WDW Radio Show Disney Podcast #75 - July 13, 2008

[Lou Mongello]

Welcome to the WDW Radio Show - Your Walt Disney World Information Station. This is show #75 for the week of July 13, 2008. I am your host Lou Mongello, bringing you the very best ways to enjoy and enhance your Walt Disney World vacation experience in a fun, family-friendly weekly show.

We'll begin with News from around Walt Disney World about some enhancements, additions, and closings happening around the parks.

This week, we have another Top 10 segment, but one that's just a bit different from some of those we've done in the past. Tim Foster joins me once again, but this time we're going to look at the Top 10 smells of Walt Disney World. And it's not all going to be about food, as there are just some amazing scents that I'm sure you'll agree make you think of or enjoy Walt Disney World.

It's been a few weeks since I answered some of your listener emails on the air, so Jeff Pepper will join me to respond to many of your questions,

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Email the show at lou [at] wdwradio.com
Call our voicemail at 206-202-4WDW (4939)
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[Disney05]

Isn't there a thread somewhere about what smells or scents remind you of WDW? Great segment.

[Spyne]

Great show this week Lou! Your new Top 10 with Tim Foster was definitely a different one, but still entertaining to hear none the less! Great job to you and Jeff with the emails as well. Again, great job Lou! Keep up the great work!

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Excellent show. I have a comment about the listener question about guidebooks.

After three week-long trips to Orlando, including two totally immersed in WDW, I highly recommend using a copy of a recent edition of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World to plan your trip. Despite the bulk of recent volumes, we packed it with us to the parks because we often make impromptu dining decisions and have learned the hard way that not all Disney dining experiences are flattering. We are foodies as well as theme park junkies. While Lou's food recommendations are good, they are hard to reference while riding the bus to Magic Kingdom. Restaurant descriptions and ratings in the Unofficial Guide are surprisingly accurate and articulate. If you want to have 3 or more "perfect" meals in the world, you will more than make your money's worth out of the book.

From my recent trip, favorite dining spot was Artist Point, where we were easily seated at 6:00 pm despite our 8:40 pm reservation. Lou described it accurately - it was wonderful. On the same trip, our most disappointing dining experience was at the Maya Grill at our Cornando Springs Resort -- the food was OK, but overpriced, not Mexican or latin american in any way, and the service was indifferent, exactly as described in the Unofficial Guide.

I'm not going to repeat my entire dining review, but you can read my trip report on another forum. As a new member, I can't post the link here, but if you google "CoasterBuzz" and enter their Trip Report section of the CoasterBuzz forum, you can find my complete account by navigating to my post titled "WDW Feb 28 to Mar 3" posted on March 4, 2008 (TopicID=48435).

FYI, the Unofficial Guide author, Bob Sehlinger, does respond to reader questions, much like Lou Mongello. However, his responses are often delayed because of the travel required for his research.

[8lovesmickey]

Hey Lou-

Loved the show as always. And to back up your top 10 smell selection, I say YES to Pirates of the Caribbean! In fact, my whole family loves the musty smell, and when we experience anything close we say, "It smells like pirates!", which usually turns a few heads! As an aside. we also call certain clouds "Pirate clouds" when they resemble the ones overhead in the ride.

I also have to mention a guidebook; it's not particularly helpful for adults or park veterans, but the book "Walt Disney World For Kids By Kids" has been great fun for my boys. It briefly describes all the rides and shows and gives them kid-friendly ratings and descriptions like "wet," "loud," "bumpy," "dark" or "scary." It came in very handy for my kids' first trip, especially with rides like Spaceship Earth where you can't see what's inside; my younger son was afraid it would be too scary until he read the guide (he didn't believe me, of course!). It comes out every year and is also a cool souvenir. It has countdown pages and autograph pages in it as well, and it's paperback so not too expensive. It's just the right thing for getting my kids to focus their excitement