Collected Short Subjects

MouseStation 258 – Collected Short Subjects

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Run time 0:42:23

On today’s show, we look at Ellen’s Energy Adventure and Bistro de Paris, ask the kid about favorite attractions to ride with the parents, pick the winners of our Creating Magic contests and get a Disneyland entry tip. We also have some listener feedback and an announcement about a chance for you to beam up to the MouseStation with us.

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Let us hear from you!

Send in your suggestions, comments or tips via our email feedback form or via voicemail on our toll-free feedback line (1-866-939-2278).

We’ve put together a new listener survey to help us learn more about you and what you like most about this podcast. This one is much more targeted than the old Podtrac survey. Please take a few minutes to fill it out and let us know what you think.

If you want to contribute a story for our Tuesday Magical Moment segment (and possible inclusion in the Cast Place column here on MousePlanet), you can either use our email Magical Moment story form or the toll-free feedback line. (We love it when you use the voice mail system, because then we can play your call on the show!)

Thanks to our sponsor

Today’s show is sponsored by Owner’s Locker, a great service that gives you a place to leave your vacation-only stuff until your next trip to visit the Mouse.

The cost of an Owner’s Locker isn’t quite as high when you think about the per-bag fees that many airlines are now charging. It’s a risk-free trial, so why not give it a try?

Also, if you have any great ideas for how to use an Owner’s Locker, if you’ve signed up and are anticipating using your locker, or if you have already used your locker, send us an email or call our voicemail and let us know what you think!

Tip of the Week

This week’s Tip of the Week came in a voicemail from MousePlanet staffer Shoshana Lewin, who gave an insider tip about how to beat the lines at Disneyland Park opening time when there has been a Magic Morning..

Mark has used that strategy in the past, both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. At Walt Disney World, it works at Extra Magic Hour and character breakfast entry lines.

(What’s your opinion?)

Featured Attraction

This week we look at Ellen’s Energy Adventure at Epcot.

Mark thinks that the attraction is a great place to take a nap.

Mark gave a quick overview of the entire attraction, including the appearance of Jamie Lee Curtis and “Stupid Judy.” Mike talked about Ellen talking to the audience during the pre-show. Mark probably gave away some spoilers, but there really aren’t any surprises so it’s not a big deal.

Mark mentioned that the ride-through portion of the attraction is largely the same as when it was Universe of Energy. He also gave a warning for those with asthma problems that there is mist as you go from the main theater into the dinosaur section.

Review System Spotlight

This week we look at Bistro de Paris at Epcot. MousePlanet readers like it, rating it 4.0 out of five planets. Our featured review this week is by RockDoc07 of Long Island, NY.

RockDoc07 had a wonderful dinner and plans to return to the restaurant. The fact that his fiancee is a French teacher and was able to converse with the staff in their native tongue made it even better.

Mike was embarassed to learn that Perrier was water, after thinking that it was a type of wine and accusing RockDoc07 and his fiancee of drinking too much.

Mark remembers Bistro de Paris as the restaurant at which he and his wife completed their world tour of Epcot restaurants, dining at each establishment. (Then Epcot changed some restaurants and they had to visit them all over again.) Mark had read somewhere that Chef Paul Bocuse, one of the restaurant’s owners, had said that they were not trying to be the best French restaurant in Central Florida, but rather the best restaurant in Epcot. The quote, which came from a 1988 article in the New York Times, was actually ”We don’t aim to be the best restaurant in all of Florida. Just the best at Epcot Center.”

You can also find Bistro de Paris in our Park Guide.

Ask the Kid

This week’s question comes from Eric Scales. Eric asks: “What is something that you especially enjoy doing at WDW with your Dad, and what is something that you especially enjoy doing with your Mom?”

He likes riding Toy Story Midway Mania with Mark because they can compete with each other. He prefers riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority with his mother because it’s relaxing and even has part of the old Epcot model. Sometimes on the TTA, though, Mom & Dad sit together, which invokes the fifth-grade warning against cooties.

Creating Magic contest winners

Mike and Mark picked the winners of the Creating Magic contests live on the show. The five winners of the MouseStation Podcast listener contest are:

Kristin Padalik
Dave Carriere
Alexander M Mager
Tracey Morris
Kathryn Leckey

Mark threatened to call Mike “Yolanda Vega,” after the New York Lottery personality. The five listeners of the MousePlanet reader contest are:

Jenni Simon
Benny Fine
Kevin Sommer
Joe Turner
Max Clark

As soon as Mark gets your mailing addresses and some book mailers, he’ll get them sent out to you. Congratulations to all!

Thanks to everyone that entered both contests. We’re going to review all of your suggestions on how to create more magic on the site and the podcast and see what we can implement. We appreciate all of your ideas!

Last Week on MousePlanet

Andrew Rich, down at MousePlanet Global Headquarters told you what you may have missed on the MousePlanet site last week if you’re not visiting regularly.

Listener Feedback

Brian from Riverside called in to the voicemail line to say that he might be able to go to Walt Disney World for his birthday. He asked, if we only had one day to go to one park, which one would we go to?

Mike thought that he might do something more along the lines of Epcot or Disney’s Animal Kingdom rather than the Magic Kingdom, as he’s getting tired of that park.

Mark recommended that, since Brian is a regular at Disneyland, he shouldn’t spend the time at the Magic Kingdom but rather should go to an experience that he can’t get in California, which would be Epcot or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Since Animal Kingdom closes early, he’d get the best bang for his buck at Epcot.

clab wrote in to say that he (or she) had seen someone at Walt Disney World turned away from a Fastpass line because it was the wrong time, and that the ability to “return after the end of the Fastpass window” probably depends on the CM. Mark wondered whether the person who was turned away had been early for their window rather than late. He asked clab to write back and let us know whether clab had heard conversation indicating that they were coming back late, rather than early.

John Papas asked whether we can come up with tips for people to save money while visiting Walt Disney World in this economy. Mike pointed John toward the book Disney on a Dime.

Mark noted that the subject was John’s pitch for a Listener of the Month show, and said that we’re going to hold that topic for a full show, whether or not we do it with John as a Listener of the Month show.

Vance Cope called into the voicemail with a review of High School Musical 3: Senior Year. He saw it with his six-year-old daughter, and he thinks that they did a good job of bringing it to the big screen. He said that it was a good sequel to the first two TV movies, in the same vein without getting too far away from the main theme.

Mike has seen the movie but is waiting for Mark to see it before talking about it. Mark hopes to see it in the next week or so.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Mike is again joining Broadway Care/Equity Fights AIDS Gypsy of the Year online fundraising campaign. This year, he has aligned himself with The Lion King Gazelle Tour team. For more information or to donate, go to his fundraising page.

Facebook

We’re now on Facebook! Join the MousePlanet and MouseStation groups. You can also become a fan of MousePlanet or the MouseStation. If you join the club and use Pieces of Flair, you can get your MousePlanet and MouseStation flair from Mark (though you have to friend him first).

MouseFest

Registration is now open for MouseFest! You can sign up now, and check out the many meets being hosted by MousePlanet as you plan your trip.

Listener of the Month

If you’re interested in joining us aboard the MouseStation as our “Listener of the Month”, call the toll-free feedback line at 1-866-939-2278 and tell us what the show featuring your guest appearance would be about. Listen to the show for restrictions.

Wrapping up

Don’t forget to go to the iTunes podcast directory and give us a good rating for the combined feed!

You can get your MousePlanet (or MouseStation) swag from the MousePlanet CafePress store and the MouseStation CafePress store.

Also remember to go out to our main podcast page and stick a pin into our Frappr map.

Thanks to our audio engineer and sound editor Steven Ng and to announcer Andrew Rich.