What if the future of Disney Parks isn't just about new attractions, but entirely new worlds? This week we're heading to Disneyland Paris for a special sneak peek to explore Disney Adventure World and the upcoming world of Frozen and what they reveal about where Disney storytelling is going next. From immersive lands storytelling and placemaking to next generation character interactions and the evolution of how we experience Disney parks around the globe, this isn't just about what's being built there. It's about why it matters. And join us as we take a closer look at the future, not just of Disneyland Paris, but what it might mean for your next Disney adventure. Hello, my friend, and welcome to WW Radio, your guide to Disney parks and experiences around the world. I am Lou Mongello and this is show number 860. And whether this is your first time listening or you've been with me since the very beginning, thank you for being here. Welcome home. Before we dive in, please don't forget to be part of the community and conversation over in the WW Radio clubhouse at wwradio.com clubhouse. Watch and chat on the live show every Wednesday at 7:30pm Eastern on Facebook and YouTube. And sign up for my free weekly email newsletter@www.radio.com and I will send you a free gift when you do and when you're ready to plan your next Disney vacation. Whether it's to Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, or anywhere on this big blue, beautiful planet of ours. Visit my friends over@m MouseFanTravel.com for completely free expert vacation planning. But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio show. I have to tell you, I did not expect this to hit me the way that it did. Because from the moment that I walked onto Adventure Way, I could tell something was different. And the more that I explored and the more that I experienced the world of Frozen itself, I kept on thinking, this is what Disney does best. And on March 29, Walt Disney Studios park officially becomes Disney Adventure World. And at the heart of that transformation, World of Frozen is going to open up the gates for the very first time. And I was incredibly fortunate and grateful to have been invited by Disneyland Paris for a very special preview. And if you were following along on my Instagram stories and Reels. When I was there, you got a little taste of what I experienced. But of course, I want and need to share so much more about this with you. What I saw, what I heard, what I ate, obviously, and my thoughts after taking a little bit of time to reflect. Because from the placemaking to the storytelling and the technology within, there was a lot to take in and I think a lot to process. So today, I want to invite you to come with me to Disneyland Paris and Disney Adventure World. And joining us on our journey is somebody else who was also there with me, somebody who hasn't just watched the videos online and read the coverage. He created it because he experienced it firsthand with me even before it opened to the public. I want to welcome, for the first time in forever, not just to the show, but to Disneyland Paris. James Grosch from guide to wdw.

Hi, Lou. It's such a pleasure to be on here. This is a dream come true, not only to be on this show, but also to have been able to visit Disney Adventure World early with you, get to explore this park. And just like you said, just stepping onto Adventure Way. And we had this whole adventure ahead of us. So I'm really excited to explore that, explore what we experienced and share that story with everybody.

Yeah, we've bought. We've been on a number of incredible experiences and adventures together. And what I like about you and what your coverage is, I think, like me, you like the deep dive and want to sort of talk about sort of the Disney intelligence at its best. And it's. I think we try and create content that makes you love Disney even more than you already do. And like I said this, I love the fact that this was, I don't care about this your first time on the show, but it was your first time to Disneyland Paris for the preview because you got to, you know, take it all in very sort of differently, sort of contextually for me. And I know your thoughts about Disneyland Paris probably reflect a lot of mine, which is just what a beautiful, special park it is.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. And, you know, it didn't even strike. All of this happened very last minute, like, got the invite, like, two weeks ahead of time. And so it feels like this whirlwind. It feels like both like we were there yesterday and like three months ago. I don't know how that works, but it kind of struck me. It was after the fact of, like, oh, Disney Adventure World was my first international park. I went to that park first. Before getting to go into Disneyland Paris, I was very Fortunate to get a full day at Disneyland Paris afterwards. And that also colored my opinions and experience looking on Disney Adventure World and kind of my thoughts about how this redefinition of this park and this reimagining of the park really makes an impact on Disneyland Paris as a resort. So this was such a special experience getting to, you know, I was going into this with very much like, you know, new eyes, getting to experience Disneyland Paris. As someone who has gone to the Disney parks in the US My whole life, I, you know, went to Disney World my whole life and then lived by in Anaheim in California for about 15 years. So I know those parks like the back of my hand. And these parks were brand new to me. So it was a very special, rare experience getting to go into a theme park for the first time and getting to have this special preview experience.

Yeah. So, I mean, I love sort of watching your very quick whirlwind tour of the highlight of Disneyland Paris. It was like watching Chevy Chase on European vacation. But, you know, to your point about the, the park, I think from the moment we first heard about this world of Frozen, I think a lot of us had that same question, which is we sort of understand conceptually what it's going to look like, but is it going to feel like Arendelle? Is it going to feel like this place that obviously we've never visit visited other than in two Dimension. And I think now sort of just coming back from a 30,000 foot view, now that we got to look inside Disney Adventure World and specifically Arendelle and the world of Frozen, I think the better question is, you know, and again, we're going to talk about this in much greater details. Is this a little bit of a glimpse into the future of the Disney parks? Because I think because of the scale of the land and the storytelling and what Disney has done with our little friend Olaf, this is something very different. Again, we're gonna talk about what works, I think what surprised us and I think what this might mean for Disney, for where Disney's going next.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think, like, that was the big question I had going into this, of what does this park feel like? Because, you know, just kind of taking a step back, they are renaming the park in a big way, in a way that they haven't done ever. Like, I know MGM Studios became Hollywood Studios and there was Epcot center and then Epcot, but those were essentially the same name, the same park identity. They are redefin going from Walt Disney Studios park to Disney Adventure World. And so my Big, you know, the big curiosity I had going into this was what is the identity of that park and what does Disney Adventure World feel like? And World of Frozen is a huge part of that story.

Yeah, well, I think Walt Disney Studios park has, you know, let's be honest, to a certain degree, for a very long time struggled both financially and I think a while back really was struggling with finding its identity. And I think what we're going to talk about today really is a story of not, you know, a little kingdom called Arendelle and a snowman who walks on boats, but how those characters and this land and a $2.3 billion investment is really going to change everything. Because to your point, when it rebrands on March 29, I think this is one of the most ambitious transformation, specifically in Disneyland Paris's history. And I know with changes in leadership and changes of ownership, a lot of things changed and so much of has changed in the past 20 plus years as the park doubled its footprint. But it's, I think it's always struggled with establishing its identity. And for a lot of people, did the, the Walt Disney Studios park justifying a full day visit this Sort of. A lot of people think that this was sort of the half day addition to Disneyland park rather than a destination on its own. Spoiler alert. I think that era is now over.

Yeah, I 100% agree. And I think that it really, in some very interesting and surprising ways, really sets the stage for what the identity of this park is and shows, you know, we even have glimpses of where it's going in the future. So it's, you know, the parallel that I think of as a US Parks fan is 2012 California Adventure of like, you know, California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios opened within a year of each other, you know, 2001, 2002. And they both had, you know, not a great reception as a second gate. And it was like this early 2000s second gate problem that Disney had. And in both of these cases with, you know, California Adventure, with adding Buena Vista street and Cars Land, they really redefined what the park felt like. And for this, it's even bigger because, yes, they're adding Adventure Way, which is kind of this new entrance area, and adding World of Frozen, which is another immersive land. But they are changing the shape of the park fundamentally and really changing, like how it feels very different going into this new area of the park from the existing Walt Disney Studios, which kind of feels like you're walking down corridors into all these different attractions and different lands. Whereas this feels big and expansive.

Yeah. You know, when I first visited Walt Disney Studios Park, I was almost a little confused because it doesn't follow the typical hub and spoke design. And I thought things were a little disjointed. And there was a little part of me that felt like it was almost as if Disney bought another park and just put some of their stuff where they could on top of it. Where now, with this transformation, it feels so much more cohesive because of the way it is organized. Obviously, with World of Frozen, there's now the world of Pixar and Marvel's Avengers campus, and obviously the Lion King. The sort of fourth area is under construction. But I think you're right. I think this really starts at the beginning, and Adventure Way is the first place for us to start on our sort of virtual journey. Because I think we have to look at this literal and figurative sort of this journey that gets us there. Because I think the walk to the land is a bit of an experience of itself. It really is sort of. I sort of look at it as like the spine of the park. I couldn't sort of think of a metaphor, but it really is because it connects the park entrance all the way down to Adventure Bay and all of the world beyond. And to sort of give it a bit of a Paris ism. It's kind of like the Champs Enlise of Disney Adventure World. And instead of just boutiques and, you know, cafes, it's filled with stories and gardens and a new attraction and new dining and live entertainment. And I'm telling you, man, the first time I stepped foot on there, I felt like I was in a completely different park. It has changed sort of the foundation of what the Walt Disney Studios park was.

I 100% agree. That was the moment. The biggest moment like, that I had, the biggest impact on me was stepping out and stepping onto Adventure Way. And the way they had us go around for the preview was kind of going around a little corridor isn't the way that most guests will enter, because it is. You will just enter straight from the entrance. We kind of went around, and once I stepped on that main corridor, the main plaza, I just had this feeling of like, oh, this feels like a new park. It has that new theme park feel, and it does feel big and expansive and elegant and beautiful. And, like, they're drawing from a lot of, like, European inspiration. There's a, like an English gazebo, and there's art Nouveau and just feels very much of like a park that belongs in France.

You know, it's funny because I didn't spend a lot of time when I came in because I was just so. I was like a little kid, like, oh yeah, like running down the. I was walking briskly down the street because I wanted to get. I wanted to see the world of Frozen. But I spent a lot of time going back to during the day and even at night. And there was one part of Adventure Way that really struck me and I don't hear a lot of people talking about it. And I think it's one of the most impressive things that is a part of Adventure Way because when you walk in, it's not just about what you see or what you taste, but it's about what you hear. And there's an entirely new musical score composed specifically for the Promenade. You know, you walk into other parks and you hear familiar music that may be stuff that you've heard before or slight rearrangement. But this is an original 40 minute theme that they recorded at Abbey Road in London. Like, think about that for a second. Like Disney commissioned an original 40 minute orchestral composition at Abbey Road just for the walk down the Promenade. It's not a playlist of existing songs, it's not remixed classics. It's an exclusive score created just for this place. And oh, by the way, it's Beyroad. And I point that out because I think this is something that we're going to repeat over and over again. It shows the level of intentionality that I think is trying to really help define what Disney Adventure World is going to be. And it starts as soon as you step foot on Adventure Way.

Absolutely. And I love the score. I can't wait for them to release it on Spotify or Apple music because that will become background music. Because it is. It's very laid back, like relaxing, beautiful, elegant. Like I'm gonna keep on saying the word beautiful like until

the park is. That's what these parks are. Disneyland Paris is the most beautiful of the Disney parks.

Yes. And that's kind of like looking back, kind of one of the big takeaways, like Tony Baxter famously called out. The defining characteristics of, like Disneyland is the charming park, Magic Kingdom is the, I believe, spectacular park, and Disneyland Paris is the beautiful park. And if you look at what Walt Disney Studios was, it didn't have beauty as a defining quality. Whereas Disney Adventure World feels beautiful in a way that's distinct from Disneyland Paris, but in a way that complements, has its own feeling. But it definitely carries on that beauty that Disneyland Paris has. That I think is what a Second gate should do. It should complement the original park in a way that doesn't feel too different. And I feel like Epcot has that spectacular feel that complements Magic Kingdom. And I feel like Disney Adventure World has that beautiful feel that complements Disneyland Paris Park.

And if you notice too, to that point, I think this really sort of illustrates that even further. At the end of Adventure Way, you're not walking into an attraction, you're not walking into a queue, you're not walking into a gift shop, you're walking into gardens. Right? There's all these storytelling sections and moments that are happening in between the attractions. And all these gardens along Adventure Way take inspiration from Disney and Pixar stories. Tangled Toy Story Garden, there's a gazebo garden. Going back to your point about sort of this English style setting, you feel sort of inspired by Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan and Dalmatians. And I sort of felt that. And I'm so happy we had the luxury of. And the privilege it understand we had a. We had a unique experience because there was not a lot of people there. We had time for the park to ourselves, just to sort of take it in and wander, which is really what. I did not leave Adventure World all day because I was afraid they wouldn't let me back in.

But I really wanted to either. And I didn't want to leave.

I wanted to soak it in. And I was like, these gardens are not filler between attractions. They are intentional storytelling spaces designed specifically I think, to slow you down and reward the curiosity of going to explore. And I think like Adventure Way itself, like the walk is part of the adventure. And I think that's something that it's easy to sort of write down on, you know, what imagineering wants to do, but to execute it the way that they do so very well I think is a really important accomplishment.

Yeah, the word stroll keeps on popping into my head of like, this is a great place to take a stroll of. Just like you. You know, I know there are going to be. People are like, okay, first day they get there, they're going to rush to World of Frozen. I did that a little bit too with like, I heard the. I could hear Olaf and I was like, I want to see that show. So I did a bit of that. But like I found myself appreciate more and more when I was just going at a leisurely stroll. And I think that it really does reward you. And you know, I, I feel like the, the more I dig into these parks and the older that I get, I Am much more enamored with the vibes than the rides. I love rides. Like, that is what got me into this. I love attractions, I love what they can do. But I think there's something so important about places like this, the connective tissue of the land, that the vibe that gives you the feeling, that gives you that really, like, can create such affection for these parks. I think about how I feel about Epcot, which is my favorite Disney park. And it really is about the feeling of walking around world showcase of the feeling of taking a stroll around that park. And I think Disney Adventure World is going to have that, thanks to Adventure Way and Adventure Bay.

I agree with you 1000%. See, this is why we're friends. And I feel that way about Disneyland because I was fortunate to be able to spend a couple days in Disneyland Paris before I got there. And you were there. We felt Paris like Paris. It was cold and it was pouring rain, and it's like it was France at its finest. And people would be like, messaging me or DMing me as I'm sharing stuff on stories or like, oh, have you wrote Big Thunder? I'm like, nope, that was my worst Olaf impression. Have you, like, ridden this? I'm like, nope. Like, I rode Phantom Manor a few times because it's my favorite, but I just wanted to soak in that park. And I. I took that with me as I was going to Adventure World. So, for example, we're talking about Adventure Way and the gardens. We'll talk more about this and specifically the bay. But this is not just about attractions. It's about entertainment. And there's so much entertainment. And what I love is that adventures, ways, entertainment that is layered on this. What could have just been a very simple, plain thoroughfare is seasonal. So in the spring, you're gonna have Rapunzel and Flynn's musical encounter. In the summer, you're gonna have Mary Poppins and the Pearly Band. Now I have to go back in the fall. There's gonna be Miguel's Latin Festival, and then they're gonna have character greetings in November. Mickey is there. I don't know if you got a chance to see Mickey. He's got this cool Victorian style outfit, again, crafted just for Adventure World. And I love the fact he sort of has this new look for the most iconic character, like, exclusive to this park. But I think the fact that the calendar of entertainment, the fact that it rotates, means Adventure Way is never going to be the same thing twice. And I think that's important for repeat visitors. You can come back in the summer and the fall and have a meaningfully different experience on the same promenade. And I point that out specifically, too. Especially if you are living in the States and you're like, well, Disneyland Paris is going to be this once in a lifetime trip. And I understand all the reasons why it might be, but I think the seasonal programming and look, Paris is beautiful in the. In the winter too. It really makes a strong case for coming back more than once.

Yeah, I think that this is going to be a great park for locals, great park for people who are pass holders and go there often specifically because of that entertainment. They've also just announced, I think the day we were there, they announced that they're going to have a Princess Cavalcade along Adventure Way. And one of the big kind of like my gut check moments on Adventure Way was like, I feel like this area will thrive based on the entertainment, based on the strength of the entertainment. You know, they had. I saw a drum corps. I saw a traditional French mine. I saw. I've been following Denise from Mouse Steps, her coverage. And they've been going back multiple times during the previews and there was like a courtingist playing. And so I think that this initial slate of entertainment that Disney has promised really is helping this fulfill its potential. And I think that this area will really thrive if they're able to keep on doing that through the future.

Yeah, and I think it's important too, because if you've never been to Walt Disney Studios park, which is now going to be Disney Adventure World, when you enter this park, it's very much unlike any other park you're going to go into. We all have that moment, right? You walk into a Disney park and there's that reveal, whether it is a castle, whether it is a giant golf ball, whether it is a tree of life. Before you even get to Adventure Way, you have to pass through World Premier Plaza, which has recently been redesigned. And it is meant to be almost an entry experience, sort of evoking this glamorous Hollywood movie premiere from like the 30s and 40s. And you go into this giant sort of studio set building. But it's meant to be inspired by Broadway and really, I think sort of the West End theater in London. And it's almost. This is your kind of red carpet experience. This is signaling you're about to go into. There's food and there's shopping in there, but. But it's trying to sort of set the tone before you go out. And then you go through the doors and you circle around and then you get that reveal, right? You see the Tower of Terror and then you see Adventure Way. And I think that is sort of that reveal moment, because off in the distance, if you look very, very carefully, you're able to see World of Frozen. But it's a very. I think it's such a different type of way to enter the park. For guests that are sort of used to a Magic Kingdom and Epcot or even Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, et cetera.

Yeah, it definitely is different. It's unique. The way that I described it in my video about the original part of Walt Disney Studios felt like the Disney park of your dreams. Just in the way of someone who's really familiar with the US Parks of when you have a dream, you're in your house, but it's not your house, and there's a pool in your living room that's kind of. You're like, oh, there's Tower of Terror and there's the partner statue right next to each other. What is happening? And I feel like I really liked World Premiere, just like, it gave me these Hollywood studios at night vibes. And I always love a interior for exterior at night type of scenery that Disney can do. But I do think as soon as you step out and you see Tower of Terror, you can see World of frozen in the distance. And it's something that you think about Galaxy's Edge and Pandora and Cars Land, they have these big skyline reveals. Once you see Step into the Land of, like, you know, they're kind of hidden from the rest of the park. And then you step into the land and it opens itself up. Whereas the North Mountain from Arendelle is calling you from across Adventure Way. And it has the silhouette that, you know, it acts as a weenie for this park that, you know, imagineering hasn't done in a while. And, like, it reminded me of kind of like the skyline of World Showcase, where you have the pavilions. And I think as they continue adding and as you have, you know, Pride Lands with Pride Rock, it's going to have this really amazing skyline. And that was one of the things that struck me most of, like, stepping in and having this big, expansive feel was like, oh, and then there's this amazing skyline across the bay.

Yeah. Because I thought about it this way. Like, when's the last time the walk to the attractions at a Disney park almost felt like an attraction itself. Right. Which is what I think. Adventure Ways, it's very much analogous to Main street usa. It's not just a pathway. It is this storytelling experience that's trying to set the tone very quickly, but I think on a much bigger, grander scale, it has the rotating entertainment. It's got the music, it's got the different gardens. You know, I think it's. I've heard some people sort of comparing it to, like you said, the promenade in World Showcase. I think it's more of, like, analogous, sort of to the pathway of Main street. And the journey really is part of the adventure itself.

Yeah, I definitely agree. And one of the things I really liked about Adventureway, there are attractions on there, and the one that is opening on March 29 is the Rapunz Tangled Spin, the Tangled Teacups, as I like to call it. And one thing that I like in terms of the placemaking is that it is a little tangled area. It's a mini area. It isn't like this big, immersive land. There's no tangled tower or anything like that. But everything fits in cohesively with the design of the rest of Adventure Way. But the color scheme changes from these jewel toadin greens to these Rapunzel purples. And there's a little pond with a boat with a lantern on it. And it just all feels very intentional, as you keep on saying, and elegant in a way that feels like, okay, this is the tangled area, but it isn't like a jarring transition. It fits in perfectly. And I hope that they continue on with that. There's an up attraction that's under construction. I'm hoping that the UP has a little, you know, its own defining characteristics that fit in with the rest of that. And I feel like this, like, kind of mini area concept is something that they could carry around moving in the future.

Yeah, it's interesting because Rappant's Tangled Spin, it's only the second Tangled theme attraction in any Disney park in the world. The first one in Europe. The Tangled restrooms in Walter Sewell do not count.

No, but they're very good bathrooms.

But, yeah, no, they're wonderful restrooms. And there's, you know, there are. There are details to be found within, but Tokyo Disney sees the best of the best of the best. Rapunzel's Lantern Festival in Springs opened in summer 24, and I think sets a very, very high bar. And Paris is sort of bringing the Tangled love to a new audience in a very different way, because Toca's version is a slow boat ride. It tells the full story of Rapunzel's, you know, best day ever. Very romantic. Possibly one of the most romantic attractions Disney has ever built. This is different. This is a spinning gondolas, spinning teacups. But you're in gondolas. Focused purely on the lantern festival itself. Two parks, same film, two completely different takes on how to bring this to life. And I think, you know, it's interesting how the. The. How they came at it two very different ways. And I think the beauty of this attraction is one, it needs to be written at night.

Yes.

Two, it is the. The music. And. And if you paid attention, too, there's also like. Like, special announcements that were recorded, like, by Mandy Moore exclusively for the ride. But it's the details. Like, it is the d. It is not just a teacup spinner. It is the details that when you go in, don't look straight ahead, just look up because you've got these tent and these lanterns in the sun. It is like that single detail of the canopy transforms a basic spinner, I think, into a storytelling moment.

Yeah, I 100% agree. And I think that, you know, some people might, like, dismiss it as a small ride or, you know, a flat ride, but I think it's like, it is so well executed. The painting, the mural that they have on the ceiling of this attraction with the lanterns, it just makes for this beautiful moment. You know, typically, like, a spinner is my least favorite type of attraction. I just don't like getting dizzy. But, you know, I went on this just because I was like, I feel like I have to go on it. You know, teacups is something that I avoid at Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland, but I had a blast on this. And the music, the. It's. It's just. It's really fun. I feel like having a. A good flat ride that is executed to this degree really helps round out the offerings of a park. And I feel like it. It's a formula that Disney can keep on doing. Apologies if you hear my daughter in the background. It's a formula that Disney keep on doing with these. You know, they have the big immersive lands, and they can pair it with these mini areas that are just really well executed and that will be just crowd pleasers.

And they're family pleasers.

Right.

It's another. It's designed for families. Thankfully for me, there's no minimum height requirement. But look, mechanically, it's a spinner. It's the mad tea party. It's a merry go round. But what I noticed, James, and you sort of alluded to it too, and some folks that we were with that I was talking to about it, nobody who wrote it is talking about the ride system. They're talking about how it made them feel. Right. That's the magic of what really good theming and storytelling is about. The vehicle doesn't matter if the world around you, if that space that you are, it's an open air space, but you sort of feel almost enclosed in if it's so beautifully realized. And I think Tangled is just woefully unrepresented in the parks.

Yeah.

Relative to how much people love it. But I think this is such a wonderful, beautiful, simple tribute to that attraction.

Yeah, I 100% agree. And I feel like it's like, yes, I, yeah, I 100% agree. I came came away like big thumbs up. I was a big fan of that. And that was like one of the things I was like a little skeptical of of just like, okay, what, how am I gonna feel about this attraction? Just with. With my history with spinners. So I, I think that it's, it's just really well done.

So let, let's talk about the, the Arendelle in the room and the world of Frozen and Stepping Foot. And I think before we talk about any of the specifics, we have to talk about it in terms almost. And you literally have to be at a 30,000 foot view and the scale of what Disney built here, because I did not realize. My first reaction when I walked up to Adventure Bay was like, le wo. This was much bigger than what I expected. And if you start with the numbers, the world of Frozen alone is seven and a half acres. And at the heart is that North Mountain. It's 118ft tall. So like, this is not just a small little area inspired by Arendelle. It is like this full scale life size recreation of this kingdom that again, it's intentionality, it is commitment. And I think, you know, there's a. There's a Frozen themed land in Hong Kong and there's one in Disney Sea. But I think Paris brings something to it. And the scale and the size and the scope and we'll talk more about that. Is something that neither of those two has.

Yeah, I was really impressed with the scale and the scope. I thought that the rock work is amazing. The force perspective with the Ice palace, just like it works. It feels big. It feels like you're in Arendelle. All the details, the theming, the stuff that Disney Imagineering does incredibly well is all there. I feel like the kind of hidden star of the land is the little Arendelle Bay, the inlet in front of the castle. Because not only is it the stage for the show that happens throughout the day, which we can talk about in a lot of detail, but it just creates one of the most beautiful views that I've seen in a Disney Park. You're overlooking the water, you can see the North Mountain, you can see the castle. You know, when we were there, the sun was setting behind it. So I was there. I saw it in all different. I saw it in sunshine, it started to hail, which, you know, I don't know how Disney has that budget to make it essentially snow in World of Frozen, but that was awesome. And then also saw it at golden hour and that night and I just found myself on that bridge looking over this bay and just like soaking in the vibes. And I just was, you know, once again, the word that I'm gonna keep on saying, it's beautiful. It is truly beautiful. It is a one of the most gorgeous lands that Disney has made. And I think that that is really helps reinforce how you feel going through Adventure Way. And I think it also just fits in with Disneyland Paris.

And you mentioned the magic word earlier. Like, the weenie is back, baby. I love the fact that the weenie is there. And it's funny because the weenie, even the word itself, right, it feels almost you know, antiquated or old fashioned. And if you're wondering what we're talking about, Walt didn't talk about the importance of having these visual magnets that you can see across the park. Think the castle, think the Matterhorn, think the spires of Pandora. And because you can see that north mountain and the ice palace all the way from across Adventure Bay, like the second, even before you step foot into the land, like that is pulling you in. And you know, I love how it's not hidden, right? It's sort of this thing that sort of beckons you from across the park. It's a different type of approach than, you know, you don't see Cinderella Castle. The second you walk into Magic Kingdom, you've got to go. You sort of have to make your way back to the center of Main Street. You don't see Pandora until you're fully immersed inside that land and you sort of get that reveal. But I think here it does draw you in. And as you get closer and as you step into Arendelle. I know, James, we use this word almost too much. But when you talk about it's not just themed. It truly is immersive. It's not decorated. You feel like you are somewhere else. And I kept on saying this over and over again. I think the last time I felt the way that I did when I stepped into Arendelle was the very first time I walked into Cars Land, A Disney California Adventure.

Wow. That. Yes, because it is very much of like you are walking into a specific scene that you know from the movies. And Cars Land I think is like the best example of that. Of just like, oh, it feels like this giant area from the movie and now you are going to see it in real life. And like, in a way that I feel like kids would feel like, oh, this is where they filmed the movie. And I feel like kids will have that feeling of walking into Arendelle and feeling like, oh, this is where Anna and Elsa live. Like that's what it feels like.

Right? Because it's also. And I think that you get that not from again that, that wide shot view, but as you get closer because the, the. The devil's in the details, right? The, it's. It's the rock work, it's the newspaper, it's the Easter eggs, it's the bathroom signs that are themed, it's the portraits. These are the details that you don't see on the Disneyland Paris website, right. You don't see in promotional photos. And I've seen some people say, and I don't know if all the people that I've seen say this have been there or not been there. People are like, well, it just looks like a plussed up World Showcase. Really? And it looks like a really. And I'm like, that I think is the highest compliment you can pay to it. Right? I think it's because I think it has that same sense of stepping into a real place that it's not from the movie, but I think the differentiator here is it is a place with real culture. Except the fact that the culture here is a fictional world called Arendelle.

Yes. I actually used that line plussed up World Showcase Pavilion, but as a compliment because I love World Showcase pavilions and I think that just in terms of like setting the, the expectations for the scope of the land of like there is an attraction, there's a restaurant, there's shopping. You know, it's not as massive as a Galaxy's edge or a Pandora, but it does feel like, okay, it feels fully immersive. Like it feels like the details are there. And I do feel like kind of a unifying theory that I feel like what this park is going to grow into, especially around the lagoon, is it is going to be a world showcase for fictional worlds and that, that when you have Pride Lands open, that it's going. I feel like it's going to have the similar thing of like, okay, you're stepping in. And now you are getting to travel around the. In not around the literal world, not around the real world, but around these worlds that Disney has created.

So I have to try and find. Because I saw it either. I'm like, it was either X or like an Instagram comment. And I'm like, dude, you probably weren't. It wasn't from you, but somewhere, obviously they must have heard you and took it from you. And I'm like. And I get frustrated because, like, you probably weren't even there. You're just basing it on like the 10 second TikTok video you probably saw. And that was the reaction. But if they took it from you, I hope that they know that it was meant as a positive thing, because I do. I look at it as a compliment because it is really sort of evidencing how good environmental storytelling can be. You don't have to get on an attraction. You have to meet a character. It's just being in that place and space. And again, it goes back to, I think, the level of intentionality and detail and thought and care and I think, respect that imagineers put when you create a land like this that is being based off of nothing but 2D animation.

Yeah, I just, I wanted to just like hang out in the land. Just. I. I caught myself just like standing and staring and staring at the signs, staring at the newspaper clippings. I spent a lot of time by that fountain. There's a beautiful snowflake fountain, especially after night. Has some great lighting effects. And then also just staring up at the rock work. It's great rock work. That's one of my favorite things that Disney does, is create these amazing icons and landscapes that really does feel like you've been transported. And this has that transported feel, you know? And so I definitely think, like, World Showcase Pavilion plussed up. Big thumbs up for me. Like, that's, that's the highest compliment and, like, more than I would hope for for having a themed land like this.

Right. Cause when's the last time Disney opened up a land or something like this that made you want to stop walking and just look around and just sort of take it in? You mentioned golden hour. It's my favorite time of the day. I love the fact that the rain and the sleet and the hail and all of the other atmospheric things that were happening were done because it was beautiful and the reflections of the water on the ground. I'm like, whoever set this up, thank you. Because it's not just beautiful photographs, but I did it. It was like watching a sunset on the beach, and I just watched the sunset over Arendelle, and people were like, all right, Mongella, go ride the attraction. I'm like, no, it's that beautiful. And again, you forget that this is sort of this, you know, man made, constructive, constructed, completely fantasy land.

Yeah. It's so well done. It's so beautiful. It's so gorgeous. And I do think that walking up to it, they do just such a great job with the scale of, like, you see it from the distance, and it's calling to you. And as you get closer, it's getting bigger and bigger, and the scale of that mountain is getting bigger and bigger. And then you're just in Arendelle, and it has the music and it has the characters, and it just. It feels. Feels beautiful and whimsical, and it really does live up to, you know, Frozen, I think, is one of the best Disney movies that they've made of this century, and one of the most important films to this company just of, like, I remember how huge it was when it came out, you know, 12 or 13 years ago, and I feel like this really lives up to that legacy.

Yeah. And, you know, as I was standing there on the different areas of Adventure Bay, and I was looking over at. Because I really want to sort of take in World of Frozen from a lot of different perspectives. And don't look left, but if you look left, you will see construction walls and cranes and. Because Land of the Lion King. Lion King Land, whatever it's called, is under construction. And I'm like, if. If Arendelle is sort of the first version, the first iteration, the first chapter of what this. What is this park gonna look and feel like when this opens? And what's this gonna look and feel like in five or 10 years? And I think for Disney fans, whether you're local to Disneyland Paris or a fan of Disneyland Paris or want to go back, you want to go for your first time, I think it's a very exciting time for that park. And I think for us as fans,

yeah, I'm very excited for what World of Frozen does for this park, and then also how we can see where the future is going. And there is a lot of room around Adventure Bay. There is room for more than just Lion King, so I'm really interested to see where they go even from beyond that. But I think just in terms of the concept art that they've released for Lion King and what they've done with Frozen of just like, I think they are going to make something really impressive that has that rock work, that has that scale, that, when you put that adjacent to World of Frozen, is going to really make this a. Like. Okay. This area is a must experience for any Disney fan.

Yeah. And, you know, we would talk about it from the outside looking in and the environment and the details and the storytelling, but the cornerstone is the Frozen river after attraction. And I'm sure you've heard the same thing. People are like, wait a minute, isn't it the exact same thing that is in Epcot? It's not. I mean, it is.

It's not. It is, but it's not change.

Right. You gotta sort of change your thinking. This is really modeled after the Hong Kong version, which I think was always sort of an upgrade over Epcot. Remember Epcot's version of Frozen Ever After? Had to take an existing show, build em Maelstrom. May you rest in peace. I still miss you.

Pour one out.

So, yeah, so you have to. You said, pour one out. They had to take this attraction and shoehorn it into an existing building and ride system. You know, you can't sort of scale it up. This is very different. This is much bigger. It feels much grander. And it's not just one scene, one room, one animatronic. Like, the whole thing just feels bigger. And I think it's part of this cumulative effect of the attraction in the land, just feeling so much more open and so wide and as realistic as walking into an animated film can be.

Yeah. This was one of the biggest surprises of the trip for me, because I had read. And this also just speaks to the difference of experiencing these things versus reading about them, because I read on Twitter and seen on Instagram of, like, when Hong Kong opened, of, like, oh, Frozen Ever after is way back, better. I heard that. And it's like, oh, there are differences and stuff. And I knew that intellectually, I knew that people said that the newer version of the ride is better, but I was still like, I wasn't that excited. That wasn't the thing I was most looking forward to because I've been on Frozen Ever after so many times in Epcot, and it's a ride that I really like, but it's not my favorite ride at Walt Disney World. So it was like, I kind of went into it with the attitude of, like, okay, I want to see this, experience this. But there's so Many other things to go do that I'll do this once and I'll go do everything else. And we got to go on together for my first time. And you can hear me.

Thank you.

Yes. Oh, yes, it was great. Dream come true. But I think you heard my genuine reaction of. I was blown away by how big of a difference of the scenes are bigger, they are brighter. Just the way that the animatronics move. And I know that Epcot just recently got upgraded figures, but this just each scene, it has the same, like, beats, the same scenes, but each scene is anywhere from, like, 10 to 50% better. And the cumulative effect is just like. It feels like a new attraction. It feels new. And I think, you know, kind of similar going back to the US park comparisons of, like, there's a. There are big differences between Pirates of the Caribbean in Anaheim and Orlando. I feel like there's. It's a similar difference where it's like, okay, there's a. There's one of these is, you know, this has the benefit of being 10 years newer, having a newer, you know, boat ride system, having not having to be a retrofit of Maelstrom. And I think they knocked it out of the park. And it's like, it bumps it up for me, like, by a whole grade level. And so I just. I think as, like, this being the, like, you know, until Lion King opens, the main driver attraction for this park, the, you know, the big headliner, I think it lives up to that. And I think, you know, we can kind of look at it. It as kind of spoiled us fans of, like, oh, we've been on this ride so many times, but, like, for that part of the world, they haven't had a frozen ever after, and now they get the best version of it. And I do think that it is among the best attractions at Disneyland Paris Resort.

And again, we had the unique privilege. I don't want it to sort of be lost on, you know, we were able to experience it without other guests there. So I love being able to take my time and walk through the queue. For me, it's all about the details and the storytelling. So I think the queue is even upgraded. I think there's great details in the queue. I need to ask you, correct me if I'm wrong, because I heard a couple of people say this, and we couldn't tell because it was really, really, really cold outside. I was. My little. I was a little frozen popsicle by the end of the night. Is it true that the queue is intentionally kept cold because they want to, like, reinforce this idea that you are in this frozen world of Arendelle.

I. I don't know that. That would be pretty brilliant if they did. And, you know, you do go through and see Okun Sauna, which is fun in the queue. I. I don't know, because I was also just frigid that day. And, like, you know, I kept on taking my jacket on and off and on and off because I kept on getting, like, you know, the sun would come out and then I was hot, and then it, you know, they'd go away and then it would hail and it was a crazy weather day. So I. I wasn't sure about that.

Yeah. And one thing that's different, too, about Paris versus Hong Kong, and obviously Paris versus Epcot is the castle in Hong Kong is just sort of a visual prop. It's a landmark where here, because they had the blessing of size, it is something that you can go inside. It's the home of Anna and Elsa. It's where you can go and meet the characters. And again, we'll talk more about the character interactions themselves. But again, I love the fact that it is not something that you just look at, but that you can walk into.

Yeah, it's great. And also the. I loved, you know, just the Q area before you meet them. You see all the paintings from for the first time in Forever along the wall. And that just those details are just, you know, that got a big smile on my face.

So you talked about how the attraction is sort of the quote, unquote, almost the. The only attraction. It is sort of the. The thing that draws people in. It was not my favorite part of what I experienced that day. And as a complete surprise to me, and really the first thing that I saw, even before the attraction was the set was the celebration in Arendelle show.

Oh, yeah.

It's Anna and Elsa and Kristoff and Olaf celebrating Snowflower Day. And it takes place on the water, on this little. Not on the huge adventure bay, but in this small, almost like marina and lagoon, aboard these three, like, Viking long ships with music. And the music is by Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, who did obviously let it go. This was the first thing I saw. I think you said that you went back and watched it, like, all three.

I saw. I saw all three shows of it because I had very neutral expectations of, like, I'd seen the concept art of, like, oh, they have a daytime show on the water and it'll have the characters. And I thought it would just be like, oh, they'll come out, they'll sing Let it Go and then it will be over. And like, that type of level of thing. I wasn't expecting the original music. I wasn't expecting how detailed the ships were. I wasn't expecting the movement of the boats. This really took me back because I would say this was my favorite part of the experience, probably because it has the robot, the Olaf robotic character, which is amazing. I'm sure we're going to talk a lot about that. But just the show took me back of just like, there are riffs on Frozen classics. I think Josh Gad voiced Olaf, new lines for it, and just like original songs. And it's just the whole thing just felt delightful. And there were fountains, there was pyrotechnics, there was snow. It really does feel like a must. Much a bigger show than I was expecting.

I love the fact that we had the privilege of having no prior knowledge of what to expect, because, again, I thought the same thing. That'll be cute. Little bolts will come out. They'll, like, maybe sing a song. But like you said, there was pyrotechnics and there's fountains. And I didn't get to see it at dusk, but I could imagine the lighting must have been spectacular.

Yeah, they have a really great lighting package for the show at dusk. It's great. I've seen some clips of it. They're also, during the previews, they're doing it after dark. And so at night, it just is great. The boats glow and just like the design, the execution, everything was just phenomenal of the show.

And I think the part that we have to talk about, which is going to set a nice sort of bridge and transition to the characters of Arendelle, because I think the world of Frozen is not just. It's not a thoroughfare, it's not a way to get to the attraction. It really is a living, breathing stage where characters come out and there's a lot of surprise and delight moments. But you look at Olaf on that boat, and I think we need to be clear, James, that what we saw was a preview. What we saw might not happen every single day. With new. With great power comes great responsibility. With new technology also comes challenges. What we did get to see was a moving, walking, talking Olaf. I'm on a boat. He was on a boat. Like, moving around. When I say moving around, I don't mean there's like some guide wire. I don't mean that there is something. He is literally walking as this boat is spinning in 360 degrees. I kept on, I'm like, are my eyes deceiving me? Because that technology was. I think sometimes we get jaded. We don't get a lot of jaw dropping moments. That was a jaw dropping moment because that was my first time ever seeing Olaf like that.

Yes, same. That was the biggest takeaway of just like, you know, it is the free roaming Olaf robotic character that we've seen the videos of and that everyone's really excited about. And I remember when they announced, like, oh, he'll be part of the show, I was like, that's an interesting use of this technology. And these boats move really swiftly, they rotate around, they are choreographed. And I was just blown away of like, you know, Olaf isn't just stuck in one position. He's walking, he's turning, he's emoting, he does a whole performance. And I had the pleasure of interviewing Moritz Bacher from Imagineering. He's the lab director in their Zurich robotics division. And that was my first question of like, okay, hey, you put him on a boat. How did you pull that off? And they're using this really cool AI technology called reinforcement learning, where basically they can run these simulations and they can run a decade's worth of simulations in just like two days. And so they have this Kamino simulator that they've built on top of technology that they developed with Nvidia. So all very like, cool, techy, nerdy stuff, but basically they can accurately simulate the mechanics of the Olaf robot and then it can give it, like rewards based on, okay, can you walk? Can you walk in a straight line? Can you perform this animation without falling over? And it does this thousands and thousands of times in a simulation. And what Moritz told me is that they also account for extreme forces, so they apply extreme forces onto the virtual Olafs in this. And so I was like, were you nervous? Like, this is your most cutting edge character ever. You're putting it on a boat. Were you nervous? It's like, oh, no. We so thoroughly test this that it was not a problem. So it's the AI reinforcement learning that Olaf the robot is able to self correct and self balance. And so, like, and you know, I got a lot of comments of the video I posted being like, oh, well, they must know, like, the boats are pre programmed or it's on a track, it's not moving that much. And it's just like, I'm looking at it, those boats are rocking, they're moving. And it's just like, you know, Olaf did a better job than I would on this boat. Because he's had 10 years of experience doing it in a computer before ever stepping foot. So it's one of the coolest things that Disney has done with technology because, you know, all that stuff is really techy and nerdy and I love that and I love reading the research papers. But the thing is, like, the technology melts away and it feels like Olaf, they worked with animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios who worked on the frozen films to create these expressions. For Olaf, the way that he walks around, the way that he looks, it feels very much of like this is a character that stepped out of the movies and into the real world in a way that feels impossible. Possible.

Yeah. This is not technology. This is not a robot. This is true sorcery. It's. This is magic. It is. This is what Disney magic looks like in three dimensions. When you see it in front of you and you heard the gasps, you heard the reaction of quote, unquote, adults who were there to do a job and to experience this thing. And we saw him on a boat and we were again, very fortunate to be able to see him, excuse me, close up. He was not. He was free roaming and free walking around. He was behind. Was behind a gate for a show and we saw him. He was what, three feet away from us.

Oh, yeah.

And you forget that you're watching a machine, a robot. You've seen the Boston Dynamics robot and you're like, oh, my God, look what they can do. This is a whole different level because you. When you see him on a boat. Yes. He's at a distance. When you see him close up and he looks you in the eye and the way his snowy face emotes, it's very easy to suspend your disbelief.

Yes. I keep on saying, it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a theme park. They did such a great job and they've had these free roaming characters now on this platform with the BD droids that they've been bringing around the world in Galaxy's Edge. And they had Herbie last year at Disneyland. But those look like robots. Those are robots that look like robots and they walk around like robots and they're really, really fun to see and I love them. But Olaf is something different of just like, okay. They have taken what they've learned with this robotics platform and now they are bringing this character to life in a way that, like, Olaf is not an easy character to make. That would not be the first character that you would go like, okay, I'm going to have this giant head on a tiny body on a tiny neck. They had to actually innovate in heat, man, to make sure that the neck didn't overheat. So they created a reinforcement learning policy so that it was like, okay, don't overheat your neck. And that was one of the things that they did. And they also made an asymmetric leg design so that the legs could fit in the snowball and so that you just see his snowball feet shuffling at the bottom, and you don't. It doesn't look like a robot. So, like you said, all this technology is amazing and great, and I love it, but the effect is just like. Like, it's incredible. And I was editing some videos. My daughter walked over and she looked over, she went, oh, that's Olaf. And she was delighted. And she, you know, she's 2, and she has a tentative relationship with, like, the costume characters. Like, she's. She's Minnie Mouse. She's okay with any other costume character. She's like, I don't know. And I think because there's, like, this size, unexpected size, that little kids can have challenges with costume characters. I don't think they're gonna have that challenge with these robotic characters of this size of, like, seeing them and seeing them, you know, from a few feet away. And, like, it's going to feel like, oh, that, you know, like we said, oh, now I'm in Frozen, where they filmed the movie. You know, kids are going to be like, oh, and there's Olaf. And it's going to feel like Olaf to them. It felt like Olaf to me. I'm 39 years old, so I was just like. I was blown away.

Look, when I stood, you know, I sort of weasel my way up to the front of the fest.

Oh, you mean both.

When I looked up into Olaf's eyes because he's, like, 4ft tall. When I look. Looked up in Olaf's eyes, I was. I caught myself, James, with this just huge smile on my face and this huge, genuine, just, like, warmth. And, you know, we talk. It's about the way Disney makes us feel, the way Olaf made me feel when I saw him. However, I want to be very clear and a very sort of important note. If you are planning your next trip to Disneyland Paris, seeing Olaf is never guaranteed. He's not on a fixed schedule. He's not posted on the app. He just appears. And when he does, it is a true magical moment. And you are fortunate if you catch him in arendelle when he's walking around to that point, I think you can sort of spin that as when he does show up, like, it's cool. He's not performing, he's not on set schedule. He, like the other characters is just. He lives in Arendelle and when he shows up, he shows up. And if you happen to be there, there when he's there, like, feel grateful that you were able to get that moment.

Yeah, I feel like this is very much clearly of like, you know, they have him for the show. That is like the plan A for the show is like the Olaf robotic character will be on that boat. They have a puppet character that they have as a backup in case there are technical issues. So the show goes on, which is great. And I think that they're still going to work out of like, you know, how are they going to bring Olaf and have Olaf roam around the land. And I do think it is going to be that thing of like, if you see him, it's going to be this lucky thing. And they just brought him to the Nvidia conference at GTC and he was walking around the floor there. So, like, I think that's. That is the intention and that is what they are going to do. I don't think that they are going to promise anything just yet because it is such a new thing. But my hope is, as this technology progresses and as they, you know, figure out the operation side of this, that it will feel like you're walking around, then you see Oaken and then you see Mossy the troll. And then you see, oh, there's Olaf. And Olaf's walking by. And it's just a. It will feel like this happenstance, magical moment.

Well, and that's what I love about the design, is that other than going to meet Anna and Elsa inside the castle, there are no character meet and greet locations. You don't get in line, you don't have to do a priority pass or a fast pass. The characters are just free roaming, walking around. And again, we sort of use this, you know, surprise and delight moment. And I think that's the huge differentiator because I would get excited as I saw Okun or as I was introduced to Mossy. Like, Okun is great. You know, he's got his sort of few moments on film. If you've been on any of the Disney Cruise Line ships and if you've been in Arendelle, you can meet Okun there. But this is. This is very different seeing him in this context. And I love the fact that it is not just sort of this photo moment. It is this, this, this. He's got sort of this signature little move, like first photo. But the fact that you can interact with him in such an authentic, real and unscripted way is, I think, what makes these things special, where everybody sort of just gathers around and has their moment with him, as opposed to waiting in line and having the door open and going to meet a character.

Yeah. And I think that in addition to all of the great placemaking that Disney does, I think having these characters roaming around really makes Arendelle feel alive and really makes it come alive. And I was taken aback by Mossy. It's this troll puppet that's interactive and talks to you and is bilingual and is amazing. I think Mossy is going to be like, everyone's focused on Olaf for good reasons, but I think Mossy is going to be the breakout star of this land because it, like, Mossy is very, very cute.

Yeah. And I didn't even know who or what a Mossy was. Like, I know of the trolls, and he's this. This baby troll character that was created specifically for this land. And he's a real character. We know he's a puppet, but meeting him is different than meeting a fur character or a face character. It reminds me of when you used to meet. Be able to meet figure figment in Pepcot back in 1983, and Dreamfinder was there and he was sort of holding figment in his arm. It's the same kind of thing. And as much as I loved watching and interacting with Mossy, I loved watching and seeing the reactions of people who were interacting with mossy little kids to big kids.

Yeah, that was very cool. And it definitely gave a jolt of extra excitement and energy. And so I really hope that. That, you know, they've. This is a great start and I hope that they keep. Continue to do more and iterate on this, because I do think that is just like it. The land is such a special stage and I think that these characters really bring it to life.

You know, it got me. And you talk about how he is. I think you called him a breakout star. I think he is. I think he's the unexpected star and super bright light in a. In a land of a lot of bright light. Like, think about how now Figment, really unintentionally, I think, became the icon of not just journeying to imagination, but now he really is sort of the representative icon of that park, or how Duffy became this phenomenon in Tokyo Disneysea. He didn't necessarily take off here the same way Could Tokyo Disneysea Duffy's bigger than Mickey, right?

Oh, yes.

I wonder, could Mossy start to become Disney Adventure World version of that. That same kind of story? Because all signs are. Mossy, I think, was the most popular character in that park.

Yeah, I think that there's a good chance, especially like they already have a baby troll interactive toy that you can buy from the land that I somehow resisted buying and, you know, putting in my carry on. And so I. Yeah, I think that I've, you know, I really like Frozen and the Trolls in it, but those characters never gave me that excitement, the warm, cuddly feelings that certain characters do, like Olaf does. But Mossy, I was like, oh, I'm really taken aback by this, by this puppet, by this performance, by this. You know, it's one of those things of just like, oh, it feels very interactive. It feels very magical. And it makes it feel like, oh, you are an Arendelle.

And I think it's layered. I think each sort of, each character has their own, own role. Like Oaken's sort of like the greeter. Like he's the. He's like the welcome mat. And then Mossy, sort of this spontaneous thing. And then Olaf again, he might appear at any moment. Anna and Elsa, they do have a reservation based system if you want that royal encounter, each one. But I think each character encounter serves a different storytelling purpose. And seeing all. I mean, Mossy obviously is a puppet, but like, when I saw Olaf, I thought back to the living character initiative from the early 2000s and this evolution of stationary audio animatronics into free roaming lifelike characters. And I remember the first time I saw Lucky the Dinosaur, I think back in 2002, 2003 somewhere. Like, this was the first time an animatronic could walk and interact. He didn't talk. Right. All Olaf can talk when he wants to. He, to. He. We had to tow the sort of big carriage behind him, like, not Olaf. Lucky had this, like, which was this giant battery and power source behind him. And then we sort of evolved to. And I loved, loved, love this. Whoever has the Muppet Mobile Labs sitting

in their house, love Muppet Mobile Labs.

Love Muppet Mobile Labs in Epcot because it was this free roaming interactive thing with, with, with, with Beaker, Dr. Bunson, Honeydew. And I think it continued to evolve with, you know, turtle talk and Remy. And we've seen Wally at things like D23. But it's this leveling up of the engagement of and with these characters that

we're starting to See, yes, I think it's very, very exciting. I have a whole, a whole video on my channel about the future of Animatronics and the future of these free roaming characters. Because I think that there is like a level of skepticism out there of like, oh, they'll trot these characters out and then they'll disappear, which is, you know, like Muppet Mobile Labs was rare and I got to see it one time and that was like one of the best experiences I've had in a Disney Park. But that was just that one time. The difference now, and the reason that I'm really optimistic has to do with the technology and how fast that Disney's able to develop these characters. Like Lucky took five years to develop, whereas Olaf took months. Months.

Which is incredible, right? It's incredible because it's such a technological leap forward.

Yes. It's so much more advanced and expressive. And it all has to go back to that simulation and the reinforcement learning technology. Because what Imagineering told me that they can do is now they can work with off the part shelves or off the shelf parts, which are much. Before, they basically had to have perfectly machined, very expensive parts. So it took years to make these. Whereas now, because they can simulate things and simulate all the different parts and they know how it's going to work and that it teaches itself how to walk, they can have these characters come online within months. Like Herbie Last year was 90 days from concept to in the park, which is crazy. And so I think, and they did say they didn't give me any hints, but they were like, they're building platform, they're working on new characters. And I feel like that this is going to be what they are going to do moving forward of like, not all the characters are going to be replaced by robots. We're still going to have face characters, we're still going to have costume characters. But this is just another tool that Disney has to make these characters come to life in ways that do feel magical. And I feel like we're going to see that more and more over the next few years.

And if this is where we are Now, James, in 2026, with this technological leap that took five months, not five years.

Right.

We're going to talk about some other things soon that took, you know, we're years in the planning. This took months. Imagine where we're going to be in. First of all, I can't believe that 2030 is four years away, but where we're going to be in that three to five year range as not Just new parks open. Sorry, new new lands and attractions open. But as some of these new characters are brought in and we see, you know, they're turning this up to 11 very, very quickly. What used to sort of take, you know, that technology used to double every seven years. I mean, now technology is doubling in a matter of months. And I think Olaf is a perfect representation of that.

Yeah, I, I'm really, really, I'm bullish on this. I'm excited about it. I think that this is like we are just starting on, on this new kind of chapter and I feel like it, like we're entering this like new golden age for imagineering where these characters can come to life in so many great creative ways. And Olaf, just like the experience that I had with Olaf is something that is going to stay with me. And I'm just hopeful that they're able to deliver that to as many guests. Lots of different characters. And I'm just going to throw out this one we just talked about in Figment. I feel like Figment using this robotics platform would be amazing. So I'm just going to put that out there. I have no clue. I have no, like inside scoop. I'm just saying, like, I'm manifesting it. I want to see Figment roaming around Epcot, right?

We want to see him roaming around. We're posing for photos. Not a seven foot figment in the MiG location, but we want to see Figment as he was meant to be.

That Figment is a beast in the paint. Like he is putting up triple doubles every night. Like he is. He's something else.

And look, I know that Olaf is a real character when you see him in the parks, it is the real Olaf. But man, if I can go back in time and invest in Nvidia, what a different.

Oh, if, if we all could.

All right, let's talk about something that doesn't always get, you know, enough attention when we talk about the opening of a new land, which is the dining and shopping. Because I think here they are not afterthoughts, they are very much part of the story. And there are a number of different dining locations that again, I feel are very intentional and very different than anything that we have seen before. So inside of Arendelle is the Nordic Crowns Tavern. That's where you and I had dinner together. It's the only dedicated dining location inside of World of Frozen. Again, I think very intentional based on the layout of, of the, the land and what other options there are. It's designed as this sort of coastal Norwegian tower. Tavern. There's a lot of maritime and arendelle ish inspired details throughout. What I did like in, in concept is it's sort of a builderal, it's sort of. If there was a chipotle in Arendelle, this is what it would feel like. Yeah, it's a, it's a build your own bowl. Like you choose your base of. I think it's mashed potatoes or quinoa. Your protein. There's salmon, turkey meatballs. There's some plant based options, veggies. And your sauce, I think it was a cranberry mustard and a dill. So you, you have that sort of Scandinavian Nordic inspired feel. The food is meant to feel authentic and regional and very story driven. And there's frozen themed desserts. There's like a, a snowflake dessert and I think there was like a frozen themed ice.

It was a ice cream and a waffle bowl.

Yeah, it's, it's quick service. It's a quick service counter service location. We both had, we both went there and had dinner. Look, it's. You know, one of the things that people talk about Disneyland Paris is sometimes the food is not the strongest that you might find. I think it's, it's, it's a fine meal for what it is. You're almost more going for the theming than you are the flavor. But I, I do like the fact that you can sort of customize it based on, on what it is that you want to eat.

Yeah, I have to agree with you. Like and actually I had a really good, surprisingly good food experience at Disneyland Paris. I feel like I, Mr. Magooed my way into like really great meals. I wasn't planning it. I just like I, I had some really great meals. This was not quite to my liking.

Talk about a romantic dinner at Rosalie. Just, just put it out there.

That was fantastic. We, we had dinner the night before we got to preview Disney Adventure World. That was amazing. That was a great meal. I also, they had these gourmet chalets, little food booths and I had a raclette and ham sandwich in Fantasyland and that was the literally the best thing I had in Paris.

It's almost like a little mini Christmas market that they have going on at fair and they have one in by Remy in Disney Adventure World too. They're seasonal, they're not there all the time, but you caught it on again the cold frozen rainy days.

And I feel like those gourmet chalets would fit really well in on adventure. Like it feels like that is Designed to have these like seasonal food offerings. Kind of like the food festivals at Epcot. But yeah, the frozen food, like I thought it was fine. Like it didn't. Of everything that I experienced it at Disney Adventure World, that was the one thing that was like the least memorable. I did love the dessert. I thought the dessert was amazing. It was like very citrusy ice cream and had a unique flavor and felt very fun. But yeah, you know, I had salmon and mashed potatoes and it wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't like anything to write home about.

What I do think we need to do once the land opens, I think we need to go back on a, on a follow up research trip. Right. Again, never judge a restaurant the day that it opens. You got to give it time to like work through its kinks. I want to go back. But we also didn't get to try the royal experience at the Regal. I was going to call, almost called the Regal Beagle from Three's Company. The Regal view restaurant in and lounge. So if that was more like the casual pub, this is, this is where Anna and Elsa would eat. This is the royal restaurant and it's not just a table service restaurant, but it's the first ever cocktail lounge ever in a Disneyland Paris park. We were able to go there for a cocktail but did not get to eat in the restaurant.

Yes, I wish we were able to eat in the restaurant because it is princess dining and they have like unique outfits to that. And I do feel like whoever named this restaurant, it feels very regal and has a great view of the lagoon. So like A plus naming like says what it does on the label. But it, the lounge, I thought they just knocked out of the park. Like it felt as a grown up space, just felt very elegant, very beautiful. Once again it has those great views. And then the cocktail I had was a like grapefruit tequila cocktail. And it was like just perfectly like, it wasn't, wasn't too sweet. It was very tart, very refreshing, you know, not too strong. Like it was just like for like middle of the day, middle of your theme park day. It was just like a, like, okay, this is a great to like have a sit. We've been running around going between World of Frozen and Adventure Bay, back and forth, back and forth and just be able to sit and have a nice cocktail in this very refined atmosphere. I, I thought the lounge was great.

Great. Yeah. And it's themed, the lounge is themed towards the animal friends of the princesses. So it's Hei Hei Pascal And Mushu, but it's not. You almost have to seek it out. Like it's not sort of in your face, very cartoonish squash and stretch type of thing. It's very charming. I think it's a very charming, wonderfully comfortable space. Like those chairs and couches that you just sort of sink into to are a wonderful respite as you are spending your day in and around Adventure World. I almost wish we could have spent a little bit more time in there because I know we were sort of quick cocktail and then running to go and do what's next and the views from the lounge and I got to peek inside the restaurant very, very quickly. Overlook Adventure Bay makes it such a spectacular vantage point. And I would love to go back again, see that, sit in that lounge at golden hour and see, oh yeah, area looks like as it starts and then obviously we'll talk about nighttime. But to watch cascade of lights from there from one of those window seats.

Yeah, I think that's going to be just a killer venue for that. And it gave me vibes of like one of my favorite spaces in California Adventure, which is the Carthage Circle Lounge of just like. And you know that was part that opened up in 2012 with the big parks, you know, kind of the DCA 2.0 as fans call it. And it gives this great like elegant vibe and they have great cocktails and feels very laid back and relaxed in different. It's a different speed than the rest of the park in the. In a really good way. And so yeah, I wish if that's the type of place that it's like I'd like to take at least an hour or two just to like just relax, soak in the views, have a drink or two and just like just chill as a nice break in the middle the of of the day.

Yeah. And I would, I would love to go back and try the Regal view restaurant because this is, it's a very different experience. And I again I got to sort of peek in. Beautifully well themed, very, very gallant. It almost feels like you're in a French chateau. Incredibly high ceilings. And like most, if not almost all in park table service restaurants, it's prefix. So you pay a fixed price and you choose from a three course meal. It's €100 for adults and €50 for children. So it is an elevated experience. They've got gilt head sea bream steak with onion confit roast D and E fowl soy and P filet. And then there's items for kids as well, it's a big restaurant, too. It's 250 seats, so that's, you know, they dedicated a lot of space to it. And more importantly, I loved learning about the thoughtfulness and the detail in not just creating the space, but the table art. Right. There's French cutlery that was designed for the floral aesthetic. They have personalized glassware and branded napkins. It's very much meant to feel like you forget that you are in a theme park. And I think there's a few locations in the Disney parks that afford you that opportunity to sort of almost wonderfully forget that you are in a Disney park. Like, I think Takumi Tay in Epcot is the. Is the first one that comes to mind. But this one also has the added benefit, like you said, of being a character dining meal as well. And it's really sort of the, like, premium dining location in this entire park.

So next time, you, me, Lou, we'll go, we'll have another romantic meal at the Regal View.

And the other thing, too. And I think you talked. I think you sort of alluded to this, and I think one of the things, when we talk about Adventure Bay, we'll talk more about this, too. I think Adventure Bay is this incredible world of. Of opportunity. And I can only imagine what's going to happen. But there are food kiosks, permanent food kiosks that are hiding in plain sight. Like some folks, if they, you know, we entered in from the left. If you didn't sort of make your way the. All the way around, you almost get lost. And they're named after the kittens from the Aristocats, Toulouse, Berlioz and Marie. Very subtly themed, but again, it's all about the storytelling, which I love. The fact that they didn't just sort of put up kiosks and sort of theme them to the food. So Toulouse has brioche sandwiches. There's a cod and lobster. There's smoked salmon. There's a curry chicken spread and an avocado sandwich. Shea Berlioz has potato pancakes, which is something brand new. I. I wish I would have been hungrier and been able to go back. They had a chicken chipotle, a sprout boost, and a legendary pastrami. And Shea Marie has Disney princess themed desserts, these royal puffs that are themed to Disney princesses. And there's also a few other locations, too. There's, forgive my poor French pronunciation, La Terrace Pan Panamique. It's a panoramic terrace that has bread bowls and hot beverages. There's Cafe Luminosity with hot dogs and a few different types of hot dogs, which give you a number of different options no matter where you are on the promenade, to get something. If you just want something quick grab and go.

Yeah, that was my one regret. Of like, I wish I could redo it. Of like, I didn't get to try any of the food from these kiosks. I do think that it's really smart of like, getting back to. Towards the beginning of our conversation of like, the idea of taking a stroll and just like slowing down and, you know, this adventure way and around the lagoon is just such a great place to like, okay, you want to just grab a beverage, grab a snack, you know, grab a. And just like, take in some spontaneous entertainment. Entertainment that you stumble upon and. Or like, oh, they're. You're eating your pastry and then there's Peter Pan and Wendy walking by. And it just has this magical feel and so similar to how it feels to walk around World Showcase and you stumble upon a show that you weren't expecting. And I feel like this lagoon is really going to be a great opportunity for that. And I will say the lagoon size, it is sizable. It doesn't feel small at all. It feels big, but it is, I think, I think it's like around 8 acres versus World Showcase Lagoon is like 38. So it's not nearly as giant as World Showcase Lagoon. And I think that is a feature, not a bug. I think that is a strength where it's like, you know, it doesn't take a long time to get from one side of the lagoon to the other, but it still is beautiful to walk around. And it feels like a big, sizable body of water.

Yeah. You know, the other thing we have to talk about too, is to quote Spaceballs Moychen, because there is. There are shopping experiences available in the. The world of frozen. The Arendelle Boutique is the main location. And it, you know, it's funny you talked about how, and I love that you mentioned that it took five months, was five, six months, whatever it was to create and sort of perfect the Olaf animatronic. Whereas the retail location started work five years ago, like, literally back in 2020. They were working on furnit and mural placement, like five years before opening day. We kept talking about the intentionality and the theming and the storytelling, even in a retail location, just how important it was to create a retail option that didn't just sort of contribute to the story, but was intentional in design. Like they created different zones that you would go through. There's a frozen core collection. There's lifestyle and souvenirs and of lot A Land, a craftsmanship line, the authentic lifestyle range. So they. The fact that they use so much thought and technology. They use something called planogram software, which I have no idea what it is to pre design not just the interior of the store, but where every product was going to go before it was put on a shelf to optimize the not just presentation, but the experience and the flow for guests.

Yeah, it's definitely like you do. You exit through the gift shop, you go on Frozen Ever after and you go through. And it is like, you know, if you have like me, a daughter who loves frozen, like, brace yourself because there are so many enticing items with Anna and Elsa and Olaf and, you know, like mossy that we talked about. So, yes, I think it's like the merchandise is. It's very enticing, very exciting. They also had a like free frozen face paint experience. So they have the main gift shop that's right by the attraction and then they have kind of a more of like a kiosk in the middle of the land and there's more merchandise there. And they had these little, like character bead things. I think you could make like a necklace or bracelet or something like that. And they're very cute. And then I saw people getting their face painted. So I think that that will be a very popular thing. Thing to do with your kids or to maybe divert them. Be like, oh, look over here. There's Olaf. Let's get out of here. Depending on your situation.

Yeah. And I think one of the things that impressed me most about this entire land and this entire Disney Adventure World Park. Park was not an attraction. It wasn't a character. It was Adventure Bay. And what this means for. Not just because I want to talk about Cascade of Lights, the nighttime spectacular, but I think Adventure Bay is this wonderful. And I think we talked about this when we were standing out there. I was frozen, so I don't really remember, but it's this blank can canvas upon which I think so many different experiences are going to be painted. It is this huge lagoon. Again, think World Showcase in Epcot, but I think very intentionally designed in terms of not just the lagoon itself, but almost that stadium, like seating and standing areas around it. Because Cascade of Lights is clearly not the only thing that I expect we're going to eventually see see on this body of water.

Yeah. There are plenty of spaces to sit, plenty of spaces to just hang out and I think that they are going to give you plenty of reasons to want to sit and hang out. I do think like this could be a really great spot for a daytime show at some point in the future. But like, you know, the nighttime show is definitely something special.

Yeah, you know, the. Some of these parks take on and look, even from an aesthetic perspective, I think the world of Frozen takes on a completely different feel at night. I went back again specifically just to wander through because I think that the lighting effects are spectacular. But Cascade of Lights is the grand finale of your day. And like World Showcase again, It is this 360 degree stage that has themes of not just adventure, but courage and determination. And they're told through the stories of Moana, Hercules, Mulan, Zootopia up and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And we started off talking about music, let's end off talking about music. Because that score with that 90 piece orchestra is absolutely, again, please just put it on Spotify because it is. It feels like a movie type, like a movie cinematic experience in terms of the music.

Yes, I. And they, you know, there are themes that we know, but are remixed in new ways that, that I really loved. And this show is kind of like every trick that Disney has in its playbook just thrown on the field like it is. You know, it has the water fountains, it has in the projections, it has the drones, it has pyrotechnics and fireworks. It has now new aquatic Dr. That also have pyrotechnics on them which like blew my mind.

It has shocks with freaking lasers on them.

Yes, exactly. It really is just like everything that they've done and any type of nighttime show they are doing in this show and in an incredible stage. And I think like, you know, there are natural comparisons to make to World of Color or Luminous, if you're familiar with those from the U.S. parks. But it is very much its own thing and, and it does all the things I love that a Nighttime Spectacular can do. Of the different sequences of the Avengers sequence is very exciting and had me feeling pumped up. And then the Hercules sequence, you'll probably hear it. We were standing right next to each other. You'll hear me blubbering like a baby because that just brought me to tears. And then the Zootopia part feels like a party. So it has all these different gears and I think it integrates all these different elements in a really great.

Yeah, it is this wonderful. You know, there's no roller coaster in World of Frozen, but this is like a little emotional without the low lows. Of like a parent dying or lying moment. But it is, it was this sort of crescendo of different types of emotional moments. And I love the fact that there was a little something for everyone. Like when the Marvel part started. I don't know if you, you might have been crying at that. Like, I had this wonderful happy little tier streaming. I mean, it was a little icicle at that point, but I was like, I was like freeze Miser from the Christmas special. And though then from a technology perspective, those little aquatic ducks, they look like little ducks. And the engineering that goes into making that show operate and work on the water on the barge in the sky guy was just incredible. And it was, it, it's like many things that we saw. I really sort of subverted my expectations of what this was going to be. And like, I think they start at like 4 o' clock in the afternoon. Like, it's a five and a half hour prep to get this show ready. And that huge barge is not an adventure bay all day. They. They float that out at some point during the day. So it. That barge does not harmonious. Does not. Excuse me.

Yeah.

Does not interrupt your view and enjoyment of the water at all.

Yeah, there's a bridge that actually like rotates. That's very cool when they start bringing the equipment in. And like, speaking to that point, I didn't even notice that the barge was there until it was after dark. And I was like, oh, wow, they have all this equipment there. And another thing that I noticed that was just like really cool. Cool of they have lighting effects on the world of Frozen and on the North Mountain in sync with the show. And so I'm just, you know, thinking of like this moving forward with this land or with this park as they build new areas of like, how amazing is this going to be in 360 degrees? Not only with what's happening on the water, but what's happening in the backdrops as the whole park comes to life.

Life.

Look, think about the layers of innovation that are happening all at the same time. You have an animatronic Olaf on a rocking boat using AI and reinforcement learning at night. You have aquatic drones choreographed on a lake. Like this is. And we talk about sort of having time to reflect. I looked back and I'm like, Disneyland Paris, specifically World of Frozen. And is this living laboratory test kitchen for some of the new technology they are working on. And I was like, well, how does. Then I was like, well, how does this, how do I compare this to. Because we all get recency Bias. How does this compare to Happily Ever after or, you know, any of the shows in Epcot? You know, this is something that we, we keep talking about. We've never seen before before, but we've never seen something like this before on this canvas using all of these different technologies all at the same time. Again, we go back to the word immersive. It is this very fully immersive, all around, 360 degree multisensory type experience.

Yeah, I think it's a really special show. And especially like thinking about the fireworks at Disneyland Paris park, which is incredible with the projections on the castle and also the drones that they have. I think that is just an incredible one, two punch that they have for the nighttime shows of like, it really justifies and kind of, you know, demands that you go and have at least two days to experience both of those shows because they both offer something really unique and really different and they compliment each other in great ways in the way that like a good second gate should.

And I love the fact. And you know, the first time I was really blown away by a drone show was at the Walt Disney Studios park when they had the Marvel show that took place on and around the Tower of Terror. And when Spider man was crawling up the Tower of Terror, I'm like, it cannot get any better than this. But again, the drone technology is. It's no longer like the novelty of seeing like the drones in the air, like watching Spider man move, watching the, the, the manta ray from Moana sort of like float in the air. They are really becoming storytelling tools. And we, we've talked about how I think this park, again, from a wide perspective, is an evolution. And I think this show is an evolution of nighttime spec. We went from fireworks to project directions to drones. And now I think we're going from drones in the sky to drones in the water to things that are happening on the barge. It really sort of. And I love the fact that really kind of, I think grounds this lagoon as the heart of this entire park. Like, yeah, like the bay is, you know, Cinderella Castle is the icon. Like the bay is the icon of the park.

Yeah, yeah, I 100% agree. And I think like the drones have gotten so good, they can get so precise and detailed with the animations. There's a great moment when Zootopia where it's like, Gary the snake comes and goes around. It's giant. And it's just like that part melted my mind of just like. I remember seeing one of the first drone shows that they did at Disney Springs like around Christmas time. I think it was like 2016 or something like that. So like 10 years ago. And that was really cool. But it was like more of like a novel of like, oh, it's neat that they can have these drones go synchronized to music. And now the precision that they can have with the animation is incredible. And I also do want to say, like, this use of spotlights in Cascade of Lights is amazing. They have some moments with the spotlights that just are really, really well done. And there's this great denouement moment at the end where it's, you know, it's after the big finale and they just have the drones that kind of look, they're twinkling like stars and you have the spotlights and just creates this gorgeous view. And that really like kind of cemented everything about how I felt about Adventure Bay, about how I feel about this park. Of like it, it had this great, beautiful, serene, almost reflective quality that, you know, it kind of lingered there for about five minutes before the drones all kind of cascaded down into the barge. And that was just like one of those, you know, we had. That was the end of our day. And it feels like that great kiss goodnight that the Disney parks have of just like, okay, this really feels like the quality of the park.

But did you notice something else too? And I don't think it's just because of, you know, when fireworks are over in Magic Kingdom, may God be with you. Because that massive exit, that's happened. We all just sort of lingered, like, we all sort of lingered and wanted to just continue to take in the park, especially as it continued to empty out. But, but wait, you know, Disneyland, there's, there's, but wait, there's more. Because it's not just about what we covered. There is more coming to Disney Adventure World because World of Frozen is just the beginning. Because back at D23, was it 20? Let's see.

It's 20, 26, 24.

They announced the first attraction and themed land inspired by the Lion King anywhere. Like not a single pavilion, not a meet greet. It is a full land in Disney Adventure World. And it's funny that we've. This is really like the first time we've gotten something about Lion King at this scale in more than 30 years.

It's kind of crazy with how big a phenomenon that movie was. I remember seeing it as a kid being upset and it's been over 30 years now and to now have the first big themed attraction, themed land and I think very critically unique to Disney Adventure World. At least on the outset. Who knows if they'll bring it other places. But World of Frozen, it's the only one on this side of the earth, which is great. But I think that having something that once again this park can call its own is going to be really important and special for it. And I am really, really excited to see how that flume ride comes together and the animatronics that they'll have and just what we've seen of the models. And knowing what Disney can do with rock work, I think that that's going to be something incredibly special.

Yeah, the Pride Rock is going to be 120ft tall. So again, you talked earlier about the visual weenies. This is now going to be a second weenie anchoring that section of the park, that thing that's going to be drawing you in. And let's also be clear, it is going to be based on the 1984 animated classic, not the 2019 live action.

Yes, yes.

Don't worry.

There was some concept art that had that showed the photorealistic, but yes, it's definitely the animation, the Disney Animation Studios version.

And the show building for the attraction is gonna be the biggest at any biggest show building in Disneyland Paris is going to be nearly 14,000 square meters. Like, this is going to be. This attraction is going to be the heart of it. And again, we keep talking about the scale of this place because there's also going to be a quick service restaurant. There's going to be a shop, like, built into the rock work at the end. And, you know, you could be able to. We talked about the lake. Be able to stand at the lake and you'll have Pride Rock to the left and you'll have Elsa's Palace, Dallas to the right. And I think that's, you know, whether you are a Disneyland Parish local or Disneyland Parish fan, like, I think it's a very exciting time.

Yeah, I think they're building something really special with these immersive themed lambs around this lagoon. I really, really cannot wait to see more of what they have planned for Lion King. And also, like, there's a lot of room around Adventure Bay and whatever story they decide to tell with, you know, their rumors and stuff, but whatever story they decide to tell next beyond Lion King, you know, going back to the comparison of California Adventure 2012, California Adventure felt very much of like, okay, the park is complete right now. This chapter of the park is complete. And, you know, like, the Disney parks are never finished, but it was like eight or nine years from then. Until Avengers Campus. So that iteration of the park was very much like, okay, the this is set. Whereas this feels like, okay, this is act one and act two, we know what's coming up. And act three, we were not as sure. But what they are setting the stage for is something really special and really exciting.

I'm not saying a floating mountain of Pandora. Who knows? Who knows what might be coming after? And look, let's not forget too, like this is. There's so much more to this park. There's Avengers Campus. Is there World of Pixar, the Disneyland Paris park itself. Seven hotels, Disney Village. The train station is right in the middle. You can literally get on a train from the airport and be there in 15 minutes or so. This world of Frozen Adventure World really, I think, really officially designates this as a second full day parks as a second full day park. And the fact that they were able to. To build this from the ground up and not have to sort of shoehorn it into something else shows not just the level of investment, but the level of commitment as well.

Yeah, I 100% agree. I would. You know, this was very much like a big adventure, no pun intended, going to go to this preview and getting to experience Disneyland Paris. And I think Disneyland Paris as a resort overall is so special and that park is so special. But now they have a second gate that really complements that first park. And I hope to go back one day, and I hope my plan would be at least two days to go have a day at Disneyland park and day at Disney Adventure World. Maybe a third day added on to kind of mix between the two. Because that's just how I roll. But I do think that it really, if you spend a whole day in Disney Adventure, Adventure World, from what they have there existing with Tower of Terror, with Crush's Coaster, which is like kind of like a, you know, gave me Guardians feel, like Guardians Junior type of vibes. It's really fun coaster and, you know, they have the Avengers Campus and all that. But now with Adventure Bay and Adventure Way and World of Frozen and what's coming after that, I. I think it's. It's. They've really found the identity for this park.

Yeah. And they found the identity with incredibly immersive levels of storytelling. You know, the technology serves the storytelling as opposed to the other way around. Right. We're seeing this next iteration and generation of what characters and character interactions can be. I think if you are a Frozen fan, if you were a Disney fan, if you are an imagineering technology fan, like there are reasons to go a lot, you know, because we've seen so many different things, right. We've seen, we've talked about Olaf, we talked about the Troll, we talked about the nighttime show, we talked about the details in the queue and the restaurants. I think this all goes back to Walt Disney, which I think is so incredibly critical that if you do things the right way with this level of detail, everything speaks. You do sort of believe that you are where you are supposed to be. And I think Disney and Imagineering is sort of planting their flag with World of Frozen. Like one that Disney Adventure World is very serious about being. Not a half day park, it is a full day park. More importantly, I think it's going to become a destination which is what Walt Disney Studios Park I don't think ever really was before.

I 100% agree. And I think like it has the advantage of being just footsteps away from Disneyland Paris park, which is like just an incredible park to go if you are, if you are a fan of the U.S. parks. And I had, you know, we could talk for three more hours just about Phantom Manor because like that I went into that ride blind and my jaw was on the floor for that last scene. So I definitely think that it is Disney Adventure World is so special, but also so is Disneyland Paris. And it has the advantage of like they're both right there, they're both footsteps away from each other. And like getting from Paris to, to Disneyland Paris, like it's, it was like a 45 minute train ride, like getting from the city proper to there. And then I, you know, I stayed one trade ride, one train stop away in Val d' Europe at a very reasonable hotel. And like it took I. At one point I was in Frontierland and I was like, I need to get something from my hotel. I was back to my hotel within 25 minutes, which is crazy. I was not expecting that. So it's like way easier to get to and it's such a, than I was expecting and it is such a special place. As a Disney Parks fan and I think that Disney Adventure World gives a reason to extend your trip.

Yeah. And to your point, it's not just an easy place to get to look. There are seven different resorts there. This is the first time I stayed at the Hotel Cheyenne, which is sort of their equivalent of a Valley resort. But within 10 minute walk from the train station, Disney Village and both of the parks again, Disney Village, their version of Downtown Disney or Disney Springs is going through its own very big transformation as it goes from what was Their version of Disney Village into something. I think it's gonna be a lot more modern, a lot more updated. And you talk about getting there. It's not just about getting there from downtown Paris or the city proper or the airport, but if you're in the United States and you might be like, ah, I don'. Paris is far, it's expensive, it's complicated, it's not. Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world for a reason. It's one of the most easily accessible. It's magical, it is beautiful. It is a culinary rich destination on the planet. You can be in downtown Paris in 15, 20 minutes and you can fly direct to Paris from most major CITIES in the U.S. orlando, I'm also looking at you and I think now is the time. Now is the best time because Disneyland Paris is no longer a one park trip anymore. It's like a one. No, if you have time, go to Disney. I'm sorry, Walt Disney Studios. Disneyland Paris deserves a full day. Adventure World deserves a full day. Paris itself needs at least two. Like, if you've never been to Paris, it is a trip worth taking and it's much more achievable than you might think.

Yeah. And as someone you know, this was very last minute trip. I speak zero French and I was nervous of like, okay, is it going to be hard to get around? Am I going to feel lost? And you know, it's very friendly to English speakers both in Paris proper and then also at Disneyland Paris. And the metro system is amazing. It was very easy to get from the airport to Paris and then get around. And then, you know, there's even Mickey ears on the metro signs so you know you're on the right way getting to Disneyland Paris. So I definitely think that it's like this park is so like, you know, would I recommend people from the US go out and visit Disneyland Paris? And yes, of course, if you love the parks. But also like Paris itself as a city was one of the most magical days that I had. Going to Notre Dame was just a profound experience. And I think that it has this like great proximity event advantage of just like it's very easy to get to Disneyland Paris from Paris. And so if you have a European vacation, European trip of like, and you are interested in these parks, it is worth taking a day or two, you know, ideally to, to go and see both of these parks because they are really special and really rewarding for Disney fans on different things of like, I feel like Disneyland Paris, it's really rewarding on like the, his. The history level of like if you know the history of these parks and you love that and then Disney Adventure World is rewarding on like what is new and what is forward looking. And so, you know, as a huge Disney nerd, I think that's a great one to punch.

Yeah. And I'll, I'll link in the show notes too. I've done a full review of Disneyland Paris. The park is so accessible. I think the app is spectacular. I love the way that they do the premier pass. It's very easily navigable. And if you do need help, any, any help plan planning your trip, my friends over at MouseFan Travel have you covered. Just go to MouseFanTravel.com they will help make this trip a reality for you. But look, I think one of the last takeaways, James, I want people to have is Disney adventure world opens March 29. It is a completely transformed park, but it's not about just what it is now. It's what I think it represents and what I think this park is going to become. As it may have struggled a little bit for a while trying to figure out what its identity is, it has found it. It is clearly a full day park. And I think the story of Disney Adventure World is just starting. I think we're going to be talking about this park for a very long time. I think there's a lot more that is planned for this park even in addition to what we have seen and what we know. But what is there already is beautiful and absolutely worthwhile going. What was your, what was your single favorite part or moment or experience that

you had there at, at the overall or just, just Adventure World or just

give me Adventure World first because I know you're going to say Phantom Matter.

Yeah.

And our dinner at Rosalie that.

Then dinner. No dinner. Dinner with you. Definitely. Number one. I, you know, I think as, as, as cool as the Olaf animatronic is and how that was just a great experience. I think just stepping out onto Adventure Way the first time because I had that feeling of like it's that new theme park feeling. And that is, as a theme park fan, that is so exciting. And that is the biggest compliment that I can give Disney Adventure World of like it feels like a new theme park in a way that, you know, we've talked about the struggles of the park, I think in a way that they really needed in a way that justifies the new name. So just that stepping out, being in that beautiful area with those European inspirations and the art nouveau and then seeing World of Frozen out across the bay. That was the moment that really struck me. And Disneyland Paris talked about Phantom Manor, so I won't rehash that, but just the sense of exploration that Disneyland Paris has, the sense of surprise. I tried to go in knowing the basics, but knowing as little as I could because I wanted to be surprised and. And it really rewards exploration. I went on plenty of rides, but I was more in a mode of like, I'm going to walk around this park, I'm going to go into every little nook and cranny, go under the castle, see what's there, go, you know, in this adventure aisle and go through caves that I wasn't expecting to be there. And just like the amount of surprise that it has and rewards that it has for a Disney Parks fan from the US to go there, because you think like, oh, go on Pirates of the Caribbean. I know Pirates of the Caribbean. No, you don't. They flip the script in that ride in a very clever way that really makes it a different experience. And Phantom Manor is a very similar thing. It has the best big Thunder. I think you could comparing just the US Parks to Paris, I think it definitely has the best version of Frontierland and Adventureland. And I think you have a really good, strong argument for Fantasyland and Discoveryland, their version of Tomorrowland. So each of the lands is like as well realized as it can get for a Disney Castle park. So I cannot say too many good things about that. But just having that sense of exploration, that was the biggest takeaway for me.

The connected story in Frontierland is unlike anywhere else. And I actually posted on my Instagram, you can go check it out. I posted like a few of my favorite things from Disneyland Paris. And if you swipe through the carousel, you'll see most of them are not even attractions. They're not like inside the attractions. They're things that I experienced on the outside. But what I want to know from you, our friend who has been listening, we've talked about all the different elements that we love. I think a lot of the attention and deservedly so, can and should be and has been on Olaf. And it got me to thinking, if Disney can bring any character to life the same way they did Olaf, who would you choose and where would you put him? Like, who do you want to see next and where would it be in the park? Would it be like a little my. My little cousins, the Ewoks? Would it be something big like Baymax? It would be something completely expected. I want to know from you what or who it would be. And also, is this what you need is Disney Adventure World the thing that you, you need to start booking your first or next trip to Disneyland Paris. Whatever it is, I'd like to hear it. You can let me know over in the clubhouse. I'll post these questions there at www.radio.com clubhouse. Better yet, call the voicemail at 407-900-9391. That's 407-900-WDW1. Because hopefully if today's episode did anything, it helped you get excited for a place that I think is and is going to continue to be very, very special. James, this and you are awesome. You were everything that I would hope it would be and more. And it's going to make me want to book our. It'll be like a buddy comedy, you and I back in Paris again. Thank you again for being here, for making the trip. And do me a favor, just share where people can connect with you online.

Well, thank you so much, Lou. This was such a fun conversation. And you can find me search for guide number two wdw. I'm there. I'm that everywhere except Instagram. Instagram. I'm guide to Disney. I put out short form videos diving into the details of these attractions and breaking down the latest news. And then also I have some long form videos on YouTube. Kind of have a bit more time to explain myself than just the 90 seconds on social media. So that's where you can find me putting out new stuff almost every day. And yeah, this was so much fun. Thank you so much for having me on, Lou.

No, thank you, man. I appreciate it. I appreciate getting to you see and share the Disney Adventure World experience with you. Not just our dinner in Rosalie. Oh, we also had lunch at Pym

Test Kitchen which was, that was really fun.

If you could snap your fingers and the two of us go back to Disney Adventure World, what is the one thing you would do there?

One thing. I mean we would pull off a heist to take that Olaf back with us. I think we could do it, Lou. I think we could figure it out.

What's the one thing you would eat? What's the one thing you would eat?

What's the one thing I would eat? Oh, back at Pim's Test Kitchen, oh, they gosh, they had such good like little creative desserts. I would just probably like fill up a whole plate with that. Have those desserts.

I want to go back to one of the, the, I'll call it like the Aristocats Kiosk. Because I didn't try one of the, the apple, the apple, the, the potato pancake. The chicken chipotle pan. Potato, potato pancake. Sounds really, really good.

Yeah, those, those choux pastries with the, the princesses on them. Those, those looked really good. I, that was, I was eyeing that and just missed my opportunity for that. That would be. That's the answer. Yeah. We gotta go back. We gotta go back.

Like Jack and Kate from Lost. We gotta go back.

We have to go. We gotta go back.

Yeah. Cool, man. Thanks again.

All right, thank you. Lo.

It's time for our Walt Disney World trivia question of the week, where you can test your knowledge of the sights, sounds, secrets, history and story of Disney. If you think you know the answer, you can enter for a chance to win a Disney prize package. And this week's trivia segment is brought to you by the most important part of WW Radio, which is you. Seriously? Because when you join the WW Radio Nation, you're not just helping to support the podcast, you're really becoming part of the something bigger. Because for as little as a dollar per month, you get access to exclusive scavenger hunts, group calls, our private community, surprise mailings and care packages from the parks, and much more. More importantly, your support powers our Dream team project, which has helped raise more than $550,000 for make a Wish and children with life threatening illnesses who need real Disney magic and the families that need it most. If you enjoy and love the show and community and you believe, believe in giving back, I'd love for you to join us. You can learn more and join the Nation@www.com support and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Now, before we get to this week's question, let's go back, review last week's and select our winner this week. You know, we've been talking about storytelling and placemaking and character interactions. And our last trivia question was about one of my favorite places and I think one of the earliest and best examples of Disney doing what they do so well, which was the Adventurers Club in Pleasure Island. Your question was to tell me what was the name of the fictional industrialist and adventurer who was credited as the founder of both Pleasure island and the Adventures Club. First, thank you to all of you who entered. Got this one correct, shared some stories about visiting the Adventurers Club, but more importantly, knew that he was, of course, Merryweather Adam Pleasure. And like all the characters in the Adventures Club and, and members of the sea, he was a fictional industrialist and explorer and very eccentric adventurer from the 19th century, created by Imagineering as a central figure in the backstory of both Pleasure island and the Adventures Club. And Imagineering created this in universe lore and backstory and how he founded the Adventures club back in 1927 as a gathering place for world travelers and inventors and explorers, explorers who would return from global expeditions. And they filled this place with artifacts that they collected along their journeys. More importantly, Imagineers used this character to help unify the entire Pleasure island district under a single narrative because the island was portrayed as his shipping and manufacturing headquarters, which was later converted into a celebration site after the fireworks factory party supposedly continued every single night. Again, there was this huge detailed fictional mythology that followed the Adventures Club to really function as a living story environment rather than just a themed bar with props and characters and performances all tied back to Pleasures adventurous legacy. Again, I think what we're seeing in Disneyland Paris and the world of Frozen and Arendelle is an extension of storytelling like this. If you want to learn more, you can go back to show number 88 from like 2005, where we explored the Adventures Club and show number 579, a real detailed look at the sea, the society of explorers and adventurers with my friend, may he rest in peace, Jim Corkus. Anyway, I took all the correct entries, randomly selected one. Last week you were playing for a WW Radio keychain stickers, a pin, a brand new WDW audio patch, and a Disney Cruise Line mystery prize. And last week's winner randomly selected is Jack Hillary. So Jack, congratulations. Your prize package is already on the way and if you play last week and didn't win, that's okay because here's your next chance to enter in this week's Walt Disney World. Well, Disney Trivia Challenge. So we talked about how the Lion King is coming to Disney Adventure World, and it's going to be the very first dedicated Lion King King Land at any Disney park in the world. But Disneyland Paris already has a Lion King themed show at its main park. What is it called? It's simple. What is the name of the Lion King themed show, which is extraordinary, by the way, in Disneyland Paris, you have until Sunday, March 29th at 11:59pm Eastern to go to www.radio.com, click on the podcast. There. There go you. You'll find the entry form. Enter French a chance to win again the keychain stickers pin patch. But this week I brought you back a mystery prize from Disneyland Paris, maybe Disney Adventure World. So good luck and have fun. That's going to do it for this week's show. Thank you so much sincerely for your listening, for spending and sharing your time with me, for being part of our WW Radio community and family. I do not take any of that lightly and I am sincerely grateful to and for you. If this episode brought you a little bit of magic, and I hope that it did, please share it with someone who could use a little bit of Disney in their day. Take a couple of seconds, rate and review the show over at Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Then come be part of the community and conversation over in the clubhouse@wwradio.com watch and chat live every Wednesday 7:30pm Eastern on Facebook and YouTube and connect with me on social I am Lou Mangello. Also huge thank you to all of the creators and solopreneurs who joined me for our very first Virtual Monetization workshop last week. I am so grateful for you, your time, your trust and the energy that you brought to it. It means so very much and if you are ready to take that next step and turn what you love into what you do, build momentum, gain clarity, surround yourself with the right people who can help you or just turn your ideas into something real and profitable, I would love to help. You can learn more about my momentum retreat in June. Our upcoming weekend workshop in Walt Disney World this October one on one coaching and keynote speaking about leveraging lessons from the Disney parks in your business. Please go and visit Lou mongello.com Thank you again for being here. I love and appreciate you. Always remember to be be kind, choose the good. Have an amazing day and even better tomorrow. So until next time. See ya.