by Blake Taylor

It’s college acceptance time!!  Across the country, high school seniors are anxiously checking mailboxes for those letters…  For those who are Disney fans, the prospect of moving into a dorm may mean thoughts of leaving childhood Disney bedroom decorations behind.  But that’s not the case!

To say the least, living at college is very different from living at home.  Being on your own schedule, managing your time, choosing for yourself what to eat at every meal… and, of course, dorm life.  All freshmen at my school are required to live in an on-campus dorm during their first year, and it’s arguably the biggest transition from high school to college.  I consider myself an introvert and wasn’t particularly crazy about living in the same room as someone else, much less sharing the same bathroom with 30 other people.  However, that’s not to say that just because you live in a dorm your life has to be miserable.  If you maximize your space and get a little creative, there are countless ways to add your own personality to your room while still maintaining roommate boundaries, and as a Disney fan you won’t have to look very hard for ideas.

You walk into my room at home, and you are immediately surrounded by Disney.  Of course, I knew I couldn’t just haul everything to school.  For my dorm, I brought enough things to make me feel at home, but not so much that it feels overboard (as in, not enough that my roommate tells his friends that he feels like he lives in the Disney Archives …or at least, I hope not).

The room is distinctly divided between the two people, and I try to keep all my things on my side.  Being a basic dorm, this means there isn’t a ton of space, but there’s certainly enough to work with.  My desk has a couple of pictures, a one-a-day Disney calendar, a plaque with a Walt Disney quote on it, and a few Vinylmations and action figures—again, enough to make my desk an inviting workspace but not berzerk with stuff.  Hanging above my desk is a poster for the recent Muppet movie.

My bed at home has Mickey Mouse sheets, but I thought that would be too much for the dorm. Instead I have plain blue sheets… but I did bring along my Toy Story pillow and Sherriff Woody (both of which were brought by Santa when I was three).  Hanging on the wall near my bed is a California Adventure postcard, an Epcot Guidemap, and a Disney wall calendar.  (I finally had to use duct tape with that last one… we’re not allowed to use thumb tacks or nails, and poster puddy would not work on that thing!)

Not only do these make me feel at home in my room, but they also never fail to be a great conversation starter.  My whole family is into Disney, so being away from home has opened my eyes to what is and isn’t common knowledge to those who aren’t enveloped by Disney 24/7 like the majority of you reading this are.  For example, my roommate noticed that my one-a-day Disney calendar said Pinocchio was released in 1940, and said he didn’t realize that Disney animation had been around for so long.  Another person saw my Muppet poster and said he didn’t know that Jason Segel was in the film, and I was then able to share that not only was Jason Segel the lead role, he was also the primary force behind the film even existing in the first place.  The difference between Disney and Pixar is another concept I’ve had to explain on several occasions (that one is actually tough to put in words!).  Others have said they had a Sherriff Woody when they were little or commented on their own Disney memories that the things around the room reminded them of.

If you’re a Disney fan, you probably love watching Disney movies.  I brought a lot of my favorites with me to school, but have to rotate some of them out each time I go home so that my family doesn’t complain that I’m watching all the good stuff.  I usually watch them on my laptop with headphones to avoid having extra noise in the room out of courtesy for my roommate (that, and my family would kill me if I left them with no DVD player!).

There may not be a ton of space in a college dorm room, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for Disney in it.  Grab some of your favorite movies and souvenirs from the Parks, and you’re all set.

Blake is a college student focusing on Creative Writing and Media Studies. He enjoys making his family of six watch the parade on Main Street and then sprint to Frontierland in time to see it again. You can follow Blake’s random Disney ramblings on Twitter at @blakeonline, or at BlakeOnline.com.

The post Disney In Your Dorm appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

So here are a few houses inspired by Disney films created by some wonderfully geeky bakers. Let us know which one is your favorite!

Carl and Ellie’s House from “Up”

A Nightmare Before Christmas

The following houses weren’t Disney films when they were released, but since Disney now owns Muppets and Star Wars, they can be included as well (plus I’m a geek and think they’re awesome) 

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back – Millennium Falcon

Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back AT-AT Walker

Have YOU created a Disney-themed gingerbread house? EMail us at photos@wdwradio.com and we’ll feature them on the blog!

The post Gingerbread Houses Inspired by Disney Movies 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 #251 for the week of December 4, 2011.

With the popularity of the recents Muppets movie release, many of us are looking back fondly at our love of the Muppets growing up on TV and in film. But for Walt Disney World fans, the Muppets also had a presence in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in addition to MuppetVision 3D for many years. This week, we’ll hop aboard my Walt Disney World Wayback machine and look back at the marriage of Disney and the Muppets, The Muppets at Walt Disney World TV special, shows and attractions in the parks, what could have (and should have) been, and the future of the Muppets in the Disney Parks.

I’ll have the answers and winner of last week’s “Where in the World Have You Heard This?” Contest, 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:

Question for YOU: Do you remember some of the original Muppet shows in Walt Disney World? Would you like to see the Muppets return to the Disney Parks? If so, what types of attractions would you like to see?

Ryan Wilson’s Main Street Gazette

• Private Tours of Walt Disney World
• Disney Fan Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations at DisneyMeets.com
• WDWNewsCast – Watch & chat during our LIVE NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET – Be part of the broadcast & discuss live in the chat room at http://WDWNewsCast.com
• WDW Radio on YouTube – Watch past episodes, subscribe to the show and comment on the WDWRadio YouTube Channel

The post Show # 251 – December 4, 2011 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

With the recent closing of Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for an unspecified update, it’s a great time to take a look back at the relationship between Disney and the Muppets, including the story of how the Muppets came to Walt Disney World in a variety of ways. We’ll tour the park and explore some of the secrets, stories and history of MuppetVision 3D, Muppet-based shows that are no longer here, the Disney-Henson marriage, as well as “The Muppets That Never Were,” as Jim Korkis and I wander the Studios and discuss some of the proposed concepts that never made it both in and out of the parks. It’s a fascinating live tour of the Muppets in the present, as well as a look back in time, and possibly even into the future of the Muppets in Walt Disney World.

I’ll 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.

You can email the show at lou@wdwradio.com or call the voicemail TOLL FREE at 888-703-2171.

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

INFORMATION AND LINKS FROM THIS WEEK’S SHOW

24-hour LIVE video broadcast & chat from Walt Disney World – May 22-23, 2010. Click HERE for more information, including the May Meet of the Month specifics (to take place during the 24-hour show).

For discounted Walt Disney World Resort rates for the 24-hour weekend, visit MouseFan Travel for their exclusive deal! 2-night package from $89 pp/do!

Join us for a very special evening with a private viewing of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, enjoy some tasty treats, and help make a difference during the 24-hour live event! Event is almost SOLD OUT!

Date: Saturday – May 22, 2010
Time: 8:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Location: Epcot – Meet location TBA

Cost: $25.00 per person PLUS a minimum $5 –  Dream Team Make-A-Wish donation (Includes select desserts, beverages, tax, gratuity and Paypal fee) – Please note the event is almost sold out and no walk-ups permitted on the day of the event!). If you would like to attend, here is the link to purchase tickets: http://www.mousefantravel.com/mft/wdw_radio24.php

Miss the Adventurers Club? Join us for ConGaloosh 2010! - Oct. 8-10, 2010 – Join the WDW Radio Explorers! (Tribe # 939)

To join us for a PRE-CRUISE stay in Walt Disney World before we embark on the Disney Dream on Feb. 27, 2011, visit MouseFanTravel for package information, including our Illuminations party! (Note: Package is only open to those confirmed as booked with us on the cruise. Rates INCLUDE the IllumiNations party the night before we embark)

Join us for other special events, Walt Disney World meetups and more! Get more information, dates and locations here

The post Show # 169 – May 9, 2010 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello and this is show #82 for the week of August 31, 2008 .

I’m producing the show early this week, so there won’t be any news or rumors, but I do something for you that I think you’ll enjoy.

Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3D is a landmark attraction in Walt Disney World not just for it’s groundbreaking technology, classic characters, and truly hysterical show script. It’s an attraction that begins outside the show itself and carries over into arguably one of the very best queues anywhere in the Disney parks. But beyond that, it represents the work of its creator Jim Henson, and serves as a reminder of the relatively recent marriage between the Disney and Henson companies – and a deal whose negotiations began more than a decade ago. This week, I am pleased to welcome Jim Lewis and Craig Shemin, former staff writers for the Jim Henson Company, who were instrumental in the concept, design and creation of MuppetVision 3D. We’ll discuss the creation of the attraction and so many of its priceless jokes and gags, as well as the Muppet attractions that never came to be, working with Jim Henson, and the future of the Disney and the Muppets. It’s a fun chat with two of the people that knew Jim Henson well, and today continue to preserve his legacy.

I’ll end the show with a few of your voicemails, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

The post Show #82 – August 31, 2008 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.