Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #186 for the week of September 5, 2010.

This week, join us as we visit the all new Meatball Bar at Portobello Restaurant in Downtown Disney. Sit alongside us as we do a live review of the 4 varieties of meatball sandwiches available, sample the local, organic beer, and talk with Portobello’s Executive Chef Steven Richard about the concept and flavors of this unique dining experience, which offers one of the best values on property.

I’m very excited about an important announcement I’ll make about a new project I’ve been working on for some time now – you’ll definitely want to stay tuned for that entire segment!

I’ll then have a few announcements and then play more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Information and Links From This Week’s Show:

Liberty Square AND Mickey’s Toontown Fair Available NOW as an instant download or Pre-Order the Guides on CD

Click Here to learn more or order!

Portobello restaurant or the official DisneyWorld.com Portobello page – To make reservations, book online or call (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 up to 180 days prior to your visit.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is offering guests a chance to indulge at the first annual Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Oct. 8 and 9. More information

By Nick DeJohn

There are a several things a die-hard Disney fan has to do and visiting Disneyland is tops on the list.  Opening in 1955, Disneyland was and continues to be one of the crown jewels of theme park entertainment.  With Walt at the helm from day one, the park and hotel complex achieved enormous success and, as of 2009, is the second most visited theme park in the world (Take a wild guess what number one is).  Any Walt Disney World habitual has to go.

However, there are several reasons why some Walt Disney World regulars might not want to set out for the Happiest Place on Earth.  East Coasters might not want to bear the long and exhausting cross-country trip (the fastest way to get there is a 5 hour plane ride).  Others may not have the financial ability to do so.  And a few just simply don’t want to go!  Whatever the case, most of these people might have a fear of feeling out of place and confused/lost in the new territory that is Californian amusement.

But fear not!  Disneyland and Walt Disney World have very close connections to make regulars feel right at home.

PARK LAYOUT

Disneyland and Magic Kingdom are almost mirror reflections of each other.  It gets so similar in certain areas that some guests might not which park they’re in!  Both parks consist of at least seven themed lands (although these lands are not the same), both are relatively small, and the most popular park in their respective resort.  Yet there are a few differences between them.

Each park has guests starting their journey walking under the Main Street train station and enjoying the sights and sounds of Walt’s favorite land, Main Street U.S.A.  The designs of Main Street for both parks are exactly the same, but the restaurants and shops will vary.  The famed hub and spoke layout is present at the end of street, leading the park goers into the lands.  What stands at the end of Main Street for both parks are not exactly alike.

Sleeping Beauty Castle beckons the guests into the park in Disneyland.  The castle, which has a pink, gold, and light blue color scheme, is only 77 feet tall.  Compared to the majestic, white Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom (which rises an imposing 189 feet), it is fairly miniature in structure.  However, both serve useful backdrops for the excellent firework shows the two parks offer.

Disneyland and Magic Kingdom have six equivalent lands (Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Toontown) and lands that are unique to each respective park.  Disneyland features New Orleans Square; a French Quarter-inspired land which hosts two of the parks more popular attractions, the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.  Critter Country is also a land located in the back of the park.  This small part of Disneyland is themed to the forests of the Pacific Northwest and features the famous Splash Mountain (which, by the way, averages at least a forty-five minute wait).  Magic Kingdom only has one exclusive land not found in Disneyland, and that is Liberty Square.  Themed as Colonial America in the 1700s, it contains only three attractions, the admired Haunted Mansion among the select few.

HAUNTED MANSION

Both coasts have no problem enjoying the frightening sights and sounds of the Haunted Mansion.  The popular dark ride is beloved by many ages, and although they are mostly similar, some differences are present.

The biggest difference is the appearance of the Mansions.  Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion resembles an antebellum Southern plantation while Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion is based on Dutch Gothic-designed manors located throughout the Hudson River Valley.  The immense changes in appearance for the mansions are heavily influenced by the lands they are in.  The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland rests on the edge of New Orleans square while the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom stalks the tip of Liberty Square.  Modifications in exterior were necessary to fit the setting the Mansions were in, or else one or the other would look extremely silly.

Size constraints on Disneyland forced Imagineers to think outside the box.  They needed to find a way to transport all the guests underneath the existing Disneyland Railroad train tracks and into the show building where the ride was housed.  They cleverly invented a haunted stretching room which served as an elevator to move the park goers into the desired location.  After leaving the stretching room (which is identical to the Magic Kingdom version), guests must walk down a portrait corridor with haunted paintings and strange busts to reach their Doombuggies.  Magic Kingdom, which had the “blessing of size”, didn’t need an elevator or tunnel to take visitors to the show building, but the stretching room proved to be so popular they kept it.  After a re-spooking of the Haunted Mansion in 2007, the Walt Disney World patrons travel down this corridor not on foot, but by Doombuggy.

Floridian guests get to experience an extra scene in the Haunted Mansion.  After you leave the loading station, you will visit a haunted library and music room, where some grim grinning ghosts are causing a little mischief.  The 2007 re-haunting also added haunted Escher-stairs with ghostly footprints where the giant spiders used to be.  Your Doombuggy in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will take you to the endless hallway, where both rides become exactly the same.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Walt Disney World guests know the story of Pirate’s late inclusion to the Magic Kingdom attraction line-up in 1973.  Disneyland’s version of the popular Pirates of the Caribbean opened in 1967 in New Orleans Square.  While most of the latter portion of the ride is the same, the beginning of Pirates and the appearance of the exterior differ quite a bit from each park.

To fit with its New Orleans theme, Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean features an antebellum theme much like its New Orleans Square counterpart, the Haunted Mansion.  Its façade evokes 1850s New Orleans (with a 31-star flag to boot) and features a “Lafitte Landing” theme, with a overhead sign at the boat docks paying tribute to real pirate Jean Lafitte who fought alongside the U.S. Army in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.  Walt Disney World’s Pirates, on the other hand, must match its Adventureland setting.  It features a distinction blend of Spanish architecture (the façade was inspired by Castillo de San Felipe del Morro in San Juan) and jungle foliage to blend in with Adventureland.

Unlike the Haunted Mansion, both rides needed their distinctive drops to carry the guests under the railroad and into the main show-building housing the ride, however the drop height is different (Disneyland plunges guests down two drops while Walt Disney World’s single drop is shorter).

The beginnings of each ride are different as well, and in a reversal of roles compared to the Haunted Mansion, Disneyland’s Pirates has additional scenes.  Since the construction and planning of Pirates in California was not rushed to meet a demand from displeased guests, the designers (including Walt, which Disneyland’s Pirates would be the last attraction he personally worked on) put much more effort into the ride by including lengthy opening scenes.  Disneyland’s version opens with a quiet, serene Blue Bayou scene with peaceful banjo music, dark lighting, and a view of guests enjoying their meals at the Blue Bayou Restaurant.  The California version also includes a Grotto of Lost Souls, a nicely decorated scene of a treasure room full of unfortunate pirates guarding their loot for all eternity.  Walt Disney World’s Pirates, unfortunately, doesn’t give guests these unique experiences due to time and space restraints.  But at least we get to travel down the portrait corridor on Doombuggy.

BUT THERE’S MORE!

Disneyland boasts more overall attractions than Walt Disney World.  This is clearly evident in Fantasyland, where dark rides like Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, and (yes, they still have it) Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride are prominent.  Another high-flying attraction that surely cannot be missed is the majestic Matterhorn Bobsleds, a thundering and rumbling roller coaster that takes guests twirling through the majestic Matterhorn mountain.  Of course, they have to avoid the dreaded Yeti along the way (yes, doesn’t this attraction sound familiar?).  Fantasyland also offers quiet and peaceful rides like Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train along with Magic Kingdom mainstay’s Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and of course, it’s a small world.

Another Magic Kingdom Fantasyland attraction will be found in Disneyland, but in a different section of the park.  The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh occupies one of the top corners of the park in Critter Country, a small land dedicated to the animals and creatures.  Critter Country features Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, another ride that was formerly operated at Walt Disney World.  The attraction is a free-floating canoe ride along the Rivers of America, and is the only guest controlled ride in Disneyland.

Tomorrowland features attractions that won’t be found in the Magic Kingdom, although may be found in other places in Walt Disney World.  Innoventions, the fun and creative look into the future of home living, is found in the corner of Tomorrowland.  Walt Disney World guests can find Innoventions in Epcot.  Star Tours is also included in Tomorrowland.  The same show can be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Caption EO, the 3-D show starring the late Michael Jackson made a return to Disneyland where it replaced Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (which can still be found in Future World at Epcot in Walt Disney World), but as a limited engagement.  An exclusive attraction that once sailed in the Magic Kingdom is a highlight to Disneyland, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.  Replacing the original Submarine Voyage (or as Walt Disney World old-timers might remember as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage), the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage takes guests on a trip under the sea in search of Nemo and through obstacles like hungry sharks and pesky fish.  Sound familiar as well?  The plot is very similar to The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride at Epcot where guests board “clamobiles” and embark on a journey to find the popular clown fish.  Another feature Disneyland’s Tomorrowland includes is a station for Disneyland’s Monorail, which can take guests inside and outside the park whenever they want.  While monorails cannot bring guests into the park at Walt Disney World, the Walt Disney World Monorail does travel through the heart of Epcot.

WHAT WE CAN BRAG ABOUT

While we know Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom contain a boatload more original attractions than Disneyland and its sister park California Adventure can claim, the Magic Kingdom boasts original rides of its own compared to its California counterpart.  Among the attractions we can brag about are the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and the Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) in Adventure.  The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) features an enhanced script of the innovative Enchanted Tiki Room located in Disneyland, with humorous characters like Zazu and Iago stealing the show.

Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland includes exclusive rides Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor and Stitch’s Great Escape, along with the popular Tomorrowland Transit Authority.  The Magic Kingdom also holds a timeless classic that Disneyland doesn’t, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.  Actually, Disneyland used to show Carousel of Progress before it shut down in 1973 and was moved to Florida in 1975, where the Audio-Animatronics adventure has been going strong since.

Another attraction that used to be shown at Disneyland was the Country Bear Jamboree.  Original housed in Critter Country, the Country Bear Jamboree shut down in 2001 to make room for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  Fortunately, the Country Bear Jamboree has been entertaining Walt Disney World guests in Frontierland since opening day of the Magic Kingdom in 1971.  Although Disneyland guests enjoyed Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and all of his Abey goodness, Walt Disney World guests experienced something better… all 44 presidents!  Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square is home to Hall of Presidents, a hidden treasure since opening day.  And when the new Fantasyland expansion is finally finished, it will add a smorgasbord of attractions, including a Little Mermaid dark ride.

BALANCING ACTS

So all in all, Disneyland and Walt Disney World are quite similar both in structure and in atmosphere.  Guests on the East Coast should never feel homesick when touring the original Happiest Place on Earth.

Share YOUR comments below about the two parks, their similarities and differences, and which is your favorite and why

Tails were wagging at Walt Disney World Resort today when Best Friends Pet Care opened the doors to its new, luxury pet resort. Dennis Dolan, CEO of Best Friends Pet Care, and Phil Bernard, vice president of Walt Disney World Operating Participants, were joined by Mickey Mouse’s favorite dog Pluto to welcome the first guests.

The one-of-a-kind pet resort offers 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas, and a 25,000-square-foot dog park exclusively for the use of Best Friends clients and their pets.

“Best Friends is thrilled to open the doors of this special, luxury pet facility,” said Dolan. “We’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time and we are very excited to finally be ready to open the doors and show off this special facility. It incorporates the very best concepts from our other Best Friends facilities with some imaginative ideas that we think will delight and surprise our Walt Disney World guests.

The facility, which already has many pet guests booked for the Labor Day weekend, is able to accommodate as many as 300 pets for both daytime and overnight boarding.

Dog owners can choose from a variety of accommodations, ranging from a standard 32-square-foot all-indoor suite, to an expansive 226-square-foot VIP (Very Important Pet) suite with television, raised bedding and private outdoor yard.

Feline guests will spend their visit in the separate “Kitty City” pavilion – away from the dogs – in two- and four-room condos. There also is a special area for the boarding of pocket pets, small mammals and birds.

“At Walt Disney World Resort, we are focused on providing the highest quality entertainment experiences for all guests. Working with Best Friends Pet Care, we are pleased to be able to extend that commitment to pets traveling with their owners,” said Bernard. “Our mutual appreciation for even the slightest detail is reflected in this one-of-a-kind facility and its unique services and amenities.”

The facility offers a private dog park exclusively for the use of Best Friends guests. It comprises a walking trail overlooking natural wetlands and several large areas of varying terrain for running and playing, including a 1,300-square-foot “canines only” splash-and-play water feature. There also are sitting areas where owners can relax and watch their dogs play. The entire park is secure from outsiders and is available for use after dark.

Other features of the resort include: a grooming salon, which will provide go-home-fresh baths and haircuts for pets, and two 1,100-square-foot camp rooms for play group and doggy day-camp, each opening onto an outdoor play-yard.

Pet parents can choose from a wide range of a la carte activities for pet guests from one-on-one playtimes and social playgroup with other doggy guests, to cuddle time and bedtime stories with staff. Additional amenities and upgrades include ice cream treats, bottled water and premium orthopedic bedding.  Feline guests can also enjoy private playtimes, activity toys in their suites, and treats such as ”Cookies and Milk” or “Tuna on a Ritz.”

Best Friends Pet Care resort is located across from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-Riverside at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway in Lake Buena Vista, Fla, 32830. Pricing and other details are available at wdw.bestfriendspetcare.com or by calling 877/4-WDW-PETS.

Best Friends Pet Care resort at Walt Disney World Resort was designed by Mateu Architecture of Palmetto Bay, Fla. General contractor for the project was Synergy Group of Bloomfield, Mich., and Orlando, Fla.

Each month, we will post a new photo from Walt Disney World and give YOU the chance to create your own funny or creative caption for a chance to win a prize!

Submit your caption (one per person, please) in the comments section.

Caption entries will be accepted until September 15th at midnight EST. We will then pick the top 20 entries and then put them to a vote, and the winner will receive a prize from the WDW Radio “prize closet.” Good luck and have fun!

CELEBRATION, Fla. – In an exquisite, top-deck restaurant with incredible ocean views, Disney Cruise Line debuts Remy – its first-ever premier dining option. With French-inspired, gourmet cuisine by two award-winning chefs, Remy melds classic and contemporary styles in a sophisticated new dining concept exclusively for adults on the Disney Dream.

Chef Arnaud Lallement from l’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin two-star restaurant just outside Reims, France, and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort, are collaborating to create a French-inspired menu featuring superior products and seasonal ingredients sourced from around the world.

Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek of Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort and Chef Mattieu Gerard Siegrist of l’Assiette Champenoise will lend their talents to create Remy’s savory breads and delectable dessert offerings.

French-trained Chef Patrick Albert, executive chef for Remy, oversees an all-star culinary team that will provide guests with a superb experience and epicurean excellence each day aboard the ship.

“Remy, a first-of-its-kind onboard experience, takes Disney Cruise Line dining to new heights,” said Ozer Balli, vice president, Disney Cruise Line Hotel Operations. “The extraordinary success of Palo on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder encouraged us to create this elegant, upscale and even more intimate dining experience for the Disney Dream.”

Dinner at Remy is a lavish and leisurely affair, starting with a signature chilled Champagne cocktail made tableside, followed by eight to nine small courses complemented by a stellar wine list. Lallement’s cuisine is simple and stylish, such as roasted lobster with cream, and fresh asparagus with black truffles and vin jaune. It earns l’Assiette Champenoise two stars (of a possible three) from Michelin, making the experience “excellent cooking and worth a detour.” Hunnel’s innovative dishes offer small tastes of everything from wild caviar to Kobe beef and Japanese Wagyu strip loin. His cuisine earns Victoria & Albert’s the coveted AAA Five Diamonds, a rating accorded a mere 0.19 percent of restaurants in North America and the Caribbean.

Polished touches at Remy include a tableside trolley for serving international cheeses, decanting stations for wines, and post-prandial coffee service including French press and grand crème.

With a subtle nod to the hit Disney•Pixar film “Ratatouille” and its petite French star Remy, the softly lit main dining room with seating for 80 is designed in Art Nouveau style with a palate of soft greens, deep reds and rich gold. The restaurant’s classic French design features graceful sinuous lines on chair backs, etched in glass and in wall treatments, Nouveau-style floral and leaf design in the carpet and warm lighting. The famous Remy character is subtly and artfully integrated into the design.

Tables are elegantly set with Frette linens, Riedel glassware, Christofle silverware and china made exclusively for Remy, with gracious accents such as purse stools for women’s handbags. The attentive serving staff is part of the sophisticated story, dressed in long white aprons, black jackets or burgundy vests, and bow ties. “From the moment our guests walk through the door, they are seamlessly transported to a fine French dining experience,” said Balli.

As part of the main dining room, a glass-walled wine room with marble flooring seats guests amid more than 900 bottles of wine including a fine rare selection of Old World wines balanced with a solid selection of New World wines. Once dinner is booked and guests are on board, they are invited to meet with a sommelier in Remy’s wine room to taste and pre-select their wines for the evening.

The private Chef’s Table dining room seats 16 and offers a glimpse into the kitchen. The room is furnished with rich “Ratatouille”-inspired décor – bold red carpet, chairs and drapes with touches of gold, opulent chandeliers, and scenes of Paris on the walls. The private Chef’s Table dining room has its own entrance to the kitchen to allow the chefs easy access, and offers a special multi-course menu.

Join us on the Disney Dream on February 27, 2011 for the
WDW Radio Cruise!

Click here for more information

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #185 for the week of August 29, 2010.

This week, we’re going to visit with the first real wizard in to make his home in central Florida, as we step aboard the Walt Disney World Wayback Machine and talk with Merlin, from Disney’s Sword in the Stone. Merlin crowned the Temporary Ruler of the Realm for many years in Fantasyland, and we’ll talk one on one with a truly magical man who played Merlin – Jim Korkis. He’ll tell us about the show, what it was like to play Merlin, and we also get a chance to learn more about the man who is a real magician, Disney historian and true storyteller.

I’ll give you the answers to the clues and announce the winner of our last Walt Disney World contest, have a few announcements and then play more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from this week’s show:

Watch the Disney Wedding Pavilion Open House (taped) on Ustream.TV

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is holding their first annual Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Oct. 8 and 9.

DisneyMeets.com – Join us for Disney fan gatherings and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World, including D23’s Destination D special World of Color event & meets in Disneyland, Congaloosh, the Food & Wine Walkabout & more! Get dates and locations here!

Post your Disney Cruise Line and Disney Dream questions here

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is offering guests a chance to indulge at the first annual Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Oct. 8 and 9.

Each evening will feature beverage seminars and a culinary festival with live music and tastings from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants and lounges.

Guests have the opportunity to choose from six hands-on beverage classes taught by certified wine sommeliers and beer and cocktail specialists from the hotel’s team. Attendees will learn about their topic of choice – ranging from a wine-blending seminar to a sake hour – through watching, listening, touching and of course, tasting!

Immediately following the lessons, guests can wander the causeway while being serenaded by live musicians and savoring numerous tasty offerings. The food samplings will include “Steamrollers,” a creative take on molecular cuisine, from celebrity chef venue Todd English’s bluezoo; “Pick Your Own Filet” from Shula’s Steak House; a simple yet flavorful hand-crafted pasta from Il Mulino New York Trattoria and more. Each day of the event will feature a different selection of food.

Beverage stations will offer mini-learning experiences and feature offerings such as wine, sake, beer and cocktails using liquid nitrogen. Finally, guests can delight in a selection of desserts from the only two-time World Pastry Champion, Laurent Branlard, the hotel’s executive pastry chef.

With 17 restaurants and lounges, a distinguished culinary and beverage team and unmatched customer service, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually receives national recognition for its food and beverage program.  The hotel features more than 70 certified wine sommeliers and 1,400 wine selections, including organic and rare vintages, plus tastes from unique regions such as Greece, Turkey and Israel.

Tickets to the Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin are available as part of a hotel package or individually.  For more information or to book, please visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500.

What: Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin

Who: Food & Wine Enthusiasts

When: Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9

4:30pm – 5:30pm – Beverage Classes
5:30pm – 9:30pm – Tasting Stations Open on Causeway

Where: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel – 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd. Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

Ticket Information:

• One and two night packages are available starting at $169 per night and include a beverage seminar for two plus unlimited food and beverage samplings
• Advance purchase event-only tickets are available for $50 and include one seminar and unlimited food and beverage samples on the causeway
• Food and wine samplings also can be purchased a la carte on the day of event. Tickets are $2 each or 25 tickets for $45; or a bracelet for $50 which allows unlimited food and beverage samples can be purchased

For more information or to book, please visit SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500 and refer to rate code “FWCLAS”

Marching along we’re adventurers,
Singing the song of adventurers,
Up or Down
North, South, East, or West,
An adventurer‘s life is best.

ATTENTION, ADVENTURERS!
Final day to get regular price of $250 is Sept 15! Register Here

Join us for Congaloosh 2010

Kungaloosh!! What a convention! We are tremendously excited to have a terrific theme–celebration of Disney’s unique and wondrous Adventurer’s Club  – at a terrific time – October 8-10th, near the start of the Food and Wine festival at EPCOT.

A Friday ticket (including all weekend activities EXCEPT Saturday night after 7 pm) is $140; a Saturday ticket (including all weekend activities EXCEPT Friday night after 8 pm) is $130.  The more Adventurers we get, the more incredible this convention is going to be…  Why?  well…

1. Lou Mongello, host of WDW Radio, signs on as a host for an event at ConGaloosh 2010, Lou will be hosting the Magic Kingdom Meet and hosting a meet at Epcot during the Food and Wine festival.
2. The 2010 “ConGaloosh* Convention Friday Reunion Dinner Gala” will be in Cairo, Egypt (behind the Indiana Jones Adventure)!  The show is New (it’s new!) & Different (It’s different!), BUT performed and imagined by Disney, using Adventurer’s Club characters, so you KNOW it will be great!
3. The Convention Kick-off Meet on Friday will be hosted by “Jungle Jim Korkis” in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Great Movie Ride.  Jim Korkis also will provide a feature presentation written by this learned Disney historian packed with secrets, trivia, and Adventurer’s Club lore galore!
4. The Friday banquet at 8 pm takes you to Cairo, Egypt, behind the Indiana Jones Adventure, for a reunion with the Permanent Members of the Adventurer’s Club and a NEW SHOW being premiered, albeit with favorite classic twists. Also, we have confirmed a special warm-up appearance by singing sensation Andrea Canny, accompanied by the one and only John DeHaas!! We have the space reserved all to ourselves from 8 pm to midnight for a spectacular evening.
5. Saturday morning we will be reprising the fabulous “Adventurer’s Jungle Cruise” together. Leading the Cruise (and presenting on this great ride) will be CoHost Lou Mongello.
6. For Saturday afternoon, the trade show (known as the Bizarre Bazaar) will be a great way to show off (or acquire) Disney artifacts.
7. Later in the afternoon, inventive Bernie Deschanes will be doing his “Theatre 101 seminar” at our convention hotel.
8. Then, you will have the chance to do “Adventurer-oke” (Karaoke of popular Adventurers Club and Disney songs).
9. At the Saturday night reception, we have confirmed an encore performance of the magical talents of the amazing Terry Ward! (a man with his own special Adventurers Club connection)
10. Next comes the Banquet, including a feature presentation by Jim Korkis on Disney’s Adventurer’s Club (see above) and some special live entertainment.
11. Also, participants are invited-but not required–to “Dress for the Hunt” as a favorite adventurer or in Safgari garb for Saturday’s festivities.
12. The Saturday banquet concludes with those Permanent Members of the Adventures Club who participate on the cast panel and mix/mingle session.  The following, by nickname, have confirmed wanting to participate (keep in mind that the actual panel is subject to change depending upon availability):
    • Sugar Snap, Chipmunk Cheeks, Annelle, Green, Blondie, Tiny, Gabby, Kiki,  Talullah, Sunny, Beaulah Belle and more! The only one missing… is YOU and your friends!
13. Finally, after the cast panel, youngsters may be excused and those desiring to see it can enjoy the late night comedy styling of Karl Anthony! You may have known him as sassy Otis, handsome Hathaway, or by the nickname “Blondie”, but he started on the comedy circuit, and is performing his late night comedy act after the Saturday night banquet and cast panel. (Note: because the act is a bit “blue”, patrons under 18 should attend only at their parents discretion!).  This is very funny, but it IS adult-themed humor and will take place after the “official” closing of the banquet for that reason.
14. Sunday finishes up with a meet for breakfast at EPCOT hosted by Lou Mongello, and a special presentation on Lost Artifacts and Lost Continents.  Then enjoy the FOOD and WINE festival!

What a weekend! Click here for the full Event Schedule

Group discount now available at the Royal Plaza Hotel!  A word about the convention Hotel.  You will want to be there at “Adventurer’s Central!” !A lot is going on… we want you to join us and help teach the Staff the meaning of “Kungaloosh!”

If you’re going to attend, be sure you join the WDW Radio Explorers Tribe and be part of the fun, then continue on to register for the event:

Click here to register for Congaloosh 2010

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #184 for the week of August 22, 2010.

This week, I’m pleased to be able to share with you an interview with another Disney Legend. And this one is special because I had the rare opportunity to speak with one of the original Imagineers, and a man who is credited with designing just about anything with wheels for the Disney parks.

He is Bob Gurr, whose work on designing the Monorail, OmniMover, Audio-Animatronics, Main Street vehicles and countless others earned him the Disney Legend status in 2004. I had a chance to sit down with Bob and interview him on stage in front of a crowd of Disney enthusiasts at a recent meet, and recorded the audio to share with you. It’s a fascinating look at the life of a man whose work was instrumental in the development of attractions which continue to delight millions of guests to this day.

I’ll then have a few announcements and then play more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from this week’s show:

PNW MouseMeet site and photos

Bob Gurr’s page on the Disney Legends site

DisneyMeets.com – Join us for Disney fan gatherings and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World, including D23’s Destination D special World of Color event & meets in Disneyland, Congaloosh, the Food & Wine Walkabout & more! Get dates and locations here!

Post your Disney Cruise Line and Disney Dream questions here

Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Open House – Join us in person or online on Sat. Aug. 28 – Click here for more information

The Meyerwerft shipyard in Papenburg Germany has a tentative date of October 30th to undock the new Disney Cruise ship, the Disney Dream.

The Ems Conveyance of the Disney Dream, one of the largest ships ever built at the Meyerwerft shipyard, will be in mid November. The ship’s departure will likely (hopefully?) be broadcast from the webcam on the Meyer Werft website. To see weekly screen cap updates of the construction of the Disney Dream, visit www.meyerwerft.de

The Disney Dream will sail backwards assisted by tugs down the Ems to Eemshaven (Netherlands) for further outfitting and sea trials before delivery to Disney Cruise Line.

Once the Dream is undocked from the covered Hall 6 of the shipyard, the Celebrity Silhouette will occupy this hall for assembly.

Current view of the Disney Dream construction from the Meyerwerft site

Of course, don’t forget to join us on the WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Dream, February 27, 2011!

For more information, visit WDWRadioCruise.com