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Starport75 - A Disney Podcast

A podcast (mostly) about Disney, Walt Disney World, Disneyland and anything Mickey Mouse, news, history, tips, and we sometimes nerd out on anything--tech, photography, cars, books, music, etc. Join the fun!
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Starport75 - A Disney Podcast
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Now displaying: 2021
Dec 6, 2021
  • Recorded on 12/2/21; Released 12/5/21

  • Special Guest: Casey Liss

  • Disney's FastPass: A Complicated History

  • Recap of the changes since pre-pandemic times; the "changes" episode

  • What's different now than before the pandemic shutdown?

    • Disney's Magical Express
    • Face coverings indoors
    • No parades yet; will return in 2022; have cavalcades instead
    • No dining plans
    • No parking lot trams to date; announced on 12/2/21 that the trams will return this month
    • Limited character meet-and-greets
    • Resort guests get 30-minute early entry to any Walt Disney World theme park, every day; no more early or evening magic hours, and not all the attractions are open
    • Fireworks restarted in July
    • Annual Passholder discussion
    • Park reservations
      • Park hopping is limited to after 2 pm; you must go to the park where you have the reservation before park hopping
    • Technology
      • Mobile order for dining
      • Dining reservations and check in
      • online check in at resorts; use magic band or app to open your door
      • Theme park entry; use magic band or app (including Apple watch) to enter
      • Genie
        • Genie

          • Free, offers "personalized itinerary"
        • Genie+

          • Ride reservations and line-skipping via the Lightning Lane
          • $15 per person, per day
          • Can make first reservation starting at 7 am
          • After you use your Genie+ reservation or after two hours, you can make another reservation
        • Individual Lightning Lane purchases

          • Prices start at $7 per person, per attraction
          • Variable. Can go up to $15 depending on day
          • Can buy at 2 different attractions each day
          • Resort guests can start purchasing at 7 am/ day guests can start at park opening

          Magic Kingdom

          • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
          • Space Mountain

          Epcot

          • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
          • Frozen Ever After

          Hollywood Studios

          • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
          • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

          Animal Kingdom

          • Avatar Flight of Passage
          • Expedition Everest

     

Aug 15, 2021

Join Chris and Glenn on our 100th episode magical celebration! There are no pink castles, but we have two (!) trip reports, including a combined report from the Magic Kingdom! Don't miss it!

  • Chris' trip
  • Glenn's trip
    • First times
      • Kali River Rapids
      • Skyliner
      • Oga's Cantina
      • Rose and Crown
      • Gideons
      • Everglaze
      • Blaze Pizza
  • Chris' next big adventure
Jun 26, 2021
Jun 5, 2021
  • Released on 6/5/21
  • Coke Corner is no more
  • Things are changing in the world thanks to the Covid vaccine
    • Eliminated the 6-foot distancing rule
    • Remove mask mandate outdoors; still required inside
  • Rabbit Holes:
    • Color of sidewalks in Disney Parks. What's myth and what's fact?
    • Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - the moving stage
  • Glenn has a WDW trip panned for July
    • Making dining reservations
    • Challenges getting a park reservation
      • Via Napoli in Italy
  • Chris' Disney Adventures
    • Magic Kingdom visit on Mother's Day
    • PhotoPass challenges
    • FastPass+
    • Dole Whips
    • Stayed around 3-4 hours
    • Lines are long, but they move fast
  • Annual Passes back on sale on August 16???
  • PSA about hats in the parks
  • When will the WDW Railroad open?
  • Chris is pro-no fly zones over WDW
Mar 27, 2021
  • Recorded on 3/25/21
  • Released on 3/26/21
  • Chris visits Animal Kingdom
    • Three hours
    • Entrance
    • Asia
      • Animal encounter
    • Tea - Joffrey's
    • Kid adventure passport
    • Africa - Harambe
      • Gorilla Falls
    • Didn't get to see Pandora
    • Exit
  • Beastly Kingdom
Mar 22, 2021
  • Released 3/21/21
  • Coke Corner
  • Disney News
    • Disneyland will open on April 30
    • Remy's Ratatouille Adventure will open on October 1
    • Harmonious barges installed in World Showcase Lagoon
    • Epcot Entrance finished
    • New Points of Light are being installed on Spaceship Earth
    • EARidescent Turrets are being repainted back to blue on Cinderella Castle
    • New spotlights bring "premier night" every night to Chinese Theater at DHS
    • FastPass signs, and our thoughts on the future of FP
  • Chris will be visiting Animal Kingdom!
Jan 25, 2021
  • Special Guest: Casey Liss
  • History and Genesis of the Hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
    • The first new land Walt wanted to add to Disneyland was an area devoted to America's founding principles. Plans for the land go back to 1956.
      • It was to be called "Liberty Street" and was going to be located off of Town Square on Main Street
      • The main attraction was going to be called "One Nation Under God" with its finale to be a Hall of Presidents with an animated, life sized figure of each President with Abraham Lincoln being the focus.
      • President Lincoln was one of Walt's childhood heroes
      • The technology wasn't advanced enough in 1956, and audio animatronics weren't developed by WED Enterprises (Imagineering) until 1961, and not used in an attraction until 1963 in the Enchanted Tiki Room.
    • Walt was approached to create attractions for the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair
      • Walt’s sponsors at the Fair funded the development of major technical advancements such as Audio-Animatronics technology and the PeopleMover system that he could implement at Disneyland
      • And they helped demonstrate to Walt that there was an east coast audience for his brand of themed entertainment
      • When Walt invited the head of the Fair (Robert Moses) to tour the studio, he was so impressed by the One Nation Under God concept, he insisted on including it in the Fair
      • Walt knew that he would not be able to complete the entire show within the given timeframe, and a show based on Lincoln was created for the State of Illinois pavilion.
      • During the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" show, a seated Abraham Lincoln stands, gives a speech—made of excerpts of different Lincoln speeches—and sits back down.
      • The show was a hit. So much so, that Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened at Disneyland on July 18, 1965, and was running on both coasts during 1965
    • When Walt Disney World was being designed, the Imagineers brought back the idea for Liberty Street and the Hall of Presidents.
    • The Hall of Presidents was an opening day attraction on October 1, 1971 and opened with audio animatronics of all 36 presidents
      • The show starts with a film presentation of the history of the US, then the screen lifts up and the Presidents are shown and introduced, with each giving a nod or wave.
      • Lincoln then stands from his chair and gives his speech from Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
      • As new presidents were elected, a new audio animatronic figure was added to the show.
      • During Bill Clinton's term, the show was changed to include a speech by Clinton, and the narration was changed slightly.
      • Each president that followed (Bush, Obama, Trump) were given a speaking role as well.
    • The show is currently closed and the official word from the Walt Disney Company is that they are going to install President Biden into the attraction
  • Future status and rumors
  • Other Disney discussion
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