Episode 1: Main Street Meet and Greet

In our FIRST EVER episode of Chasing Disney Dreams, you get to know your hosts, Olivia and Andrea a little more! Find out their Disney orgin stories, all their favorite Disney things, and why they've turned their Disney obsession into a podcast!

Follow us on Tik Tok: @chasing.disney.dr

Send us an email: Chasingdisneydreams2025@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Come on, everybody. Here we go. Never mind. Welcome to the first episode of Chasing Disney Dreams, a podcast for Disney lovers created by Disney lovers. I'm Andrea Antolino, and I am joined by our co-host and travel agent extraordinaire, Olivia Howard.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

We are so excited to finally be here. Before we start sharing the ultimate tips, tricks, pixie dust, and hidden Mickeys, we wanted to pull back the curtain and introduce ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Today we're diving into our personal Disney origin stories, our must-do traditions, and the attractions we can't live without.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Most importantly, we are sharing why we decided to turn our Disney obsession into a podcast and what you can expect from us every single week. So grab your Mickey Ears and pick your spot for the three o'clock parade.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

The show is about to begin. Let's get this kicked off by learning a little bit more about the planner of our group, Olivia. Tell us a little bit more about yourself, where you're from, what you do, what got you into Disney.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

We are actually from central Ohio. I went to college and I got a business degree and I started working at my mom's coffee shop. I then decided that I wanted to do something with Disney, and so I then became a travel agent through Magical Moments Vacations. I absolutely love Disney. I love everything about it. I love how everything's changing. And so professionally I work at my mom's coffee shop and do the travel agency, but for fun, I really just go to Disney a lot. I love being outside. We have a boat, so we do a lot of like lake vacations, things like that. A day in my life, I wake up at around 4:30 in the morning. I go to the coffee shop and work until about noon, and then I do everything Disney after. I do TikToks, Instagram, Facebook. I even start booking people's trips right away. So that's pretty much what my day in the life looks like and why I just love Disney. We grew up going to Disney all the time. My parents vacation there now a lot too. But yeah, so we just kind of do Disney and coffee and all the things.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Those are super fun things, by the way. Yeah. I love Disney and coffee. Coffee on Main Street USA is the best. Yeah. So a little bit of history on how Olivia and I met.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Me and my family, like I said, we've always gone to Disney. We love Disney. Um, we've been on a couple Disney cruises. So, like throughout the coffee shop, my mom likes to call them her hidden Mickeys, but she'll have like a couple of little like hidden Mickey things, and one being a picture frame from the cruise that we went on with the people that we went on the cruise. And so she came in and I saw you with your Run Disney shirt on. And when I saw you have that on, I was like, wait, I have to ask her because I've always wanted to do a Run Disney event, and so when I asked her about it, we kind of started talking and we just kind of went with it and started talking more. And I'm a talker, especially in the coffee shop. I love getting to know people, and I feel like especially because my mom started the coffee shop as like almost like a small town, even though Pickerington is getting pretty big. It started off as a small town, it is a mom and pop shop, and I love talking to people and I like getting to know them, their story, and how we got to your story, I don't really know, but we started talking from the Run Disney shirt, and I learned more about you, and yeah, it kind of went from there.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

I didn't realize your mom called her little her Mickeys, like your Disney nods in the coffee house. I didn't realize she called them hidden Mickeys that's kind of the greatest thing I've ever heard for one thing. Yeah. I remember noticing, and I remember walking into the coffee shop a couple times before we actually started talking and always thinking about that exact picture. And I can picture it in my head, I know exactly what you're talking about. The other thing you had also noticed was a mug from the cruise line that was hanging on your mug wall there at the your first location.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yes, the amount of people I've met there, and then now this coming from that, I just like it's just kind of cool, kind of amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

It really is. Yeah, it really is. We've Olivia and I bonded over lots of things, obviously Disney being the first. I also have been going to Disney uh my entire life. My earliest memories were of a I was about two years old. We were staying at the cabins in Fort Wilderness, and my uncle bought me the cutest bathing suit that was red and had a little ruffle around it, yeah, and all the different characters' faces on it. So that's probably been my earliest memory. Yeah. And since then we've gone, well, A, we don't vacation really anywhere else. So there's that. Yeah. I've I've done Disneyland, been out to Disneyland twice. Yeah. I've been on three Disney cruises with a fourth one planned. Olivia's planning our fourth one to Alaska.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Disney cruises are just so cool. Oh my god, I know. Like the it just I actually came off crying one time because I was like, I don't want to leave the whole environment, the magic, like all the details. It's just like very, I don't know, you're just in a whole nother world.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

Do you ever get asked? I feel like I get asked all the time, like, why do you love Disney so much?

SPEAKER_01 5:31

So my mom especially does being an like older adult, um, but she always gets asked, like, why do you travel there? Why do you go there? And I think for people that like have never been or maybe like want to try it, or even like maybe they're just not fans of Disney, like they just don't quite understand like how it makes you feel. Like, it doesn't just make you feel like a child, it makes like it's just so magical. Like it's just like the environment's so perfect, nothing can ever go wrong. Like, it's just so perfect.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Yeah, no, I completely agree. It's it's the one place that I feel like you can walk into and really forget the outside world exists. Yeah, I've been there when I've gotten bad news, and at least for a little bit until I get back home, I don't have to worry about that, which is always nice. Yeah, to your point, if something does go wrong, I know Disney's gonna take care of it. Yeah. A little bit spoiled in that way. So I think anytime I go anywhere, and if something goes wrong, they should fix it. Yeah. That doesn't always happen. Yeah. But I know Disney's always gonna take care of take care of me and take care of things that could potentially happen. Yeah. And that's kind of how we got to this moment in time right here. Kind of crazy. It really is. And then so Ev, my little one, she went to Disney for the first time when she was 11 months old.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

So she's just now, she'll be three in June. So I know, which is absurd because again, we've been talking since well before she was here, which is just bonkers to me. Yeah. She went again the following May. So she was she got her first haircut down at Disney, which is a fun story. Yes. And right after she did her first haircut, I went and got her two-year pictures taken. I would have done it at one, but she didn't have much hair then. Yeah. And then she went again this past November. So she's under three, been three times, and I can't wait to take her back. Yeah. Disney is completely different when you've got a toddler, I'll tell you that much.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

We'll also talk about that in a future episode, I assure you.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

So that's pretty much our stories. And now that you've met the dreamers, let's talk about the point of no return and the exact time and place that we traded our sanity for the mouse ears and the Mickey bars.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

We we've always talked Disney whenever we've seen each other, asked if there's a trip planned or anything like that. I know I've really gotten I've I love hearing your stories about your boyfriend going for his first time, and that's been really fun to to just kind of hear and and see. And so, you know, in your travel agency that stuff that you're doing, you uh had reached out and asked about Bippity Bopity Boutique and if a particular client might like it, my kind of thoughts there. And from there, I have always, well not always, I guess since podcasts were a thing, wanted to do a Disney podcast. Disney is I just love it. Disney's very near joy. It does. It brings me so much joy. My house is decorated in a lot of Disney. If I'm not at Disney, I'm dreaming about Disney. At one time I wanted to move to Disney. I would still love to move to Disney. So, but there's there's that.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

If we can't stay in the castle, we're not moving.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

I like that. I like that thought. That's a good one. When you had asked me that, I was like, Maybe she's just as maybe she's maybe she'll go down this road with me because it's a road I'm gonna go down. And it was always a matter of just finding, you know, the right person, because I knew that this was gonna be a huge commitment, making sure we're recording enough material and that we are sending those out weekly and being consistent and really providing like great updates to our listeners. Yeah, both things that are happening in the parks right now. So we uh we kind of got it there.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

And so I got that text, and in the moment I'm thinking, oh my gosh, she's thinking she's nuts. No, I'm thinking, oh my gosh, this is like perfect. Because my biggest thing was I've always wanted to work for Disney, but I knew that like with my family being so family-oriented and so close, yeah, like that just wasn't an option. And it's not in a bad way, like I am so grateful for my family, but at the same time, like sometimes like you gotta, you know, figure it out, take one thing over the other. And I definitely chose to like stay here and like plant here, but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna go to Disney every month or even talk about Disney every day. So that was just kind of like a way for me to like step in with Disney, and also I'm not more of I'm more of the like talker, the planner, like you are the journalist of the whole and I'm not the journalist. I'm definitely more just like the talker, and you're definitely more of the journalism and planning the episodes and kind of figuring out where we're so it just like was a perfect team, and I just think that this yeah, we're really excited about it, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Yeah, we we met over breakfast one day and we thought it was gonna be an hour, and it was like four. The waiter probably hated us. Yeah, just a bit, but that happens, I guess. Two coffees. I did have two coffees that day. I forgot about that. Yeah, there's a lot of coffee that day. Yeah, but we landed to to where we are now. And you're right, the the journalism uh my degree is uh bachelor's of arts degree in broadcast journalism. While I love the aspect of journalism, love everything about it, I don't love the fact that everything in the news these days is really just not happy stuff.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yeah, and sometimes you need a I live by the saying protect your peace. And sometimes protecting your peace doesn't mean that that's the right for you.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Yeah, there was just you just didn't see, you didn't always see good stuff. And and that really wore on me as somebody happy person most of the time. And I was gonna find a different route. And I now work in human resources, done that now for I don't know, 10, 11, 12, 13 years. I don't know, something like that. Yeah. But again, always wanted a way to get back to my journalism roots, and I really feel like this is pulling in the things that I love. It's pulling in the the journalism aspect and coming up with ideas and not necessarily a script, but talking points.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Yeah. And then piecing it together and making a good podcast. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Yeah. And my love of Disney. So that's yeah, that's kind of how we came to be. And like Olivia said, I think it's gonna be a great, yeah, great way to work together.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

And with her doing the she's more of the podcaster, so she's going to be kind of the person that sets the podcast up, reviews the podcast, like sends them out, that type of stuff. And then I'm the planner, so obviously I said like I'm a travel agent, and I'm recently a travel agent, but I've been going to Disney for years, and so Disney I can tell you everything about, and I start actually talking too fast, is what people usually tell me because I just get so excited. But um, with that being said, I am definitely the planner, and I'm definitely the person that like if you have questions in Disney stuff, but at the same time, we work together as a team, and she's definitely always there for me to ask and talk to. So it's just kind of a process.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

It's been really fun. Yeah, it really has been fun. Yeah. So fast forward to today.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

So kind of going to today, let's let's jump a little bit. Yeah, let's go from you know how we came to be. We started with our origin stories when we were little to how you and I met and where we were at, and now let's go to the things we love. Yeah. So let's just kind of dive into some of our favorite Disney things. Yes. Tell me, what is your favorite and or what is the best Disney song to sing in the car?

SPEAKER_01 13:01

I'm obsessed with a couple movies, so I love whole soundtracks of the entire movie. But right now I love Down in New Orleans and the Princess and the Frog movie. I just feel like it's just so upbeat, it's so exciting, like it's just something that makes me happy.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Yeah, no, that's a good one. What about you? Oh, what about me? You know, in my opinion, when you ask Disney questions, there's always multiple directions you can go with them. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

I had a hard time answering some of these questions because I was like, okay, how do we look at this? Do we look at it like older classic movies? Do we look at the newer movies? Do we look at the live action movies? Because it's just so hard.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

I know. I can't ever have one.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

It's just, I can't. One, the one song that is like my like really pumped me up, and I use this usually when I'm running, especially like the Disney races, is um Try Everything from Zootopia. Oh, yeah. Which can be. So it's it's kind of funny. I I love the song, it's a great song, but it's you know, it's a really great song to, like I said, run to. And I remember my first run Disney race was in 2017, and I ran the 10K for Wine and Dine in November. Being someone that's not a runner, I'm not built for speed. I'm okay with that. I'm not the fastest out there. I don't want to be the fastest. I just want to just here for a good time. Yeah. I'll make it there eventually. The 10K, I I did it. I think, I mean, I was exhausted, don't get me wrong, but I I didn't have too much of a struggle with it. I did train for it. And then that April, that following April, I did the Star Wars races and I did all three. So I did the 5K and the 10K and the half marathon on three consecutive days. And that was the one that I thought for sure I was going to die from. I remember texting my mom on the half marathon, and I I was probably, if we're lucky, a half mile in. Yeah. We were, we started, no, I was probably more than a no, no. I guess we I don't know how far we were in. We started you started in Epcot's. I was somewhere at Disney World, if I can tell you that much. I remember, I think we started at Epcot's parking lot. That's where they normally start. But we were just getting into Animal Kingdom, and if you've ever run a Disney race, you hear about the balloon ladies and you're scared of them. They're I'm yep, you're scared. They're very nice though, by the way. I've talked to them, they're very, very nice individuals. And it's actually not them that kick you off the course, it is the security that's behind them. Oh. That does just the like warning. That's the warning. They go at the 16-minute mile, which is what your pacing requirements have to be to get in a Disney race. Okay. Yeah, so they're very you know, they're very nice. And actually, if you I've never fallen back with them, knock on wood, but you know, I have talked to them, and and if you get to that point, like if you're you're falling behind, they are really great in the sense that they're trying to pump you up and try to keep you going and doing what they can. That's right. It's one thing about Disney races that I absolutely love, and probably why I will never run anywhere else besides Disney. Yeah, is they just, you know, if if it's not people that are running with you, yeah, it is the people on the course. I've I've been before where a person has fallen and you can you watch two other people get behind that person and help them cross that finish line. Yeah. For some people, it might be about getting a PR. I don't know. For me, it never is. Yeah. It's the experience of being able to do it. So when you're ready to do one, I will absolutely do another one. Okay. But I remember texting my mom saying, I I don't think I can do this. And you know, my mom's like, You've got this. It's just 13 miles, just 13 miles. Just 13 miles. I turned that on, I probably had it on repeat, and I just went. And the good thing that I have found, again, not built for speed, yeah, is that if I can get myself a healthy distance, I really don't worry. So when I kick off for a race, I tend to go faster and then I can slow down. Being a Disney nut like we are, I don't necessarily feel like I have to stop for the character pictures, although they have some rare ones, which is super fun.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

I don't ever stop, I just keep going.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

I'll then high and goodbye.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

I wave as I run by, which is always fun. They have characters before and after the race as well, and sometimes I'll stay and see those. Yeah. But characters on the course, it yes, I do a run by is what I like to call them. I did do at Star Wars. Well, I guess I've I've seen a couple, not a whole lot, but a couple. At Star Wars, I have picture I have a picture of me and me and Yen with, I don't know, like five or six different Star Wars characters, because that's when it's really fun, is they'll bring in multiple characters from one movie that that's when you don't typically see them. Yeah. I saw one race I again I ran by was two of the the mice from Cinderella, and then it was I don't know who it was. It was somebody else from Cinderella, probably Cinderella, if you want to know the truth. Because I think that's when I ran Princess is when I saw them. Okay. So, and they were right outside of Magic Kingdom. Memories serving me correctly.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Okay, next question. Favorite Disney attraction, and which Disney attraction do you think has the best cue? Oh gosh, good questions.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

Favorite Disney? Probably the Haunted Mansion. Okay. I've always just been a huge Haunted Mansion fan. Okay. It was my grandmother took me from when I started going at two years old, and that was her favorite. So it's one place that I just feel incredibly close to her, and it's just kind of in my blood. So I would say Haunted Mansion is probably my favorite attraction. Okay. One with the best cue. I mean, interactive-wise, probably Seven Dwarfs Mind Train. Yes. I really like the like the ambiance and the the decor of the Tower of Terror. I think that one's really cool. Yes. I've seen people get to like actually go like walk out and see that stuff. And I'm a little jealous of that. But it's alright. So I think that one's a pretty cool cue. Okay. Rise of the Resistance, but it's like a whole nother ride. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

I mean, there's just so many options.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

I feel like as Disney's progressing, the lines are getting better.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

So a good thing to keep in mind is we're definitely at two different like age levels. So like my stuff that I think is definitely like oh, the newer movies, the newer rides, and you definitely like more of those classic things. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

I sure do.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

So it's great that we're doing this because now you get to see both best of both worlds.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

You really do.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

My favorite Disney attraction right now is Guardians because I recently just went to Epcot like about two years ago, and that was the first time I've ever wrote it. And I loved it so much. I wrote it actually three times in one day.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

And then my favorite no. But I also okay, this is side note. I love Ratatouille, and so I actually love the Ratatouille ride in Epcot. I think it's so cute, and that's one of my favorite cues because it's like somewhat interactive with the chef talking and that kind of thing. But I also love the ride at Animal Kingdom flight of passage? Yes. And I for whatever reason I can I just think that one's so pretty.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

It is.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

It's a senses overload. Yeah. And like it's just it actually that whole like area of the park makes me feel like I'm actually in Avatar. Yeah. And it's just like really cool.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

Have you ever been over there in the dark? Once.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Once?

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Yes. We we ran again, I don't know what race it was, but we ran through Avatar at night. That's so cool. I have video of it. It's just really not great for because you're running. Like because I'm running, so it's very jumbly and stuff, but we did run through Avatar and that was fun. Where's your favorite place to take a midday snooze? And I'm not talking hiking back to your hotel. I'm t I'm talking you're in the park and it's you know, you are ready for that midday nap, but you don't want to go back to the hotel. Where are you where are you gonna snooze at?

SPEAKER_01 20:25

I feel like this is very controversial because some people really like this, or really did, I guess I should say. But it was Muppets 3D. I like I grew up and I never watched Muppets, like it just wasn't like my thing. And so, like, we would go there just because it would have really strong air conditioning and it was really dark, and so it would be perfect to take a nap. Now, mind you, this is way controversial with my mom, but my dad always falls asleep on living with the land, and I love that ride. That must be a thing with dad's, because mine does too. Yeah, like I don't know, it's like the air blowing, I don't know what it is, but he always falls asleep.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

It's fantastic. It's a great, it's a great nap ride. We call those nap rides in my household. I like uh, oh, what would be my favorite? Carousel progress. No, I know the best nap nap ride for me anyway, is either the American Pavilion or the Presidents at Magic Kingdom. Yeah, I can really snooze through those. Actually, the presidents, I can fall asleep within about 30 seconds. I hit that chair and I'm done.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

And I think that we always skip those anyway, so it's like, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

I would too if it wasn't for the fact that I need a midday nap. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Okay, what about your favorite Disney restaurant?

SPEAKER_00 21:37

You know where I really like? I love the steakhouse in Japan at Apcot. If you've never gone to it, it's super fun. If you like, you know, uh hibachi style food. The the chefs there are amazing. That's I mean, it's a show in and of itself, and it's just super fun. Yen really likes that as well. So her and I'll go. We'll take a a date night, her and I, when we're down there together and and we'll go all. Hand off the kid to somebody, and her and I'll do that. So I'd say that one's probably up there. I say that now, but in like 10 minutes I'll think of something else and be like, ooh, I like that more.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

So food at Disney is just like amazing as it is. Um, and I definitely think like some parks have more food options than other, like for great food, like Epcot's definitely better than Magic Kingdom, in my opinion. Agreed. Stepping outside of the parks though, my family does a lot of what we call like resort hopping. And so we'll do we'll stay at the resorts, but then we'll just go see like the Christmas decorations during Christmas time at the other resorts. So, like, we don't always go into the parks. That being said, we eat a lot at Disney Springs, and I love Disney Springs food. I think they have great options. And so I still consider this Disney. I don't know if you do, but I think Polite Pig and Boat House are great options at Disney Springs. Polite Pig's kind of quicker, you're more like American style, like barbecue, and it's great food. And then you go to Boat House, and I don't know if you've heard anything about the rules, but they are to die for. And then one time we went and I was going with my boyfriend actually, and it was our anniversary. I don't know what it was, it was some kind of event that we were doing, and we they gave us the strawberry shortcake, and it was so good there too. Yes, their strawberry shortcake is so good because you know, like Florida fruit and all the dessert and stuff like that. So I polite pig's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

I didn't think of polite pig.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

That's a that's a good one. It's we actually like it's tradition for us that we have to go there every time we go to Disney. They've got good Brussels sprouts. They used to. I don't know if they still do.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

We go there seriously every time we go to Disney. So good. We we did two for a long time. We didn't my husband and I didn't go with our little one in November. Actually, November when my husband and I and Ev went was probably the first trip, it was the first trip the three of us took together. But one of the first trips that hasn't had my parents go or Yen come over and go or anything like that. So yeah, it's it was it was a big staple for us. And to this day, Yen will say where are we going that first night we get there, and usually she's Plight Pig.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

Yeah. What's your favorite hotel? So this is so hard for me because Disney resorts are just so well themed that it's a hard decision. Um, I think that you could go on levels, and I think some of our episodes in the future we're gonna talk about different resorts and like kind of what the theme is, like and then um also kind of where they are, like moderate and deluxe and things like that. Amenities, yeah, restaurants, all those fun things. Yeah, but if we're just talking like pick a resort and like go with it, I really love the boardwalk, and I think one of the reasons is because it does wrap around, it's so pretty. We've actually gotten family pictures there before, and it's a great place to like take pictures, especially like at like dusk, but it's a great place to like see the sunrise, see the sunset. It's a great way to walk to Ebcot, especially if like because we go to Ebcot now a lot, so if we're just going there, it's a great place to stay. And it is attached to the beach club, and so that's a great place to like go get ice cream and have you ever been to the soda shop over there?

SPEAKER_00 25:06

Beaches and cream? I have totally do it. I have been there.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

Isn't that where they have the like huge sun deck? Yes, is it what is it called? The garbage?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Nope, the the kitchen sink.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Kitchen sink. Isn't that what it is?

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Yes, they do the whole spiel when it comes out, and it's like alarms going off.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

It's crazy, but it's just a great place to stay in the boardwalk, and I actually think that that is one of the places that I always see characters. I always see characters in the because they have like a little greenery yard, if that makes sense, and they always have characters coming out there. Like I've seen Daisy Donald, I've seen Chip and Dale. I haven't seen Minnie and Mickey there, but I'm not sure how much they really go out. But Chip and Dale, I feel like go out a lot, but I've always seen them there. That's fun. Your favorite resort?

SPEAKER_00 25:45

That's also a tough question for me. I like so I'm a DVC, so you know, when I go and I stay at somewhere like Bay Lake Tower, it's a lot of people, if you're not DVC, you're probably staying at the Contemporary where I'm I'm at Bay Lake Tower. That's that one's probably up there on my list just for the convenience of the monorail, especially now that I have a toddler. Yeah. I too though really enjoy the boardwalk. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

That one I definitely think like you have to pick your resort based on like your trip. That's one thing that and I get we're gonna talk about travel agency in the next episode, but that's one thing that I feel like I specialize in because a lot of the times when we would go to Disney, we would always just like resort hop. And I know so much about the resorts and like so many details about kind of like what makes your resort fit you and your trip, and so that's kind of what I would say I like specialize in, if that makes sense. But I think that like when you look at a Disney resort, like it's really based on price, it's based on like transportation that you want and like what parks you're going to. Because if you're only going to Epcot, then yeah, the board to walk and the beach club and all that stuff, like that is a great way to get there. But as soon as you want to go to like Animal Kingdom, then you're gonna have to take transportation. So I think that like picking a resort is so hard to do just because you're picking something pretty much out of a hat, like they're all great and they all have their own theme, and they're all just perfectly, you know.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Yeah, they're put together very, very nicely. It's to your point, you know, Animal Kingdom is the furthest one away from a lot of things. I love Animal Kingdom, it's usually a lot quieter.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Yeah, like a staycation is perfect there.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Yeah, yeah, I would completely agree.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

So moving forward, we're gonna talk about Disney movies. I have Disney movies playing 24-7. I bring my iPad to the coffee shop and have them playing in the background as I'm training for the next day. Um, but what's your favorite Disney movie? And if you had to live in a Disney movie, where would you go?

SPEAKER_00 27:31

So, favorite Disney movies, probably a little underrated. It is The Emperor's New Groove. Love The Emperor's New Groove. That's so funny. I love Krunk. I've Isma's my favorite villain, hands down favorite villain. Eartha Kit just hit it out of the park on that. It's just, oh my gosh, I just I still laugh. I remember seeing it in the theater. I'm gonna date myself here. I was in high school in junior high or high school. I can't remember, I think high school. And uh I just remember laughing and I still laugh to this day. It's just so funny. It to me had a great cast, like the the characters, and I just loved it. If I could live in any Disney movie world, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Any Disney movie world. I can tell my Disney movie.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

Okay, you go. And let me I'll digest this. I'll think.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

So while you're thinking about where you want to live in your Disney movie, I am gonna talk about my Disney movie. That is my absolute favorite. Ratatouille is like my movie. Like, if I am feeling any type of way, if I just need something to have on in the background, I listened to the soundtrack of that, which might seem very weird, but I absolutely love Ratatouille, and that's probably where I would live. I feel like I could move to France and be okay. Like, I think I could just I was that's I was thinking that one too. Yeah, I and like every place has its thing, right? Like, if I can pick where I could live, I'd live in Disney. If I really pick a movie-based living situation, I guess you could say, I would pick Ratatouille.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

You know, then you could visit Disneyland Paris.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:57

Say kill two birds with one stone. I love it. I love it. I think I'm probably with you on that. Ratatouille. Yeah, I think it would be ratatouille. I mean, I was like, again, talking about me going me, my mind going completely different than yours. I was like, you know, I could live in like England, which is from 101 Dalmatians. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

And I think that's where, like, I think the newer movies, I know I always think older. Okay, now we're gonna say Disney sounds. I think we're gonna agree on this one, and I maybe I should say what I think we're gonna do. Okay, say it. The monorail. I don't know what it is, but when you sit on the monorail, you're getting off the monorail, and the doors are closing. Something about that just makes you feel like you're at Disney.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

You can it's one of those, yes, you're exactly right. It's one of those things that I can hear it now on something else, whether it be a a podcast or somewhere else. Yeah. And it just immediately takes you back. You can see where you're at.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Yes, and this is so cool. Somebody, and this was on TikTok, so you know, I'm just you know, going back to TikTok, but um, this girl made the sound of the monorail, like the words and stuff. She every time she started her car, her car said it. She like programmed her car to say that. Which I don't know how she did that, but I'm gonna figure it out.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

That is fascinating. Yeah. I don't know how you would do that either. I don't know. I just hit play on my phone, I think. Just cue it up every time. Although it would be a nice little Yeah. Maybe it wouldn't be a fun surprise. It'd maybe I don't know. Anyway, it's that's definitely one of my favorites. You know what? You know the other one I really love, and this is going back to the guy that that voice is crunk, and I can't think of his name, but I love the intro, like the pre-show, if you will, to Soren. Yeah, I was gonna say that's my other favorite. I hope they don't change that with Soren Over America when it opens in a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

I know. I'm kind of sad that they're changing that because I really love that ride. And like the point of it will still be there, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

But it's just like Did you ever ride Soren over California? I did not. You didn't do Soren over California? I liked California better than over the world. Did you? Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah. It was you went over an orange grove and it just smelled like it was just overpowering. This orange smell so wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

So my mom, this is something that she kind of does, but I forget what the company is called, and maybe we can talk about this in a future episode. But she gets candles that smell like certain things. Yeah. So, like, our next actually, our next topic is what's your favorite Disney smell? She always gets candles that smell like Soren or that smell like pirates, and those are actually both of my favorites. She also gets um smells from the resorts, so like the Grand Floridian or Caribbean Beach or stuff like that. So if we're talking Disney smells, which is next, those are really my favorite. Like Grand Floridian always smells good.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

Is that the brand? Because I've I've bought some before. I think I bought like the the Cincy. No, it wasn't Sincy, it was Wax Melts. Yeah. Wasn't Cincy, but Wax Melts. And I think they had one.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Something from that. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 31:45

We'll have to we'll we'll think about that and we'll figure it out and and let everybody know that. The one that I've ordered from, and I think I actually bought it, was called m was called Main Street USA. And so it smelled, it kind of had that hint of I don't know, sugar, yeah, sugar rush type deal. Like the confectionery. Yep, like the confectionery and all that. I bought that one. It was it was good. I, you know, I love though kind of talking a little bit about smells. I love that Walt Disney was smart enough, guy was a genius, but smart enough to really kind of play that up to say, you know, when you you wanted everybody to be fully immersed in this experience, and that's a detail I just don't think you get much of anywhere else.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

The last thing that we're gonna talk about for like our questions, and then we have something fun next, is favorite Disney snacks. And where do you get your favorite Disney snacks? I have two. You can't really bad. And I'm just sitting here like uh This is really bad, but I can immediately think of them. So one is the beignets. I seriously think that you have to get them from the Port Orleans resort. Okay, because yes, they're in the parks, but I just think that when you get them from the resort, that's where they're from. They're so good, they're so fresh. Like, I really love them there, and it's in French Quarter. Yeah, so Port Orleans has two sides for people that don't know. It has Riverside and French Quarter, and they are attached, so if you're saying it either, you can really get them pretty easily by walking or riding a boat. But it is in French Quarter, and it is so good. They usually have like flavors, like sometimes you can get like a side of chocolate, caramel, or raspberry sometimes, and then they'll do like special ones. So, like Halloween, they had Oreo ones. That sounds good. It's almost like a fried Oreo.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Sounds delicious, so good. You know, we were at Disneyland for Halloween, right before Halloween, but that general time frame in 2019. And one of my favorites, I love churros, especially if you get the good fresh ones. Okay, yes. They did similar to that, they did all sorts of different kinds of churros, and those were good. But I think I've thought of mine. Yeah, they well, they're special there compared to at Disney World's. They really are. Yeah, they're definitely. They they yeah, it was they had like five or six different kinds, and they were very specified to the Halloween party. Boogie Boogie Bash thing. But my favorite, I love, I'm glad I came up with this one, the spring rolls at Magic Kingdom. Okay, yes. The the burger. I like the burger better than the pizza, but that's just because I don't like pepperoni and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Okay, so I love the pizza one.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Okay, good. So this is why we work out so well.

SPEAKER_01 34:13

We we just share everything and you know.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Love the they're so good. I would wait line for those.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

A cafe in the France pavilion, and I'm not gonna try to say it because I just don't say it like they do. But they have a cafe which has like your pastries and your sandwiches, and then they have an ice cream shop right in front of it if you're walking into the pavilion, and they have an ice cream sandwich there. Literally, I get that every single time I go to well, into Epcot. The croissant thing where they press it and it's warm on the outside and brioche bun, and then it has ice cream in the middle, right? Yes, and then they give you like you get to pick your ice cream, you get to pick the drizzle, and because they always drizzle like caramel or chocolate, and I love it so much. It's warm, but it's cold, and it's kind of like it's weird, yes, but it it works, it really does.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

Yeah, I had we had that uh probably it was one of my trips with my kiddo with my parents. So I I'm much like you. That's also a that's see, you start talking about snacks, and I just go down a rabbit hole and just get hungry. I get hungry, and then it just keeps going. I yeah started this by not knowing what my favorite snack was, and now I have like seven.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

Yeah. We are moving from our origin stories to our favorites, and now what we're gonna do is we're gonna do a lightning lane round.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

We're gonna ask a question, and basically, no explanations. Just give me your answer, one or the other, you give the answer, and we're gonna move on.

SPEAKER_01 35:36

So, just like that, we're going to answer faster than a kid that is rope dropping their favorite ride or adult, because sometimes I get excited for that too. Right? Um, but let's do this. So we're just gonna go, we're gonna ask, rotate, asking questions, and then just say our answers.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Okay. Alright, favorite non-human character.

SPEAKER_01 35:55

I love Remy. Remy? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

Mine would be Miko from Pocahontas.

SPEAKER_01 36:00

Okay. Rope drop or park close. Park clothes. Okay, I both. Is that an option?

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Alright, I guess. Favorite classic Disney movie.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

I put Peter Pan. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

That would probably be mine too.

SPEAKER_01 36:14

Yeah. Favorite Pixar movie? Finding Dory. Mine is Ratatouille. Favorite sidekick. Okay, Timon and Pumba.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

Mine's Kronk, I think.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

It can be a sidekick to a villain, right?

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Okay. Okay. On that, favorite villain. Mine is Captain Hook. I just think he's funny.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

Yes. He's super fun.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

On the Disney Cruises Pirate Knight.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

I dressed as him when I when we were on the wish. Uh, my favorite is the song.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Yeah. Princess or hero?

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Hero.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Mine's Princess.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

I mean, listen, there's just something to be said about Herc.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

Yeah, yeah. I don't like him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Okay. This is a good question.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

This is gonna age. This one is. This is the age difference.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

I was like, This is the age difference. This is very much the age difference. And this one may not be a light. We might go into some detail on this one because I feel like we need to. Lightning lane, genie plus, old school paper fast pass, or standby lines.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

I think lightning lane, just because when I have been booking things and doing things on my own, that's what's been the most used by me. And so I just I know that, and so that's kind of what I go with.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Okay. So I am an old school paper fast pass kind of girl. I had that system down to a science. I could haul Tuckis from one side of the park to the other. Like I remember going into Epcot and I would be line for test track and get my my fast pass to test track. And because we had a little bit of time, we'd go hit Soren, and since it was right at opening, there wouldn't be a line. And by the time we got off of Soren, we could get our next paper fast pass because our time had started. So I would have another paper fast pass to Soren, go ride test track, and then go back to Soren. It was exhausting.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

But you did it.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

But I could do it, and I had it. Man, did I have it down to a sentence? It really felt like that. So yeah. Some lightning. Those I like lightning lane questions. Maybe we'll do more of those. Yeah. I guess kind of wrapping this up. We've we've been at it for a little bit now. We're almost at our happily ever after of our premiere episode. We've shared some of our favorites, we've shared our once upon a time. So let's end this with one final big question. If you were to run into Walt Disney in the parks today, there's no cameras, no crowds, just you and Walt Disney. What is one question you've been dying to ask him?

SPEAKER_01 38:44

I think that this can be like a really deep question, but it also could just be like, I think that I would just ask him like, what made you do this? Like, why did you start this? And I know there's like biographies and that type of thing, but I think I would just ask him like, what's one thing that like you know you've learned from all of this? And like because starting a business is hard. And I mean starting my travel agency, it's something I've never done. So I think like everything is kind of new. And I would just ask him like his advice almost.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

Yeah, no, I I think that that'd be really great. I've read some of his biographies, and I know he again, just kind of in reading those biographies, that it was his girls. He wanted, you know, he really loved his girls and wanted a place that families could go and just enjoy being at. But he was like, maybe one day we'll d dive into a Walt Disney history because he's just a fascinating human being. But I think I'm with you. I I think I'd ask him, you know, how he just he just kept going. I mean, there were doors closed on him.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

And like what was your motivation?

SPEAKER_00 39:50

Yeah, like how like what kept you just pushing forward? It would have been so hard to say that first door close and say, hey, I'm done. I mean, just like for us, this podcast could go nowhere on this first episode. And and but at the end of the day, we're not gonna say, well, then I'm done. Yeah, you know, we'll record another one and another one, and we'll keep going. And if nobody likes it, that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

It's more for it's for us. And this is what we enjoy talking about, and this brings us happiness. Yeah. So the gates may be closing on the most magical place on earth, but the conversation is just getting started. Head over to our Instagrams and we're going to kind of tag those. Uh, we also have TikTok and emails. We'll tag those and get that all situated. But let us know if you have any questions or even if you want to see something in our podcast.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

And if you're thinking about your next vacation to see the mouse, contact Olivia. She really, she really is great at this. She's the best. Like I said, we are planning a 2027 cruise to Alaska, and she's already got me the numbers and everything for it. I just have to pull the trigger and put her deposit down. We're I can't wait to go.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

It's been a bucket list of mine, so she's been doing incredible with helping me plan that. And I know she's planned some really great vacations. So yeah, I'm super excited. So you need to contact her because that's that's a key element. And talking about Olivia here, next week we're gonna chat more with her about her experience working in the the travel industry and why you want her help in planning your next vacation.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

We are so thankful for everybody that tuned in. We're also just so thankful to be able to do this. I'm thankful that you asked. And we never know where this can go, but we're gonna try. And so I'm just ready to keep this going. Yeah, me too. I think this is gonna be a lot of fun. Thanks for making our first episode of Chasing Disney Dreams so magical. And we can't wait to catch you on the next one. Until then, go out there and change your dreams.