Happy New Year, Disney enthusiasts! Karen and I are kicking off 2024 with a magical bang and we're taking you along for the ride. Prepare to live vicariously through our glittering escapades at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, where fireworks and fandom collide. We'll unwrap the secrets to a Disney New Year's done right, from snatching the best fireworks viewing spots to nailing the pre-cruise packing panic. With us, you'll become a savvy navigator of Disney's latest incentives and hear firsthand what could be fueling these tempting offers.
As the year unfolds, we're not just looking forward to the future, but also paying homage to the past. with a tribute to the late Ana Ofelia Murguia of "Coco." Meanwhile, we're stirring the pot with some Disney updates, stirring in a mix of nostalgia and the occasionally cheeky "Thanks, Chapek" commentary. We'll also sink our teeth into the latest dining developments at Disney's Toy Story Land, where menu changes have us reassessing our culinary line-up.
Finally, we're wrapping up the episode by reliving our New Year's Eve extravaganza at Epcot. Imagine maneuvering through dance parties, silent discos, and a fire-breathing dragon in China — it's as epic as it sounds. We'll share the highs, the lows, and the downright hilarious as we recount our quest for the ultimate celebration spot. With Karen and me as your guides, you're sure to get an insider's peek into the wonders of Disney as we step into 2024. So grab your Mickey ears and join us for a hearty dose of Disney magic and mayhem!
Happy New Year, Disney enthusiasts! Karen and I are kicking off 2024 with a magical bang and we're taking you along for the ride. Prepare to live vicariously through our glittering escapades at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, where fireworks and fandom collide. We'll unwrap the secrets to a Disney New Year's done right, from snatching the best fireworks viewing spots to nailing the pre-cruise packing panic. With us, you'll become a savvy navigator of Disney's latest incentives and hear firsthand what could be fueling these tempting offers.
As the year unfolds, we're not just looking forward to the future, but also paying homage to the past. with a tribute to the late Ana Ofelia Murguia of "Coco." Meanwhile, we're stirring the pot with some Disney updates, stirring in a mix of nostalgia and the occasionally cheeky "Thanks, Chapek" commentary. We'll also sink our teeth into the latest dining developments at Disney's Toy Story Land, where menu changes have us reassessing our culinary line-up.
Finally, we're wrapping up the episode by reliving our New Year's Eve extravaganza at Epcot. Imagine maneuvering through dance parties, silent discos, and a fire-breathing dragon in China — it's as epic as it sounds. We'll share the highs, the lows, and the downright hilarious as we recount our quest for the ultimate celebration spot. With Karen and me as your guides, you're sure to get an insider's peek into the wonders of Disney as we step into 2024. So grab your Mickey ears and join us for a hearty dose of Disney magic and mayhem!
It's 2024 and there's lots of new stuff coming to Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and more. We ring in the new year with friends at Magic Kingdom and at Get it Epcot. We share the highlights on episode 174 of the Mickey Phall podcast.
Speaker 3:Welcome back everyone to another episode of the Mickey Phall podcast. I'm Scott, and with me is my lovely wife Karen.
Speaker 1:Hello everybody.
Speaker 3:It is 2024.
Speaker 1:Yippee, another year. It is another year. I just can't believe it's 2024. No kidding, it's kind of like holding a crime in me. Yeah, weird last year ago and it's already the what? Third.
Speaker 3:Already the third. Yeah, yeah, we went over to the world, the world, so we did the night of the 30th New Year's Eve Eve at Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1:Which was wonderful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and they do the fireworks on the 30th and the 31st. Correct, we get to do both yes and then Epcot for actual New Year's Eve, because if you know, you know Exactly, epcot is the place to be on New Year's Eve. Most definitely We'll talk about why that is, but that's the place to be on New Year's Eve. Yes, this time next year I'll regret that. We talk about that.
Speaker 1:Which means we'll be there again next year. With a million people I know and several of our friends.
Speaker 3:It was a very, very fun weekend and we got to share it with some of our favorite people Exactly, which was very cool, very cool way to ring in the New Year. It really was. So it was a fun time. Not really a lot going on With us anyway.
Speaker 1:Well, other than trying to get ready for the cruise, still that takes a lot of planning to do that, because we still don't have our pirates outfits, so we don't do seven day trips Period. So this is the first no, we don't. We do like three days Three nights.
Speaker 3:So we've suddenly realized that we don't have enough clothes to go away for a week. Well, okay. Without doing laundry Right.
Speaker 1:It makes it sound like we don't have clothes.
Speaker 3:We have clothes, it's just trying to have the right clothes for the trip. Yeah, I mean right, you know, but we do laundry and then we wear clothes. This time, I mean they have laundries on the ship. It seems super inconvenient to have to go do laundry.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:When you want to be doing cruise stuff.
Speaker 1:Right, and then you have to have casual stuff and dress up stuff for the same day, which we normally don't do either.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, and then we have pirate night. We got to figure out here.
Speaker 3:And there's like formal night and casual night and semi-formal night. I know. I know. I know, so we are scrambling to buy clothes right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you're set. I'm the problem now. I know First row problems, right.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean mine's easy, because I just got the whole bunch of the same pants, the pants that are exactly the same as the shorts I already have.
Speaker 1:And you already had some pants like that too, because you got them for the cruise the first one Right. So you like them and then they work, yeah.
Speaker 3:But we are scrambling to get ready.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:So all that said, let's do news Okay.
Speaker 1:They just announced Walt Disney World annual pass holder discounts on hotel rooms.
Speaker 3:More annual pass holder discounts Right, these are new ones there's like current ones right now. Right, we're in a little gap.
Speaker 1:We're in a gap, right. This one starts now. I'm effective immediately. You could save up to 35% on stays Sunday through Thursday night, now until February 22nd, and then starting again on February 25th, until March 24th. Then you can also save up to.
Speaker 3:What's the gap there? Is there like a race or something?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe that's Princess weekend.
Speaker 3:Gotcha.
Speaker 1:Right, and then you can save up to 20% on nights Friday and Saturday from January 5th until February 24th. So that's Princess weekend. So they're giving you a lower discount on Princess on Friday and Saturday night weekends, because it's always that way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Right. And then there's Florida resident discounts, which are going into effect. That's a little bit later. You can save up to 30% on rooms from March 25th until July 7th. So there you go. For those which, those are actually some good timeframes, because you get July 4th.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:That's good so so.
Speaker 3:So Now, what you have to keep in mind is that's like rack rate, right you?
Speaker 1:know, but I did look up some of the rates or some pretty good rates, really be 30%. Well, it's up to 30%.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:Right. So obviously the higher the resort, the higher the discount.
Speaker 3:The pass holder and Florida residents and Disney plus that they've started kicking in discounts for like everything on Right. So so those seem to be like all the time now.
Speaker 1:They do, they do.
Speaker 3:I've been to the parks recently. I've been to the parks a lot. Yes, parks are crowded. The resorts are pretty crowded, like it's. We haven't not been able to get a resort, but it's been crowded.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's been crowded.
Speaker 3:And I do wonder what's prompting. The assumption would be that they're doing these discounts because things aren't booked. Well, now, for one thing, I mean, we're talking about discounts that go out six months now, yes, so.
Speaker 1:But I I'm kind of getting the thing, the impression of limited capacity Are over.
Speaker 3:Okay, I don't know that they I don't remember and announced we're back to a hundred percent, but Right.
Speaker 1:But keep in mind this week has been very busy because it was New Year's and then it's also marathon weekend, so this week is very busy, so they're starting it after this. It's been pretty busy.
Speaker 3:Since September. Anyway, summer's not busy. Summers aren't busy anymore, right, but these discounts don't really get us to summer. You know, july 7th yeah, maybe for Florida residents, I don't know. I mean, we are definitely not under COVID restrictions for park capacity. Let me say that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that I would agree with that. And then you mentioned the Disney plus. Subscribers are now offering a free dining plan for Walt Disney World packages and it's on rooms July 1st through September 30th. This can apply to existing reservations. Packages include room, theme park tickets and with park hopper option and a dining plan. So basically now you add on, like it may have had the dining plan because that's when they're available this year.
Speaker 3:But that's how they get us.
Speaker 1:Right, so now, like you can go in and modify it, so on the 4th of July package.
Speaker 3:We won't be able to get free dining plan because we're not getting park tickets. Correct how they get you. Thanks, chapik. Oh, thanks Iger, I'm bringing it back. I miss Bob Chapik. I'm bringing it back. I'm gonna start thanking Chapik for everything again. Well, I'm hoping that If he hadn't screwed up so bad, he'd still be in charge and we wouldn't have to be dealing with this stuff. So thanks, chapik.
Speaker 1:You're so strange.
Speaker 3:Everything right now that makes you mad, that Bob Iger and Josh are doing is still Chapik's fault. Okay, I'm just saying. Okay.
Speaker 1:So I think that Disney Plus package is a really good package because I actually did see some people that had gone in and modified their existing. It saved them like $1,300. Just for a couple of days.
Speaker 3:Disney Plus is still for like ad-free right. I mean not the ad-free, the one with the ads, like I don't know what, like 10 bucks a month or whatever.
Speaker 1:Right. So they're saving people thousands of dollars for $120 a year.
Speaker 3:They're charging If you're not a Disney Plus subscriber already.
Speaker 1:Just to get these discounts, you need to join.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but if you do it for a year you're full. I'm just saying you do it for a month. Yeah, Maybe you do it for six months to get the discount Right.
Speaker 1:Because it doesn't start until July 1st. Right.
Speaker 3:I wouldn't do it for a whole year.
Speaker 1:Well, it depends how much it saves you.
Speaker 3:And if you're in Not any more than doing it for six months, well, if you go on two trips, it'll save you that Two trips this year.
Speaker 1:Okay, you never know.
Speaker 3:No, I hear you can get a really good deal on thousands of dollars on Disney Plus gift certificate. It's right now I'm gonna put it on Craigslist. If you wanted somebody who accidentally bought Disney Plus gift cards, do a kind of deal I can make.
Speaker 1:There you go. All right, roundup. Rodeo Barbecue has eliminated some of the side choices for guests and now they get a set menu at the Toy Story Land restaurant.
Speaker 3:So I was just thinking about the fact that we haven't eaten there yet, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:I think this kind of completely it pushes it way back on the list.
Speaker 3:Yes, let me just say that.
Speaker 1:Because I was actually even gonna suggest it to you. But once I saw this, I'm like but those things that are on there are things that I want that they took out.
Speaker 3:The married spuds gone. Loaded potato barrels drizzled with green goddess dressing, cheese sauce and seasoned barbecue spices Sounds great, mm-hmm. Gone. The fourth field fried pickles. Apparently. Rather than buying ranch dressing, disney just decided screw it, let's get rid of the pickles. Yeah, I don't get it, I don't even. It's like the thing I've heard everybody talk about at that restaurant. Gone. Yeah, see ya, meant old potato salad, hum style with red skin potatoes. Gone. Campfire roasted vegetables, a variety of roasted seasonal vegetables, plant-based. So the following are the only options Still On the menu Just regular potato barrels. The claw, which is some veggie slaw, plant-based coleslaw, you know what? Okay, in fairness, I guess that means maybe done to mayonnaise, because you know the eggs Right, right, slinky dogs back in cheese, fucking baked beans and the cowpoke corn on the cob.
Speaker 1:And they used to have three or four salad options. Now they only have two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the root and toot and tomato salad and Wheezy's watermelon salad Right.
Speaker 1:Sounds like they're cutting it.
Speaker 3:Taking all the good stuff off the menu. I don't know. We haven't been there and part of the reason we haven't been there is the reviews, especially early, were very mixed. Yes, like very mixed.
Speaker 1:Right, I mean from tables sitting next to each other.
Speaker 3:Mixed. Well, yeah, right, right, fair enough. So we had been putting it off.
Speaker 1:Right. So I think now it's gonna put it off even longer. Yeah, I think it is for a while.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't get it. I don't get it. I mean, maybe I just don't, I just don't know enough about the restaurant to understand, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I haven't even been open a year and they're completely changing the menu.
Speaker 3:It's only been open eight months, or whatever it is yeah. Anyway, yeah, when you change it, roundup rodeo barbecue. Mm-hmm. Anna Ophelia Meghia, who played Mama Coco in Disney Pixar's 2017 film, passed away at 90 years old. Yeah, sad. So I've only seen Coco once. Mm-hmm. I was certain until right now that Coco was the little boy. Ha ha, ha ha, it was not that's Miguel.
Speaker 1:That's Miguel. I actually knew it wasn't Coco, I just couldn't remember what his name was.
Speaker 3:I didn't. I I mean, it was a decent movie, mm-hmm. It was a good movie.
Speaker 1:No, I enjoyed it.
Speaker 3:It was a good movie yeah, I've seen it once. Right Another Nat, I don't know. That's the Coco part of happily ever after. Slash enchantment, slash the harmonious, slash Lubin Nuss, the symphony of us. Slash Mickey's Philharmagic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe it's. Did they add it to Phantasmic too? I think so. I'm not sure. I think they added it in the projections.
Speaker 3:Probably. Yeah, I can't remember, and I can't remember if it was already there. I mean, I know they did the Moana section and the Aladdin instead of Pocahontas, yeah, but yeah, so that's a shame. Yeah, she actually, I mean she was 90, so I guess she had like a really long career. She was beautiful 50 years ago, I'm just saying. Died on New Year's Eve in Mexico. Oh, 101 acting credits going back to 1967. Okay.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yep, so that's looks, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, and there's a few Walt Disney World, dvc and Disney Cruise Line experiences coming this year, in 2024.
Speaker 3:Yeah, some of them we talked about last week and back in September. But Park Hopping and the Dining Plan return next week on the ninth Yep Tiana's Bayou Adventure, aka New Splash Mountain. Yep, I'm not sure when, soon, I don't know. When I don't know either. Star Tours says attraction, characters and stories. They're gonna add, like some more planets to Star Tours, so that's cool.
Speaker 1:Yep, I'm glad that, because then I has multiple options Well and Anasoka and Mandalorian specifically, have added a lot of worlds.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm, true, I mean. Come on, there's clearly gotta be.
Speaker 1:Oh, they clearly have to be added in there From.
Speaker 3:Anasoka, like that whole world with the water. And yeah, you know where they found the map and all that Exactly, communicor Plaza and the Communicor Hall opening at Epcot Mm-hmm, sometime this year. Yep, new Little Mermaid Show. Yep, which we talked about, that New Country Bear Jamboree Show.
Speaker 1:Isn't gonna be really more updated Country Bear Jamboree.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a new show. Okay, right, new music and all that. Yeah. The Cake Bake Shop. We were there, yeah. I mean we were right by it Sunday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's way behind.
Speaker 3:They missed the due date on that one by like six months. Mm-hmm, I mean, it's still a shell. It is. They missed that one bad yeah, still excited about the cabins of Fort Wilderness.
Speaker 1:Well, and there's some news about that. Yes, but technically they're called Fort Wilderness cabins. Yeah, they keep calling them the cabins of Fort Wilderness Because that's what they are.
Speaker 3:now, right, and you know what they are. They're cabins at Fort Wilderness.
Speaker 1:But I think they're trying to differentiate.
Speaker 3:so people Of course they are Right, because it's a DVC thing. Right, there's gonna be a new vacation club member lounge in Disney World.
Speaker 1:Do we know where? No, they still haven't announced where. They haven't even specifically said when they expected to be first half or second half of 2024.
Speaker 3:Right, disney Treasure is gonna start its first cruise in December of 2024. Mm-hmm Cruises, like the one thing that they nail the due dates on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean they have those booked.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right, right, but they don't just pick a random date and then go, god, we better have the ship done by then. Right Like Right. I mean, we know, based on the wish, there's gonna be some cruises before the first cruise, right, you know, employee, cast member or whatever, right, all that so, and then Disney's lookout key in the Bahamas will be opening.
Speaker 1:I know that one's pretty cool At some point. So lots of cool stuff coming. Yeah, that's actually scheduled, I think July.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean fairly early in the yeah. So the Fort Wilderness Cabins will be the first dog-friendly Disney vacation club resort. Yes, the rules allow for up to two dogs per cabin with no stated maximum weight, which is cool. Mm-hmm, I love this. The dogs must be fully trained and are not allowed on furniture anywhere on the resort property.
Speaker 1:Good, luck with that Exactly.
Speaker 3:When outside of the cabins, dogs must be accompanied at all times and within a carrier or restrained with a leash. Not permitted in food and beverage locations. Lounges, pools and other recreation areas cannot be left unattended for more than seven hours. Guests with dogs must contact housekeeping to schedule room cleaning when the animals will not be present. Door hangers must be displayed on cabins where dogs are present and there is a fee of $30 per night for owners, $50 per night for lessies, guests, invites, licenses and exchangers.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:So if they're your points, $30,. If there's somebody else's points, $50. Great, I mean, if I'm your guest and you don't tell them it's my dog, right, come on, right, but I get it. That's more. For if you rent points, borrow points, buy points, right, right, well, rent points, yeah, whatever, probably cash room people, yes. So anyway, cool though dogs, I mean you kind of had to because I mean you know have to, but you kind of have to because for a wilderness is already pet friendly, right, yeah. So bring your dog to Disney, stay in the cabins, yep, the brand new cabins.
Speaker 3:Do it before they smell like somebody else's dog. Drive your dogs crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3:Right, so tell me this.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Your dog climbs up on the sofa to watch TV with you. How in the hell are they going to know?
Speaker 1:I.
Speaker 3:I'm just saying. I know, so like what I would do is that's for when the dog digs a hole in the sofa cushion.
Speaker 1:Right Now you're in big, big trouble, right but so like I would bring blankets, so that way the dogs could, you know, lay with us on the sofa and then I take the blanket with me.
Speaker 3:I mean theoretically, if we were people who broke rules Right, which we clearly are not.
Speaker 1:No, cause we are. We are very honest.
Speaker 3:Sticklers, real sticklers, real sticklers. This one hack, anyway, that's it for news. Yeah, the Saturday was New Year's Eve Eve.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love saying that I don't know why it's fun, it's, it's, it's a really a fun one to say New Year's Eve Eve.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the night started. We stayed off property. Yes, we did. Now we actually did get into our room at the Ramada Around one. Yeah, right, cause we stopped for lunch and then, yeah, it was about one o'clock. Yeah, so that was kind of cool. Yeah, because in the past they have tried to charge us for early check-in. Yes, did not even try this time.
Speaker 1:No, they did not.
Speaker 3:That was good. It's a convenient location.
Speaker 1:It really is.
Speaker 3:I definitely like the residents in more.
Speaker 1:Yes, at Flamingo crossings yes, I definitely liked.
Speaker 3:Especially being about as about the same distance from literally everything Cause that one feels more like we're on property, I think, is what it is.
Speaker 1:It feels like we're more on property, I think. I mean, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just it's just, it's just.
Speaker 3:It's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just. It's new and it's nice in. The room is big and yeah, but this one was fine, Especially for the price and being kind of last minute getting it, yeah, um, so we headed to For a Five 30 reservation at Stakehouse 71.
Speaker 1:Yes, for four people. Yeah, which was? I mean, it was like one of the morning when I got it, but it was still last minute, like two days before.
Speaker 3:Now you got it for four people. There were four, five, six, seven.
Speaker 1:Okay, but originally I did not know how many people were gonna be there.
Speaker 3:Nine of us, I think. Yeah, I think there was Nine of us, right, because people kept like just deciding they were coming, yeah, like not coming to dinner, like coming to Walt Disney World, right.
Speaker 1:So when we were going, we were going to meet our friends Alex and Andrew, yes, and then, all of a sudden, jen was coming and Nick and Carlin were coming, and Well, cause, when I made it I'm like, okay, well, make it for four, because Jen said she's coming, and then right, and then, after I made the reservation, nick and Carlin were coming, and then they brought two friends.
Speaker 3:So we ended up changing it to a lounge event.
Speaker 1:It actually worked out great. They were very nice there and accommodating us. I thought it was wonderful and it was kind of early.
Speaker 3:So the appetizers, the limited menu at the lounge, was actually better than like going for a full dinner. Yes, none of us were really starving at 5.30. But we needed something to eat and we knew that and we pre-gamed.
Speaker 1:We did pre-gamed.
Speaker 3:So the onion rings, they were really good.
Speaker 1:Like, really good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what I had. I don't know how anything else was, but the onion rings were really good.
Speaker 1:Yes, I had one of yours cause you loved one. Yeah, so, and I had. Macaroni cheese was okay, I had a bite, because somehow we got an extra order of macaroni and cheese.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know, I don't know how that happened but there were a lot of people throwing things at the server. She actually was really good she really was. She was very friendly and fun and tried to keep us focused as best she could Right. So it was good and she was on time with everything. Yeah, she was. So then we went to Magic Kingdom and the party started. We kind of all went our separate ways at first because, like people had a fast pass or lightning lane. Right.
Speaker 3:And we had a lightning lane, but not at the same time, and you know. So there was that, but we got to do Haunted Mansion and see the Hat Bugs Coast again. Yep, I try to think what else we did not really a lot.
Speaker 1:We did a people mover.
Speaker 3:Of course You'd always do the people mover.
Speaker 1:What else do we do?
Speaker 3:I think, oh, we did Carousel Progress.
Speaker 1:Yes, we did do Carousel Progress. Yeah, I think that was about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it was Right. I think it was yeah for that day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for that day. That's what it was, and. But it really wasn't about rides, it was about you know no, right, right.
Speaker 3:So we did a lot of hanging out, and then at 1150, there were fireworks.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, actually they had them at 630. And then they had them at 1150.
Speaker 3:Right, we did not manage to see the 630 fireworks, right.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no.
Speaker 1:No, we did not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we did the 1150. Mm-hmm, New Year's Eve 360 fireworks.
Speaker 1:Right, well, hold on. Just before. Well, we all gathered there for it and we happened to be basically where the hub, where Main Street meets the hub, literally right there at that intersection, yeah, and right behind us was a photo pass photographer and he's literally just standing there doing nothing. He wasn't even taking pictures and I'm like, are you guys doing pictures? He goes, yeah, there's just no one here. So we just all turned around and he took a bunch of pictures of us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean we barely moved because he had us. He was right there, like like we were basically standing on the mark anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but he didn't ask us to move.
Speaker 3:No, so that was cool Little memory. You know, last pictures at Magic Kingdom for the year. So it's been a long time, a long time, since I was in the park.
Speaker 1:For 360.
Speaker 3:For 360 New Year's Eve fireworks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's hard to watch them all you know what.
Speaker 3:They aren't great in the park. They're really cool from Bay Lake Tower yeah.
Speaker 1:I actually liked them more from Bay Lake Tower because I feel like I was missing stuff behind us.
Speaker 3:Everything that was going on behind us we didn't see, unless you, like, purposefully turned away from the cool stuff going on in front of you, right, which you didn't do. Right because the castle looked really cool, yeah, so I don't know, it wasn't bad.
Speaker 1:No. So I think next year we do the 630 in the park and then go up to top of the world for the 1150.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or here's a way Disney could save some money and quit raising my past holder prices. Like I don't know, you couldn't see anything behind you. So no, you really couldn't. They look really cool from California Grill or top of the world, or did you look really cool from there?
Speaker 3:Yes very cool. I bet it would look cool. Well, I mean, if you were behind the tower, you're the castle you still got the same issue, which is you don't see any of the stuff that's being shot off from behind you, Right? I don't know, I'm one disappointing, just one of those things that we saw. That was weird, right, like we all forgot that they were shooting them off behind us.
Speaker 1:Well, yes, and then, because I didn't want to miss this stuff on the castle, I turned around and I'm like, oh yeah, and then I turn back around.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, me too, but it was very cool. The finale was wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they did not waste any fireworks. No, it was like Armageddon, it was.
Speaker 3:So it was really neat. It's short. It's a very short show. It's a very short show. Fourth of July too, yes, but it is a very short show. The show is, so is Epcot.
Speaker 1:Yes, but there's a lot going on.
Speaker 3:Epcot is so cool, yes, so let's get to Epcot, because that was it we were done at Disney. Good magic kingdom after the fireworks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I did purposely, purposely take the time to leave, so we weren't leaving with the masses, because it was a massive, it wasn't run out or anything yeah it was a mass exodus there, right.
Speaker 3:And we headed back to our resort, got back to the hotel, not to our resort, our hotel. So, even being like that, it was 130-ish when we got back to the hotel. Yeah.
Speaker 1:No, I mean With our checkers. Yeah, is that what we got? Oh yeah we did get checkers.
Speaker 3:You gotta eat, gotta eat. So we slept in. I mean, did we? Because the fire alarm went off at 8.22. I know Whoever's doing it like it's happening a lot all over the place, whether we're there or not. Yeah, getting annoying. So will you guys stop? Yes, please, Can we just not eat that? At least spoke on the balcony like for real Right, so anyway. So we kind of got up, but we didn't. Here's a problem I got with this Ramada.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:TV sucked.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're terrible.
Speaker 3:Like first of all, like literally had, like did not have like half the channels.
Speaker 1:Well, and none of the descriptions matched the channel.
Speaker 3:No, because it wasn't cable, it was like to be your Pluto or something, because, like it didn't have ESPN or well, it had two ESPNs and the ACC network, right, but it didn't have like CNN or Fox or TBS or T had two year, had the game show network and the FYI network and Okay, the game show network we kind of got addicted to, though.
Speaker 3:I know because it was the only thing on TV and there was some channel that was 1970s police shows and not even Kojak in Colombo and Rockford files, like it was, shows that nobody watched in the 70s, right, I don't know, the TV sucked, they're terrible. Yeah, I think I'm done with that hotel.
Speaker 1:Until they get new TVs. Yes, they still. I mean they've made some improvements TVs it's the TV that. Right, I know They've made some improvements and they have to set up.
Speaker 3:I mean the hotels decent, but I need TV. I just need TV.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Back to not complaining about Ramada.
Speaker 1:Right. So then we just kind of hung around because we had no intention of going anywhere early, because we already knew we were going to be out late, and we were already out late the night before.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we didn't leave the hotel till 4, 4.30 again. Yeah, but because we knew we were going to be there till midnight. Yeah, you know. So we went to Epcot, we did spaceship Earth. Yes, that was it. That was our whole ride experience for the day.
Speaker 1:We had a virtual queue. We just didn't do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but I didn't have any. I honestly didn't have any interest in going on garden and guardians that day anyway. Okay, we just wandered around. We ended up going, so our friend Jen had gotten a table at Rosencrown Right and she was on the patio. Yes, and it was like five o'clock and Illuminous, illuminous, illuminous. I don't know why they had to like almost make it illuminations, but not, yeah, I know, but Illuminous.
Speaker 1:It was scheduled at 630. 630.
Speaker 3:So we ended up running over across Epcot to Rosencrown and meeting up with Jen and Reese and had dinner on the patio and at 630 were the fireworks Illuminous. A symphony of us, yes, the symphony of us. The symphony of us, all right. So we were under the patio and we were on the second level, right, so we couldn't see all the fireworks you could see, which I was okay with because I didn't really care about the fireworks. I wanted to see the show part Mm-hmm, right.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:So now I have seen it in person, it does not drastically change my opinion of the show from when I saw it on Facebook, which is every time you start to get into it, the music stops and the narrator starts talking. So it really just keeps you to me, keeps you from getting emotionally involved in the show.
Speaker 1:I agree with that.
Speaker 3:Now the lights and the fountains are awesome. Mm-hmm. But they miss the boat because there's no I don't remember what they call them water curtains, water screens, whatever they call them. There's no projections.
Speaker 1:No, there's no projections, but the things do move and shoot water and everything.
Speaker 3:I understand that. But when it started I'm like, oh, this reminds me of World of Color, but then there's no projections, so I don't know, it's just missing something. Now we saw with Disney Enchantment that they can change a fireworks show in the middle on the fly Yep, because they did. They added scenes to that one, right, yep. So maybe they can do something. I'm not saying they're gonna do projections, because that's a whole different Right. But I don't know, it's just missing something.
Speaker 1:Now I have a little bit different opinion, but that's just me. So, for example, because I saw it on I was live opening night and it was again I liked it. I was keeping an open mind because I enjoyed harmonious so much. So I was like, all right, part of it is because it sits so low in the water I couldn't fully see all of the lights and all of the stuff on it because I'm short. So now that when I sat there, being able to see all of the lights and what it did, I actually was much more emotionally involved in it. Seeing it up close after seeing the whole thing from afar, if that makes sense. So now I wanna see it closer up, but see it all, see the whole thing again.
Speaker 1:So, that's my feeling on it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean it was good. Like I said, the lights and the fountains are beautiful.
Speaker 1:I just added my true sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just feel like they're tri-ended. Like the old illuminations was like super, you know, tugging at your heart and all that. Fireworks were like an afterthought to it to me. But this new one is like all about the fountains on the lights and, like I said, every time like it gets going, like then everything stops and we talk about music, how it started millions of years ago. It just, I don't know, Like I don't know. I mean, I know it's not supposed to be the same as all the other shows because it's Epcot. Right.
Speaker 3:Still not sold on it.
Speaker 1:We'll see, but then right after, luminous was super cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so they had told us before the fireworks started. Our server told us that at seven o'clock, when it hit midnight in the UK, that all the servers and everybody were gonna be out in front in the street celebrating New Year. Yes, and we could come out if they want. If we want, yes.
Speaker 1:We were invited to join them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but it was mostly like, but from like basically the start of the fireworks until like for like 45 minutes. You're not gonna be able to order anything Cause we're not gonna be in here. So we went out. It was so cool, like the countdown and then all the cast members, just you know, screaming and jumping up and down and everybody saying old leg sign and it was really neat.
Speaker 1:It was a really cool experience. It was really fun.
Speaker 3:They were all hugging on each other and so excited.
Speaker 1:Cause. Most of them are college program or slightly older.
Speaker 3:International program.
Speaker 1:International program. So it was just really neat seeing the camaraderie with all of them and it cause they wanted us to be part of it too, which is really neat.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So, Funniest thing that happened.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:We were standing out there and this parade of the cast members come out Right. So there's a British family standing next to me and on the other side of them or kind of right behind them were two Orange County Sheriff's officers, and the one sheriff goes the British are coming, the British are coming. The family from the UK had no idea why. Every three of us thought that was really funny. So the sheriff's deputy then had to explain the story of Paul Revere to a British family.
Speaker 1:And that I don't know what part was funnier. Him explaining it.
Speaker 3:Well, and see, you were hearing it from me. So it started off with he looks at his partner and goes. So now I've got to tell the story of the midnight run of Paul Revere, like he was quoting the poem at this point. It was just so funny, like you know, it was such a dad joke to start with, but it became so much funnier then because you know, jokes are always funnier when you explain them, right Right. So it was just really funny. It was In a weird way.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was, that was great. When we went back in, we paid.
Speaker 1:Actually, that's when Nick and Carlin showed up.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, nick, carlin, nick and Carlin and their friends popped in, so now there's a bunch of us there, and off we went to the dance parties.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I think what Jen went running over to see if we can get into the silent party at UK Silent disco or whatever they called it.
Speaker 3:It's the one where you wear headphones and dancing literally to your own drummer. Right, apparently, there was a list of. It was like 150 people waiting to get them, so we skipped that, right, right, because that's crazy.
Speaker 1:Right, so then we headed to China.
Speaker 3:We headed towards China. Yes, yeah, china is so cool, it's like a rave. It really is, and they got that dragon blast and fire over your heads. But it was packed, it was. You couldn't dance because it was so many people in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so when I'm trying to find because they went ahead, so I'm trying to find them. So I'm walking through and people are like dancing with me as I'm walking through, it's the only way you could get through is you're kind of dancing your way through. So, believe it or not, the picture that showed up in my head when I was doing it was at the end of Bird Cage, when Gene Hackman is walking through in his dress and he's like dancing with people as he's walking through. That's how I felt I was going the opposite way of them.
Speaker 3:So the way I felt was like a night at the Roxbury, whenever a girl would come to the bar and try to get a drink in between Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan oh, and it was the do, do, do, do. You were just banging through and dancing. Like that's how I felt when you went through there, like you were the pretty girl in Night at Roxbury just getting slam danced against. We didn't say they're long, none of them's dead, no, we skied at old around over to Italy.
Speaker 3:Yes, italy stepped their game up this year. Yes, they did. They had some lasers going on and like way better lights.
Speaker 1:And people on stilts wearing really weird lit up costumes.
Speaker 3:I will say they were not weird. Lit up costumes Like that's a thing, but they were weirdly lit. Okay, that's probably a better way of describing it the woman on stilts basically has like an L, if you picked the worst possible areas to put lights on a female body. That's what they did. That is where they were yes, upper and lower body, like just in the weirdest places for Disney.
Speaker 1:Yes, if it was anywhere Borderline, uncomfortable, right. If it was anywhere than Disney, I would expect it.
Speaker 3:Yeah going down Bourbon Street like it makes total sense, right, but I don't know that was a little weird. Yes, it was very borderline comfort level there, but they were cool and they were taking pictures and kind of dancing on the stilts. It was cool. But Italy stepped their game up for the dance party. It was cool with the lasers and stuff and what I liked about Italy. What I didn't like about Italy was that all of the restaurants closed at nine o'clock, which included the bathrooms. Right, for the first time ever not at a football or baseball game I had to wait in line to get into a bathroom.
Speaker 3:You know, in a crowded place like that. I'm not like oh, I got to wait in line at the gas station because there's only one bathroom in here, right, you know, there was a line like 15 minutes long outside the men's room at Morocco, so that sucked, yeah, but on the other, also, you couldn't get a drink after nine o'clock in Italy, correct, you know? Water, soda or other. Right, that was weird, especially because they had all the holiday kitchens were still there open even though the festival was over. Right, but they knew they needed food and drink around that place. Right, but the lines were forever.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, because all the restaurants closed at nine o'clock apparently. I don't know Right, so that was weird, yeah, but Italy was cool, the dance music was cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they had the bubbles with the smoke in them, the machines, a bunch of those, and they had, like just steam machines. However, in the back, because all the restaurants were closed, all the tables and chairs were open yeah, it was wide open back behind DJ, so we hung out back there Most of the night. Yeah, because it was perfect. We had a place, we had tables and chairs to sit at.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and you could still enjoy the music. You could almost have a conversation. Yeah, because the speakers reported the other direction.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you still could hear the music. You had a good, you know. You could still get up and dance.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we sat back there with our friend Samantha and our friend Rick for quite a while actually, yes, so that was very, very fun.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And then you know really cool ringing in the new year with those friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, then Alex and Andrew showed up, yeah, and then we started to go. We went to Japan and came back. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we went down to Japan. It was as bad as China.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we're like I don't like this.
Speaker 3:So we turned around and went back to Italy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'd rather enjoy the music and be able to relax. And got a great place for the fireworks Right in front of Italy.
Speaker 3:Alex and Andy found the fireworks places both nights. I know Late, yes, because there were people, when the sun was still out, camped out at the fence around Lagoon.
Speaker 1:Yes, In the cot I mean there were people actually.
Speaker 3:The sundown is like 615.
Speaker 1:I saw some people actually on the ground asleep.
Speaker 3:Right, but we were in Italy. We were near the fence. I don't know five, six, eight people back from the fence, but near enough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean like right near the, but it was the big open spot, it was perfect, it was perfect.
Speaker 3:Got to see the fireworks and I said the finale at Magic Kingdom was cool. This was insane.
Speaker 1:Ridonkulous.
Speaker 3:Like insane. Every firework it was like they set off all the fireworks from all the fireworks shows that got rained out this year. Yeah, all at the same time. It was crazy, there were so many fireworks.
Speaker 1:And the sky was perfectly clear too. There was not a cloud in the sky, it wasn't humid, it was cold, it was cold but not too cold, and it was perfect.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but here it is. It's Epcot, right, so you can get alcoholic adult beverages.
Speaker 1:Great.
Speaker 3:You could be anywhere on that lagoon and see the fireworks show. Right, you don't have to be on Main Street to see the fireworks, and the dance parties are so much fun. They really are. Here's the one thing. I sent this text to our friends. I swear to you it is the same music they were playing at Pleasure Island 30 years ago, 25 years ago, when they do New Year's Eve every night. And when I say that, I mean like it was that Queen song, the Black Eyed Peas, like it was just all that 90s pop and earlier it was.
Speaker 3:It was the same soundtrack, I know but it was still a blast, it was bad, it's just funny Like literally Epcot New Year's Eve was. The music part ended in like 1997, maybe 1999.
Speaker 1:Right, so one good thing they did different this year is usually Epcot closes at midnight, like Magic Kingdom closed at midnight and previously Epcot closed at midnight, so it was just the fireworks and then get out. This year they stayed open till one, so it actually made it. So it wasn't so mad crazy. You could take your time and relax and walk around and still talk. It was nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, we took our time getting out of there. Yeah, it was good. It was a very fun night and I think Epcot did a good job.
Speaker 1:They just need to figure out a way to be able to you know have it so you don't have to wait so long and lying to for drinks yeah, I don't know how to fix that.
Speaker 3:Well, I don't know that they want to fix that.
Speaker 1:No, I know.
Speaker 3:Also, you know they want to sell drinks, but they also don't need fights. No, no, no, I know which. We did see one trying to start at Boardwalk waiting for our ride. Yes, so at, you know, at that point, one in the morning. Yeah, by the way, you think it's a good idea to go to Boardwalk or Beach Club and catch an Uber, you know?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, there was.
Speaker 3:It's not. It's going to take you an hour to get an Uber, yes, or a Lyft, yes. So there's just no way to good way to leave those parks Right At midnight. And same thing happened last year. Remember, when a ride kept getting canceled and picked up and canceled and picked up.
Speaker 1:Yep. And then it happened to be someone who was inside the park watching the fireworks Right.
Speaker 3:Who was staying at the Boardwalk or Beach Club? I think it was last year Beach Club. Yeah, Was like oh, I don't even have to leave the parking lot to get a To pick up a ride. Yeah, but it was a blast and it's always a blast.
Speaker 1:It really was.
Speaker 3:So it's how I'm doing for the foreseeable future. I think we're done. Yeah, anything else you wanted to mention? Okay, well, that is going to do it for the first show of 2024. Woohoo, woohoo.
Speaker 3:Thanks everyone for staying with us. We hope everyone had good holidays. Yes, and you wanted already for the new year, to you know, for a lot of us be better than the last year was. Yes, yes, you know, and if that's not what you're looking for, god bless you. Yes, but, yeah, thanks everyone. Check us out on Instagram mickeyfile underscore podcast. Come join our Facebook group, hang out, we'll talk Disney. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3:That's going to do it. If you want to reach out to us for whatever reason at all, drop us an email mickeyfilepodcastatgmailcom. Goodbye, good night, everybody.
Speaker 1:Thank you, we'll see you next time.