Disney in 2025 was a year of transition and maybe even a test of trust. Because this past year in Walt Disney World wasn't about big headline attractions. It was about change, transition, and saying goodbye to places that meant more to us than maybe we even realized. And in many ways, it felt like Disney was asking us to trust what comes next. So this week we're going to look back at Disney in 2025 and what it means for 2026, what we lost, what surprised us, and what Disney needs to deliver moving forward. Hello, my friend, and welcome to WWE Radio, your guide to the Disney parks and experiences from around the world. I am Lou Mongello, and this is show number 800. And whether this is your first time listening or you've been with me since the beginning all 20 years, welcome home and welcome back. Don't forget to be part of the community and conversation over in the clubhouse at www.comclubhouse. watch and chat with me live every Wednesday at 7:30pm Eastern on Facebook and YouTube. And get a dose of Disney delivered to your inbox every week for free. Plus a free gift when you register for my free newsletter over at www. Radio.comnewsletter and when you're ready to plan your next Disney vacation, trust my friends over@m MouseFanTravel.com for completely free expert planning from the team that I have relied on and trusted for more than 18 years to make your trip not only seamless, but more importantly, unforgettable. And if you like the show, and I hope that you do, please rate, review and share it with a friend. But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio show. If I asked you to describe 2025 at Disney in a single sentence or a single word, what would you say? For some people, I think it was a year of change. For others, I think it felt like a year of transition. And for a lot of fans, I think it might not be a year that makes complete sense until we see maybe what comes next. Because I think a lot shifted in 2025 lands, attractions, entertainment, maybe even the way Disney seems to be thinking about the overall parks and experiences. And I think at the same time, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where I think many of those changes are going to start to turn into something we can actually see, experience, and feel. So this week, we're going to look at how one year is going to lead into the next. What Disney may have been setting up, what it's maybe asking us as guests to trust in, and what we're all watching for, anticipating and maybe even hoping for as we look back at 2025 and head into 2026. And to help explore and break down all of that, I am joined once again by the lovely and talented Becky Menken from Mei and Mouse Fan Travel.

I had one word when you were talking about that, and it's anticipation.

Like the old pancake syrup commercial from, like, 1973. I was gonna start seeing it.

Pancakes. Isn't that ketchup?

Oh, all right. Oh, you're right, it's Heinz ketchup. That's right, it's Heinz.

Which is that a Rocky Horror Picture Show? One or the other. Whichever direction you want to go.

With that, I am also joined once again by Lisa Denardo Glassner from the Castle Run and Thousand Circles, Excited to.

Talk about this incredibly exciting year. To look back. Yeah, I think my word is regroup or reset.

Interesting. Interesting. Well, I think we're gonna. We're gonna talk about what I think stood out in 2025, what surprised us, what felt meaningful, if anything, and what maybe we're most curious about as Disney moves into this next chapter. Because I think. And what I want to do is sort of start at the beginning and with the changes that I think set the tone very early in 2025 and see where that path seems to be heading. And I was going to ask you what sort of word or feeling comes to mind, and it's sort of interesting, the ones that you selected. And maybe as we look into 2026, I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. So before we get into our personal opinions and reactions and certainly what comes next, I want to frame a little bit about what 2025 actually was, because I spent a lot of time looking back and thinking back on this year, and I don't think 2025 feels like it fits sort of the quote, unquote, usual Disney pattern. Like it wasn't defined by any massive new attraction or single headline opening. And I tried to sort of come up with a word to encapsulate what 2025 was. And I'm talking primarily not just in Disney parks, but almost more specifically in Walt Disney World. And I think it was sort of defined by movement, right? Things ended, things changed, Things are being repositioned for what comes next. And I think depending on how you personally experienced the parks, 2025 could have felt quiet, it could have felt transitional, maybe even a little bit confusing. But I think, and as I hopefully connect the dots from 5 to 6, it may be one of the most consequential setup years Disney's had in a long time. So let's sort of ground ourselves by talking about what actually happened and then talk about what it meant. And for you who is listening, sort of joining us on this virtual roundtable, I want you to think about what was the One thing in 2025 that surprised you, surprised you, maybe by how much it affected you? Not necessarily what. What you expected, but maybe the thing that you didn't realize you were going to miss until it was gone. And if you don't agree with us, that's fine. That's cool. In fact, I kind of hope that you don't, because some of the most interesting parts of this year is. Is I think, just how differently people experienced it. And, you know, as I was going through the list, and we're going to start by talking about what closed or began closing in 2025. I think for a lot of guests and people that I've talked to, 2025 felt like a year of lost, because there were a lot of things that felt like they were taken away and they weren't sort of like fringe experiences. They were really these emotional anchors for a lot of people. And. And it wasn't necessarily about the thing itself. It was about atmosphere and tone and maybe even movement. But some of the things that. That closed, I think, you know, sort of go park by park is Dinoland with that sort of had that phase closure that started early in the year with Dinorama and Tricera Top Spin, which I know Becky misses, incredibly. The Fossil Fun Games, the Boneyard, which, as a parent whose kids sort of grew up in the Boneyard, I missed very much. Restaurantosaurus, Dino Bites and Trilobites over. It's tough to be a bug close there. Muppet Vision 3D in Hollywood Studios. Pizza River, Pizza River. I'm getting ahead of my Pizza River. I'm combining Pizza River, Pizza Rizzo and the rivers of America, including Tom Sawyer island, the Liberty Square Riverboat, the Frontierland Railroad Station, which obviously is just temporary, an animation courtyard over in Disney's Hollywood studios. So Becky, then Lisa talk a little bit about these, either individually or collectively. Which one of these surprised you? Maybe emotionally and is losing sometimes atmosphere. And I'm thinking specifically about things like Frontierland. Is that sometimes harder than losing attractions? So Becky and Lisa, sort of give me your overall thoughts about what closed in 2025 in Walt Disney World.

There's a lot to unpack in the sentences that you just put there. So, as the collective Disney community, we hate it when things change, we make a lot of noise, and then we're excited when the new thing opens. But I will say, for Animal Kingdom, I was not very emotionally tied to the whole Dinoland thing. As you know. It was actually kind of gleeful for me because that means that the dinosaur ride will turn into something else. And I. I am not a fan of dinosaur, so I'm kind of looking forward to what's coming next in that arena. So again, my anticipation word comes back into play. When that was, by the way, is a quick.

Aside from a psychological perspective, this, this wild fear that you have of dinosaurs eating your head, your head, canal boats, the. The whale. Like you're afraid of Mon Monstro and Pinocchio.

Wow.

Some deep seated psychological childhood trauma that one day we will get to. I'm going to sort of bring on a mystery psychologist one day.

Dude. Again, a lot to unpack. We were just there. A lot to unpack. I. I completely fessed up right at the very beginning of this. Yes. Dinosaurs with your head. That is probably the most traumatic ride I've ever been on for the exception of Alien Encounter, which. That's a whole nother.

Or getting in the car with me.

Yeah. Oh, oh, you know what? I should have livestreamed that once or twice, but I was too terrified to lift up the phone. But I digress. The whole. The whole dino area. Fine. Tough to be a bug. Losing that was kind of like. Well, I had some great memories of that attraction, but I was excited for what was coming there. I think the one that hit me in all the fields was losing Muppet Vision 3D. That was the one that it was the first time I ever saw in 3D because I'm blind in one eye and I always did that red blue thing when you went to a theater. And that doesn't work for someone who's blind in one eye. So the very first time I ever saw 3D was at Muppet Vision. So I remember squealing like a little six year old when I first saw all the little Characters pop out and come at me. It was amazing. So to lose that was a big core memory of mine that kind of had to. I had to wave goodbye to. So that was difficult, believe it or not. Don't laugh. Losing Mama Melrose. I love that restaurant. It has, again, a lot of memories. It was one of the places that we could go for group dinners. So there was a lot of great memories there. And I was. Was sad that that has to go. Losing Aerosmith wasn't a big deal to me. I'll. I will be honest there. So all of those things, I. I guess you lose the memories, but I. I look forward better. I. I will be sad in the moment, but then know what's coming. I'm much more excited for what's going to be the next thing that we're going to be excited about.

Lisa, I think. I don't know if I'll break it down piece by piece like Becky did, but I think just on a grander scale, Disney's built on nostalgia. And our love for Disney, for so many of us, is built on nostalgia. And my dad used to have this saying. He would say, he would sit me down when I was going through something, and he would say, all change is loss, and all loss must be mourned. And I feel like, you know, to the extent that, you know, Walt said the parks will never be finished, you know, that we're always moving forward, and that's a part of all of this. But at the same time, like, when we make these changes, when we, you know, get to have Monsters Inc. It means we have to lose something else. And I think that, like, to the extent that Disney understands that so much of our love for the parks is built on nostalgia. And, you know, I love it because I did it with my parents, and I love taking my children because I want to give them those same memories to have with their kids. That's what so much of this is all about. And it means so much to me when we start to talk about potentially losing imagination. But seeing that they understand the figment is important to us. So it meant a lot to me when the Aerosmith contract ended that they chose to reinvent that attraction with a Muppets theme. Since we're losing Muppets Courtyard. We lost Muppets Courtyard. So, to me, I do feel. I sometimes feel like I wish that Disney held our hands a little bit more with these changes. Sometimes at D23 or something, they'll announce a big opening or a big new thing, and then it's sort of quietly mentioned afterwards what it's replacing. And I kind of wish that Disney allowed us a little bit more to be a part of the dialogue of these choices. And a little bit, like, what was behind the choice to close Rivers of America? What was behind the choice to close Muppets Courtyard? What was behind. I wish they would involve us a little bit more in that conversation. Conversation. Because I feel like, as a fandom, you know, it means so much to us. And what I have loved so much about going through these difficult closures is like, seeing the community come together and show their love. Like, we were at Muppet Vision 3D on the very last night. I took my kids and we went. And, you know, I can't claim that we went every time. You know, I understand why it was time. I understand. I understand all the things, you know, and I was a little surprised by how sad I was that last night. But what was so wonderful was just, like, seeing all the love, like, that line From Muppet Vision 3D on that last night stretched around Muppet Vision Courtyard, out onto the streets, into Batuu, and out again. Like, the love that was shown, like, the people who showed up very first thing in the morning to get that, like, wristband to be able to see the last show, like, to see the love that came around. The attraction on that last night, even from people who maybe didn't go every time like we did, was really, really wonderful. You know, I can't not speak to Rivers of America. Like, we've half joked about this before. I know there were reasons for it. Like, for me, like, that was the heartbreak of the year, losing Rivers of America, and not even so much Tom Sawyer island, certainly the Liberty Bell, but just the vibe of that whole area of the park and the balance that it brought to Magic Kingdom and the understanding that it's not the dollar value of every square foot, but the sum of its parts. The fact that you could go out there if you had an overstimulated child and just chill out for a little while. You know, I. I had friends in town recently, and we. We rode Haunted Mansion together. And they had never written Haunted Mansion. They were sort of somewhat Disney newbies, and they had never ridden Haunted Mansion before. And I literally had to stand in line in the queue for Haunted Mansion and point to the walls next to me and say, that used to be a view of the water, which kind of broke my heart a little bit. So, again, like, I understand. I have full faith in the imagineers. They know what they're doing. I'M sure that cars. The cars land that. That we get will be wonderful. And I see in the, you know, the. The art that's been drawn up that there's water features, and I'm sure that they understand that balance and they'll. They'll bring it in somehow. But, like, to me, like, losing that sort of OG part of the park that brought so much sort of calm and balance to an otherwise, like, very frenetic place was one of the most difficult losses for me of the year. But like I said, like, you know, this year, I think, for me is very much about. Was very much about recalibration and just preparing for what was to come, you know, and a part of that was. Was a great deal of loss. And, you know, hopefully we get wonderful things because of it.

Interesting. When you do mention about Thomasville island, that didn't hit me right away because it dawned on me that I haven't been in Magic Kingdom since that whole thing has been walled off. So that hasn't hit me emotionally yet. I'm sure it will when I do visit.

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard to. Like, when we were there last, I mean, it's just walls and you can actually see, like, the forklifts back there, like, lifting dirt and moving things around. And, you know, it's tough. I'm sure whatever's coming is going to be really, really wonderful and the kids will love it. But, yeah, it's definitely, like, hard to stand in that Haunted Mansion queue and, like, look at a wall next to you and have to, like, tell people who have before that. That used to be a beautiful water view. And that was also, like, my favorite place to watch the fireworks. I loved watching the fireworks back there over the water. It was just like, a really, really nice little escape from the chaos of Main Street. So I'll miss that.

Yeah. I want to touch on two things, and I'll sort of give that similar overview because I think there's a consistent theme in all the things that we're talking about. So I thought about first about Disney's Animal Kingdom and specifically Dinoland, which, lest we forget, was originally intended to be a very temporary land. It was. The kitschiness of it was not just intentional by design, but also intentional because it was not supposed to be there for as long as it was. And it didn't close because it, quote, unquote, failed. It closed because it finished its job. And I think maybe when Disney first designed and put it there, they didn't expect guests to grow so attached to what it became. And I think there's. There was that sort of emotional tension there. And maybe why for a lot of people, that Goodbye to Dinoland felt a little bit heavier. My son is still devastated. Like he's gonna chain himself to Dinosaur before that attraction closes. Because I think it's what that closure reveals is sometimes guest memories and guests emotions and then creative intention don't always align. And sometimes Disney, remember, they're a business too and it's all about moving forward. They have to choose intention, knowing that the emotional costs will sometimes be high. And I think things like Muppet Courtyard isn't about that attraction closing. I think it's about the tonal shift and the tone leaving the park. Right, Muppets. It was sentiment, it was nostalgia, it was chaos and satire and a little bit of tongue in cheek self awareness. And that's sometimes difficult to replace. In that same way, I think a lot of us, especially of a certain generation, have a different type of emotional connection to the Muppets. And I think that we've been talking about this for a while. I think the Muppets are sort of in this very weird. Just as a whole, as a brand are in this weird sort of limbo, right? They're taking away the Muppets here. They're putting them over and rocking and roller coaster. There's a new sort of Muppet show coming out. And I wonder just how this impacts sort of the overall Muppet course correction. But I think as I look back to what was being taken away, it wasn't about removing attractions, it wasn't about removing capacity. I know there's a lot of conversations about how. I think it's about this feeling that Disney is sort of removing comfort. These were, if you look back at the things that were taken away, other than Becky's Dinosaur, a lot of these are sort of slow, ambient experiences that sort of anchored how the parks felt. And I think, you know, I have a feeling because so many people and many folks that I know that we all know from sort of the executive and imagining side are huge fans first. I think Disney has to sort of sometimes say, you know, are we willing to endure a little bit of short term discomfort and upsettedness and emotional resonance, being lost for a longer term vision, longer term clarity? I think there's a very clear emotional cost that they knew was going to have to be paid and have to be okay with that. And that's, you know, what was, what was there that we loved so much maybe didn't align with what is coming. And I keep calling it sort of the ex girlfriend effect. You know, we never sort of realize how much we love something until she says she's leaving. That's like, oh, no, no, I love you. I want to see all. Like, we all felt that way about Maelstrom. We felt that way about Tom Sawyer. I feel that way about a lot of these things. I mean, look at Muppet Vision. There was a lot of times Muppet Vision, you would walk in there and that pre show lobby queue area would be empty. And we don't sort of realize how much we love and something, maybe even need something, until we see that. That it's gone. So I get it. And I also haven't seen the walls yet, too, you know, and I know we've talked.

Wait, you live there? Hello? Yeah. You really haven't been there yet?

Not with all the walls up, no.

Wow.

I'm just not emotionally ready for it, Becky. Like, between that and the John Candy, like, documentary, I need to sort of prepare myself emotionally for what I know those two things.

You can only take so much in a year. I totally understand. So is that going to be the first heartbreak for 2026?

I am. I am. I am very, very fragile.

I will say that I've also seen the walls at Animal Kingdom, and they're nowhere near, as you know, for me, like, the Boneyard was probably, like, the saddest loss of all of Dinoland, just because I have so many memories of, like, sitting there while my kids played, but. And Dinosaur will be tough, but, like, because of the positioning of Dinoland and Animal Kingdom being sort of like its own nook, you can really still very much enjoy all of Animal Kingdom, other than the fact that there's this massive crane that's, like, over there that sort of takes over the skyline, but you can otherwise sort of enjoy all of Animal Kingdom and sort of put out of your mind that the walls are up over there. It's not anywhere, you know, it's. I mean, it's certainly nowhere near to any degree what Epcot looked like in its heyday of construction. And, you know, Magic Kingdom, there's a little bit of sadness, you know, in certain parts of the park now, but I do think that, like, you can still go to Animal Kingdom and kind of enj, you know, the safari and Everest and a little nosh at Nomad Lounge and do your thing and not really think that much about the fact that there's construction happening on the other end.

I will say, you gotta admit, gone are the Days of when the crane and they knocked down the wing at Contemporary and they were saying what, what construction? I have no idea what you're talking about. No, really, what are you building there? What? Huh. At least they're acknowledging it that and they're actually telling us beforehand now. But I. That memory sticks in my, my brain and we haven't quite seen a return of the. The unacknowledged truth that's happening right in front of us.

Like when they used to install the castle dream lights and that giant crane would be sitting there in fantasy and putting like we loved. And this is part of. Listen, we loved what the outcome was, right? We knew that seeing that those big, you know, cranes and stuff like that and construction walls. We knew the payoff was going to be the dream lights. We knew it was going to be worth it. And I think that's to a certain degree as we sort of transition. That is sort of what Disney is doing here. Saying, listen, you need to trust us that this is all going to be worth it in the end. So let's sort of, let's sort of wipe away our tears just a little bit. Let's talk a little bit about what opened, returned or changed in 2025. Because I think what Disney added tells us almost as much as about what it removed. Because these were not massive footprint expansions. This was also about energy and flow and storytelling and some flexibility. I think Disney did some things to help continue to make the parks feel alive, not necessarily bigger. So what did we get in terms of openings and changes? We got the Little Mermaid Musical Adventure which opened in May. Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After Disney Starlight Dream the Night Away. Finally, the return of a nighttime parade. Finally Deacon Barrel in Adventureland. We got the Tron Aries Overlays, the Cool Kids Summer Mike McKim's McKim's Mile House, the Lounge in Frontierland. And let's just quickly because I think it's important. Over in the Grand Floridian lobby, the Perch opened in November. We also got the reimagined test track Soaring around the World. I mentioned it because the projection alignment fixes and the Epcot specific ending update was something that was welcome. And also in Epcot we got the opening of Geo82, the very first nor shall it be the last question mark 21 and over lounge in Epcot Zootopia Better Zoo Gather opened in November. And we also had the Island Tower over at Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows. And I want to sort of just append this here I know we're primarily talking about Walt Disney World, but over in Disneyland we got Walt Disney, A Magical Life, all the Sherman Brothers tributes at the Main Street Cinema, and then the new verse by Richard Sherman of It's a Small World. So again, this time, Lisa, first, in terms of what opened, what came, what changed in 2025, which of these for you felt impactful? Maybe even, maybe bigger emotionally than it expected. And then what do some of these things say about the evolution of the Disney parks? Maybe even about the evolution of the Disney Guest?

I mean, first I'll just acknowledge Starlight. It's so wonderful to have a parade back at Magic Kingdom. And I love the little callbacks to things, the Main Street Electrical parade, music and that. Again, like just the little bits of nostalgia bait that are in there, you know, I haven't seen it admittedly like that many times myself. Yeah, we just don't happen to be in the park at close that often. But just the idea of it being there, having guests sort of have a reason to stick around and you know, line the streets again at the end of the night is really nice to see. You know, I think for me the two main things that speak to me about sort of the nature of where the parks are going and like you just said, the park guest are beacon barrel and geo 82. Geo 82. I think in particular it's not even a spot that I have the opportunity to visit that often because usually when I pop into Epcot, it's with my kids. Like we'll just pop in and like hit Mitsukoshi or do a loop around World Showcase and have a little nosh and you know, it's, you know, unless I'm going by myself or happen to be in the park with an adult friend, you know, it's not a place that I would stop into very often. All that being said, like, I welcome its presence. I don't have any issue whatsoever with there being an adults only space in the park. In fact, I would rather people be in Geo82 like enjoying, you know, a high end cocktail and a beautiful view over world showcase than drinking around the world, you know. And you know, I think there's a place for that. And we didn't lose anything. It's not like there was, you know, something that was shut down, you know, and we lost before go 82, they just made use of, you know, that beautiful space and that beautiful view. I think in a really nice way. I've only been in there one time. We had the, there was Like a flatbread and an ahi tunni that we tried that were both very good. The cocktails are a little pricey, a little spendy. I think they were like $20 or $30 for the cocktails. I think we had a glass of wine. I do love the fact that they have a really nice sort of higher end, non alcoholic menu. I think gone are the days when the non alcoholic portion of the menu is a flavored lemonade of some sort that's been sweetened out of existence. So I do like seeing like some sort of thoughtful, non alcoholic drinks. I had something called A Walk through the Garden that was really, really nice. I think they have something similar at Enchanted Rose at Grand Fleur de. And that was nice as well. So, yeah, I mean, I think like giving something to the adult guest who might be looking for, you know, a little bit more of a relaxed, high end experience. And we talked to like the comforts and the pace and the relaxing parts of the parks. I think it was, you know, a welcome addition. And Beacon Barrel, you know, on the other end, the same thing. I mean, I think a lot of people, you know, when they hear about alcohol in Magic Kingdom, their mind goes immediately to Walt and how he would react to that. But to me, it's the same thing as, you know, being able to enjoy a glass of wine along with your meal at God the Beauty and the Beast restaurant. Why am I blanking on the name of it?

Your guest.

Yeah, Virgo. Sorry, mind blank. Yeah, I mean, to be able. There's nothing wrong, you know, I think there's nothing counter to like, Walt's intentions in the parks. To be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with a fine meal at Be Our Guest. And I similarly don't think there's anything wrong with being able to like, you know, go into an incredibly well themed space and enjoy, you know, a cocktail and a griddle cake at the Beacon Barrel. I do look forward to the day when they're not like enforcing that 45 minute time quite so strongly because once when we went in, they were a little firm about that and it kind of took away a little bit for us. But yeah, the same thing. I mean, I think like giving something to the adult guests and Beacon Barrel in particular, like, I've gone in with my kids and they have a lovely time as well. I think it's sort of a, it's an all inclusive. But I welcome, you know, the more immersive theming that comes with a place like that, like leaning into, you know, spreading the theming, it reminds me sort of the Skipper Canteen and it being sort of a high end extension of the Jungle Cruise, it feels like a very similar vibe to me. So both of those were welcome changes for me and I think Waialu Bar and Grill, even though it opened I think December of 2024, I think it deserves a shout out because it's sort of, I think found its stride this year. You can get reservations there now. It's a gorgeous view of Magic Kingdom and again I think it goes along with that, that theme of like giving us sort of relaxing spaces and alternative ways to enjoy like the fireworks if you don't want to be on Main street or you know, have like have a nice meal that maybe isn't, you know, at the, at the price level of some of the sit down meals, but still like a nice, a nice meal that you can sit and enjoy, you know, and relax. So those were all welcome changes for me.

Again, a lot to unpack because there's a lot, there was a lot of things. But the interesting thing is that most of the stuff we saw seemed like warm up backs to what's to come. So it's kind of exciting to just see that they are putting some things in place to get us interested and keep us engaged while all the new things are coming up. So a great example of that is the Villains Unfairly Ever After. I, I really enjoyed that show. I thought it was a neat little thing to go in and enjoy and see something unique which that kind of reminds me of those Villains events that they used to do for corporations that they kind of brought it to the masses and I really did enjoy that. I have not seen Little Mermaid yet. However, when you said that in Epcot for Geo that we didn't lose anything, we kind of did because they took away that space which was an event space which we used a lot for special events. I'm glad that it is there. Having an adult only area is, is nice because I'm very famous for, for quoting the There's a baby in a bar everywhere we turn around. So it is kind of nice to have an adult space but it is chaotic in there. It is very crowded and it's going crazy. So you might as well have families in there because the adults are kind of just as bad as the kids. And yes man, those cocktails are expensive. But like you, I really love seeing these zero proof trends that are happening in all vacation areas. So not just in, in Disney, but we're seeing it on cruise ships and we're seeing in all inclusives, we're seeing a big trend towards zero proof. And they are. So I think that's one of the things I'm going to kind of pay attention to in 2026 is how many of those places that I love so much are come up with these fantastic opportunities and tastes and unlocking the imagination a little bit for zero proof, which is what we also saw on the Destiny this year, which was really cool. I think that I haven't seen Beacon Barrel yet. I feel so bad that I have to say that like twice. I clearly wasn't in Walt Disney World enough last year. So I have to kind of reserve judgment there because I haven't seen it. The test track I did get to go see, but then it broke down right in the middle of it. So I didn't get to see the whole thing. So I have to kind of reserve my judgment there too. I do want to talk about Disneyland a little bit because I think for me that's where I saw a couple of things that was really interesting. You didn't mention World of Color Happiness, which was brand new as well, to help celebrate the 70th. And the whole 70th celebration I thought was really well done. But Walt Disney, A magical Life. When I think about what was new for Disneyland, that's the one that hits me the most. And for all the controversy that happened up front, when I finally got to see it in with my own eyes and I got to experience it myself rather than listen to the Internet and the close up pictures that people were taking, it was never, ever, ever meant to be seen with a lens that zoomed in on the face. It was meant to be seen in a theater atmosphere. When I saw it for the first time, I was in tears. It was so wonderful to see Uncle Walt come to life and to talk and to give us his history. I thought that was one of the most impactful things for a Disney fan who loves the Disney history to experience. So that was something that really sticks in my brain for 2025.

So I'll start off by saying I agree with you. I think the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration was and continues to be so very well done. The celebration of Walt and his legacy and everything. And even just some of the. The smaller things. Right. Whether. Whether it's the key or just having those little moments where you can tap and get that sort of activation. Yeah.

When we were there, we were running around like little kids trying to find every single one of those activations and doing it three or Four times to see if it was different. That really brought a whole nother level of engagement to the park.

And listen, I have no problem admitting to you, not just the two of you, but you, my friend. Who's listening? I'm a crier. I watched the Sherman Brothers tribute in the Main Street Cinema. Thank God it's dark in there because I was weeping like there's nobody's business. And I think so many guests, unfortunately walk by it because it's not because people are going to a magical life. It's sort of much more prominent and pronounced. I think the Sherman Brother tribute is six, seven minutes. That was so, so well done. Just quickly going back through some of the Walt Disney World things. I was thinking holistically about a lot of these, but also breaking them down individually. The Disney villains unfairly ever after, which obviously we know is a temporary show. I think this is a good, like you said, Becky, almost like an appetizer for Villains Land, which is eventually coming. Which one. I think that opens. This is going to go away. I think maybe this is wishful thinking. I think with Muppets going into rock and roller coaster, that whole area is just prime for being a Muppet themed, like, section of the park. I think that you can put finally, maybe come to pass the Pandemonium Pizza Parlor that they had originally planned for another section of the park and really make that a Muppet themed area, which hopefully, if the love of Muppets continues to grow and return, that is something that will happen. But I think, and I will admit I have not seen the show in person yet and that Disney, it's not you, it's me. It's just been my availability to the parks. From what I have seen. It reminds me of the Alice in Wonderland show in Disneyland Paris where. And I almost feel like Disney's experimenting in public a little bit maybe again, right. Because you have these unexpected rotating endings, the flexible storytelling, and maybe a willingness to let this show evolve. Because I think the biggest takeaway is not necessarily just bringing more villains into the parks. It's that Disney is testing sort of, I call it rewritability, replayability as a design value. It's not just about seeing everything once and then moving on. It's giving reason, guests a reason to come. Back. Over in Magic Kingdom, we all were very excited about the return of A Nighttime Spectacular. And I think Starlight matters less because it's new and almost less than it's a return of a parade. But that it brought motion back into Magic Kingdom After Dark. I think the nighttime energy fundamentally changes how a park feels, even if other things, even if there's not a new building and a new attraction. And what I think is fascinating is that by Disney bringing in a parade instead of a new Nighttime Spectacular replacement, I think there's something more memorable about the parade. I think like the movement creates emotion and emotion builds memory more than sort of just standing there and watching the fireworks spectacular alone. Beacon Barrel, which I love and I need to go back to. If only there was somebody, anybody, really. It's important because it's, it's not just because it's a new place to eat or drink, because it's, it proves that Disney still understands environmental storytelling at human scale. It's not about ip, it's not about spectacle, it's about the texture and the mood. And yes, I know that there's the 45 minute window, but it is about letting guests sort of linger a little bit and explore inside that story. And it's not one of these places that is like a new attraction that demands attention. I think it's a place that rewards attention. That if you do go through and pick out some of those little Easter eggs and tributes and details, that's where sort of the, the. That's where I think Beacon Barrel really shines. And you know, I think there's so many things that come to the parks about, you know, moving people through. Moving people through an attraction, moving people through a queue. I love having a place that allows guests to settle in over a test track, which again, it's not anybody else's fault. I have not seen it yet with my own. I have not experienced. I've talked to a lot of you who have done it before. The thing that without having sat, without having sat in the car and walked through the queue. I think that the one thing that I was happy to see is that I think what makes this update, whether it works or not, is, is. Is very subjective, is restraint. Disney did not go the easy route and just say, hey, let's just integrate ip. It trusts whether it executed correctly or not, it trusted Epcot's original mission and modernized it without saying, hey, we need to make this a quote, unquote, cars, the movie themed attraction. And I think the other one that, that bears mentioning too, is Zootopia Better Together. Because I think it's, I think it's indicative of not. It's. Again, it's not just about it being a new show. I think it represents that potential tonal shift for Disney's Animal Kingdom. And I Think about how this park is going to move forward, how bold it's going to be moving forward emotionally for. For guests. I think Zootopia Better Together will appeal. Maybe not to everybody, but I think it's interesting just the. The type of storytelling and. And the. The tonal shift that I think that took versus it's tough to be a bug. You know, it's not about animals and technology. It's about who is the park speaking to now and how that park is going to continue to evolve, especially as we start to look forward into. And we'll get to that next, you know, what is coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom. So that was.

That was the one I missed because I was going through my list so quickly in my head that I totally forgot to circle back around to the starlight thing. The dream the night away, the nighttime parade. I think that was the one that I was looking forward to most when they were talking about what was coming for 2025. Because I don't know what it is about the nighttime parades. It's the lights, it's the music. It touches all the senses. And having missed once you've had a nighttime parade and it goes away, you really miss that energy. And that's it. It brings a different level of energy to the parade. I loved seeing it come back. I kind of wish that it had a little bit more, that it was a little longer, just because I'm selfish that way. And I would like to see more lights and. And have that. That feeling that you get when you're standing along the side and seeing everybody in costume and lit up brightly. So I think out of everything for 25, besides the wall, that may be my favorite thing that we saw all year.

And I think, Lou, like, you made a really interesting point when you talked about like the. The memory factor when it comes to the parades. Because it made me think myself too. Like, when I think back to being a little girl with my family in Disney, what I remember is the Main Street Electrical Parade. Like, that's where my memory goes. It goes. It doesn't go to the attractions, it doesn't go to the characters. It doesn't go to the fireworks. It goes to sitting on my dad's shoulders on Main street watching the fancy turtle. Like, that's where my head goes to. And I hope that this is the beginning of those sorts of memories being created for kids today in Disney. And I too, I hope it's just the beginning. I hope I would have loved to have seen more of an original soundtrack to it, because I just would have loved to see something like that take hold. That's unique and new and I hope that we get that at some point. That being said, like I said, I did appreciate the, the callbacks to, you know, Mean Street Electrical Parade and some of the other callbacks that they give nods to throughout it. My kids would kill me because the other thing that I left out, and we're always positive here, and I don't, I don't. But I think that the major missed swing for me of the year was test track. Like I my kids, it was growing up, it was one of their absolute favorite attractions. It's one of their favorite things in the world in Epcot, like going in and, and building the car and learning like the tricks to like max out your score and then, you know, riding through the ride and seeing what you've done and then exiting the attraction and having that continue into the after space where they had different things that you could do with your car. Like you could drive a little track. You could sort of see where you measured up against other people. There were all these things that you could do with the car that you had built. And don't get me wrong, like, the new test track is beautiful. It feels very spaceship earthy to me in its design. Like the way you're going through sort of different scenes and seeing things. The reveal before you got into the open air space to hit high speeds is absolutely stunning. All of that said, like it. Removing the design component in test track to me was one of. And for what? For cuespace, it's a queue. There's no design component, there's no interactive component anymore to test track. The after ride area now is basically just a showroom for the vehicles. And that's fine, but it's very, very rare that I experience something and feel like it was a true misstep. If anyone's listening, the new test track to me was one of the rare missed swings that I've seen from imagineering. Removing that interactive component and that creative component to me was just, it was a huge loss. And my kids who. It broke my heart because they loved that attraction. Like from when we didn't live here and we would come, it was like their favorite, favorite thing to ride. They got off and they said, they said they never want to stand on the line again. So you're Miss Much you missed? No, no, I mean, it might be worth, like, what, riding it once just to see it is lovely. Like the, the scenes that you ride through are lovely. That open it that like big open space with the projections that you go through, like before it opens up to go into the like high speed outdoor area is.

It's.

It's pretty. But like my kids literally got off and they said it's one and done. They never want to stand in the line again. And it broke my heart.

Yeah, it's interesting. And again. And look, what you were saying is not unique to you. I've heard similar before and again, I want to see it myself. And so my first thought goes to, you know, well, why, like, why does this happen? Why do they take out the inner. Is it an operational thing? Is it a guest flow thing? Is it like there has to be a reason for them to do it because they have to know it's a guest satisfier. So was it a maintenance thing? Was it, you know, because I know there's sometimes I would go through and the car design thing just wasn't working, which is a huge dissatisfier. So like why, why take it away? And is it because it's. It's for guest flow? Guest throughput. I get it. Because it's, it's about moving people through. It's about. Which also has, you know, the effect of having a better guest experience. It also reminds me this is how Test track was when it first opened, right. There was sort of. No, there was a cue that, that you could walk through and watch things happening. There wasn't that interactive part to it. But I think to your point, Lisa, like we sometimes we start to get conditioned to. You add this interactive element and then you take it away again. There is that. That sense of loss to it. So yeah, I want to obviously ride it myself and see just how different is and how that that queue looks and feels. I do want to sort of move forward a little bit. And we're talking about motion is what used to be world of motion. And because I think there was a lot of things that were announced and set in motion in 2025, right. As we were looking back, you know, there was not. There was not a lot of these huge, massive, groundbreaking openings. Like they almost ask us to like imagine more than experience. Like there are announcements and things like that, which hopefully carries and builds excitement. But I think it also creates pressure too because Disney is trying to set expectations but not having the immediacy of a payoff. So it's more about direction than it was sort of delivering. Right. Because they did not have a lot of these openings. So we know that certain things are coming like this summer Rock and Roller Coaster starring the Muppets. Donna Land is finally going to close. Dinosaurs going to close in. In February again. My son will probably be sitting there like a toad in. When Mr. Toad closed, big Thunder Mountain's gonna reopen. Buzz Lightyear is gonna reopen in the spring. We're starting to see. I think we're gonna start to see that vertical construction happening in Magic Kingdom for Piston Peak. I think we're gonna start to probably see that as well in Disney's Animal Kingdom for the Tropical Americas. I know Becky is very excited about Bluey coming to Animal Kingdom.

Bluey.

And I think. And I think this summer. I think we've talked about this before. I'm sure we're going to talk about it more as we get closer. I think D23 Expo is going to be very, very interesting and very important and. And how. And what they say and do here is going to be important for a lot of. For a lot of reasons. But let's talk about some of the things that were announced and sort of give me your thoughts. Right. We had the Tropical Americas announced, that's going to open in 2027. Monstropolis is coming to Hollywood Studios. Piston Peak in Magic Kingdom. Carousel of Progress is getting a refurbishment announced at Destination D with a new Walt Disney Ottawa Animatronic. We don't know exactly when that's going to happen. Disney Springs is getting. We talked about this, interactive experiences. They're going to be getting level 99 of replacing the NBA Experience, which I know Lisa was devastated when the NBA, like a lot of people devastated when the NBA Experience closed. Grand Fiesta Tour is going to reopen. And obviously we had the announcement of the Abu Dhabi Theme park and Resort, which I know we took a lot of time discussing. So again, now, Becky, then Lisa, you know, which of these projects excites you the most? Which of these projects you think has the most pressure to succeed? And talk about the importance for us as guests of having, you know, maybe not just patience, but a little bit of faith in these as well.

Wow. You know what? I think the one that has the most pressure to succeed, which, when you said that's like, the first thing that popped into my head, is the. The replay. Well, the Villains area for the replacement of the Tom Sawyer island and all of that, I think that that is the one that people are looking to. If you're gonna take this away from me, dang it. It better be good. Which they have a lot to work with on that. And I. I believe that it's Going to. It has to be. Be great. It has to be to the point of. All right now, I don't feel so bad for losing the thing that my childhood was connected to, for this wonderful experience that you're going to give us. So from a pressure standpoint, I think that's the one from, from Nicholas's point of view, it's probably dinosaur for the Encanto, which I will. I will hug him and I will let him cry on my shoulder when that goes away as I laugh hysterically. That will be great. Yeah, don't send me any emails about that.

Tears of my son. Becky Menken, ladies and gentlemen.

Hey, I, I'm. I'm looking most forward to that land. As a matter of fact, the Encanto. I, I think that that's got so much potential with the technology, if, if they do it right when, when Casita comes alive, I think that that's going to be incredibly cool. I, I don't think it's so much pressure. But yeah, the Abu Dhabi announcement was a gut punch for some because it wasn't here, it wasn't closer to get to, but there's, there's a lot at stake there as well. There's a lot of money going into it. Not Disney money, of course, but this is the first time that I've been approached by many a client asking about the region and what it's going to be like to go there, because they're actually looking forward to visiting when it comes around in 2030 or whenever that's going to occur. Which all of a sudden I'm thinking, what's that recap show going to be like when we're talking about when Abu Dhabi opens up for 2030? I think that there is a lot of great potential with what they've announced and what's coming, personally. And I don't think this is going to surprise you very much, but I'm exceedingly excited about the new Millennium Falcon smugglers run with Grogu mission, which you didn't even mention. But for 2026, yeah, I'm. As I look at my wall of Grogu, which is off of camera right now, I think I'm personally really, really excited to experience that.

Yeah, I mean, like, Becky, my head only went to one place as far as, like, you know, pressure to succeed. And it's, you know, it's the new cars and villains space because we lost so much, you know, because we lost so much of the park. And because of that, it also, it's not just like, how Good. Are the attractions going to be? It's going to be just a lot of pressure, I think, to balance well with the rest of the park. And like, does it have those calm spaces? Does it, like, does it bring a sense balance to the park that Rivers of America did? Because I think, like we've talked about, like I've talked about, you know, ad nauseam, you know, the loss of Rivers of America wasn't so much about the loss of, like, the Liberty Bell and Tom Sawyer island as, like, a place of peace in Magic Kingdom. That, in sum, with the rest of the park, brought a level of balance that I felt was so needed. And so the new villain space and especially like the new car space, I think it's not just about, like, how fun are the attractions, even though I'm excited to see my children enjoy them, as seeing how it plays with the rest of Magic Kingdom and whether or not it can achieve a similar end to what Rivers of America did. So I think there's that twofold pressure on it, not just to be fun and have good attractions, but to play well with the rest of the park. I'm personally also super excited. I love the movie Encanto. I thought so. It's, you know, in recent memory, I think it's one of the best things that Disney's done in the last, you know, five to 10 years. So I'm super excited to see, like, how that plays in Animal Kingdom and I think, like, you know, the way that animals play into that movie, I'm curious to see, like, how they lean into that and, you know, what they do with that in that space. I think there's a lot of pressure there too, though. Like, I started thinking as Becky was talking too. Like, it's almost like I think about the live action movies and how they justify whether or not they're successful. So I think, like, the Cinderella live action movie was wonderful and beautiful and one of the most beautiful things Disney's put out in the last 10 to 15 years. And I think in part that was because they had so much to play with in the plot line and it was an older, sort of more abstract movie that they had to play with and young people didn't have such a recent memory of it. And then when Beauty and the Beast came out, there was all of this additional pressure of how well it mirrors the original because it was so much more recent and I think like, in bringing in more an entire land that's dedicated to a much more recent, to our memories movie in all of its details. There's going to be a lot more pressure to, like, be true to it. You know, it just. There's, like, a little bit more flexibility, like, a little bit less flexibility to, like, play with, and, like, a little bit more pressure to be on point, because Encanto is so, so fresh in all of our minds, especially since it was, like, the COVID movie that we all watched, like, 100 million times while we were on lockdown. So I think, like, our eyes will be a little bit more peeled for, like, accuracy than they normally would be. So I think that. That, you know, that pressure is there as well, and I'm excited for, like, what's to come with Abu Dhabi, like, down the road. I think, like, for me, you know, obviously, I'm not going to be spending a lot of time in that park, but I do hope that it sort of raises the bar for all of the parks. And I look forward to, like, the things that they learn, you know, when building that in partnership with the. I forget the name of the company that's, you know, that's doing the work, but, you know, it's almost like, you know, they're. They're like the Frozen attraction in Epcot is now sort of getting a facelift because of Hong Kong. So, you know, I think we learn a lot from our overseas endeavors and can bring them home, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of that.

It's interesting that you brought up the point about the movies, because where Cinderella was so far out of our memory, that has that same pressure with Moana, the live action coming up, because so many of us really love that movie. I, me, I'm not sure. I am not a fan of any of the live actions that have happened, to be quite honest.

But.

But Moana, actually, I am kind of excited about this one. I hope it lives up to it. I think there's a lot of pressure on that movie for all of the reasons that you stated, Lisa. Between that and then the pressure for Marvel to actually come up with something, that we all walk out of the theaters going, I need to see that again. Can I buy another ticket now? Because it's been since Endgame that I felt that way, and I think some of you probably feel the same way. But between the Spider man movie and Doomsday, there's a lot of hype around Doomsday right now, and I love what they're doing with dropping little trailers, the little seeds, the breadcrumbs that make us want to go, all right, what's really happening? And the super bowl trailer's supposed to drop when we're all together at a Super bowl party somewhere, which will be exciting. But I think that movie pressure is something that. That I hope they live up to.

Yeah, I think we haven't talked about the movies yet, but, yeah, we. Doomsday is a whole different conversation. But I. I love what I've seen so far. I love getting serious Thor back. I love. Get, like, the real Thor. Who's got.

I'll take Thor, but that one was.

No, but, like, not this goof who, like, is just, you know, like, I. I love that they seem like they're doing everything right that I've seen so far. But then I think back, like, so much of what made Infinity War and Endgame what they were, was the buildup to them. The movies themselves were phenomenal, but so much of what made them great was the buildup to them and how emotionally invested we were in them from all of the films that had preceded it. And I think, unfortunately, some people might say that we're not quite in the same position right now. I know I'm not anywhere near as emotionally invested in the Marvel, the mcu, as I was back then. So I hope Doomsday is phenomenal and makes an incredible showing, and it's gonna have to do it sort of without the emotional baggage that we went into Infinity War and end game with.

December 18, 2026, is gonna be a very important day when Doomsday comes out. Yeah, we can. We can have a conversation about the big and small screen as a separate show, but I want to quickly just go back and touch on a couple of things that you wrote. Some of the specifics sort of relative reverse order. So, Lisa, you mentioned Encanto and tropical Americas. You know, I think this is. I think that the three things I'm going to touch on are critically important to each of the parks, because, believe it or not. Right. Because everybody's like, oh, it's more IP coming in. It's not about the original Animal Kingdom vision. I would maybe sort of say that it's the opposite. I think Disney is sort of committing to this idea. It's not just about the animals on display, but it is about the cultures and the stories and the environments that I think are going to feel very alive and very interconnected. And I think the pressure is not on Encanto, or you call him Dr. Jones doll. It's on cohesion. This land has to feel like it belongs to Animal Kingdom first, and then Disney IP second. Right. The IP has to become secondary to it. And I think Encanto and Indiana Jones are going to help maybe even give Disney's Animal Kingdom a bit of a stronger identity, which maybe has gotten a little bit muddled over the past years. And I think this year coming up, I think we talk about build up. I think we as fans are going to very positively respond as we start to see those structures, those environments starting to take place. Same thing, I think, over in Magic Kingdom. I think Piston Peak is not really about cars. It's about redefining what quote unquote frontier means to Disney in 2026. And it's not about whether cars itself fit. It's about whether this nature and exploration and movement and the kinetic energy we're talking about can replace some of the more passive observation and the nostalgia that we felt. And how does this sort of contribute to, you know, without being all like, to the soul of Magic Kingdom? Like, this is. This is going to change how this park lives and breathes and feels. And I think that's why for some people it's exciting and for other people it's uncomfortable. Depending on what you value most in Magic Kingdom, right? Because is. I think for some people, is Piston Peak about replacing now nostalgia or for other people, it's about redefining it because it is their version of nostalgia, because it is the thing that they grew up with. And I think the third in this sort of trinity of sort of major shifts that are taking place in the parks is over in Monstropolis with Hollywood studios. Look, as a kid who grew up with and still loves the Muppets, I think what Monstropolis represents to Hollywood studios is sort of that final commitment to this decision that has been evidenced for years, which is this park is no longer about making movies. It's not about making movies anymore. It's about living inside the finished films. It's an opportunity, and I think it sort of goes back to Walt. But it is this sort of sort of clear philosophical line that Disney is now fully crossing. Like, look, this is no longer a park where the movies are made. It is a park where you can come in and live your own adventure. And I think Monstropolis is going to be less about the attraction of riding through the coaster. Maybe for me, it's going to be about Harryhausen's and having in the park, but it's going to be about that place and especially because of where it's going, bringing this energy and movement and humor back into a park that I think for a lot of guests may have Felt like it's been sort of transitioning for a long time. It's almost been feeling like unfinished. And I think this might be sort of that new kind of keystone area and moment that is going to really help again sort of set the tone for what that park is and is going to continue to evolve and going to be. And we've, we talked at length about Abu Dhabi. This is something I am incredibly fascinated to watch as this continues to progress because it's not just about global expansion. I think it's, it's, I think Disney has to sort of, this is not going to be a copy and paste park, right? So this is not about, about scalability. It's not just about, well, let's just sort of put this. It's proving that the Disney brand of storytelling is truly universal and seeing how, and I think this is going to be a very interesting test of just how or whether they can translate that magic across different cultures without diluting it it at all. And I look, I hope I live long enough to be able to get there and see it when it opens in the mid-2030s which is not as far away as it seems. And I think while they're based in this similar thing, I think what a lot of these changes have in common is not necessarily the IP, it's about the intentionality. It's looking back from a 30,000 foot view. I think Disney is being very clear about the type of experiences they are they want to build and the willingness to let go of certain things in order to do it right. So we've looked at the closures, we've looked at the openings, we looked at the announcements. And I think it's about, you know, looking at how all of these things intersect because I think in a, in a strange way I think Disney was kind of saying to us like asking us, betting on us, whatever it is that we care enough to stay, that we care enough like we did not get these all, we did not get these huge things you may have heard down the street a brand new theme park open that did not happen for Walt Disney World. It's about prioritizing atmosphere over, rushing to put out new addresses, a new E ticket, attractions. It is about, you know, treating legacy almost as the sort of emotional capital. So it's not about rushing things to get stuff open. It was saying goodbye to certain things and planning for how it is going to impact the future. And I think as we look, look ahead to 2026, okay, it's no longer about making new promises, okay? Now you, we, we, you. This year was about sort of committing to those things. Now it's about delivering on it. Right? And intention has to meet execution. We guest patience is not going to be infinite. We need to start being rewarded. And I think that's why it's 2025, like, was not about trying to wow us. It was asking us to understand what it is building towards. So if it's about clearing that space, it's about changing identity. Now Disney has to start delivering when it comes into 2026. That's why I was sort of asking about, you know, where do you think the pressure is? What does Disney have to get right? And what is going to make guests go look back to 2012 and go, okay, now I understand why this had to go away. This had to. We had to be patient waiting for these things and Disney having to sort of earn our patience. Right? And 2026, like, what is going to make 2026 feel successful even without a brand new land, a brand new ride, a brand new huge E ticket attraction opening? Like, what is it, what is it in 2026 that you feel you as a guest needs to see in 2026 in order to say, okay, this sort of transitional year of 2025 was worth it for me.

Are we going to see that in 26 though? I think that I, I think that it's more going to be about like 27, don't you think, with some of these lands before we actually get an answer to that question. One thing we didn't touch on though, and I, I do want to circle back, if that's okay, for a second. One of the things that was the Redemption tour in a way was the Destiny kind of the redemption of the wish class. Because after, after experiencing the wish, which beautiful ship, wonderful, great. But it didn't hit all the places that, that I was hoping for anyway.

You're a nice girl. You're just not. It's not you, the wish.

It's not you, it's me. Absolutely. And then the Treasure was a little warmer, but for some reason, the Destiny hit all the spots and check the boxes that I was hoping that it would. The bones never changed, but yet it feels like a whole different experience on board that ship. So between the Destiny, if you have.

All things being equal, like pretend that the I would you, if you were choosing Treasure or Destiny, which ship would you choose?

That's a really, really hard one. But because the Moana show is on the Treasure. But I enjoyed the Destiny. I really did. I have to Libra, this one, because I could argue either side really easily. So personally I would have to go back to back. I need to do the Treasure and then the Destiny because it's hard to pick a favorite child. But I think that the Destiny did actually live up to the promises that the wish made when it first came out. So I think there's a little redemption there. But before we continue down that road, I also want to bring up a look forward, which I missed because for some reason every time you ask a question I miss the one I actually really want to talk about is the adventure. And to see that come to play, to see if that's going to check the boxes because it is so different, different, so unique. It was never intended to be a Disney ship until it was purchased well into its design and its build. And to have a ship that goes nowhere for three and four days, to me is, is unique and kind of weird. And to see how that's all going to come along, I think that's one of the things I'm keeping my eye on most. But to go back to the Destiny and the Treasure, I really want to pick one. I can't because I see the positives on both. Again, that's that idea of creating a monster ship, a Frankenstein ship. There's elements of both that I could bring together to equal one of the best experiences out there.

Yeah, I mean, they are, you know, they are like. They are. I'm trying to sort of, I want to sort of make it sort of a euphemism that's they are like three different versions of the same person. It's just, which one do you like a little bit more?

One's dressed a little different than the other. So if you, if you like that kind of thing, you're gonna go to that one.

Like for me, and I think for a lot of people and we talked about this when I think when we talk about, you know, the wish very much appeals, I think, to a more fanciful princess oriented, maybe guest or perspective. The Treasure is about nostalgia and theme parks and the Destiny is about the heroes and villains. I love the fact that there is something for everyone. And all those factors including length of time and ports and you know, where the home port is, all play into the decision making. I think you're 100 right about the adventure. I have no problem with the adventure just going around in circles every listen, as somebody who does not normally get off in most of the ports other than like Castaway and Look out key, that's fine because the ship is the star. And clearly here the ship is going to be the star. And I think especially because it is only three and four night cruises, you're not going to want to get off the ship because you're not going to be able to see and do and eat all of it.

Now I agree with that. However, for the market that it's in, in the Asia market, going round trip out of Singapore, that's going to be great for people who go for the first time because it's all about the ship. But the repeatability of that is I think, one thing that I'm going to keep my eye on.

Yeah. And just to quickly touch, I mean there, there is. I wanted to focus primarily on Walt Disney World, but there is a lot happening globally in the parks too, which I think is important because I think it shows overall the attention that Disney has to the global expansion and continuing to improve. So over in Disneyland Paris, World of Frozen Land opens this March. This transformation of the Walt Disney Studios park, which which has needed some love for a long time into Disney Adventure World, includes this new massive new Frozen Land. But there's also the new World Premiere Plaza. There's a lot that's happening there. Disney Village is undergoing this multi year transformation as well. There's a 20th anniversary celebration going on in Hong Kong Disneyland. There's a new Pixar entertainment experience, a new Spider man attraction. I'm not saying we need to go back, but we need to go back back. Tokyo Disney Resorts Disneysea is celebrating their 25th anniversary, which sounds to me like a calling to go back. I think we need to celebrate on the planet. Shanghai is celebrating its 10 year anniversary celebration in 2026. This will be a new Spider man themed area with roller coaster. I don't know when it's actually opening, but it doesn't matter. If we're on that side of the planet, we should go anyway. And obviously there's a lot happening over in Disneyland as well in terms of not just the Adventures Campus expansion, but there's new restaurants and new attractions and new experiences over there as well. So there's a lot of reasons not just to go and visit Walt Disney World, but back to Disneyland as well. Just quickly sort of going back. Because I also want to talk about some of the things that we did sort of collectively like WW Radio Community, some of the things that happened as well. Any final thoughts about looking back on 2012, 2025 or looking ahead to 2026? I want to make sure you guys are able to touch on Everything you wanted to as well, Lisa.

Becky, I hit my list.

Yeah, I hit my list as well. Yeah.

I mean, moment of 2025. Your most emotional Disney moment of 2025.

I mean, I, I don't know if I could pinpoint one, but I'm sure it happened in Japan.

It's something you said that. Because I'm looking at going the most emotional. Probably had to have been somewhere in Japan on the ABD in May, most likely.

Yeah. So let's just quickly talk about some of the things that happened. Sort of a quick WW Radio year interview, because we did and went to a lot. February, we had our group cruise on the Disney Treasure celebrating the. Was also celebrating the anniversary of WWRADO. I think it's like 20 years, like.

40 years by now. It sure seems like it.

It's so funny because whenever I go to a conference and people are like, oh, how long have a podcast? I'm like, oh, I started in 2005. They're like, no, no, you mean 2015. I'm like, no, I mean 2005. I really am that old time. We had the Treasure Cruise in February in don't forget April. Say what now?

Oh, I was gonna say don't forget April.

I'm going chronologically this because it's important. We did the. The Walk for Wishes for the very first time here in. In Orlando with. It's the. I think this is the 19th year. It's the Morgan and Morgan Walk for Wishes, which was such a great event, I had no idea what to expect. But it was a one mile walk around Lake Eola. It was a great fundraising opportunity. There's like free, free food and games and fireworks and entertainment. We're going to do it again this March. If you go to www.com walkfor wishes or walk for wishes 26, it'll take you there. I'd love to see you there. Ladies, I'm talking specifically to.

You may have to go.

Becky. It's a one mile walk you can do.

I think I can do that.

I know you can.

Only if you carry Red vines. For me, though, That's. That is the. The kicker.

You make it sound like you're like you're. You're climbing Mount Fuji. Speaking of Mount Fuji, in April, we went to Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo. You and I were on a panel talking about Star wars in the.

That was so fun.

A ton of fun. It was a great honor to be able to be out there. Although you and I, up until the very last second were like, we're like covering the. Michael, are we supposed to speak in Japanese? Like, are they?

Well, they smiled and nodded a lot and laughed at our joke, so I think we were okay.

Something translated, but it was a great honor to be able to be out there and seeing. Seeing that kind of event. You talk about, you know, in different cultures in different parts of the world to see one. And not only how the Japanese embrace Star wars, but how many people traveled from all corners of the globe in order to go out again. It's this idea, the importance of not just being part of a community, but experiencing these things in person. And you cannot. It's why I'm. A handshake and a hug. You cannot beat the energy. And the importance of doing these things face to face and being in the right room with the right people. I say it all the time. I preach this to my kids and to people at Momentum. Like, put yourself in the right room with the right people is. So whether it's for business or even just things like this.

That was incredible. That was a highlight of the year for sure.

Yeah. May nothing really happened for Disneyland 70th anniversary event. And then we had our. Our Japan Adventures by Disney and visit to Tokyo Disneyland. I'm not saying it's my favorite adventure ever, however.

You want to do it again, don't you?

I do want to do it, but I think it like, you know, Becky, we. We've been doing these for. For almost two decades, and every time we do it, we say the same things, like, oh, my God, this could never happen again. Like we've caught lightning in a bottle. Like, everything was just perfect. The group was perfect. Like, the people, the dynamics, like. But Tokyo, that Tokyo abd really was it. It like it ticked every box and every sort of moment just hit perfectly.

It did it. All the memories from that, it makes me want to go back. It really the them from the moment you arrive and that first night with the geisha and I mean, everything just comes together. And the other day I was watching something on TV and somebody was. Was running into a Lawson's on tv, and of course they got an egg salad sandwich, which made me go, I've got to go back to. Go to Lawson's to get an excellent sandwich. It's the. This teeny, tiny little things that stick into my brain. You would think that it would be the big grandiose things that you see in Japan, but it's not. It's those little unique things that you get to do not only in Japan, but on all the adventures we've Ever done.

Lisa, you were there. We talked about it on the ABD recap show. As you just. If you close your eyes for a second and you think back to the Japan abd, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

I mean the whole thing was just beautiful from top to bottom. I think my, my head will always go to that little Buddhist shrine where that lovely little couple and their sweet little dog Yuki and walking through the garden and having the meal that they had prepared. It was just, just, you know, everything about that trip was from, from the tiniest little details to the most grand things were, were just spot on perfect. But like that was just like one of those experiences that you could never have had outside of that sort of a trip that was planned for us. So yeah, I think my, my head goes to 100 places, but I think it always goes there first. To that lovely little couple standing on, on the step, like waving goodbye to us after that meal.

Yeah, yeah.

It's, it's what makes Adventures by Disney so special because you cannot buy that experience elsewhere. And it's. I'm the same way. Like that was a thing of all the amazing stuff that we did, including Tokyo Disney, like that was it, like that was like that moment of being there. And I remember sitting there in that second level, we were all having lunch just looking around like, like a proud dad. Like just watching my family like having such a good time together in such a special place. And yeah, it's part of what makes the, the Adventures, I hate to call it a product, but it, but makes the Adventures by Disney product. And I, and I didn't say this to you and I probably shouldn't say this to you and this is not meant to sound like anything but you actually you came up with a gorgeous like a memory, like a hardcover memory book of Archipelago. I didn't, I don't have it no way to do it on my shelf, but it's way over there of photos from Japan and you gave it to me for Christmas and I happened to be going through it and like I felt my little heart, my heart grew three sizes bigger that day, like thinking back on those memories because that's in fact we've been talking about this since we can do it. Like that's what makes these trips so special. It's not about, not necessarily the things that you do, but being able to experience it together with other like minded people who instantly become family. And that the book is just such a wonderful, beautiful reminder of that because we all take, we take hundreds, if not Thousands of pictures. But how often do we go back and organize them or look through them to sort of have that physical representation of what was really nice? So thank you.

Yeah, it really was. Yeah. Thank you.

In July, we did not one, but two, all nearly back to back adventures by Disney to Disneyland in Southern California, which Becky, I think. I think it was like the very first one we ever did together. Right. And sort of, sort of coming full circle to do that again and not just see that park, but the. And we're going to talk more about ABD on a separate show, but just to see that park at that time and the studios and the archives and sort of, you know, not just Walt walk where Walt walked, but to see the places where the magic that we talk about really is created is still. Even though I've been there a couple times, like each one of those was still special in their own way.

Every time it's unique, especially when you go to Imagineering because there's something different every time for them to showcase and to kind of. To let us get a little peek in on. On how the magic sausage is made. I adore those. Those trips with adventures by Disney because you always get to do something a little extra special. Like when we were able, because it was us, we were able to go into Walt's office again. And we've been there before, but for some reason, every time you go in there, it's a whole different feel. You see something different. You. You learn something more about the man every time you're there. But again, we go to Disneyland quite frequently. But there's something really magical about going with a big group of friends and getting to experience it together. So that's, I think, why we keep coming back to abds because of those memories that are created.

August. And so there was a couple of things that happened in August and I'll touch on one first. And we've talked about it and we did a full recap and review of destination D23, which I really felt there was something different that happened this year that I think is marking very much sort of in alignment with what we've been talking about. But I think sort of marked a change. It was the most that I. It's always been about community, but I felt it most this year. I felt like I was in a room with a couple of thousand friends as I walked the hallways, as the announcements were happening, like. Like they did a remarkable job of making this community feel like extended family. And to Michael Vargo and the entire. Very small but might small but Mighty powerful team at D23. I really sort of felt this shift happen. I wonder how that energy, how that mission, how that focus in philosophy, whatever is going to translate as we look forward to next year to. I'm going to call it D23 Expo. Just make it quick. But D23, the ultimate Disney fan event coming back to Anaheim in the summer. I absolutely, absolutely loved this. I like the fact that it's smaller, I like the fact that everything happens in one place. But I just really dug the energy at that event this year in August.

Which, which event? Yeah, Destination D. Destiny. Right. Sorry. I was sitting there going, wait a minute, are you talking about Expo? Because that was in 24 zero proof cocktails. You know, what can I say? Because I was prepping in August, I didn't get to go to Destination D, which is why I was there. I was working to prepare for what happened in September.

I'm not ready to jump to September. I want to, I want to say one thing, thing. And this is not about me. It is not about me. Please, please, please understand this. I had one of the most remarkable special experiences. And because of you, not just the two of you, but you, the other person who is listening, I'm talking directly to you. Because of you, I've been able to do and see and go and experience incredible things. But being invited out to Amsterdam and Germany to see the Disney Destiny in the shipyard under construction and get on board and watch the float out was still to this day a highlight for me personally of what I've been able to do. And I say that only with the most incredible gratitude for the gift and the blessing that you give me with your friendship and your attention and listening. That does not happen without you. And hopefully I was able to tell that story and tell those stories of the Destiny going from that moment to when we did the christening cruise in November and sort of let them all come full circle and now adding that bigger circle as we prepare in just a few weeks to go on our WW group cruise in February. So to go to see it from very much under construction to the float out to the christening to the, the, the, the christening crews and then to be able to share it with our WW family is going to be this wonderful full circle moment.

So that was really cool that you were able to go and show us that. I, I, I've had one shipyard experience before and I know how special it is. So was really cool and special that you got to go. And I'm not jealous at all.

In September, we did what ended up becoming our fourth and fifth Adventures by Disney of the Year. We did our Paris Escape and our Adventures by Disney River Cruise on the Seine. And then we bookended that with a trip to Disneyland Paris. Becky, I don't want to hear you. Like I told you. See, I told you. Like, okay, I love river cruise cruising. I love river cruising.

Finally. It took me how many years to get you to convince you just be.

Like, you know what? I'm giving you the accolades. You don't have to chime in. It is. River cruising is special. We did the Christmas Market river Cruise. How many years ago was it? Two, three?

I think it was December 2023, right?

Sure.

Wow.

I'm gonna say yes.

Yes.

Yeah.

You know what that means. It's time to do another Christmas Market river cruise.

Yes, indeed.

I can't.

I cannot confirm nor deny if that's on my working list right now.

Right. Lisa, put it on your calendar. I mean, I can't tell you when to put on your calendar. Just block off all of.

December every year for the next three years.

Yeah. So that was. I love Paris. I love the way. I love that. Adventures by Disney. Again, we're going to talk more about these in. In more detail on an upcoming show. October, I went to New York Comic Con with my son. It's something that I love doing, not just for the nerdy aspect, but just to sort of have that moment with him. Coutinho, Disney's first story, Living by Disney Community, opened in California. And again, I was fortunate to be invited out to cover it. I cover. I discussed it in full detail, including my thoughts about what it really its significance, not just for what it is and where, but what it represents in terms of the future and Disney's overall strategy and vision. Back on show number 845. This was my ninth year of my Momentum weekend workshop, which I really do think was Congrats. Thank you. I can't say it was the biggest. It was the biggest because it was extended to four days. But I really think this may have been one of the best ones that we had due in large part not just to the 50 attendees in the room, but the speakers. And everybody is so kind and generous and helpful and supportive. We had Gwendolyn Rogers, the founder of the cake bake shop. We had Jason Sorrell, imagineer, giving sort of keynote presentations on two days. And I love, again, being able to sort of watch, watch these transformative moments happen for people. And then we had, in November, the Destiny christening cruise, got to experience that ship for the first time at sea. And then sort of preparing for our group cruise. I mean, coming up in, like I said, just a few weeks, I'm doing a quick look back on some of the shows, shows that we did over this past year, too, both from the archives and some of the ones that we did as well. Was there anything else from this past year? Whether it was a personal Disney memory or moment, whether it was something on the big or small screen that really sort of sticks out to you as being like, when you close your eyes and you think back to you the past year, that really sticks out for you personally. Becky and Lisa, I knew you were.

Gonna call me first. I hate it when you do that because I'm not having enough time to think through the huge amount of things that I could actually say and. And try to keep it to one or two or maybe seven. For 2025, I'll say that the thing that sticks out Most that I 2025, the thing that will ro rem I'll remember most is the fact that we did five ABDs in one year. I think that was. That was a lot of travel. It was a lot of connection with people in the. The WDW radio community. We've never done anything like that before. There's been times where we've done one, maybe two, when it booked ended way across from each other. But to do five in one year, that was quite an accomplishment that we survived for number one, we didn't kill each other for number two. And we brought together some people that. That came together as strangers and left as friends, talking about where they want to go together next. And every time we end one of those trips and people have created a relationship that wasn't there before, I think is one of the most magical things that we get to do. So that, that's the biggest thing I'm going to walk away with, is that we were able to do that five times, plus a couple of cruises in one year.

Lisa Yeah, I mean, I can't hold a candle to all of your travels this year. It's incredible to hear you do the recap, you know, and we've already talked about Japan and how wonderful that was. And Lou, I do agree that, like, I think your momentum conference this year was. Was one of the most special that you've had for, like, it just came together so beautifully. I'm just gonna, like, I didn't plan this. This is the most random memory, little teeny piece of a memory ever. But, like, it's I don't know why, but when you asked that question, my head went to. At some point, like, later in the year, I remember I was in Magic Kingdom with the kids, and we just randomly decided to pop into again the new Country Bear Jamboree. And I just remember, like, we were sitting in the room and it was at capacity, midday, random day. Nothing special about, like, the day. The park wasn't super full or weren't super long lines. It's not like people were trying to get out of the heat. It wasn't that hot out. And I just remember, like, sitting in the new country. Newish, you know, it's not that new anymore, but Country Bear Jamboree. And it's. It was filled to capacity. Every seat was full. Everybody was singing, everybody was happy. Like, kids were clapping, parents were clapping, people were laughing at the jokes. And I just remember, like, looking around that room and thinking, like, how much doubt I had had when it was first announced that they were sort of Ipizing the Country Bear. The. The Country Bears. Because, you know, we all had so much love for, like, Liver Lips and Big Al and Blood on the Saddle and Don't Shoot Little Buford. Like, all the, like, things that, you know, we all knew, kind of knew shouldn't be there anymore, but still were, and we loved them. And I just. I remember, like, sitting in that room and being like, they were right. Like, they were right. They got this right. Like, it's okay that we're singing Little Mermaid and the Country Bears now. Like, everybody's happy in this room. And I just remember, like, looking around there and feeling like, you know, maybe that's a good way to sum up, like, where I'm at right now as far as, like, looking forward. Like, all the doubts that we have and all of the transition and the challenge of seeing things close and saying goodbye to these nostalgic things that we love and looking around that room and just seeing a room full of happy families and thinking that they had gotten it right in spite of all of the doubt. And. Yeah, I just hope that happens time and time again with all of the stuff that we've been talking about.

Yeah.

As we were saying this, I thought, you know what I want to do? I was thinking back to some of the shows that we did over this past year. So I'm going to do a very quick My five shows of this past year. I love them. All right? We love all of our children equally, but here's my five. We did the music of Animal Kingdom. We finally got around to finishing the. It's not a trilogy. It's a quadrilogy of the music of the parks and. And sort of being able to tie that whole series up with the bow and talking about how the music supports the storytelling and the atmosphere and even looking ahead to how it's going to impact the tropical America's expansion was great. I completely forgot. We did. We did a panel two at megacon and we did. It was about Marvel at Disney bringing the comic universe to life in the parks and at sea. It's always. This is the second time I've been able to host a panel at megacon that we've been on and be able to be there and talk about that and just be with all the fellow comic nerds. I introduced a new segment this year that I was super nervous about, but people seem to have a lot of fun with, which is in or out, which is sort of a debate style, simple, fun episode covering the parks and movies and cruise line topics. We did a few of those this year. What is that? Is that three? Four? Three? I think that's three. It doesn't matter. Who cares? We did. Let's see. I think. Oh, I loved building your Star wars movie memorabilia museum. I'm going to do those again in terms of building a. Our. Our Disney memorabilia museum and our. And our Marvel memorabilia museum. And I think if I had to pick one last one, I think it would be again, this is not about me, but it's about. I was invited out to Imagineering over the summer and was able to do a tour of Imagineering. I interviewed Zolt Horme on his sculpture work in the parks. I did an entire show about. About a tour behind the scenes where the magic is made. And then I also was able to interview the chief creative officer of Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn. Like that's sort of the trilogy of episodes 836, 837, 838, which I love being able to share with you. But again, being a theme park nerd because I am a fan first, it was just such an incredible opportunity to be able to do that. And maybe that's it. As we look back to 2025, I think if it taught us anything, sometimes the moments, not necessarily just the ones that we miss or the ones that we cherish, aren't always the ones that we necessarily expect or anticipate. I think as we look back, some of what left matters more than we realize and some of what is about to arrive hasn't finished revealing itself, which makes me excited to anticipate the future. And as we step into 2026, it's not just about what Disney is going to announce, what they're going to reveal and open next. It's about what we're going to feel when it's here. Because that has been sort of the common thread and everything we talked about, it's not about the thing. It's about the way this place, the people, the things that we get to do and who we get to do it with makes us feel. I think that is the true Disney differentiator. And I love that we able to share and experience so much of these things all together. You both, including you, who's listening, have made my 2025 such an incredibly special year. And I appreciate you not just joining me today, but sharing with me the adventures in 2025. And I am incredibly excited for everything that 2026 has in store. Thanks, Lou.

Really love being here. Well, I keep looking at the calendar, realizing just how many days we have to spend together for 2026.

Why do you say it that way? What do you mean we have to spend together?

That we get the opportunity and the fun and yes, about the days we.

Get to spend together.

We get to spend together. And all of the meeting time that we should be sitting together to come up and dream up with what's next. I think that's what's really cool when you end a year and start a new one. It's the possibilities and to look forward to what is on the horizon. Things, you know, things you don't know, the surprises that are going to come along the way, the surprise and delights that that are ahead of us is really cool. So I'm looking forward to it. And thank you for sharing 2025 with me. We did get to spend a lot of time together in a lot of great places across the globe. It was amazing. And thank you for being a part of it.

Yeah, I just, I'm. No, I'm just, I'm, you know, I'm kind of looking forward to sitting down and doing the 2026 recap and seeing sort of where all these things land and, you know, where, where this conversation ends up and vicariously following the two of you on all of your adventures in the coming year.

Well, I want to thank both of you. Becky Mangan from MEI and MouseFan travel@mousefantravel.com and Lisa Nerda Glasser from thousandcircles.com and the Castle Run on the Instagram. Not just for sharing your insights, but bringing your heart and your Honesty and your perspective to the conversation. It's why I love having these. These discussions with you, because you care so deeply, as I do, as we all do, about the parks and the stories and the community that around is. Is sort of surrounds them. And to you, my friend, who's listening, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for your time and your trust and your attention and your friendship and support. These conversations matter because you are part of them and helping to reflect and remember and reminisce and share all the feelings right alongside us. I want to hear from you your thoughts about your most emotional, impactful, important moment from 2025. You can go to the clubhouse@wwradio.com clubhouse. I will put this question there. Or better yet, call the voicemail. I will put you on the air at 407-900-9391. That's 477900 WDW1. And wherever 2026 takes us, I'm just grateful that we all get to experience it together. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

All in this together.

Best thing you ate in 2025. Go.

Oh, that hea beef, Nigori and Takayama.

That was so cool.

Y.

Except he had to duck. Remember? We had to duck to give.

Ducking into that little room.

Yeah.

Just to give context the story. We were in Takayama, this beautiful, amazing little village that is just locked into a period of time. And there's this wonderful little street that has all these little shops, and there's all. You can't even call it a shop. It's like a window with a dude in there. And they sell one thing and one thing only. It's heat of beef. It is a. Think like a. Like a wagyu beef or. It is. It is. It is a certain type of meat from a certain region, and they serve it only one way. Like. And there's. You can. There's a tiny little seating area, but even I had to duck down. Like, the doorway to walk in is like four feet open. But tell me the most spectacular you've ever put in your mouth.

See, and you thought you. But now we're on food all of a sudden. So we're. We're going to be here for a while. I can tell. Like. Like Hollywood studios. I think the only thing that you're really excited about, Lou, is. Is eating sushi in Hollywood Studios.

Oh, my God.

Huh?

I like, sign me up for Harryhausen right now. I'm. If they bring sushi to that park, you can move there you can storytelling environment.

You can become the weirdo that's living under like a a park bench so you can be there every morning when the sushi is fresh.

These are the people I call my friends.

Yum.

It's time for our Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the week where you can test your knowledge of the sights, sounds, secrets and stories of Disney. And if you think you know the answer, you can enter for a chance to win a Disney prize pass package and this week's trivia contest is brought to you by you. Because by joining the WW Nation, you not only help support the podcast, live shows, events, but you become part of the magic that makes it all possible. And for as little as a dollar per month, you'll unlock exclusive perks and rewards like monthly scavenger hunts, group video calls, a private community, surprise, care packages from the parks, and much more. More importantly, your support helps our Dream Team project which is raised more than $550,000 to help grant make a wish trips for children with life threatening illnesses, which brings the real Disney magic to families who need it most. Come be part of the magic. Join us today over@www.com support. I am so incredibly grateful to and for you and your love, support, friendship and help. I want to thank some new and longtime members of the Nation family including Alec S, Alan Starner, Rob Vetris and Dede. And again, to learn more and sign up, visit www.comsupport now, before we get to this week's trivia contest, let's go back, review last week's and select our winner. So in the spirit of New Year's Eve fireworks, I asked you to tell me who was the narrator of the fireworks spectacular known as Sorcery in the sky at the Disney MGM Studios in 1996. Thanks to so many of you who entered got this one correct and knew that the answer is of course the one, the only Vincent Price. Now, Sorcery in the sky ran from 1990 to 1997, but the Vincent Price version was only used until his passing in 1993. And what I loved about this is that Vincent Price had that very ominous theatrical narration that was very much sort of his hallmark from the dramatic and horror films that he was known for. But you may not know this, he was already associated with Disney villains as he also provided the voice of Ratigan in the Great Mouse Detective. So I took all the correct entries, randomly selected one. Last week you were playing for a WWE keychain stickers pin and a mystery prize. And last week's winner randomly Selected is Lily T. So, Lily, congratulations. I will get this prize package out there right away. And if you played last week and didn't win, that's okay because here's your next chance to enter in this week's Walt Disney World Trivia Challenge. So we're going to move over to Disney's Animal Kingdom this week because on the Tree of Life There are 325 different unique animals carved into the tree, but only one is based on a real specific and named animal. Which one is it? And what is this animal's name? Now, I am traveling this week due in part to head out to California to conduct an interview that I'll be sharing on the show. So stay tuned. And then I'm speaking at a conference the week after. So I'm going to give you not one, but two weeks to answer this week's trivia contest. So you have until Sunday, January 18th to go to www.com click on this week's podcast. Use the form there. And again, I'm gonna send you the keychain, the stickers, the pin, and a very cool I already have it picked out mystery prize. So good luck and have fun. That's going to do it for this week's show. Thank you so much for taking the time not only to listen, but more importantly, be part of this community and WW Radio family. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday and a very, very happy new year. And I am so incredibly excited for what this year has in store and to share some things that I've been working on, not just here on WDW Radio and on the Disney side of things, but over@lumangello.com where I host my momentum series of events. I'm also a keynote speaker where I share practical and tactical lessons learned from the Disney parks and how you can apply them to your business and a few other things. I'm very excited to launch and release soon. So stay tuned and if there's ever anything that I can do to help you, please reach out and let me know. You can email me Lou@www.com Connect with me on social I am @Lumangello on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Thank you, thank you. Thank you again for everything that you did and whether you realize or not made happen this past year, I really would not be here without you. So thank you for letting me share a little bit of the Disney magic that I love and cherish so very much with you. So as always, my friend, and you are my friend, whether we have met yet, or not. Remember to be kind, choose the good. Have a great day. And even better tomorrow. I love and appreciate you. See ya.

Well, it sounds pretty good.

In fact. That's just the right spirit.