In the first of an annual WDW Radio “E-ticket” event, the American Adventurers Club met under the dome of the Rotunda in the American Adventure Pavilion.  Participants were welcomed by five charter members of PSSHAA (Preservation of the Secret Society of Historical American Adventurers): Clementine Jackson, Edison Jersey Brown, Ace “Hello Ladies” Spitfire, Professor Beauregard Jackson, and PSSHAA Club president Abigail Adams Right (“I was named after the first second lady and the second first lady… and my Daddy was Right!”)  The charter members were supported musically in their multiple songs by pianist Rags.  Bitsy “Maid in America”, the seventh person to greet the e-ticket attendees, was not a charter member of PSSHAA, but clearly was a big fan!

The evening began by explaining to the attendees the mission of PSSHAA, with a review of the Club Creed.  (You can see an abbreviated version of the Creed in the poster image).  Clementine and Edison then demonstrated the club salute and trained all attendees in the proper way to salute one another.  This included waving your hands like a flag, giving a salute, and then using both arms to push the weight of the world off your shoulders and saying, “PSSHAA!”  After reciting the creed and giving the salute, the e-ticket attendees were deemed “honorary” members of PSSHAA.

After these formalities, the meeting of PSSHAA was called to order and Old Business was discussed. Among the topics for old business were such pertinent and history-making issues as whether Tony Caggiano will ever be able to eat a Kitchen Sink and whether Lou was wearing his underoos (apparently not).   Tony was also asked to share his infamous turkey call (though we were treated to an owl call instead).

View our Slideshow

When the topic turned to new business, Professor Beauregard Jackson suggested that after seven years as PSSHAA Club president, Abigail Adams Right was too comfortable in her position.  He then announced his crowd-shocking intention to challenge her as PSSHAA Club President.  The charter members decided to host a debate after dinner to determine which of the two best fit the bill as PSSHAA President.

At this point in the evening, honorary members of PSSHAA were treated to a wonderful buffet dinner (which Abigail Adams Right claimed to have provided herself). While attendees ate, the charter members of PSSHAA interacted with the guests.   During this time, honorary members were able to learn more about the characters, while the Professor and Abigail unofficially “campaigned” for votes.  During this time, we learned that none of the charter members knew poor Bitsy’s real name (Bobsy, Tipsy and Botoxy were some of the names she was called).  We also discovered Edison Jersey Brown’s family was originally from Connecticut (not New Jersey, despite his name.)   Ace, the fighter pilot, was comically afraid of heights.

After dinner, the debate between Professor Beauregard Jackson and Abigail Adams Right was set to begin, with Ace Spitfire serving as moderator.  The audience (and especially our favorite podcaster) was surprised to learn that there had been a write-in candidate for the presidency: our very own Lou Mogello! Lou was led (dragged?) up to the stage, where he took some gentle ribbing about his height (it was suggested he might need to sit on two stools).

Once the candidates were settled, the questions began.  Candidates were asked to share their hobbies (Pro. Jackson practices taxidematology—cleaning the skins of stuffed animals), their best quality (Lou sited his his cotton shirts) and worst qualities (Abigail considers changing the side of her head on which to wear her hat.)   After the short debate ended, the audience voted via applause (and hopeful PSSHAA member Bitsy helped ensure we all voted for Lou.)

Lou modestly accepted the role as Club president, much to the chagrin of Abigail Adams Right.   To celebrate Lou’s win, the charter members broke into a series of patriotic songs which reverberated beautifully under the dome of the pavilion.

The evening was a delightful mix of camaraderie, laughter, and the magic of Disney entertainment.  So many members of the WDW Radio family were there, many meeting for the first time from behind the veil of their Box monikers.  The Box People themselves received several “shout outs” from the cast, including a dedication of a song at the end of the night.

Among the special guests in attendance were Disney Legend Charlie Ridgway (Clementine Jackson took a special liking to Mr. Ridgway!).  Disney Design Group artists Casey Jones, Alex Maher, Ron Cohee, and Brian Blackmore attended as well and contributed artwork to the Dream Team charity auctions.  Finally, Disney historian and WDW Radio Show regular Jim Korkis joined in the fun—and even asked a question during the debate.

In all, the American Adventurer’s Club E-Ticket event was a tremendous inaugural kick off to the annual WDW Radio weekend events, and I hope you all can join us for next year’s event.  In the meantime, PSSHAA!

Special thanks to our sponsor, Mouse Fan Travel, who helped make this event possible! PSSHAA!

Another photo gallery from Kathy W. 

The post PSSHAA!!! A Review of the WDW Radio American Adventurers Club Event appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

I’m pleased to announce a tentative schedule of WDW Radio events, meets and experiences for 2013! We are looking to extend beyond the Meets of the Month and other special events in Walt Disney World and are taking the show (literally) On the Road! We will be traveling the country and having events on land and at sea! From casual meetups to one-of-a-kind experiences in the Disney Parks and beyond, there is something for everyone (and the entire family!)

Look for more details about each of these events coming soon on the WDW Radio Events page,

JANUARY 

• Jan. 4 – WDW Radio On The Road – Las Vegas

• Jan. 10-13 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – Orlando
• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

FEBRUARY

• Feb. 9 – WDW Radio 6^th Anniversary Show
• Feb. 22-24 – Princess Marathon Weekend
• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

SPRING

• WDW Radio Charity Mini-Golf Tournament – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio On The Road – Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, CA

MARCH

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

APRIL

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

MAY

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio “Plus” – Star Wars Weekends – Walt Disney World

SUMMER

• TBD – WDW Radio On the Road – Aulani, Ko’ Olina, Hawaii

• TBD – PNW MouseMeet – Seattle, WA

JUNE

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio On the Road – New York City

JULY

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

AUGUST

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• Aug. 9-11 – WDW Radio at the D23 Expo – Anaheim, CA

FALL

• WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

SEPTEMBER

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World

OCTOBER

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• TBD (around Oct. 1) – WDW Radio E-Ticket Events – Walt Disney World

• TBD – Lou’s Annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival Walkabout
• TBD – WDW Radio “Plus” – Halloween at Walt Disney World

NOVEMBER

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio “Night at the Movies” – Thor: The Dark Worlds – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio “Night at the Movies” – Frozen

DECEMBER

• TBD – WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Walt Disney World
• TBD – WDW Radio “Plus” – New Fantasyland – Walt Disney World

Also be sure and look for our event and find out how you can join the WDW Radio Bowling Team!!

More events to be announced throughout the year – stay tuned! Have an idea? Let us know! Email lou@wdwradio.com 

Did you miss the live announcement? Watch it from Epcot’s 30th Anniversary below!

The post WDW Radio 2013 Events In the “World,” On the Road, On Land and At Sea! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #294 for the week of September 30, 2012.

I’m here to help you have the best possible Disney vacation experience, and bring you some Disney magic to to wherever you are with this podcast, videos, blog, live broadcasts, events, trivia books, CDs and more. You can find it all at WDWRadio.com

This past weekend we celebrated EPCOT Center’s 30th anniversary, and I once again want to share with you an interview with someone who knows the park and it’s history very well, as he was there far before it opened to the public. Disney Legend Charles Ridgway joins me to discuss not just the opening and early days of the park, but working closely with Walt Disney, his vision for EPCOT and how closely the current park may have followed his dream. We talk about the challenges, people, attractions, characters, executives and much more, as Charlie recounts stories that have never been shared before. We discuss how EPCOT has changed and evolved through the years, why we look to the past to gaze into the future and much more.

See how you did on last week’s Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week and answer this week’s challenge for your chance to win a Disney prize package.

I’ll then have some announcements at the end of the show. If you missed our live broadcast from Epcot’s 30th on October 1, you’ll definitely want to stay tuned to hear about what’s coming for (and to) you in 2013 and much more. 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

Purchase Charles Ridgway’s book, Spinning Disney’s World at Amazon.com

Click here to see a list of upcoming events, experiences, meets and more in 2013!!!

• Listen to this week’s episode for the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for a chance to win a Disney prize package!
• Disney Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations on our Events page
• Watch & chat during our LIVE WDW NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET at WDWRadioLIVE.com
• For more videos, subscribe to our WDW Radio channel on YouTube or the show in iTunes
• Get Celebrations Magazine on your iPad/iPhone in iTunes App Store
• Check out the Disney Food Blog e-book: The DFB Mini-Guide to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival! – Use code WDWRADIO to save 20%!

Follow Lou on Twitter and

The post Show # 294 – September 30, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Join us for the WDW Radio Disney Meet of the Month, a casual gathering of friends and listeners (bring the whole family!) IN Walt Disney World.

Date: Saturday, September 29, 2012
Time: 3:00pm
Location: Liberty Inn (Outdoor seating area) at the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World

Come by to make and meet some new friends, or catch up with old ones! Grab a bite to eat, get your free giveaways, and enjoy the first weekend of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival! Anyone and EVERYONE is invited!

You can also (not required) RSVP on our Facebook event page

Hope to see you there!

- Lou Mongello

Follow Lou on Twitter and

The post WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Saturday, September 29, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Join us for the WDW Radio Disney Meet of the Month, a casual gathering of friends and listeners (bring the whole family!) IN Walt Disney World.

Date: Sunday, August 26, 2012
Time: 11:00am-1:00pm
Location: Roaring Forks Snacks, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort (no theme park admission required!)

Join us to make and meet some new friends, or catch up with old ones! Grab a bite to eat, enjoy the free giveaways, and maybe we’ll even take a walking tour of the lobby and resort! Anyone and EVERYONE is invited!

You can also (not required) RSVP on our Facebook event page

Hope to see you there!

- Lou Mongello

The post WDW Radio Meet of the Month – Sunday, August 26, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #287 for the week of August 12, 2012.

I just returned from attending Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animated Features, presented by D23 at the Disneyland Hotel. It was a weekend filled with presentations by Disney artists and Imagineers such as Tony Baxter, producers like Don Hahn, John Musker and Ron Clements, Disney Legends, voice talents, fun, and Disney history and much more. We looked into the future through sneak peeks at Wreck-It Ralph, Paperman and Frozen, and capped off each night with amazing concerts by Dick Van Dyke and Alan Menken. On this week’s show, we’ll recap the events and share our thoughts of the event, D23 and the future in our roundtable discussion recorded live in Disneyland.

I’ll then have the answer and winner for last week’s Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week, and pose a new question for your chance to win a Disney prize package!

Be sure and stay for the announcements, 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:

• Lou’s interview with Alan Menken – Show #196
• Lou’s interview with Don Hahn – Show #160

Additional audio from Destination D interviews coming to this page soon! Please check back!

Question for YOU: Are you a D23 member? Do events like Destination D make you wnat to join and attend future events like these or the D23 Expo? Leave your answer in the comments section below

• Listen to this week’s episode for the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for a chance to win a Disney prize package!
• Private Tours of Walt Disney World with Lou Mongello
• Disney Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations on our Events page
  • August Meet of the Month info
• Watch & chat during our LIVE WDW NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET at WDWRadioLIVE.com
• For more videos, subscribe to our WDW Radio channel on YouTube or the show in iTunes
• Get Celebrations Magazine on your iPad/iPhone in iTunes App Store
• Check out the Disney Food Blog e-book: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining – Use code WDWRADIO to save 20%! Money-back guarantee!

Follow Lou on Twitter and

The post Show # 287 – August 12, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

This weekend, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime diamond anniversary of one of the most universally beloved and singularly unique film genres in the world—at DESTINATION D: 75 YEARS OF DISNEY ANIMATED FEATURES, Aug. 11 and 12 at the Disneyland^® Resort.

The two-day event will offer a panorama of some of the most celebrated films and characters ever brought to life on screen and provide attendees with an unforgettable Disney experience.

From Walt Disney’s groundbreaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph, guests will go on a “behind-the-magic” journey filled with classic cinematic moments of heart-tugging emotion, laughter, and song that have captivated generations the world over. Renowned historians, authors, and animators of today will host this trip through the artistry and imagination of Disney animated features, each day ending with an unforgettable nighttime concert featuring two incomparable Disney Legends.

I had an opportunity to sit down and chat with D23′s Jeffrey Epstein about the event, the future of D23 and much more. Then D23′s  Tim O’Day, who will be moderating many of the panels during this weekend’s event, joins me to discuss the variety of special presentations, what people can expect to see (and hear) and much more!

You can listen to these exclusive interviews here:

Right click to download the file HERE

Highlights of DESTINATION D: 75 YEARS OF DISNEY ANIMATED FEATURES will include*:

• Salutes to the great Disney animators and artists of the past
• A Saturday-evening concert by the incredible Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix performing beloved Disney songs and pop standards
• A Sunday-evening concert showcase starring eight-time Oscar^®-winning composer/songwriter Alan Menken, who will perform some of his most memorable songs from many modern-day Disney film classics and more
• A glimpse at how Disney animated features have influenced Disney Parks
• Rare and never-before-seen artwork and film footage
• A special salute to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the “fairest of them all”
• An extraordinary reunion of Disney animation voice talent through the years
• More screenings, presentations, and panels!

Full Destination D Schedule

For LIVE updates from Destination D, follow Lou on Twitter and
The weekend event will take place in the Grand Ballroom of the newly “re-Imagineered” Disneyland^® Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. Tickets are still available and you can get more details about the program for D23’s DESTINATION D: 75 YEARS OF DISNEY ANIMATED FEATURES at Disney.com/D23.

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club celebrates the remarkable past, present and future of Disney, taking its name from 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his world-famous company. D23 brings its members a host of exclusive benefits, including a weekly email newsletter; an array of discounts and special offers; free gifts throughout the year; as well as exclusive events created especially for its members.

Disney fans can join the world’s only Official Disney Fan Club by visiting Disney.com/D23, or at select shops at the Disneyland^® Resort, the Walt Disney World^® Resort and DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow “DisneyD23” on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

*Talent is subject to availability. All events are subject to change.

The post D23 Destination D – Interviews with Jeffrey Epstein & Tim O’Day appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.