WDW Radio Show Disney Podcast #79 - August 10, 2008

[Lou Mongello]

Welcome to The WDW Radio Show - Your Walt Disney World Information Station. This is show #79 for the week of August 10, 2008, and as always I am your host, Lou Mongello

We’ll start off by looking at some news from Walt Disney World, including notable rehabs, closures, exclusive Passholder opportunities and more. In the Walt Disney World Rumor Mill, we may be getting some new updates on Star Tours 2.0, Lucky the Dinosaur might not be as fortunate as his name suggests, and you may get a new opportunity to see just what else goes on at the Laugh Floor coming soon.

One of Walt Disney World’s true Hidden Treasures comes to us from listener Sarah Ames, who joins me to show you that no one has more fun than us… except YeHaa Bob Jackson over at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. He and his show are truly the Best of the Best, and we’ll tell you how, when and why you should make a special trip to the River Roost lounge to join Bob for his show.

I’ve been promising that I would answer more of your emails, and this week I finally deliver. With the help of Beci Mahnken, we’ll answer questions about FASTPASS, birthdays, park tickets, reservations and… well… alligators.

I'll have more announcements before I end the this week show, and stay tuned for your voicemails when I’m done, but for now - sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Email the show at lou [a t] wdwradio.com
Call our voicemail at 206-202-4WDW (4939)
If you like the show, please let others know by reviewing it on iTunes

[T Morrows Child]

Okay, Sarah, you've convinced me. My wife and I have a long weekend getaway in September, and we'll head over to Port Orleans on Friday, 9/19.

Does anyone want to meet up with us and check YeHaa Bob out together? The more the merrier! We can meet at Downtown Disney and take the boat over for some entertainment!

[aspen37]

I also can't wait to check out YeHaa Bob when I am at the World is September.
Just to let people know that a 9 year old boy just passed away from an amoeba. It was in the LA times. He swam in Lake Elsinore. The article said that they enter the the body through the nostrils. The amoeba then travels to the brain and infects the brain and spinal cord tissue, most often resulting in deth. The parasite lives in warm freshwater lakes, as well as hot springs, rivers and poorly chlorinated pools, according to the CDC's website.
The name of the parasite is Naegleria Fowleria. This is real not something the other Podcast made up.

[KINGCRAB]

Great show as usual, Mr. Mongello.

A couple of nitpicks, though:

-When you talked about the Cowboy Camp and Family Fun Day Parade departures, I don't think you should've mentioned Clarabelle Cow as among those "on the unemployment line"--that borders even more on the overexaggeration line even more, IMO, since the characters like her would most likely stay in the park as meetable characters or whatever anyway, even if a show or parade that they were in is discontinued--for one thing, the Pocahontas characters are not going to leave the parks completely even though her Animal Kingdom show is ending.

-When mentioning good news and bad news on a specific topic, I think it'd be a better idea to mention the bad news first to make the good news sound better.


OFF TOPIC: Lou, please tell us what the latest is regarding your Audio Guide to Frontierland.

[KINGCRAB]

Also, could please give us an itty-bitty hint as to who the surprise interviewee is going to be? Is it an Imagineer or something?

[KINGCRAB]

Here's a couple of new pieces of news that could be reported in the next show:

-At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the 2008 edition of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights has been confirmed to be taking place November 28th-January 4th.

-At Disney's Animal Kingdom, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade will recieve its annual Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade overlay once again from November 28th-January 4th.

[MikeLand]

One of the questions asked on the podcast was about the scale models of the Disney Cruise Line ship found at the resorts. The models were made by Maritime Replicas, but as was stated, they do not sell them to the public.

I have a feeling though that if they get enough requests, they may make some.

Just so you know, a similar model of the Queen Mary 2 sells for about $3000.00.

Their website is maritimereplicas .com

[masonicmouse]

Lou you can now check what is left on old tickets since at least June I used it. You can find the number on the Dis Unplugged forums, On that forum you can also find information on Dangers in fresh water in WDW and Florida in general. Not what I expect from an award winning podcast and the owner of a Travel Agency owner not to know three month old information, and to make fun a group that has it right.

Jeff

[disneydame2004]

We've had the checking ticket info posted here on DWT too http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/for...g-tickets.html A quick look at that thread will tell you that it is not common knowledge that Disney started doing that again.

I have called the phone number myself and got mixed results. They answered some but not all my questions, and at least one piece of the information they gave me I am 99% sure is incorrect.

Other people have called the same number and been told they don't check the tickets. So apparently this is a hit-or-miss service.

"Award Winning" doesn't mean 100% perfect all the time. Something as complex as Disney, it's impossible to know everything all the time.

I didn't hear them making fun of "a group that has it right", just that they were chuckling at the humorous way the email question was written.

[KINGCRAB]

Even more new news to share:

Various popcorn wagons throughout the Magic Kingdom will be removed from that park for three weeks each for refurbishment. This started on August 11th and will continue through November 3rd. They will be removed according to the following schedule:

-City Hall and Big Thunder Mountain: August 11th–September 1st
-Liberty Square and Fantasyland: September 1st–22nd
-Mickey's Toontown Fair and the Main Street Hub: September 22nd–October 13th
Frontierland/Splash Mountain (by Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn and Café): October 13th–November 3rd

However, ice cream will still be sold at these locations during these times.


Also, WDW has internally announced the following:

Epcot continues to be a source of innovation: a Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure game under development will have Guests using portable electronic devices such as mobile phones to access interactive features hidden throughout the park.

[mini-V]

Great show, Lou. I have our reservations for the two up-coming annual passholder events. Can't wait to take advantage of these offerings now that we're AP holders.

[bigbrian-nc.com]

You gave me a scare there for a minute buddy, when you started to sound very re-assuring in the lead up to answering the guest who had the question about the alligators and Ameoba found in Florida waters, then of course you mentioned the number one reason why you are not going to be in danger from these things is of course the fact that Disney does not Permit swimming in the lakes (Whew!), you mentioned a bacteria rather than the Ameoba, and the thing I have always heard about IS an ameoba and it has caused deaths in central Florida here's an excerpt from an article on wikipedia

In 2007, the death of three children in or near Orange County, due to a rare, deadly infection, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, also known as PAM, has prompted a public health investigation in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control.[1] PAM is a water-borne infection caused by the amoebic organism, "Naglearia Fowlerii", that enters the brain through the nose, usually resulting in death. PAM is associated with swimming and water sports in fresh water bodies and inadequately chlorinated swimming pools. An increase of Naegleria Fowlerii may be seen with global climate change, given that PAM is more likely in warm water. ^[5] Orange County, FL has had 16 cases of Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, in 45 years, of 31 PAM cases recorded in the State of Florida.

Anyhow like you stated, if you follow the rules you will be fine, the thing the folks on that other unnamed podcast were commenting on was the number of times they see people BREAKING those rules, often by playing in the shallow part at the waters edge, which unfortunately is where the ameoba is more likely to be, while I think that any WDW guest being exposed to that Amoeba is quite unlikely, Why take the chance?

As for alligators they do exist in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, and even in the Rivers of America in Frontierland as they are all linked, (I even have a photo of one in the Rivers of America, with what looks like a turkey leg in its mouth no less!), but I have heard, anecdotally, that Disney does try to keep an eye out for any larger ones that might need to be relocated, when WDW was first built alligators were an endangered species nowadays there probably aren't many bodies of water in Florida where there are not alligators, still the old adage of "they are probably are more afraid of you then you are of them" is most likely true (though I'm hoping that thing about trying to keep out the big ones is true too), as for the exposure to water guests might get while doing some of the water sports I'm betting folks usually board boats for these activities from docks at marinas, and consequently are not wading in shallow water where the amoeba are more likely to be found in the sand.

[Dale-not-Chip]

You gave me a scare there for a minute buddy, when you started to sound very re-assuring in the lead up to answering the guest who had the question about the alligators and Ameoba found in Florida waters, then of course you mentioned the number one reason why you are not going to be in danger from these things is of course the fact that Disney does not Permit swimming in the lakes (Whew!), you mentioned a bacteria rather than the Ameoba, and the thing I have always heard about IS an ameoba and it has caused deaths in central Florida here's an excerpt from an article on wikipedia

In 2007, the death of three children in or near Orange County, due to a rare, deadly infection, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, also known as PAM, has prompted a public health investigation in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control.[1] PAM is a water-borne infection caused by the amoebic organism, "Naglearia Fowlerii", that enters the brain through the nose, usually resulting in death. PAM is associated with swimming and water sports in fresh water bodies and inadequately chlorinated swimming pools. An increase of Naegleria Fowlerii may be seen with global climate change, given that PAM is more likely in warm water. ^[5] Orange County, FL has had 16 cases of Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, in 45 years, of 31 PAM cases recorded in the State of Florida.

Anyhow like you stated, if you follow the rules you will be fine, the thing the folks on that other unnamed podcast were commenting on was the number of times they see people BREAKING those rules, often by playing in the shallow part at the waters edge, which unfortunately is where the amoeba is more likely to be, while I think that any WDW guest being exposed to that Amoeba is quite unlikely, Why take the chance?

As for alligators they do exist in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, and even in the Rivers of America in Frontierland as they are all linked, (I even have a photo of one in the Rivers of America, with what looks like a turkey leg in its mouth no less!), but I have heard, anecdotally, that Disney does try to keep an eye out for any larger ones that might need to be relocated, when WDW was first built alligators were an endangered species nowadays there probably aren't many bodies of water in Florida where there are not alligators, still the old adage of "they are probably are more afraid of you then you are of them" is most likely true (though I'm hoping that thing about trying to keep out the big ones is true too), as for the exposure to water guests might get while doing some of the water sports I'm betting folks usually board boats for these activities from docks at marinas, and consequently are not wading in shallow water where the amoeba are more likely to be found in the sand.

That's exactly right.

This "other podcast" Did use scare tactics. Because they have seen, as well as I have seen, people breaking the rules and swimming in the lake regardless of the rules. There is a section of our population that thinks rules do not apply to them and will do what they want to anyway. And If you have the desire to swim in a fresh water lake in Florida then a game of Russian roulette must sound like a fun evening to you.

Water sport is a risky thing to participate in. Have you noticed that they make you sign a waver before you go. And with water sport your in the deep water, wearing a life preserver and if renting boats are told not to get out of the boat for swimming.

And as far as the amoebas go. Take a read at this before you go and laugh it off.

Deadly amoeba lurks in Florida lakes - CNN.com

So the odds of it happening is pretty low that it would happen to you. First the amoebas has to be in the particular lake your swimming in, then you have to snort a little of the water. But if you really want to go swimming I'd stick to the pools and obey this one rule.

[Spyne]

Great show Lou! Your Hidden Treasures segment with Sarah Ames was great to hear. Before; I had never heard of YeHaa Bob Jackson, but he definitely sounds like someone not to be missed. Great job on the emails with Beci Mahnken as well. Again; keep up the great work Lou!