DisLove E136: Halloween at Walt Disney World: A Magical Mix of Fun, Frights, and Fantasies and Meg from Next Page with Meg

Get ready for a spooky encounter with Disney’s Halloween festivities as we, your hosts Vanessa and Kris, take you on a magical tour of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. From discussing the enchantment of the parade, the allure of the stage show, to the thrill of trick or treating and the spectacle of the fireworks show, we promise you a night of fun and memories at the Magic Kingdom! Sporting an adult costume? We've got you covered with a detailed discussion of the rules around it and we also discuss the worth of the party as an investment.

The treats at the resort are second to none, and we'll explore the multitude of Halloween delights available, including the Tombstone Tart in Golden Oak Outpost and the Candy Corn Milkshake in Hollywood Scoops. Let our guest, Disney expert Meg Patten, transport you into a world of story hunts at the park that are sure to amaze, charm, and enhance your experience with her business Next Page with Meg. 

As we delve into Meg's storybook boxes, prepare to be amazed by the range of tasks, clues, and the much-coveted locked prize. Meg also reveals how these hunts can be tailored to different parks and resorts, perfect for both first-time park goers and seasoned Disney veterans. We wrap up by reflecting on Walt Disney's inspiring words and the importance of self-expression, and we invite you to share your unique costumes on social media. So, buckle up for a thrilling journey through Disney's Halloween festivities!

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Transcript

Vanessa Ferguson: 0:05

Welcome to the DisLove Podcast with Vanessa and Kris. I'm Vanessa Ferguson and I'm Kris Johns.

Vanessa Ferguson: 0:10

We would like to welcome you to show number 136 and for any listeners joining us for the first time, our show features things we love at Disney and in each episode we have a guest who creates Disney magic for our listeners at home or on their Disney vacation. From vacation planners to product producers, our guests can bring Disney magic into your life. And, as a reminder to our listeners, we appreciate if you take time to leave us a review on Apple podcasts or anywhere else where you listen. That helps the show grow and helps new listeners find us. And on today's show we are going to be joined by Meg Patton from Next Page. With Meg, her business offers Walt Disney World story hunts, including ones for special events like Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party. She offers some that are digital downloads. She can customize them. She also has some that include like a box with clues and prizes for you to solve with your group. Super fun, exciting things.

Vanessa Ferguson: 1:06

And in honor of Meg's amazing story hunt for Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party, we're going to be talking about Halloween festivities at Walt Disney World and actually, just a few days after recording this, we are going to be doing one of her story hunts, so I'm super excited for that. Our episode is actually releasing the day that we'll be at the Halloween Party, so we'll make sure to share videos and lots of fun photos so you can experience what we have with Meg's hunt. So I want to preface this. Some of these things are just coming back. We have one thing that I'm really hoping come back soon, and I'd like to thank our friends over at Disney Tourist Blog and WDW Prep School for some of the overviews as well, as we have some experience with quite a few of these items ourselves, and I would say I mean, we enjoy Halloween and we do a lot of Halloween stuff, but I wouldn't say we're like we're Halloween people, would you say. Kris.

Kris Johns: 2:02

No, I. There's folks who love Jack Skellington and going all out. I'm an enjoyer of Halloween, but we do a dog park event.

Vanessa Ferguson: 2:12

We do a dog park event, I mean we're.

Kris Johns: 2:14

I will do a pumpkin fundraiser for another thing I'm doing. But Halloween is fun, but it's not my like many. For many people it's their Christmas.

Vanessa Ferguson: 2:21

Yeah, so we're excited. It's fun for us to go to Disney and experience these things, because then we get to do all the fun without having to go all out ourselves. So we're going to start with the top one, which will also review our experience, because we're going to this year's party. We did actually way back at the very beginning of the show I don't know if you remember this, chris, because it's going back almost five years we did a show where we compared the Halloween party to the Christmas party.

Kris Johns: 2:46

Do you remember that? I do not.

Vanessa Ferguson: 2:48

Well, I will put that in the show like show notes, and we are also going to be going to both this year, so maybe we'll do revisit that topic Anyway. So the first thing that I think most people think of when it comes to Halloween at Disney is Mickey's not so scary Halloween party, if you've never been. What this is is. It's a separate, hard ticketed event at Magic Kingdom and what happens is the park closes early today. Guests and you have to have this separate ticket to get in and you can get in a little early, which we'll talk about more details about the party later when we do our review. But they have the Boo to you Halloween parade. They have a hocus pocus villains speltacular stage show, trick or treating, which is super fun, and then there's a not so spooky spectacular fireworks show. People really go for the characters. There's all kinds of characters in fun outfits and it's the only time that adults can wear like traditional costumes at the park.

Kris Johns: 3:47

That's cool.

Vanessa Ferguson: 3:48

Yeah, so we've done that many times before. And you can wear a costume if you're 13 and over. You just can't wear there's restrictions on like. You can't wear masks, you can't pretend that you're. You can't pretend that you're a character like Disney actually has in their rules, that you can't sign autographs, which I'm sure some people might have awesome costumes.

Kris Johns: 4:09

I'm sure you know what I. There's probably a contingent of former cast members who want a little bit of the glory in. Just imagine, plus now with tiktok. Here's a fun fact about that.

Vanessa Ferguson: 4:21

What.

Kris Johns: 4:22

I went to graduate school with a former cast member. He could do. He did at least 10 different signatures.

Vanessa Ferguson: 4:30

Yeah, you gave that one. I know I'm just saying context.

Kris Johns: 4:34

But just that goes back to your point thing about you can't sign autographs.

Vanessa Ferguson: 4:38

Yeah, so he could have been in the park in theory. Maybe somebody did that Not him.

Kris Johns: 4:42

But. But nowadays with tiktok is one of those things like I'm going to go in Disney secrets and Cinderella. And I'm going to do XYZ. You know, nowadays everybody's a cloud chaser. But that said, that's my Disney trivia.

Vanessa Ferguson: 4:54

So have a cool costume but don't pretend to be a real Disney meet and greet. So those are some things. We're going to give a full review of the Halloween party. It is expensive but it's so much fun, I think. All of the after hour ticketed things I enjoy those a lot. How about you?

Kris Johns: 5:13

Yes.

Vanessa Ferguson: 5:15

But it is an investment. It's even worth it. Like for us, when we're going this time it's before we're getting on the cruise, so we're not even using a park day, like we're just going for the Halloween party and that's something you can do as just an extra day.

Kris Johns: 5:28

One plus you mentioned the investment you know the other side is. Let's say, you buy an all day ticket, you're going to wait 40 minutes, or this 50 minutes or that, where you know the mine car ride, you get out immediately. Space, please.

Kris Johns: 5:48

Correct and so it's a case of oh, it's this much money? Well, maybe you go to the outlets and during the day you relax, and then put your money and time into the night, where, yes you, it's a smaller time period, but number one it's in. It's at dark, so it's a better weather cooler and you know, there's times where we will be like the last ride.

Vanessa Ferguson: 6:08

Yeah, we're there till the end.

Kris Johns: 6:09

Correct and you get your money's worth because you can literally get on and get right back off. So it's just six to one, half dozen to another, but if you're there to enjoy the park, and the characters that you don't see any other time the characters.

Kris Johns: 6:22

Now, if you were to have a day pass, go all day and then do it, that is a lot of money, that's a lot of time. But if you're just gonna do something and, like you said, everything's expensive, it Disney, so you can't complain about that. The one thing you can't complain about is capacity and just being able to get on rides and see characters. This is a way to kind of do the all the above. Have fun at night, when it's cooler, see characters you wouldn't otherwise see ride more rides see special shows and get candy and then boo to you what's?

Kris Johns: 6:50

how does that song go?

Vanessa Ferguson: 6:52

I'm not a singer, oh sing baby.

Kris Johns: 6:55

But it's one of those things.

Vanessa Ferguson: 6:56

Yes. So it's so much fun and look up that show, that song and you will have it stuck in your head for a very long time. Boot to you All right. Another thing that is great that something that you can enjoy at Magic Kingdom even if you do not have a Ticket for the Halloween party is they have some really fun, cool decorations. They have pumpkin reese that are up and down the Main Street. They also have a variety of Really big like. They have a giant pumpkin that you can get some pictures in front of. They also have Pumpkin people that are right around Main Street, like right by when you first enter. Just a lot of fun and it's great for pictures and all kinds of fun things. At Disney Springs they have a lot of photo backdrops, which are great because you can get selfies and some cool social media picture posts. There's a lot of different decorations that are up that you can experience and enjoy over at Disney Springs.

Vanessa Ferguson: 8:06

Now, going to more specific things besides the fun decor that you can enjoy Over at Hollywood Studios, they have a fun experience. That's a dining experience. The bummer to me is the food is not very good here. I've eaten here several times and I go for the experience. So over at Hollywood and Vine, at Disney's Hollywood Studios, they have what's called Minnie's Halloween Dine, and Throughout the year if you've ever gone to Hollywood and Vine this is kind of seasonal changes. So I've done the Halloween one with my good friend a few years ago.

Vanessa Ferguson: 8:40

Which good friend my good friend Judy. Yes, yes. So we went to Hollywood and Vine and Minnie and friends are all dressed in super cute Halloween costumes. So we didn't have on you can't wear costumes Hollywood Studios. But we had cute Halloween shirts and Halloween ears and it was so much fun to get their pictures.

Vanessa Ferguson: 9:01

It's a. It is a Buffet, so you can kind of get what you want. I will say you don't go for the food, you go for the outfits and the character experiences, which is super fun and it's well worth the cost. They are only there for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is Disney Junior characters, so really keep that in mind. But it's so much fun to do the seasonal dining for the Minnie's Hollywood Dine.

Vanessa Ferguson: 9:27

Now, throughout the entire Walt Disney World resort there are all kinds of fun food items. Now, if you're going to the Halloween party, make sure to check out. There's some that are exclusive just for the Halloween party, but throughout the day you, no matter where you're at you, can get something great. So there are special drinks. So I'm just gonna give you a few tastes of some of the sampling of some of the different items that are available Now. Starting over at Magic Kingdom, they have an apple churro. It's called the not-so-poisoned apple churro and people say that this is really good. I'm not. I like churros, but I don't go churro crazy. Do you like churros that much?

Kris Johns: 10:12

We just didn't grow up with it.

Vanessa Ferguson: 10:13

Yeah, I don't know.

Kris Johns: 10:14

I remember one time we were in a Orlando adjacent Walmart and they had churros and I got them and they were okay, but I'll put my calorie somewhere else.

Vanessa Ferguson: 10:24

Okay, so let me read this churro though this is a special, it's not so poison apple churro, and this is at the snack carton near Cinderella Castle. It's a churro rolled in green apple sugar, topped with Snickers bar pieces and drizzled with caramel sauce, and that's new Chocolate and caramel. Pretty good, yes, and they have lots of other. There's like an apple fritter milkshake. Let's see what are some of the other ones. At Magic Kingdom there's a couple of special drinks over at Sheshire Cafe. These are, these sound pretty good. There's a frozen cherry slushie with black cherry puree and it has whipped cream and a chocolate piece on top. There's a which is cold brew, which is a joffrey's coffee drink this one sounds really good which I would like to try. This. Over at Golden Oak Outpost so over towards Frontierland, kind of, as you're leaving Adventureland they have a tombstone tart. It's a pastry filled with strawberry jalapeno jam and topped with sprinkles and sugar spiders. Would you try a strawberry jalapeno pop tart?

Kris Johns: 11:27

Sure.

Vanessa Ferguson: 11:28

I think I would like to try it. There's also a black velvet whoopee pie. Over in Liberty Square, over at Upcat you can head to Sunshine Seasons. They have several special desserts which sound quite good. Over at Hollywood Studios, if you don't make it to Minnie's Hollywood Dine, the ABC Commissary has some specialty drinks as well as spider web tart, and then over at Backyard Backlot Express they have a couple of different drinks as well. You'll see these drinks kind of repeat themselves. I think one thing that's kind of fun. Over at the Hollywood Scoops, where you can get ice cream, they have a candy corn milkshake. I like candy corn. I don't know. I mean I don't go out of my way to buy it, but I do enjoy candy. Do you like candy corn?

Kris Johns: 12:16

I'll eat it, it's just not a preference.

Vanessa Ferguson: 12:19

Yeah. So this is a vanilla and candy corn milkshake tapped with an orange donut. In Hollywood Sprinkles, halloween Sprinkles. Pizza Rizzo has some stuff. Woody's Lunchbox has a special pop tart. It's a pumpkin one, a pumpkin pie filled pastry tart with marshmallow fondant, candy corn and Halloween Sprinkles. So lots of fun things. Over at Animal Kingdom, tamu Tamu has a special cinnamon roll. Pizza Fari. Restaurant Saurus has a scar cupcake. If you're over at Disney Springs, head over to the Petitcery, they have lots of fun cakes. Deluxe Burger has a couple of special items. So lots of things. No matter where you're at. The Ganashire has a ton of great chocolates. Even when you go over to Jock Lindsay's Hanger Bar, they have some fun drinks. So you really could make a whole culinary experience out of all of the special items that are available for the Halloween season, which I think is super fun. And, of course, check your resort, because the resorts have a lot of special items too, especially like cupcakes and desserts. That's where you're gonna get your fill of a lot of different specialty things.

Vanessa Ferguson: 13:31

Now, the next item that we're gonna talk about related to Halloween. This one has not came back yet since COVID, but I had to share it because we just had episode, a few episodes back, where we spent a lot of time talking about Fort Wilderness because we were interviewing people from camper rental adventures and they had. They used to have this event in. I'm really hoping for next year. People thought it was gonna come back for 2023. It hasn't so maybe next year, but I had to share. It's called Return to Sleepy Hollow. It was held every year at Fort Wilderness and what they would do is they would head of one evening where they would have a viewing of the 1949 classic film, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and then during that night they would have kind of like a headless the headless horsemen. It would appear they have a up close and personal encounter. There was always a dessert party with Halloween themed snacks and it ran several weekend, starting towards the end of September until Halloween. So hopefully this experience will come back in 2024. And if you did listen to our interview with camper rental adventures, they talked about how Halloween is one of those top seasons, just like Christmas. So if you think you want to go to Fort Wilderness, you want to rent a camper, reach out to camper rental adventures and get that booked for next year right away.

Vanessa Ferguson: 14:56

Now, another fun thing which we've gotten to see several times, which I'm hoping. Maybe I don't know if we'll be a little early this trip because we'll be in early October, but something we've saw before is that a lot of the resorts will have where cast members carve and decorate pumpkins and then put them on display. They're always usually at contemporary and boardwalk, but I was at All Star one year and they had at All Star Music. They had some. It's really fun to see and often on or right at Halloween. So, like on Halloween or right near it, a lot of the resorts will do things like costume contests, crafts, halloween movies, where they have the movies out on the lawns. They'll often have a Halloween themed film and trick or treating.

Vanessa Ferguson: 15:39

So check out your resort when you're there. In particular, if you're there towards later part of October, you'll have a chance to check out some really fun Halloween activities there. And finally, there are lots of awesome Halloween merch to pick up everywhere and a lot of our awesome vendors have some really cool Halloween merchandise as well, and there are sometimes exclusive well, there are usually exclusive items that make you not so scary Halloween party as well, as there'll be items that are on like Shop Disney or in specific parks. I will say I have a lot of Halloween spirit jerseys and, as we said, we're not even Halloween people, but I have a huge collection of Disney Halloween shirts. So lots of great merchandise that you can do and get and I think, overall, even if you're not a huge Halloween person, I think you can't help but get into the spirit of Halloween when you go to Disney at this time of year, correct? So check out all of these things, whether it be food, taking that extra splurge to go to the Halloween party or just checking out some of the things at the resorts and the decorations lots of fun things throughout Walt Disney World at this time of year. So check it out. And I will make sure to share some of our links to our past shows where we looked at the Halloween party and stay tuned for our upcoming review of the 2023. Mickey's not so scary Halloween party.

Vanessa Ferguson: 17:05

So up next, we're gonna get our interview with Meg and we're looking forward to using her story hunt here. Very shortly, we'd like to welcome Meg to the show. Her business Next Page with Meg specializes in what she calls story hunts, which are scavenger hunts where you really are looking at the details at the parks and everything that Disney brings to show us all that story, and I know we're gonna be doing one of hers that she has for Mickey's not so scary Halloween party, so I'm really looking forward to seeing that and having her explain more to all of you. She's a lifelong Disney theme park fan and she worked as a cast member for over 14 years. Like all of us, she loves Disney and all of those details and stories that Disney shows us. She's been married for eight years and she has three kids, and we'd like to welcome Meg to the show. Thank you so much. Now we start off the shows by asking our guests what are some of their favorite things at the parks, and lately we've been asking people what is your favorite character to meet?

Meg Patten: 18:15

That's a good one because specifically, some meet creatures, or more some than others. Yes, that's true, super timely. I've been a lifelong Figma fan so obviously we were having to be at Epcot for his first day of greeting. We did not wait in the line. We had a few other things we're gonna do at the park but we did check out and it looks so fun. You know, through the years there's been a couple different ways you can meet Figma, but I really like this latest iteration. He comes out of the Dreamport many old school Figma fans will remember that from the original ride and they receive a nod to the rainbow tunnel. So I really love when Disney like adds in. Of course I love Disney details. They add in those details that are coming back. But you do, I mean that one's like super timely. I really. I'm always on Winnie the Pooh. He's just such a sweetie and he's being great there at Magic Kingdom right next to the ride with the big open book and he gives the best hugs.

Vanessa Ferguson: 19:19

That is for sure and for any of our listeners. They probably know I talk about Figma a lot, so I'm super excited. We'll be going in a few weeks and I'm hoping to get the line signed down a little bit and I'll be able to be able to.

Meg Patten: 19:33

Yeah, there's definitely a buzz and excitement. So, yeah, that's what we're gonna over to. That though Keep the popularity, but slow down on the three to four Anyway for sure.

Vanessa Ferguson: 19:46

Now we have you on here, of course, to hear all about your business and what are the products that you offer connected to Disney.

Meg Patten: 19:53

So I run NextFage with Meg and I have several creative services, but one of the main ones I provide I call Story Hunts, which are really scavenger hunts that help direct you to cool details and like not to Disney movies and Disney heritage all throughout Walt Disney World, parks, resorts, disney Springs and because I've always been enthralled.

Meg Patten: 20:15

I've been coming to Disney literally since before I could walk and I've always loved those details, whether it's in architecture or kind of down paths. Disney does it so well and you think kind of even just being perks in general. There's a reason why they're themed and so I've been expanding to some hunts at Universal Orlando as well as some locations with Disney Cruise Line, because again they all have that same thread where they're telling these amazing stories and it just feels like people there's so much you wanna jam pack in your vacation which can make it so fun, but sometimes it's slowing down and these cool details that you might miss otherwise, and whether you're an annual pass holder and you've been coming for years and years or it's your very first visit, all of these pieces can really add to your experience. So my hunts help you look for those and find those, and in a really fun way you know, people love a scavenger hunt or kind of think of it as almost a escape room. In a box there's tasks and things to complete in order to discover everything.

Vanessa Ferguson: 21:16

Now, would you say these are for a certain age range, or do you have different ones depending on who is with you?

Meg Patten: 21:24

I mean, really I kind of designed it like Disney itself. I want to say it's good for all ages. So even within the hunts they'll do clues with very difficulty. There's, you know, somewhere you might have to count something. So you know, I think, like my six year old loves to count, and even me as a full-fledged adult, I was like, oh wait, I don't know how many seagulls are outside the seas.

Meg Patten: 21:47

I have to go over there. I've seen them how many times, but I don't remember exactly how many, so in that case it's really fun for really the whole family, or even if it's just adults. I've had a group of teenagers do them team builders, but I'll also do custom so people, especially when it comes to the team builder ones, you know companies are looking kind of for certain activities to bring groups together, so I really like to have fun with those too.

Kris Johns: 22:17

You mentioned your entrepreneurial spirit. What led you to create this business?

Meg Patten: 22:23

I, like so many others, in the midst of the pandemic, my world turned upside down. I've been working for Walt Disney World for a little over 14 years and I had just recently had my third child. So I had an infant and two preschool-aged children. So I thought, okay, what? Now? There's some fantastic groups out there social media, what, not?

Meg Patten: 22:49

One particular one is called Ear for Each Other and that group was specifically created to help displaced cast members, and team members like myself were kind of like what should we do next? And either some of us had a business idea or we're working on something. And it was within that group that you know some of these things I've been doing more as a hobby looking for Disney details, making fun games out of it. Realized there was a market for that, but people really wanted to find those things, and especially the popularity of the Imagineering Story on Disney Plus and gosh how many hundreds of books there are out there and other videos and fans who are constantly talking about different ways to experience the theme parks. I thought, okay, well, I can put my fun twist on that. Let me kind of compile all of those fun tidbits and you know details to look for into a fun scavenger hunt. It took off, which is really fun.

Vanessa Ferguson: 23:50

Now that ties into our next question was how do you think that your hunts add some Disney magic into your customers' lives?

Meg Patten: 24:03

I mean I've always been a fan of the Disney magic. I think it's hard. As you know, the world is changing and people kind of see that magic is different things. I've always seen it as connections. You know whether you can make a connection with a cast member, make a connection with a character, with the park. You know some people when they see the castle they well up with tears or they have certain memories or whether it's their first time.

Meg Patten: 24:27

So I try to capture pieces of that in my story hunts. So looking for those pieces that might connect back to a childhood story or a memory you know, especially love, I'll get excited if it's kind of obscure. You know there's people who love certain movies from the 60s or 70s that don't get as much love. So to have a story hunt clue that connects to that, because with my hunts too, I don't hide anything, it's all what's pre-existing in the locations, so something that really anyone can find. But people are usually just so busy going on to their next thing that they don't take the time to look. So I get a lot of people who get excited. They're like I never even thought to look there and I found this and my whole family got so excited so I get a little. You know kind of makes my heart happy when I hear those. And then it's super cool when I get to be a part of people's sort of life events. Folks have used my hunts to get engaged to welcome home family members, whether it's from deployments or different things.

Vanessa Ferguson: 25:37

You know they do one of my hunts and then the last piece of it is that big life event and that's just so cool to me to be a part of magical moments like that in people's lives and I think we've mentioned on the show we were married at Disney, we were married in Epcot and we had a vow renewal there and I think, even thinking about the Disney like couple community, this would be a fun event that you could have for your guests that you may be leading up to your wedding.

Vanessa Ferguson: 26:04

I know we did like a photo scavenger hunt at our vow renewal, but I think something like this would have been super fun for our guests to do. So I think there's so many great outlets, like you said, that it makes it enhances those special occasions. But I know, just reading through the hunt that you shared with us, it's something that's great for people who are on their first trip or veteran park goers like ourselves that have been there dozens of times, and it, just like you said, you find something that you've never noticed before, which I think that is unique. Because so many people are rushing ride to ride, they miss out on that story that Disney shares and tells everywhere. So I think that's what makes your product so unique.

Meg Patten: 26:48

And you know too, I think there's with vacations now not just Disney there's so many making a reservation for this and a time slot for that, and then when you get to the place, then you're. You know, every person plans a little differently, but there's always those little pockets of hey, we're on our way to such and such, to this attraction, to this restaurant. You have a few moments to kind of look down this path that you may not have taken before and to discover some things. So I really try to encourage people to do that too. Or for the people you don't have links, and that's perfectly fine, you just want to go with the flow, then these tons are great. For that too, I always tell people because there's like, oh, how long will this take?

Meg Patten: 27:30

And one, it depends on the group. And then if you're really going, oh, or if you want it, you know, and so it's up to you, you can use it as a competition which people have, and I love stories like that. There's a mom with her three daughters where they're going around Disney Springs and they were being like, no, no, no, they got ahead of us, we had to find this next group. Or you can just weave it in throughout your day, you know. So you do a few hunts here because you're an adventure land, and then you want to pause because you've got lunch reservations, but then pick it up again. So it really works.

Vanessa Ferguson: 27:59

For, however you, want to do your schedule Now. If I were wanting to do one of your hunts, if I have an idea for a custom one, how far in advance of a trip should I reach out to you?

Meg Patten: 28:12

It really can vary. Some people will reach out a year in advance and we can start those conversations. I can get you on the books, but really I like to have at least a week or two's notice, especially depending if it's going to be a custom, how complex it is. In some cases I have, you know, quite a log of clues and things, but especially when it comes to, like, engagements or team building, I really try to include favorites or things that really speak to that group. So you know, if you know you want to include a certain character or certain areas of the park or other areas, especially now you think Disney, you know Epcot, all that stuff.

Meg Patten: 28:54

It's funny Coming back into its own. There's been a lot of walls and things up, so trying to avoid those. So at least you know, give two weeks or so before your trip. So that's it. And I always say tell people, even if it is less than that, reach out, because my standard hunts that are kind of off the shelf ready to go, whether it's the digital demo that I can email to you and print, or the storybook box, which is one that I assemble and have the envelopes and the task and there's a locked prize. You know, those are great too, and I can deliver right to you or resort. I can also ship, so we can get it to you when you need it.

Vanessa Ferguson: 29:36

So could you explain a little more about the storybook boxes Because I know probably some people have seen where you have like your digital downloads that you send but, how do those boxes take it to a different level?

Meg Patten: 29:51

People always ask are the digital downloads like the digital version of the storybook box? And no, they're separate. There's so many details out there. So if you were to go to the you know Disney's contemporary resort, my digital download is different, has different clues, does have a photo hunt, has a brain teaser, and that's all different than if you order the storybook box. I call it a storybook box because the box itself I designed it to look like a book. So I work with a company that's based here in North Carolina to get those printed for me and gives again to go with this whole idea of a story hunt. So you get a pamphlet with the clues you know. So now it's you know. I think it's not the digital that I email.

Meg Patten: 30:35

This is a physical box that you open up. You have the clues laid out. I have a series of envelopes and as you go throughout the pamphlet it'll say open envelope number one. Every box comes with a spy pen, so there are certain things I write with the invisible ink so you have to use your pen to find it.

Meg Patten: 30:54

Each box like that has its own task and depending each, you know each park and resorts as he springs, they have the task and can look a little different, but I include everything you need in the box.

Meg Patten: 31:06

So if there's a scrambled message and a decoder, you get the decoder. If it's, you know, a little scratch off thing or a puzzle to twist or what that. So all that's ready to go. And then the kind of cool part that I wanted to have a little twist I feel like it helps with the excitement is there's a prize in each one of my storybook boxes, but it's locked. So you have a luggage lock on there and the only way to get the combination is to complete the hunt. And then there's a special envelope that you open and it'll give you the code on how to find the combination, which is sort of hidden in the answers that you've already found throughout the location. So I can tell you to go to question number seven and, like you know, take that number, go to question 12 and subtract that from this, and so then you'll get your combination to open the lock.

Vanessa Ferguson: 31:59

That sounds like so much fun. Now do you have certain hunts that are kind of like your more popular ones.

Meg Patten: 32:06

You would say you know it does seem to have a flow for a while, the park ones in general, and I have a hunch that had to do with you know coming, you know the park it depends, you know what's open and what's not open and if there's construction and all that. But now I've seen a little more surge in resorts. A lot of people you know, especially if you're a veteran, you kind of know build in a rest day. Disney World is great but it's exhausting. Universal, all those are so much. You can build in a day where you're not going to a park and just sort of take it all in. And my hunts are great for that because, as I mentioned, you can go, go, go with the hunt or you can do a few clues here, you know, rest at the pool and do a few others. So resort ones I've seen in uptick Epcot can be a popular one, especially, you know, with all the festivals throughout the year.

Meg Patten: 33:05

There's a lot of great guides out there. Disney even has the passports. But my checkout guide kind of helps make suggestions and it's got area for you to write in your own observations and you know something you liked or didn't like. So I feel like there's always these awesome treats, drinks. You know there's, there's something. Oh, next time I have to ask if they could make it without this, and so you can write that down in my checkout guide so you can, you can have that. So it's it's. It's interesting to see how things kind of ebb and flow, sure.

Kris Johns: 33:42

Now with this, you know you mentioned the stories that you put together. Where can people go online and find more about what you do?

Meg Patten: 33:48

So I am on several social media. I'm on Facebook and it's next page with Meg, I think, like the page of a book, same on Instagram. And I the way to order you know the popular link in the bio of a campsite bio linking you can find my order form there. I'm actually in the process of working on it for a little bit, trying to get it in the right spot of having my own website where you can have Order and read more about it and all that. But until we get to that point I'm hoping that'll launch this fall, so just in a couple weeks but my Instagram and Facebook where I'll do posts about it.

Meg Patten: 34:28

I also share fun Disney stuff. You know I've mentioned I have to be a kid, so we're off and out in the parks, did you are research, as we call it. I'm also getting on Pinterest so to share some of the details and just some other fun, fun things out there crafts and Costumes and Disney bounding and all of that, so that that will be launching this fall as well and really so everything to find me under next page with my email, which is next page with Meg at Gmailcom.

Vanessa Ferguson: 34:59

Perfect, and I will share all of those links in the show notes and then, when your website launches, will make sure to have you reach out and We'll share that with our audience as well. So thank you so much for joining us today, meg. For sure, we are really excited to use it when we go. Thank you again.

Meg Patten: 35:25

Thank you.

Kris Johns: 35:27

Thank you again to Meg for joining us today.

Vanessa Ferguson: 35:29

And now we are on to our two-minute trivia and our wisdom from Walt quote and Kris, you are up with trivia.

Kris Johns: 35:35

Okay, you've seen the movie hocus pocus.

Vanessa Ferguson: 35:38

Yes, I have.

Kris Johns: 35:39

There was a famous actor who did not star in the movie.

Vanessa Ferguson: 35:44

Okay.

Kris Johns: 35:45

This actor, who was young at the time, was not able to play the role of Max. Okay, because he was also. He was playing in what's eating, gilbert grape.

Vanessa Ferguson: 35:58

Okay.

Kris Johns: 36:00

What is, who is a sector?

Vanessa Ferguson: 36:05

And of course, you would ask me a trivia about a name, and you know I'm terrible with names. I can see the face, but I have no clue what his name is.

Kris Johns: 36:13

Leonardo DiCaprio.

Vanessa Ferguson: 36:16

Oh, then I totally had the wrong person, because I would have known that name, wow.

Kris Johns: 36:20

Yes, on a side note, a 11 or 12 year old sixth grade me was kicked out of seeing what's eating. Gilbert grape for making so much ruckus, along with other miscreants, I.

Vanessa Ferguson: 36:35

Don't even want to know.

Kris Johns: 36:38

It was a fun time I mean when you're with your buddies and just doing what? 10, 12? I mean again. Just imagine we were 12. Let's say 10, 11 years old, 12 years old by ourselves.

Vanessa Ferguson: 36:50

At a movie.

Kris Johns: 36:50

Never would happen today never and never, ever in a million years would happen today, and we want to see what's eating Gilbert grape and proceed to get kicked out of the movie theater.

Vanessa Ferguson: 36:59

You just aged yourself with that too. Well, that is really interesting. I didn't know that about Leonardo DiCaprio. Well, let's go ahead and end out with our Walt Disney quote, and I thought this one was kind of fun because we're talking about Halloween and people dress up in costumes. The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. So hopefully, at this Halloween spooky season, you can have some unique experiences at Walt Disney World. Show your unique self by expressing yourself with whatever awesome Costume you have, and we look forward to seeing all of those, hopefully on social media in that. So make sure to follow us on all of our social platforms on Instagram, I we're on tic-tac now and then also, of course, on Facebook, and make sure to subscribe to us on Apple podcasts or Google Podcast, so that way we can just continue to grow. So thank you so much for joining us on this episode the DisLove podcast with Vanessa and Kris. I'm Vanessa and I'm Kris.

Kris Johns: 38:09

This podcast is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its holdings, and it is intended for entertainment purposes only.