Park People Blake Taylor, Caleb Smith, Jeremy Herba

We've all been there. Those moments in a theme park when you made the right call and it led to something amazing! And also, those moments you regret, when should've taken an L. In this episode, we each count down our top 3 best and top 3 worst decisions we've ever made in theme parks.

Links to things mentioned in this episode:
YouTube video: The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney's Hollywood StudiosApply for the Disney College ProgramVisit Tweetsie RailroadExpedition Theme Park: The History of Virtual Magic KingdomLearn more about different tours:VIP Experience at Universal Studios HollywoodWalk In Walt's Footsteps Tour at DisneylandKeys To The Kingdom Tour at Magic KingdomSign up for a free Disney Vacation Club presentation at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or AulaniYouTube ride-through: High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Islands of AdventureThe Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk Early Entry info at Walt Disney WorldDisney's All-Star Movies Resort

The magic is calling! We “answer the call” to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, the World’s Most Magical Celebration. We break down everything new as part of the 18-month festivities, which continues through March 2023, as well as what it was like to be at Magic Kingdom for the park’s actual 50th anniversary on October 1, 2021. 


There’s a lot to do for the 50th:
Beacons of Magic at all 4 Walt Disney World theme parksNew entertainment and favorites returning for the first time since before the pandemicNighttime spectaculars Enchantment and HarmoniousRiding through Paris with the rat of all our dreams on Remy’s Ratatouille AdventureBlasting through the galaxy with the Guardians on Cosmic RewindJulie Andrews bamboozling the theme park communityand more!


Theme song by Lilian the Chicken Lady at Dollywood.


Resources mentioned in this episode:
“The Most Magical Story on Earth: 50 Years of Walt Disney World” documentary hosted by Whoopi Goldberg on Disney+“A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth” by Kevin Kern, Steven Vagnini, and Tim O’Day50th anniversary merch collection on shopDisney50th anniversary celebration overview - video posted by Disney Parks on September 30, 2021 featuring Julie Andrews

Not the gumdrop buttons! Travel with us to Far, Far Away as we celebrate the legacy of Shrek 4D at Universal Studios parks. It may be all ogre now, but there's a lot to remember about this show that ran for nearly 20 years.

Our friend Blake Reed joins us as we discuss:
Which Shrek film is superiorWhat preceded Shrek 4D in FloridaShrek 4D's place in history with Mickey's PhilharMagicThe alternate versions of this attraction globallyThe rumored replacement of Shrek 4D in Floridaand more!Follow on Instagram @ParkPeoplePod.

Theme song by Lilian the Chicken Lady at Dollywood.

Hey hey hey HEY! It's time for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon at Universal Studios Florida, plus Jeremy's experience attending the live recording of the real Tonight Show in New York City!


In this episode, we discuss:
How to get tickets to The Tonight Show and your other favorite live productionsThe legacy of 30 Rockefeller CenterHow Jimmy Fallon pitched his own ride to UniversalRace Through New York’s predecessors, Ghostbusters and TwisterWould Universal make an SNL attraction?and more!
Theme song by Lillian the Chicken Lady at Dollywood.


Links:
Jimmy Fallon Tours Race Through New York with Mark Woodbury from Universal CreativeJimmy Takes Blake Shelton on Race Through New YorkJimmy and The Rock Prank Universal GuestsRace Through New York Grand Opening"Vacation" Parody Road Trip to Universal Orlando

30 years, 30 fears. Get your pizza fries, grab a selfie with Lil Boo, and inhale that fog because it's time to take a deep dive into Halloween Horror Nights 30, Universal Orlando's signature event that returned in 2021 after a hiatus in 2020.

Join us as we talk through:
All 10 haunted houses, including fan favorite Wicked Growth: Realm of the PumpkinThe event's 2 showsScare zonesFood!How to navigate HHN as a first-timerHow HHN30 stacks up to previous yearsWhat we'd love to see in HHN's futureA moment of mourning for Shrek 3Dand more!Theme song by Lillian the Chicken Lady from Dollywood.

What was Walt Disney World like when it first opened? How about even BEFORE it opened? Today on Park People, we celebrate the decade Walt Disney World opened, the 1970s, just in time for the resort's quickly approaching 50th anniversary on October 1, 2021.

We're joined by some special guests –– our moms! –– who share their memories. Caleb's mom got to tour Walt Disney World in a hard hat while it was still under construction. Blake's mom lived in Central Florida shortly after Walt Disney World opened and visited often with her family.

We're so excited for you to hear all of the amazing things they shared with us, from retro classic that are no longer with us like the Mickey Mouse Revue, to bygone systems of the past like ride tickets, to opening-day classics that have now endured for five decades.

Follow @ParkPeoplePod on Instagram.

Theme song by Lillian the Chicken Lady at Dollywood.

Resources if you want to learn more about Disney World in the '70s:
The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World on YouTubeThe Mouseketeers At Walt Disney World on Disney+The Imagineering Story on Disney +Behind The Attraction on Disney+Project Future by Chad Denver EmersonA Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place On Earth by Kevin Kern, Tim O'Day, Steven Vagnini, and Fabiola GarzaDisney World At 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magic In Orlando from the Orlando Sentinel