WDW Radio # 681 – Top Ten Things We Love About Fantasyland

Lou Mongello: [00:00:00] One of my favorite words in the entire language is WHY. And if you've ever worked with me or attended any of my Momentum events for entrepreneurs and content creators, you know, the importance of understanding your why in your business and in your passion. But I think that word can also be applied to our fandom as well.

Because think about it... Why do we love Disney? Why does certain movies or characters resonate with us? Why do we enjoy one attraction over another? But I think we're also sometimes so busy enjoying the things in the parks that we don't stop to ask ourselves that simple introspective question.

And as we've done on the show before in other places and spaces and lands like main street USA, future world tomorrow, land Japan, Liberty square. This week, we're going to turn our attention to arguably where it all began. In fantasy land and ask ourselves that question with our top 10 things that we love about fantasy land, and it sort of goes to the WHY and joining me this week is a man who, like me, is a kid at heart and knows that we need, we all need maybe a little bit more fantasy in our lives to take a break from reality. He is of course, Tim Foster from Celebrations Press and Guide to the Magic.

Tim Foster: Big break from reality. So this is

Lou Mongello: perfect. Your whole life is a big,

Tim Foster: my whole life is a break from reality.

Lou Mongello: It wasn't minus two locally. You know, the things that we get to do and the things that we get to share, uh, it is very much a break it and I sort of love this and this, this actually was suggested to me by a number of listeners, including one most recently. Joanne, thank you for this suggestion, because we have talked about the things that we love about.

Other [00:02:00] lands. And it did get me thinking about like, why, what is it that we love about fantasy Lana? Why do we love this? What are some of those reasons? But w if I say fantasy land to you, Tim, what's the first thing that you think of. But the first thing that pops into your mind, pretty castles. Okay,

well, as expected Timo is, comes out with something that I don't necessarily expect, but that's fine. And I think this will be a lot of fun, right? This is not something that's, uh, No, this is not a super heavy, deep dive of defendant's land. It just sometimes this, this look back and sort of analysis of what it is that we, not just the things that we love, but why we love them as well.

And you are my friend. You are my guest. And as always, I'm just incredibly curious about what you're trying to say, which is part of the reason why I want you

Tim Foster: to go first. Great. I'm all over the place here. Well, one of the things I love. Fantasy land is it's, there's a sense of a chant meant you have, which I'm going to get into with some other loftier answers I have down the road, but I thought I'd just start simply with, um, one of I've actually described this to a few people recently, is this one of the most overlooked attractions?

I think in all of Walt Disney world, especially if you are a grownup and especially if you're a grownup that doesn't have kids with you is, uh, enchanted tales with the. Hmm. And I, I sit here. I, I beg everybody who walks by it. Doesn't give it any thought. As they're heading to seven doors, mine train, or any other E ticket attraction on your list, you might think it's just a kid show.

You might think it's just a meet and greet, not give it any thought. And I, I admit I was one of those people, but, uh, thought, you know, let me go check this out. I'm by myself. Yeah, how bad can it be? And, oh my gosh, it's amazing. And [00:04:00] it's just everything. If you're an adult that loves effects and, uh, dazzling displays of, oh my gosh, the enchanted mirror is enough to get you going.

I know sort of how it works, but even at that, I'm still mesmerized. Every time I see it, uh, the animatronic figure of Lumiere is one of the most amazing you'll ever see, and best of all, it's not. The human animatronic, where you're kind of. Uncanny valley where clearly that's not a real person. This is what Lumier would look like if he were in real life is fantastic.

But all of that aside, just the spectacle of the show and watching the look on kids' faces, whether they're other guests or your own children. The look on their faces as the story unfolds before them, as bell comes in front of them and they get to see her up close and personal. Um, I cry every time, even though I'm not participating in the show, except for the one time I got to be a night and I actually had to hold back the tears because I was supposed to be Regal and brave and all of that good stuff.

But, but again, it's just one of those attractions. I think a lot of people overlook or. Pay much mind too, as they're making their plans. And the, in terms of what we like about fantasy land, it really brings that sense of fairy tale and Chapman to me for a kind of like maybe no other attraction around.

Lou Mongello: So I love that.

And I love that you talked about it in terms of enchantment, because there is something in. About this land. And I think Robinson probably talking primarily about Walt Disney world in the context of this conversation, although much of this can be applied to fantasy land in Disneyland and in other parks as well.

And for me, number one on my list is the answer to the question that I asked you, which was the first thing that I think of when I think of fantasy land it's. [00:06:00] Yes, fantasy land is dedicated to the young and the young at heart to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. I said at the intro that it really is where it all began.

And I think Walt wanted a place where you could step out of the passive two dimensional on-screen experience in the movies and truly be immersed in the stories. And I think. Of so many places throughout the park, we can find waltz, metaphorical handprint in so many places, not just main street USA and adventure land and tomorrow land.

But I think what lives here, I think Walt's spirit lives in fantasy land because. It was where the Genesis of everything that he did began in the stories that are the foundation that are the keystones to this land in, in any of the parks. And that's sort of how I feel when I go there is that that Walt still lives there.

And it's why I think finishing land will always remain. Special to me in that regard.

Tim Foster: Yeah, that was my loft. Dear answer. I was going to lead with, but didn't so that's good now. Well, I'll follow up on that. Cause I had sort of a different same idea, but that the take I had on that was the idea. When you go to fantasy league, Uh, more so than any other land in the magic kingdom or any other park.

There's such a connection to not just Walt Disney, as you said, but just to Disney history in general and specifically animation history and how this all started. And this is a land filled with, you know, princesses and the stories of, I was going to say the stories we grow up with. I'm not so sure you were around in the thirties, forties loose.

So I don't think he grew up with snow white and all these other movies, but, but as you, as you go around to pretty [00:08:00] much every attraction, uh, that, you know, they're grounded in, uh, the classic fairy tale and movies or, or things we grew up with like Winnie the Pooh and stuff like that. I was going around actually, every attraction.

Just checking out the list, make sure that adhered to my criteria. Yes. It was grounded. It was based on a classic film and you go around then. Yeah. And then you get to the one exception being it's a small world. Uh, in a weird way to me that more than any of the other attractions really brings that classic nostalgia, Disney, New York world's fair, Mary Blair, the whole thing.

And you know, that's, it's one of my favorite attractions of all time. And a lot of it is for that. Uh, like you said, when you're riding it, you feel like Walt's sitting right there with you and, you know, he saw this and, and, and made this, um, just like we talk about the Tiki room and the jungle cruise and things like that, but this is the Fantasyland version, but that feeling kind of goes through the whole, every attraction, every corner, because it's also grounded in the history of what made this

Lou Mongello: whole pie.

And to be clear, I was not alive in the thirties and forties, but my parents raised me. Right. And quote, unquote, really old movie. Like that is what I grew up on. I grew up on snow white and Peter pan. And, and those are the stories that even like, like now I just came back from Disneyland and I wanted to go and ride Pinocchio.

I wanted to go and ride snow white because I still do have that connection to them, which will also. Circle back to something else, which is on my list as one of the reasons why I love this land so much. Well, Sue, I think it's your turn. Well, then I'm going to go right into it then. All right. Because it is for me.

And I know I'm a PSAP and I'm a [00:10:00] sentimentalist, but it is the classics, right? It is the nostalgia that this land holds into it. And. While some people might consider these movies to be old. I think they are the classics. It's Dumbo. It's it's Peter pan it's Cinderella. Um, it's Alison Wonderland, right? With, with the tea cups.

It's not just the, the sentimentality to the films, but it's the nostalgia for me in. My remembering, I mean, I don't remember my first trip in November of 71, but the yearly plus trips we took after I remember, um, being in fantasy land with my parents. I remember riding, you know, being able to enjoy all of those attractions and even some of the relatively newer ones, like Winnie the Pooh and the journey of the little mermaid.

These are the things that, again, I think this sort of ties back into Walt. Walt wanted a place where families could have fun together and we. Experience these things with our kids were our parents in front of the TV or up on screen. And then we're able to live them together in the parks. I think if you get it, you get it right.

I don't almost need to sort of talk about the nostalgia and the classics and the sentimentality. But even like the classic dark rides, like I just love the classic dark rides. I miss Mr. Toad. I miss, I even miss the original snow white, scary adventure, as much as I love mine, train it's some of those things that, um, that I, I wish were still there,

Tim Foster: guide love all those dark rides.

And I, I, I still love when they create a new ride, like when a little mermaid opened and it was. Uh, you know, filled with all kinds of new monotronic technology and all that, but still hearkens back to that classic dark ride, which we all know and [00:12:00] love, which is so simple, but it's a. It's just, it's just Disney.

But, um, so when you asked me first thing I thought of, and I said, shiny castles. So I do want to talk about the castle because that's always, um, no, no. When I do think of fantasy land, that is the first thing that comes to mind. And that's, I mean, the castle is a whole 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 shows unto itself. So on, I was trying to pick one aspect of it.

Do I want. Um, the fact that it's just continually fascinating and there's, there's two parts. One that there's always something to discover. No matter how many times you've seen. And to just the, the, the grand year of it, and then the spectacle, it gets much I'll get back to in seconds. I have a story about that, but so the one thing I would, uh, decided to talk about would be the details that you can find.

And again, every time I go. Um, well, sometimes it gets a whole new paint job, like you caught last year, which is fantastic. But even then I go and I'll still I'll see things I haven't seen before. Just notice for the first time, like, uh, last year I just noticed, I don't know if I talked about this with you or told you about it.

I found a hidden Pluto and Cinderella castle. Wow. So, and well, it's, it's kind of funny because it's where it is is. Um, and, um, it's when I tell you what this is, you're going to grown, but on the clock, on the front of the. As many times as I've looked at it, it's when you examine the details and you realize I never noticed that before.

Um, there's two rings once on the minute hands ones on the hour hand, and you might have to zoom in to look at it, but I took me forever to realize that on the one ringer, all the Zodiac symbols and on the other ring or all the planetary symbols, the old ones that we all grew up with and one of them.

Pluto, even though Pluto's not with us as a full fledged planet [00:14:00] anymore, but so I see that and I find a laughed and I went, aha, hidden Pluto, but it's a detail. I never noticed that before and all the years I've been looking at the castle and sure enough, there it is. I'm looking at the murals. You always find new things to discover.

Like I just found the signature of Dorothy Redmond in the corner, you know, I'd never really noticed before. You know, I love pointing out the sweet, the sin, the sweet when stained glass windows, and the upper corner on the back, uh, uh, left-hand corner for people to see. But like I said, no matter how many times you see.

Um, on a micro level, there's so much to discover, but on a macro level, it's still in chanting. And then one star I'll end this with, I was talking to somebody the other day, is it Disneyland person mainly, but they did come to Walt Disney world. And the first thing they said and start contrast to Disneyland or sleeping beauty castle is it's there.

It's beautiful, but it takes you a while to get there and actually see it. Um, they were just. Totally taken back by the spectacle of not from main street USA. This is going all the way back to the ticket transportation center, coming over on the launch boat and seeing the castle way off in the distance.

And to them, it was such a fairy tale coming true, even from that far away. Um, how the stage is, is set for the magic kingdom long before you even get to the gates and. And it just reminds me of all the moments you have when you see it from the boat. You see it when you turn the come out from under the train station, take that turn down main street.

But I, you know, it's just something that continues to, um, make me a nostalgic weeping happy every time I see it. And it was nice hearing that from someone as a Disneyland family, your castle is pretty cool. That was nice. So,

Lou Mongello: well, I think that the castle is not just iconic, but. [00:16:00] It represents so much to so many and very subjectively and not just what it represents in terms of its presence in place, but that portal and being able to step back in time, as you enter into fantasy land and the mural and the boutique that allows kids to become whoever they want to be.

Um, every, the castle is special to every. Hmm. For all different reasons.

Tim Foster: Yeah. Yeah.

Lou Mongello: So Tim, I have to go here. Like I somewhat, I, this is that as an accidental double entendre. When I say that I have to go, I don't mean it in this way, but I have to go to the restroom. I didn't mean it that way, but that's okay.

Yeah, listen, you, it's funny. I know that we, a restroom makes the list, but while poor Rapunzel may not have received her own attraction in fantasy land, she did get, uh, an area of respites and a stroller parking area. But the theming in this area is so incredible. You want to talk about stepping into a world in a much more sort of microcosm type of way, versus like a car's land or Galaxy's edge you do really?

They make you feel like you've stepped into the world of tangled. Now chances are, you've probably only visited one of the two. Restrooms, but the men's room is sort of themed after the snuggly duckling. The women's room is decorated with paintings and art supplies by Rapunzel. The exterior has the, it looks as though you're in the village and there's wanted posters and lanterns and flags and the beautiful tower that using forced perspective in the distance.

There are incredible detail. [00:18:00] That abound, right? There's a game or there's an interactive sort of game in terms of trying to find the hidden pascals, the Maximus, the, uh, hoof prints on the ground. I love the little waterfall which I take as a small sort of tribute to the Skyway that used to be in this area.

And that flowing waterfall that used to be here from a practical perspective. Uh, they, I don't know if they actually still use the term, but it was called a diesel. And the idea was that this was a place that you can go to sit and rest both inside and outside the restrooms, but it's a place to sort of rest and recharge.

And I love the fact that they have all of those semi hidden power outlets and USB. In those, I think there's six sort of different charging stations that are built into the landscape. Um, they're not these sort of big sort of metallic, industrial looking things. They are very much built in and blend to the theming there's benches and there's tables.

And you can sort of recharge your personal battery as well. Your cell phone battery. Uh, it is an amazing place at night. I love the lantern shot. It's an amazing place. I hate to give this away. It's an incredible place to watch fireworks.

Tim Foster: You're stealing my answer

Lou Mongello: so sorry, but it is, and you can sort of tie into that and then, and the view from here, and if you frame it just right, you get the lanterns in the foreground that sort of fade off with sort of a little bit of a bokeh effect, and you've got the fireworks off in the distance.

It's gorgeous. There it is absolutely gorgeous. You're also away from all the crowds. And if you look very carefully, you might not even know it until you see it, but they have touched up an update and I think made a little more vibrant. Some of the mural painting. I think just in time for the 50th, uh, in that area, if you look at sort of Rapunzel's flower [00:20:00] mural, you can really see the pinks and the purples and the lavender's really sort of sticking out and becoming apparently much more brighter, uh, who thought that a restroom could be so beautiful, but it really is.

And. It's almost an attract. I mean, it is, it's sort of a, not like attraction of necessity, but it's almost an attraction of a place to visit. And I know it sounds weird taking pictures of, and around the bathrooms, but you do. And like I said, that even the lantern magic shots.

Tim Foster: Uh, do, do you need a lightening lane pass for the rest of the day?

Lou Mongello: That was beautiful. You'd be surprised. And I guess we have to do you wouldn't be surprised over the years, how many people are asked? When are we going to do the Tai restrooms?

Tim Foster: I've been asked that a lot too. So.

Lou Mongello: And by the way, the museum beautiful there too, if you listen really carefully. Oh yeah. Music there

Tim Foster: now it's felt actually I remember when the charging station, well, when it came and one of the things was the charging stations and how big of a deal that was.

Cause I remember doing the, you know, doing the. Searching high and low everywhere. You can find an outlet anywhere. Give me that letter. I think there's what, like in the base of a flagpole in Liberty square, there's more, there's something you're not supposed to stealing power. Right? I mean, he felt bad about doing it, but, um, no, so cool.

I, I absolutely love that area. And you said it perfectly, but you get, you kind of touched on one thing. So I'll, I'll go with this, this it's kind of an odd thing because as far as crowds and so on, because normally during. Well throughout the day, um, the main area of fantasy and old fantasy land, if you want to call it that it, it is pretty busy, very busy sometimes.

Um, the thing I'm, I think I'm always fascinated with is as, as the evening wears on and particular, and as the sun sets, when you head back into the new fantasy land [00:22:00] section of how, how quickly. You get to an area where there's nobody there at all. Um, a lot of the time, um, you're off of the main thoroughfare for the most part.

And then by night, people are going, doing other things and so forth. And you touched on fireworks. That's actually like heading back to gasoline's Tavern in the courtyard and watching the fireworks there. It's pretty cool. One, you have the T you really have the whole place to yourself. I've done it several times and nobody's there.

And, um, uh, the, the, the one downside is you can't eat. You get, uh, you don't see the castle and all of the front, you know, the projection and all that kind of stuff that that's going on. But if you seen the fireworks before and you're casually walking around, we always talk about our where's your favorite place to watch the fireworks.

If you're not. You know, on main street USA with 10,000 of your closest friends watching the fireworks. That's one of my favorite spots, just cause it's so peaceful. It's so tranquil. And even watching the fireworks, just, just walking around it's, it's pretty dark back there. Um, but the, the cue of a journey of a little mermaid is so magical at night with the lanterns that are, that are hung up there, which are exquisite pieces of art under themselves.

I've even just walked by him so many times you stop and take a look at them or stand by the waterfall. Stand in front of prince Eric's castles. Beautiful seven dwarfs mine train is beautiful. And I say again, it's surprisingly for, what's usually the most, one of those crowded places in all of Walt Disney world turns into a tranquil magical Oasis at night.

Somehow it's that Disney magic. I don't know how they

Lou Mongello: do it.

All right. Next on. My list is a bit of an oxymoron because you talked about some of the hidden details and there are so, so many, uh, [00:24:00] Fantasy land. And one of my favorite hidden details is one of the biggest details that is literally he is hiding in plain sight. And this is where you say, Lou, I know of course that you're talking about Wilson.

Yes, Willie, the giant in sir Mickey's is one of my favorite D I loved, I used to do tours of the parks. I still do every so often. If you listened to the audio tour in, sir, Mickey's uh, if you, you know, we're also focused on the merchandise and I always talk about looking up and sometimes you do and don't see.

Peering sort of ripping off the roof as, as he did in the 1947 animated feature fun and Francy free Mickey and the Beanstalk. You see Willy the giant sort of tearing the roof off of the, off of the building as he is, uh, looking down into the house and, and with, uh, Edgar Bergen and Charlie is his ventriloquist dummies, Charlie McCarthy.

Um, I love this detail. For so many reasons. One, because normally you'll walk in and you'll ask people who have, who are not familiar with it to look around and they don't see it until you pointed out to them. And then you get to tell the story about Mickey and the Beanstalk, which is also retold in some of the vignette windows right outside.

I think it's, it's a feature that a lot of guests have probably never seen before. Oh, wait. Did you know that at one time, when they, when they first began? Animating making the Beanstalk. They wanted it to be its own feature film. And the reason why it wasn't was because of world war two. So production on making the Beanstalk started by the time of world war II, when they weren't actually able to.

Make it into a make it, this [00:26:00] sort of Bienstock tale into a, a full featured film. But I love this detail. I love that it hides in plain sight. Uh, I think it's such a, sort of a fun throw away. And it's also an opportunity for you listener. Like if you are with somebody who's never been there before, or maybe not familiar with it, it's one of those great sort of aha moments that you're able to point out to guests and our.

Uh, if you, if you ever have you ever seen Mickey's Christmas, Carol, me, you,

Tim Foster: and once I think we'll leave it, I think I remember that four

Lou Mongello: cycles of Christmas past, of course I've seen, he lifts up the roofs of buildings in there. Well, you can see them on around Christmas time. You can

Tim Foster: see I'm on main street USA and the window shops at Christmas.

There

Lou Mongello: you go. Yeah, we'll do the diet.

Tim Foster: Can you say that? And I'm going to be confessed. I'm probably one of those people who never really noticed that before.

Lou Mongello: You never noticed Willie the giant before.

Tim Foster: Wait, you, you just made it plain that so many people have missed it as if it wasn't allowable thing. And you're, you're

incredulous

Lou Mongello: that I, gosh, you know what you and I are going to take in additional do together and all the restaurants we need to dine in you and I are just going to tour magic key.

We're going to hand in hand, we're going to skip and frolic through magic kingdom together. And I am just going to nerd out with you completely.

Tim Foster: Well, I, you know, there are a couple, there are a lot of details. I probably haven't seen it. There's two, actually that I've, I've heard. Legend of not actually curious if you've seen these too.

And I don't know if I'm ever gonna get to see them. Uh, one, one I think is I can see it if I make the effort. And there's, uh, at the, in the queue of a journey of little mermaid, I think it's the exit cue. If you stand in just the right place, the rocks form, like a hidden Steamboat Willie. I've heard. I haven't seen it myself.

I've seen pictures of it with people, you know, it's only trying to

Lou Mongello: draw day at a certain

Tim Foster: time. Right? Well, it [00:28:00] works well, but the other thing I've heard is in the queue on Mickey mouse's birthday at just the right time, there's a hole in the overhead. At that point, just like Raiders of the lost story to shaft of light will come down and form a hidden Mickey on wall and people find it.

I've never seen it. I've heard legend of it. I don't know if I'll ever see it. I know it's my luck. If I go there that day and go to see it, that's the day it'll be cloudy and there will be no sun, but. Yeah, but you, have you, have you ever seen

Lou Mongello: either one of these, uh, I have seen Raiders of the lost Ark yes.

But making it as it's just the right height or yeah. Well, you

Tim Foster: know, um,

Lou Mongello: your staff bringing your staff of RA that's.

Tim Foster: Right. So, you know, after this, I kind of was down to just favorite attractions and so forth. So I'm kind of in honorable mention territory

Lou Mongello: right here. I sort of am too. There's a couple of things I will.

I will mention very, very quickly as we can go through. And we talked about, and this is, this is sort of a recurring theme. I know, especially for me, I talk about interaction and immersion and I think fantasy land has some of the best immersive dining with Cinderella's Royal table. Still, still a very, very hot ticket as well as BR guests.

Also a hot ticket. The ability to sort of step again in, from a dining experience, respect of being able to step into Moolah. I think be our guest is brilliant in its design in terms of where you sit affords you. A different part of the storytelling experience, right? Whether it is in the grand ballroom, whereas in that sort of darkened room with the, with the, the rose and the falling pedal, like bolt are beautiful, but feel like completely different restaurants.

And I think in terms of interactivity, Fantasy land was one of the first [00:30:00] places that we started to see the rollout of what I think is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of interactive cues. Winnie the Pooh many adventures of Winnie the Pooh. If you think back, it started out in a low tech version where you got to explore poos house 20,000 leagues under the sea.

So by the way, rabbits garden, the honey beehive, and there was some sort of that interactive sort of play things. But as time has gone on now, you sort of have. Yeah, I think it was about 2014. The murals are more interactive where there is the ability to sort of touch and move around that sort of dripping honey Peter Pan's flight.

Same thing when that was updated a number of years ago to expand and make that cue. A little bit more of a storytelling experience, um, that too has the interactive elements to it. It has more of a storytelling element to it as well, too, which is necessary by design because of the long waits for that attraction.

But I do love the levels again. I think, I think Walt would love to see the sort of progression in terms of the interactivity and the immersion into these classic story.

Tim Foster: Yeah, it's funny. I just, I believe this year finally saw the interactive Q at Peter pans for the first time. And it's well, it's because of what you said, because it's it's, um, necessary.

It was a welcome addition because. The historically long wait times at Peter Pan's flight ever has. So in all these years, because of that wait time, that was always a fast pass for us or, or, uh, extra magic hours kind of event during which you don't get. You don't go through the queue. So it was actually quite long time before we got to see it.

And it happened to be on the night when the queue [00:32:00] was going in, it was. You know, an hour and 20 minutes or whatever, but we did go in and get to see it, which I'd long wanted to, but was it worth the hour to wait for it when I have stuff to do, but it was not. If you have a chance to see it, it really is.

It really is fun. Um, but I, I have some other favorite attractions. I ha I mean, fill her magic. I think right up there with enchanted tales with Belle make fell. Her magic is that. That one attraction that speaks to that magic of Disney and speaks to the, the big mouse himself and Donald duck and the, and these classic characters, um, uh, with Mickey Minnie's runaway railway that I love that addition.

Cause it's, it's surprisingly kind of rare to find Mickey and pals in an attraction, you know, or show at Walt Disney world, surprisingly, but Phil, her magic was always great. With, with two moments that, that always really speak to me. And one is when Ariel reaches out and I've talked about that so many times.

Uh, but the other one, I, I think we've done this. It's more of an audio moment than anything else. And it's the moment after the Peter pan sequence and you lift up to the Aladdin flying and there's barely audible, but whoosh and I swear a slight breeze, but that's something about that moment. It's so.

Magical and takes you back to, I don't know, you're a little kid you're at you're living these fantasy worlds that you only see on the screen. It's it's, it's that indescribable, Disney magic that you get for a fleeting minute, but I get it there every time. So that's always one of my favorite spots.

Lou Mongello: listen, who bubblegum into cup notice, by the way, I have been very, I, as much as I wanted to say, love foods with a little giant cinnamon [00:34:00] roll, like the size of your body on the side. I stayed away from food,

Tim Foster: but I wanted to throw it out there. Cause I knew you were viewer dying to your one or two.

Lou Mongello: Uh, another thing, and I had this as an entry on my list, but I'll just address it very quickly is I think that that fantasy land is it's the bonus land, because you're really sort of get three lands in one.

Right. Remember 2011 when. Close to make room for what was being called at the time new fantasy land. When it was completed around 2014, we now sort of have like original fantasy land, like OJI fantasy land. We have storybook circus. I had always considered its own separate land, but technically it is listed on the map as part of fantasy land and we have the enchanted forest.

So you have this sort of. Medieval fair, original fantasy land, the circus theme of storybook circus and that enchanted forest of beauty and the beast and little mermaid. So I love the fact that it's this wonderful. Seamless marriage and amalgam of these different themes that all blend seamlessly into one, the idea that you used to be, and then there's still some remnants of it.

When you entered Fantasyland, you were in the castle. Keep, you could see. Little elements of the extensions of the castle walls in some of the ancillary areas of fantasy. And that made you feel that as you walked through those castle gates, you were inside the walls of the castle. Keep it has been expanded more because now there is the section of the forest and you see that delineation between the, the original fantasy land.

There is that freestanding wall. That's. [00:36:00] Mark's the line in between the castle keep and the enchanted forest, and then the extension over into storybook circus. I love the multiple themes that cohesively work into a single land.

Tim Foster: And I love just standing on not one, not two. Not three but four, if you count Rapunzel's tower forecasts.

Lou Mongello: Oh my God. That's true. I didn't even think of that. Look at you pulling your castle there.

Tim Foster: Well, and it was funny cause we, uh, last time on our trip, we're looking at the beast castle and this is one of those things we're looking at it and it was during the day. And it's, that seems bigger. I think, redid that.

Didn't they, and now we look back at old pictures. No, they didn't redo it. We're just looking at it more intently than we had before. So again, just, you can always find something new, but castles everywhere.

Lou Mongello: Do you have anything else on your list?

Tim Foster: Uh,

Lou Mongello: I love Mary acceptable. No is an acceptable answer other than I

Tim Foster: love Mary Blair.

That's all

Lou Mongello: the last thing that I will mention. And I think this, this is sort of a nice way to maybe succinct. Tie this all together. And this actually, I had written this down as number two on my list because I felt it was so important, but maybe it's appropriate that it is last. I think one of the things that I love most about fantasy land is the permission.

And I think fantasy land of all places in Walt Disney world is the one that gives the clearest most deliberate and intentional permission to be a kid. Again, there is something about this land that I don't know what it is, Tim. I think it's the. For adults ish. It is that marriage of that we talked about before of nostalgia and sentiment and memories of growing up.[00:38:00]

It is the types of attractions that are there. It is the character. We didn't even talk about the character interactions, not just inside places like princess fairytale hall, but even interacting with, with guest on, in front of his giant cinnamon roll based areas. But maybe it is because of the stories that are being told here, it is the characters that are here, whether you're taking your child on Dumbo, because he or she loves it, but it sparks a memory in you that allows you to let your guard down.

As I think many of us do when we walk into a specially magic kingdom, we let our adult tendencies and guards down. And here more than anywhere. I think we feel most comfortable allowing ourselves to dress up like a Knight, you know, pretend we are going under the sea, flying with Peter pan, whatever it might be or, you know, being a five-year old and just enjoying a ride on Dumbo finished the land gives us permission to be a kid.

Again, beautifully said. But I want to know from you not you, Tim, because you, I heard your story from you listening at home, imagining you are walking, skipping. Dare I say, skipping with Tim and I through fantasy. Then what is the thing that you love most about fantasy land? I know there are things certainly that we missed.

I wanted to mention the sword and the stone, but I'm not going to do it. What is it about fantasy land that you love most? I'd love you to be part of the community and conversation station. I will post this question in the clubhouse on facebook@dodiewto.com slash clubhouse. I'll also post it on my Instagram.

Better yet. Call the voicemail at four oh seven nine hundred and nine three nine one. Let me know what it [00:40:00] is for you, that you love about fantasy land. And then, and only then after you've done all of the above, please go and check out everything Tim has to offer at celebrations, press.com and God to the magic.

You are the busiest man in the Disney business. You say

Tim Foster: it and you say that that way every time, but I want to make clear. I think it's perfectly fine. If people go over to celebrations, press first and then come back and call you up. And I

Lou Mongello: don't think there's anything wrong with call the voicemail while you are typing celebrations, press stop.

Good stuff.

Tim Foster: Oh, Hey, I'll just remind everybody our well, speaking of fantasy land, all kinds of fantasy and magic in our 50th anniversary, 50 years of Walt Disney world magic anniversary. Collector's book that we still have. And then, uh, we're talking about fantasy land, but there's another park in Walt Disney world.

It's about to have a birthday. Lou, did you know that

Lou Mongello: I'm going to Walt Disney world. That's about to have a birthday. Yeah. Art, most of them I'm about to have a birthday. Well,

Tim Foster: yeah, that's true. That's true.

Lou Mongello: Well, animal kingdom was earth day. That's past Hollywood studios. That's passed at cotton. So I know I'm confused

Tim Foster: now.

We'll have cots having a pretty significant birthday this year. Number 40. I know you're not 40 yet is the new

Lou Mongello: 20 says at 40

Tim Foster: is the new 20, but we're making a whole new, uh, similar to the 50 year book, a 40th anniversary, Epcot hard cover collectors coffee table book, which we're about to launch soon. So Lou you'll be the first to know and that's ready to go.

So we're excited about.

Lou Mongello: I am excited to get my order in before the mad holiday rush as well. I will put to all of this good stuff that Tim has to offer in the show notes over@wdwradio.com. If you have a suggestion for a top 10 that you'd like to hear on the show, you can also email me [00:42:00] lou@www.com, Tim, my little fantasy land friend.

Thank you so very much, brother. Oh, hey... what's your favorite thing to eat in Fantasyland?

Tim Foster: Uh, peppermint cupcakes at Gaston's Tavern at Christmas.