Welcome to our podcast

Welcome home to the very first episode of Brits in the Magic with Mr and Mrs B!

In this debut episode, we’re introducing ourselves and sharing how our love for Disney began back in the 1990s — from childhood trips and favourite memories to experiencing the magic now as parents to our Disney-loving little one.

We chat about how the parks have changed over the years, what it’s really like visiting Disney with a 4-year-old (little B), our all-time favourite rides, snacks and parks, plus a few honest thoughts on the highs and lows of Disney holidays from a UK family perspective.

Whether you’re a lifelong Disney fan, planning your first family trip, or just missing the magic between holidays, grab a cuppa and join us for laughs, nostalgia and plenty of pixie dust.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure to subscribe to Brits in the Magic so you never miss a trip into the magic.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us your Disney stories, questions, tips or episode ideas via email at britsinthemagic@outlook.com

And come say hello on Instagram at @britsinthemagic for park photos, family adventures, behind-the-scenes fun and plenty more Disney magic.

*Disclaimer*

Intro/outro narration and audio elements for this podcast may include AI-generated content created using licensed production tools.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Tricks in the Magic, a Family Disney podcast. Disney parks, family adventures, and a fresh British insight.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Hello and welcome home to the first ever episode of Brits in the Magic. I am Mr. B. And I'm Mrs. B. And we are a British husband and wife, uh, with a little B as well, um, who are just massive, massive Disney fans. And we've uh taken the jump to start our own podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Yeah, we figured that our friends and family probably absolutely fed up of hearing us talk about Disney. So why not just put it out into the world and talk to the world instead?

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Talk to like-minded Disney fans that probably want to hear what we're saying. Hopefully. And understand what we're saying.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

That's the main thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Because when we talk to most of our family, it's kind of like straight over.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

They just they just look at us and smile and go, oh bless, they're talking about it again.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Um, so thank you for joining us. If you found us and you'll listen to this, thank you so much. Um, obviously, we are just starting out. This is our first ever podcast of anything ever. We've never done one before, have we?

SPEAKER_02 1:29

No, nothing.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

And we've we've already had our trials and tribulations.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Yep, this is week two of trying to get this something around.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

It is it is week two and microphone three. Yeah. Um, which, fingers crossed, will actually be working now. Um yes, fingers crossed, big time. Um, but this podcast series, look, we'll be level with you straight away. We are not kind of like Disney experts, are we?

SPEAKER_02 1:56

By no means, no. We just we've been a few times now, we've been as children with our own families, we've been as Disney adults, and now we're going as parents to our little one who is four, and I did so much research before we last went about how to take a toddler to Disney from the UK, and there was so much out there, and we just thought, you know what, let's tell people concisely, hopefully, how we did it, what worked for us, what didn't work for us, how we coped with an eight-hour flight with a then three-year-old, um, and all of that sort of stuff, and how not to pack 20 bottles of sun cream because you're not gonna need them.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Oh, the weight of that suitcase that year, that was ridiculous, ridiculous. Uh, but it works out in the end, it works out in the end.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

And we'll learn our lessons from the future.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Um, but yeah, so we are just we just want to talk about Disney. We want to talk about Disney in the past, we want to share our experiences, and we hope that you're gonna have a good time listening to us because I think we're gonna have a really, really good time.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Yeah, we're really excited.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Yeah, we are. Uh so going forward, there will be a podcast a month, uh, for the time being, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Um we've already got the first few sorted out, haven't we? Or or or set out. Yes. Yeah, set out first, not sorted yet. Um, and we already know that podcast four is gonna be the special one. Why?

SPEAKER_02 3:25

Well, we're going back to the magic. We will be Brits in the magic, literally.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Yes, we will literally be the Brits in the magic, that's true. We are going to Walt Disney World, yeah, Florida. Um, and so our fourth episode will be the trip report.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yeah, absolutely. All the things that worked, didn't work, the difference between having a three-year-old and a four-year-old. Um, he's just about hit the height where we can ride some of the bigger. So we're quite excited about that.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Yeah, absolutely. Uh so that should be a really, really entertaining episode. So if you manage to last that long with us, uh tune in for the breakdown of Florida 2026. Um but we've got a few podcasts to go before that. Uh, I'm gonna make that interesting. So I think we'll we'll kick off first of all by kind of just talking about us as kind of us as a us as a couple, but obviously us before that as well, before before we met and and our experiences at Disney. Uh we've already kind of talked about this, and you've said quite a few times you want to go first, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 4:35

Yeah, I think your story is so much more exciting than mine that I think will leave people gripped.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

That's just too much to kind of live up to. I wouldn't say I wouldn't say excited, but that's a lot to live up to. Come on, come on, don't don't do that to me.

SPEAKER_02 4:52

So I grew up going to Disney, but mainly Disneyland Paris. So we would do a day at Disney before Walt Disney Studios existed as part of family trips to Paris.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Hang on, Disneyland Paris in the summer or the winter or autumn?

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Winter.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

You see, I can't I just can't understand that.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

It was usually February half-term, so it was snowing, and although, don't get me wrong, I love Florida, and I'm not gonna say I love the heat, because we'll talk about the heat at some point in these podcasts, but the air con, I love the air con for sure, but there's just something about Disney in the snow and wrapping up warm.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

For me, Disney has to be the three S's sun, sandals, sunset and cream. If it's not got those three things, I I mean we have been ourselves to Disneyland Paris. You're skipping ahead. Well I am, I am. I just want to I just want to say before we go any further, yes, we have been ourselves, so I have been to Disney when it's not been summer, but for me, Disney's Sun time cream and sandals. But anyway, we are skipping ahead, I'll let you crack on, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

So February half term, trips to Paris, one day to Disney, and I knew from the minute I walked under that hotel in Disneyland Paris that this was my happy place and where I was meant to be, and it is still hint hint, a dream to stay in that hotel overlooking the park so much. One day, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

It is a beautiful hotel. I mean, I I can't deny that.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Stunning.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Absolutely gorgeous hotel, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

Um and I had a bit of a not love-hate, but a love anxiety relationship with Disney. Um ever since being a very small child, I have been absolutely terrified of anything dressed up where you couldn't see the face.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Um clowns, any anything.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Anything. Um the shopping centre where we live, I used to know which stairs you could go down or go up and to not be near clowns, and I would tell anybody who took me which ones they were allowed to go up or down. It was a real, real phobia. Um, to the point that the first few times I ever saw a parade at Disney, I had my back to it and I stood facing the shops on Main Street.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

And so it's a good job, the shops are nice looking. At least you get to see something nice.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Exactly. Yeah. Um, but I still loved being there and I still wanted to be there. So then um growing up, we went to Florida once, we stayed in a villa, which was fantastic, but you came out of the magic every night, and you definitely it's very true what they say about the bubble. Um, but again, we'll talk about that a little bit later.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

The bubble, the bubble.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Um and then when I was um at university, I think maybe just before university, I did the cardinal sin, and I went to Florida and didn't go to Disney. No, I did one day. We went to Epcot for a day.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Um that's a Disney sin.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

But we did Universal, which don't get me wrong, we love Universal as well.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

We do, and I'm sure at some point we will in our podcast talk a little bit about Universal, because we both do love Universal studio.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Whenever we go, we go to Universal as well. If when we're in Florida, so we do love Universal, but the fact is that you being Mrs. Disney. I know, and you went for one day I know to Epcot.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

Not even Magic Kingdom. There's something about the Magic Kingdom.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yeah, if you if you are going to go and you've got one day, yeah, it has to be Magic Kingdom.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

It has to be. Like if that's it, it's got so I'm I'm I'm not sure how you managed to do that. I mean, I'm glad I wasn't there because I think you would have been.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

I feel like it's a waste of eight hours.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

It was, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Waste of eight hours of my life getting away.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Waste, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

But that's kind of the next time I went was with you. So uh what was your run-up to us going together?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

So well, when when was so when did you say like the first year you went?

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Ooh, I think I was either six or seven.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Six or seven, so so we're we're talking late 1990s, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Yeah, because we're we're we're we're both in our 30s. Yeah. Uh so late 1990s for you. Um for me, my first trip, uh, see all the dates now now. The microphones aren't, all the dates are gone out of my head. 1995 was my first ever trip.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Ooh, you were young.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

I was very, very young. Um, and I can barely remember, barely remember it. But my first ever Disney park, uh, because I do things properly, okay, it was Magic Kingdom. That was my first ever Disney park in Florida, in Walt Disney World. Um, we went to Epcot as well. Animal Kingdom wasn't around in 90 in 1995, that wasn't around at all. Um, and to be fair, I have very, very little memory of it. I mean, uh we've got video tapes, yes, for our uh younger listeners. Video tapes, uh, video cassettes, VHS. Uh we have video tapes obviously of us uh of us in Disney with with my mum. Yeah um uh and my nanan, yeah. My nanan went to uh Walt Disney World. I can't believe that. Like nobody would ever thought my Nanan would have gone to Disney World, but she was there as well, she loved it. Um and uh yeah, uh I was uh very, very young. Um and that was a brilliant trick. Like the bits I can remember were fantastic. The one thing that is that vividly stands out to me that I remember from Disney World in 1995 was um the uh electric uh electrolytes parade. Yeah. I never saw that. And uh because I was a big fan of Pinocchio when I was little, uh, and Geppetto came up to me and gave me a hug.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

Uh Did we see it? Is that the one they brought back? Yes or was it Spectrum Magic they brought back?

SPEAKER_01 11:22

No, no, no, we we did see it uh when when they brought it back. Yeah. Um uh because you were very, very uh teary when you saw it, because you thought you'd never ever get to see it. Yeah. Um but yeah, Geppetto came and gave me a hug.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Me, Disney, tears. Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Uh but best moment like ever for me. My mum was crying. My nanny was like, uh, but she enjoyed it. Uh but yes, that was brilliant. Then um two years later, uh in 1997, uh I went and did it really properly this time uh and went to California.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

Oh, we don't talk about California.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

Yes, because uh only one of us has ever stood on hallowed ground, and that's myself. You'd love to, would you?

SPEAKER_02 12:03

I don't know which I want more: the Disneyland Paris Hotel or to stand where Walt stood.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

It's Disney, why can't you have both? Why can't you do both?

SPEAKER_02 12:15

One day.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

One day, one day, when we save those pennies up uh and we don't go to Disney World. Yes, we'll be. Yeah, that's the thing.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

It's that balance, isn't it, between wanting to go all the time and wanting to do those big special trips. And we'll talk about this at some point, but budgeting, particularly from the UK, is such a massive, massive thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Especially these days. Especially these days. Again, that's something that's changed. Um but yeah, so uh 1997, uh, and then went in 2000. Uh so got to see Epcot uh the the uh yeah the hand the spaceship earth hand with the 2000 on uh on the golf ball, um 2005 uh sorry no so I apologise 2007. Um and I can't remember whether 2007 was a big anniversary or 2009 was.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

We should make this. We call ourselves Disney fans.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

I know, I know. I meant to look this up before uh we did the recording. But either 2007 or 2009 was a big anniversary for Disney itself. I don't think it was for Walt Disney World, but it was a big anniversary for Disney. Uh and one of the days uh we were in Hollywood Studios. Uh by that point it had become Hollywood Studios because it was of course MGM Studios when I was really little, and uh they gave us um uh fast passes as gifts for a big anniversary for Disney. Uh and it was a blue lanyard that was just we we were just coming off um the great movie ride, and there were cast members there, and they said On behalf of Walt Disney World, we want to give you some free gifts, and they put the lanyards around our neck, and it was a fast pass that you clipped off when you went on the ride for every single ride in the park uh in honour of the big Disney anniversary that was going on. I think it was Disney in general that it was the anniversary for, not the parks. Uh but I'll I'll I'll look that up at some point.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Uh and then um Was that your first experience of fast passers? Because I know pre-Made.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

It was. We we didn't use FastPassers, big mistake, big mistake. Uh but we didn't use FastPassers, the pa it would have been the paper ones as well back then. Uh but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

We'll talk about paper passes later.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Um but you you just write in the notebook down we're gonna talk about this. We're gonna talk about this. Um but yes, so uh and then of course um my last one before uh we went together for our first time was uh 2013. Um and we'd met by that point. Yes. Where we'd just started dating. Um uh but then I, of course, I went away on holiday. You were very grumpy about that, very grumpy. Yeah. Uh because you wanted to come with us, but unfortunately it all been booked before we met.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

And we hadn't been together that long.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

We hadn't no, no, we had we hadn't been together that long. And uh yeah, and so that that's my uh my Disney upbringing. I've I've I've been I was I went quite a few times as a kid. I'm a Disney brat. You really are I am I am Disney brat.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

Um so then our first time together was as our 21st birthday present to each other, and we really hadn't been together that long.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

Well it was in 2013 because I'd done Disney in the summer and then we went Disney in the autumn, didn't we?

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Yeah, we did Disneyland Paris Double Disney for Mr. B- And we just had the best time. We did it on an absolute shoestring. We had both saved up just enough money to be able to go, um, and I remember sitting in the Rainforest Cafe, and we both picked the cheapest thing on the menu because that was all we could afford, and we stayed in a Disney partner hotel, which was the cheapest of all the Disney Partner hotels. Can't even remember which one it was, if I'm honest.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

No, I think the name of it has changed as well. Yeah, I think it has. Yes, but I I I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

There was I remember there was no um English TV channels, we were sat watching uh Friends in French at one point.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Single beds that we had to push together.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

But we just had the best time. Um and we went over Halloween.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

We did.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

So Halloween night, we left the parks, we were trying to get a bus back to the hotel and there just weren't any. Um so we decided to walk.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

That was a frenzy that night. With a group of people we walked with a group of people. Yeah, dozens, dozens just decided to say, look, I didn't know if we're walking back. Which, if you are going to do that, do it in a group, the safest way to do it. I would never ever if it had just been me on my own or even just the two of us, I would never walk back. And I think when we went back to Disneyland Paris uh a couple of years ago and we were on the coach and we were going down those roads, I thought to myself, oh my goodness, like Because it was dark as well. But there were about why did we do that?

SPEAKER_02 17:14

20, 30 people all going to the same hotel.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

But realistically, it's just farmland and it is barely lit, barely lit at all.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

But there was no way we were getting on a bus at all because it was just so busy.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Oh yeah, it was mad. And what one of the things I think it is an issue with Paris is people don't know how to queue. And we're British. We know how to queue really well. That's why this is Brits in the magic. Uh, but we know how to queue really well, and that was one of the problems because it was literally a free-for-all. Yeah, it was just and and then the coaches just said that's it.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

At the time, yeah, it it is more structured now, but at the time it wasn't as organised as Florida, so you didn't have the back and forth in the queues, um, particularly at the bus stops.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Yeah. I I I would say you're you're absolutely right, there are lots of things that are different uh Disneyland Paris now compared to because obviously that was 2013 when we did that.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

And I'm sure that was before it was even owned by I get very confused as to what happened, but at one point Disneyland Paris wasn't properly owned by Disney Parks and Resorts. If you somebody, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here. I as I say, um I don't profess to know everything about Disney, but this was before the takeover. This was before the takeover. So a lot of stuff that has since happened in Disneyland Paris has brought it more in line with Florida and we and we absolutely and California.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Yeah, and we absolutely saw that in when we were because we obviously we went back in 2024. Yeah. Uh so we've seen the difference uh just over a 10-year difference, 11-year difference.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Um and there has been big changes then, and there continues to be big changes at Paris uh since we last went.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Um so yeah, so 2013 was the first time we've gone to Disney together. Just going back to something you talked about earlier with your fears. You were at that point still quite afraid of mass things.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

We're still terrified. We um there was one point we were watching the parade, and I remember you turning to me and saying, if you need to leave, I will meet you here because you could feel the nervous energy coming from me. This was this is like a genuine, genuine phobia.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

And again, I don't know anything about CBT, I don't know anything about um kind of how to tackle phobias, but between that trip and our next trip in 2015, I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos of people meeting characters and how it was okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

And it wasn't an issue, and nobody was scared.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

And you spent and you you spent a lot of time talking to people as well. I don't I'm not saying in a professional capacity. No, no, no. You spent a lot of time talking to people, and I think that actually helped you a lot as well. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, that was my first taste of of of you seeing you in that position, and I thought to myself, how can somebody who loves Disney and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and all that jazz, how can somebody who loves that so much have never even seen a parade or had a photo taken with a character. It was it was it was it was it was bananas, but but you could also see the genuine feeling. Oh, it was it it was it terrifying me because I thought if you bolt I I don't know what's gonna happen. I I like I I I don't I don't know if I'd be able to catch you. I don't know I I didn't know why. It was uh yeah, it was a really odd situation and um something that thankfully was rectified. And then uh yeah, and then 2015, well that was a big test for you, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 20:59

It was, and I'd love to say that I have a favourite Disney trip. And I was just sat there thinking uh while Mr. B was talking just then, and I genuinely every single Disney trip has something special and important for me, whether it's the first time to Florida, whether it was the first time we went together, the 2015 trip, which was the year that while we were in Florida, well two things happened. Uh I found out what degree qualification I'd received. Yep, you did, and was absolutely over the moon with that.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

You weren't even in Disney that day though. Well, to begin with, we were in West and Wild, weren't we?

SPEAKER_02 21:42

Yeah, so then we went for Disney for we found out over breakfast we weren't staying on property, we were staying at the Florida Mall Hotel, lovely hotel. Um I would now always choose over property. Yeah, I'd try always choose property over that but beautiful hotel. Um and then we went to West Wild. And then we went to Disney for fireworks, and I bought one of the graduation caps. But it was also the year that I gave Mickey Mouse a hug for the first time. Yes. And I was shaking. I was still so nervous. But I overcame that fear. And I was shocked that it had taken me that long. But it was the best feeling in the world. And now I am such if there's a character, I will go.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Oh, you will, absolutely. And and obviously it's lovely for our son as well because you'll go with him. And thankfully he doesn't have any of those fears, which is great.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

No, none at all.

SPEAKER_01 22:39

But you can enjoy that with him. Yeah. Although we do have video footage of that, um uh meeting Mik Mickey for the first time, and when you see it, each time we say, We think Mickey thinks that she's probably dying. Yes. Or that there's some there's some there's some issue there.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

And then he pulls away. Yeah. And then he gives me another hug. Yeah. And then he pulls away, and then he gives me another hug. And I definitely think he thinks there's something.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Yeah. Uh because you were you were just you were just losing it, weren't you?

SPEAKER_02 23:12

I was taking, I was crying, but you were expiring so thankful.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:17

All of this this fear that I had had since a child just evaporated. Yeah, it broke, didn't it? It broke. Um and I wasn't walking round the parks anxious all the time that somebody may appear from somewhere anymore. Which I had been. Disney Disney days are tiring enough, but Disney days for me when I was younger were super tiring because I was on edge all the time. Yeah, but still wanted to be there. It was very strange.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

There is one character though that you still haven't.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

I've still not met Goofy.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

No, you have. And nothing happened.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

When?

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Chef Mickey's. Last year.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

Oh, I did.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

You did. Yes. And we didn't celebrate that momentous occasion. But isn't doesn't that show you? Doesn't that show you that it just didn't affect you anymore? There wasn't a thing anymore, yeah. But well that was gonna be a big revelation of there is still one character, maybe actually there isn't. That's it, it's all done. Podcast over, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks very much. Um so yeah, 2015. Uh and then of course, now you said you don't know which one of your favourite is because they all have so many like different wonderful memories.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

For me, and obviously I love every holiday that I've ever gone with my parents, with you, with family friends, with little boy, uh little bee. Um, but for me, the standout Disney holiday uh was our honeymoon in 2017.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

It was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

That was that was just and obviously it it's it's our honeymoon, newlyweds, all the romance and stuff like that. That and and we we we'd not come straight from our wedding, had we? We we got married a couple of months earlier. Um but it obviously that's all kind of like links in with it, but the honeymoon itself, so um you were talking about property and staying on property. Um so obviously, when you were little, you never really stayed on property ever, did you? No. Um was 2017 the first time you stayed on property ever? So for me, again, do you know?

SPEAKER_02 25:21

No, actually, well, it depends. We did stay at Hotel Cheyenne, Aunt Disneyland Paris.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Oh no, I'll I'll I'll count that. I'll count that. Um but again, this is do you know what? I've always thought you were the Disney brat, and right now, as I'm as I'm listening to myself talk, I realise Oh, it's new, it was you. Yeah, I am the I'm the Disney brat. Yeah. I'm I'm l is this what happens at the podcast? Do we learn about ourselves? Um it's like a counselling session. Um but actually no, I'm the Disney brat because uh in our holidays, I'd stayed on Disney property in California. Um I can't remember the name, I can't remember the hotel though. The Disney Hotel in California. I was very, very little, I can't remember the name of it.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Call yourself Disney Fan.

SPEAKER_01 26:06

I know. Um obviously I'd stayed on property uh when I went in 2000, which was Port Orleans' French Quarter.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Yes, that was for your mum and dad's honeymoon, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Yes, it was their honeymoon, yeah. It was their honeymoon. We stayed there for two weeks, then went to San Key. But yes, it was their honeymoon. We stayed in the French quarter. Um then I'd stayed off property for a couple of holidays, uh, and then that was my first time back on property with and which was your first time on on Disney World property in 2017. And where did we stay?

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Animal Kingdom Lodge.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Animal Kingdom Lodge, and that is going to become something that's really important for us. It really is, but it was beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

Oh we loved it so much, and again, we'd scrimped and saved, um, and when we got there we were upgraded to I think it was actually a partial savannah route.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

It was, but it didn't work. There was nothing partial about it, really. We did also thankfully have help as well, didn't we? Yes, we did, we were really lucky in that. My mum and dad helped us out with the with the honeymoon, obviously your mum and dad, uh with the wedding. But yeah, or otherwise, I mean we'd we would have been able to go, but we would definitely wouldn't have gone to uh Animal Kingdom Lodge.

SPEAKER_02 27:17

We'd had what I thought at the time was a subtle Disney wedding. Looking back, it was not.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Um we I think that has to be a whole episode of its own.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

It really does, but we mentioned we teased paper fast passes earlier. Um You're putting down your list, aren't you, of all the things that you wrote down. Our table names and seating chart at our wedding were our favourite rides from Florida and everybody got a paper fast pass which told them which seats to which table to sit on.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

So if you were on Splash Mountain, you had the Splash Mountain fast passers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

And they were beautifully done, they were incredible, and to be fair, everybody loved them. Oh, they did, but they were fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Yeah, but everybody that was there in terms of our friends were of that generation that when they'd been to Disney, yeah, it was paper fast passers. So they grew up with the paper fast passers, so there was something really, really beautiful and and almost nostalgic about it.

SPEAKER_02 28:18

Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Um so yeah, so 2017 was the honeymoon. Uh that was just uh amazing, and the two of us, and it was the first time ever that really it had just been us, yeah, us in Disney. No family, no friends, yeah, uh no one to look after.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

First we had the dining plan for the first time, we fell in love with that. Yeah. Um I don't know whether it's worth the money or not, but for the hassle that is removed and the worry about money that is removed because it's all prepaid for, yeah. Absolutely, we did character dining for the first time. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah. Uh and then um the we went the year after.

SPEAKER_02 29:02

We did.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Uh back with my parents again. Uh, because they they They were jealous. Yeah, they had the Disney blues, uh, because they they they really like Disney as well, don't they? Yeah, they love it. Your mum and dad not so much.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

They're not as fussed.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

No, they're not as fussed. Your dad loves the golf in there. Yes. Absolutely. The Florida golf. Yeah, the Florida Golf course. Uh he loves that. Uh but my mum and dad, big Disney fans. Um and so yeah, we went with them in 2018. Um, and this time we stayed on property again, but Port Orleans Riverside. Yes. Um, which uh was gorgeous, lovely. Lovely. Well w we st we stayed more than once, haven't we? Yes. Uh but absolutely loved Riverside. And then of course Covid happened, the dark, the dark times.

SPEAKER_02 29:44

Yeah, and we'd had this plan to go back every couple of years, and suddenly we couldn't, and it took a long time to go again, really. Yeah. Because the next time we went again was last no, no, excuse me. We were going to go in twenty twenty-four and we didn't for multiple different reasons. So we did Disneyland Paris for five days.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Yeah. Which we w that would that was a quick s a quick spin from because we were very, very close to going, weren't we? Um and then we we had to we had to make alterations, uh, and yeah, it it was well we need to do something, and we and we were all disappointed that we couldn't go.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

And we needed to Disney fix.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Yeah, and we just went Paris. Yeah. My parents had never been to Paris before, so it was something new for them. I never been in the summer before, uh, because obviously when we went it was the autumn, and walking around in a coat and trousers, like I said, the three S's sun, sunset cream, and sandals.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

And it was the first time we so we stayed at Newport Bay, so we were within walking distance of a Disney party.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

That was that was perfect.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

Incredible, because you you can't really do that in Florida unless you go for a deluxe.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

We walked home every night, but this time it was absolutely fine. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

Um and that was when we took Little B for the first time. So yeah, so he was two at that point.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Yeah, Little B's first ever taste of Disney was Disneyland Paris.

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Yeah, and there were tears, positive tears, when he saw Mickey waving at him and shouted Mickey and Do you remember his first ever character though?

SPEAKER_01 31:25

The first character he saw.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Was it not Mickey and the parade?

SPEAKER_01 31:29

No, it was it was the first day that we came in, and it was Winnie the Pooh.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

Yes, it was.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

And he absolutely adored Winnie the Pooh. In fact, at that point, I would say he loved Winnie the Pooh more than poo was life. Because Winnie the Pooh was what he watched from from like that's the thing he wanted on, um from the moment he could make noises. Uh and that's he saw Winnie the Pooh first, and he was so excited, so excited. Um, and that that was just beautiful. And then, yes, of course, when he saw Mickey, yeah, um, and being so close to Mickey, and uh that that was just it was that was a magical holiday. Yeah, magical holiday. Uh and then last year we finally so we hadn't been back to Orlando since 2018. Uh and last year we we went we managed to get back to uh Walt Disney World, didn't we?

SPEAKER_02 32:19

We did stay in Port Orleans Riverside again.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

I this is not a plug for Port Orleans Riverside.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Uh although it's a great hotel.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Absolutely fantastic hotel, and if you want to go then, we highly recommend it. Um I thought you were gonna say we'd got sponsorship. What's this? We we we we must emphasise nobody was sponsoring us for anything because anyone would like to um but no uh we we uh we went to Riverside again and we did, yeah. Um which we we were going to Riverside in 24 before we had to cancel. Yes, we were. Um so it'd all been planned, it'd just be moved on a year. Um and we went to Riverside, and uh Little B had his first ever experience of Walt Disney World and all the parks and the water parks, and he absolutely I mean he went bananas over it.

SPEAKER_02 33:07

We talked earlier about a Disney brat, little be.

SPEAKER_01 33:10

Oh, he will be the ultimate Disney brat.

SPEAKER_02 33:13

He already is. We um did a UK family holiday a a few weeks ago, a few months ago, and he said, Is this the one we're going to see Mickey? I was like, No, not every holiday is Mickey. I was like, but actually every holiday you've ever been on has had Mickey involved in it. So yeah, we're we're definitely amazing a Disney brat.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Um, and that yeah, that's that's all that's all our trips uh in in an in a nutshell. I mean, no, we we've been talking about it forever. Uh but just looking back on it, we have seen so many things like come and go and and and changes that have been and things added on, and I I think that is something that we will have to explore like properly, the changes uh in in a dedicated episode. Yeah. Um so but just quickly, now that we've got on to Little B, um what were some of the things that were like the biggest change uh now I'm talking about changes about changes for us taking a child away to Disney.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

So there are a couple of things that spring to mind for me. Um the first one stroller parking and working out where that is um in the parks.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

Like I I never even noticed stroller parking before we had a child.

SPEAKER_02 34:35

I knew it was there, but I never noticed the cast members who organise your strollers for you. Like that's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

Um last year when we went, we had toilet trained, and when we returned, we played a little game with ourselves, didn't we? And worked out very quickly that no matter where we were, particularly in Magic Kingdom, we could tell you the closest toilet to that point.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

If if you ever went on Mastermind, and uh for any of our overseas viewers out there, because fingers crossed, um Mastermind is a uh it's a game show on uh British TV, isn't it, where you have a subject, yeah, specialist subject, and you've got to answer as many questions as you can on the special sub subject to win. I think uh Walt Disney World Toilets is your specialist subject.

SPEAKER_02 35:27

Yes. Give me a ride, you give me a restaurant, and I can tell you this is where you need to.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

I mean, you can give any coordinate in a Disney park.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

I can even tell you how to get from one side of uh the plaza in front of the castle to the other side in the middle of the fireworks when he suddenly goes, I need a wing.

SPEAKER_01 35:50

Yeah, it's just a whole host of things that uh we we learned in being in a Disney park, especially Walt Disney World.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

We learnt very, very quickly the quickest way to put the stroller down because the strollers have to be down for the buses.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

Yep, yeah, like like super. I mean we we got a we got a good stroller anyway. Yeah, we did, yeah. But my goodness, we were had to be lightning fast uh to get those down.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

Um but then things like we learn rider swap. So Little B learned very quickly that if you queued up, you got on a ride. And one of the great things about Disney's rider swap is you don't even need to queue up. So you go up to them, you ask for a rider swap, and they will give one person a lightning lane and the other person queues up. Um and so it meant that little B was never having to queue up and then be disappointed by not getting on a ride because whoever was left with him, and we went with your mum and dad last time, so it tended to be we did it in couples, yeah. So whichever couple was left with him could go and do something else or walk around the park or get him an ice cream, yeah. And he didn't have to queue up and then not get on a ride, which would have really disappointed him, I think.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

And don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect, was it? It wasn't perfect every time. No, but it worked reasonably well, yeah. Um, and uh I think it'll be interesting because obviously we're going this year, but this year it is just the three of us, isn't it? It is, and I think that's gonna be interesting, that'll probably be definitely one of the things we talk about on the report. I definitely think there's rides that we've just said, look, yeah, we're just not going to this time because this time round, probably not. Yeah. Unless there's absolutely zero waiting time, and we might say, Okay, do you wanna do you wanna go? Yeah. And then if there's time afterwards, we'll we'll go back again.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Or there's a few people that we know are gonna be out there at the same time and that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Yeah, you know, but but um but yeah, there are so many things that have changed now that we we have our own little one. Yeah. Um and for me it's I mean, some of it is kind of a little bit annoying because I and I'm got I'm I'm sticking with this. Disney's not for kids, or Walt Disney will just say is not for kids, it's for adults.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Yeah, I I do agree with you, however, I am always drawn back to Walt sitting on that bench and saying he wanted to park for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

Yeah, but like the just the things you can get done as an adult and and and all the things you can see with little legs. Yeah, it's I mean it's it he powers down much faster than we do.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

He definitely does.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

And that that was something that was different for us because obviously we don't remember really being that little and and kind of holding back.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

I never was that little, I was never in a stroller. I mean, he doesn't have a pram in the UK at all anymore. I mean we are absolutely taking a pram to Florida with us this year.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

Probably be the last time as well that we do. Yeah, uh, but I remember my mum saying, yeah, you were the exact same, and I was like, How did you get anything done in Disney? Yeah, um, and obviously as you get as we got older, it was it was easier, but um but for the majority though, seeing Disney through his eyes, that's been just the the the best. It's it's it's like doing it new almost.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

Yeah, I I mean we're going this year, we've already said we're probably not gonna get on Tron, we're probably not gonna get on Guardians. I don't care because for me I've done them and I will absolutely do them again in the future, but this holiday is all about us as a family, yeah, and the feeling and the smile on his face, and the smile on his face when he watches the videos and he sees himself and he sees Mickey and he watches other people's vlogs because we do a lot of that as well, and he says, Oh, we've been there, yeah, or oh, can I go on that ride again? Or I mean he went from hating Pirates of the Caribbean in Paris to it being his favourite ride in Florida. Six times we went on that in Florida, and the difference in him and watching him grow, yeah. And I saw something on Facebook the other day that said, Why do you keep going with them? And this post said, Because I never take the same child twice. Yeah. And even in the two trips that we've done with Little B, we have not taken the same child.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

And it's and again, it's one of those things where people say, Why are you taking them so young? They'll never remember it. You're wasting your money, like take them when they're a bit older. And it's something I've seen on the internet, and I agree with it completely. They may not remember it, but I will we will forever remember the look on his face for the the castle when it was lit up for the show.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Hit the look on his face when Mickey Mouse came down that parade. Yeah. And he got so excited. Yeah. And oh, it's just a different.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

So who who cares if Little Bee doesn't remember it? No, it's our core memories we're creating. We'll remember it forever, and he will have other holidays that he will remember.

SPEAKER_03 41:10

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

And also, we video every family holiday, don't we? Just for ourselves. It's not like we're we're not we're not we're not vloggers. No. Uh we don't put anything on YouTube or anything like that. We just video it for ourselves, uh, so it's memories, and so even if he doesn't remember it, he will see the videos when he's older when he was there, and we will cherish those memories forever. Oh, forever. And he loves them. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

He loves asking us if we can watch that.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

Oh, he wants to watch them all the time. Yeah, he wants to watch them all the time. Right, so I mean we're coming to the tail end of the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 41:40

I can't believe we've just Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:42

So sorry. If you're still with us, thank you so much. Thank you for indulging us. Yeah, uh, thank you. Um, I'll give it. I think we'll we'll we'll come to the end with uh the quick fire question. So uh do you want to do do you want to answer first or shall I?

SPEAKER_02 42:01

I don't mind. Go on. Uh I will. I will.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

Right, okay. So remember, this has got to be kind of like the first thing that comes to your mind. So, favourite park Magic Kingdom. Best ride ever.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

Ooh. Big Thunder Mountain. Oh, that wasn't quite closely followed by Whoa! People mover. I tell you. I love a people mover.

SPEAKER_01 42:23

Doesn't play the game, does not play the game. Uh most overrated thing.

SPEAKER_02 42:27

Ooh. Premium ice cream bar.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

That hurt.

SPEAKER_02 42:34

It's just a chalk ice.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Just a chalk ice?

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:41

The premium ice cream bars are the greatest things that have ever been created. And I tell you what proves it, the premium ice cream bar in um Disneyland Paris. Yeah, you were not impressed. That that it didn't used to be bad, it used to be the exact same. But last time we went, um, the disappointment, I nearly went home. That was a holiday dungeon.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Always pick the full over the premium ice cream bar.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

I I nearly walked, uh no, I I can't I can't it's your opinion, it's your world. We're just living in it. Okay. Um the last one then, one thing you'd skip next time.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

If it was just the two of us without Little B, because obviously we're gonna skip Guardians and Tron.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

One thing I would skip.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

But it's just like, yeah, I I don't want to do that.

SPEAKER_02 43:32

That's really hard. Peter Pan. Purely because I think the Q overhypes the ride and I wouldn't queue.

SPEAKER_01 43:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:46

If there was no Q I'd do it.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

The Q is ridiculous. It is ridiculous. I've never understood it. I've never understood it.

SPEAKER_02 43:53

Can we add another question?

SPEAKER_01 43:55

What what question do you want to do?

SPEAKER_02 43:57

The most underrated ride or attraction.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

Mrs. B, what's your most underrated rider attraction?

SPEAKER_02 44:03

Mickey Speel Magic. I love it. I love it so much. And yeah, people just people use it for Aircon. And I love it.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:15

I've done all Magic Kingdom, but or Voices of Liberty.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

Is that underrated? Last time we went not many people go to like any real show.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

And I don't think people know about it enough. And last time we went, we sat in the rotunda and they came out and they said, Do what these guys are doing and sit in the rotunda? And nobody did. And yeah, I think it's underrated. And again, there are always tears from me at Voices of Li Voices of Liberty. Yes, there are. Okay, Mr. B, your turn.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Oh, go on then.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Okay, so favourite park.

SPEAKER_01 44:57

Magic Kingdom.

SPEAKER_02 44:59

Best ride.

SPEAKER_01 45:00

Splash Mountain.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Splash Mountain or Tianes.

SPEAKER_01 45:06

Did I stutter? Splash Mountain. And also it was a great ride.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

A best current ride, then.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

A best current ride. Ooh. Um, that's a lot harder. Uh I will go for Space Berth.

unknown 45:27

Ooh.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Again, memories, and just, I mean, always thank the Phoenicians.

SPEAKER_02 45:34

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

And uh the smell of the Library of Alexandra burning down.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

I'm so glad you didn't say rain burning, then I was gonna shower at you so bad.

SPEAKER_01 45:42

I would never say that. Never say that. Um I'm a Disney brat. Uh go on then.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

Um, most overrated thing.

SPEAKER_01 45:51

Most overrated thing, uh Tiana's. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I went there. I went there.

SPEAKER_02 45:59

Best Disney snack, I think we already know.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

Uh Best Disney snack, yeah, absolutely. Mickey Mouse uh premium iced green bars.

SPEAKER_02 46:06

It doesn't beat that. Make your own popcorn.

SPEAKER_01 46:10

We haven't had that yet.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

I know, but I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

We were going to have that last time, but we we we didn't get a chance, did we?

SPEAKER_02 46:17

We're gonna it's gonna be the first day for you that we've got a lot of.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Mickey Mouse premium iced green bars. Like, just leave me alone with a truck of that, and that's my holiday done. I I am sorted.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Most underrated ride.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Most um do you know what? I'm gonna go with the same thing as you, um uh Mickey's Philom uh Philomagic. Yeah. Yeah. I love that ride, and it doesn't get enough love for me. No, it really doesn't. And and here's the weird thing, uh it took years for me to go on that ride to like even notice it. Yeah. And once I want went on it every time. Every time, every time.

SPEAKER_02 46:53

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 46:56

Well, I think we're about four to six minutes in, aren't we? And we we say we want these podcasts to be kind of under the hour mark.

SPEAKER_03 47:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:05

I think this is a a a nice point for us to kind of wrap up at this point. Yeah. Um, so yeah, that's a that's a lot we've packed in. Yeah. A lot we've packed in. Uh, and thank you so much for listening to the first ever uh Brits in the Magic podcast. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:23

We've got some good ones coming up. We have some really good ones coming up. One thing we haven't mentioned, we are DVC members.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

Yes, not we've not been DVC members too long, have we? Uh, but we are DVC members.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

So we're gonna talk about DVC from the UK a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 47:38

Yeah. Uh how how we kind of got into it. Yeah. It was a period of years.

SPEAKER_02 47:43

Yeah, it took a lot of time.

SPEAKER_01 47:45

Yeah, it was a period of years that we um so we'll we'll we'll discuss the journey of kind of how we made our way there, the process. We've not we've never properly used DVC yet, have we? This will be off. But we've kind of used some of the benefits in the last holiday, didn't we? So we'll we'll talk about that as well. So yes, please, please, please tune in to the next podcast.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

We're gonna do a trip planning podcast.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

Oh, yeah, yeah, that'll that'll come up, and then of course, podcast four.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

Trip report.

SPEAKER_01 48:14

Trip report, yeah. Um but yes, yeah, after that, it's who knows. We're just we're just flying with it here.

SPEAKER_02 48:21

But similarly, like if you've got anything that you want to hear from us, um please just let us know.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

Yeah. Um, so uh we do have an email address, uh, which is uh Britsandthemagic at outlook.com. Uh we shall go in kind of like under our description under the podcast. Yeah um we would love to hear from you, uh whether it be questions uh that you want us to try and answer. Um clearly we've already shown we know very little of the specifics. Uh but if you if you've got any questions for us, we'd love to answer them. Or if you've got any uh kind of like little tidbits from your holidays, tips trips for going with children, or just or just memories. We'd love to read some of those things out in our podcast. Yeah, like we'd actually we would actually want to make that a little section where we can read out either people's questions or or just memories of Disney.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

And please let us know if you want to be kept anonymous, all of that sort of stuff. We're happy to do whatever.

SPEAKER_01 49:21

We will also be on Instagram as well, where we're gonna take kind of some like Disney-esque photos um uh every now and again. Um but we've not got that set up yet. So uh but once that is set up, we will let you know. And please, if you have liked uh this podcast today, please subscribe.

SPEAKER_02 49:38

We hope you have.

SPEAKER_01 49:39

Yes, because by subscribing, it tells us that there are people out there that still do want to listen to us, um and it'll obviously help us with our content as we go along.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

And this is just these conversations are the type of conversations that we have all the time between ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 49:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

And we want you to get involved. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

Absolutely, absolutely. So thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Uh, and we will see you real soon. Oh yes. Thanks everyone. Thanks. Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_00 50:24

Disney parks, family adventures, and a fresh British insight.