Cheers 2 Ears!
Two dudes named Aaron toasting their way through the Disney resorts. New episodes drop every Monday morning
Cheers 2 Ears!
From Magic Kingdom to Epcot: Two College Students Rank Disney World's Parks with a Dole Whip Cocktail
Two 19-year-old college students bring fresh perspectives to Walt Disney World as they detail their adventures visiting all four Disney parks during their academic year in Florida. Eli and Addi, longtime Disneyland visitors, offer candid comparisons between the California and Florida parks that both seasoned Disney veterans and newcomers will find enlightening.
Animal Kingdom emerges as their surprise favorite, with both guests marveling at how completely transported they felt among its immersive landscapes. "I'll never forget seeing the floating mountains of Pandora for the first time," Addi shares, while Eli declares the Kilimanjaro Safari something he "could ride five times in a day." Their Thanksgiving day visit to Magic Kingdom serves as a cautionary tale of holiday crowds so intense that portions of the park were temporarily closed to additional guests.
The episode delivers practical insights for Disney World planning – from which parks might disappoint (Epcot ranked lowest despite housing their favorite ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) to why the Skyliner is the superior transportation option. They don't hold back on critiques, noting Hollywood Studios' inconsistent theming and Epcot's untapped potential, while offering thoughtful suggestions like adding a single attraction to each World Showcase country.
Whether you're debating which Disney coast offers the better experience or planning your first Walt Disney World vacation, this conversation provides the authentic perspective of young adults experiencing the parks with both fresh eyes and deep Disney knowledge. Their enthusiasm for the Disney Parks experience proves that magic transcends age – even when navigating the challenges of being broke college students at the most magical (and expensive) place on earth.
Here's who we are and what is in store for you
Hello and welcome to Cheers to Ears for a very special episode of Cheers to Ears.
Speaker 2:Yes, we have another guest.
Speaker 1:We have a second guest folks. I think, I think.
Speaker 2:A second guest. It could be a top five guest. Maybe we'll see. I have a feeling she'll be top five.
Speaker 1:Eli doesn't think so. Eli is the number one guest of all time. Yes, here to try to take his belt. Yes, of an all-time championship.
Speaker 2:I think it's a strong contender, but definitely top five.
Speaker 1:Is his girlfriend Addie, who's joined us. Hello Addie.
Speaker 2:Hello.
Speaker 1:Welcome back, eli. Thank you very much. So we were joined today. Well, Aaron and I are drinking the Lamplight Lounge's Secret Menu, dole Whip Cocktail. Yes, these two are 19 years old, so they will not be enjoying this with us today. We made a virgin version, right, virgin version. Yes, say that three times fast. Well, ours was made with coconut rum, vanilla, vodka, pineapple juice and topped with whipped cream, and it sold at Lamp Light Lounge for $20. Tell us what we did.
Speaker 2:We did Malibu coconut rum shot and a half kind of about two ounce pour of veiled vanilla vodka. Okay, half a can, so about three ounces of pineapple juice and then whipped cream on top stirred in.
Speaker 1:I like that measurement half a can, Half a can.
Speaker 2:That's a new measurement system. I think those are six ounce cans. I couldn't quite remember.
Speaker 1:I like that. This is a very good drink it is.
Speaker 2:I don't quite remember. I like that. This is a very good drink it is. I don't know why it's a secret menu drink. It should be a regular menu drink because, it's really good. So, just to avoid any conflicts with the law, the virgin version of this is half a can of pineapple juice, probably three ounces, four ounces of sparkling water and whipped cream. So basically it's a pineapple Italian soda, right Cream soda. What do you?
Speaker 1:guys, think of your virgin versions.
Speaker 3:It's really good. I would imagine it's just less creamy without the vanilla and coconut, but it still tastes like a Dole Whip. Still very good, and you're not a coconut fan Eli. I know, yeah, I know. A coconut fan, eli. I know, yeah, I know I'm not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you think, addie?
Speaker 4:I think it's very good. It pretty much just tastes like a pineapple Italian soda, but I very much enjoy it. It tastes like a Dole Whip in a drink.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so next time we're at Lampi Lounge we suggest to. I heard you guys got a secret menu item.
Speaker 2:So they have a Dole Whip shot and a Dole Whip cocktail. We're having the Dole Whip cocktail and the Dole Whip shot is a little bit different.
Speaker 1:Is it a little bit different? Yes, you were just talking like you were on that Siren Live skit. The two women on the Siren Live skit. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah I forgot what they were called, but they talk like this the whole time. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I forgot what the other call was. They talk like this the whole time. Yes, yes, and you calmed your voice down very gently, pete's sweaty. Yeah, yeah, pete's sweaty.
Speaker 2:When they interviewed Pete's sweaty Something.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, okay, we want this to be rated PG Especially since we have our underage guests here today, who we're going to have our first kind of interview.
Speaker 2:We've never done this before, aaron no, so bear with us people but we're going to start by go, go ahead, and we're messing with microphones, because all of our microphones we're not. I don't think we're sitting far enough away, but yeah, yeah, something, something's going on here, so it might sound a little echoey, yeah, which is why I got real quiet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know where I'm sounding. Either it's, it's, just it sounds different with four microphones plugged into our system here. This is our first time we've tried it today. So yeah, we're learning as we go as we go okay, so hopefully we do this.
Speaker 1:Great, here we go. So we're going to start by asking Eli and Addy just a few random Disney questions before we get into our topic today, which is they both go to college in Florida this last year and they went to all four parks during the year. So they're going to give us their take on the four parks, right, yep, yep. So we're just going to ask them four random questions about their Disney experiences. So, guys, one at a time, you can answer your favorite ride. Addie, what's your favorite ride you've ever ridden on? Not what you think the best ride is, but what's your favorite.
Speaker 4:My favorite, I think I would have to say, is Tiana's. I love Tiana's. I think I had a great first experience on it. I went right at closing time, or no, right at firework time, so it was empty. We walked right on and we went during fireworks fireworks and we were right at the top as the fireworks were going off and it was just such a fun experience. So I think every time I go I have to go back on it.
Speaker 1:It's just so much fun should I ask her or should you? What have you? Did you ever ride splash mountain? Yes, a long time ago, but I did so a lot of people are going to be very upset with you. Yes, because we have sort of splash mountain enthusiasts out there. Die hard ride or die splash mountainers.
Speaker 2:And in my mind they're both equal. I don't really. I never really thought one was better than the other. You get equally wet.
Speaker 1:And I've ridden it. If you sit in the front, you're one of them.
Speaker 2:Like a bunch of times, so I don't know. Yeah, they.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Yeah, they're equal to me too. I like Tiana's myself. I'm going to agree with you that it's a better ride now Sorry everyone, because it's newer. Everything's crisper in it. Yes, nothing's breaking. Looks like it's going to break down at any second.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as they're singing Zimpy Doo. Dah Like you don't think one of the bird's wings are going to fall off when they're singing.
Speaker 1:Right. First of all, what do you think of her thoughts there, Eli? What's?
Speaker 3:your.
Speaker 1:Tiana's take first.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think going as a kid and everything.
Speaker 3:Splash Mountain is still nostalgic to me. Like nothing will beat that, like floating down to the end of that ride and singing Zip-Dee-Doo-Dah they don't have a song in Tiana's that's quite as catchy as that to me. But I think that the ride itself, the plot, I guess, is better and I love the in Disney World. I don't know if I haven't read it in Disneyland yet, but the, the things, the water going over your head in Disney World was really, really cool to me. So I think I like overall, I like the Tiana's ride better, but yeah, that's definitely must do for me as well okay, and how about your favorite ride, eli?
Speaker 3:My favorite ride and what I think is the best is Guardians right now. I don't know if it'll always be my favorite ride, but the Guardians in Epcot.
Speaker 2:There we go, yes.
Speaker 3:Guardians in Epcot, because it's still so new to me and like we just did this like two months ago, a month ago, a month ago, and just did this like two months ago, a month ago, a month ago, and yeah, it's, it's. It was just so amazing, so breathtaking, so I had to do that as my favorite and my best ride nice, awesome okay, how about your favorite park that you've ever stepped in okay, I'll go first for this one.
Speaker 3:Okay, my favorite park is california adventure. Oh yeah, this might be a shocker to a lot of people, but I love california adventure. I love the different. I love the rides there. I'm a big ride person. I love the rides and it's not as busy as a lot of other parks. I feel like a lot of the time so you can get on rides there's only two busy rides yeah, yeah, and but all of them are great.
Speaker 3:I mean like goofy sky school a lot of times doesn't have a huge, super long wait, yeah. And then all the little ones in Cars Land that just twist you around are all super fun, yeah. And then I love just walking around the water too. I like how it's set up. It's really easy to get around. I feel like, yeah, so that's my favorite park.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to ask you the same question, addie. I should have asked it a different way to Eli what's your favorite Disney park you've ever stepped in, and why is it Disneyland?
Speaker 4:Go. That's a tough one, because mine is not Disneyland. Actually I have two on here.
Speaker 4:I have California Adventure as well, but I also have Animal Kingdom. I agree with California Adventure because I am also a rides person. I think the rides in california adventure are so fun. The incredicoaster is one of my favorites, guardians is one of my favorites. I I love california adventure, but I also have animal kingdom and the reason for that is that, yes, all of the disney parks I've been to have their own experience. I feel the most, most transported when I'm in their own experience. I feel the most transported when I'm in Animal Kingdom. I feel like it's most unique from the others and for that reason I really enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can see that. Yeah, very nice. I felt the same way when I first went there. It was like the best as far as this doesn't feel like anything else. Right, Good answer.
Speaker 1:So say you're walking in the park for the first time to disneyland that day, but when you're walking the best park disney has disneyland and which there's two entrances to go you can go right or left. When you first walk in is there?
Speaker 4:is there a certain one you go to more often, the other addy I personally haven't been to disneyland as many times nearly as many times as all of you so I don't have a strong opinion about this answer. Just off the top of my head, I would say left, but I don't have a super strong opinion. I'm really okay with going either way, but I'd probably say left.
Speaker 1:That's a perfect answer too. That's the right answer, right? Yeah, the right answer is your answer.
Speaker 3:I feel like I always go right every single time and I think it's just more of a natural thing. There's not like a specific reason. I think it's just you know on life. You drive on the right side of the road, you walk on the right side of the sidewalk, you enter digiland on the right gate. You know what I mean, okay?
Speaker 2:so and the studies support what you're saying. Yeah, people go right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just I feel like, yeah, so I feel like every single time I enter the park on the right and leave the park on the right side, going the other way, right. So I don't know, I think it's more of a natural thing, right I don't know this about what.
Speaker 1:Do you have a side, aaron? I don't know this about you I always go left. You always go left. Yeah, I used to go left all the time, but now I go right because I like to go in disneyland first off and just check it out real quick, that's just one of my new rituals and, I think, why I go left.
Speaker 2:More of my favorite rides were always left, like my favorite ride, big Thunder. Correct, it's to the left, but before they had reservations at Disneyland, where you still have to make reservations. I would always start my day over at California Adventure because I preferred that park. Okay, and then when I went over the Adventure, because I preferred that park, Okay.
Speaker 2:And then when I went over the first thing I did when I went over to Disneyland because I would park up four or five times a day I would go left because the first thing I'd do is go ride Big Thunder Right, you had a mission, I had a mission, right, and it just looks cooler. I think to the left looks better.
Speaker 1:It does with the fire station and everything to the left. You're right. You're right, yeah, that leads us to the next question, eli what's the first land you want to go into? Now you're walking down Main Street, because you have to walk down Main Street as you go, what's the first land you want to see on your Disneyland Park Day?
Speaker 3:So just like I feel like we do this every, I have an urge to do this every single time. I feel like we always go to frontier land and then straight through frontier land over to critter country toward that way. So I mean basically going to critter country, but through frontier land, obviously, and I think that's just because every one of, like, our first rides are on that walk like big thunder pirates. You know indiana jones kind of you can go around it that way. Or Haunted Mansion is right there, and then also if you go to Rise of Resistance and Star Wars Land, you take that way.
Speaker 2:Not Winnie the.
Speaker 3:Pooh, though or well, I mean Winnie the Pooh is an amazing ride, but if you're there early in the morning you might not want to hit that first. But yeah.
Speaker 1:I feel like, yeah, that's that's my take on, right, walking into the park. Good, okay. Last question, addy, then we'll get to our topic. You can have any job at disneyland and disney not disneyland disney job. You can. You can even make one up that doesn't exist, right? What's your disney job you would choose if you could have any job at all.
Speaker 4:That's a really hard question to answer, but we were just talking about this earlier today and I think I would have to go with Disney Animator. I think that would be just such a cool job to get to create stories and characters and then get to see it on the big screen and even going to Disneyland and seeing it in theaters over there and seeing kids around you just appreciate what you create. I think that would just be the most amazing job.
Speaker 1:Amazing, I would think. Animator Eli.
Speaker 3:I would love to be an Imagineer, especially back when it wasn't all IP, like when you could create stories through rides in Disneyland. That would be so much fun. That's what I would definitely do, just trying to figure out how to, you know, incorporate the magic into a thrill ride or all the different things that they do, like with the pirate on Pirates of the Caribbean, where you see he's dead and then he turns into a real person with a mirror. That was so cool to me as a kid. So just getting to like, confuse kids like that with a different way, that would be my dream, yeah that's a.
Speaker 1:That's a great answer, and we were just talking about this in one of our earlier episodes, about adding a fifth gate. Yeah, and it would be great to have a park. That's all original works. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So base like new IP coming from rides as opposed to rides coming from IP.
Speaker 3:Yeah exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Which is how it's completely switched Right.
Speaker 1:It'd be great to go back to some of that, yeah, so let's just start talking about our topic of the day. And so Aaron, want to start giving them random questions about their trip.
Speaker 2:Random questions. Okay, trips. I'm going to start with this one. What was your favorite mode of transportation in Disney World?
Speaker 3:Wow, completely, yes, completely random, but I'm going to have to say for sure, the Skyliner.
Speaker 4:I would agree.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we did take a minivan, it was pretty fun.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I forgot to add the minivan to my little list here, but yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the minivan was really fun, but that also obviously costs extra money. You're not going to be able to do that as often, but yeah, I'd say the Skyliner was my favorite. I always wanted to go the way to get back to the hotel or whatever that would. Let us ride the Skyliner, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4:I would have to agree. I think the Skyliner is just unique in the way that you get to have a bird's eye view of everything and also just the way they designed little carts. Everyone's different with the Peter Pan or so many different options for what you could get.
Speaker 2:Now the Muppets, yeah there, you, you could get Now the Muppets.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1:Now it's the Muppets.
Speaker 4:I just think it was really cool. I liked that one.
Speaker 1:Good. So tell us how either of you could talk on this one. Tell us how your four-park year came about. How did you decide that's what you wanted to do? How did you come up with the idea and plan to do it?
Speaker 3:Well, I'll go ahead. My school at Embry-Riddle had discounted tickets so that was a huge motivator that we could go for a little cheaper and so I could buy our tickets through a school. And then, you know, all four different times we had like a different reason to go that time and a different way to get down there. But yeah, we kind of just chose four days out of the year that we decided it would be best to go visit a new park and yeah, we really wanted to get it done this year, because I won't be in Florida next year.
Speaker 1:But you'll have better discounted tickets next year. Yes, that's true, we'll have better discounted tickets and a cheap hotel room.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I mean being so close to the park. I wanted to make sure to try to do it all before I would leave florida. See, that's kind of how the idea came about, right, and then obviously it was a huge motivator that we would get to come on this podcast and talk about it after we did it that's probably everyone's yeah to be sitting where you are.
Speaker 1:You guys have the dream, the dream, golden seats in life right now on our podcast as guests. I mean, who wouldn't? Yeah, living the dream. Living the dream. A cheers to ears guest is right up there. We should have like parting gifts you should I agree.
Speaker 2:We need a green room, we do.
Speaker 1:I'm thinking ahead.
Speaker 4:No, we could turn Eli's room into that.
Speaker 2:Okay, aaron, we do. I'm thinking ahead. No, okay, aaron, let's start. Let's start this question here. So you well, you've been to disneyland a ton of times yes, I have and how many times have you been to disneyland?
Speaker 4:well, I went when I was like seven uh-huh so I don't remember too much of it.
Speaker 2:So since then I've been twice, but both single days okay, because so one of the things I was wondering for you, the resorts, does that at disney world, does that add anything to the experience of going to disney world, staying in one of the resorts? And I know a lot of times, eli, you you've stayed at disneyland hotel or pixar place. Yeah, and you probably stayed at. A lot of times, eli, you've stayed at Disneyland.
Speaker 1:Hotel or Pixar Place yeah.
Speaker 2:And you probably stayed at a lot of Gen Pop hotels. But like thinking about the Gen Pop hotels, yeah right. Is staying at the resort. Does that add to the whole Disney experience for you, or is that just a place you're sleeping?
Speaker 3:No, I definitely love the feeling of being in Disney the whole time you were going to Disney, even if it was just the little portraits on the walls and the rooms that are characters or whatever. I definitely liked all the resorts at Disney World. When we went in September we even had that. We spent a day with you guys resort hopping. It was super fun. We didn't even go in the park that day, just yeah, I mean it's super fun being in the atmosphere and getting to have the cast members around to talk to and all that. I think I've only stayed on Harbor Boulevard one time and then we stayed behind the parking garage another time. So I think I've only not stayed in a Disney-owned hotel twice Really.
Speaker 1:We haven't been gin pop most of his life, oh, okay.
Speaker 4:It was pre-Eli that we been gin pop most of his life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, it was free. It was pre-eli that we were gin pop yeah, so I kind of fell in love with. First I fell in love with pixar place, yeah. And then now I'm now the disneyland hotel is my ride or die favorite thing ever, yeah, right so I've only so which is why dvc comes up a lot. Thank you, Christina.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the vast majority of times I have been in a Disney Owned hotel, so I've been spoiled in that way. But I mean I love it.
Speaker 4:I've never stayed in a Well, except when we went to Epcot this year. I stayed in a Disney hotel.
Speaker 1:Your guy's a senior trip last year. That wasn't a Disney hotel, I know that wasn't a Disney hotel. Your guy's a senior trip last year. That wasn't a Disney hotel. That wasn't a Disney hotel, I know that wasn't a Disney hotel.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that's one of the two I was talking about.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Both times I've been, I haven't stayed in a Disney hotel. I've stayed in hotels that are close to the park. So I haven't really had. Yeah, I'm a gen popper.
Speaker 1:Her parents who am I? She's not Jen Popper. Her parents just didn't know differently. Addie is far from Jen Popper.
Speaker 4:Kind of true. Well, thank you. I'll take this as a compliment, thank you, but I think what Eli said it would definitely add to the experience. It's like you're never leaving Disney. I think that would be amazing, especially for kids. I know I have a little sister. I, I know I have a little sister. I think she would think that's the coolest thing ever getting to stay in a hotel room. That's also just as much Disney as the park.
Speaker 2:She just needs to stay at Art Animation. Yes, in like an aerial or a car's room or something like that.
Speaker 1:I have a follow-up to this. So what you said before staying in the you said cheap hotel. It's the military hotel you were talking about Shades of Green. Right, yeah, Shades of Green. So that's not Disney themed at all. Right, what's your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3:Well, I haven't been there. That's not one of the ones that we went to, but I think the price would definitely outweigh the negatives of staying.
Speaker 1:Yeah that's a good point I like the way you think.
Speaker 3:I like the way you think. And it's still considered a deluxe resort which would, for sure, get used. When I'm there, yeah, uh, getting early entry and probably going staying late at the park as well, yeah, those would get used. And it's still an amazing resort. I mean it has a golf course and and all that stuff to hang out in if you're not in the park your first day or your last day or whatever right. So, yeah, I mean I. I mean, yeah, it's not disney themed per se, but it's disney owned, and so you'd still get the deluxeness of it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so now I want to break this down. It's going to take a minute this question because we're just going to break down each of your days. You went really fast.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Just kind of keep it brief so we don't go like for hours because this is going to be a 10-hour thing, right, Okay? Yeah, this is going to be a long enough episode anyway, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to go through the days you went, and we'll skim over this. I'll just narrate it for you. You went to Magic Kingdom one day, addie, when you first went to your college.
Speaker 3:Yes, without me Just a half day, just a half a day.
Speaker 1:That's where you rode Tiana's with the fireworks. Yes, correct, and you didn't ride a second, okay, okay. So then you went to Animal Kingdom with Aaron and I.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 1:Right, talk about that for a second, just like a two-minute summary of your time.
Speaker 4:I mean, like I said, I think that was my at least my top three days I've had at Disney. I think it's my favorite park. It's just you walk in and it's just so different from other Disney parks. You feel like you're in Animal Kingdom. You see the Tree of Life in front of you and then you can go into the Avatar area Just when you walk in for the first time. I'll never forget that. It's astonishing, it's floating. I'm like how is it even up there? What is happening? And then the safari. I loved the safari. I think the drivers on that did such a good job. She was amazing at her job, explaining what was happening and just making comments. I think they were excellent. Yeah, I would definitely say it's my favorite park. It's so much fun. And Everest, oh my goodness, that's like the best roller coaster.
Speaker 1:Quick overview of your day at Amokin.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we went in september, like a couple weeks after school started. So that was a factor because that made it super fun to get away from school like right away, right after we got there. But I think it would be my favorite disney world park as well, for a couple different reasons. I loved the safari. I could ride the safari five times in a day. I love seeing all the animals and the nature and stuff. I love that kind of of thing. And I also loved Everest. It's one of my favorite rides. I totally did not. I knew it went backwards, but I didn't expect it to go backwards for like 10 minutes. Yeah, that was super fun. And then two of my favorite shows at Disney World were Lion King was my favorite, and then I also loved it's Tough to Be a Bug. I thought that was super fun, which I know is gone now. I think it got squashed.
Speaker 3:But still, when we were there, I think that was a super fun show. So yeah, I would say those are, and then it was also definitely the most different.
Speaker 1:I know you've said that already but it was the most different from my previous Disney experience. Perfect On your Magic Kingdom day, you went on Thanksgiving day.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Correct, yes. Break that down for us real quick, it's not going to be your normal everyday Magic Kingdom experience, so break it down.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we went on Thanksgiving day. It was extremely busy.
Speaker 4:So so busy.
Speaker 3:And we had an exhausting day trying to do everything at Magic Kingdom, especially the stuff that wasn't in California, and we had a ride. Our Addie's roommate went with us, so there's three of us and she drove us down. So we got up in the morning and hopped in the car and drove down there and got parked and everything, and then walked up to the park and we were there I want to say like 8.30ish, so like 30 minutes before it opened, I believe. I believe it opened at 9 that day, which was perfect. Well, we parked at 8.30 and then we had to walk over, so we got there right around the time it opened, which is good, and we stayed the entire time. We walked out of the gates after it closed, so it was exhausting. There was time we left, like we walked out of the gates after it closed, so it was exhausting. There was a ton of people there. We went up, we I I can't even remember how our trip went exactly, but like, like which way we went first, but I know we had a virtual queue for tiana's. We haven't written that yet.
Speaker 3:I was super excited to ride that and so we were hanging around that area for a while and then they started the Thanksgiving Day parade and it started in that area and so, yeah, we were in that area and then, like the huge parade came by and people just kind of gathered around and we saw what was happening with the crowds and so we started to just like avoid Main Street and yeah, so we tried. I mean, a lot of our day was planned around avoiding the crowd, which changed a lot. But my biggest thing was the busyness part of it. I know that's not normally how it is, but you know that's for our experience. It was one of my least favorite days at disney world because it was so busy and the lines were super long to go on the one of the busiest days of the year yeah, oh, yeah, yeah which we kind of knew going in that it would be we.
Speaker 4:we anticipated that, but I think we didn't fully grasp just how busy would be, like you were shoulder to shoulder people almost the entire day. So in disney world itself, I mean, it's so magical but it can be a little overwhelming at times and that made it a lot like very overwhelming. I feel like it was hard to just take in the scenery of magic kingdom when you're like walking through a crowd, like trying to not lose your people. It was just super, super busy and we definitely had a great day, we had a lot of fun, but I would not go back on Thanksgiving. I definitely do not recommend. The crowds are insane.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so yeah, that was definitely a negative was the busyness, and we also had lightning lanes, but those were all taken up all day. Oh, and one thing I will say that I've never heard at disney park before is right before fireworks they came over the intercom and asked they they closed down main street. They asked no one to go on to main street because it was like too full it was overcrowded, too many people there.
Speaker 3:I've never heard close a part of the park because it was too crowded there yeah, so you couldn't even walk, you heard?
Speaker 1:Have you heard that before? I know?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was kind of crazy, but positives, I will say positives. A big positive was Small World was way shorter at Disney World.
Speaker 1:We ended up writing that because Addie's the ride itself was shorter than it was at Disney World. Was it over?
Speaker 3:one minute. It was over one minute Done, but it was. It was not that bad yeah, I mean her addy's roommate really wanted to write it, so we wrote it and I wanted to know the difference and so we wrote it and it was just way shorter. It was much more tolerable tolerable that's a good word.
Speaker 1:So then you went to hollywood studios yes, then we went to hollywood studios around valentine's, yeah, the day after valentine's yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3:You can start at this time, eddie hollywood studios.
Speaker 4:I'm not gonna lie, I thought it was super fun rides wise. I loved hollywood studios. I think it has the rock and roller coaster amazing ride. Haunt a mansion is a classic. Oh, not haunt a mansion, what's called tower of terror tower of terror. That's the one tower of terror is a classic. I do prefer Guardians of the Galaxy version. Good choice, I think it's more fun.
Speaker 2:All intelligent people do.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, yes it is. I think that one's better. But overall Hollywood Studios, it was definitely a good day, but not my favorite park. I think it was a little underwhelming when you're walking through. Nothing like too exciting catching your eye. I Nothing like too exciting catching your eye. I feel like it might be controversial. I think it's a little bland when you're walking through. It reminded me I felt like it was similar to California Adventure when you're walking through For some reason. That's what I thought of. I just thought it was a little less, a little more bland version of that. So, yes, it was a great day. We had a lot of fun, wasn't nearly as busy as Thanksgiving. I mean it was busy, but nothing compares to thanksgiving.
Speaker 3:So I mean, we had fun. Mickeys and minis is always great, one that has that. Yeah, I thought it was a good day. Yeah, it was our attitude going into. It was pretty chill because it was the day after valentine's day, so we were trying to have a little bit more of a romantic trip than a busy trip. And we also saw our exchange student that we haven't seen a long time, so spent a lot of time just talking to him getting food yeah, he's like, he's one of our, he's one of my kids yeah, and haven't seen him in a couple years, so that was a big part of it too.
Speaker 3:So we had a lot more time where we spent, not just go go go trying to get all the stuff yeah, we were more focused on quality time that day than like trying to get everything the stuff done.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we were more focused on quality time that day than trying to get everything done, which is a great Disney day too, I think percentage-wise out of all the parks.
Speaker 3:we got finished with 99% of all three other parks, but I think for that one we didn't quite get everything done. There's stuff that we really wanted to do that we didn't get to do Like the Indiana Jones ride.
Speaker 4:Indiana Jones was huge. Or the show. Yeah, like the Indiana Jones ride, indiana Jones was huge, or the show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, really wanted to do that. And then I looked at my phone it was 5.30. I'm like, okay, when's the next show? And their last show was at 5. I just didn't look at that earlier. So that was unfortunate. And I think if we were to go back to a park, the first one we'd go back to is Hollywood Studios, so that we can do all the things.
Speaker 2:That was actually one of my questions which park do you want to return to most?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so my last was Epcot.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, really quick. I was there with you, me and your mom. Thank you, christy. You're good, go ahead Really quick. Your Epcot day Okay, and why is it your second?
Speaker 4:favorite park.
Speaker 3:I don't know. Just like we said, I'm a huge ride person didn't have very many rides at all. Yeah, especially compared to the amount of space that it had, there wasn't very many rides and and a lot of the rides I felt like were also similar to ones in disney, like soren is in disney is in california and it's just an okay ride. Yeah, I don't know, it was Remy's, had such a long wait and it was a great ride, but it wasn't anything like the mediocre rides at other parks. So, yeah, I mean, guardians of the Galaxy and Epcot was obviously the best ride ever. It's just frustrating that since a park with so few rides because it has such a big wait time.
Speaker 2:So you, didn't get to do test track because it was shut, yeah, and test track was closed for refurbishment.
Speaker 3:But yeah, and, and personally I didn't love the whole country's thing. I think it was really cool to see all the different stuff, but it was a long walk around the little lake that they have there and the shops aren't even all disney like. Like it has a bunch of some of the shops they have in other countries like china, and japan's shops was just like a shop that you'd go to in china or japan, like it wasn't disney disneyfied at all, like there was no mickeys in them or anything which was just felt, I don't know, kind of off being in those shops when you're in a Disney park.
Speaker 4:To me personally, Addie I would have to agree. I mean, I thought Epcot was super cool. I was really excited to see all the countries. I've heard so much about it and I think it was really cool to see, to walk around and see all the countries. Yeah, I liked how they were all.
Speaker 4:Like Eli said, you felt like you were in the country. You didn't feel like you were in Disney per se, but you felt like you were in the country, which I liked. But I also am a rides person, so EFCOD's a little down there for me, just mainly for that reason, although it does have the best Disney ride of all time Guardians. However, I think it would be cool if they had even just one attraction for every country. I think that would be cool. That would be cool, like a ride in Italy. That would be so cool, like a boat ride through Italy or something that would be so cool. Yeah, I think that would make it so much better. Honestly, that would probably bring it to the top of my list, not going to lie. However, I do think an underrated ride is is it land for the? What's it called living land? Yeah, I thought that was really neat I actually really enjoyed that.
Speaker 4:I like you guys at first. At first I was like, okay, this is a little long, but then you actually could see like where they grow things, like they serve you, and I thought that was really neat yeah I recommend.
Speaker 3:I do think it was a really long for the what it was. I loved it too, but I don't know. I feel like you could have the first part where you go through all the fake different environmental zones Could be a separate ride from inside the greenhouse, almost, because Thumb Together was just so long it was pretty long. Yeah, and whenever you're at Disney you're walking around so much before you sit down on a boat, especially With all the boat rides at Disney, rocking back and forth kind of make you tired a little bit.
Speaker 1:By the end of that ride you kind of want to fall asleep. Are you going to sleep for the next seven years?
Speaker 3:Yeah, if that'll help me sleep on the boat, then yeah, I think that's a good thing.
Speaker 4:Good.
Speaker 1:So, aaron, why don't you take a few questions here? Because that went a while.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you mentioned you didn't get to see and that was actually one of my questions you didn't get to see Indiana Jones Were there any other shows that you missed out on, that you didn't get to see. So let's see. You saw Carousel of Progress.
Speaker 3:Yes, I think the only other one was also in Hollywood Studios was the Beauty and the Beast one in Hollywood Studios. Oh, and in Animal Kingdom, the Birds of Flight, birds of Flight, yeah, yeah I was going to say Beauty and the Beast as well.
Speaker 4:I think those are the only three that we missed.
Speaker 3:I think we hit every other show. Country Bears Yep.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:I loved the the frozen show. I'd like just like to say that the frozen show is like my favorite disney show of all time. Now, lion king is also really good, but the frozen show.
Speaker 3:I'm a really big frozen person, so I loved it yeah, when I saw that it was, it was, it was frozen sing-along is the name of the show, and so we went. I was like, okay, yeah, we can go do this for addy, I'll just sit there for a while while she sings the songs and I'll not know what's going on.
Speaker 3:but whatever, Like, I like the movie but I don't know the songs. And then we went in and I didn't know that there'd be actors and stuff. I thought it was just going to be a screen. Yeah, it was super interactive, but yeah, it was so funny, I was cracking up the whole time. It was one of my favorite shows too, probably.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I thought the same thing. This is okay, I'm going to go because I want to do everything. And then you go in and it's like, oh, that was, I will come back to that every single time. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Now did you get to see the Waltz, his history, that little documentary.
Speaker 3:No, oh, in Hollywood Studios. Yeah, no, we did not go in there. Okay, is that a show show or is it just like a screen?
Speaker 2:So there's a museum Okay, it's amazing Of stuff that's really cool to walk through.
Speaker 3:And then they do a show about his life. We definitely didn't hit all the just screen shows in all the countries. We didn't get all of those, so yeah, Okay, what else you got Aaron.
Speaker 2:Okay, so food Comparison of food Disneyland versus Disney World. What are your thoughts? Just and this is just your thoughts on it, not necessarily what you like better, but that's a tough one because we only went to every park, one Like.
Speaker 3:I feel like I've tried most of the food at Disneyland but not even close at Disney World.
Speaker 4:No, and actually on Thanksgiving we brought our own lunch yeah, so that we wouldn't have to buy food.
Speaker 3:Because, you know, broke college students. Broke college students here.
Speaker 4:I don't feel like I have a super strong stance on this just because I really haven't tried too much Disney food, just in general even.
Speaker 3:I'm definitely more comfortable with the food in California because I know where to go and what I like and everything. So that's kind of drawing me toward California just because I know where to go and what I like and everything. So that's kind of drawing me toward California just because I know everything. But that's just because I have more experience there. And he likes a churro. I do love a churro.
Speaker 4:I have only had one Disney churro, but I would say it was really good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I do love a churro.
Speaker 2:I've had one too. I've had one.
Speaker 1:My mother shot me once.
Speaker 3:Once my mother shot me once once. Yeah, I, I love churros and the. The only comparison that I will make outright is the coffee, the the cold brews in california are way better. They have all the flavors and and all the different toppings and stuff that they just don't have agreed at different places in florida, so yeah, yeah, it's dreadful never.
Speaker 2:It's dreadful. Never buy hot coffee. Dreadful.
Speaker 1:It's dreadful. Anyway, it's horrible. The job freeze is not good.
Speaker 2:So was there anything about the Disney World Parks? Any of them? Let's actually go one by one. What was the most disappointing thing about Epcot?
Speaker 3:Oh, most disappointing thing about Epcot Wow.
Speaker 4:I would say that I think Epcot has the most potential out of every park. I'm just gonna say I think it has the most potential to be the best, but it's kind of a letdown like it's. It's cool, I would definitely go back, but I would say it was the most disappointing just because it has so much potential. Like, if you put a ride in each country, I think would be amazing. So I think that was disappointing, just like I knew going in there's not lot of rides, but I think that was a little bit disappointing just because it has a lot of potential.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree. I think that the only thing in the countries that really changed as you transitioned were the architecture, and the accents were the only really things yeah yeah, but because, like in all the other lands, in disney parks, they have like some sort of way of feeling like you're transitioning into a different, yeah, a completely different environment.
Speaker 3:As you're walking through the countries, you know you can see every single country in front of you when you're leaving the last one, and so you know. I don't know what the intent was exactly with that, with the world showcase, but I just felt like the transition wasn't the same level as the rest of this top tier disney yeah, to me, I just yeah. I felt like it wasn't like going into each individual country because you could see all the other countries.
Speaker 3:Still, you know that's fair, that's like a point I never thought of it that way yeah, when you walk into, like you know, fantasy land, you can't see any of the other countries. Still, you know what I mean. That's fair, that's a good point. I never thought of it that way. Yeah, when you walk into, like you know, fantasy land, you can't see any of the other lands, frontier land, whatever any other land.
Speaker 3:you can't see the other lands from that land. Yeah, until you're suddenly there. Yeah, exactly, so I don't know. It just felt like it wasn't meant to be as smooth or whatever. Yeah, I guess that would be my biggest disappointment.
Speaker 2:The entertainment, so Hollywood Studios. Anything disappointing about that? I would say the theming Just the theming yeah, I would agree, just the theming of Hollywood Studios.
Speaker 3:It was just kind of weird walking behind buildings sometimes where it was just like a Like I know it was supposed to look like a studio and that is kind of what it looked like. Like I know it was supposed to look like a studio and that is kind of what it looked like Just a studio wall with the ads for TV shows or whatever on it. But it just was kind of weird. To me it was a mix of trying to have a theming but also be universal with their studios. Yeah yeah, because they have Galaxy's Edge there, obviously with a great theming when you're inside of there, but then when you're out it's just like how you're, I don't know. You're in a random place again where they're supposed to be filming stuff, but they don't In Andy's backyard.
Speaker 2:I think so.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in Andy's backyard is really fun too, they didn't.
Speaker 2:I don't think they planned on expanding the way that they did when they first built it. Yeah, that would make sense when they first built it, yeah, and then it was like, well, we got to go that way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but like, even like going back toward Rock and Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror, like it's just like that's a long ways you go on the same sort. I guess it is a theme of Hollywood Studios, but it's a long stretch where there's just basically no theming in the park.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like when you go down, down, when you first enter the park and then you can turn right and you go all the way up that road that way and nothing changes it's just buildings. See to me, having lived in la, they actually I think they caught. Is it fairfax fair? Anyway, they, they caught a certain element.
Speaker 3:But if you don't know that, yeah, yeah, it's okay, I completely yeah, and the weirdest thing about that was walking behind the mickey the, the chinese theater, like in order to get to andy's backyard. Yeah, you walked behind the building and they're like it's this beautiful theater on the front side, amazing architecture, and then you walk behind it and it's just a wall there to go to andy backyard.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, not a good theming Magic Kingdom. Anything disappointing about Magic Kingdom besides the fact it was super crowded the day you went?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was super, super crowded. I don't know, magic Kingdom is so much fun, but to me it just felt like a more spread out disneyland. I guess I was hoping for more unique features that weren't as similar to disneyland, like, yes, they're different, there's a lot more more, just more, in disney world, but I would say it's similar, too similar, to disneyland. I would like it to be a little more magic Kingdom and less Disneyland. I would say that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I sort of agree with that. I think that specifically, the most disappointing thing for me was Fantasyland, with the buildings especially. They just had like it was just one building or like a couple buildings. They looked like strip malls with just the ride names on them where you enter.
Speaker 4:Oh, yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, exactly like they didn't have like like where peter pan is.
Speaker 4:Yeah, like in fantasyland in california.
Speaker 3:Every building looks like it's its own building, right next to the castle with every ride that you go into. So, yeah, it's kind of weird how they just it looked like. Yeah exactly medieval strip malls there yeah, yeah, that's true yeah, I think that that part was the weirdest for me. I did love. I mean, obviously the castle is bigger, which is really cool, yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 2:Interesting. So we have Animal Kingdom. Was there anything about Animal Kingdom? That was a disappointment, wow.
Speaker 1:I just hit her head. No, right away.
Speaker 4:Not that I can think of. I mean can think of, I mean, oh wait, the avatar ride.
Speaker 3:We went on I don't remember which, what it was called the flight of passage flight of passage journey.
Speaker 4:No, no, we actually did not go on that one, I think that's the one thing we didn't do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, christy, that one on it flight of passage.
Speaker 4:I I it was cool. I liked how you could feel like the animal you're supposed to be on breathing. I thought that was a cool thing, but it was a little disappointing to me, especially. I've just heard it's so good and it was good, but I don't know. I was expecting really it not to be just like almost like a virtual reality thing.
Speaker 4:I was expecting it to be a actual ride okay so I think I think it's my fault for having the wrong expectations. However, I think it was the most disappointing for me, but other than, that animal kingdoms.
Speaker 1:I think it's a cool version of Soarin'.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay, I agree with Addy. I think that it was a cool ride.
Speaker 1:Is that your most disappointing thing too?
Speaker 3:No, no, no, I'm just agreeing with her. It's a cool ride, but it's not as cool as the line as the wait time Exactly yeah. And the same thing with. We didn't get to do the Navi River journey because just the wait time was so long and from what I hear it's just in a boat and whatever.
Speaker 2:And it's short.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean it sounds great to me, but I would never wait in that long of a line when I could be doing other stuff.
Speaker 2:Now, visually it's very cool, it's cool looking, but it's not worth a long wait and it's not worth it I don't know.
Speaker 1:It's hard to come up with no without Lightning Lane. It's not worth it.
Speaker 2:No, but honestly I think that they lie on that wait time. I've never had it where it's been more than just slightly over half the wait time that they list. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You think they're trying to get people to leave Pandora after they ride? I think so. Find a passage so they don't try to double back and go in line again after going through.
Speaker 3:It might be yeah but most disappointing, I would say, the dinosaur land usa oh, to me, I forgot about that some people. I think I've seen on social media that some people love it or are really upset that it's closing, but I don't have that kind of nostalgia with it. I guess I am not upset that it's going away. I love the dinosaur ride. I thought it was super fun. It is definitely outdated, so I'm not upset that that's going away either.
Speaker 2:It has Felicia Rashad, it's outdated.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, exactly so yeah, I think definitely Dinosaur Land was the most disappointing part of Animal Kingdom.
Speaker 2:Now was Triceratops been. I can't remember.
Speaker 3:It was already closed. It was already closed.
Speaker 2:It was already closed, okay.
Speaker 4:I forgot about Dinosaur Land. I would probably agree with that, now that I remember it.
Speaker 1:It looks like it's going to be amazing where it is. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just kind of when you walk in.
Speaker 4:it's just kind of like almost like anticlimactic.
Speaker 2:There's not much to see, it's kind of bland, I'm not too sad to see it go away, and if you don't know the whole backstory to it, it's really confusing because you're like, wait a minute, why did Disney make a big pile of crap?
Speaker 1:Yeah, is that all the parks? Yep.
Speaker 2:That was all of them.
Speaker 1:I have one more question for them. And I do too, you go ahead one more, then I'll ask the final one, mine doesn't have anything to do with their trips.
Speaker 2:Disney Springs. What are your thoughts about Disney Springs?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, good one.
Speaker 2:Good Disney Springs. What are your thoughts about Disney Springs? Oh yeah, good one, good question. It's very different in a lot of ways than downtown Disney.
Speaker 3:Yes, I think that downtown Disney is better at being Disney.
Speaker 4:Personally.
Speaker 3:But I do really, really appreciate the amount of things at Disney Springs. Yeah, I like how there's so much stuff like so many different shops and whatever. I love the Lego shop. So I have to lean toward downtown Disney for that one, because it's really cool how it has its own building. We were really confused when we went to the Lego store in Disney Springs. We walked like all the way around the building. It was really weird how they had it formatted. Yeah, so that's a game changer for me. I also love if you know me, you also know that I love Earl of Sandwich, which is all the way at the end of Disney Springs. For some reason, you should not have to walk that far to get a great sandwich.
Speaker 1:It rotates between both sides of downtown Disney every other month. Oh okay.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, it gets moved around all the time. No, but yeah. So those are my takes. I liked how big it was. I liked how many things there were, but the individual shops that I love, I lean toward Downtown Disney and then also the overall Disney-ness of the area. Downtown Disney is better at that as well.
Speaker 4:I was pretty much going to say the same thing.
Speaker 4:If I'm going for like disney shopping, definitely downtown disney like if I want to feel like I'm, like if I'm leaving disneyland but I'm not quite ready to leave and I go to downtown disney, I'm gonna be still happy because I still feel like I'm in disney. Yeah, disney springs it just has more. So I do appreciate that, like I think most of the times eli and I have been has simply been because we are meeting people later, so we need somewhere to go, because we don't have a car down in Florida so we just get dropped off there. And I do appreciate that there is plenty for us to do for hours, like last time we met you guys for going to Epcot. The next day we just spent a little bit of time in Disney Springs. So I think it's nice because it has a lot of space for you to walk around and just enjoy shopping and stuff. But I agree with Eli in the way that if you want to be in that full Disney experience, I would go downtown Disney.
Speaker 1:That's good.
Speaker 2:That is a good answer. Great answers yes, great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I totally agree. That's great. I have one more question and I had a question for both of you, but I'm going to ask you both the same question instead to end our end our conversation. So you guys are both in world of disney? No, not a world disney. We changed our mind on that. You have a store, a building right, a make billy building with every disney merch item in it oh man in all the parks, everything right, you have 10 minutes to grab whatever you want.
Speaker 1:What do you do? Just a really quick like where do you go? What do you do? Just give me like a 30 second.
Speaker 3:Okay, every single time I've been to a park or to a Disney store, I've really wanted one of those baseball jerseys, specifically the Powerline ones. That's the first thing I'm grabbing is the Powerline baseball jersey, because they're so expensive, but I really, really want one. And then I'm getting the biggest pin collection you have ever seen in your life. That's my 10 minutes right there, okay.
Speaker 4:I would also agree with the baseball jerseys. They're just so cool, but I wish they weren't so expensive. I would have all of them if they weren't. I would first go there baseball jerseys and then I'm going lounge flies. I love my little lounge fly. It's Olaf won because I'm a Frozen person, but I'm going straight there. There are so many great ones. I would grab as many as I can. That way, every time I go to Disney I can wear a new one.
Speaker 2:Great guy, there we go, there we go. Well, if he does A different perspective from a couple of 50-year-old guys versus 19-year-olds.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think that would be either of our trips, but we can talk about that later. Maybe we'll have an episode on that. On shopping what we'd buy if we had all the money in the world Nothing, I know. Maybe I'll have an episode on that.
Speaker 2:So and I figured this out I want to go and the food is a big part of it, sorry, food is a big part of it. Where shopping is a big part of it Sorry, food is a big part of it. Where shopping is a big part of the experience and you don't really care much about the food.
Speaker 2:Oh, I care about the food, but not to the extent that I'm like I want to go here and I'm going to eat something else and I just don't care anything about shopping. But I do have a few things and I will walk through a little bit. But, yeah, I want to buy all the things.
Speaker 1:And you want to buy all the things. I want to buy all the things too.
Speaker 2:It is. It's something very. There's something for everybody.
Speaker 1:Right. But we agree on one thing, and it's the drinks. Yes, we agree that we need to have the drinks at the Disneyland. There you go so thank you for coming, guys.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Thanks for having us Great conversation. Definite top five guests.
Speaker 1:Top five guests right here.
Speaker 3:We should have a poll. Yeah, you should have a poll.
Speaker 1:I agree, the Addy versus Eli poll.
Speaker 3:If we do that, make sure you go watch the other two episodes that I've been in so that you can get the full ratio of my ratio of my.
Speaker 4:Just because you mean more doesn't mean they're better.
Speaker 2:That might work against you, oh shoot.
Speaker 4:Maybe this one's going to be top rating just because I'm on it.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:She'll finally tell her friends about it yeah, all of Addie's friends are finally going to watch the episode.
Speaker 4:She'll finally tell people I'll just draw the crowd.
Speaker 1:For advertisement from your full network of people. That's me Watch this episode have 14 billion views.
Speaker 4:What can I say? People just like me, right.
Speaker 1:Well, we're popular at FlyGlore.
Speaker 4:Yeah, wow. So you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Slowly flew up on your charts, Guys. Thanks so much for coming.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you.
