Disney Parks Updates With A Zombie

A Trader Sam’s Zombie is the kind of Disney drink that dares you to underestimate it, so we start by recreating the tiki classic at home and breaking down what makes it hit so hard. From the rum-forward first sip to the pog and grapefruit in the middle and cinnamon on the finish, we use the cocktail as a launchpad for what we’re really craving: that feeling of discovery you get when Disney parks roll out genuinely fresh updates. 

Then we dive into the newest changes across Disneyland and Walt Disney World, starting with the Muppets Electric Mayhem overlay on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We talk about why the queue might be the best part, how the Muppets humor lands, and what it means when an overlay improves the story without changing the track. We also hit the Bluey addition at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and why kid-focused shows and interactive spaces matter more than adults like to admit. 

From there, we get into the update we’ve wanted for a long time: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run finally getting new missions and more replay value, with destination choices like Endor and Coruscant. We also obsess over EPCOT’s Soarin’ Over America 250 overlay and argue Disney should crank out more Soarin’ film experiences for seasons, regions, and special events. Add Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopening smoother with new effects, plus a rumored Carousel of Progress refresh that stretches from the Apollo era to an off-planet future while keeping the iconic song, and we’re fully in planning mode. 

If you love Disney parks news, ride updates, and the kind of nerdy trip talk that turns into a real itinerary, hit subscribe, share this with a Disney friend, and leave a review so more fans can find us. What’s the one change that would make you book your next trip?

Transcript

Zombie Cocktail Taste Test

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Today, we are discussing everything new in the parts while tasting a zombie from Frater Sam's enchanted tiki bar. Welcome to Tears to Ears.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

From Castle Coasters, we're here for you. Old-fashioned Manhattan. We'll talk about it too. From future land to the wild frontier. It's Disney talk on Tears to Ears.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Okay, and we're back. Yeah. And let's talk about this drink.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

The zombie. Yes. The zombie from Trader Sam's at Disneyland. It is made with Hamilton Demeria 151 rum, Bacardi 8 Rum, Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Sam's Gorilla Grog, Grapefruit, and Cinnamon. Well, it's not on here. Oh, that's right. I think it was 1950 or so, something like that. It was one of the more expensive drinks.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Yeah. They'll set you back 20 bucks. So, what we did, we have one ounce of ruby red grapefruit juice, one ounce of Captain Morgan. Now, this was funny because we have, I believe it was five types of rum. And so we weren't gonna go buy the specific rum. We were just gonna come as close as possible. So we did one ounce of Captain Morgan white rum, one ounce of Gosling's rum, one ounce of Meyer's original dark rum, and three ounces of pog juice. That's pog juice. Pog juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon with grapefruit juice. With yeah, that well, that was the first ingredient I mentioned. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Put in about seven ounces of liquid in with our ice.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Now, if you go to Trader Sam's this drink, because of all the three rums involved, it's a limited two. You can only get two under there. So you can only spend 40 bucks on Disney. I can understand. If that's all you want to have. If you just want a zombie, you can only spend $40.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Now, Disney is very generous with their alcoholic. They are. They are very boozy. So this is one of the more boozy drinks I think we've had in a while because it's got three ounces. And before I found that we did have grapefruit juice, we almost put grapefruit vodka in it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Because that was the grapefruit we had. Maybe we should have tried it anyway. That sounds kind of good. But as you'll see, see Aaron's dragar took mine out, but I have the Trader Sam's stir stick from Trader Sam's. There we go. Straight at it, and then a little umbrella. And then a little umbrella. We plused it up big time around here.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

We did not serve it in our lovely tiki mugs or Mike and Sully.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Yeah, I think we'd spell that out all over our shirts. Yeah, that would be. I don't think that would. That's not a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Those aren't drinking mugs. No, they're made with a straw. Oh, yeah. We didn't even think about that. That's a genius idea. Well, darn.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

That's hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

What's funny about those is they are, I would say the size of our Mike and Sully mugs are to scale. Meaning yours could only hold half the liquid that mine could. I'd have to put more liquor in mine to match. Match it up. Yeah, just double the liquor. I'd have to have a whole lot of ice. So anyway, we've got our we've got our tiki mugs. Those were Christmas gifts. Yours, actually, you have to do it. I bought my own.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Yeah. I bought my own Christmas gift.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Mine was thank you, Leah. So give me a couple of things.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

These drinks are very good though.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

They are good. It's delicious. Mine, the alcohol hits first, the rum, and then the middle is the juices. Are the juices? And then it wraps up with cinnamon. Cinnamon, yeah. Yeah. I get the same same thing going down. Very, very tasty. It's a very boozy, fruity drink. It's so good. Yeah. But it's not a real strong, fruity, overly sweet drink.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

No, that is interest. Their entire menu's great. I mean, it's one of the better menus in all of Disney.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

And they do have a lot of new stuff, which is why we want to include it on this episode. There's a lot of new drinks and menu items on at on their menu at Trader Sam's.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

And this is not a new one. This is this is a classic. This is a ongoing This is a classic. But we're talking about new things in the parks today. Yes. Because, like you mentioned last night, there's so many new things.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Of all the parks, not just Disneyland, but you've got some Disney World and And since I haven't been to Disney, we haven't been to Disney for a while.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

I think we went together last time. Yeah, September was our last time. Yeah, that's a long time ago. That is. So I I've not watched as many YouTube videos because it just makes me miss it more. Like today, I'm Jonesing after I just deep dove into all of these things today. Yeah. I am Jonesing for Disney now.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

I'm back. I know. I've been watching a lot of videos. And that's my thing. Like when I go to a park, I'm good for about three weeks. I don't have to watch any Disney videos of speech or all ears or fresh baked bean, my my three main go-to's. After about three weeks, it's like, well, you know, now I want to watch a video. And then it gets to the point where it's like, I really want to go. And so I start watching even more. I'm watching back catalog stuff that I didn't watch. Right.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

So a little sidebar before we start. I just want to talk about this new shirt I have. This new, I don't know if you can see it. You can't really see it here.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Metalhead.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

It says Metalhead. It's R2T2. My so this is what you get for always talking Disney to everyone you meet all the time. This is from a friend at work. He got it at Kohl's. He saw it and thought of me. Nice. So thanks, John. Okay. Great shirt. It's a non-Christy wearable. Yeah. I'll have to take it off before she comes home. Okay. Because she'll that's the first thing she'll say. What's that shirt? What's that shirt? Sorry, Christy. That was sorry, Christy. That was a what's that shirt, husband? Is that better?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Darlene, that's love of my life. That's how she'll say it. We'll have to think of something to say thank you, Christy.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Yeah, at a certain point. We will. We didn't use any of her ice or her Bartesian. I don't know. We'll find out something.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

We'll

What’s New Around The Parks

SPEAKER_01 5:46

figure out something.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

So new things at the parks. I went down the list you sent me. I went straight down the list. Yes. And made some notes as I watched them all today, and it was quite a day, I gotta tell you.

Muppets Take Over Rock Coaster

SPEAKER_02 5:57

I started with Muppets Electric Mayhem. Yes, the new rock and roller coaster overlay. And just the queue itself. Let me start just by saying the queue itself is awesome. It is. And can you believe that the scooter animatronic? Oh, it's great. Yeah. Right out front there in behind the when they're behind the glass.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Yeah, well, he because he's in front yeah, he's behind the glass, but in front of the screen. Right. The big TV screen, which is correct. But it looks really good. It looks like a uh puppeteer is back there moving him because of how fluid the movements are.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Right, and the videos in line while they were walking through. The the so their man I think this is our manager that's talking to them before they go out in line. Uh-huh. He's funny. His name's Ken Marino. Okay. That's his real name. He's an actor who played he played on Brooklyn 99 as the stupid captain. He played Captain CJ. Oh, okay. On Brooklyn 99, the guy that had no idea what he was doing, and there was no reason he should become a captain. Oh. He was okay. Yeah, he was hilarious on Brooklyn 99. And he's he's funny in this too. Oh, I imagine. He was just one of the screens in line as you're walking along the queue.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

I didn't put that together. Probably because I've sporadically watched Brooklyn 99 night. I didn't remember whistles with him and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

But so that was my fa so that part, the cue, was my favorite part of the new ride, as far as difference, as far as difference goes.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Now I did my only request, which and you knew Disney was gonna do this, was Waldorf and Statler. They had to be in the ride somewhere, and they're right at the end.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

They're per that's a perfect place for them.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Perfect, perfect place for them. Give you a one-liner when you leave. And they but they made it into the ride, which they had to, and they just moved the animatronic from the show and moved everything over.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

So the cue and the ending is the only thing that really changed to me. We have an umbrella down.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

I should remove this.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

It probably wouldn't, yeah, probably be more damaged.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

I have a drinking problem.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

So for those listening at home, we just had an umbrella incident. Umbrella incident.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Oh well. If you want to see the whole thing, it'll be on YouTube. We might I might slow-mo it. If I even could do that, I can't I can't do the YouTube at all. So like I could slow-mo anything. Whoa, that'd be crazy if I could actually edit like that.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Editing skills will have to yeah, they're horrible. You have to get it skills.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

Yeah, yeah, I'd have to you have to get it on YouTube first.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

I mean, we've been going two years and I finally got my editing for the podcast down. Right. I can't even imagine like doing video. That's why I've been so hesitant about doing video. I don't want to edit video.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

We slowly are getting them online, on the on the line. On the line, on the website, on the web sites.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

So the ride itself. Exact same. Same and kind of worse to me in a way because I'm such a huge Aerosmith fan.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

I loved Ryan the Ride belting out an Aerosmith song. Did you write down the songs that they were? I did not. And I forgot, I even forgot which one it was that I heard.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

There's a few different songs that play. Of course. And so, and they're all really good ones, but they're all covered by Electric Mayhem. So it's the original singer plus Electric Mayhem who are singing along with those.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

So doing a good job. They kept with just the road signs, though. Yeah. On the ride. I thought they would change it up where you're like seeing animal like playing drums if you're flying. That's what I thought it would be. I thought it would be like projections of the band.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

I had a feeling it was gonna just be the road signs.

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Just the road signs. It's the same exact ride pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

The same ride, just re-themed to Muppets.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Right. Yeah. So, but other than that, I'm excited to go on it. Oh, yeah. I think I'm thinking Hollywood Studios might be the first park I want to go to when I next time I visit Disney World because of the changes.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Yeah, because there's more than just that.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Well, we'll talk about more later. Right. Okay, let's move on.

Bluey Arrives At Animal Kingdom

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Next one we had up, the Bluey station at Animal Kingdom. Right. So there's Bluey and they have uh Australia, like the petting zoo thing part of it. You can't go in and pet them, from what I understand. Maybe you can. I just watched the show itself. The oh, well, there's the new Bluey show at Disneyland. No, this was at Disney World. Oh. I watched the show. That's all I watched. Oh, is it do they do a show inside too? Yeah. Okay, inside. That's why they got rid of the animation studio in there. That's right. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

So yeah, so the show, the people I watched do it. I watched a couple with their kid of mine that went to it. And they would like waited. There's a restaurant right before you get on the train, I guess. They had to wait for their they were waiting. They had a bunch of bluey merchandise there and snacks. Yeah, and um, then they got in the train, they took the train out there.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

And then the the show, if my nephew Finn would love it, would love it.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

We're not in that realm to love it.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Because all the parents just kind of the kids go up front, parents stand in the back.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

And it's just a show with the guy was great.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

I will probably that one, both the one at Animal Kingdom and at Disneyland, the big show on the big stage there. I'll go see them. I don't know if it it's gonna be as big a draw. Like I would go every third visit to see what was it, Mickey and the Magic Map. Yeah. Yeah. And just as a go sit down and watch a show.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

Yeah, I mean, this is a really good idea because people didn't always go. It's not very busy out there. That train wasn't always stacked with people to go out.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

It was pretty easy to fill it up.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

Right. So they're draw I mean you have to have a queue, it's a virtual queue. Yes. Oh, okay. It's a two two time a day virtual queue to get on. Oh, I didn't realize that. They call your number and then you get in the train. Okay. And so it's a thing, right? Where where they're they're asked to get more traffic out there. So I'd say anything to get more traffic to places and to drive the more kid spaces. I mean Yeah, little kids stuff. Little kids stuff. They need more of that. I think there's there's too many things that we can't we don't want to do. There's not enough, no, sorry, there's not enough things that we don't want to do at Disney, I don't think. Yes, there should be more. There should be more things that we don't want to do because we're old dudes.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

And while I'm excited about Avengers Campus and everything coming in that they converted over, that did wipe out at California Adventure. That did wipe out a big section of little kid stuff that I just I would never I never rode any of those rides.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Right. Like the old Bugsland.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Yeah. That whole thing. Yeah, Bugsland. What did I say?

SPEAKER_02 12:26

You didn't say it, so that's what you meant. Yeah, we're talking about the same thing. Yeah. Yeah, Bugsland. Eli loved Bugsland when he was a kid.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Oh, I can imagine. He loved it. Because there's the splash pad.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

It was so interactive. And way more interactive than any other of those little spots that kids can go to.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Yeah. Because it was very it was very shaded. Right. You had like some bumper car.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

It had a lot of little kid stuff. And it had a learning aspect to it.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

Which is totally my son.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Fun. Absolutely. Fun and learning at the same time. He's all in. Which is why he wasn't as thrilled with Epcot as I I think he I think from a perspective of the lands and all the drinks. Yeah. It's more adult friendly that way. He liked he loved Living with the Land.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Yes. Loved it. There's I'm sure there's certain aspects of that he loved, but I thought he'd be a little more jazzed about it than he.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

I can see I can see I can see his aspect. I can see his way of thought. And so so one more thing on I know this no one else cares. This is just funny, right? Because it's a Disney thing I had today. So my son's on a boat going up now for the Naval Academy. Yes. Right. And so I sent a picture to everybody in our group chat today talking about saying asking if Eli was more Jack Sparrow right now, right? Which he probably isn't because knowing him, he's more Jack Ryan.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Yeah. A little more Jack Ryan.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Just a Disney thing I had today.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Yeah. So I always went out to the and I'm why am I drawing a blank of the name? What where do you take the train out where called Rafiki's Planet Watch? Planet Watch? Yeah. That's what I thought that's what I was thinking it was called. I think you can do the walkthrough, but instead of the pigs and the goats and everything that they had out there, it's wallabies and kangaroos, and they have females, so I think they're a little more friendly. And they I got the impression like you could still walk through there. But you can't? Maybe. I'd heard that you couldn't.

SPEAKER_02 14:18

Well, these guys did not. The people I watched, I missed that part. Okay. So my my viewing was a train, a show, a train back. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

But they still have like the aquariums of bugs and snakes and all that type of stuff. Where you could watch creepy snakes and spiders. Watch the vets taking care of the animals. They have to have that still. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

I didn't uh they're they didn't do a whole view around it. I should have found a better this is just the first one that came up.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Yeah. There's, and now I forgot which show it is, but they have an episode on one of the one of the series that they did with at Disney World, where they they're at Animal Kingdom and they're talking about taking care of the animals. And they had they showed Dr. Josie. Oh yeah, you talked about it. I and I know Dr. Josie. She was actually on my other podcast. And so I don't know if she quite realized that I was more jazzed to like know that she worked at Animal Kingdom than I was about anything else about her. It was or anything. It was like, oh, you were at you worked at Animal. That's so cool. Yeah. I fanboyed it that one. So well, let's move right on. Let's move on. Yeah. Well, that was a long talk about

Smugglers Run Gets Real Variety

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Bluey, really. New missions on Smuggler's Run. This is good. This is this is excellent.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

This is excellent because as a s as a huge Star Wars fan than I am.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Right? Huge Star Wars fan.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

It's what it should have been at the first time.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

I was so dis I've been so disappointed with Smuggler's Run. Yeah. Since it opened. The first time we went was great because it was so like emotional.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

Right. More than new, it was emotional. Emotional. It was an emotional day the first time to walk in the city. Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

And um the first time going on it, right? We were we were some of the first people to go on it, probably.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Yeah. Because they just opened. That's when you you got three hours in that area and that was it.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Right.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

And so it was an emotional experience. But since then, I could take it or leave it. It was a park day thing.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

It was the same mission. Now, the the only way around that was by making it fun. So when you and I went last time. Because so it's our thing. When we go, we have fun. Me, Dave, and Asha, the kids, all of that. We make Osha pilot and we yell at Osha the whole time. And it's hilarious. Just the stuff we're yelling at her. And so you and I, when we went last year, last September, you and I were yelling at each other the whole time, which did make that a fun trip. For everyone involved. For everyone involved.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

The other four people in there with us loved it. It was our first time on the ride, and we talked to them before. We offered the for all of them to be pilots.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Yes. And they didn't want to. They didn't want to.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

So we told them, you know, you guys don't have much to do back there.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

So I mean, hope you don't mind us and what we do. And we were controlling each other's controls and yelling at each other.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

It was a good time. So now Endor, Curusant, or what was the third mission? Now you get a pick. So if you go on, if you're the engineer and you sit on the right side, you get a pick which mission you go on.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Because this you get to pick the second mission, right? The second part of the mission?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

The no, the whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

I thought it was they did a mission and then you pick the second place you go.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

You pick great from the start. Oh, do you? Okay. Yeah. It's endor, curaison, or and I forgot what the third one is off the top of my head. Because it has been a little while since I watched Fresh Baked. He did all three, and he always took that seat. So he got always got so my maybe maybe it was. I can't remember. My favorite job besides pilot was the engineer. Because to me, it was more interactive. I didn't like the gunner because it was just holding a button. Right. Now everybody has more to do. More to do. Especially the engineers. And everybody hated being an engineer. Uh-huh. I I liked it. I didn't mind being the engineer at all. But now I really want to start picking those where you're going.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

And the gunner, it matters when you push the button. Yes. And where you push the butt, which button you push. Exactly. It all matters now. So they made it way better. Way better. So they probably they finally got all six people involved in the ride.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

Yes. And you can so like they had Chewy mode in the previous version. They have Grogu mode in this one where Grogu's doing all the talking to you. So I can't remember all the details, but they they will tell you as you're getting on what everybody needs to do. Because everybody has to hold certain buttons down.

SPEAKER_02 18:43

Yeah, but I've never done have you done the chewy? Did you ever do the chewy mode?

SPEAKER_01 18:46

I haven't tried. I never even I just go on the ride. I think I tried once and it didn't work. I didn't really care. So at some point they might bring back the original to throw into the mix and stuff. I think they'll mix it up.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

I care about Chewy mode as much as I care about being the on Star Tours being the spy. The spy? I care less.

SPEAKER_01 19:06

Yeah. I was a spy once after not having ridden that thing in years. Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

I was too, but the only time I've been on it by myself.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

Are you talking about doing that? Just going by yourself. Or like ride at the end of the night when no one's on it. Just so you could be the spy.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

I wasn't on the whole ride by myself. I was with nobody I knew.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Oh my god, okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Yeah. So no one else got to experience me being the spy.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

I just watched a video. Someone was talking about they were the only ones on the ride. That's funny.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

And they became spy by the rides you could at the end of the night be the only one on. Yes. Very much so. During during like an after hours event? Totally. So there you go. Smugglers run. Smugglers Run. Great. Really wanna ride it. Really? Hollywood Studios again. That's what I was talking about. Hollywood Studios has two rides in Hollywood Studios that are new and sound exciting.

Animation Courtyard Gets A Refresh

SPEAKER_01 19:54

And the third part is Animation Courtyard, which they redesigned. They did. Which I believe has the animation studio in it now.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Oh, okay. I didn't see that.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

They I think they moved it where it was the meet and greet with Darth Vader and all of them. I think they turned that into a theater for the animation. I might be wrong. Okay. But that was what it sounded like when they were describing it. Right. But I've yet to see a video where they go in and they're filming the inside and does it.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Yeah, I did not look up anything else except for um on YouTube. I typed in animation courtyard and watched a video. I didn't look up anything online. So all I saw was a walkthrough around the courtyard. And the Little Mermaid Show is in there. Which is, I mean, there's the Mickey, there's a new, there's the Mickey Magic hat. Yeah, like there is at Disneyland. I know.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

They they made it look nicer. It's more aesthetically pleasing minimum.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

I can care less.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Yeah, it's if there's a place to sit. Not a big deal. Hang out. But it looks better.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

It's just new.

SPEAKER_01 20:56

And I think, but I think that's part of the problem of Hollywood Studios is that that area just didn't look it didn't look very good. Right. It just looked boring. Right. And so I think they just made it a little bit, you know, the a little more curb appeal. It's going to be a serious two-day park for me. I'm going to want to go to that twice.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Soarin Across America.

Soarin’ Over America Overlay Dreams

SPEAKER_02 21:18

Soarin' Across America. Here's another one. America 250. Here's another one. Now, this unfortunately is an Epcot. If this was in Hollywood Studios, I would be on a plane to Florida right now. Just for a day. Because watching this on my TV at home and writing Soren so many times, you can imagine yourself being on it, right? Because it's easy when you've been doing done it so many times. So I love this. I can't wait to see it. Yeah. It's so every scene is so good. I cannot fathom why they don't have like eight thousand of these overlays.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

Oh, just and randomly move them around.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

Always for different seasons. Like the yeah, the whole thing was great. Start with the Statue of Liberty. Any with the American flag on Epcot?

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

And the fireworks, they could do that for every holiday.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

They could. And I don't know what it costs. It costs So who cares? The development Disney. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

It doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

The development of hiring the computer guys to program everything. That's what all the expense is. And it's probably a lot. But once you've got that information, it's just plugging in a different programming it differently for that.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Yeah, there's there's no way it costs too much for Disney. No. There's no way to have multiple because now we have three. Now we have three. Right? Yeah. There should be 10, 15. You should be all like all over Europe. Every month. Soaring over Europe. Soaring over Africa. Yeah. Soaring over Australia.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Yeah. I don't see why not.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Soaring over South America.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Soaring over all the parks.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

Oh, that'd be good too. Yeah. Just every park in the world. Yeah. I don't see why not. I know. Yeah. I know. I I just didn't. Well, that's what I that's what I got from watching it. See, I just loved it. I just watched it. I was like, I can't wait to go on this ride now.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

So now we've just come up with an episode, goofy overlays for Soren. You know. Goofy overlays for every ride. Soren over World War II battlefields. Okay. Part of our humor. That's that is that will be an upcoming episode right there.

SPEAKER_02 23:25

Soren. Okay. I'm not going to stop. Okay. I'll tell you that off air when I was going to say this now.

SPEAKER_01 23:30

We'll be offensive later.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

But that sorry, that's a good, that's a good episode. Wow. Of like bad ideas for Soren.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

Bad ideas for Soren. That's pretty funny. So that could get bad though.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Oh, it could.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

I think I think, yeah. That's why we gotta do it. Yeah. Welcome to our last episode, everybody.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

I introduced the Yemen land at Epcot in one episode, so I'm willing to go there.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

Yeah, so Soren, I think it's number two of what I want to see the most over what we talked about is Muppet Electric Mayhem, just because it's Muppets and the Q is great. And I'm excited for it. And then Soren and then Smugglers so far. Oh, really? Okay. I'd love the Soren. The Soren looks great.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

I think smugglers might be my number one.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

It'll be fun, but I could do Soren like three or four times in a trip, I think. I love Soren anyway. It's so much fun. It's just a it's just a relaxing time in a park.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Relaxing AC. Yeah. It but it was always one of those I was never willing to wait for it. Like true. 20 minutes max.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

True.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

But that's the great thing about that ride, is it's kind of like pirates. It's never really a long wait. Unless it's super busy, you're looking at a 20-25 minute in standby. Right. So there you go. Okay.

Big Thunder Reopens And Gets Compared

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Big Thunder Railroad has reopened with the rainbow caverns. All new tracks. And they say it's as smooth. They say it's smooth.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

They reduce the height requirement.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Yes, by a couple of inches. Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

Probably because of the smoothness.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Yeah, because little kids aren't bouncing out. Right. But as smooth as seven dwarves, which is a very smooth. Right. It just you don't think so? I would say seven dwarves is as smooth as that one. Okay. So right there. It's got the rocking effect, too, of seven dwarves because it's on those, it's like a bucket on pinned on the front and the back. Right. So it can rotate. Anyway, yes, I'm really, really excited to try that because I love Big Thunder. Right. It is always a must do.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

I wrote one note. I watched the whole ride. I have one note I wrote down, What's Not to Love. Yeah. That's all I wrote down.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

It doesn't Big Thunder is great. And it was one I would always do that. If I'm going to make it a priority to do a ride twice, that's probably one of the rides I'm going to do twice.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

I know. I I never rank it my favorite ride, but it might be my favorite ride.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

But it's a solid must-do. I love Big Thunder. Now, here's the discussion I want to have about this. Okay. Disneyland Big Thunder versus Magic Kingdom Big Thunder. Disneyland always kind of took the lead as far as I thought that was a better version of the ride because of the goat and you could turn around and the nostalgia. It was the original.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Well, Disney Disney World had that one little other bump I didn't love. Yeah. There's one little like flop down. I it wasn't my favorite.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

Yeah. But now I'm like, I want to write. I have a feeling that will probably be I'll like that more than the Disneyland version.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

You're open to Disney.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

Because you always do that comparison.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

So how you how how do you do the comparison? Do you just it's because you're gonna you're gonna go to Disney if you go to Disney World next, yeah, it's gonna be you're gonna love it. Yeah, or you're gonna say, Oh, this is better than Disneyland, but you have to go to Disneyland right after I've really like in the next few months to really so many times, but it doesn't matter, it's new. Oh yeah, news new Trumps New Trumps everywhere 10,000 times riding something.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Yeah. Right? You know what I'm saying? But I think with the how smooth it is, it definitely has a better cue. It's always the Magic Kingdom version has always been a much better cue, right? But I didn't like the track as much. We'll see. I didn't like the dyno the dynamite and it didn't have the goat, and it didn't have it didn't have a lot of those things, right? But now Rainbow Caverns, and it's got more to it, and it's smoother. I think like to me, hands down, Disneyland's version was better.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Right. So here's what here's how I'll do it.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

We'll ride a Disney World one.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

See how much we like it. You'll you'll love it more. You're going to like it more. Probably. Right. Then we'll go to Disneyland.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

And then we'll go to Disneyland.

SPEAKER_02 27:43

We'll go to Disneyland Hotel, okay, before we go, and we'll go to the Frontier Tower, and they have a full-scale model of Big Thunder. We'll look at that and like and then we'll go right to the park and ride it. You know what? And we'll see what you say after that.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

You know what they have? So Breeze Airways does it. Yeah. I don't know what that is. See, now you're looking at this question mark. You're gonna love this. Okay. They are the only airline that has a direct flight from Orlando to John Wayne or Orange County.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Oh, so we fly Alaska or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

We fly to one to Orlando. And then we fly Breeze to back on one. Alaska black back. That's a one-way trips.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Who a triangular Disney vacation?

SPEAKER_01 28:24

A triangular Disney and we hit Disneyland and try out that I I just got it.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

I got it. I got it. Okay. Ready? Okay. Me and Aaron need to go on a Triangular Disney vacation. Yes. Thank you, Christy.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Thank you, Christy.

SPEAKER_02 28:38

I got the thank you, Christy episode. We said we could thank you, Christy, in before we quit. We have one other thing to talk about, though.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

We do.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

And I had to pulled up my phone. Do you have all the new things for the ride?

Carousel Of Progress Gets Reimagined

SPEAKER_01 28:48

Uh carousel progress. Do you have new announcements? Do you do you have them on your phone? The 60s to 80s, the late 90s. So I had them always. And then the future. Off planet. This is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

So Carousel Progress is one of both of our favorite things.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

It is. It's a must do.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

It's it's one of my favorite things ever. I love it. I love it like I love Chubi. Yep. I love Carousel Progress like I love Figment. It's one of my favorite things.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Now, if they had never changed it, I would have been fine with that. Right, but the new there's four acts in the new version. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Should I go over and roll it?

SPEAKER_01 29:24

Plus Walter. For Walt.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

Right. Plus Walt at the beginning? At the beginning. Right. To do that little So Act One is the summer of 1969. Okay. Where the family gathers around the TV to watch the Apollo moon landing. Oh, okay. So cool. Yeah. So cool. Think of what you've seen before, and then look, think of this. Imagine this. Act two is Halloween night in 1985. Okay. In a major shift, Sarah will take over the narration and showcase new elsehole gadgets.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

Yes, it was the counter full of single-use appliances.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

Is that cool? So cool. Act three is New Year's Eve 1999.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Okay, that's very print. Very print. Little white probably thrown in.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

Celebrating the millennium and the dawn of the internet.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

And Act Four is the finale, a distant off-planet future featuring robots, space travel, and advanced future technology. But the song stays the same.

SPEAKER_01 30:19

Same.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

Which is huge.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

They couldn't. Now that was the thing. They could not change that song.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

No, they did and they didn't.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

And they didn't. The show, and I I imagine there'll be people who will complain about it because there are people who complain when they ever change something that iconic that Walt did. But see, and I'm of the belief that Walt would have changed this. He would have updated it.

SPEAKER_02 30:44

Because it still shows the past and how we've I don't know why people think Walt wouldn't have updated everything.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

But it's cool that they start with landing on the moon and then the last one is we're off planet. Right. It's gonna be great. It's gonna be great. We gotta wait a whole July 5th is the last day it's open, then they're closing down 2027, is that what they said? Yeah, and so there's I can't we can't go see it before it closes. I was really bummed about that. But I'm gonna go see that is when it opens. I really want to.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

So I mean it's not official yet, yeah, and it's not opening soon, but that's my number one.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

If you were to take it all, if that was really if that's really what's gonna happen, yeah. That's my number one.

SPEAKER_01 31:24

I also forgot or forgot to put on the list about Buzz Lightyear recently opening.

SPEAKER_02 31:29

We could talk about some people say they like it better.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

It is better, it's it's smoother, and you can move the guns like the Disneyland version. It is a filler ride entirely. To us, it is. Some people it's their ride, it's their ride, but it sucked. It the Disney World Magic Kingdom version was terrible.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Compared to Disneyland, it was compared to Disneyland. And Disneyland it was one of my least favorite things. It was I don't want to work. It was that's that's what I really don't want. That's what my smuggler's run problem was. I want to go to Disneyland and not work. I don't want to play a video game.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

You have mentioned that. I have a yeah, I'm fine, and you don't want to it's why you didn't like Toy Story Mania.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

I don't need to do stuff.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

I I just I don't need to.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

Like I'll go on Toy Story Mania, but I don't care if I win. I zero care if I get more points. I know you do.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:16

And you and even if I cared, you beat me every time. You're really good at those games.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

Probably because I've done that a hundred times or or more. Actually, that's probably one I've done a couple hundred times.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Witties is more fun.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Way more fun. Way more fun than Buzz Lightyear.

SPEAKER_01 32:31

Yeah. Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

And better than Web Slingers. Web Slingers is which is the same ride. Same as Buzz. But it's as far as good to me.

SPEAKER_02 32:39

Yeah. I'll go on it. Because they're about equal. I'll go on it because. Because. But I don't I watch stuff. I like looking like I have the same problem as smugglers run. A one screen. Yeah. I look around and don't know where I'm driving.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

And then all of a sudden you get buttons to push. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

Oh, you hit that. I don't care. I'm just watching that droid over there. Start the engine.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Start the engine.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

Start the engines. Go to that's a screaming at each other. Hyper space. It's better live, everybody. It is. Yeah. But I think that's it. That's it. There's a lot of a lot of new. That's a lot of new stuff. What's a good idea you came up with?

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Because we haven't talked about it. They dropped all this recently. You know, and occasionally we got to talk about the stuff that they drop. We'll do the same thing when D23 after that. It's but yeah, you gotta talk about the new stuff. We we gotta talk about the new stuff because we gotta be nerdy about it. Yeah, so much fun. It's just the way it is. And come with up with our triangle plan.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Right. And if you don't like all the stuff we talked about, who are you? What? Thank you for listening. Yeah, I don't even get it. Because this are this is great stuff we just talked about.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

You know what's great about that?

Triangular Disney Trip And Flight Hack

SPEAKER_01 33:50

So that the triangle plan that I gotta go back.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

This is brand new.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

Because you know, for our listeners. For our listeners, I want I want them to know about this when they listen. So the price of the ticket, and it looks like a nice airline. The price of the ticket is only like 125 bucks one way.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

And you're probably on the plane with all Disney fans.

SPEAKER_01 34:13

Yeah. I mean, most likely. Most likely you are. Unless it's somebody who's trying to f fly to Southern California and that's cheaper than flying to LA.

SPEAKER_02 34:22

If I was Breeze Airlines, Breeze Airlines, I would have a $20 discount for anybody that walks on the plane with Mickey ears on. Yeah. Mickey or Mickey Ears. Or a free drink. Or free drink. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:33

Oh, between better. Between a free Disney cocktail.

SPEAKER_02 34:37

This is a great idea.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

Yeah. I'll have to I have their app on my phone. When I heard about that like last year, that Breeze was doing that.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

So we fly to Orlando for probably 10 to 17 days.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Yeah, I think so. I'm then two days at Disneyland. Yeah, I need a trip.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

So my drink's almost gone. You have a lot more than me today.

SPEAKER_01 34:59

Yeah, you out you outdrank me with yours, but so good. You know, if you subject, good drinks.

Subscribe Email And Sign Off

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Yeah. Like, subscribe, follow, heart. Do that. Send us an email at cheers, the number two, ears number one at outlook.com. You did it. I did it. I'm usually not the one flubbing over my home.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

That's my job.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

I hate it when you take my thing. I take your thing. But anyway, do all those and we will talk to you all next week. Cheers. Cheers.