Monthly Archives: July 2010

Keeping the Magic Alive with Disney Podcasts.

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I am always looking for a way to keep the Disney Magic alive between trips. One of the best ways I have found is to follow a Disney Podcast. I am going to take a few moments to talk about two of my favorites. While I am only touching on two, there are many more that I listen to and hope talk about a little more in a future blog post.

 

WDW Radio Show

If you are a true passionate fan of everything Walt Disney World, then you must have heard of Lou Mongello. I don’t know of a single person who tries harder or does more to bring everyone closer to the magic of Walt Disney World than Lou.

My first encounter with Lou Mongello was through his trivia book (The Walt Disney World Trivia Book). My wife came home with his first edition, and I picked it up right away. It not only has the trivia questions with multiple choice answers, but the answer pages also offer a brief description or background along with the answer. It is the perfect way to learn more and get a little closer to Disney World. My wife and I used to sit up in bed and ask each other the questions to see who could get more correct. I think I read his book about a dozen times so far.

I stumbled across his podcast before I even knew what they were or had an iPod. I installed iTunes, grabbed a recent one and was in immediate awe. When you are such huge fans of Disney World as we are, you often find yourselves in the minority among family and close friends. It is hard to find someone with that same passion. Listening to Lou’s podcast each week was like a weekly phone call from a friend and all you do is sit around and talk about Disney World! I eagerly await each Sunday for a new episode.

Some of his topics include his famous top ten lists with Tim Foster, the Wayback machine, were he talks about some of our favorite attractions, and incredible interviews such as Julie Andrews, Richard Sherman and various Imagineers. He will often answer emails, play messages left on his voicemail, and somehow is always on top of the latest news and rumors on the parks. One thing that is always a constant is his incredible enthusiasm for Walt Disney World.

In June 2009, on our family vacation to WDW, Lou held a ‘Meet of the Month’ at MGM Studios during Star Wars Weekends. I can honestly say I have met some famous celebrities and sporting figures, but none of them even closely compared to meeting Lou. He was so incredibly gracious, and took time to speak with everyone and take pictures. He even gave my youngest daughter a free WDW Radio t-shirt because he was so impressed with the t-shirt she had made. It was and still is one of the highlights of that Disney vacation. Lou now has a meet each month at various locations throughout Disney World.

On top of his award-winning podcast, Lou is editor of Celebrations Magazine, along with Tim Foster. If you have not yet ordered a copy, stop what you are doing and go now. I have not yet found anything that compares to the work that they put into this magazine. Each issue has over 80 pages of amazing articles and full color pictures of Walt Disney World, and includes a Featured Ride, Featured Resort, and Featured Movie. They are currently printing issue 12. I will talk much more about it in a future blog post. You can find it at www.celebrationspress.com

Last 5 WDW Radio Show podcast episode titles:

178:    “The Walt Disney World that almost never was, Listener Fact or Fiction, and more”

177:    “Captain EO returns, Listener Email and more”

176:    “Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel”

175:    “Top ten things to do with your dad in Walt Disney World”

174:    “Wayback Machine – Time Keeper”

Some of my personal favorite episodes:

173:    “24 hour Live broadcast recap roundtable”

164:    “Top ten ride vehicles; celebrating the legacy of the Adventurers Club”

135:    “Richard Sherman Interview, Ultimate Disney Dream with Justin Muchoney”

96:     “Top ten sentimental moments in Walt Disney World”

95:     “Cast Members – one of the 7 wonders of WDW”

Some more information and links for WDW Radio and Lou Mongello

Host:   Lou Mongello

Website:   www.wdwradio.com

Website contains Lou’s latest blog posts, links to his audio and video podcasts, a forum to connect with others, and a link to shop for some of his amazing work, such as his trivia and audio guides.

Podcast:   The WDW Radio Show

(New episodes Sunday evenings)

Facebook:   www.facebook.com/wdwradio

Twitter:   www.twitter.com/loumongello

Email:   lou@wdwradio.com

Celebrations Magazine:   www.celebrationspress.com

 

Be Our Guest Podcast

After searching iTunes a few months ago for some more Disney related podcasts, I came upon the Be Our Guest Podcast. The very first episode I listened to, I was hooked! The Be Our Guest Podcast team has two episodes each week, one on Mondays, and one on Fridays. Monday is usually devoted to an interview with a family or individuals about their latest trip to Walt Disney World. Fridays are a roundtable forum with the team about various topics regarding Walt Disney World. Listening to the group, you feel like you are sitting alongside them talking about your favorite resort, ride, or just why you really love Disney so much.

I also discovered his other amazing outlet for Walt Disney magic: Magical Mouse Radio. It is a station on the widely popular Live365 website, and plays Disney Audio 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have personally not found a Live365 station that has a better selection of Walt Disney Park audio than this one. If you need to get that much closer to Disney at anytime during your day, run to that site, and see what I mean. www.magicalmouseradio.com

Last 5 BeOurGuest podcast episode titles:

246:    “Stacey Aswad” (Stacey is the host of Walt Disney Resort TV)

245:    “ ‘Yehaa’ Bob Jackson and Len Testa”

244:    “Taking Babies to Walt Disney World”

243:    “DVC, Wilderness Lodge, Pop Century, and Great Meals”

242:    “Disney’s Contemporary Resort”

Some of my personal favorite episodes:

277:    “Disney Obsessions”

206:    “Where to be inspired at Walt Disney World”

174:    “Sentimental Journey to Walt Disney World”

143:    “Debbie’s move to Orlando”

112:    “Little things we love at WDW”

241:    “Carl and Ellie of TheRelocatedTourist.com” (Thanks again Mike!!)

Some more information and links for the Be Our Guest Podcast:

Host:   Mike Rahlman

Co-Hosts:   Pam Forrester, Rikki Niblett, Debbie

Website:   www.beourguestpodcast.com

Website contains the team’s latest podcasts posts and links to their message forum, and chat room.

Podcast:   The Be Our Guest Podcast

(New episodes Mondays and Fridays)

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37042345739

Twitter:        Mike: www.twitter.com/beourguestmike

       Pam: www.twitter.com/TMFLTPam

       Rikki: www.twitter.com/RikkiNibs

Email:   mike@beourguestpodcast.com

                   rikki@beourguestpodcast.com

Blog:   www.adisneyworldafterall.com (Rikki’s blog)

Live365 station:   www.magicalmouseradio.com

 

There are so many more Disney related podcasts out there. One thing that I have been more and more amazed at these past few years is the ever-increasing amount of people who want to share their love for Disney. While I could not mention all of the available podcasts if I wanted to, one thing I can do is really encourage you all to make sure you take a moment to thank the ones that you listen to. Just knowing what it takes to keep up a simple blog, I can’t imagine the work that it takes to put out a very high quality podcast, and do it every week. So make sure this week you take a moment to send the hosts of whatever podcast you listen to a note and thank them for the hard work they do to bring us all closer to the Disney Magic.

What Disney Podcasts do you listen to? Drop a comment and let us know which ones, and why you enjoy them. I don’t know how I would make it between trips without them!

~ Carl

Let Your Soul Laugh

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“When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the soul laughs for what it has found.”
 Giggle away Soul, giggle away!

Well, our souls are giggling. Now, I wish I could say we are packed and ready to leave for Florida next month, but we have decided to stay in WI and keep with the 2012 plan. 

What changed our minds? Well, several things. We talked for days and days on the pros and cons of why we should or shouldn’t move.

Why we should move:

  1. Job Opportunity
  2. Our Dream to live near Walt Disney World
  3. Be closer to new friends
  4. Change – letting go of the old.

 Why we shouldn’t move: 

  1. Stability
  2. Support System
  3. I would need to quit my job
  4. Change in schools for both kids
  5. Change – relying on the new to sustain us.

 To touch upon the above a bit more, why we wanted and still want to move is to live our dreams. Carl has more job opportunity there and less here. To live near Walt Disney World remains our constant dream and goal, and it will always be in the pro category. We would be able to hang out with our good friends Stephen and Judy, who just moved to FL 2 weeks ago.  Before I move on, I want to touch upon these amazing people.  I feel these two pave the way for so many who want to live out their dreams, take a leap of faith, and count on each other and their support system to help them on their journey.  We love them so much, and we are so proud of them.

 Now, why we shouldn’t move, as you have read above, encompasses more than that.  We want to be responsible people, and responsible parents.  If we had a guaranteed job there for Carl, it would help.  But as we hear more about how much it takes to start up residency in any of the apartments, the high car insurance rates, and that the schools aren’t always the best, it’s easy to sit back and reevaluate. If it were Carl and I only, we would already be there. We are risk takers, sometimes its pays off, sometimes it doesn’t.  It made sense to risk staying where we know so that if things get really bad, we have family and friends here to help us out, even if it’s in the smallest way. 

 Our plan will continue to be 2012. Carl will still be looking for a job in January of 2012, and possibly living there awhile to become a resident, making sure that potential employers in FL know that he is serious. Once he has the job, the apartment is next. The girls and I will head down once the apartment is secured, and that way we have time from now until then to save and secure our lives here first.

 So until then, keep reading our blog, we will be back to writing about our favorite Disney memories and attractions soon. Sorry for the interruption, but life is like that.  We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, thanks for reading!

 ~ Ellie Peters

Faith, Trust, and we need a truckload of Pixie Dust!

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I once heard that blogging is good for the soul… that getting your feelings out on paper, or in this case, the World Wide Web, may somehow make whatever you are feeling at that moment make much more sense. Let’s see if that works…

The last blog left our readers hearing that yes, Carl did indeed lose his job.  So since that revelation a week ago, a lot has been happening.  We have been in fast forward mode, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be letting up any time soon.

Carl has been applying at jobs here in WI and also in FL.  What he has found is that our area is still quite stale for jobs, whereas FL has several hundred jobs in his field.  We have learned that unless you LIVE in FL or have some type of residency started most jobs won’t even consider you. Carl has called several recruiters in the Orlando area, and we did get a bite today that has potential for an interview.

We have come to a very serious fork in the road, and every day we talk about what we should do.  Carl has been unemployed off and on for a year now, and has had several bites on jobs, this last one being the one we hoped was “it.”  Once again the economy struck, and Carl was again an unemployed man.  The unemployment benefits will be gone VERY soon and we are at defcon 1.  If we decide to stay in WI, we will most likely have to move anyways. We rent a very nice place, and will not be able to afford it on my job alone. The savings we do have would either sustain our living another month or 2 here, or get us to Florida and start our first month living there. 

Carl would love to just get a job and still look, but most of the hourly jobs are going to those who not only have done them before, but they get leary of people like Carl who get paid high for IT and then want to work at Target. They are scared that they will get trained, work a month, get their higher paying job, and bolt. I understand the concept, but it sucks when you are just trying to make a living.

Originally the plan was to have Carl head down to FL with Belle and check things out for a week. Great plan, but it doesn’t make us residents, which is what we need for Carl to get serious interviews and such.  Also the money involved on him driving or flying down, to rent a car, a hotel, and eating could be used better for all of us moving down officially.

It has been a rough week. We are trying to research everything in Orlando, and we do appreciate the support and truths about how tough relocating can be.  We have been over the pros and cons a billion times and we keep coming back to the main point- we need a job to live.

We don’t want to lose the excitement of WHY we want to live in Florida. We want to see this as a great opportunity for change. It’s the stress that is difficult to deal with sometimes.  We are leaving it in the Lord’s hands and if he wants us there, we will be there.

Any tips on schools, jobs, and apartments would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again to all of our Disney friends and supporters-you make this journey easier.

 ~ Ellie Peters