Disney World to be something special for fans.

I think we're gonna look back on it and be like, wow, four lands were built in this one time frame. Look at all the. Like, it's an. It's an era that I think we're gonna look back on and go, wow, that was really a time for fans.

Lou Mongello: 00:30:50

And that's why I want to talk about it first. Right.

I think it's important to understand how Disney thinks with the data and the philosophy of stewardship and the flywheel and how they process, admittedly, not always perfectly, what fans are feeling. Now we have to say, okay, what does this thinking look like when we're standing in front of it?

Because there are two Magic Kingdom attractions back from long closures.

There is a attraction retheme, a new Star wars cockpit experience, a little blue dog from Australia, and celebrating 250 years of America that are all happening right now, this summer. So I want to go park by park, because there is a lot, I think, to. To cover and process.

And we have to start in Magic Kingdom because it's where Walt Disney World starts. It's the first guest most visit. It's the one they come back to most. And this summer, there are two of those classic beloved attractions.

y a staple of the parks since: 1998

They fixed the blasters that were bolted to the car. It felt very like 90s ish. We want a much more interactive experience, right? Those tiny LED scoreboards, which sometimes are unreadable.

The gameplay wasn't gamey enough for fans, especially a younger generation. I think the attraction started to show its age a little bit.

And in the 10 months that it closed, which is relatively not a long period of time, it wasn't just a new coat of paint. It was a bit of a transformation.

Because while the story and the mission against Zurg remained the same and those secret high value targets are there, there's a lot more that's changed, right?

The handheld blaster, with that laser sight and haptic feedback, we get a new character, that retro futuristic robot buddy who adds another, I think, layer of fun to the attraction. The tunnel scene. Finally. I used to love the speed tunnel when it was if you had wings, may you rest in peace.

There are new projections and targets in there. These are the reasons why there is this 15 percentage point.

ly has not changed much since: 1998

And it's happening here. And I think that speaks volumes.

Serena Lyn: 00:33:40

It's so good. It's so good. They made the gameplay and the actual experience of the ride so much better, but yet kept everything that we loved about it.

That's really hard to do, but they really did it.

And I think especially when you're talking about for kids, kids are gamers these days, so they made it feel a lot more fresh and current for them and also just a lot easier to play. The game aspect is a lot more fun. The scoring is easier now you can go even higher in your points.

So for people who are really into it and want to get those points ranked up and go beyond the Galactic hero, you can do that. Yeah, it's a, it's a great refresh. I mean, it just looks, looks beautiful.

Lou Mongello: 00:34:25

And it, it does increase, not just the gamification of it, but the rewritability of it, the competitive aspect of it. I've seen families almost come to blows.

Serena Lyn: 00:34:34

I know that was probably mine. I'm sorry.

Lou Mongello: 00:34:39

anywhere in the world. Right.: 1998

Disney chooses to reinvest in this relatively quote, unquote old attraction rather than replace it. So to me, and my question to you is sort of, you know, what does that tell you about how Disney thinks about legacy? Right.

You very easily could have replaced this with another ip, some other sort of gate busting ip. I love the fact that they are looking at attractions.

They are sort of reimagining these classics and giving this type of love and treatment to something that has been beloved for so long.

Serena Lyn: 00:35:26

Yeah. I also think that people get nervous when you touch an attraction that they like. Right. Like country bears. That was a big one.

Like, people like, don't touch em. Don't mess. Like my favorite. The best thing that you can have for an attraction you love is for Disney to say we're updating it.

That, that what that really says is we are investing in this attraction so it's gonna be around long term.

And so if it's something that you, that you love, that's, that's been a classic, that's the best gift you can be given is that they're investing and changing it and updating it because they're not gonna do that to something that's gonna close in a couple of years.

So they are reinvigorating it, breathing new life into it and they're looking again long term, decades out that this attraction is now going to have a lifespan that's much larger now than what it had before.

So, you know, for something like buzz that just says that, oh, this attraction's not going anywhere, they know that this is something that families are always going to love. And you can look at it, it's never going to be outdated. That's never going to be a ride and an experience that families aren't going to want to do.

You know, it's just, it's that kind of classic thing that everybody's going to Love for years.

Lou Mongello: 00:36:41

And you ride Buzz and you're like, oh, I can't wait for Toy Story 5. And then you're going to go to Toy Story 5 and go, oh, we have to go back to Magic Kingdom. We have to go to Disney World. It's brilliant.

Again, the synergy is very strategic and also very brilliant.

Serena Lyn: 00:36:55

And then when you add merch. Merch in that, too, like the merchandise and the way that that feeds the whole process, it's like, it's genius.

Lou Mongello: 00:37:04

Listen, my kids are still mad at me that I didn't buy them a Buzz Lightyear bubble blower like, 15 years ago. So now I could finally make it up to him.

Serena Lyn: 00:37:11

There you go.

Lou Mongello: 00:37:11

But I think, and this is my question, and Serena, you can answer this. And it really is for you, our friend, the listener, who's sitting around this virtual table with us.

Are there other attractions in Walt Disney World right now that deserve this same type of treatment? Like ones you'd love to see get the same quote, unquote Buzz treatment. Serena, if you have an answer, you can answer.

-: 9391

Call the voicemail and let me know what other attraction or attractions deserve the Buzz Lightyear treatment to that end. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Again, one that. Whoa, you're touching. Like a classic. You're touching a favorite. There's a lot of.

There was a lot of real anxiety, sometimes a little anger in the fan community, like, what are they going to do? Is there going to be too much change? Is it still going to feel like Big Thunder?

I think the answer that we have seen and heard and felt is that, yes, it is, and it's better. They've replaced the entire track. Like new vehicles and control systems.

Again, the engineering team talked about it's like the rebuilding the foundation of a building. Guests don't see necessarily what's going on underneath, but you feel it and everything benefits as a result. The ride is smoother.

It's still the wildest ride in the wilderness. It's still just as rough as you want it to be, but it's more. The energy and the roughness in the movement is intentional, not accidental.

And then you add those scenes like Rainbow Caverns, that very deliberate homage to the mine train through nature's wonderland, which was before Big Thunder at Disneyland. Like nerds, this is what you want, right? For a first timer, you don't know. You're like, wow, this is just beautiful.

The Disney World is like, oh, I appreciate that. Tumbleweed. The town of Tumbleweed is fully restored again. There's other Nature's Wonderland tributes.

The bobcat on the cactus came directly from there. And then in the finale, you finally get to see the gold motherlode, which was always referenced in the queue. And the story always build towards it.

Now you finally see it. And Serena, honestly, for people like me, we can all rejoice because the height requirement has finally been lowered from 40 inches to 38 inches.

I can finally ride without newspapers in my shoes.

Serena Lyn: 00:39:38

So, yeah, I love that the height requirement changed. It just shows that they, they actually made the efficiency and the, the smoothness of the ride better. But it's still. Again, it has. It's just this.

It feels the same to me. I mean, I don't like notice any difference, but I think from a safety feature aspect they got better, which is great.

Lou Mongello: 00:39:57

But more importantly. Sorry, but more importantly, this is. The difference is not the 2 inches. The difference is between families being able to ride together or not.

Serena Lyn: 00:40:07

Yeah, absolutely. And kids standing up at that height. Tester. And being devastated because they can't ride and all their siblings are or whatever.

So, yeah, it makes a huge difference. It makes a huge. So what is your. I'm going to be really interested. You'll have to let me know what people say is the ride that they would like to see.

Sort of get a refresh. But what would be yours?

Lou Mongello: 00:40:32

I wasn't prepared for you to turn this question because it does. It is so my knee jerk reaction. And I know over the years this was supposed to happen a number of times. Spaceship Earth.

I think as much as I love the many different iterations of it, I don't know if I've said this out loud. I always felt that the descent felt incomplete to me and I think I would love to see that feel the same way it did the very first time I wrote it.

I think there is great opportunity to tell the story and history of communication, leveraging new technologies, leveraging visions of what the future technologies might be and really being able to enhance that attraction even more.

Serena Lyn: 00:41:23

That's a good one. Have you ever been around when a family is riding that for the first time? They're very confused. They're very confused by the ride.

Most people think that a ride that's in the sort of the showpiece of the park, right. Like it's like the icon of the park. So they think it's going to be really incredible, like, new E ticket attraction type of thing.

And they're usually really, really confused by what Spaceship Earths. Like, what was the point? I was so confused by. By it all. So, yeah, I think we.

We all have a lot of nostalgia because if you've ridden it for years and years and years, then you have sort of a different impression of it. But. But it is. It could. It could use. Could use some love, for sure.

Lou Mongello: 00:42:12

But there's that delicate balance that we talked about during that panel. Like, how do you keep the things that are so meaningful for people?

Serena Lyn: 00:42:20

Right, right.

Lou Mongello: 00:42:21

East, west, north, south, all roads lead to. I still miss Jeremy Irons saying that.

Serena Lyn: 00:42:26

I like Jeremy Irons, too.

Lou Mongello: 00:42:29

I know we missed.

Lou Mongello: 00:42:30

You know, you take away one of those scenes, and again, you know, people will metaphorically revolt. Because, look, we love this place. It means so much to us. And that's what I mean.

Like, even in Big Thunder Mountain, I'm very curious just to sort of sit back and listen and watch. The attraction was closed for what, 16 months, et cetera.

Serena Lyn: 00:42:53

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:42:54

There was clear anxiety about it. Like, what is going to be the reaction? Like, there was a lot of potential grieving of that change.

Is that grieving now turned into acceptance, maybe even celebration of what we have.

Because I think Big Thunder Mountain is very representative of one of those stories going from fear to acceptance to, wow, this is much better than I expected it to be.

Serena Lyn: 00:43:21

Yeah, I think people love it. I mean, I don't think there's any real negative take on it at this point. It's just. It's a fantastic ride.

And again, the investing of it shows that it's going to stick around for a long time to come, which should be what you want if you love the attraction.

Lou Mongello: 00:43:39

I think the biggest indicator of this, and I'm almost hesitant to say these three words, but I think this summer, when we hear more about Carousel of progress at D23, is going to be fascinating in terms of how people react. We know Walt is coming. We don't really know much else. And this is one of the ones. It's the maelstrom of Tomorrowland.

It's the one that not everybody rides all the time, unless maybe they want to, you know, not me. Some people want to get a nap. They want air conditioning. But when you tell people they're gonna change it, they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

You can't touch Walt Disney's character. It's Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.

We know there's going to be love in it, but man, there is going to be a very interesting reaction as announcements come out and we start to get more details. And then what's that gonna be? What's gonna be the response when we finally get to sit down and see it firsthand?

Serena Lyn: 00:44:43

Yeah, I think that one's gonna be a little tough. I think that's gonna be. It's gonna be a very mixed reaction. I think, at first, just to see what people think of it.

I think that people are gonna be really ne. Because it is such an iconic attraction, and it is. I love Carousel Progress and it is kind of a must do for me. I do that.

That ride and People Mover are probably two of my most ridden rides at Magic Kingdom for my visits. But I think that, again, if you want it, do you want it to stick around? Like, do you want Carousel Progress to be here in 20 years?

If you do, something's gotta change. I mean, it can't stay just like this for 20, you know, 20, 30 years. Like, it's gonna need some work and some love and some tlc.

I've been on it a lot where, you know, things aren't working. It just. It's looking a little shabby. It looks like, you know, like it needs. It needs some love, it needs some updating.

So I'm sure whatever they do is going to be with the mindset of, again, extending the longevity of this attraction for years to come. I think the idea of putting Walt there is honestly perfect, and it's a perfect place for him.

I'm really excited to hear more about what they envision for it.

Lou Mongello: 00:46:03

I'm just here for the comments. So I've announced this in the past. WWE is going to have a booth again on the show floor at D20. I might just hand out popcorn.

And because the Internet is going to get all Internety, like, you're touching Walt's work, you're adding Walt to it so many things that people are going to just, like, crack their knuckles, get that keyboard courage, and lose their minds all over X. Because, you know, they're often protected by the veil of anonymity. But I digress. But, you know, it is a. It is a Walt attraction.

You're adding Walt and there's so much to it. And I'm very curious to hear what this is going to, what the plans are.

And because, you know, the folks at Imagineering and executives, to the point we made earlier, are very aware of and are very sensitive to this, and they know that there is a very, very delicate.

Serena Lyn: 00:46:59

Yes.

Lou Mongello: 00:46:59

Balance in line that they have to walk with this.

Serena Lyn: 00:47:02

You're going to need. You need, like, a little confessional couch at your booth.

Like, a little, like, you know, in a reality show where they're like, you know, sit down and tell us what you think about it, talk about it, pretend we're your therapist. Like, just have a little box of tissues.

Lou Mongello: 00:47:18

If you're angry, get in this line. If you're happy, get in this one.

Serena Lyn: 00:47:22

Have a little box of tissues. It's gonna be okay.

Lou Mongello: 00:47:25

I might have to do some, like. I just had this idea. Maybe I'll do a little, like, informal polling.

Serena Lyn: 00:47:30

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:47:30

While we're there, because we'll. We'll be recording and we'll be live and stuff, too. So put a.

Serena Lyn: 00:47:35

Put a ball into this bowl if you think it's good. But see, marble into this bowl if you know, see. See which bowl is full when you' done. I bet you some.

If you did that, some imagineers would be circling back by the end and be like, so how did we do?

Lou Mongello: 00:47:51

Sweating Amazon. We're going to need more angry red balls.

Serena Lyn: 00:47:55

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:47:56

Okay. Before we get to Epcot, there is one other. I don't want to say change. Another new addition which is sort of quietly flying under the radar.

And that is over in Frontierland and Jesse's Roundup. Again, leaning into the Toy Story 5 release, which is coming out in just a few weeks.

Serena Lyn: 00:48:18

Yeah, it looks amazing. In fact, I think it's soft open. But it officially opens on Tuesday, May 26. Runs through September 8.

It's part of that Cool Kids Summer sort of initiative, which is really about bringing more characters into the parks and having more interactions that feel more authentic, which I'm such a fan of, from roaming characters out every morning at all the parks, which, if you go this summer and you just sort of walk around all four parks, you're gonna see a lot more characters just roaming and interacting. But this is supposed to be sort of a little frontier, you know, Western Review type of thing.

Air conditioned, which, hey, I'm a fan of a little hoedown.

But it's got dancing and crafts and sort of interactivities where kids will, you know, be able to kind of have their hands on doing something, which I think is nice. Get out of the strollers and actually, you know, have a little time to do some sort of activity. I think it sounds really, really cute.

Bullseye is also going to be part of it. Jesse's horse. So I think it's going to be really fun.

And I love, again, like, authentic interactions with kids that's not just like a stand here, take your picture, goodbye kind of thing. I think for kids, it's just so memorable.

Lou Mongello: 00:49:34

And this is one of those things that people have to remember that not every new addition change, update, enhancement is for every guest.

Serena Lyn: 00:49:45

Right.

Lou Mongello: 00:49:45

Disneyland was meant to be a place that families can come in and have fun together.

There are a lot of families that have young kids that want to do something where it is a place for them to get up and dance and interact with characters. It does not necessarily need to be an E ticket attraction, but if you have kids or are an adult of a certain age, this is a big draw.

This is a big enhancement for you because your kids love the characters. They want to do some of the things. I love how you brought up the point about sort of doing things with their hands. Right.

Getting maybe off of a screen, sitting in a queue and being able to do something and having that tangible takeaway and memory of an attraction beyond the parents just getting great pictures and videos that they can share with grandma. But that kid having that thing that they made with Jesse inside the air conditioned.

Serena Lyn: 00:50:33

Yes. It's a win. Win all around. Yeah. I'd be interested to see how that goes over and maybe it'll stick around if it's really popular.

Lou Mongello: 00:50:44

Yeah.

I think again, and I think we saw, based on some of the experiences we had during this week, the way people and kids are reacting to characters like Jesse. We'll get to the Australian Blue Dog in due time because she deserves it is a whole other thing. All right.

Anything else in Magic Kingdom before we move over to Epcot?

Serena Lyn: 00:51:08

No, I think that's it.

Lou Mongello: 00:51:10

So over at Epcot Center, Soaring across America is again one of those beloved attractions that has had multiple versions over the years. The original California centric version was so beloved that they brought it over to Epcot.

We had Soarin around the world with those iconic global destinations. This is now soaring across America, timed to America's semi quincentennial, which feels like a spelling bead word to me. I know.

It is an entirely new filmed, new film. Imagine filmed, I think more than a dozen different locations around the country. Grand Canyon, New England Lighthouse.

The seasons and regions concept, really trying to give as much of a full breath of this big, beautiful, so very diverse nation as you can in a relatively short period of time. The Soarin theme is back, but it has a new arrangement by Compus composer Bruce Broughton. It's. And I'm so happy that the score ended in.

In a slightly new way is back Because I think it's. It's important that it remains part of the Soren experience. The queue is new.

There's now a Soarin challenge across America that they developed with National Geographic.

I love trivia, so I dig the fact that there is something to do there and that something that turns that passive, sometimes very long wait experience into something that you want to arrive early for. Again, there's a little competitive aspect to it as well.

Again, Serena, this is one of those things that when you make a change, it's something that people. You know, Soren was never. There was never a no wait time for Soren. Right. It was still a very beloved attraction.

And now you have this debate about, well, why did they choose here, over here. Right. Does the tone land? I think this is one that is going to appeal to some people and be.

Be their favorite, while others might go out and say, well, this was my favorite version or they missed the mark here, or I like this. And I wonder how long is this version going to stay? Is it going to be here just for the 250th? Is this sort of the permanent thing?

How swappable are these different experiences too?

Serena Lyn: 00:53:28

Yeah, I wonder that too, because we've had times where they've brought back Soarin over California. I think Disneyland swaps them back and forth, like between the around the World to California.

So I assume that that's something that they could maybe switch around based on feedback or, you know, bring back certain people, just kind of like updates and change. But I feel like there's a lot of people that are soaring over California purists. They feel like they like the. Like the first Soren the best.

And if you're somebody that feels that way, I think you're going to like this one across America better than around the world. I feel like this is closer in sort of feel and style as far as the movie and the way that it's shot.

It feels closer in aesthetics to California than it did to Soarin. Around the world, to me, it's a little less. People felt it was a little CGI at times. There is a point where the bear kind of.

He kind of like smiles at you. It does feel a little like, huh, Never really seen a polar bear do that, but, you know, so I do feel like this is a little more realistic looking.

It's a little less, you know, maybe touched up looking. So I feel like people are gonna like it.

If that was a criticism that you had for the around the world aspect, but I think it's so cool to see all the different locations. And it kind of makes you realize how diverse America is from Alaska to Hawaii to all the states in between.

We have so many different types of landscape and beauty. It's. I think it's really, really beautifully done.

Lou Mongello: 00:55:08

Yeah. And I've heard, because I was able to write it last week before it. It officially opened and I did hear some people commenting. So I love.

And I think one of the things that makes Soarin a true sort of 4D experience are the sense of. And I felt that especially in certain scenes, they really sort of dialed up the sense to become even more like, more prominent.

Like in that grass scene, like you really smell. It smells like fresh cut grass. And in a couple of the ocean scenes, you really feel like you smell the water. I like that some people don't.

I've heard a lot of different discussions about the music that it sort of misses. Like there's sometimes and I think like Spaceship Earth had it. I think Soren had it.

There were these like big impactful moments when you got certain reveals. I heard some people say, well, the music feels a little flat in certain places. People are going to love and dislike. And I think that's the beauty.

And sometimes the challenge of updating attractions is if you take something away that was important to somebody and you don't necessarily replace it with the exact same thing or something different, people might be disappointed. And that's one of the. I think that's one of the tough parts about any of these updates is.

And Disney realizes that they can't trying to make everybody happy. It's like a parent. If you try and make all of your kids happy, you're going to make nobody happy. And that's sort of it on a much grander scale.

Serena Lyn: 00:56:35

Yeah, I liked it though. That was really good.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:37

I did too. I think it's beautiful. I think the visuals are stunning. I want to write it a few more.

I only wrote it once, admittedly, but I would like to write it again. I found myself smiling the entire time. And that for me was like, that's the indicator. Like that's. For me that's a successful attraction.

I loved the scent of the grass. I loved wondering what that next scene was going to be.

And if you haven't been on the attraction yet for all these, please, please, please, as much as you, I mean, watch Serena's videos, but stay away. Like, I made sure to see it on the attraction with my own eyes for the very first time myself.

I didn't want to watch, because a video can't convey what it's like to be in that seat.

Serena Lyn: 00:57:19

It doesn't do it justice at all. You've got the wind coming in. You've got the smells. It is that 4D experience. But you're also suspended above the ground.

And it really feels like that sense of flight. The music is much louder. I mean, no Instagram video is gonna convey that feeling to you. Otherwise, why travel at all?

Just sit at home and watch YouTube. It'd be the same thing. So, yeah, it's not gonna be as good. So if you're. If you've just seen it on.

On screens and you're like, oh, it doesn't feel like. Just give it a chance. Do it in person.

I think that should just be the rule across the board, because nothing is ever as good as when you're in person. These rides are created that way. I've. I've asked imagineers that before.

Like, how does that feel when you are creating rides and you realize that most people are gonna experience this first on a screen and not in person? You know? Um, and it's really changed how people get a first impression, which is unfortunate.

Um, I try to put spoiler warnings on all my stuff when things are new because, you know, give you that, like, five seconds to, like, swipe away if you don't want to see. Because I really do feel like. And I know it's counterintuitive because I share a lot on social media and it's, like, my whole business, but.

But nevertheless, I feel like the best way to experience something is always going to be in person. It just. It's. If your first impression can be that, let it. Let that be how you see it the first time.

Lou Mongello: 00:58:43

All right, since I had a question for you from Magic Kingdom, I'll give you one from Epcot. This is you, Serena, and you, our friend. Who's listening Again, you can't include. Again.

America is such a diverse nation with so many different landscapes and cultures to represent. If you could fly over any location in America for a soaring film anywhere, where would it be? Or what would it be?

What would be that sort of thing that you would fly over?

Serena Lyn: 00:59:11

Well, if I could make another Soarin film, like, if they were like, we should do another version, what should it be? I would do all of the Disney parks around the world. I would love to see them do every international park and really, like, fly over it.

Every so often, Disney will do a flyover, like, drone video of, like, Magic Kingdom, you know, and, like, Coming down Main street and soaring over the castle. I love those rides. Like I love those videos. I just.

To me that's such a cool way to experience the parks and see and get an overview of the layout of them and the way they do the lands and stuff. I would love to see them do that. And I could get the sense that I'm visiting all of the Asia parks and all. I think that would be really cool. Yeah.

So it would probably be that.

Lou Mongello: 00:59:53

I like that.

Serena Lyn: 00:59:54

How about you?

Lou Mongello: 00:59:56

So I'm torn because I think there's two ways to do it. There is the natural beauty of America.

Serena Lyn: 01:00:03

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:00:03

And there's the man made beauty of America. Like I. My first instinct maybe because my son is doing an internship there. And I just love the city so much.

Like going through sort of Times Square and the Canyon of Heroes like in New York City and really sort of like flying through as if like you're Spider man. Like flying through the center of Times Square at night and the energy and the lights that we know we've seen it so many other times.

But there's also so many just beautiful locations. Right. Whether it's, you know, it doesn't have to even be something huge like the Grand Canyon.

And we get a lot of those places in the Soren films, maybe even some of the other locations around the country and some of the other like diverse bio locations that most guests don't get a chance to see.

Serena Lyn: 01:00:51

So I mean, in some ways it really is a way to travel and sort of see different places. It's really cool.

Lou Mongello: 01:00:58

The only other thing I think in Epcot is Goofy Corps. Like Goofy Corps, Goofy Corps is at Communicore Hall.

Like Jesse's Roundup, it is a limited time interactive play experience and dance party at Communicore hall that runs through September 8th as part of the Cool Kids Summer. It's led by Goofy and DJ Dance Pants, which from what I understand was your DJ name back in high school.

Serena Lyn: 01:01:22

It was funny enough I said they could use it though. I feel like I've retired my dance pants.

Lou Mongello: 01:01:28

But if you and your kids want to beat the heat and go inside some air conditioning, there's Goofy's Game Machine and Loopy Limbo and parachutes and pipsqueaks. Again, it is very much geared towards a certain age demographic. But adults, you're welcome to go in and have fun too.

Just outside in the Grab and Goof Kiosk, there are some quick kid friendly snacks and beverages. And I say kid friendly, but I like all these things too.

Serena Lyn: 01:01:55

I Do too.

Lou Mongello: 01:01:56

Fried Mac and cheese bites, chicken bites with goofy sauce, which I haven't tried yet. I want to know what goofy sauce is. Pepperoni pizza ravioli. Just like grandma used to make.

Cookies and cream ravioli and goofy gone fish and beverage, which is a blue raspberry lemonade with strawberry pearls. Again, it is this non. And I like this is not a bad thing. I love the a ticket attraction, right? Something for kids and families to do.

That's really what we've seen. Epcot in its transformation, leaning into more. Right. We've got the stage outside.

We have the grassy area for kids and families to go out and dance to. Really leaning more into things for families to be able to do and families to be able to do together.

Serena Lyn: 01:02:40

Yeah. Also, I will say, just as a side note, the Communicore hall has the best air conditioning in Epcot.

Like that is if you just really need to cool off, go in there. It stays like, really, really icy cold in there, which is lovely.

Lou Mongello: 01:02:58

I'm with you, sister.

Serena Lyn: 01:03:00

I track all of these things. I'm like, where is the closest place I can cool off right now before I completely melt there?

Lou Mongello: 01:03:07

And there are a few places and there's one, like, I'm not going to give away because I've given away before. But there is literally a place in Magic Kingdom, which I believe is the single coldest location on property.

Like, you stand in this place, I will only tell you that it's on Main street usa. If we're ever in the parks together, I'll show you it's on Main street usa. That you can stand in this one location.

And it's right under, like, this vent.

Serena Lyn: 01:03:29

One of those big fans. Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:03:31

No, it's not even a fan. It's just a venture.

Serena Lyn: 01:03:33

Just a vent.

Lou Mongello: 01:03:33

You just stand there and your body temperature goes down like 30 degrees in 10 seconds. It's lovely.

Serena Lyn: 01:03:37

Lovely. Magical.

Lou Mongello: 01:03:39

If there was a chair there.

Serena Lyn: 01:03:42

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:03:44

Okay, let's go over then to Hollywood Studios, which really might be having the biggest transformation of any single park this summer. And it is not just a cool kids summer, but it's a summer of Muppets and Mandos.

And major reinvention is the only way to talk about it, because I think Disney's Hollywood Studios is fascinating. I think there's so much kinetic energy. I think it's a park that just feels fast.

And I think there are not just updates, but an area that, for me, and I think I'm not going to speak for you, but I know we talked about this really Sort of pleasantly surprised me and is one of my favorite parks of all of these updates. But let's start with the one that is the giant Muppet in the room. Rock and Roller Coaster starring the Muppets.

And before we just very quickly, because I just saw some new content this morning.

Whoever is on the Walt Disney World and Disney Parks social team, like, kudos to you for the content that has been coming out about and for Muppet Roller Coaster.

If you did not see what they dropped this morning and the legal disclaimer that you get, which is very much akin to what you get at World of Color over in Disneyland. It is so fun and so funny. So kudos to you.

Serena Lyn: 01:05:09

They're killing it.

Lou Mongello: 01:05:10

They are killing it. Rock n Roller Coaster. The hardware hasn't changed. Everything is still there. Despite. I've heard people say the launch is slower. No, it's not.

Serena Lyn: 01:05:22

I know. I got that comment too. I was like, it's the same watch.

Lou Mongello: 01:05:27

Hi, Internet, just keep being you. You know, when they first announced it, again, the Internet, like Muppets make no sense. Why the Muppets make the most sense.

Like, the Muppets are music. They are the stage, they are the state. The chaos of putting on a show, no matter what. That's what this ride is all about.

You are still at GeForce Record Records, but now it has been taken over and managed by the Muppets. Electric Mayhem is in the recording studio instead of Aerosmith. The Penguins are audio engineers. Scooter, which very quickly is.

You forget that Scooter is an audio animatronic and the first audio animatronic Muppet figure, because it looks like there's a puppeteer performing as Scooter. He's getting the band out the door for the concert. Your job, via the limo.

L I M O the lengthy immediate motion object built by Muppet lads, pronounced slime. Oh, I'm sorry.

Serena Lyn: 01:06:31

Honeydew says it's pronounced slime. O actually,.

Lou Mongello: 01:06:35

For me, Serena, it's. Look, we know that the ride itself, like the physical ride itself, wasn't going to change.

What does this, for me is not just the story, but it's the details, right? It's the that that start outside with the guitar re being repainted in the Electric Mayhem style. But it's the Easter eggs.

As soon as I walked in, like, I knew that was going to be my focus. There are not a few of them. There are not dozens. There are countless Easter eggs through there.

I did a quick carousel on my Instagram with a few of my Favorites. But I did not want to get out of the queue. Like, we had the.

We again, we had the luxury and the privilege of being able to slow down on the queue and take pictures and videos. But, like, that was it. The attraction for me was there were two attractions in one. It was the queue and then the ride itself.

Serena Lyn: 01:07:27

Yeah, it really was. The queue is amazing. It's so many. You couldn't possibly list all the Easter eggs. And I. You know, I mean, you're gonna lose count at some point.

But the. The queue, I think, is almost better than the ride.

So real quick, before I forget to say this, if anybody's listening and they're like, I love Muppets, but I can't do rock and roller coaster. It's just too intense for me. You don't need to ride the ride, just go through the queue. You can enjoy all the things. You can enjoy the pre show.

You'll go into the loading area and then just tell the cast member that you want to exit. There's a chicken door there and you can just go on out and then it'll take you right to the store where. Where the others will. Will meet you.

So you don't need to ride the attraction to enjoy all of the. The Muppet goodness that is there.

Lou Mongello: 01:08:18

Yeah, it's a great point. And even the. Even the. The post show shop has. Is full of Easter eggs itself. And look without going into. Because again, it's.

It is an overlay of the same attraction. But if you love Muppets, it works. If you love great music, it works. There's a great rewritability factor, because what song are you going to get?

Even the cue has a re. Cue ability factor, because the cue pre show is like 35 minutes long.

So every time you go in, you're probably going to see something a little bit different. So if you love Easter eggs, if it works. If you love celebrity cameos, it works.

And I do feel that this is not just an upgrade, but I think it's making this attraction that has been around for such a long time more attractive, I think, even to a wider. Like a wider spectrum of guests as well.

Serena Lyn: 01:09:14

Yeah, the detail they put in. You mentioned Scooter being the animatronic.

So now the pre show is similar sort of idea as the Aerosmith pre show, but you've got two penguins and Scooter. That is an animatronic there. That's actually in the room with you. And Scooter was motion captured.

So the Scooter Muppet did the Pre show dialogue with the puppeteer and they motion captured him. They released a picture of him with all the little sensor stickers on him. It's so funny and so that the animatronic looks just like the real scooter.

And they even have the, the stick for the arm that they added in there just for a little extra realism. And I just think it just those details I just loved. I just think it's so cute to see.

But I absolutely love the pre show and the ride itself is kind of a once a day ride for me. Rock N Roller Coaster. It's shaky. It is a shaky ride, man. I, I went back and looked at. They gave us the ride cam, which we were talking about.

Like, basically it's a camera that Disney sets up with lighting that films you during the ride.

And every time I get on this thing, I'm thinking, this is footage that will never see the light of day because you're just watching me trying to fight for my life and holding my head still so that I don't get a headache at the end of this. But. But to me, it's worth it because I absolutely love the way they blended the Muppet humor with the ride.

And I feel like Guardians, like Cosmic Rewind was the template for this. And this is why I always told people when they were concerned about how is Muppets gonna fit into a thrill ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy did that perfectly where they blended music, humor and thrill together. And it works. It works really, really well. And I think that this works just as well. You get the great music, the different.

So give you that rewriteability, but you've got that Muppets humor that's just fantastic. You know, it's from the pre show to the, the safety. The safety video that you watch is hilarious.

I mean, it's just so many things that are going to make you actually laugh out loud during the ride. It's just, it's, it's really beautifully done. I think it's.

They did a fantastic job and I feel like they exceeded people's expectations with this, which I think is really hard to do.

Lou Mongello: 01:11:47

Well, I think this is another one of those that, because there is such a long time embedded love and passion and sentiment for the Muppets, number one. And for a lot of people, Rock and Roller Coaster number two. There was that same conundrum that I think Imagineering had to face.

We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with some folks from Imagineering. I had a conversation with show designer David Brescia. From Walt Disney Imagineering.

Because I wanted to ask about how you sort of reconcile some of those things. How do you preserve the legacy? How do you integrate and figure out what music to incorporate? How do they want and expect fans to feel?

So I want to just quickly play that short conversation with David Brescia right here. David, both the Rock and Roller Coaster and the Muppets were two beloved attractions and franchises.

Lou Mongello: 01:12:45

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:12:45

How and why were the Muppets such a great fit for this retraction?

David Brescia: 01:12:50

No, and you're not kidding. I mean, they both have such a great history within themselves. I mean, the Muppets have over 70 years of history now. Such a beloved franchise.

You know, such a deep fandom there. And then Rock and Roller Coaster itself. I mean, it's my first roller coaster that I think I fell in love with growing up.

And so we definitely wanted to deliver on. On all the fun and excitement of this great roller coaster. And so I'm bringing them together. I think we discovered it was.

It was a better fit than you might think at first blush. I mean, the Muppets do have this built in rock band with the Electric Mayhem. They do have this over 70 years of history in the music industry.

I mean, creating music, music videos, collaborating with guest stars and guest artists, like on the Muppet Show.

And so once we started getting into it, we realized, like, we're really just infusing this amazing foundation of this super exciting roller coaster, just with that different kind of flavor and different energy of the Muppets and a lot of fun and a lot of color, and then just at that point, just trying to represent the Muppets authentically and put as much Muppet fun as we can throughout the.

Lou Mongello: 01:13:50

Because it's really flipping the script. Because Aerosmith was all about being cool and backstage accents. This is.

Muppets are all about chaos and the unexpected and wildness and colors and sounds.

David Brescia: 01:13:59

And things like that. So I think that's what we tried to bring to the attraction. Right. And I mean, the word I just keep coming back to it's very simple, but it's just fun.

It's like, the music is fun, the show's fun, the pre show's fun. Like, and just seeing the smiles on everybody's faces is awesome.

Lou Mongello: 01:14:13

But there's also a responsibility. Oh, absolutely. Great power does come with great responsibility.

Lou Mongello: 01:14:18

I've heard that.

Lou Mongello: 01:14:18

Yeah. And it's also about preserving the Muppet legacy.

Not just from Muppet Vision 3D, but generations of fans who grew up with and are growing up with Muppets now.

David Brescia: 01:14:28

Yeah, yeah. And I mean, we were certainly aware of that. You know, it wasn't, you know, obviously, we had Muppet Vision 3D.

I think part of our goal was bringing some of that spirit forward, you know, bringing the legacy of the Muppets and that spirit of the Muppets forward into this attraction. So that the Muppet fans do have something that they'll discover and enjoy throughout the building.

And I think even down to, like, small touches, like bringing over the portrait of the Muppeties. Jim Henson, that's kind of looking over the exit and, you know, looking over our ride. It's details like that that I think.

I hope people really appreciate that we did bring a lot of care and heart to this.

Lou Mongello: 01:15:05

And you can tell, you can really tell. I was so happy to have been able to pick that out.

I love the details, I love the nostalgia, I love the storytelling and I love, like, the rewritability factor, not just because of the music, but because of all the Easter eggs.

Lou Mongello: 01:15:18

So much content, it's off the charts.

Lou Mongello: 01:15:19

Like, I'm. Your head is on a swivel all the time. That was in the instruction.

David Brescia: 01:15:23

But even in the queue, yeah, that was a big, you know, important thing for us. There's so many Muppets. There's so much Muppet history, so many Muppet characters.

And how do we see as many of them as we can in this very limited time that we have moving through the queue onto the roller coaster. And so that's where ideas like that live feed in the very first room, it's over 30 minutes of content.

We, like, made an episode of the Muppet show somehow, but it's in small bite sized chunks, so hopefully you'll get to see a few of the bits. But you're going to catch something different every time you go through there. There's different characters doing the safety spiel outside.

There's different characters doing PA announcements in the studio as you move through the building. When you get in the pre show itself, the pre show's amazing. We have this amazing audio animatronic scooter.

Lou Mongello: 01:16:08

Character who's the first ever audio animatronic Muppet. Correct. True.

David Brescia: 01:16:11

Yeah.

David Brescia: 01:16:11

And a totally novel approach to, I think, how they've ever done the animation for a character before. So that was really exciting to see that come together.

Lou Mongello: 01:16:17

You used motion capture to be able to. Because, obviously, because you've got to make sure, because Disney fans, we. They will pick out.

The Internet will pick out those details, and our scooter's not the Scooter we see on screen.

David Brescia: 01:16:31

Yeah, well, and that's exactly it. I think we're so used to seeing how the characters move as puppets.

David Brescia: 01:16:36

Right.

David Brescia: 01:16:36

As puppeteered characters.

And so working so closely with the Muppet studio and the Muppet performers, we decided to try this approach, which, again, I don't think has ever been done before, where we. You've probably seen there's pictures of Scooter, like, in his little motion capture outfit, which was legit. I mean, I use it.

But what you might not see is David Rudman, the character's performer, is there doing the show to the pre show track. And they were able to really take that data and transfer it into that character puppeteer to manipulate it in a novel way. And it works incredibly.

You see all the little intricacies and movements and you see the wrist in there, and it really worked out amazing. And speaking of that variability, you see different characters in the show. Every time there's a different character that pops in.

So you're going to see something new every time you're through the building.

Lou Mongello: 01:17:23

Music is obviously the heart and soul of this attraction.

David Brescia: 01:17:25

It's a musical roller coaster.

Lou Mongello: 01:17:27

What is the philosophy? Because you have this very delicate balance of nostalgia and car relatability and Muppetizable music.

David Brescia: 01:17:36

Yeah. I mean, I think our music team did such an incredible job. It was a huge task. We listened to so many songs just to test things out.

I think it really came down to what sounded best on the ride. I mean, what fit the ride itself and the energy of the ride.

What kind of fit the Electric Mayhem and their voices and then bringing in that guest artist aspect of it, too, you know, to lend their voices, which is really exciting. And so I think where we landed was a really good place where there's kind of something for everybody. Like, I feel like Def Leppard hits.

That classic rock, you know, feel, that classic rock and roller coaster feel. I think Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson brings so much energy to their tracks. There's so much fun.

Questlove as well, with the drumming and then even the tracks that don't have guest stars. It's a lot of electric mayhem fun. I mean, there's chickens singing in the chorus. On one of them, an animal just yelling incoherently.

So I love where they landed and I think they're all fun in their own way. And you can sing along while you're riding if you can.

Lou Mongello: 01:18:26

It goes back to the re-rideability being off the charts because it feels different again. I talked at the very Beginning Muppets are generational.

What do you want the first generation of Muppet show fans, as well as the younger generation who are growing up with Muppets, to take away from or feel when they leave the attraction?

David Brescia: 01:18:44

I mean, it's such an enduring legacy with the Muppets, and I hope that we're sort of able to bridge the gap and maybe introduce the Muppets to a new audience. I mean, I think they're having a bit of a resurgence with the Muppets show special on Disney. That was so fun and fantastic.

And I think we're trying to ride that wave, you know, and keep it going here at the roller coaster.

And, you know, just like me falling in love with this coaster when I was a kid, I hope there's some, you know, some kids out there that are, you know, meeting the height requirement that are going on this ride and being brave for the first time. And I hope that, like, fun energy is sort of welcoming them in and maybe easing that.

You know, it's not too scary of a roller coaster because it's fun. The Muppets are here. You know, we're all having fun with the music.

Lou Mongello: 01:19:22

Muppets make everything more fun. Last question.

David Brescia: 01:19:25

Absolutely.

Lou Mongello: 01:19:25

You are going to. Obviously, people are going to come off like, loving what you did with this Muppet overlay.

If you could, you personally could Muppetize one attraction of Walt Disney World, what would it be and what would you do?

David Brescia: 01:19:35

Oh, my goodness. I think I would Muppetize the Kilimanjaro Safari.

Lou Mongello: 01:19:40

Not the answer, I expect.

David Brescia: 01:19:42

I just, having worked with the Muppet performers, just seeing the way they view the world, I think them going through safari and the things that they would probably pick out on that adventure would probably be a blast. And I think animal would probably try to be involved safari as well.

Lou Mongello: 01:19:58

So, David, thank you so much. It's wonderful to meet you. Thank you for being here. Thank you.

David Brescia: 01:20:01

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:20:01

So, Serena, I think the thing that's interesting to me because when Muppets went away, and I think for years, a lot of Muppet fans are like, why are we not seeing more Muppets in the parks? And now this change is happening, like Rut Row, like, is this. I think this is showing one, a genuine, lasting commitment to Muppets in the parks.

Not something that can be undone or re overlaid in a few years. My prediction that I made a while back, I'll continue to plant my flag there. Hopefully, if I'm wrong, nobody will remember this.

My feeling is that the Villains ever After show which is in the old Cars Theater, is a temporary placeholder until Villains Land opens in Magic Kingdom. I think when that happens, I think Villains Ever after closes, I think that is the perfect opportunity.

And what I'm either hoping or predicting or want to see is that whole section becomes Muppetized. That either becomes a Muppet attraction, a Muppet Show.

I would love to finally see Gonzo's Pandemonium Pizza palace or whatever it might be that were some of the early plans for more Muppets in the parks, going back to late 80s, early 90s or early 90s. I think this is indication of that commitment and hopefully the beginning of even more Muppets coming to Disney's Hollywood studios.

Serena Lyn: 01:21:23

I hope so. That would be amazing if that happened. I think fans are still gonna be sad about Muppets Muppet vision being gone. I mean, that's just.

It's not gonna come back. It's done.

But seeing more Muppets being put into the park and that investment, like you said, investing in that as a franchise and saying, we're going in on this and we're gonna make this a thing and it's gonna stick around much longer, I think that's brilliant. With the success of the recent Muppets special that they did with Sabrina Carpenter, and, you know, it just.

It feels like this could be the Muppet Renaissance. Like, we're on the edge of this, which I really hope that we are.

Also have to talk about the incredible show that Disney did with this event to celebrate the launch of this new attraction. They had the Electric Mayhem perform a live concert. And that was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done. But also just the talent of.

The talent of these Muppets is insane. And the incredible talent behind them that bring them to life. Wow. That was amazing. Seriously amazing.

Lou Mongello: 01:22:37

I know. It was one of those things. And we talked about this.

It was such a privilege to be invited to the event and to have that experience, which we understand is a true once in a lifetime thing. It is not repeatable. And so I always struggle. And I usually don't share things that other people can't experience because I don't want to.

Why are you showing it to me if I can't do it? But it was so special and so impactful and just so fun that I did not want to let other people not see it.

Serena Lyn: 01:23:07

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:23:07

Not that I was the only one sharing videos, obviously, because it was such a gift. And I think, again, reinforces what I just said, that this is not just to Sort of use the euphemism, the lipstick on a pig.

Put a coat of paint and throw some Muppets in attraction. This is a longer term commitment to Muppets. And I think such a true love letter to Muppets fans as well.

Serena Lyn: 01:23:32

Yeah, it felt like that too.

And there's a lot of Muppets fans in Imagineering, and I think that that bodes really well for any of us as Muppet fans, is that there are people on the inside that are pushing hard for Muppets. And so hopefully that means that, you know, we continue to get this.

But one thing I can say for sure is that if you are a Muppet fan or a fan of Muppet vision, you're going to experience this attraction and you're gonna see that this was a created as a love letter by fans of the Muppets. It's a real salute. Salute to all things, but mostly Muppets.

Lou Mongello: 01:24:10

And I think it captures the spirit of the Muppets. The attraction does. It just lends itself to it. And I hope this is just the beginning of more Muppets in parks.

Serena Lyn: 01:24:20

Hear, hear.

Lou Mongello: 01:24:21

em is the wrong word. But the: 2019

And walking into that load area and getting into the Falcon cockpit is a pinch yourself moment. The first time I ever did it, maybe the first couple of times I did it, like I cried like my dad would have just. My dad would have just loved this.

My dad was always a big Star wars fan. But after you ride it a few times, the re rideability factor, especially if you are in the engineer seat, felt a little underutilized.

And I think guests were sometimes just pushing buttons for the sake of pushing buttons for Hondo. They weren't really on the adventure. And I think Disney very much heard that. And this update very much addresses it.

So on May 22, same day as Mando and Grogu hit theaters, which really, I think other than maybe Beauty and the Beast live on stage also at this. I think it opened the same day, is the first time the ride and the film debut simultaneously.

And there is a new set of storylines, there are new destinations, there are new roles and new gameplays. For the first time in forever, not only do you get to choose where the Falcon goes to next, but the engineer is like the hot seat. All of a sudden.

The engineer is where you want to sit and from a visual perspective. And there's. Look, there's a lot that we can break down about this from a visual perspective. Not to get all nerdy, but I will.

This runs on the Unreal 5 engine, which is the same platform that's used to create the actual Mandalorian effects on Disney. So Imagineers worked with the film crew and used the same digital assets, the same ship models, same planet textures from the movie.

So what you're seeing in the cockpit window is not this sort of dumbed down video game version. Like, it is not an interpretation. It's the same thing as if you were standing inside the film.

And I think it's important to say that because it's not just a ride update, but it really is. We talk about synergy and things, but this is a convergence of storytelling and technology that just did not exist before.

Serena Lyn: 01:26:47

Yeah, it's fantastically done. I do think that I feel like they made it better for kids too, because of having so much Grogu.

Like, not that adults can't be a Grogu fan, because we all are, but I think that having those moments where Grogu's on the screen and sort of getting into mischief with Mando, you know, fussing at him, don't push that button and things like that, I feel like kids are gonna just love this experience and really feel like they're actually in the the game experience, like really affecting the outcome of the ride. I've done this ride where people didn't realize that what they were doing was actually affecting the ride experience. You know, they.

They were just sitting there at the. In the pilot, and I'm like, no, you have to fly. You have to like, fly. Fly the plane, you know, and they're like, what?

You know, you have to actually fly the ship.

So I think that now it feels a little more intuitive and you have like that interaction with Grogu and Mandalorian to sort of the whole thing together. So I feel like people are gonna maybe have a better ride experience across all the positions.

But certainly Engineer really gets their moment in really having a lot of Grogu interaction.

Lou Mongello: 01:28:01

And you find that you want to ride over and over and over again. Not just because you can go to Bespin, not because you can go to Tatooine and Coruscant and seeing the wrecked Death Star on the moon of Endor.

But I think you're right. I think all of the positions have been enhanced and there are Easter eggs to discover. Right.

We learned of and we experienced what's called Grogu mode, that if you hit certain buttons at a certain time and the crew members will be able to help you with that, you can unlock where Grogu is really sort of. I think the only thing that you see on your little side screens and all you sort of hear.

But we even experienced that depending on where your pilot may take your ship, that might unlock other special effects, maybe certain music that you hear in the background. So if you are like on the far side of the Star wars nerd spectrum, there's a lot of eye and ear candy here for you.

If you just want to go in and have fun with your family of any age, I think there's a lot for that too. And it's the first time, like, I came off an attraction and I was like, I need to go ride that again. I need to go do it one more time.

I need to see and experience all of the different things. I think this is just. I think it's a. It's a much bigger ride update than adding some characters to it.

And I think this is a huge piece of the puzzle about how this land, I feel, is really starting to deliver on its potential. And based on what we've seen happening, especially out in Disneyland, I think we'll see some of the things coming here to world.

I think what is happening in terms of the overall experience for Star wars fans, for Disney fans of every level over in Galaxy's Edge is going to start to feel more complete.

Serena Lyn: 01:30:01

Yeah. I'm really interested to see what they do with it, you know, and if they kind of bring some of the.

They're sort of, you know, adding in some of the original trilogy characters into Disneyland, is that going to come here? Are they going to be their own experience? Which I also think would be fine.

I think that they're kind of reinvesting and putting some attention to there to see, like, can they tweak some things to make it a little bit better. But I think Smugglers Run now feels fresher. And the.

If anybody had a experience where the movie made them, the screens during the ride made them feel a little. Their equilibrium a little off. I think that the screens are crisper, so you might find that now you're going to be less bothered by that if.

If you were sensitive about that. I feel like it's just. It's more upgraded. It looks a lot better.

Lou Mongello: 01:31:00

And a black calf cold brew from the kettle with the little cocoa Puffs on top.

Serena Lyn: 01:31:05

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:31:06

Will make you feel better. Speaking from Experience, Yes, I want to.

And so much attention, I think, right now is on that attraction because of the film and because of just Grogu Mania continues to run wild. I want Serena. It takes a lot to surprise me in the way that I was surprised when we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

We know that Animation Courtyard was being transformed Animation Courtyard, sort of the way it was that we knew it was going away and being replaced by a Walt Disney Studios lot. Very much inspired by the actual Disney Studios campus in Burbank.

If you have been there before, you know the magnitude of what that place represents. Right. The feeling of where it all got started, where a place where dreams are literally made. You can put signage up, you can put things up.

How do you sort of really convey that feeling? Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios, this animation courtyard is less about the storytelling, placemaking, but the making of the place itself.

The little details are there. The Pluto's Corner street sign, the silly symphony mural, some of the little characters.

The way that Disney has quietly transformed this space into this park. Like, shaded, actual playground almost with mature trees and benches everywhere. It so quickly became, like, one of my favorite.

It's where I spent my most time at Disney's Hollywood Studio. And I was not alone. Like, we were all just sort of, like, hanging out there. We wanted to just be around that environment.

We wanted to see if we could find all the characters. We could see all the different handprints in the pavement.

We wanted to see the return of the Sorcerer's Hat, inspired by the animation building over in Burbank. This gives Disney's Hollywood Studios a place that Animation Courtyard was never really able to do.

It became a destination, not like a corridor, which it really was before. It was a corridor with stroller parking. And now it feels like a destination that I want to go to.

Serena Lyn: 01:33:31

Yeah, it felt like something you just pass through to sort of get to Star Wars Launch Bay or Little Mermaid show or Disney Junior show or the restrooms. Yeah, yeah. No, they really did make it a destination of itself.

And it feels like a place that you really want to spend time and hang out, which I think is. There's so many things that go into making a space feel that way. But I want to mention one of my favorite things about it is the background music.

I'm a background music fan. Like, a lot of my Spotify playlists are park background music that I like to just listen to. And it feels very nostalgic to me.

And I just like that little bit of theming detail that Disney Parks puts in. And the background music was freshly recorded with a full orchestra just for this courtyard.

It's all new, it's all fresh, and it's stunningly beautiful. Like, just the way that they did new arrangements of the classic music. It's beautiful.

You're gonna just wanna hang out and listen to the music and enjoy the shade and the grass and the feeling of nature and just. They really made that place a destination in of itself.

And keep in mind that this is without the animation building even being open yet, which is a whole new thing that's coming later this summer, which is going to have, you know, an animation experience with an Olaf animatronic.

And it's going to have an indoor playground and it's going to have meet and greets with characters and it's going to be filled with a whole story that feels like you're walking through the animation studio. So that's a whole thing in of itself that isn't even open yet. And yet it still feels really good to be in this space. So once that's open, it's gonna.

I can't wait to see how that place is gonna feel. But they did a fantastic job with this.

And I don't think anybody had any expectation about it or was even like, oh, that's the thing I'm most excited about is seeing what they do to that little piece of ground there. But they did. It's amazing. It's really good.

Lou Mongello: 01:35:40

And we saw, literally minutes after it was open, it being utilized exactly the way it was supposed to.

Kids and families, like, laying on the grass, playing in the grass, like, enjoying the shade, just enjoying sitting on a bench, having conversations like, it is a park. Right? Much like we saw in Epcot. Right. Whether you love it or hate what sort of. I still call it Future World.

The center area of Future World is it becomes this park like, atmosphere where you can just go and relax and unwind. And it is. It's my favorite addition. Like, I know it's ridiculous because it's not the E Ticket attraction.

It's not the thing that everybody is talking about. And I think it's helping to shape or reshape the identity of the park. And I think Disney's Hollywood Studios is firing on all cylinders.

We haven't even talked about what's coming with Monstropolis and things like that.

But even right now, with Muppets and Mando and Grogu and this animation courtyard and what's coming with the magic of Disney animation, Mickey Mouse, Disney Junior and Mickey Mouse. Clubhouse Live, which is the same as what was over in Disneyland. Again, 20 minute interactive show, audience participation.

I could not do it this time because I know I would cry again because my kids used to love it and now they're in their 20s and I cried when I saw it in Disneyland. It's fine. It doesn't matter. When I hear that hot dog dance, I get all like, weepy.

Serena Lyn: 01:37:06

I know.

Lou Mongello: 01:37:07

But if you have young kids again, Disney is making sure that there is something for everyone. Not everybody's gonna be able to ride rock and roller coaster or maybe even smugglers run. Everybody can go. Especially if you have kids.

Every little kid can sit on that ground and or be a kid again and enjoy that show. And when you see your. I'm gonna cry right now.

If you're like little son or daughter or niece and nephew or whoever it is, gets up and is doing the hot dog dance in front of you, like, man, that's it. Like, that's what it's all about. It does not need to be that, you know, super high tech interactive thing. Those are the moments.

Those are the memories that you're gonna take with you and carry with you and I think are super.

Look, we couldn't spend the entire episode just talking about these Hollywood Studios because I love that space and I love what they're doing there so, so much. And it's coming down in the future. It makes me more excited.

Serena Lyn: 01:38:03

I totally agree. And we went and looked at the hat after dark too. We gotta talk about how pretty the lighting package is too.

Just, they just did a lot that they didn't really need to. I mean, you know, like they could have kind of phoned in that space and just been like, oh, this is just how you're gonna get to the animation choir.

It's just gonna be how you're gonna get to to Disney Junior. But it really feels like there's a lot of intention about it.

And they're also really setting the tone for you going into that animation experience as well and the Disney Studios and kind of the feel of that sort of creative hub for the whole Disney company really like where it all started.

Lou Mongello: 01:38:43

So creating places that you can wander and I think more importantly lingerie. It doesn't necessarily have to be Batuu or Monstropolis. It could be places like this.

And I think that's one of the things that Hollywood Studios is doing very well. I think it's one of the things that Disney's Animal Kingdom, Nice segue Mungello does very well.

Because this is as it has been since the very beginning, been about conservation, it's been about connection, and now it's also about a little blue dollar and food. Right. I think Disney's Animal Kingdom, for a lot of people, is the most underrated park yet in many ways the most intentional.

Every tree, every stone, every animal habitat, every place making is there for a purpose. And this summer, there's a new resident who might become one of the most beloved characters in the entire resort.

We talked, I think, collectively and individually over the last couple of weeks about how the food scene in Disney's Animal Kingdom has been. Just has exploded and really made it become a food destination park.

But this summer specifically, and like, I want to see it firsthand and yet I don't want to be caught in the chaos of what is going to be Bluey's Wild World. Because it's not just kids who are going to be running to see Bluey is their parents, and it's people without kids as well.

Bluey is going to be over in Conservation Station, which even before this, I think was one of the most special and undervisited places in the entire resort. It's only accessible by train. I dig the conservation station train. It is the heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom mission.

Rafiki's Planet Watch closed, I guess it was back in February. Affection section is now the Jumpin Junction and it is reopening on the 26th as Bluey's Wild World.

And if you haven't heard of Bluey before, I will admit I am not a Bluey watcher. Although I need to hop on the Bluey train.

It is, from what I understand, it is a masterpiece of children's storytelling that has such wide appeal for adults as well. And every episode is so, like, it's so perfectly Disney.

It's about family, it's about play, it's about imagination and how children experience the world and has that humor and warmth and culture that is all very real and just enough for adults to enjoy as well. I know you are a huge Bluey fan.

Serena Lyn: 01:41:27

Me?

Lou Mongello: 01:41:27

Yeah.

Serena Lyn: 01:41:28

Yeah. Well, I. I mean, I sure I missed Bluey because my kids were, like, older, you know, like, they were too.

They weren't around when Bluey was at its PE or they were, like, older. But Bluey and Bingo are like, when they appear.

Lou Mongello: 01:41:44

I wish you had younger kids so we could experience it.

Serena Lyn: 01:41:46

I kind of do, because I literally was like, should I be watching Bluey? Like, it's like the hot show that all your friends are talking about and you're like, oh, I need to watch that. Like, should I be watching Bluey?

But when Bluey and Bingo came out at this, they had this little event sort of kind of previewing some of these entertainment offerings. And Bluey and Bingo appeared and it was like Taylor Swift walked in the room. It was like the Eras tour. It was like. It was huge. It was huge.

Again, going back to the sort of the way Disney is leaning into not just a meet and greet, not just a stand here and get your picture taken with these characters. This is an interactive event. Bluey and Bingo appear and they are playing games with your children. They're, you know, interactive games.

Sort of like what we talked about Goofy Corps was, but with Bluey and Bingo.

So you've got that sort of, you know, play aspect to this where a child could see Bluey and actually be crazy about their the show and then go play keepie uppie in these games with Bluey, which is huge for a child. Like, it just. I can't imagine how memorable this is going to be.

How many memories are going to be made in that building right now for this next generation of kids who are seeing. It's like their biggest celebrity sighting to be able to see them.

And they're bringing in new animals that are going to come with this, like from Australia. So the little. Is it Affection Station, I think is what it's called, where you would kind of interact with.

It's almost like a little petting zoo there. They're going to be bringing in some new animals from that.

So we've got kind of a new area for animal and conservation efforts to be focused on within Animal Kingdom, which I think is really valuable because we've got tropical Americas coming down the pike. So just another region that we can learn about and focus on, which I think is really cool too.

So it ties back into the theme of the Animal Kingdom Park.

Lou Mongello: 01:43:57

And there are exclusive food items and merchandise, obviously photopass magic shots. And unlike a lot of the other cool kids summer experiences, some of which we mentioned that end on September 8th, Bluey's Wild World is permanent.

Like, this is not a test run. Disney is clearly investing in this and this character that feels very much at home in.

And I think much like we were talking about in terms of we were looking at the food. Right. And what they're doing with food. You know, Disney's Animal Kingdom has spent years, I think, incorrectly being referenced as the Half Day Park.

You do certain things and then you leave.

Serena Lyn: 01:44:39

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 01:44:40

I would argue that we are at the beginning of a Genuine transformation of Disney's Animal Kingdom as well. Looking short and long term, firm. We have all these incredible food options. Bluey is here now. Tropical Americas is coming.

Indiana Jones and Encanto experience.

We're seeing the overall investment in this park and I think the plans to not only make it a half day park, but I think answer the requests sometimes prayers of making Animal Kingdom really shine at night where I think it will. I, I can imagine what that Encanto and Indiana Jones area might look like at night.

Enjoying Pandora the way it was supposed to be with those bioluminescent lights at night. I think that's what we are starting to see in terms of expanding Disney's Animal Kingdom to what it should be and what it can be.

Serena Lyn: 01:45:35

Yeah, I feel like right now Animal Kingdom is like it's in its awkward phase because it's like in the transition. Yeah, it's awkward teenage phase.

It's in the transition between what it was and what it's going to be, you know, and tropical Americas I think is going to really change it. But I think this is the first new thing that, you know, we've got an entirely new franchise here.

Bluey is going to draw so many families to visit that it's going to bring in a lot of new people and they're also going to be, you know, incentivized to go deep into the back of that park, go over to conservation station. So, you know, I'm hoping it'll breathe even more life into Animal Kingdom.

But certainly with Tropical Americas, that is going to be an incredible new land with the first ever Encanto attraction again, another huge IP so, so beloved by families and so many people. The music. We've got a whole new region of the world to explore. New cuisines, new foods.

I mean it's going to be really exciting to see what they do there. And I don't know, I'm just like you said, I'm really hoping that it means longer hours.

We get more evening time in Animal Kingdom and people sort of get to experience the slower paced park the way that it's meant to be enjoyed.

Lou Mongello: 01:47:00

So we've been to all four parks and talked about the attractions and the shows and the Easter eggs and the technology.

But I want to zoom out, out and look at the bigger picture because I think there's something bigger going on here and why I think this summer is different. We know that the parks and the studios have always and continue to sort of work in parallel in tracks that sometimes occasionally intersect. Right.

If there's a new movie. Maybe we'll get a new character meet and greet or like a ride gets a new load screen. The connection sometimes is thin.

I think what's happening now is very different.

I think we are seeing this genuine convergence of entertainment and technology and guest experience and clear financial investment all happening at once. Right. Look at the technology powering Smugglers Run is the same that we're getting on tv.

The Easter eggs in Muppet Rock and Roller Coaster are connecting to five decades and literally generations of Muppet history. You have the animals in Bluey's Wild World World actually coming from Australia. The.

The gold at the end of Big Thunder Mountain was foreshadowed years ago in the queue before we could actually see it. Like, none of these are accidental. These are all choices that are made by people who genuinely care enough to go the extra mile.

And what Disney is doing now, you know, I think sometimes, Serena, people get lost in, well, when we didn't get a brand new attraction, there's no new land, there's no fifth gate. What they're doing now is plussing up the classics, refreshing some of the older experiences.

They're increasing the interactivity, they're improving the capacity, they're helping the guest flow, they're adding more family entertainment. And I think some of that kinetic energy that we talk about, we're seeing it in those open spaces.

They're adding a lot more things for kids and I think they're creating even more reasons to stay on property. And by spreading these things out across the entire resort, it does not have to be, and it is not just E ticket announcements.

We were in that panel and they talked and I'm paraphrasing, singles and doubles matter. It's not always home runs and grand slam.

It doesn't always have to be Villains Land and Card Land and Tropical Americas, which we know are coming, but sometimes just a refreshed hue and improved gameplay and new entertainment and very upgraded food and surprise character interactions and seating and shade and trees and nighttime atmosphere and better family experiences. Those dramatically improve and change the feeling of what a vacation is.

Serena Lyn: 01:49:47

I agree. I also think that when we talk about adding new things, Disney World is so massive, it's so big, you're not going to do it all anyway.

Like, even if they, if they never added another thing for 10 years, you still could come and visit and find new things to experience and do every day. I know because, like, we live here and I still find that I'm doing or experiencing something new to me all the time.

So it's so large and so diverse and so much to do and so much to offer that if we just focus on the new and the big stuff, I think you really miss. I mean, if you're just focused on that, you might as well go to Six Flags or Kings Dominion or Busch Gardens or. It's not just a theme park.

The things that we come to Disney for are the things that make it special. And those are the things that they're really focused on improving and adding more of.

So I feel like from at the end of the day, what really moves the needle in what you remember from your trip is what we're getting more of.

Lou Mongello: 01:50:53

Mm. I think there's a couple of things that what we talked about today shows.

I think one, Disney is clearly aggressively reinvesting in existing experiences to not just maintain but modernize and enhance them. They're using guest data very aggressively in terms of how to make things better. They really want to show and optimize the experience for families.

Look, summer is obviously family travel season, right? We were talking about why they do these things in the summer. Clearly families with younger kids needed more flexible entertainment resorts.

We didn't even talk about the resorts. There's more activities. The parks needed more places for kids to go.

And I think Disney's really, and appropriately so, leaning hard into multi generational family summer vacations. Like, that's what Walt Disney World is all about. And they do that by making every park feel more complete instead of one headliner.

There are now sort of these layered reasons to visit each of the parks, which creates this overall feeling like this entire resort is alive. And I think that it's. It clearly shows that Walter's world right now is in a moment of genuine investment and I think genuine care.

And we know, and Disney knows it's not perfection. It's never been perfect. But there is investment and stewardship.

And one of the imagineers, I think, talked about a sticker on his laptop, the Smokey the Bear sticker. Like leaving a place better than you found it. And I think that's exactly what this summer is all about.

Serena Lyn: 01:52:39

I totally agree. I'm excited for people to go and experience it now.

Maybe if you're listening and you haven't been in a couple years, then I think you're going to be really pleasantly surprised by how it feels and how the energy feels and the new additions, how much they add to your park day. I think you're going to really see that all of these things together have impacted the guest experience for the better.

Lou Mongello: 01:53:12

So Again, I keep coming back to one of my favorite quotes from the now extinct Carousel of Progress theme song about now is the time. Now is the best time. I think this summer is not just about families with young kids. It is about multi generational families.

It's about solo visitors and friend groups and Disney nerds and Star wars nerds unite.

Whether it's Buzz or Smugglers Run or Big Thunder or Muppets, whatever it might be, I think there are such great discounts that are available as well.

Like, plus, if like one of the things we didn't talk about, like if you're staying, if you're a resort guest, the day that you check in, you get free water park admission.

Serena Lyn: 01:53:52

So if you get there 11 o',.

Lou Mongello: 01:53:54

Clock, you're like, I don't want to maybe invest in a ticket. You can go and enjoy a water park. There are, there are resort discounts up to like 40% on eligible stays.

If you do, like, it's like the more you stay, the more you play. Like I think a four day, four park magic. I think a ticket is now like $109 per day. Like, so the deals are there.

I would strongly suggest reaching out to our friends over at mousefan Travel who can help you navigate all of what these are.

But I think the timing is right and you know, if you've been coming for 20, 30, 40 years or maybe you haven't come in a long time, I think there is a reason why to go and visit and come and visit now. So Serena, if you could give the one person that's listening right now just one what's the one reason to go visit Walt Disney World this summer?

What would it be?

Serena Lyn: 01:54:46

I think you should come this summer because it's a bit of a downtime before a lot of new things are getting ready to open. Starting next year, we're going to have new lands, are going to be opening consistently for a while.

There's big, big projects on the horizon and instead of waiting for those, come now when it's not going to be quite as crowded or as popular and you can enjoy some of the things that they're adding and doing now, plus all of the specials, plus, I mean some of these prices, honestly the cheapest I've seen the discounts be in since I've been doing this, which has been like eight years full time. So I feel like this is the time to come and actually get a good price and be able to experience this better, newer.

It's kind of this new era of Disney World that we're starting.

I feel like, I really genuinely feel that we're entering in this, like, really great era and I think you should come and experience it and really see what it's like for yourself.

Lou Mongello: 01:55:53

I love that answer because it's not just about one thing. One ride, one update. Maybe it's about the arepas in Disney's Animal Kingdom. That would have been the only.

Serena Lyn: 01:56:01

They are pretty good because I think.

Lou Mongello: 01:56:04

Disney's not just focused on building the next big thing, but making the things that we already love even better. And to me, that's very Walt Disney. That is just a very Walt thing to do. So I love that.

I love being able to share and experience some of these things with you. I love being able to talk and share them with you here on the show. Please do me a favor. Tell people where they can find you.

Serena Lyn: 01:56:31

Living by Disney on all the social media outlets and I have Living by Disney podcast as well and all the podcast apps.

Lou Mongello: 01:56:39

Awesome. I will link to it in the show notes and on social. And you, my friend who is listening, thank you very much for being here.

A couple of things I'd like for you to do as well. If you enjoyed if you got value out of this episode, please do me a favor.

If you know somebody who's maybe on the fence about going to Disney World this summer, send them this. Let them this be the thing that hopefully tips them into going. If you go and when you go, tell me about it.

I genuinely care and I want to hear like connect with me on social. I'm umongello on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Come over to the clubhouse.

Be part of the community and conversation@wdwradio.com Clubout Drop me a comment, send a voicemail to the show. I want to hear about you or your kids face when they meet Bluey. I want to hear what your high score is on buzz with the new blasters.

I want to know if Soren got you, how do you feel? And I want to know what your favorite food is at Disney's Animal Kingdom and why it's the Arapa.

Please go over to www.radio.com I've been able and so fortunate. I would not have been able to experience this if it wasn't for you. So thank you very much for giving me this opportunity and privilege.

together. That is what summer: 2026

Okay, if you could snap your fingers right now and do or even one thing that we covered today in Walt Disney World, what would it be? Go.

Serena Lyn: 01:58:08

Oh, gosh. It would probably be to. Ooh, I don't know. That's so hard. It'd probably be something we ate at Animal Kingdom. Maybe the arepas. That might be it.

Or maybe. No, no, no. It's those bowls at the Kuzafiri. I would love one of those right now. Those like rice.

Lou Mongello: 01:58:34

I would love one of those in Animation Courtyard.

Serena Lyn: 01:58:36

Yes, yes, yes.

Lou Mongello: 01:58:39

If I can combine all the perfect ways to make a perfect Disney Day, that would be it.

Serena Lyn: 01:58:44

That would be it. Yep. There we go.

Lou Mongello: 01:58:56

That's going to do it. For this week's show. Thank you so very much once again for being here. I know that you could spend your time anywhere.

It is your most valuable commodity. And the fact that you chose to spend part of it with me means everything.

If this episode helped you, inspired you, maybe even just made you smile, please do me a favor, share it with someone who needs it. It's how this community and family grows and it's also how we find one another. I know that I skipped trivia this week.

I really want the focus to remain on the content and the conversation about everything going on at Walt Disney World. I promise it'll be back next week. Don't forget that. I want to hear from you. So come join us over in the clubhouse@www.radio.com clubhouse.

-: 9391

I am at Lumangelo. Let me know what you thought, tell me what you're planning. Tell me you're going this summer. I really do want to know.

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Have an amazing day and even better tomorrow. So until next time, I love and appreciate you sincerely. See? Yeah, Well, it sounds pretty good. In fact, that's just the right spirit.