Tray Tables and Time Zones

Disney Dreams Part 1: From Family Traditions to Global Adventures

• Josh Bogle • Episode 11

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Imagine taking a family tradition rooted in the magic of Disney, sparked by visits of my parents to Disneyland in the 1970s, carrying that tradition forward throughout my own life and passing it on to my kids. This episode takes you on an enchanting preview of the upcoming Disney podcast series and shares an overview of my personal Disney history, beginning with my first trip to Disney World as a child, all the way through present day traveling the world and visiting Disney locales across the globe.  

These trips are more than just vacations; they're cherished memories and experiences filled with wonder and excitement. But as I always do, alongside my admiration, I'll share honest reflections on Disney's offerings and set the stage for future discussions on both U.S. parks and other global Disney destinations I've explored.     

So be sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow along with this in-depth and realistic look at all things Disney parks and experiences, yesterday, today and in the future.  

Speaker 1

Flight 527, runway 8K. You're cleared for takeoff. This is your captain speaking. If you love travel, and we know you do, buckle your seatbelts and keep your tray tables in the upright position. You should be seeing the illuminated fun signs throughout the aircraft because we're about to take off on a chat of epic proportions. Welcome to Tray Tables and Time Zones, the podcast where travel isn't just about taking vacations, it's about enriching your life. We'll dive into the highs, the lows and the downright absurd moments that come with exploring the world. Whether it's food poisoning on a long-haul flight, trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp or traveling to Disney parks worldwide, we cover it all Serious at moments, but mostly we're here to laugh and share some brutally honest travel stories. So let's do it one time zone at a time. This is Trey Tableson, time Zones, and this is your host. Josh Bogle. Tables and Time Zones, and this is your host, josh Bogle.

Speaker 2

Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Trade Tables and Time Zones. I'm your host, josh Bogle, and today we start a very exciting series as we discuss all things Disney parks and experiences. You know, as a podcast listener myself, I've always noticed that when you listen to a Disney-based podcast whether it be about Disney parks or Disney cruises or whatever Disney topic the host will almost always ask any guest that they have on, whether it's just a regular fan or whether it's somebody associated with Disney or a travel agent or whatever it is. They always ask what's your Disney background Like? How did you come to be a Disney fan? And so, following in that podcast tradition of getting the details of someone's Disney fandom and their Disney past and how they made this long, arduous journey to their current fandom of Disney, I thought I would share mine.

Speaker 2

My fandom really starts with my parents. So when my parents were young, first married, they lived in San Diego. My dad was in the Navy and he worked on base there in San Diego, so they were fairly close to Anaheim and to Disneyland, and one thing they had access to being a member of the military was discounted tickets to Disneyland at that time, and this was in the seventies. So they would get these cheap Disney tickets and drive up from San Diego up to Anaheim and go to Disneyland and they would go to concerts at Disneyland and ride, rides and you know just the whole thing Right. And so that's where Disney really kind of entered my family tree. As time progressed they had me and as I got in elementary school we took our first trip to Disney World.

Speaker 2

Being a young kid at the time, I was enthralled with it. It was amazing and I had seen Disney movies up to that point and Disney shows and cartoons and things like that. But it was never really front and center of my mind until I stepped across the threshold into Magic Kingdom and I just fell in love with it. Even as a young kid I couldn't get enough. It was the rides and the experiences, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the whole thing of Disney World blew my mind right, especially Magic Kingdom, and these were the earlier days of Walt Disney World. So it wasn't quite the behemoth it is now. It was still really big and seemed really big, especially to a kid, but it's certainly grown from those days when I first started going.

Speaker 2

We started making Disney World a major part of our vacations from, you know, elementary school to junior high to high school. We just always kept going back to Disney and I just loved it. You know, each time I would fall more in love with it and it changed each time I went, because as I got older, you know, I looked at things differently and things changed, but I still had that childlike love and imagination for Disney World. And then, when I turned 18, I got my first experience at Disneyland, which for any Disney Parks or Disney Experiences fan, of course, is the mecca of all things Disney Parks, because Disneyland was the first. It's what started all of this, what is now a worldwide enterprise.

Speaker 2

It all started at Disneyland in Anaheim and so getting to go there and see, you know, walt's original apartment, you know where that's at, and seeing the original castle and you know some of those iconic early rides, like you know, mr Toads, and you know where Big Thunder Mountain started, you know and you can see the remnants of even the earlier stuff, like the Rainbow Caverns and all that stuff, it's surreal to get that experience. And when I went for the first time, they were just then starting to build Disney California Adventure and so it didn't even exist at that point. You know it's now a staple, obviously, of the park, but before you know, it was just being built.

Speaker 2

I mean, I can still remember seeing what is now the Incredicoaster, you know, taking shape when we were there, the Incredicoaster, you know, taking shape when we were there, and I was in awe of just everything that I saw because it was just like I said, it was the original. That's where it all started and that really cemented, you know, my feelings on just how great and how meaningful Disney was to me to see. You know where it started and then obviously have the knowledge of Disney World and where it has come. At that point it just further made me a fan. And all the work and history and things that had gone on in that park and also knowing that, you know, many years before that point my parents had even experienced that, you know, and a lot of those same things that they experienced I got to experience because of the classic nature of the rides and of the park. So that was a very, very monumental part of my Disney experience and my, you know, becoming the Disney fan I am today.

Speaker 2

So the next big part of my Disney life was around 2006 when my wife and I joined my parents on our very first Disney Cruise Line trip. And this was pretty cool because at that point, you know, 2006, disney Cruise Line had only been around for about eight years. We sailed the first time on the Disney Wonder, which obviously now one of the classic, the oldest ships in the fleet and the most classic the smaller, more classic ships. I had been on one cruise in my life at that point and that was on Carnival for my first, a graduation trip from high school. So that was a totally different experience and a different time in my life than when I went on the Disney cruise, and obviously with different people, and I just fell in love with it. I've always been a huge fan of, you know, the ocean and of boats and you know and that kind of experience. So getting to actually go on a cruise that blended all of those things plus with Disney, was just really epic and I really just loved everything about it because it took that ease of cruising where restaurants and pools and theaters and all those things were right there at your fingertips. You know. It was just a walk down a hall or an elevator ride and then getting to go experience. You know, castaway, key and you know different places within the caribbean were awesome because it just blended, blended a bunch of things into one and then made it easy. And on top of all of that it was Disney right, it was Disney themed, it was Disney hospitality, disney service, which just was the topper on it all, so became a huge Disney cruise line fan.

Speaker 2

From that trip and I think currently just myself I set at 12 sailings. We're going on one in March which I believe will be my 13th, which is pretty wild to think about that. I've been on 12 of these cruises and I've loved every one of them. I've sailed on every ship in the fleet except for the treasure, because the treasure just came out. But I've been on the four original ships and I've been on the Wish. I've been. Most of the sailings were in the Caribbean, which is kind of the bread and butter of Disney Cruise Line. But we also have done a cruise on Disney in Northern Europe, which I'll talk about more on the Disney Cruise Line specific episode. But getting to kind of take that Disney experience and take it to other parts of the world and experience new countries and things was a really, really cool experience because it felt very comfortable and felt very at home but at the same time it was a totally new world, of visiting new locations and having new experiences. So Disney Cruise Line has and continues to play a very big role in my Disney fandom and I think that it will for a very, very long time, because I'm a huge fan of it, as is my wife, as is my kids. My parents, their grandparents are huge fans of it and have done several by themselves, so it's certainly a big player and a unique way to have all those Disney experiences kind of combined in a small package.

Speaker 2

Lastly, the newest part of my Disney resume portfolio reasons I love Disney is the international parks. So, as I've talked about before on the podcast, around 2016 or so, we really started traveling more internationally. Certainly, it started with my wife and I. We took a trip to Asia that included Hong Kong and Singapore and Thailand, and that was an amazing trip. But the first place we went was to Hong Kong and obviously, being Disney people, one of the things we wanted to do while we were in Hong Kong was take advantage of the fact that there was a Disney park in Hong Kong, and I believe it's the smallest of all the Disney parks, but don't let that fool you's a pretty amazing place. The setting is really spectacular in that there's real mountains in the distance behind the castle. So, looking down main street at the castle, you actually see, you know, mountains and trees that are part of the natural landscape and it's not something that has been created, you know, or a trick of the eye by Disney Imagineering. It's the actual landscape, right, and there's a lot of unique and really cool rides there. You know, it's a totally different experience than the parks in the US, but I loved it. I mean it was just great. They have a great version of Big Thunder Mountain there that actually goes backwards in a portion of it. They have the Mystic Manor, which I believe was the first ride that Disney did where it was the trackless ride system. So there's a ton of really unique things at that park that made it really really special and it was so cool to experience it in another country.

Speaker 2

Also, in that same time period, I started solo traveling overseas, which is something I have also talked about on the podcast. But one of the places that I solo traveled to originally was Tokyo and Japan and, again, just like Hong Kong, being in Tokyo, one of the things I had to take advantage of was to go experience Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea One because those parks are pretty famous, and Tokyo DisneySea One because those parks are pretty famous. And Tokyo DisneySea especially is known by a lot of people as being the best theme park in the world. And I have to say the first time I went I was blown away. The theming is amazing, the rides are great, the parks themselves just look spectacular. You know, especially Disney Sea, it's just something totally different and unique and it's a great park. And then the Japanese people that are frequenting the park. They get into it so much. They, you know, they wear all the merch and they have the ears on and the hats and the shirt. It's really, really neat because they get really into it. So that just heightens the experience, makes it even better.

Speaker 2

And then the cast members Wow, I mean I saw such amazing cast member interaction at Tokyo. And also the characters. I mean I walked into DisneySea the first time and there was a ton of characters right by the entrance just greeting people and waving and taking pictures, and it was awesome Right, and you'll see a ton of characters that you'll likely not see anywhere else, that you'll likely not see anywhere else. So, needless to say, the experiences of going to those international parks and in fact we've gone back to Disney Tokyo and taken my wife and my kids, who all just adored the park. We had an amazing time and that was fairly recently. The park, we had an amazing time and that was fairly recently.

Speaker 2

So all this to say that the US parks, the cruise line and the international parks you know all Disney parks and experiences are are the reason I love Disney and the reason that I will always be a Disney fan is because of the amazing cast members, the experiences you can have, the experiences you get to have with your family and your loved ones and your friends. There's just so much there that makes it so special to me and that's why I've always been more of a Disney parks and experiences person versus a Disney movies person is because it's the physical experience of going to those parks and being surrounded by the magic and getting to experience that yourself and with others is a really cool thing. So that really gives you a good view of why I'm a Disney fan and it also lays out how we're going to do this series. I mean, we're going to do a show on the Disney parks in the U? S, we're going to do a show on cruise line and we're going to do a show on the international parks at least the ones that I've been to and can speak to personally. It will be something that you guys enjoy and you'll learn something or you'll get to hear about things that you've experienced and enjoyed or things that you may disagree with me about. Any of those things is great. Everybody has their own views and experiences and thoughts on Disney Parks and Disney Cruise and that's perfect. I hope it spurs discussion and I hope it makes you want to go on those trips to those places and experience those things, because it's something that's certainly special to me.

Speaker 2

But I will say, if you are a full-time Disney apologist, then you probably will not appreciate some of my comments because while I absolutely love Disney and the room I'm recording in right now, there is a ton of Disney memorabilia up on the wall right behind me and I am a full-fledged Disney person. Don't don't misunderstand. I am a huge fan, always have been, always will be and I will always go to the parks. I will always go to the cruise line. It would take something monumental for me to stop going.

Speaker 2

But that doesn't mean that I won't be negative. It doesn't mean that I won't have bones to pick with Disney over things that I think they have messed up or that are lacking, or that they have let slip, or whatever it may be. I will bash them and I will unapologetically bash them and call out what I think is bad or is not a good idea, or is a bad plan, or whatever it may be. So just know that not everything I say will be sunshine and roses. Most of it will be, because there's a lot of praise to be given, but there's a few things that have pissed me off over time about Disney that I think they have screwed up or done wrong. I think they have screwed up or done wrong and whether they have corrected it or not, it needs to be called out as something that is at issue, because if you're spending thousands of dollars, or tens of thousands of dollars in some cases, to go to a Disney property or Disney experience and it's you know, you and your family, or just you, or whatever the situation is, there should be a certain level of expectation that is met by Disney for that, and most of the times they meet those expectations. But there are times when you're just like flabbergasted at how bad they F something up.

Speaker 2

So, like I said, I think everybody's going to enjoy this. It'll be an interesting series of podcasts, for sure. I think it's going to be a lot of laughs, a lot of good information. But, like I said, if you're a 100% Disney apologist, I'm probably going to piss you off a couple of times. So just an FYI I think what we're going to do is the next podcast will be the Disney parks in the US. Let's talk about those first, the really kind of the beginning. We'll take it in the order of kind of how I experienced them. I think that's the best way to do it for me. So we'll do US parks first, so Disney World, disneyland, and then part two will be Disney Cruise Line, because that kind of came next in order. And then, last, we will do international parks, so Hong Kong and Tokyo from my perspective, because I haven't gotten to experience Shanghai and Paris yet so we'll do Tokyo and Hong Kong and then that way we'll have a good base, but it'll leave us some room to come back and talk Disney down the road, about those other parks or if there's new cruises to be had, we'll talk about all that stuff. So, anyway, I hope you guys are doing well. I hope you're excited for this series, because I am massively excited.

Speaker 2

Like I said, I am a full-fledged Disney nut. I try to say I'm one of those Disney adults, but without a lot of the cringe that comes with some of the Disney adults. You know what I'm saying. It only takes a little bit of YouTube viewing to get that. So I'll try not to be one of those people.

Speaker 2

Let's just say that I'll try to be about as truthful and as honest with you as I can be, because that's what everybody needs to hear. I can be, because that's that's what everybody needs to hear. It's not it's not always the best experience or the worst experience, but they need to hear the truth and they need to hear the good stuff and bad stuff, and that's what I'm kind of here to do. And if we can't be honest about our travel and our experiences, then then it all it's going to do is be information that other people hear and take it as the gospel and they're going to have a shitty experience or a experience they weren't expecting because of the way it was presented. So anyway, it's a very cryptic way of saying I won't blow smoke up your ass. I will be straight up and honest about the good things and the bad, and that's kind of my promise to you for the series. So anyway, with all of that said, I think I'm going to end this episode here and then we will pick back up on the next episode with part one of the Disney series, walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Speaker 2

Until then, remember to follow and subscribe to the podcast Please. If you get a chance, I would love for you to leave a rating and review wherever you can do that, whether it be on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or wherever you can leave ratings and reviews, please do that. I would very much appreciate it. It greatly assists in getting the podcast out there. Be sure, and check us out on socials, especially Instagram. It's where we usually post a lot of information, a lot of pictures, a lot of travel stuff on there, and so it's always worth checking out to see what's going on.

Speaker 2

Also, I will mention that I have listed in the notes my email address for the podcast. If you have any questions, comments, whatever, just want to say hi, please feel free to shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you and if you have any questions, I'll certainly do everything I can to say hi. Please feel free to shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you, and if you have any questions, I'll certainly do everything I can to answer those. And lastly, I'd really appreciate it if you helped spread the word and share the show. Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways to help the show grow, and so anytime you get a chance to share the show and tell people about it, I'd really appreciate it if you did. And with that, I'm really looking forward To putting together these next couple of episodes about Disney, and I hope you're looking forward to them as well. But until then, have a great week and I'll see you. Bye.

Speaker 1

This has been Trade Tables and Time Zones. Worldwide travel is one of the funnest things you can do in life and it's our passion to talk about the good, the bad, the funny and the ugly. Nothing is off limits. We hope you've enjoyed the show. If you did, make sure to like, rate and review. We'll be back soon, but in the meantime, find us on Instagram at Trade Tables and Time Zones, and for questions or comments, send your email to tradesandtimes at gmailcom. Take care and see you next time on Trade Tables and Time Zones.

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Josh Bogle

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