Podcasts about themed entertainment association

In this episode, we chat with Choni Fernández, Chief Sustainability Officer and Customer at PortAventura World, the first carbon-neutral theme park in the world, and now proudly B Corp certified.Choni isn't just ticking ESG boxes, she's leading a cultural shift in how attractions operate. From zero-emissions hotels to renewable energy and deep supply chain work, PortAventura is setting the global standard.In this episode, we dive into the real work behind the headlines. How do you build a sustainability culture that actually sticks? Can you lead without a big green team? And what does digital sustainability really mean?If you're serious about sustainability, or wondering where to start, this is the conversation you need to hear.Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden, with co host Andy Povey and roving reporter Claire Furnival.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Show references:  PortAventura World website: https://www.portaventuraworld.com/nosotros/trabaja-con-nosotrosChoni Fernández on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/choni-fern%C3%A1ndez-veciana/Choni Fernández is Customer, Sustainability and Communications Director at PortAventura World. With a background in Economics and over a decade at BASF, she joined PortAventura in 2007, where she has led Procurement, Logistics, and Sustainability. She spearheaded the company's sustainability strategy, achieving the milestone of B Corp Certification, and now leads the newly created Customer Department to drive a more customer-centric approach. Choni also serves as Catalonia Delegate at DIRSE and is Chair of the IAAPA EMEA Sustainability Committee. Plus, live from the IAAPA Expo Europe show floor, we catch up with:Jakob Wahl, President & CEO of IAAPAhttps://iaapa.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakob-wahl/Elliot Hall from Expression Capital Partners LLPhttps://expressioncapitalpartners.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-h-1b804a6a/Matt Barton, CEO / Co-Founder CurtainUp Ltd. & President of Themed Entertainment Association TEA https://www.curtainup.livehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-barton-99a8039/Melissa Oviedo, Chief Executive Officer, Themed Entertainment Association TEA https://www.teaconnect.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-oviedo-ruminot-90a63228/Kevin Murphy, Senior VP, Kraftwerk Living Technologieshttp://www.kraftwerk.athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-murphy-854439/Jacob Thompson, CX Director, Attractions.io https://attractions.iohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-thompson-icap-151271149/ Transcriptions:  Welcome, skip the queue, to Barcelona.Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast about the world's best attractions and the amazing people that work in them. I'm your host, Paul Marden, and along with my co-host, Andy Povey, and roving reporter Claire Furnival, we're bringing you the latest news from IAAPA Expo Europe in Barcelona.Paul Marden: You join me today tired and just a little bit emotional at the airport after an amazing week at the show.Paul Marden: In this episode, we wrap up our time at IAAPA Expo Europe with a final look back at the show floor buzz. I catch up with Jakob Wahl, Chief Executive Officer of IAAPA, to get his reflections on an unforgettable week, from standout innovations to what's next for the global attractions industry. But first, Andy sits down with Choni Fernandez, Chief Sustainability Officer at PortAventura World, to explore what it really takes to become the first carbon neutral theme park on the planet and why sustainability must be at the heart of guest experience going forward.Andy Povey: So hello, everybody. I'm joined today by Choni Fernandez from PortAventura World. Choni is responsible for sustainability and guest experience and a number of other things, I believe, Choni. Hello and welcome to Skip the Queue. Hello. Choni Fernandez: Thank you very much for your invitation. Andy Povey: So, Choni, you guys at PortAventura World are really leading the industry and probably more than just our industry. In terms of sustainability, you were the first carbon neutral theme park in the world and in '24, the first theme park company to achieve a BCorp certification. Am I right?Choni Fernandez: Yes, you're right. It was, in fact, we are VCOPS since 2022. And yes, we were operational carbon neutral because we reduced our emissions during several years. And after that, we acquired some carbon credits to compensate the result of the balancing emissions. For scope one and two. Yes. So since then we are operational carbon neutral. That is not really an official name, but it's easy to explain what we are doing. Andy Povey: Okay. So what is the official name?Choni Fernandez: The official name, in fact, now that's interesting because it's a big discussion in the European community. We chat the terms we can use or not. In the new CCRG, that is going to change. Some words like green, sustainable, are probably forbidden, words that cannot be used any longer. And you need to speak properly about the impact of your activity without using these words that can lead to a type of greenwashing. And you need to be more clear about when you say, for instance, 'carbon neutral,' you need to say, 'we have reduced emissions, we compensate.' More explanation than just using one word that can be easily misunderstood.Andy Povey: Okay, yeah, yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Just buying carbon credits. You're actually doing something positive. Taking action. Like, is it Europe's largest solar farm?Choni Fernandez: It's the largest solar farm. That was one of the biggest at the source of Europe. And for sure, I guess, is still the biggest in Spain.Andy Povey: The biggest solar farm in Spain.Choni Fernandez: Sorry, in a holiday resort, yes. There are other very big solar plants that they produce energy for third parties, but they are not linked to a tourist industry.Andy Povey: No, that makes absolute sense. So you're generating your own power.Choni Fernandez: We generate 30%. The plant is not big enough and we have some restrictions of the government. So we cannot sell the surplus of energy we produce. So we could only make the plan as big as the low on consumption we have in a period of a year.Andy Povey: That makes absolute sense.Choni Fernandez: So that means that there are several months where we produce 100% energy we need. But then, obviously, in the peak of the season, we need extra energy. We buy from the net, but we always buy green energy from the net, too. Then 100% of the energy we consume is green energy, not coming from non-renewable.Andy Povey: It all becomes much more complicated as you dive into the detail, doesn't it?Choni Fernandez: Yes, yes, yes. Everything is much more complicated. And in Europe, yes, I would say even one step more complicated than the rest of the world because of all the regulations.Andy Povey: So what was it that inspired PortAventura World and how did you persuade PortAventura World to take sustainability so seriously?Choni Fernandez Okay, the history starts really with, I would say, a huge pain point, even when they were designing the park. And it was related to water. We are established in an area where we suffer from water scarcity many periods. So for those designers, they already designed the park with sustainability in mind. So they have created a complex system to recover all water rains in a big tank that is our Mediterranean lake.Andy Povey: Yeah, yeah, yeah.Choni Fernandez: So water was a treasure since the beginning. And they have also in a private-public investment. Take all the gray waters from the park, sending it to a water treatment plant several kilometres far away from the resort, and making the pipe bring the recycled water back to the resort for gardening. So PortAventura was using recycled water since 30 years ago. And that was really the starting point of sustainability at PortAventura. So we start with all the environmental impacts that the activity was going to have. And they created the park open doors in 1995. So in 1997, just two years after that, they have created the Green Team.Choni Fernandez: It's a team from different members of different departments who takes care of the environmental impacts and how they can reduce the use of water, energy and so on. And this team is still working nowadays and takes care of more complex things, certifications, but with the same, I would say, purpose, you know, that is to reduce the environmental impact of the resort, and now we start to regenerate different areas. So it's not producing impact, it's creating positive impact through regeneration.Choni Fernandez: And that was a starting point. But I like to repeat that sustainability has not fixed rules. So that is the story of Pota Aventura, because we are what we are. We are located where we are. But for instance, in the Global Sustainability Committee of IAAPA, SCARBRED was a member of that. And SCARBRED, the sustainability, had not begun for the water scarcity. They don't have this problem.Choni Fernandez: So sustainability there was more linked to the social sustainability, how to integrate communities in the project. So it really depends, again, in that moment, the momentum, you know, that we call. Where you are, who you are, what is your future footprint of your activity in your community and in the environment.Choni Fernandez: So we start with that. And year after year, we consolidate this beginning. So any new activity of PortAventura, it doesn't matter— new hotel, new park, convention centre has always followed the same philosophy that we started in 1997.Andy Povey: Very good.Choni Fernandez: Yes, because I think that this makes the project really coherent, consistent, and resilient. So it's something that we have not done from day to night, you know. It's something that we have. It's like a dish you have cooked in a low, low temperature, you know. Andy Povey: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Slow cooker. Choni Fernandez: Slow cook. That is. Sustainable PortAventura is slow cook. But at the end, you know, the dish is very good cooked and it's good.Andy Povey: Absolutely. And then, as the person responsible for customer experience within PortAventura World, before talking to you, I wouldn't necessarily have put... sustainability and customer experience together in the same group.Choni Fernandez: You're right because, okay, that is something that has changed also through years, you know, so sustainability was linked and happened at PortAventura. It was totally linked to the environmental part. But that is only one third of what sustainability means. Sustainability is also the social impact and obviously the governance.Choni Fernandez: We call also ESG. Okay, it has some difference because it has more financial meaning. But what is clear when you talk, when we talk about sustainability, we talk about the environmental impacts and the social impacts. And the social impacts are the impacts that your activity, our activity has on people. And when we talk about people, we talk about employees, we talk about our community that's surrounding us, we talk about shareholders, we talk about suppliers, and we talk about guests or visitors. And the activity of any company should have a positive impact on these people that are affected by the activity, that they are also called stakeholders.Choni Fernandez: So, and here is the reason why we try to improve every year the guest experience in order to improve this positive impact. And at the end of the day, because we are not NGOs. We strongly believe that a positive impact on the guest experience is going to be translated in future revenues, more attendance for our parks, and makes our resort more resilient because it's more profitable in the long term.Andy Povey: So this really is a sort of a wheel or a cycle. Choni Fernandez: You are right. You are right. You are right. So we really differentiate at PortAventura. I mean, sustainability is also a new angle to see your business. There is the financial angle. And then there is the angle— how your activity affects the difference they hold up. But that is clear that both need to go together. I mean, business and sustainability. In fact... One of the reasons to become a BCorp company is to evolve our mission and vision with a purpose that integrates sustainability in the business model. So it is much easier for us to talk to employees, to talk to suppliers, to talk to guests. About what is the reason why it exists and why it's important to have sustainability included in order, again, to make our business resilient through the past of the years.Andy Povey: So we have a lot of listeners around the world. What would be your advice to someone running a venue that doesn't have the advantage of starting with sustainability right at the heart and from where they started their business? How do you make a start on this?Choni Fernandez: That is a very interesting question. And the first I think any company needs to do is really to understand the stakeholders they are affecting too. Because just with this complete transparent and dialogue with the different stakeholders, you really can understand what is the impact you are producing on them. And from this result, then you know where are your main pain points, where you need to focus first on. Obviously, there are some general rules. Your impact on the environment, as I told you before, normally a new venue has, for sure, clients, or at least customer guests, employees, probably shareholders, and then in another level, suppliers, community, etc.Choni Fernandez: So, and depends what is the situation, you need to start with that. You need to prepare a good analysis because, if not, what could happen? Imagine that you focus a lot on the environmental part and you start with that because you have seen that PortAventura has started with that.Choni Fernandez: But then that is not your problem because you are in an area where your resources are really well controlled or your resort has very good standards, very efficient, because it has done with high technology, but you have an employee problem.Choni Fernandez: You have problems perhaps to attract employees, to retain the talent, or really to make them happy working with you. Then you have to start the sustainability for not the most important topic in your company. So the most important is to understand what the stakeholders need from you and then to prepare. And it's also very interesting, I think, to start, you know, things small.Choni Fernandez: Making small projects that can be consolidated and embedded into the company. Because what is really important in a company is that each department, each area of the company, maintenance, procurement, human resources, marketing, and each of the departments really is doing the part of sustainability they need to, because it is impossible that one person on every team produces all the sustainability that the whole company needs to do.Choni Fernandez: So if sustainability is really not embedded in the activity of each Japan, it's really impossible to be a successful company in terms of sustainability. You know what I mean?Andy Povey: I know exactly what you mean. That rule is so true for so many things, isn't it? You could replace the word sustainability with guest experience or ride safety. Choni Fernandez: Yes, it's the same. Andy Povey: Any number of different things.Choni Fernandez: I always explain when people say, 'but you have done a lot, Choni.' I say, 'no, no, no, no, no.' Choni has not done a lot.Choni Fernandez: Many people are doing a lot, you know. And sustainability managers or directors normally are orchestra directors. But each one needs to play its own instrument so we have a nice music, you know. If not, it does not work at all, you know, like in orchestra. So we need the maintenance guy, really. or the energy manager to really take care of that. And human resources really to prepare inclusivity, et cetera, policies linked to employees. And marketing, doing really an ethic marketing to guests. So, and that is how everyone is really doing a part of the peak and sustainability of the company.Andy Povey: That sounds very familiar and I'm sure for our guests will ring true in many different areas. It's interesting you talk about really understanding where you are. What it is you're doing. We've done some work here in the UK on the sustainability of websites. So by not printing a park map, you obviously save resources, you save paper. But if you put that on a really inefficient webpage, then you're just consuming someone else's electricity. It doesn't make you any more sustainable.Choni Fernandez: And one thing I would like to tell you is that one of the big steps for us was when our investors make the management very clear that investors of the private funds that own PortAventura were asking for sustainable investments. So that was also a way, really, to receive more money from the investors to the owners. And that is very important because when the financial markets really recognise that sustainability is a plus for an investment, then, you know, things change. Things happen. And we had two moments in this company, in my opinion, for us, for sustainability managers, that make this big change in our mindset. Choni Fernandez: One is the world of our shareholders. And that was really a big, big step forward. Because we realised then, 'oh my God, we are sustainable. We can be sustainable. Our sustainability is a lever really to receive more funds to our business.'Choni Fernandez: And the second one was when we have two different businesses, really a B2C— final customer— and a B2E— travel agencies, companies who do their conventions in our convention, et cetera, et cetera. Once upon a time, a company came to PortAventura asking for a quotation for a big convention, European size, very big one.Choni Fernandez: And before receiving the quotation, they asked, 'Please, can you send us your sustainability report?' Because we would like to see if that's the venue where we want to go. Now, everything changed.Andy Povey: Absolutely.Choni Fernandez: Because at first time, sustainability was bringing business to the company. It was not a nice to have, something that we need to have. It was really part of the business. And that changed the history of the, I would say, the sustainability journey of this company when we have both shareholders' commitment and really request to continue on that. And on the other side, we were recognised for our sustainability activity in a business case.Andy Povey: It's very interesting when you get push or pull from both sides. Choni Fernandez: You're right. Then you realise that there is no other way to do that, you know, so you need pushing, pushing.Andy Povey: You're doing a lot of work about education, work, and working with schools, and having to engage them in your journey.Choni Fernandez: That's again the same case, you know. So in our guest segmentation, school groups are one of them. And it is a very important group for us and I guess for other operators too. As we receive many schoolers. But, you know, the teachers, not students, they thought that the trip to PortAventura was really 100% entertainment. And schools were looking for something more cultural, educational.Choni Fernandez: So then, at that moment, we prepare some workshops at the beginning of the day before the park opens. If the park opens at 10, we can deliver a sustainability workshop from 9 to 10. For instance, talking to kids about biodiversity, about waste management, how to produce green energy. So in the solar plant, we don't have only solar panels. We also have some instruments, some elements to explain children how to produce green energy with movement, with wind, with sun, with solar energy. And they can experiment with their hands. With this element, how to produce this green energy. And they understand very well because that is part of the curriculum that they have to study at school. But now they can put it in practice in a different way, in a way... that our industry delivers very well, that is entertainment, you know?Andy Povey: Yes, yeah, yeah.Choni Fernandez: And that is driving more schools to visit us. So again, there is another link with sustainability, more business, more attendance, more revenues.Andy Povey: We're back on the cycle.Choni Fernandez: Yeah, again, the cycle. We close the loop, you know.Andy Povey: Absolutely. Choni, is there something you'd like to leave as a sort of parting message or a final thought to everybody that's listening to the podcast? A single sentence about how they can emulate your success.Choni Fernandez: No, I think that, okay, sometimes in life, you know, for sustainability managers, I mean, and now in the world, perhaps you feel like Talmon, you know, coming up to the river.Andy Povey: Yeah, yeah, yeah.Choni Fernandez: In a difficult situation, but it doesn't matter. So the evidence is so strong that, if you really can close the loop, as we have been talking, if you can really demonstrate and we can close the gap. Between the sustainability impacts and the financial impacts, then sustainability is part of your business. I think that should be the goal— to really don't have sustainability as something nice to have additional to the business. Avoid that at all.Choni Fernandez: Sustainability is part of the business and makes the business more resilient and more profitable in the long term.Andy Povey: Lovely. That's a great message to leave us with. Paul Marden: Now let's hear some of the buzz from the show floor.Claire Furnival: So day three of IAAPA and I've just bumped into Matt Barton. Matt Barton: Hello. Claire Furnival: Matt, you wear many hats.Matt Barton: My day job is I'm the founder and CEO of Curtain Up. I'm also the owner of 7th Sense, a company that makes media servers and pixel management systems. But I'm also the president of the Themed Entertainment Association, better known as the TEA.Claire Furnival: Crumbs, the busy man. I hear you had a party last night. Matt Barton: We did. Yeah, we had a very successful mixer. We have a great relationship with IAAPA and we have a mixer at all of IAAPA's events around the globe. And we bring our members together, usually on the second or third night of the event.Claire Furnival: Anything announced last night at the party?Matt Barton: Yeah, so we announced our next SAIT conference, and SAIT stands for Storytelling, Architecture, Technology equals Experience. So it's a thought leadership conference where we talk about trends in the industry, best practices to follow, that kind of thing. We've just finished our SAIT Asia event just three weeks ago now, and that was in New Zealand this year. And we just last announced that we're going to be in Dubai next year. Again, building on that great relationship we have with IAAPA, we're actually doing it almost like a pre-conference event. So it's tied in with IAAPA Middle East, which is going to be in Abu Dhabi. We're going to be the week before. So people can then come to SAIT, enjoy SAIT with us, and then go straight down to Abu Dhabi for the IAAPA conference.Claire Furnival: What activities is it that the TEA do? What do you offer your members?Matt Barton: So a whole range of things. And what I'm going to do now is introduce our CEO, Melissa. Melissa Oviedo.Claire Furnival: Great to meet you, Melissa. So what is it that TEA offers its members?Melissa  Oviedo: We are really the connection community. The connection community for the design, the makers, the builders, the creators. Everybody who delivers world-class experiences around the world, that's really who we are and what we represent. That can be from theme parks to museums to cultural to location-based entertainment. Claire Furnival: So I understand that the TEA does an annual benchmark report. Melissa  Oviedo: Yeah, we've just rebranded this. This is the TEA Theme Experience Index. This is the 19th year that we're doing this benchmark study. Yeah, it's really exciting for us. And what this is, is this is the annual attendance report that tracks attendance data from around the globe for the top theme parks, water parks, and museums globally. It really looks at trends, so we can understand where are the guests going, where are they spending their time, how are the parks, especially as they're coming new on the market, how do they influence those trends? And we're actually going to be launching this on October 22nd.Claire Furnival: So a couple of questions spring to mind on that one. So first of all, can anybody access the report?Melissa  Oviedo: Yeah, sure can. It's a completely free resource. You can go online. If you're not a member, we just ask for you to fill out a quick form so we know who's downloading the report. And you will have full access to all of the data, and we will have actual books to hand out at IAAPA in Orlando in November.Claire Furnival: The sector's very, very, very lucky to have this piece of research. So can you give us any snippets as to what we might see in the report?Melissa  Oviedo: I think you'll see that the theme parks are really consistent. The big players are still the big players with Disney and Universal really driving the... main attendance data. And then China, with Chimalong Park, really still holding rank at number one water park in the world. We're seeing the attendance coming back in a fierce way in China.Melissa  Oviedo: Outlook is positive. Overall, though, you'll be able to find in the report a lot of the trends that we're seeing. A lot of what we're not only anticipating in 2025, but in the future as well, with all of the developments that are happening. So, really exciting, this year's report. Claire Furnival: And what about 2026? What does that bring the TEA? Melissa  Oviedo: Momentum is high, right? The community continues to look at how they diversify as an organisation or as a business. Theme parks is our core, but we're so much more than just that. So I think you're going to see. More people doing really cool and immersive things in new places. I think the definition of themed entertainment gets broadened and further defined. I think that you're going to see more activity and more collaboration because collaboration is really when the magic happens. And you're going to start to see that even more robustly in 2026 and beyond. Claire Furnival: Sounds exciting. So last thought from you, Matt.Matt Barton: Yeah, I just wanted to touch on a couple of things we've got left in 2025 before we look to 2026. So I mentioned SAIT earlier. We also have our SAIT conference in North America coming up. So that's in October. at Knott's Berry Farm, and that ties in with when we're launching the Global Experience Index. And then in November, we've got our mixer, our international mixer, combined with the IAAPA conference in Orlando. And so on the Tuesday night of IAAPA, we have our international mixer at the Isle of Berk attraction at Epic Universe. We've got the whole land, we've got dinner and drinks, and it's going to be a good one, so make sure you get your tickets in.Claire Furnival: One not to miss. Well, it's fabulous to catch up with both you, Matt, and you, Melissa. So thank you very much for your time.Matt Barton: Thank you.Melissa  Oviedo:  Thank you so much, Claire.Andy Povey: So we're on day three, and I'm sitting here with Elliot Hall, who's one of the founding partners behind Expression Capital Partners. Elliot, hello. Elliot Hall: Hi, Andy. Good to see you. Andy Povey: For our listeners at home, can you just tell me what Expression Capital Partners do and treat me like an idiot because I really don't understand the world of investment banking and all that kind of stuff.Elliot Hall: Okay, so Expression Capital Partners is the advisory firm to Entertainment Investments 1LP. Which is specialising in the entertainment industry. Andy Povey: Interesting. So I understand you're doing some work with Hasbro and in particular things like Monopoly.Elliot Hall: Yes, yes, yes, absolutely. So we're looking to open monopoly-themed hotels and casinos around the world. Andy Povey: Wow. Elliot Hall: Along with many of the different types of brands, as we're rather across their 1000 plus brands. Andy Povey: I understand there's also some sporting connections. Tell us a little bit about, tell us what you can. Elliot Hall: Yeah, so what we can. We are working with some brands that have relationships and contracts for the IP for UEFA, FIFA and the FA. Yeah, so some really exciting products there and businesses. And we are in a position to be able to sign licenses and lease agreements and so on. And we're looking at bringing all of those brands together, either in the same cluster of IP attractions or within one building under one roof. Andy Povey: So, Elliot, you guys really are the people that are bringing the magic together. The IP, the operators, and then working out how someone funds it all.Elliot Hall: Yes, absolutely, yes. Andy Povey: Fantastic.Claire Furnival: So I'm here talking to Kevin Murphy from Kraftwerk Living Technologies. How are you finding the show this year and what do you see the trends for 2026 for you, Kraftwerk or also the industry?Kevin Murphy: I think in many respects, the trend at the moment is survival, which isn't being negative, but the world is a different place from how it was pre-COVID. The industry, though, is very, very alive. There's a lot happening out there. It's good to see the show for full. We actually tried to get a booth this year and couldn't. Everything had sold out. It's busy. People are wandering around with a very positive vein. But there's no doubt that there's— world tensions and there's problems with investment— and it does affect the industry and you know we're not immune from that. Kevin Murphy: But what's been good about this show is that a lot of the partners and Clients that we're working with are starting to announce their new projects. You have to bear in mind, for us, we do high technology behind the scenes in parks and museums and science centres. We can be working on them for many, many years. So we've had projects that have been brewing and they're just starting to get announced now. So what I'm seeing is, although there's concern about the industry, there is a slightly more positive vein coming through. I think the economy is improving out there, investors are starting to come out, and you can make money out of our industry.Claire Furnival: So what in particular have you got going on in 2026? Anything you can talk about and share with us?Kevin Murphy: Well, we're very, very pleased it's been announced, so I can talk about it. Plopsaland, which is a park in Belgium, are working with Mac. And I'm delighted to see that they've just announced, earlier than we expected, we're still working behind the scenes, but they've now announced their new flying theatre. Which will be ready and prepared at the end of 2026 for the 2027 opening.Claire Furnival: Congratulations, that's really, really exciting news.Kevin Murphy: Sadly, a lot of the other projects, I still can't say too, too much, because they may not have announced.Claire Furnival: Yeah, the dreaded NDAs.Claire Furnival: Just bumped into Jacob from Attractions. io. How's the show been for you?Jacob   Thompson: Great. This is my second time at IAAPA in Barcelona. It's been even better than the first time. So the weather's held out. Great conversations, great company. So overall, a success.Claire Furnival: And a little birdie has told me that you have a new feature coming out.Jacob   Thompson: That is true. So, yeah, we have launched a new product this month called GX Pulse. And the idea is it's enabling operators to make sense of all the noise of guest reviews and sentiment by breaking... reviews down from TripAdvisor, Google reviews, their own internal platforms to make sense and map that across a guest journey, specifically for attractions. So it's able to understand sentiment across things like queue management, your attractions, your food and beverage, give you scores and benchmark you against other venues. But most importantly, give you actionable insights to make improvements to the guest experience.Claire Furnival: Brilliant use of data there. Really, really, really good. So is this product now launched?Jacob  Thompson: Yes, yes it is. So we've been demoing it across some attractions at the trade show floor this week and it's had some really positive feedback. This product is completely separate from our core app platform and experience. So even if you don't have a mobile app and don't need a mobile app, this can be valuable for anybody that is looking to understand the sentiment and experience of their guests across their attractions.Claire Furnival: Fabulous. Guest will be seeing you in IAAPA Orlando.Jacob   Thompson: Yes, and I heard there's going to be a great party hosted by Skip the Queue.Claire Furnival: I'm not sure we'll be hosting a party, but we'll certainly be partying.Jacob   Thompson: Well, I'll be there to join you nonetheless.Paul Marden: So we're here for the final day of IAAPA Expo Europe. I've had a whale of a time and I'm sat here with Jakob Wahl, who amazingly, considering three days into this fantastic expo, is still looking fresh and bright. Jakob, please introduce yourself for our listeners who may not know you.Jakob  Wahl: I'm president and CEO of IAAPA, the Global Association for the Attractions Industry. I've done that now for two and a half years, but in total I've been with IAPA for, I think, nearly 15 years.Paul Marden: Wow, so man and boy almost.Jakob  Wahl: Yeah, you know, and I always say the kid in the candy store— I love doing what we do and bringing people together.Paul Marden: How could you not? So this is my first IAAPA. It has been fantastic and stood on the show floor. I think it was yesterday. I was on my own, done so many interviews. I've been bouncing around, but I just had a few minutes by myself and just stood in the middle of it all. Totally is like being a kid in a candy store, the Willy Wonka moment isn't it? Of what this place is like, because it is so fantastic.Jakob  Wahl:  It is and the most wonderful thing about it is, you know, we as an association, we create a framework, but it is actually all of you, our members, who fill it with life. Because everybody comes together. It's just a massive class reunion. People know each other. And the best thing about it is they're all willing to help and support each other. So obviously, the trade show floor is one component, but we have all those networking sessions, the education sessions, safety corners, we have places where people can exchange, depending on what they work in or where they work, and everybody comes together to share. That is so wonderful, because it's not only family-owned parks, small parks, big parks, but it's also the big private equity corporate players. They're all here to really benefit from this platform, and that fills me with pride.Paul Marden: Good. So, as the week draws to a close, what's been the real highlights for you?Jakob  Wahl: How much time do I have? First of all, the people. It's always the people. It's, you know, for me, it's my team coming together from all around the world, putting this together. And then it's... the people coming and creating those education sessions, creating those moments together, sharing their knowledge. That is just wonderful. There's not one specific moment like that, but it happens all the time. Jakob  Wahl: And then one of the highlights for me is always, always, always the opening reception. That is our Tuesday night event, which took place at Tibidabo, this classic historic amusement park on top of Barcelona. We were a little bit concerned Monday. Will it rain? Will it not rain? So we had to rent tents to make sure that everybody will stay dry. And what happens if you're intense? Obviously, it doesn't rain. Jakob  Wahl: There was an expensive insurance, but it turned out to be exactly that evening. And we have been to Barcelona three times now. We have been to the Tibidabo three times and I think I can be pretty sure that when we go back to Barcelona in three years, we will also go again to Tibidabo because, you know, it's just this evening filled with magic and good people.Paul Marden: Excellent. You've had some time wandering the show floors, I'm sure, talking to suppliers, getting a feel for what's happening in the industry. What have you heard from the show floor that you think is going to influence the sector over the year ahead?Jakob  Wahl: I would have loved to ask you that question, actually. What is your impression?Paul Marden: Oh, the blending of tech with real life I find really interesting. We all want to take our kids to attractions because we want to pull them away from their screens. But there's got to be a hook, I think. And in many cases, there are rides or there are amusements of some form that is a skillful blending of that tech with an in-life, in-real-life experience that I think is the hook to get the kids in. But then we're still wrenching them away from the screens. They're doing something for real with family.Jakob  Wahl: Yeah, I think technology enhances the experience. It doesn't replace the experience. I think that is something which is very clear on the show floor, that there are different ways of how you can combine existing attractions with new technology. And we sometimes call it fusion attractions, where you bring several elements into play with each other. And I think that is very important. What we have seen also is an increase in what I would call smart technology. How can you use technology... to improve the guest flow, to make it even smoother. We all want to have a smooth process. It should be easy on the phone. All those things, besides the classic coasters and water slides and inflatables, that is, I think, some area which has really grown on our trade show floor over the past years.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. If you can smooth that process from the moment that they hit the website all the way through, getting them to the experience and then back out the other side and encouraging them to want to return again is really important, isn't it?Jakob  Wahl: And the same is for operations and maintenance, the front of house for the customer, but also the back of house. And we learned some fascinating things. We talked in our leadership breakfast with the CEO of a large park group, and he said, 'There are tools that can now predict 93% of the attendance of every day.' And that is just fascinating because that helps operational planning, that helps food and beverage planning, that helps all those aspects in running a park successfully or running an attraction successfully.Paul Marden: Absolutely. So, as we come to the end of IAAPA Expo Europe, there are many US listeners, I'm sure, also quite a few Brits as well, anticipating IAAPA Expo Orlando in November. Have you got any insider tips or things that we can look forward to in Orlando? Jakob  Wahl: I can say it will be epic. There's quite a significant theme park which opened this year, Epic Universe, which is just down the road from the convention centre.Jakob  Wahl: And we actually have not only... Mark Woodbury is speaking in our keynote in our leadership breakfast. But we also have privatised the park on Thursday evening for the IAAPA Celebrates for four hours. So it is Epic Universe, just for IAAPA members, which will be amazing. I've had the luck to visit the park several times. And I can only tell you, you know, you should be there. The evening before the show opens on Monday, IAAPA has the Legends event, the honorary evening for the Hall of Fame. And this year we're actually inducting five inductees. Among them is Dolly Parton. So if you have ever wanted to meet Dolly Parton. Paul Marden: The real Dolly Parton. Wow.Jakob  Wahl: Yeah, Dolly Parton is getting into the IAAPA Hall of Fame, besides some other really fantastic candidates or inductees. And she will be there to receive that accolade. And as you said, you have many British listeners. Next year, IAAPA Expo Europe is in London.Paul Marden: Now, I'd quite like to do an edit for my family that might be listening, because that did sound quite epic. And we need to be absolutely clear that there's lots of hard work to be done in Orlando, as well as enjoying ourselves at Epic and seeing Dolly Parton.Jakob  Wahl: Yeah, I'm pretty sure we need to Skip the Queue on site for a podcast from Orlando.Paul Marden: Oh, there we go. There we go. I think we should end it there. Jakob, it has been delightful to meet you. I've really enjoyed it. I'm so grateful for being invited to come to IAAPA this year. Bring the podcast here. I've had so much fun. I've learned so much. It's been wonderful. Thank you.Jakob  Wahl: Oh, we love what you do. Thank you, you know, for making the attractions industry present in the digital space. And we are all great listeners of your podcast. So thank you for what you do for us.Paul Marden: Wow, what a week. A massive thank you to IAAPA for hosting us in Barcelona. It was an incredible few days of connection, innovation, and inspiration. We've absolutely loved being part of it. And who knows, maybe we'll see you again sooner than you think. If you liked today's episode, please like us or leave a comment on your podcast platform. It really does help people to find us. And lastly, thank you to all of the team that made these daily episodes and today's wrap-up session. A possibility without the team it could not have been possible to have done this— thank you to Emily and Sami at Plaster, Steve at Folland Co. Wenayn, Claire, and Andy back at Skip the Queue HQ. It has been a delight to be with you and I look forward to seeing you again next week. The 2025 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

This week on Here's What We Know, Gary welcomes back John Zaller, the brilliant executive producer of Exhibition Hub, who has brought some of the most breathtaking immersive experiences to life—including Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience and Claude Monet: The Immersive Experience.John takes us deeper into his creative process, sharing stories from his most impactful projects. He explores how immersive environments can reshape our perceptions and reveals why art continues to serve as a sanctuary for so many. Tune in now!In this episode, you'll discover:How immersive exhibitions are designed to make audiences feel like they're stepping into another world.The fascinating story behind Dialogue in the Dark—an exhibition that turns the lights off and shifts perspectives on ability and disability.How Claude Monet's deteriorating eyesight influenced his most famous works.Why art has the power to provide comfort, connection, and escape—even in the busiest, most chaotic times.This episode is sponsored by: Bison Junk Removal (Effortless solution to your junk removal needs!) Bio:John Zaller is the executive producer of Exhibition Hub, a curator and distributor of world-renowned immersive exhibitions. He has honed his unique skills of production, visual art, and set design for more than 25 years while working in the museum, entertainment, retail, and attractions/theme parks industries through his own immersive design firm, KRE8 360, that specializes in creating story-driven, traveling immersion experiences. He has contributed to creating and overseeing multiple immersive experiential environments, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition; Jurassic World: The Exhibition; Bodies the Exhibition; Star Trek: The Exhibition; and the Themed Entertainment Association's Thea award-winning experience at the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. Most recently, Zaller has been credited for his contributions and skillful expertise on Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was named the 2021 best immersive experience by USA Today and among the 12 best immersive experiences in the world by CNN. He has been working with Exhibition Hub for more than a decade and is responsible for the implementation of all Exhibition Hub properties in the United States.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwzaller/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhibitionhub_eh/Claude Monet The Immersive Experience: https://monetexpo.com/Bubble Planet in Denver: https://bubble-planet.com/denver/Connect with Gary: Gary's Website Follow Gary on Instagram Gary's Tiktok Gary's Facebook Watch the episodes on YouTube Advertise on the Podcast Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!

This week Philip shares key insights from the Themed Entertainment Association's Inspire Week and Leadership Forum. Amid tariff concerns and market volatility, we explore how Universal is strategically diversifying its entertainment portfolio. From a year-round horror experience in Las Vegas to fan-focused pop-up festivals and a family-centric local approach in Texas, Universal is placing calculated bets across multiple markets. Discover the inside details on Universal Horror Unleashed, FanFest Nights, Universal Kids Resort, and why "don't panic, just pivot" has become the industry's survival mantra in 2025's unpredictable economic landscape. Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our patreon.

Arthur Ross recently played the role of Pumbaa in “Tale of the Lion King” at Disneyland Park in Anaheim. This was the Walt Disney Company's FIRST EVER all black cast for a live show and Scott got to see him in it. In fact, the Themed Entertainment Association awarded “Tale of the Lion King” a Brass Ring Award for Best Theatrical Production. This award is considered one of the global attractions industry's most prestigious honors.Arthur was also part of a vocal ensemble that performed during “The Festival of Holidays” for Kwanza and “Celebrate Soulfully” during Black History Month at Disneyland but he isn't new to The Walt Disney Company. He started working for them in the summer of 2000, where he was part of the Disneyland College Program in Entertainment Costuming. When he graduated from the program, he remained a seasonal Cast Member, working on parades and shows and ultimately became a full-time Costume Specialist. On Broadway, Arthur worked on Anastasia, SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical, and Disney's Aladdin. In Agrabah, he was a Dresser and learned 11 of the 15 tracks dressing Principals and Ensemble Members. Arthur has a B.A. in Communications specializing in directing and choreography from Bowling Green State University and an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. That's another thing that he and Scott have in common - Scott has a Musical Theatre degree from the UNLV and he and Arthur shared some of the same professors!Arthur is an Adjunct Faculty Member at both Cypress and Fullerton College in the Theatre and Dance Departments as a Dance Instructor, Musical Theatre Director & Choreographer and is a member of three renowned unions that represent artists - AGVA, Actors Equity Association, and  I.A.T.S.E.Enjoy Scott's conversation with the wonderful Arthur Ross!Email: TheMouseAndMePodcast@gmail.comSupport: www.patreon.com/themouseandmeFB & Instagram: The Mouse and MeMusic by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

This week, Imagineering picks up some Themed Entertainment Awards, Thanksgiving meal options, Magic Keyholder's can pick up a free gift, The Haunted Mansion queue has opened, big changes to the D23 membership plans, we talk to Kaye from the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: Weeklyteers know that Imagineers are amazing at bringing stories to life in the parks, resorts, ships, and other locations around the world. The Themed Entertainment Association has recognized Imagineering for three separate projects. Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea and Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland have received the Outstanding Achievement Award – Theme Park Land, making it the first time Imagineering has received two awards in the category in a single year. The Outstanding Achievement – Technical Innovation was awarded for the BDX Droids found wandering around in Star Wars Galaxys Edge. These add to the nearly 70 Thea awards that Imagineering has received over the last 30 years. – https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/imagineering-recognized-for-themed-entertainment-excellence-three-disney-projects-honored-with-thea-awards/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XuvWrvsBVk&t=9s https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tdr+explorer+fantasy+springs For Weeklyteers who are looking to spend Thanksgiving in Disneyland, there are a couple of places to get a meal to celebrate. Carnation Cafe will have a Thanksgiving Turkey dinner for $25, which includes an oven-roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, seasonal vegetables, and cornbread stuffing. A kid's size is just $15. The Plaza Inn also has a Thanksgiving Dinner. For $18.99, guests get carved turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and cranberry sauce. A child's portion is available for $10.49. For a snack, there is a Thanks-mass Sandwich at Jolly Holiday, and a Turkey Dinner Potato at Troubadour Tavern. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ Another gift is available for Magic Keyholders at the resort. From November 27th through December 6th, while supplies last, keyholders can pick up a Moana 2 custom print. It can be picked up at Disneyana, Kingswell Shop, and Wonderground Gallery. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanriller_/?hl=en The extended queue of the Haunted Mansion has finally debuted to guests! The new extended queue has a lot of details to look at and enjoy. The path winds through some gardens, Madame Leota's enchanted garden, and past new crypts. Guests in mobility devices enter through the main entrance of the mansion, and exit through a new, accessible elevator that features a gallery of original artwork for the attraction. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ The Main Street Train Station is finally out from behind scrims and looks great! With the Candlelight Processional happening soon, it needed to be complete for the setup that features that station as a stage and backdrop. The displays inside the station have been cleaned up and look great, with the roof being completely replaced, and the decorative elements getting a good polish. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ The Lego store has reopened in Downtown Disney, but has little to show for the refurbishment. None of the new Lego sculptures have been installed, with no word on if they are coming at all. Hopefully they have just been delayed and will show up in the future. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ The upcoming Parkside Market at the west end of Downtown Disney has received some of the final signage for the stores that will call this location home. Parkside Market, Sip & Sonder, and D-Lander signs have all been installed and look nearly ready to open. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ When Ray's Berets opened in Bayou Country, Ray had his home decked out for Halloween. Well, now that Halloween is over, he has decorated for Christmas! He has a couple of stockings hung by the fireplace, and a tree setup with a gift nearby. MiceChat reports that Imagineers mentioned that Ray will be redecorating for many holidays throughout the year. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ Magic Keyholders who might be holding out on using Lightning Lane can get it at a discounted price in January. From January 6th through January 31st, the discount for Lightning Lane will be doubled when using the Magic Key to enter the parks. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ If you want some truly original holiday merchandise, stop in to Din Tai Fung in Downtown Disney! Din Tai Fung's mascots are available in a plush purse, and clip-on plushie version. A pair of holiday ornaments are also available. – https://www.micechat.com/404239-disneyland-news-mansion-construction-thanksgiving-crowds/ There is a gingerbread house in the Grand Californian lobby, in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion, and now one in the Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen on Main Street! What makes this one special is that it is Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle! – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCzb2ihP1DF/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== D23, the Official Disney Fan Club, is updating the membership plans. The general membership level, which includes a weekly newsletter, seasonal activations, and access to sweepstakes and general events will remain free. Starting January 1st, there will be THREE new gold membership levels. Each level will include access to D23 evetns, discounts, and special offers, with the addition of an exclusive D23 Gold Membership Kit, which comes with a membership certificate and card, a Savings Passport, collectible stitch pin, Goofy and Max car magnet, and a special Disney Lorcana trading card. Starting with the Spring 2025 issue of the Disney twenty-three publication, it will be offered in a digital and interactive version. These are all included in the Gold Member Essential Plan at $49.99 a year. For $99.99 per year, you can get the Gold Member Choice Plan with includes all the essential plan items, plus one exclusive item. Choice plan members can choose between a spirity jersey, pin box set, fan pack with a crossbody bag, water bottle, and twill cap, or a replica of the Disneyland Park Entrance plaque, a reproduction of Walt Disney's annotations from 1955, and 70th anniversary book. Finally, the Gold Complete plan includes everything in the Essential Plan and all four of the exclusive items in the Choice Plan for $299.99. – https://d23.com/new-gold-membership-plans-2025/ SnackChat: Plaza Inn – https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/plaza-inn/menus/ Discussion Topic: Kaye Malin – https://www.waltdisneymuseum.org/

Welcome to GEEKS CORNER! This week there is a lot to geek out about! This includes a first look at what is coming to the Disney Adventure and its Disney Imagination Garden. It also is the ship that Deadpool will be making his Disney Cruise Line debut! In other news, Disney Experiences came out on top in the new Themed Entertainment Association report. At the Disneyland Resort, a new show based on Disney and Pixar's Coco is on the way. Finally, it's time to discuss The Muppets 70: A Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective from D23. We hope you enjoy this week's episode of GEEKS CORNER! Join the conversation in the comments! We'll see you 'round the corner! Disney Cruise Line Reveals First Look at Disney Imagination Garden Aboard Disney Adventure ⁠https://dapsmagic.com/2024/08/disney-cruise-line-reveals-first-look-at-disney-imagination-garden-aboard-disney-adventure/⁠  Deadpool to Make Disney Cruise Line Debut Aboard Disney Adventure ⁠https://dapsmagic.com/2024/08/deadpool-heads-to-sea-aboard-the-disney-adventure/⁠  Disney Experienced Recognized as Top Theme Park Operator Globally by Themed Entertainment Association ⁠https://dapsmagic.com/2024/08/disney-experiences-recognized-as-top-theme-park-operator-globally-by-themed-entertainment-association/⁠  Disneyland Resort Announces “The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate the Musical World of Coco”  ⁠https://dapsmagic.com/2024/08/disneyland-resort-announces-the-storytellers-of-plaza-de-la-familia-celebrate-the-musical-world-of-coco/⁠  The Muppets 70: A Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective ⁠https://dapsmagic.com/2024/08/the-muppets-70-a-glamorous-miss-piggy-retrospective-a-glorious-tribute-to-the-muppets-but-mostly-miss-piggy/⁠  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeks/support

This week on Here's What We Know, join us for a fascinating conversation with John Zaller, Executive Director of the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. As a leading curator and distributor of renowned immersive exhibitions, John brings over 25 years of expertise in production, visual art, and set design to the table. Listen in as we dive deep into Vincent Van Gogh's life and artistry, discussing his revolutionary impact on painting, his personal struggles, and his enduring legacy. Don't miss this chance to gain insights into how Van Gogh's work continues to captivate and influence the art world today.In This Episode:John shares insights from his career in immersive experiences and exhibitions.Discover John's creative processes, and inspirations behind writing and designing immersive experiences.Insightful commentary on cultural Americanization affecting name pronunciation (Van Gog vs. Van Go). – Explanation about Dutch pronunciation: [van Khokh].Delve into Van Gogh's mental health challenges and how they influenced his workFind out alternative theories about Van Gogh's death and pivotal moments in his later years.Discussion on how Vincent Van Gogh revolutionized classical painting norms with his use of thick brushstrokes, vibrant colors, and depictions of everyday subjects.A touching look at the relationship between Theo Van Gogh and Vincent—how family support often plays a critical part in nurturing creativity against odds.This episode is sponsored by:Habana Cuba (Use code 'Gary20' to save up to 20% off your orders!)A Flood of LoveBio:John Zaller is the executive producer of Exhibition Hub, a curator and distributor of world-renowned immersive exhibitions. He has honed his unique skills of production, visual art, and set design for more than 25 years while working in the museum, entertainment, retail, and attractions/theme parks industries through his own immersive design firm, KRE8 360, that specializes in creating story-driven, traveling immersion experiences. He has contributed to creating and overseeing multiple immersive experiential environments including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition; Jurassic World: The Exhibition; Bodies the Exhibition; Star Trek: The Exhibition; and the Themed Entertainment Association's Thea award-winning experience at the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. Most recently, Zaller has been credited for his contributions and skillful expertise on Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was named the 2021 best immersive experience by USA Today and among the 12 best immersive experiences in the world by CNN. He has been working with Exhibition Hub for more than a decade and is responsible for the implementation of all Exhibition Hub properties in the United States.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwzaller/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhibitionhub_eh/Van Gogh Immersive Experience Website: https://vangoghexpo.com/Connect with Gary: Gary's Website Follow Gary on Instagram Gary's Tiktok Gary's Facebook Watch the episodes on YouTube Advertise on the Podcast Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!

 Len Testa & Jim Hill welcome Disney author & historian Foxx Nolte. Who gives them a preview of his latest book, “Scoundrels, Villains, & Knaves: Disneyland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Popular Culture”  Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: What are the differences between the VIP tours offered at WDW versus those made available to visitors at the Universal Orlando Resort Which train show staged back in the mid-1940s reportedly influenced the design of New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park What's the rumored reason that character greetings are not being offered as part of Lightning Lane Multi-pass Which scene was originally designed for the Escher Staircase area for WDW's version of the Haunted Mansion What's kind of intriguing about the fact that the Themed Entertainment Association has yet to release its annual Theme Park Index (which lists theme park attendance numbers) has yet to be released for 2024 Show Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Len Testa & Jim Hill welcome Disney author & historian Foxx Nolte. Who gives them a preview of his latest book, “Scoundrels, Villains, & Knaves: Disneyland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Popular Culture”  Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: What are the differences between the VIP tours offered at WDW versus those made available to visitors at the Universal Orlando Resort Which train show staged back in the mid-1940s reportedly influenced the design of New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park What's the rumored reason that character greetings are not being offered as part of Lightning Lane Multi-pass Which scene was originally designed for the Escher Staircase area for WDW's version of the Haunted Mansion What's kind of intriguing about the fact that the Themed Entertainment Association has yet to release its annual Theme Park Index (which lists theme park attendance numbers) has yet to be released for 2024 Show Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest is Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot. Lanny has spent 45 years as a theatrical technology creator, inventor, electrical engineer, scientist, and researcher — with 25 of those years at The Walt Disney Company. Lanny has invented and patented many forward-looking technologies that allow The Walt Disney Company and, ultimately, the theatrical community at large to create new magic, illusions, and entertainment. With over 100 patents to his name, he is Disney's most prolific inventor. His work can be seen throughout Disney's theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships worldwide.Lanny is the recipient of many awards and honors, including three Thea Awards from the Themed Entertainment Association and was named a 2020 T-E-A Master.Lanny will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame® in the class of 2024, only the second person from The Walt Disney Company to achieve this honor. The first was Walt Disney.Lanny is currently featured as part of the exhibit “Breaking Barriers: Honoring Extraordinary Black Inventors” at the National Inventors Hall of Fame® Museum located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia.We talked with Lanny Smoot about his illustrious career, starting with his early years growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Despite the challenges he faced as one of the few black students pursuing electrical engineering at Columbia University, Lanny persevered, earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees. His journey at Disney began with groundbreaking patents that revolutionized entertainment technology, leading to his pivotal role as an Imagineer.Reflecting on his recent induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame®, Lanny humbly acknowledges the weight of following in the footsteps of Walt Disney himself. Looking ahead, he sees a future for Disney Imagineering marked by continued innovation and inclusivity, with plans to improve theme park experiences and inspire future inventors, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.Lanny Smoot's contributions have impacted the lives of millions. His commitment to innovation continues to inspire and leave an indelible legacy for future generations.

Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And for nearly 40 years, he's helped move many a happy Disney theme park guests aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he has often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.” He developed more than 100 designs for Disneyland from Autopia to the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Bob's authored books, raced cars, flown airplanes, and had a hand in a multitude of automotive designs including cars, trains, trams, monorail trains, the list goes on and on and on. In 1999, Bob was honored with the Themed Entertainment Association's Lifetime Achievement Award (THEA). The Walt Disney Company honored him in 2004 as a Disney Legend, again honored in 2008 with a Disneyland Window on Main Street.

This episode of #ExperienceImagination is all about the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) and the work they do to represent the world's leading creators, developers, designers, and producers in the themed entertainment industry. TEA International Board Members Melissa Oviedo (President) and Evi Sari (Secretary) join us to discuss all of the ways TEA can provide you with professional growth and create everlasting industry connections.  

World of Frozen opened Nov 20th, 2023, at Hong Kong Disneyland and the 30rh Annual Thea Recipients from the Themed Entertainment Association were announced - what do these say about the trend of entertainment?

Last year marked a return to normal for the theme park industry around the world with operators reporting revenues, and in some cases attendance, at par or above pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report. Globally, the theme park industry hit a peak in 2019, the year before the spread of the COVID-19 virus forced many parks and attractions to shut down temporarily and then reopen with restrictions on attendance. Many operators focused on improving visitor experiences through adapting app-based technologies and that paid off with revenues in 2022 that surpassed 2019 levels, even if attendance had not bounced back in the same way, according to the report by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM, the design and engineering firm. “The pandemic revealed a sophisticated consumer base that is willing to pay more for out-of-home entertainment and experiences. However, consumers also demand more in terms of comfort, ease, quality, and satisfaction,” the report said. “Overall tolerance for big crowds and long waits seems to have gone down.” The theme parks also found ways to add days for lucrative special events that attracted local visitors such as Halloween celebrations at Universal, Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks. In Orlando, Florida, the theme park capital of the U.S., attendance was driven by domestic visitors rather than international travelers, a segment that was hurt by travel restrictions during the height of the pandemic response. The new Super Nintendo World buoyed attendance for Universal Studios Japan, the report said. Some of the most attended theme parks were: Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had 16.8 million visitors, almost double the attendance in 2021 but still below the 18.6 million visitors in 2019; Tokyo Disneyland with 12 million visitors, close to double the numbers from the previous year but still only about two-thirds of 2019's attendance; Tokyo DisneySea with 10.1 million visitors, a three-quarters jump from 2021 but still down two-thirds from 2019; and Universal Studios Japan with 12.3 million visitors, which was more than doubled the attendance from 2021 but still lagging the 14.5 million visitors in 2019. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

In Season 5, episode 7, we dive into designing for the widest audience possible with Sina Bahram, a computer scientist and accessibility consultant who is passionate about inclusive design. He shares his personal experience as a blind individual and his dedication to improving accessibility for all. Sina's work on inclusive design methodology has been honored by many organizations, including being named one of President Obama's Champions of Change in 2012, as well as being named one of the two inaugural Catalyst award recipients by the Themed Entertainment Association in 2022. Inclusive design, according to Sina, is about shifting the responsibility of accessibility from individuals to society as a whole. It's a game-changer that benefits everyone, just like how closed captioning is not only used by deaf people, but by people who have issues processing audio information, those who speak another language, or anyone trying to follow the news in a loud bar. Sina emphasizes the importance of considering inclusive design early in the design process. This allows accessibility solutions to be integrated in a comprehensive, seamless and efficient manner, rather than retrospectively added late in the design process in an audit-based approach. Sina's message is clear: inclusive design is essential, and it's all about embracing diversity, breaking barriers, and creating experiences that bring people together. My hope is that this conversation inspires more designers to consider inclusive access so we can welcome more and more people into the escape room community.   Show Notes, Timestamps, & Transcript Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Resova Resova is your all-inclusive software for bookings, made specifically for escape rooms, offering robust booking management, waiver management, integrated point of sales systems, and follow-up emails. Resova is the ultimate online reservation software designed to elevate the guest experience, increase game master efficiencies, drive sales, and improve operations. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: Sign up with our link at Get.resova.com/rea and receive up to $100 with a Google Ads gift card. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Escape room conventions should be as fun, collaborative, and immersive as the games we celebrate. RECON is our very own escape room and immersive gaming convention. Whether you're an owner, creator, player, or you're escape room curious, you are invited learn, connect, and play with our wonderful community. RECON Remote 23 will take place August 19 – 20, 2023, online. RECON 24 will be in person. Get your RECON 23 ticket at now. Music Credits  Our music was created by Ryan Elder. Production Credits REPOD is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media. 

This week, new Tiana Bayou Adventure news, a new Disneyland After Dark Nite announced, a halfway celebration, some shopping locations are back, some in-person ordering returns, we have another trivia spectacular with Producer James and Vern and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS at no extra cost to you! Be sure to mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! DISCOUNTS! We have partnered with the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground to get great deals for our listeners! Book your stay at the Howard Johnson Anaheim and get 15% off your stay (code 1000022077)! Magic Key Holders get 20% off their stay (code 1000025935) as well! Book now! Need the perfect bag for your days in the parks? Look no further than Designer Park Co.! Purchase the Rope Drop Bag as featured on Episode 222 and get 10% off your purchase! Use coupon code DLWEEKLY to get the discount. If you want some awesome headwear or one of a kind items, be sure to visit our friends over at All Enchanting Ears! You can use the promo code DLWEEKLY10 to get 10% off your order! News There is all kinds of new information about Tiana's Bayou Adventure coming to Disneyland in 2024. Disneyland's version of Splash Mountain will officially close on May 30th to begin the transformation. In addition, new concept art was released showing Mama Odie joking with guests in the attraction, with the return of Jenifer Lewis voicing the character. - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/04/mama-odie-to-appear-in-tianas-bayou-adventure-plus-more-updates/ Another Disneyland After Dark Nite has been announced for this summer! Disneyland After Dark Pride Nite will be the first official pride celebration at Disneyland on June 13th and 15th. As with all After Dark Nites, there will be themed entertainment, Disney characters, photo ops, and more! Tickets go on sale April 20th no earlier than 9am Pacific. - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/04/disneyland-after-dark-celebrates-first-pride-nite-at-disneyland-resort-june-13-and-15-2023/ Weeklyteers who are fans of the spooky time of year should get excited! Disneyland, and Walt Disney World, are celebrating halfway to Halloween with some neat sweet treats. The various treats are available starting April 20th through April 23rd. - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/04/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-halfway-to-halloween-2023/ It has been a long time since some shopping locations around the resort have been open, but that time has finally ended! Radiator Springs Curios, Wonderground Gallery, and Disney Home have reopened. Radiator Springs Curios carries MagicBand+ items, pins, and shirts instead of the Cars-themed merch from before. Wonderground has remained mostly unchanged, and Disney Home has also not changed much since it closed. - https://www.micechat.com/353074-disneyland-news-radiator-springs-curios-wonderground-gallery-and-disney-home-reopen/ In Cars Land, the Cozy Cones are welcoming guests to order at each cone again, and not just limited to mobile ordering. It is great to see locations offering guests the option to mobile order or not. - https://www.micechat.com/353451-disneyland-update-crowd-flux-the-last-splash-and-keys-to-the-kingdom/ Two locations have closed in Downtown Disney. As of Friday, Catal and Uva Bar & Cafe have closed to make way for a new addition in the future. Two Mexican restaurants, Paseo and Centrico, will be replacing the locations in the future. - https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2023/04/13/two-disney-restaurants-are-closing-tomorrow/ - https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2023/04/12/another-downtown-disney-dining-location-has-permanently-closed/ There is a metric ton of new merchandise that has show up at Disneyland. - https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2023/04/13/whats-new-at-disneyland-resort-a-100th-anniversary-popcorn-bucket-and-loungefly-bags/ There are some neat additions around the resort to celebrate Earth Month. There are some upcycled Elephants in Downtown Disney which are made of recycled flip-flops found along the beaches of Kenya, and some recycled art pieces made by Cast Members which guests can vote on to win the 2023 Environmental Art Challenge. The cast member art is located near Stage 17, in front of the Marvel Super Store. - https://www.micechat.com/353097-seven-ways-to-celebrate-earth-month-at-disneyland/ - https://www.micechat.com/353451-disneyland-update-crowd-flux-the-last-splash-and-keys-to-the-kingdom/ There has been some updates to the Disneyland Forward program at Disneyland. There is no blue sky or plans laid out, but they are working on the environmental impact statement. After that, they can send it to the city to get the parking lot rezoned. There will be issues having certain attractions in this area since there is a noise restriction in the area. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoMV2XJAOvk A Disney game that was at the D23 Expo has some new information. Ravensburger released the official Disney Lorcana how-to-play videos online before its release. The game is scheduled to launch in August. - https://dlnewstoday.com/2023/04/official-disney-lorcana-how-to-play-videos-released/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=official-disney-lorcana-how-to-play-videos-released Disney didn't have any new attractions up for a Themed Entertainment Association award this year, but they still were able to bring home an award. Susana Tubert, Disneyland's Live Entertainment Creative Director won a Catalyst Award for her theatrical work. She is responsible for Viva Navidad, the Mulan New Year's Procession, and Tale of the Lion King. Disney also won a Legacy award for The Main Street Electrical Parade. - https://www.micechat.com/353451-disneyland-update-crowd-flux-the-last-splash-and-keys-to-the-kingdom/

To follow up on her interview with Joe Rohde, former Disney Imagineer and experience architect of Virgin Galactic, Maya talks to Bob Rogers, the man who puts the ‘B' 'R' in ‘BRC'. Founder and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts, Bob is our Master of Storytelling.  Over the course of his 50+ year career, Bob has developed two patents, has won over 500 international awards for creative excellence with BRC, including two Academy Award nominations. In 2006, Bob was honored with this industry's highest honor, the Themed Entertainment Association's Award for Lifetime Achievement. He's been inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame and has served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. Bob was also invited by NASA to help develop its master plan for the exploration of Mars and later awarded him the NASA Public Service Medal.  Writer, innovator, teacher, scholar…Bob has many things, but we tend to think of Bob as a magician. He's made a career making people smile, suspending our disbelief long enough to help us forget ourselves or maybe to find ourselves.  To learn more about Bob Rogers: www.bobrogers.com   To learn more about BRC: www.brcweb.com

This episode has a strange title, but it will all make sense when you hear us talk about Sea World Orlando's new attraction for 2023. We'll also talk about how both Carowinds and Kings Dominion are about to start up year-round operations. Plus, a different look for the Themed Entertainment Association attendance numbers.

In this episode of the Themed Attraction Podcast, our guest is Sina Bahram, the founder of Prime Access Consulting, and one of the Themed Entertainment Association's first ever Catalyst Award recipients. Sina's inclusive design firm helps attraction designers implement accessible solutions that make knowledge, culture, and technology available to the widest possible audience. Connect with Sina Bahram on LinkedIn, via his website at pac.bz and follow him on Twitter. Show hosts: Mel McGowan & Freddy Martin Show design & production: Barry R. Hill Theme music composed by Rob Watson, closing music by the Lost Dogs. Give us a shoutout on iTunes; we love the attention, and browse www.themedattraction.com for even more on the attractions industry. Thanks for listening! Transcript of this episode: Freddy (00:20): Welcome aboard the Themed Attraction Podcast, where we take you for a ride... through the wonderful world of theme park design that is. You've just set sail on an unmatched journey of discovery and discussion with theme park industry master of the craft. I'm your skipper, Freddy Martin, and riding the rippling river with me is theme park designer, master planner, and Chief Creative Officer for Storyland studios, Mel McGowan. Which way is the river taken us today, Mel? Mel (00:47): Freddy, we've got a unique episode on the horizon day. As we interview one of the Themed Entertainment Association's first ever Catalyst Award recipients, Sina Bahram. Sina is the founder of Prime Access Consulting. That's an inclusive design firm that helps attraction designers implement accessible solutions that make knowledge, culture, and technology available to the widest possible audience. And that we are so excited to have him as part of our extended team for a very special project, which I'm hoping you're allowed to talk about here. Freddy (01:16): Maybe a little bit. Sina is unique. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at the TEA Summit and I knew his story would blow our audience away. So I had to ask him to be on the show. I immediately asked him to join us for an interview and he didn't disappoint. I'm telling you. His passion and enthusiasm for helping create experiences for everyone is infectious. I dare you to match his enthusiasm. All righty folks, keep your hands, arms feet and legs inside the boat, 'cause This episode is about to leave the dock. Hit it, Sam. Mel (02:04): You know, Freddy, when the ADA or Americans with disability act passed in 1990 that was a pretty groundbreaking deal for the certainly the architecture industry for the real estate development industry. You know, and actually we're excited to be working with one of the catalysts that really kind of worked to get hat passed. You know, and it has radically, of course changed the way new attractions are built, how old attractions are modified. I mean, some of the blatantly obvious examples, like the alternative experience with the Nemo sub ride, with the with the, the sleeping beauty castle walkthrough experience. Those are some, you know, kind of obvious examples, but quick question to you, as you've been able to go deep with this particular unique project and, really getting a broader understanding of the "specially abled" the disabilities of inclusive design. You know, my question is how should we approach attraction and experience design with the needs of our entire audience in mind? I mean, I'm asking that as a father of a deaf son and you know, we, you know, different kids with different types of dis learning disabilities you know, how do, how, how do we come across this if, if we're not experiencing some of this stuff ourselves. Freddy (03:26): Yeah. It's a, it's an amazing question to, to ponder and think about. And the you're hinting at a project that we're working on, which is really part of the mission of one of the biggest disability advocacy organizations in the world. And they've asked us to help create a space for them that tells ...

Composer Kincaid Rabb joins us to discuss the consortium model for commissioning new works, how their composition approach does and doesn't change when composing for a consortium, and the basics on how to put consortia together. They chat with us about their research into the music of theme parks, and how they've integrated this research into their composition. We talk about how one approaches the challenges of balancing one's privileges with one's identity, and how this manifests in the small ensemble industry. We speak about their new ensemble, Basket of Owls, and finish the conversation by exploring what magic actually is. Kincaid Rabb (b. 1993, they/them pronouns) is an award-winning composer, working at the intersection of storytelling and new music. Kincaid is an artist-scholar whose research includes musical narratology, emotional catharsis, and the phenomenon of the theme park as inspiration. Using narration, worldbuilding, and a strong sense of fun and play, Kincaid creates musical experiences that immerse audiences into intimate spaces and that reward waders, swimmers, and divers alike. Kincaid produces works that trapeze artistic disciplines, curating performances that seamlessly integrate different sensory experiences and create lasting memories through music. Kincaid's collaborations have included Paradise Winds, The _____ Experiment, the Driftwood Quintet, Kontra Duo, Keyed Kontraptions, Duo R2, the Brelby Theatre Company, and the faculty and students at the University of Arizona and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kincaid is a founding member of Basket of Owls, an ensemble of musician-narrators dedicated to curating spaces for unheard stories. Their principal teachers have included Douglas Harbin, Daniel Asia, Pamela Decker, Diego Vega, and Jennifer Bellor. Currently residing in San Diego, California, Kincaid graduated with a Master of Music in Composition in 2021 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where they held a graduate assistantships in theory, composition, and musicology. They graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Music in Composition in 2017. Kincaid is affiliated with ASCAP and is a NextGen Member of the Themed Entertainment Association. When not working on making more music about dinosaurs, superheroes, or wizards, Kincaid can be found riding roller coasters at local Southern California theme parks. Resources Pine & Gilmore, Welcome to the Experience Economy The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about Kincaid Rabb, please visit their website, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, and Spotify.

InPark publisher  Martin Palicki interviews Themed Entertainment Association executive director, Lindsey Nelson . Grab your InPark Magazine subscription here.

Tony Baxter's career as a Disney Imagineer defined the second generation of Disney Park experiences. Tony's legacy includes Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Tours, Journey Into Imagination, and Disneyland Paris. As a lifelong Disney fan who grew up down the street from Disneyland, Tony always dreamed of becoming an Imagineer. He started with the company at the earliest age possible, scooping ice cream at Disneyland. After graduating from college, Tony was hired as an Imagineer to work on the opening of Walt Disney World. Tony concluded his career at Disney in 2013 as the Senior Vice President of Creative Development. For his many contributions to the themed entertainment industry, Tony was named a Disney Legend, received his own window on Main Street USA, earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association, and was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. In this podcast episode, I have the honor of chatting with Tony about his 40-year career at Walt Disney Imagineering. We discuss some of his favorite projects, his memories of working at Walt Disney World the year it opened, his thoughts about Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary, and his advice for aspiring Imagineers. We also discuss his creative process and methodology for designing legendary attractions. Which of Tony's projects is your favorite? Send me your feedback via email or through direct or public message at any of the following and [with your permission] I'll include your message in a future show: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineerPodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/ImagineerPodcast Twitter: www.twitter.com/ImagineerNews Facebook Group (ImagiNation): https://www.facebook.com/groups/imagineerpodcast/ Email: matt@imagineerpodcast.com  Be sure to check out our sponsor WDW Magazine, the premier magazine focused on Walt Disney World, available in print or digital. Disney news and travel tips: Be sure to visit our Disney news partner, The Kingdom Insider: Website: https://thekingdominsider.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/KingdomInsider Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekingdominsider/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tkidisneynews YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNy6LP8uPSjsktoPBr5JTQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TKIDisneyNews/ Vacation Planning: Planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or another Disney destination? Visit our trusted partner, Academy Travel:  Walt Disney World: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/waltdisney/IP Disneyland: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneyland/IP Disney Cruise Line: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneycruise/IP Aulani: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/Aulani/IP Adventures by Disney: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/DisneyAdventure/IP How to Support the Show Share the podcast with your friends Rate and review on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-imagineerpodcasts-podcast/id1244558092 Join our Patreon Group - https://www.patreon.com/imagineerpodcast Purchase merchandise - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/imagineer-podcast?ref_id=8929 Download Imagineer Tours - http://imagineertours.com  Special thanks to our Deluxe Passholder Patreon members! Thomas N Devan L Katelyn F Jason K Jordan J Dani S Enjoy the show!

What makes a theme park attraction world-class? I ask that question to the leaders of the Themed Entertainment Association's Thea Awards: Luc Mayrand from Walt Disney Imagineering and experience designer Dave Cobb, who talk about how the TEA finds and selects its Thea Award winners. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themeparkinsider/support

This week, Buena Vista Street has opened, Walt and Mickey have a refreshed look, Avenger’s Campus updates, new food in DCA, Grad Nite 2021 update, we talk to Liberty about her Disney World trip, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS and ask about custom dining adventures! Be sure to mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! All Enchanting Ears is offering 10% off for podcast listeners and weekly flash sales! Head on over to allenchantingears.com and use DLWEEKLY10 at checkout. News: Buena Vista Street has reopened and guests have descended upon the resort to step foot inside of a Disney park again. For those who may go in the near future, you will have to pay $10 to park in the Downtown Disney parking lot, stores are capped at 25% per state mandate, so be prepared to wait. To actually get access to Buena Vista Street, guests must wait in a queue or scan a daily-changing QR code to join the virtual queue. Once you get inside, there are also waits to enter the shops. – https://www.micechat.com/275982-disneyland-update-holiday-hopes-and-humbugs/ With the opening of Buena Vista Street, the Storytellers statue that features Mickey and Walt when first arriving in California has been refurbished. In Disneyland, the Partners statue was also refurbished. Over time, the bronze had oxidized, and because of the applied patina, acrylic polymer and wax, it required a more intensive process than just a simple cleaning or polishing. Over four days, an artisan utilized a process using crushed walnut shells to gently strip the figure down to the bare bronze. After cleaning, various chemicals were applied and heated with a blowtorch to create a reaction and fuse with the bronze. The figure was coated in a polymer to protect the patina, then coated with a very thin layer of wax. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/a-special-surprise-to-commemorate-mickeys-birthday-at-disneyland-resort/ Avenger’s Campus may not be open at Disney California Adventure at the moment, but you can still pick up your very own Spider-Bot! The Spider-Bot is a tool that WEB, or the Worldwide Engineering Brigade, built to help super heroes. Guests can find this fun toy, along with all new Avenger’s apparel at World of Disney or the Backlot Premiere Shop starting December 4th. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/first-chance-to-get-your-very-own-spider-bot-from-avengers-campus-at-disneyland-resort/ With the ability to be in Disney California Adventure, guests have been able to get a closer look at Avenger’s Campus! Most of the buildings that can be seen from guest accessible areas look in place, and nearly complete. With the pace and amount of work being done, this new area could open with the rest of the park sometime next year. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/11/19/photos-construction-is-moving-along-at-avengers-campus-in-disneyland/ Guests that would like to order a drink from Award Wieners can also purchase a Green or a Red Mickey Jingle Bell Glow Cube for just $4.99. For a more upscale dining experience, some of the new options at Carthay Circle might hit the spot. Baked Bay Scallops, Moroccan Roasted Chicken Meatballs, Pumpkin Ice Cream Sundae, and available. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/11/21/whats-new-at-disney-california-adventure-buena-vista-street-re-opens-with-new-menus-holiday-merchandise-and-more/ and https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/11/18/whats-new-at-downtown-disney-a-crazy-mickey-shake-iconic-mickey-ears-holiday-decorations-and-more/#more-408166 Without an opening date for the parks, and even knowing if graduation celebrations will be allowed next year, Disneyland has canceled the 2021 Grad Nite. Disney’s statement said “We know how disappointing this will be to the many graduates who were looking forward to celebrating at the Disneyland Resort, and we thank you for your understanding during these challenging and unprecedented times. We look forward to celebrating your students in years to come.” – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/11/24/news-grad-nite-2021-has-been-canceled-at-disneyland-resort/ Disney fans have been very excited about the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway toys available at McDonald’s as part of a Happy Meal order. However, in just the last couple of days, the toys have been pulled from the restaurants. The QR codes to register to win a WDW trip were having some issues and new toys without the codes are on the way to restaurants now and should be in stock again soon. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/11/mcdonalds-temporarily-stops-selling-happy-meals-featuring-mickey-and-minnies-runaway-railway-toys-due-to-error/ Once again, a new Disney Paper Parks creation has been posted online. This time, it celebrates the unveiling of the Castle of Magical Dreams which just debuted in Hong Kong Disneyland. The cool thing about this version is there are two versions, an easy and a hard. Also, we somehow missed the last of the Happy Haunts Disney Paper Parks from the end of October, which features Madame Leota. Links are available in our show notes. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/disney-parks-blog-presents-disney-paper-parks-castle-of-magical-dreams-designed-by-imagineers/ and https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/10/disney-parks-blog-presents-disney-paper-parks-happy-haunts-edition-designed-by-walt-disney-imagineering-part-4/ With the holidays coming up, you might want to make some yummy Disney treats at home. The Gingerbread-Cream Cheese Muffin recipe has been posted on the Disney Parks Blog. This recipe is a little more complicated than the ones that we have posted previously, but should still be a lot of fun! – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/disneymagicmoments-cooking-up-the-magic-celebrate-national-gingerbread-day-with-our-gingerbread-cream-cheese-muffin-recipe/ Once again this year, Disney is airing the Wonderful World of Disney Magical Holiday Celebration Thanksgiving night at 9, 8 central on ABC. This year is the fifth anniversary of the broadcast and will feature Derek and Julianne Hough hosting from Disneyland, while Trevor Jackson hosts from Walt Disney World. The show will contain fan-favorite past performances throughout the years. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/abc-and-disney-parks-feature-nostalgic-performances-in-special-5th-anniversary-edition-of-the-wonderful-world-of-disney-magical-holiday-celebration/ This week, the Themed Entertainment Association honored Disney with two Outstanding Achievement Awards for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Additionally, they gave the Buzz Price Thea Award, Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements to Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/themed-entertainment-association-honors-disney-with-two-thea-awards-for-outstanding-achievement-and-recognizes-walt-disney-imagineering-president-bob-weis-for-a-lifetime-of-distinguished-achievements/ Discussion Topic: Liberty about her trip to WDW

This week, the Disney Horses horse around for Halloween, churro toffee recipes, a change to the Disneyland mobile app, some new merch has come to Downtown Disney, a new Imagineering invention, we talk to former Disneyland Ambassador Robyn, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS and ask about custom dining adventures! Be sure to mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! All Enchanting Ears is offering 10% off for podcast listeners. Head on over to allenchantingears.com and use DLWEEKLY10 at checkout. News: The horses from Disneyland have been enjoying their extended “vacation” at the Circle-D Ranch, but they got into the spirit with their own costumes for Halloween. Horses Chief and Chad were decked with flowers representing traditional carousel horses, Jack dressed as an African okapi, Maximus was dressed as – get ready for this – a baked potato! Val dressed for the upcoming holiday with red, green, and ribbons, Finn dressed as Flynn Rider, and Gracie dressed as a bee! To see all these costumes, make sure to check out the link in our show notes! – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/10/photos-horses-of-circle-d-ranch-at-disneyland-resort-dress-up-for-halloween/ Listeners of the show know that we love the churro toffee from the parks. Pumpkin Spice has come to the popular treat! This version was available at the California Churro Co. cart in Downtown Disney until Halloween. On the white chocolate outside, pumpkin spice and orange colored sugar has been added for this fall treat. We hope that they bring this back in the future! – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/10/29/review-the-limited-time-pumpkin-spiced-toffee-is-available-now-in-downtown-disney/ You might have missed the pumpkin spice churro toffee at the resort, but you can make your own regular churro toffee at home! MiceChat has posted a recipe that is only 5 ingredients, along with a video showing how to do it! Visit the link in the show notes to try it yourself. – https://www.micechat.com/274134-dia-de-los-muertos-treat-copycat-disneyland-churro-toffee-recipe/ The Disneyland Mobile app has added a chat feature, a “Know Before You Go” section, and retired updates through the Disneyland Today Twitter profile. Guests have to be logged into a Disney account to use the chat feature. The Know Before You Go section is split into Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/10/31/news-cast-member-chat-and-downtown-disney-operational-updates-added-to-disneyland-app/ and https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/10/disneyland-app-adds-chat-feature-know-before-you-go-information-ahead-of-buena-vista-street-reopening/ An interactive talking Groot has come to World of Disney for just $59.99. Groot responds to 20 spoken phrases with sounds, music, and movement. The list of phrases is included with the purchase. Groot can also attach to guest’s shoulders. A seperate bluetooth speaker is also available for $39.99. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/11/photos-new-interactive-talking-groot-and-bluetooth-speaker-bring-guardians-of-the-galaxy-to-life-at-disneyland-resort/ The Dress Shop in Downtown Disney has a new Sleeping Beauty Castle Snowflake dress for sale. The dress is cream colored and has embroidered snowflake details on the belt and collar, with Sleeping Beauty Castle on the left side of the dress. The dress also features pockets, which is a great addition to any dress. The dress costs $128. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/11/photos-new-sleeping-beauty-castle-snowflake-dress-by-the-dress-shop-arrives-at-the-disneyland-resort/ Guests visiting Downtown Disney will notice that mobile ordering and queueing has expanded for the shopping district. For waiting for access to the popular stores, guests can now just scan a QR code on a sign to get on the waiting list and not have to talk directly with a cast member. Third party dining establishments have added mobile ordering through scanning a QR code and placing an order. – https://www.micechat.com/274153-disneyland-update-closures-christmas-reopening/ Some new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge merchandise has come to the the Trading Post in Downtown Disney. A new Annual Passholder t-shirt for $36.99, and an Oga’s Cantina Coasters t-shirt for $36.99. Along with Star Wars, holiday merchandise has shown up around the shopping district. Items include a wide range of clothing, accessories, and more. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/10/30/whats-new-at-downtown-disney-christmas-merchandise-fall-snacks-and-buena-vista-street-prepares-to-reopen/ and https://www.micechat.com/273974-disneyland-merchandise-update-holidays-in-galaxies-far-far-away/ The Orange County Register reported that the changes that have taken place for the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance out in Hollywood Studios could come to Disneyland. The boarding groups changed to allow guests to reserve a space without being in the parks for the morning time frame. The afternoon time frame is still limited to guests in the parks. – https://www.ocregister.com/2020/10/31/how-rise-of-the-resistance-virtual-queue-could-change-when-disneyland-reopens/ A quick warning if you go and look for an image from this story: it is a little creepy. Walt Disney Imagineering is working on a next-generation animatronic that breathes and stares at you. This new technology allows for subtle eye and head movements, allowing the animatronic to interact more realistically with guests. The video that we have linked in the show notes is amazing, and a little creepy, to watch. – https://t.co/KcbdTw8dSQ The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Special and Disney Holiday Singalong is coming to ABC this holiday season, but will be “reimagined” with the ongoing pandemic. Some of the changes probably include highlights from previous years. November 30th is the first special, The Disney Holiday Singalong, with the Christmas Day Celebration airing on Christmas Day. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/10/reimagined-disney-parks-magical-christmas-day-special-and-disney-holiday-singalong-coming-to-abc/ The Themed Entertainment Association announced the TEA masters honorees for 2020. The Masters program celebrates the masters of their craft in the global visitor attractions industry. Linda Alcorn worked for Disney for over 40 years in Show Control Engineering, Tracy Eck worked over 30 years in Art Direction, Design and Show Quality, working on Disneyland Paris, and Lanny Smoot, working in Theatrical Technology for over 40 years and worked on the Haunted Mansion and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. – https://www.teaconnect.org/Blog/TEA-Blog/index.cfm?ID=8669&redirect=y Disney World Ride vehicle toys are coming to a Happy Meal near you! Starting on November 17th, the day before Mickey and Minnie’s birthday, you can head to a local McDonald’s and pick up some of the collection. The collection can be connected to form a 10 car train. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/11/photo-walt-disney-world-ride-vehicle-toys-reportedly-coming-to-mcdonalds-this-month/ Mayors from Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego and more have sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom calling to reopen Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and other large theme parks. They want the parks to be able to open in tier 3, instead of teir 4. They do end the letter asking to better understand the data to be supportive of the health measures from the state. – https://t.co/QsCgvEXjbB and https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/11/02/news-california-mayors-ask-governor-newsom-to-allow-theme-parks-to-reopen-in-tier-3/ Discussion Topic: 1997 Disneyland Ambassador Robyn

This week, an update direct from Disneyland, expanded mobile ordering, more progress as the parks prepare to reopen, crowd estimates on when the parks do open, where the Wonderground Gallery went, we discuss Tarzan’s Treehouse, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS and get your first year of Touring Plans for FREE! Just mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! All Enchanting Ears is offering 10% off for podcast listeners. Head on over to allenchantingears.com and use DLWEEKLY10 at checkout. News: At 10am pacific time on Tuesday, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products held a press conference to give and update on the Disney Parks approach to operating during COVID-19. On the call were VPs of Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, WDW Hotels and Resorts, and Patrick Finnegan, the VP of DCA and Downtown Disney. Closing remarks were given by Josh D’Amaro, the Chairman of the division. 8 out of 10 guests feel the safety measures are just right. Disney plans on providing COVID testing in their communities with details to be announced soon. Josh D’Amaro joined from DCA and expressed how important Disneyland is to the economy in CA and how 80,000 jobs rely on the resort. The biggest line was “We are ready, and more importantly… it is time.” – https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/09/22/live-blog-disney-parks-and-resorts-update/ When Disneyland does reopen, mobile ordering is going to be expanded, just as it was in Walt Disney World. And, just like in Disney World, it will be the preferred way for guests to order their food while in the parks. Apple Pay and Disney gift cards will also be allowed in the app and the minimum age for mobile ordering will be lowered to 13 years old, down from the previous 18 years old. There is currently no updated list of locations that will offer mobile ordering. – https://www.ocregister.com/2020/09/22/disneyland-to-expand-restaurant-mobile-ordering-when-theme-parks-reopen/ More progress seen in the parks in preparation for the reopening of Disneyland. Hand sanitizer stations have appeared all over Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure and crowd signage like “Enter Here” have also been spotted. – https://www.micechat.com/270828-disneyland-update-how-soon-is-very-very-soon/ and https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/09/22/two-major-new-park-additions-show-were-even-closer-to-disneyland-reopening/ The Thinkwell Group released an estimate that Disneyland could maintain social distancing measures at 50% of pre-COVID attendance capacity. This was calculated using the estimates from the Themed Entertainment Association of 500 to 650 per acre. With the 6 feet of distance, that leaves 140 square feet per person, and 200 square feet for groups of 3, Thinkwell estimates. In the end 25 to 30,000 visitors per day could visit and properly distance. – https://www.ocregister.com/2020/09/17/disneyland-could-allow-for-social-distancing-at-50-capacity-data-shows/ The likelihood of the trams returning when the parks reopen is pretty slim considering that Walt Disney World has been open for months and the trams have not returned there. So, Disneyland has turned it’s tramway into a pedestrian walkway this past week, installing signage, benches, and trash cans along the route from Mickey and Friends, as well as Pixar Pals parking garages. This isn’t the first time that this has been used or pedestrians, being used on heavy attendance days like New Years Eve. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/09/16/photos-disneyland-prepares-for-reopening-as-park-reservation-signs-and-a-potential-new-walkway-appear/ In another positive sign of possible reopening coming sooner than later, the floral Mickey in front of the Main Street Station has been refreshed. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/09/photos-mickey-entrance-floral-planter-refreshed-at-disneyland-social-distancing-signage-installed-at-disney-california-adventure/ Last week, the Wonderground Gallery was taken over by Star Wars overnight. Rumors spread online that it was a permanent closure of the popular art gallery in Downtown Disney. The new Star Wars Trading post sells a lot of items that were once only available in Galaxy’s Edge. {someone online? Disney} did say that they are looking for an alternate location for the Wonderground Gallery to return to. – https://www.micechat.com/270828-disneyland-update-how-soon-is-very-very-soon/ Star Wars fans that are collecting the various lightsabers from the Star Wars Universe have the opportunity to choose the next saber to be released. The options are Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels, Cal Kestis from the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game, and Lord Corvax. Head to the link in our show notes to cast your vote now through October 1st. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/09/guests-get-to-vote-for-next-legacy-lightsaber-coming-to-dok-ondars-den-of-antiquities-in-star-wars-galaxys-edge-products-from-the-theme-park-land-now-online-at-shopdisney-coming-to-disney-sprin/ and https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/09/vote-for-the-next-legacy-lightsaber-in-celebration-of-products-direct-from-star-wars-galaxys-edge-coming-to-shopdisney-disney-springs-and-downtown-disney-district/ The Mandalorian will be returning with season 2 at the end of October, but if you want some Baby Yoda, also known as “The Child” in your life before then, you can pick up a new travel blanket that features the little green creature. The blanket folds up in itself and includes a trolley sleeve for easy transport. You can pick one up for just $24.99 in Downtown Disney. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/09/17/snuggle-with-this-super-cozy-and-totes-adorbs-baby-yoda-blanket-from-disneyland/ A new set of Minnie ears came… and went at Downtown Disney this week. The Retro Disneyland Minnie Ears are blue sequins for the ears, with the vintage Disneyland lettering in place of the bow. On the band itself is the saying “The Happiest Place on Earth.” They are $29.99, if you can find them at the World of Disney. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/09/22/stop-these-are-the-most-iconic-disneyland-minnie-ears-ever/ Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes celebrated national cheeseburger day on September 17th. To honor the day, they offered a chance to win some prizes online. Possible prizes included discounts at Black Tap, free fries, and more. The grand prize was Heinz ketchup for a year, customizable Heinz swag, and free burgers for a year. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/09/17/spin-to-win-a-free-burger-online-from-this-downtown-disney-burger-spot/ Discussion: Tarzan’s Treehouse – https://www.mouseplanet.com/12070/The_Story_of_Tarzans_Treehouse

This week, Disneyland celebrates 65 years, what they did to celebrate, some neat historic artifacts, a chance to get some D23 exclusive merch, more recipes released, a huge Disneyland auction, attendace numbers from 2019, we discuss our favorite merchandise, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS and get your first year of Touring Plans for FREE! Just mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! News: Last week was Disneyland’s 65th Anniversary, but with the parks closed, there wasn’t a good way to celebrate so the Disney Parks Blog had a virtual celebration. This included a “Test your Disneyland” knowledge test on the blog, which we will have linked in the show notes. It is a good selection of easy to hard questions. (Tage got a 8/8). – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/07/quiz-test-your-disneyland-knowledge-65th-anniversary-edition/ shopDisney is celebrating the 65th anniversary of Disneyland with some merchandise for the event. Items include a Mickey 65th plush, a Mickey and Minnie Loungefly backpack, t-shirts, spirit jerseys, and more. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/shop-disneyland-65th-anniversary-merchandise-arrives-on-shopdisney/ Walt Disney World News Today shared some documents to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Disneyland this week. Documents include “Adventure in Disneyland”, which was released before Disneyland opened, to a “Disneyland Holiday” magazine with legends like Jack Lindquist and Marty Sklar. If you love Disneyland history, these documents are worth a look. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/celebrate-disneyland-through-the-decades-with-these-vintage-park-documents/ If you are a D23, or D23 Gold Member, there were some events that included some pins. Since these events were cancelled, the pins are now available on shopDisney for D23 members. To purchase the sets, you must be logged into shopDisney with the email address of the account that is linked to your D23 account. Pin sets include the “A Goofy Movie” 25th anniversary set, and the “D23 Fantastic Worlds” set. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/shop-d23-gold-gold-family-member-exclusive-pins-from-cancelled-and-postponed-events-now-available-on-shopdisney/ More historical artifacts from the resort will be on sale in yet another Van Eaton Galleries auction! On August 15th and 16th, “Disneyland: The First 65 Years” auction will take place, offering up items such as attraction posters, a Disneyland Main Street mailbox, and more. If a buy it now strategy is more your style, there are also dozens of items on their “Buy it now” section, with items as low as $25! (Quite a bit of HM stuff on 184-205) (ALSO: Check out the second link for the most expensive items) – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/photos-van-eaton-galleries-to-offer-disneyland-the-first-65-years-online-auction-featuring-rare-props-costumes-attraction-posters-and-more-on-august-15-16/ and https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/21/10-most-expensive-disneyland-items-in-auction-featuring-1100-theme-park-collectibles/ For Weeklyteeers who love the fried pickles at Disneyland, they can now be tried at home! DisneyMagicMoments has released the recipe from the Carnation Cafe on Main Street. The recipe even includes the instructions for the zesty dipping sauce that is served with it. Ava, a 13 year old daughter of a Disney photographer, even made a video showing the steps. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/07/disneymagicmoments-cooking-up-the-magic-recipe-for-fried-pickles-from-carnation-cafe-at-disneyland-park-need-we-say-more/ Fans of the “World Famous Jungle Cruise” can pick up a new addition for their kitchens. The Jungle Cruise cookie jar is now avaiable and features a Jungle Cruise skipper in a caracature-style design inside of a Jungle Cruise boat that makes up the jar itself. This fun item can be purchased for $55 at Disney Home in Downtown Disney. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/07/16/disneys-new-jungle-cruise-cookie-jar-will-make-your-kitchen-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world/ Coming from a Galaxy Far, Far away to your local Target on August 30th is some exclusive Galaxy’s Edge merch! Some of the items that you can pick up include Pop! Vinyl figures like R5, a vintage collection Millennium Falcon based on Galaxy’s Edge, Black Series action figures, a Black Series DJ-R3X, the Lego I-TS Transport ship and more. Pre-orders are open for these items, so head to the link in our show notes to get yours today! – https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-galaxys-edge-target More detailed blueprints for the new 12-story DVC tower coming to the Disneyland Hotel were released this week. The new concept art and blueprints give a glimpse into the layout of the area, and design of some of the guest areas, like the new Mickey “Ink and Paint” pool and interactive water feature. The lobby will be two stories tall and feature an open-air floor plan. The new tower is expected to take 4 years to complete, with opening as soon as 2023. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/new-artwork-and-blueprints-released-for-upcoming-12-story-disney-vacation-club-tower-at-disneyland-hotel-including-first-look-at-mickey-ink-paint-interactive-water-feature/ The Themed Entertainment Association released theme park attendance estimates for 2019 and it showed that theme park attendance at Disneyland and Walt Disney World is flat, despite the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The TEA doesn’t think that this is anything to be worried about as Disney shifts to providing a better experience to the guests attending and increasing their spending. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/disney-parks-attendance-flat-in-newly-released-2019-tea-aecom-theme-index/ When Disneyland does reopen and the Cast Members are welcomed back to the parks, the backstage areas will be 100% smoke-free. Smoking was removed from the guest sections of the parks last May, but this backstage removal is to help maintain social distancing in the sometimes cramped areas of backstage. Disney has also provided resources for Cast Members to stop smoking, if needed. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/disneyland-resort-announces-fully-smoke-free-backstage-areas-for-cast-members-ahead-of-reopening/ With the opening of Walt Disney World theme parks in Orlando, Florida, Disney has been able to see what works and what doesn’t in the parks in terms of safety measures required of guests. Some guests were finding loop holes in the policies, like walking around eating and drinking so they wouldn’t have to wear a mask, since that is allowed. They have closed that loop hole and now guests must eat and drink in place, while being socially distant. They have also tightened the types of masks that they accept. No bandanas or neck gaiters are allowed. PhotoPass photos taken with guests not wearing a mask are not available. – https://www.micechat.com/264693-disneyland-update-its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-progress/ All active Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders who have paid for their Passports in full will automatically have their Passport expiration date extended due to theme park closures to provide additional access opportunities at the end of the Passport term. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s Passport account prior to the reopening of the theme parks. As an alternative, and in lieu of an extension of their Passports, Passholders who have paid in full may choose to receive a partial refund for the theme park closure period. To request this alternative option, we ask that you contact Annual Passport Member Services at (714) 781-4567. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries. Your Annual Passport should show a new date once the extension period has been determined. Please keep checking our updates as we will have more information to share soon. Discussion Topic: Our Merch Likes

This week's news: • Walt Disney World is reopening it’s theme parks. Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom will reopen on Saturday, July 11, while Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios will reopen on Wednesday July 15, with soft opening events for select audiences before theN. • Sea World Orlando has put forward its reopening plan as well, with a plan to reopen on June 11th. • There was an amazing photo taken this week of the state of Super Nintendo World Japan! Looks amazing!! • Six Flags today announced that the first of its parks Frontier City park in Oklahoma City will reopen on June 5. It’ll be first to utilise the new chain wide safety protocols including IR Temperature checks and contactless bag searches. • Cedar Fair announced an update of its parks' mobile apps to support new admission procedures. This includes the ability to reserve entry times and complete the health survey required to enter the parks. • Former Fox World Park At resorts world Genting in Malaysia has been Delayed to Late 2021. • The Themed Entertainment Association today canceled its rescheduled 26th annual Thea Awards ceremony and TEA Summit for 2020 and announced that its Thea Case Studies sessions from the summit would move online. • Legoland Florida has gotten approval from the state of Florida for its reopening plan, so the resort will resume welcoming guests on June 1

Bob Gurr's career is one many Disney fans know well. After being hired by Walt Disney to join WED Enterprises in 1954, Bob went on to build vehicles, ride systems, and other designs for a wide range of classic Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions. For example, Bob created the vehicles for Autopia, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Haunted Mansion, and the Ford Magic Skyway. He also designed the original version of the Disneyland and Walt Disney World monorails, the mechanics for Walt's Abraham Lincoln animatronic (as seen in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the 1964 World's Fair), the omnimover ride system, and the world's first tubular steel roller coaster—Matterhorn Bobsleds. After concluding his career with Disney in 1981, Bob went on to design over 150 projects for Universal Studios, Steven Spielberg, Michael Jackson, and more. For his contributions to the theme park industry, Bob has been honored with the Disney Legends award, his own window on Main Street USA at Disneyland, and the Themed Entertainment Association's lifetime achievement award, which also places him on the judging committee for the association's annual theme park awards. Bob is still very active today at the age of 88. His current projects include: Waltland: a bus tour around Los Angeles to visit important sites in Walt Disney and Bob Gurr history. Fandom Productions: Bob Gurr merchandise signed by the legend himself. "Bob Gurr: Legendary Imagineer": Bob Gurr's autobiography, published in 2019. You can also follow Bob on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/BobGurr/ https://www.instagram.com/bobgurrofficial/ https://www.bobgurr.com And be sure to see Bob on Episode 1 of The Imagineering Story on Disney+. Which of Bob Gurr's creations do you love most? Send me your feedback via email or through direct or public message at any of the following and [with your permission] I'll include your message in a future show: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineerPodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/ImagineerPodcast Twitter: www.twitter.com/ImagineerNews Facebook Group (ImagiNation): https://www.facebook.com/groups/imagineerpodcast/ Share your feedback via voicemail: 516-406-8376 Disney news and travel tips: Be sure to visit our Disney news partner, The Kingdom Insider: Website: https://thekingdominsider.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/KingdomInsider Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekingdominsider/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tkidisneynews YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNy6LP8uPSjsktoPBr5JTQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TKIDisneyNews/ Vacation Planning: Planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or another Disney destination? Visit our trusted partner, Academy Travel:  Walt Disney World: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/waltdisney/IP Disneyland: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneyland/IP Disney Cruise Line: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/disneycruise/IP Aulani: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/Aulani/IP Adventures by Disney: https://apps.itams.com/AcademyCRM/form/DisneyAdventure/IP How to Support the Show Share the podcast with your friends Rate and review on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-imagineerpodcasts-podcast/id1244558092 Join the Imagineer Society - https://www.patreon.com/imagineerpodcast Purchase merchandise - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/imagineer-podcast?ref_id=8929 Enjoy the show!

USA Today released Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM’s ranked list of most visited theme parks in the United States. Later, I go over the hits and misses (if any) of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. Enjoy! This episode originally aired on June 2nd, 2019 Links LIST – Most Visited Theme Parks in the United States

Recently published in the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) newsletter as An Up and Coming Force, Lance Cardey, joins us today to discuss his journey into the industry. He is currently The Program Manager of Project & Programs for The Tech Services Engineering Department at Universal Studios Hollywood. We talk about what All that means, how … Continue reading EP60 Lance Cardey: Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) →

Do you understand the game of networking? Roberta Perry used to hate networking. Then she learned how to turn networking into a game. Now she helps others power-up their networking. Roberta Perry is the Sr. Vice-President of Business Development for Edwards Technologies, Inc. (ETI) and President of Roberta Perry & Associates. Roberta has enjoyed working with many diverse Global Brands. These include Universal Studios, Universal City Walk, 20th Century Fox, Cirque Du Soleil, The United States Navy, Coca-Cola, SEGA, Disney Retail and Driscoll Berries. Ms. Perry was a founding member of the Themed Entertainment Association. She served as its president for two years. She is past chairman of the International Nightclub and Bar Association. She was on the board of directors for the National Restaurant Association Marketing Executives Group. She is a past member of the NFL Sunday Ticket Advisory Board. While living in Seattle she served on the Fair Campaign and Ethics Committee for the City. She also served on the Toastmasters International Board of Directors from 2010 – 2012. Currently, she is the Board Secretary for Lawrence Anthony’s Earth Organization. She has been a guest speaker at many conferences. These include: the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Urban Land Institute, Themed Restaurants conferences, Entertainment Retail conference, Leisure Expo, TILE (Europe), World Gaming Congress, and the Nightclub & Bar Annual conferences, Interactive Customer Experience Summit, POPAI (The Global Association for Marketing at Retail), and Global Gaming Expo 2017. Roberta authored the chapter, “Get Your Foot in the Door,” in the Best Selling book “Women Who Rock,” by Natasha Duswalt.

*Subscribe @ iTunes* TSPP IS BACK For 2016! You should listen to this episode and then check out the happenings at the TEA, aka, Themed Entertainment Association. This episode, the guys get excited about the future of the TEA, but also, release the remaining conversations and interviews from the TEA Summit/Thea Awards of 2015, including: 2015 Buzz Price Thea Award Honoree Ron Miziker, Walt Disney Imagineering's Staci Schofield on Wilderness Explorers at Disney Animal Kingdom, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Haakon Lund on Graatassland “Land of the Little Tractor,” Sentosa's Wings of Time with Jean-Christophe Canizares & Sam Lee, and Bryan Boehme of Christie Digital Systems. Enjoy! Links: TEA Website Christie Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Kongeparken (Graatassland) Touring Plans Walt Disney Birthplace  MiceChat Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com brent@super78.com robert@robertcoker.com Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524 Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated. © 2016 Season Pass Podcast

*Subscribe @ iTunes* The Season Pass Podcast is back for another year at the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) Summit and Thea Awards!  This year, along with the 2015 Thea Award recipients, we're chatting with the LEADERS of the Themed Entertainment Association.  This episode focuses on interviews with the Founder of the TEA, Monty Lunde (Technifex), the President of the TEA, Steve Birket (Birket Engineering), and Buzz Price Award Recipient, Ron Miziker (Miziker Entertainment).  The TEA is rocking for 2015!!!  Enjoy!   Want to order a copy of Ron Miziker's “Bible for Event Planning”—Miziker's Complete Event Planner's Handbook? Click Below: Ron's Event Planning Book on Amazon   Links: TEA Website Technifex Birket Engineering Miziker Entertainment Touring Plans Walt Disney Birthplace  MiceChat Pixie Vacations Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes   Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com   Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass   Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com brent@super78.com robert@robertcoker.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524   Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   © 2015 Season Pass Podcast

*Subscribe @ iTunes* TSPP is back at the Thea Awards!! Part one of our coverage on the 2014 TEA Summit and Theas is all about DISNEY!  Discussion on the creative process behind TEA award recipients: Hong Kong Disneyland's attraction Mystic Manor with Director of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering Japan (formerly Hong Kong) Mark Schirmer, and Enchanted Tales with Belle with Imagineers Ted Robledo & Chris Kelly.  Discussion on beginning a theme park design career at Disneyland with Michael Libby, plus a look into the Themed Entertainment Association with Judy Rubin (TEA/InPark Magazine) and the new COO of the TEA Jennie Nevin.  Tons of magic, a land full of fantasy, and an explosive start for TSPP's series on the 2014 Thea Awards at the Disneyland Resort!  Enjoy.   EPISODE SPONSORS: MAGIC BAND BUDGET SERPENTINE FIRE by Jon Binkowski & Stephen DeWoody THE ANABELLA HOTEL   Upcoming Events: SCARE LA Halloween Convention-August 9 & 10, 2014 Use the code “SCARESEASONPASS” to save 10% on your tickets!   Links: The Themed Entertainment Association The Disneyland Resort Hong Kong Disneyland Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World) MiceChat Touring Plans Pixie Vacations Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes   Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com   Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass   Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com brent@super78.com robert@robertcoker.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524   Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   © 2014 Season Pass Podcast

06/03/14 - In this week’s show Disney’s new movie “Maleficent” opens to big box office sales and mixed reviews, James Cameron reveals details about Avatarland at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and we also talk about the top Orlando theme parks as ranked by the Themed Entertainment Association.

*Subscribe @ iTunes* This week is the Season Pass looks at the TEA's SATE 2013!  Learn about this amazing themed entertainment event taking place at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Georgia--October 3-4!  Doug Barnes and SATE Co-Chair Stefan Lawrence (StefanRules.com) discusses STORYTELLING, ARCHITECTURE, TECHNOLOGY and EXPERIENCE with three of the four event chairs: Adam Bezark (Owner and Creative Director of the Bezark Company), MK Haley (from Disney Research), and Al Cross (V.P. of PGAV Destinations).  Tons of info on this amazing conference from the Themed Entertainment Association. Enjoy!  Links: TEA Website SATE Blog Bezark Company PGAV Destinations StefanRules.com Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes  Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com   brent.young@seasonpasspodcast.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524   Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   © 2013 Season Pass Podcast 

Every year, the Themed Entertainment Association releases their Global Attractions Attendance Report. The report focuses on the attendance numbers of theme parks, water parks and museums across the globe. On this week's show, EB and Mike break down the numbers and talk about the parks and companies were at the top of the list and the ones were surprisingly at the bottom. Plus, we'll have a Live Trip Report from Hersheypark and much more! Check out all of the show notes and links in our new interactive ZEEN - "In Styleee!" It's brand new for Season Seven!

*Subscribe @ iTunes* This week TSPP continues covering the Themed Entertainment Association with a look into the 2013 Thea Awards!  Kathy Oliver (Sr. Producer of the 19th Annual Thea Awards) and Patrick Roberge (President & Creative Director of Patrick Roberge Productions) join Doug Barnes and Robert Coker to discuss their history in the themed entertainment industry as well as producing this year's Thea Award celebration.  Enjoy! Links: The Themed Entertainment Association Patrick Roberge Productions Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes  Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com   brent.young@seasonpasspodcast.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524   Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   © 2013 Season Pass Podcast 

*Subscribe @ iTunes*   The 2012 18th Annual Thea Awards Ceremony will be the biggest Award Event in the Themed Entertainment Association's (aka: The TEA) History!!  Join Rick Rothschild (President of the TEA/CCO of Far Out! Creative Direction), Ron Miziker (Creative Director of Miziker Entertainment Group) and Ryan Harmon (President of Zeitgeist) as they discuss producing the Thea Awards Presentation as well as the beginning of the TEA & Theas.  Ron also gives insight on his beginnings in the themed entertainment world including producing all the shows for the “brand new” Walt Disney World, producing the original Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade and starting the Disney Channel.  Get to know the story behind the Themed Entertainment Association and the Thea Awards.  Enjoy! Links: The TEA Miziker Entertainment Group Thea Awards and TEA Summit Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes  Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at: www.seasonpasspodcast.com Follow Us On Twitter! - www.twitter.com/theseasonpass Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass Contact us:  doug@seasonpasspodcast.com   brent.young@seasonpasspodcast.com   nick@seasonpasspodcast.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –1-916-248-5524   Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   © 2012 Season Pass Podcast 

Dave Parfitt interviews Kim Irvine, Disneyland's Art Director and recent recipient of the Themed Entertainment Association "Buzz Price" Lifetime Achievement Award

Hi everyone, sorry for the delay.  In today's episode Gene Jeffers, Executive Director of the Themed Entertainment Association (aka-TEA),  joins us in the Season Pass Discussion Room.  This is a wonderful conversation about the History of Themed Entertainment and the Brilliant People Creating the Experiences we know and love.  Also on the show, Doug discusses his opinion on attraction planning research and  has a  surprising response  on the placement of Hershey Park's new  Fahrenheit  Coaster.  All this and more on the Season Pass Podcast.    Check out the website www.seasonpasspodcast.com - Join the  Season Pass Forums when your over there and become our friend on our new MySpace and FaceBook Sites! : )   Want your “Theme/Amusement Park Fun��? Pictures on the Season Pass Website?  Send them to seasonpasspodcast@gmail.com or doug@seasonpasspodcast.com and we'll post it!   Contact us: doug@seasonpasspodcast.com brent@seasonpasspodcast.com matt@seasonpasspodcast.com   Call the Hotline with Park Trip Reports, Podcast Comments, or Anything else you would like to announce. –  1-916-248-5524    Thanx to each one of you for listening to the show.  Your support is extremely appreciated.   The International Authority on Everything Theme Park Related.  Join a Cast of Experts and Fans Every Week On an Informative  Immersive Experience into the World of Rides, Attractions and Parks.  It's the Internet's Audio Source for Amusement Park News, Rumors and More!