Collected Short Subjects

MouseStation 311 – Collected Short Subjects

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Run time 0:37:02

On today’s show, Mike and Mark talk about the Liberty Square Riverboat, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, listener feedback and more in this week’s collection of short subjects.

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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 sponsors

Today’s show is sponsored by:

MouseEarVacations.com. Providing Magical Vacations for over 21 years.

Scooter Vacations. Official mobility scooter charitable partner to Kids Wish Network and Starlight Starbright Foundation.

Tip of the Week

Mark put out a call via Twitter and Facebook for Tip of the Week contributions, and got a whole bunch of suggestions in response that we’ll use in the coming weeks. Today’s tip is comes via Facebook from listener Tina Delaney. Tina suggests that you pack your swimsuits in your carryon bag so that you can swim if you arrive an hour or two before your room is ready.

Mark noted that he and his family has done that in the past, though their suits were not in a carry-on bag and they actually had to go digging in their luggage to get their swimsuits.

Mike has also done it a couple of times, but also recommends using Disney’s Magical Express (DME) to help ensure that your room is ready early.

(What’s your opinion?)

Featured Attraction

This week we look at the Liberty Square Riverboat at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

In addition to the Park Guide page linked above (which Mark has now corrected), you can also find information about the history of the boats to have plied the waters of the Rivers of America at one of Mark’s early feature articles, Betcha Didn’t Know, Part 2.

Review System Spotlight

This week we take a look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. MousePlanet readers really love it, rating it 4.5 out of five planets. Our featured review this week is by Samrain of Boston.

While Samrain was not thrilled with transportation to and from the Animal Kingdom Lodge, the rest of the experience made up for it enough that it still got a 5-planet rating. In addition to the resort itself, Samrain discussed all of the resort’s restaurants (and loved them all!).

Mike talked about a trail from the Lodge to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park that was never completed due to bug and swamp problems. Mike and Mark discussed the likely length of the trail.

Mark mentioned the Kidani Village annex for the Animal Kingdom Villas. He’ll have more on that in the coming weeks.

You can also find Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in our Park Guide.

MouseAdventure at Walt Disney World, November 14

Don’t forget that registration is now open for MouseAdventure Walt Disney World! Get your team ready and register now!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the MouseAdventure Newsletter, which will keep you informed as more details about MouseAdventure and the MouseAdventure on the High Seas cruise are announced!

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

John Papas asked about the advisability of refilling water bottles (his wife said was a health risk. John thinks it is safe and the warning was a hoax). John included a link to a story from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which basically says that there is no issue with dioxins in plastic water bottles, and covers some other points, as well. Mike and Mark had some minor disagreements on the advisability of refilling water bottles.

Stuart Sternberg asked about the advisability of bringing a laptop that would not fit in the room safe. While Mike mentioned the safe deposit boxes behind the front desk, both Mike and Mark agreed that there’s really no need to worry. Mark also shared how he stores his laptop in the room to reduce the likelihood of anything happening.

Nancy Breems was astonished that the repositioning cruise that Sil Spagnuolo talked about was completely booked within five hours, and is rethinking her level of oversight in planning for the 2011 westbound repositioning cruise. Mark and Mike added their suggestions on the best way to guarantee a successful booking.

Chris Mushrush wrote to ask if he could include MouseStation in a list of podcasts that he listens to on his blog. By all means, please feel free to include us!

March of Dimes

Mark’s walk for the March of Dimes went well, though he did not make his goal. MousePlanet readers and MouseStation listeners made up more than half of the non-Mark-contributed money – thanks so much! The donations page should remain active through the end of the month, so you there’s still time to donate, if you’d like. Just go to Mark’s fundraising page and help to provide a better chance to prevent prematurity and to help those babies that are born prematurely.

Meet Mike and Mark at Walt Disney World

Mike will be hosting a meet this Friday night, May 22, at 8:30 p.m. The group will gather at the Torii Gate at Epcot’s Japan pavilion and chat, enjoy Illuminations, then enjoy Epcot during Extra Magic Hours. You can RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Mark will also be hosting a meet just days later, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. The meet will be at the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station’s lower seating area, overlooking Cinderella Castle. There may also be impromptu opportunities to meet Mark on Monday and Tuesday; follow him on Twitter (link) to see where he is and where you can meet up with him. You can also RSVP for Mark’s meet via email or at the Facebook event page.

Wrapping up

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.

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.

Thank you for listening!

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