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Episode 278: Reflections 2.0, PUSH & Goodbye DinoLand image

Episode 278: Reflections 2.0, PUSH & Goodbye DinoLand

Welcome Home: A Disney Parks & DVC Podcast
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On This Episode

The guys answer a listener question about Disney bucket lists. Construction on the canceled DVC resort, Reflections, appears to be restarting. DVC members may be getting a credit after Disney wins a lawsuit around property taxes. Shanghai Disney Resort has a new talking recycling bin which reminds the guys of PUSH the talking trash can. Star-Lord will be appearing at EPCOT. Rumors speculate that DinoLand USA will begin phased closure before the busy holiday season.

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Transcript

Managing Chaos and Listener Detours

00:01:21
Speaker
Hello and welcome home. This episode of Welcome Home is brought to you by the DVC Resell Market. Thank you for joining us on episode 278 of Welcome Home, a Disney Parks and Vacation Club podcast. I'm Tom here with Trevor da and Damon.
00:01:33
Speaker
How's it going, guys? Hey, it's yeah, I mean, it's odd. I'm i'm on the show. Yeah, they even made it. Yeah, we have to like rearrange his life. But yeah, yeah but we made it happen. yeah Yeah, you know, it's it's weird that like all summer I've had like lots of time and now that I'm getting into fall, it's like no time. It's like everything is coming up all at once.
00:01:56
Speaker
Well, and I, yeah, I also have like random sports games that are either on Saturday or Sunday and they vary every week. So it just, it makes things challenging, you know? It does. and So yeah, we made it. We made it this week. But I got that. I just, I don't check the iTunes reviews that often, but I got the one that was complaining about golden button detours. And I just, I do. You can't make anybody happy.
00:02:18
Speaker
Well, gosh, man. Yeah, that's crazy. Everybody happy. Not everything is for everyone. And that's okay. But but like, I still just don't understand. Like, if I don't like a podcast, I just don't listen. Like, I don't go out of my way to like, make it such a big deal. They're like, you know, trying to promote golden button. What does that even mean? Like, it's still part of the same show. Don't listen. But we've made it easy for you. If you don't want to listen to me, you go up, that's golden buttons delete. Like, why are you going out of your way to make it such a big deal, man? You're absolutely right, Damon, that, you know, we actually, we've actually made it easier for people and they're still... It's just crazy to me. Like, just don't listen then. Like, gosh, man. I know.
00:03:07
Speaker
It just it it boggles my mind. I would never like stub my nose at like free entertainment. And yet, you know, here we are with people doing something like God even warned you when the ad is coming. So I know I don't know what else

Disney Breaks and Alternative Trips

00:03:20
Speaker
they want. I think maybe they need it like Damon's on this show as the first line of every episode. Like maybe that would help them. I guess I just don't I just don't understand. Like like Let's let's get some AI stuff going where we can have like a voice at the beginning that just like says the show will be about the following and just yeah. I mean,
00:03:40
Speaker
like i mean listen, listen, I get that there's like I'm just not that into Disney right now and and that's OK. Like I could still talk about Disney like I'm super anxious about like reflections and stuff, but yeah it's like everyone complains about stuff, but everyone goes through this. Like there's a script here, everybody, you know,
00:03:57
Speaker
you're going to go through the same things, right? As there's always going to be, even if it's not maybe as much as me, there's going to be a downturn in your Disney-ness. Just embrace it, man. Like, it's not forever, but it is what it is. It's it's interesting you say that, Damon, because I always feel like the people that go like, the magic is gone, you know, like that whole thing that people say, I feel like that's just you're not be you're not interested in Disney anymore, right? And that's okay. Like, you cannot be interested in Disney anymore. And like I think it's worth your wait.
00:04:26
Speaker
Yeah, I think fluctuate. You get interested in things. You get i have interested. You know, I mean, my my friends are totally not interested in Disney right right now. And, you know, they they don't like to go on the rides because it hurts their back, whatever. It

Creative Uses for DVC Points

00:04:38
Speaker
doesn't matter. But what I say to them is because they have DVC as well said, hey, man, they're still cruises. Right. And you know me like I'm all about cruises right now. So it's not like I'm against, you know, going to Disney, you know, things. It's just, you know, we're not about the part right now. Still cruises. But not only that, like there's still a benefit to having DVC.
00:04:56
Speaker
Even in the downturn because we're gonna utilize ours for like different times that we're gonna go to florida for other things right and like you can always utilize those rooms because in theory they're kind of this free room and and the nice thing is is that.
00:05:12
Speaker
When you go there and you don't go to the parks, and and again, right just from a ah monetary standpoint, you really can get this high level of you know return on DVC. You go and you go to the parks, right like you still got to put out all this money, but going to Disney and not going to the parks, it it is really a very, very inexpensive vacation in terms of other things, and there is so much to do there. so I don't know, man, people just

Evolving Family Vacation Experiences

00:05:40
Speaker
need to chill out a little bit. It's funny. It's funny you're saying all that, Damon, because I like I know you you missed some of the episodes, but I actually started talking about this that me and my brother are planning a trip next year, because so his wife planned a trip with her friends and she was like, Hey, you should go somewhere too. And so my brother and I started talking it and I said, Hey, I've got, you know, DVC points that I'm not using.
00:06:02
Speaker
So we're going to Florida, but we're doing exactly what you said is we're we're hitting everything else. But Disney, like we're doing, I think like one or two days and yeah there's tons of stuff to do, but we're doing all the other things. And the great thing is, is that because like, when I showed my brother, I'm like, Hey, the the room is basically free. Like I'm not going to make you pay for points or anything. You know, the room is free for you. And all of a sudden he went, Oh,
00:06:23
Speaker
We can do a bunch more stuff. Like like yeah all of a sudden he realizes like, hey, you know, we're we're talking like we're we're going to probably rent a cabana at Volcano Bay just because like it's not even a nu that likes like, so you know, just stuff like that, right? Exactly. that you You can't necessarily do When you're also doing parking some people can write like this turns into be a lot of money like i've never been to discovery coven while we were thinking about doing that this upcoming trip before our crews. We're not going to but we're gonna do volcano bay like you said like i were huge water park people i mean. Been to quadra been to all the other ones this haven't been to volcano bay so we're gonna do that as a trip but one of the things that i am doing is.
00:07:03
Speaker
We're burned out of points anyway, but I'm trying to hit all the other resorts that exist, you know, outside of the Disney ones, right? So, you know, Margaritaville, though, I just, I cringe every time. great It looks so nice, but I just, I have to say I cringe. Um, I mean, Gaylord Palms, we love, but we've been there, right? And my kids are starting to be at this age where they're just like, so we're talking about Halloween things, right? And it's like, okay, well, you know, we do the haunted houses last year. We went to Hollywood horror, which we enjoyed, but it was the second time there. And I'm like, Hey, so what do you guys want to do this year? Cause they're both home for, uh,
00:07:37
Speaker
October break from college and they're like oh we just can't do you know what's a terror anymore well why like it's good and like i've been there too often that's sometimes what happens with the kids like that just like we've already done that so we're driving a little bit further we're going to red vein i think enrichment.
00:07:54
Speaker
You know, just because it's different and we haven't been there. And I think that's what happens with Disney. The the kids get you know to the point where it's like, all right, well, let's do something different. Doesn't mean that we're gone forever. Right. This means that we're gone for now. And and i'm I'm probably going to honestly, as we start talking about this reflections, like I'm probably going to buy more points.
00:08:11
Speaker
Like I'm probably gonna buy more points. So, you know to all the people that complain likes to stop man Like you don't need to leave a review. We get it. It's not gonna change anything and Trevor and Tom are not Uncomfortable like shut up like don't let it go man Yeah, the the funny thing to like your point about, you know, not going to Disney's, you know, there is the whole thing about absence makes the heart grow fonder, which is like I truly feel like that. Like you do. You do need to sometimes take a break. And like and like the thing about you is that you've had way more opportunities to go than than I have just because of the we like you're a lot closer with the family and all that. Yeah. so Yeah, absolutely. i I get burnout and I get why you're going all these other places because yeah, if I if i had Disney on you know yeah ah within you know a couple hours drive of me, yeah I would be doing it to the point where I'm sick of it as well. like and and Not only that, but you have to remember, like I'm already like planning. so Let's see, my oldest is 20, almost 21. A few more years is going to be grandkids and we're going to be back there. like When I had my kids they were growing up, we went two to three times a year.
00:09:18
Speaker
We'll be back to that, I'm sure. And then it's a whole different trip at that point, right? You'll be the next tier up on the launch. Yeah, I don't know. Is it is it a different trip, you think? I mean, it's a different trip with young kids in general. i mean Oh, you're saying with young kids, yeah yeah. Yeah, when you have young kids, the trip is totally different.
00:09:34
Speaker
And you're going to be in a different position because, you know, as a grandparent, you know, like my parents, I feel like I'm just going to be paying for everything just like I did before. My parents struggled with a little bit because when we did our first trip with them with our son, they were like, they were thinking like, you know, oh, are you going here? We're doing this. And we're like, no, this is how we're doing the trip. And they kind of went.
00:09:55
Speaker
Oh, and then they realized that you know they they weren't it wasn't about how they do it anymore. It was about how we were doing it as you know adults ourselves. right so It's funny. I saw one of those like spammy sites that was like, you know I took my grandkids to Disney when their parents were on vacation and they were mad. I don't understand how they can be so mad. right like yeah of course they can of course they can but I agree with you like when we go it will be like hey what do you want to do me and it's a different its grandparents we can different yeah and we can go out like again not that I go out late but I mean we can go out like later and be like hey do our own stuff
00:10:34
Speaker
Yeah, but that's what my parents did too. It was like they got there and then they realized like, oh, hey, you guys are doing your thing. We're going to take off and go do some other stuff and we'll meet, you know, we'll we meet you back at the hotel at like six o'clock and then, you know, go from there, right? Yeah, I think a lot of grandparents don't have that insight.
00:10:51
Speaker
to you know understand that like at the end of the day, right like things do change. I think I'm trying to at least come to grips with that now prior so that like I'm kind of a little bit more ready for that you know being a little bit different. um But

Living Close to Disney: A Blessing or a Curse?

00:11:06
Speaker
that's okay.
00:11:06
Speaker
no But it is it is interesting to your point Damon, like because my wife and I have had a conversation before, it not like an actual serious conversation, but like a conversation about moving like near Disney, right? and my And my wife has said like, yeah, but if we're close by and we can just pop in at any time, then it's not special anymore, you know? No. Yeah, I agree. But I mean, some people it is. Some people can do that and it's and they like it, right? Because plenty of people move to be by Disney or Universal, right? Like people do that.
00:11:32
Speaker
But I think people lie to themselves a lot too. I mean, OK. Yeah, this is how I feel. I think that like, yeah, it's tough. I wouldn't want to be close to anything like that. I mean, just in general, but make to each their own man.

Children's Changing Tastes

00:11:49
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's. exactly Yeah. i mean it's I always just think of it as like my daughter tells me she loves strawberries and then I buy strawberries every day for like three weeks and then all of a sudden she doesn't like strawberries anymore. Exactly. Then what do you think? That's the running joke as parents, I think. is that you know Your kids say something, so you like hit hit up the Costco brand and oh yeah get them out of it to the point where they're sick of it and then
00:12:11
Speaker
And then it becomes a thing, right? Yeah. I'm kind of like that too. So I can't really complain about it. Like I want to eat the same cereal for four weeks or I'd even eat the same dinner for four weeks and then I just don't want to eat it for a year. Like my wife gets so mad. She's like, what are you doing? Like, why can't we just have that for like a week straight? Like I'd be fine with that. Like cereal is a big one, though. Big one for me. Like it definitely ebbs and flows. Yeah. So like life cereal until like I'm done with life. And then I like.
00:12:39
Speaker
I do that too. And then I'll be like, nope, nope.

Nostalgia in Food and Experiences

00:12:43
Speaker
I go through phases as well where it's like, I'm all about like, yeah, like you said, life or whatever. And then, and then um and then I'll hit a point, like I'll get through like half a box and then I'm like, I hate this. and i don't Why did I ever like this? I don't want it anymore. And then, and then like two years later, I'll be like, oh yeah, I like that again. Exactly. Exactly. I feel like that every time I eat Taco Bell. That's how Disney is. Yeah. I actually did that with Pizza Hut the other week. i You had to talk about Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Terrible. I love Taco Bell. So so this was the problem is that when I when i was younger, um Pizza Hut used to be decent, like when they had the restaurants and stuff. like We used to enjoy it. No, please stop, Trevor. No way. No, it was. Okay. I love Pizza Hut when I was a kid when they did free books. This is 18-year-old me going to Blockbuster renting PlayStation games and then getting pizza and me and my girlfriend, now my wife, is hanging out and playing PlayStation. so But pizza might be good for what you had, too. That's the other thing. He doesn't have better. That's OK. You have to remember, I live up in Canada. We don't get all the good stuff that happens down in the States. So yes, yeah you know the the choices weren't always there. But I had a memory of it. And then, yeah, a week ago, I was like, I'm going to get pizza hu and I bought it. And then I was like, this is not
00:13:55
Speaker
What I remember at all, and it was not good. Yeah, it was, it was a heck of a drug, man. It really is. Yeah. Like, cause you really like, you remember something a certain way and then if it's not that way, it it really is like deflating. ah Well, and things change over time too. like yeah Like it doesn't stay the way you remembered it either.
00:14:13
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's 100% true. All right, well, Tommy has an announcement. yeah yeah oh well it's ah It's not an announcement. i just you know I just wanted to give a shout out. Sorry, yeah shout out. I wanted to give a shout out because i i you know i Chris is ah is a big fan of our show, and he he's in our in our Discord, and he had reached out to us and and just was telling me how much of a fan his son Logan is. So I just wanted to say hey to Logan. Thanks for listening. We appreciate it. and Yeah, Logan.
00:14:39
Speaker
Yeah, hey, Logan. I just want to know if Logan likes the shows I'm on more or the ones I'm not on. I mean, I'll have to ask you have to find out about the fact. Maybe maybe it's that way. Either way, we we appreciate that you you enjoy the show and we hope that you continue to enjoy it. Yes. Yeah, for sure. So so hey, Logan. So we also have listener questions this week. I feel like we should answer Jeremy's after we talk about the reflection stuff. um You know,
00:15:05
Speaker
Maybe. I mean, sure, we we could circle back on it, but yeah. So why don't we talk about the reflection stuff

Disney Bucket List Dreams

00:15:10
Speaker
now? So I think this is moving from a rumor to a ah real thing, like really quickly. So or do we want to do? Do we want to do Ali's question real quick? What's your date Disney bucket list? Let's do that. did out done yeah If you would say going to all the parks, is that I mean, around the world, is that a bucket list item? Yeah. Or does it have to be one thing? You know, I mean, that's one and rather large thing.
00:15:35
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. OK, that's what I would say. My wife and I plan to hit every park at some point. Yeah, mine is specifically i I want to get to Tokyo Disney one day like that. That is on my bucket list because I actually have friends that were literally there like two weeks ago and they were telling me about their experience. And I really want to go to Tokyo Disney. That is. Yeah, it it just looks awesome. Like and it's so different from any of the parks in North America.
00:16:03
Speaker
But still the same, right? but still Yeah, so so because it wasn't actually you know laid it out here, Disney is a very large situation, right? So I'm going to take this away from the parks right and say that for me, it would be to voice a character on an animated show. okay that's actually That is very cool. I didn't even think about that as a possibility.
00:16:25
Speaker
Yeah, that's kind of been on my list. i'm I'm trying to trying to make my ends to make that happen. I don't listen. It could just be one word to be. Yeah, it's like a phrase in in a show. Yeah, just just something. Just something to say like, yeah, I like ice cream. Like like a background character would be like maple syrup. It would have to be a maple syrup. We just have to make our own animated show and then you can voice your own character. There you go. There you go. To Disney.

Gravity Falls: Nostalgia and Potential Revival

00:16:54
Speaker
There you go. It's fun. It's funny. I actually just I just did a rewatch of just finished a rewatch of Gravity Falls. And I forgot how short that show is, first of all, like I think I think that and then I don't because, Tom, it's funny. I turned on Gravity Falls yesterday. Right. Yeah. And they were I was a just surprisingly enough. Same thing. I was just like, oh, you know, let me just see what's going on. And it was the one where they use the shrink crystal and Gideon tries to take over with the shrink crystal because he shrinks them. And I was like, I kind of forget that episode.
00:17:23
Speaker
Yeah. Like, so for me, I was like, and I've seen it probably 10 times all the way through, just with the kids and it's always on. And I was surprised that even though it's a short season, how many episodes there are. Just 40 totals. Yeah, which is way more than you would think for a season, right? Maybe I just went through it so quickly. I don't know. I just think the opposite.
00:17:46
Speaker
yeah I still think the golf ball one, the mini golf one is still the best one of all. oh I like that one. yeah you know every er Actually, I haven't noticed when we've been playing mini golf, Tom, but I used to sing the the We Control the Balls song whenever me and my brother would play walkabout. And he had no idea what he was like, what are you doing? I'm like, it's it's just a thing. Don't worry about it. We were talking about, yeah, i mean just the mini golf in general, right? like i mean I don't know. I feel like for me and my daughter, we were talking about Minigoff. We were watching The Price Is Right, right? And, you know, where they have the. The part for the car. Yeah. The part for the car. And I was like, dude, any of us would like I could really that. Right. Because we do so much Minigoff. And then I was like, again, so this is so funny. There second is such a different though. Yeah. yeah Well, yeah. yeah But but refresh the other thing, too, you know, raising two boys and then raising a daughter.
00:18:38
Speaker
It is a different ballgame. We went from, like, yeah watching cartoons to, like, makeup, like, in a heartbeat. So I said to her, I said, you know, well, you know, do you think, like, do your friends' families play as much mini golf as us? And she was like, how the heck would I know that? And I'm like, I don't know. I just was asking a question. But I felt like we play a fair amount of mini golf in general. Yeah. I mean, so you think you could do it, right?
00:19:05
Speaker
I think I could do, you're telling me it's a hole in one or two? Yeah, like I think I can make that in two shots. I'm good. Especially if you get all the questions right and you get the short put. No, I'm saying even if you have to shoot it from all the way back, you're telling me I got two shots of that? Yeah, I think I'm good. I did see that with that new book that came out that that apparently Disney, the Disney executive said they're trying basically trying to revive Gravity Falls.
00:19:29
Speaker
No, there's no way. this Hersha said there's no way. Well, no, I mean, they said they were in contact with him and talking to him about it. And, you know, they were like they were trying to get him to do it, basically. No, I got something to throw out there, though, about Gravity Falls. OK, do you do you guys feel that it's hit the point of like?
00:19:46
Speaker
I feel like Gravity Falls always circles back in the fall and specifically like around Halloween even though it's not a Halloween show and I know there's like Halloween episodes to it but it feels like it it feels like it's becoming like mandatory Halloween viewing like you know how the same way like there's like yeah shows that like you watch around Christmas and stuff I feel like gra I feel like it's getting into that zone of like like oh if maybe around Halloween it's a good show to watch It is, but I think that as the like time progresses between, you know, when it happened and now, you know, kids are less likely to watch it. I feel like, you know, my daughter was one of the last ones to really be all in on Gravity Falls. I mean, I know there's people that still watch it, but, you know, kids in general aren't watching that show, which is a shame because it is so good.
00:20:33
Speaker
but But I think it becomes this focus where people just turn it on and watch it. like It's not kids, it's just you know people who who grew up with it end up watching it, right? I thought you were going to ask if it's become like a cult classic at this point.
00:20:47
Speaker
I think it already was, to be honest. Yeah, I mean, it's I i feel it's there. It's just I like I noticed that it it always seems like I'll go like, oh, you're not thinking about it. And then it's like when fall hits, it's yeah, it always comes back into my mind. well And it's funny because it's like it's kind of the same thing with the show. The show ends at the end of summer and then you're into fall and you're like, oh, OK, like, yeah.
00:21:09
Speaker
I kind of see what's going on here. I enjoy it. I think it's probably, like I said, one of my top tens. I mean, it's definitely up there. I just I just I always think about it being at the parks and it's just I just don't think it has that much of an audience, unfortunately. But I mean, if they bring it back, they could maybe do. I mean, I just don't see how the only way you bring it back. Right. Because everyone's gone. Like, do you bring it back in the same town? Do you bring it back in a different town? Like, what do you bring back?
00:21:35
Speaker
I mean, you could do a thing, you know, at the end of the series, spoiler alert, you know, Grunkleson and his brother go off and do their own adventure somewhere, right? So maybe something happens to them and then Dipper may well have to save them. I don't know. You could do something, you know? It doesn't have to be limited. I think it i think it ruins it. Like I said, there's certain shows that are just so good. Do you know what's the one thing that I hope never happens with it?
00:22:00
Speaker
is if they turn it into a live action. Oh, dude, no, that would be awesome. You're crazy. No, okay. Dude, it is such a monkey's paw wish. it it is so like i see in In my head, there's very few shows that make the jump from like animated shows to live action that I feel actually like do justice. like it It always feels like they're either just retelling the story Or it doesn't click the way that the animated shows click, right? Because they're limited on what they can do with live action, especially something like Gravity Falls. It's so unhinged that a lot of that stuff. You'd almost have that scene, seeing the cartoon first. Yeah. And then if you're telling me you see the cartoon first and then put a movie out that plays off of the cartoon, I'd be OK with a live telling of if it followed the story.
00:22:53
Speaker
for sure. But like I said that that's the problem is that I feel like the live actions never do as well because it assumes that you watch 40 episodes at a half an hour right even at 20 minutes is still a long amount of TV. And it's funny, I just went through watching um So the pretties came on Netflix. That's kind of a YA Scott Westerfield. It's funny. I didn't realize I had the books. Long story short, as I ended up listening to the unabridged. So right. The whole 12 hours of it. And I was like, oh, this is actually not bad. And then I watched the movie on Netflix and was like, man, this was an absolute train wreck. oh ah You know, it was a bad adaptation. is that So terrible. And I'm like, they're they don't I can't even imagine like what's going on. Now, I had listened to the
00:23:37
Speaker
books or would say read the book is on the bridge listening is the same as reading the book um and was like this is a train wreck but you know what i thought it would be terrible otherwise i don't know so it's same thing with gravity falls i just don't know what people get enjoyment out of it in general.
00:23:51
Speaker
It's funny. i I was on my Amazon photos and something came up today about Seuss on Gravity Falls, like a meme that one of my boys did. And I was like, that's just so funny. Like it is just so entrenched in our life and our growing up. You know what I mean? Like I just found it kind of funny.
00:24:09
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's interesting though, Damon. so like You'd be okay if they brought it back if it was live action and they made it work, right? like It would have to be the same story though. like I don't actually want a different story. yes and You don't want a new story. You want the same exact story. Yeah, so this is it. so It was a picture of my oldest son. He goes, and he's just looking like all distraught. When Seuss falls for for Bill Cipher's tricks. That's what he has, a text across this picture. and I was like, that's so funny. It came up today. It was from September 28th in 2018. Yeah, it ended in like, what what year did that end? It was, was it 10 years ago already? No, couldn't have been. No, no. Cause it was, it was still running when we were, when we started the podcast. Was it?
00:24:58
Speaker
So much because we were 18 then. We're still talking about it. Yeah. 2016 2016 and ended. So it's it's been eight years. Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. That is crazy. So anyway, we got way off track. Yeah. Yeah. We are way down a rabbit hole. So let's get back on

Disney's Reflections Project Speculation

00:25:12
Speaker
track. So we've been we've been speculating for a couple of weeks now, just based on some evidence that's been coming out of permits and things like that, that reflections is being revived. And I've been convinced of this for a while now. But now there's there's some more evidence. And the first piece, a crane.
00:25:27
Speaker
A crane is evident. Well, yeah, because they they got approval to build a crane ah to build a 10 story building on that site. So they basically got and FAA ah clearance for a 240 foot crane on that site. But the other part is they've already started clearing land now.
00:25:47
Speaker
so like This is a bit evolved over the past day, basically, where now they have construction equipment and they're they're working on it. So I feel like, I mean, i don but here's the thing. We don't know what's going there, right? We don't know if it's reflections. We don't know if it's some other concept. A park? enough for a park, though. I mean, it was at one point. Well, that's true.
00:26:11
Speaker
It's a distant quest. 10-story Disney. If it was a third water park, what if it truly was a third water park? What? They, like, revived for for a 10-story building, though, yeah. But what about a building and a water park? You know, it's funny because you know Disney is one of those places that doesn't necessarily... Well, besides the... What's it called, right? Which really isn't a water park. um But what if you had a DVC resort with a water park? It doesn't have to be big. Like, the Gaylord Palms water park is actually pretty nice, but what if you did that for a DVC resort?
00:26:39
Speaker
I've always felt like Disney has avoided doing like crazy stuff at the pool because they want you to go to the water parks or they want you to go to the parks so they like purposefully don't do a lot at the resorts but I mean that would be cool. yeah I mean especially especially since it's going on the site of River Country.
00:26:54
Speaker
Like what is DVC exclusive? Does it what? If it was DVC exclusive, that I mean, that's. Well, yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Just like, yeah, what's the other one called the pool at the Yacht Club or whatever? What's each? Yeah, each club. What's is there a name to that area? There is. I forget what it is off the top of my head. What if they just did it along Bay or something like that? Yeah, that's I think that's it. What if they did that? I mean, they could. Yeah. I mean, they would need another one of those.
00:27:24
Speaker
It'd be cool for them to pay homage to river country in some way. And I'm sure they will with whatever they do. ah You have too much trust in them. I don't know about that. Well, no, because they always do that whenever they replace a ride with another ride, they always include references to that previous ride. And I'm assuming they would do that with the hotel too. But I feel like river country, they just kind of want to forget about.
00:27:44
Speaker
bit different really you think so i feel its I feel it's ingrained enough in people's memories that Disney will cash in on that nostalgia for sure. yeah and as we've been talking about nostalgia you know disney will They will capitalize on it if they feel they can. If they do something like that, I'll buy there. I'm still holding out for this Epcot one, though. That's the problem. so Yeah. Yeah, man. We don't have any evidence that that's happening, though. I mean... I know it's so... it's so um this you know i don't i just i I wish it would, because that's really where I'd like to buy an next. But again, if they do something that has River Country in it, then I'll buy.
00:28:23
Speaker
Okay, so I guess the questions with this are, is this happening, right? And because it seems like it is now at this point, we have construction equipment on the site, something's happening. Is it going? Is it going to be the same concept, though? Do you think it's just reflections? Or is it reflections 2.0? Like they or sat on the design and they improved it? I don't know. I think it's reflections 2.0. I don't think it's something totally different. But we'll see. I don't think it's just like the first concept either. um I think it's 2.0.
00:28:49
Speaker
yeah you know yeah why Why would they throw out all the work that they put into designing reflections? right like like like that Why would they redo it from scratch? They already have the basis for it. Like you said, does it's not going to be exactly the same. but yeah you know Because people complain about resorts that aren't Disney enough. right So I wonder what that means. Was reflection Disney enough? I don't know.
00:29:14
Speaker
Well, I if I remember correctly and the on the outside, it got a lot of criticism for looking very plain on the outside. But I remember seeing inside concept art and it was filled with Disney characters. It was like super Disney themed. So I think the outside, though, just wasn't. like well Why do people care so much about what the outside of. a I don't know for real.
00:29:35
Speaker
I mean, you're you're not standing outside staring at it for more than like, you know, five to 10 minutes at most. Like, yeah, it's like, oh, man, I wish I wasn't staying at an ugly hotel. Like, who cares? It's awesome inside with a river country pool and, you know, water slide. But yeah, what if they built an indoor, uh, water in the resort, you know, in Florida town, I was going to ask about air conditioned.
00:30:02
Speaker
Yeah, oh so I was going to ask because I don't have any reference for this. We do have indoor water parks up here, but yeah that's because it's cold enough that it's justified. Yeah, the humidity alone would just destroy people. I don't see that happening. Yeah, I guess it becomes just like a like an oven basically. Yeah, like a sauna, but the whole thing's a sauna. They have a bunch of windows and they'd be always fogged like just always fucked up. I'm I'm interested to see when we get an actual announcement for this, like because they're moving dirt now, right? Like eventually they're going to have to say something. I guess the other question is, too, is it still going to be a DVC resort? Yeah, that's true. They they haven't built they haven't built a non DVC resort in quite a while. But do they need it?
00:30:54
Speaker
Yeah. well why Why would it not be a DVC resort? Because like I get what you're saying. like you know there's um you know There's a lot of people that would say, you know oh, you know and there needs to be more resorts. But DVC resorts, um you know a lot of them are not like their DVC and non-DVC. Yes, dual functions. Yeah, just because like like even if they said this wasn't a DVC resort directly, you know there would still be probably DVC rooms somewhere on site.
00:31:23
Speaker
like it's Yeah, so it's weird now because it's like, you know, any anything that they build, they are thinking about DVC because, you know, it is in their best interest because people who buy into DVC, there's not a, you know, oh, we got to keep, you know, you know, we got to keep bringing people back every year, bring new people back every year. It's, you know, if you make a DVC review resort, you know, you've got people in for, you know, 40 years. Right. So yeah so I can see why Disney is not like chomping at the bit to build another all stars resort.
00:31:52
Speaker
So, yeah um or or even or even like, you know, the moderate resorts, like, you know, the moderate resorts are great. And don't don't get me wrong, you know, you know, they're, you know, Disney as a whole does a pretty good job of, you know, building good resorts. But I think they realized along the way that, you know, they have enough of the value resorts for people that really want to stay at those. But there is a demand there. The demand for DVC, I feel far outweighs the um you know people looking for value resorts because that that also kind of intersects with you know people that are looking at modern value, they'll also go look off-site as well. so They're competing not just with themselves, but also all the surrounding resorts. right It's true. I don't see why they would why they would build take the time to build a resort, especially one that's close to Magic Kingdom yeah and not make it a DVC resort.

New DVC Resort Possibilities

00:32:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I guess I look at it too, like they could, i like you guys are saying, they could do like a yacht and beach club kind of thing, right? Like where I'm like looking, I'm looking at this, ah this, this, I don't even know what you would call this, ah this plan, right? For the original hotel. And there's almost like a division there, right? So there's like the main building and then there's like a little hallway that goes off to three other buildings. I mean, theoretically, you can have the right part of it be a regular hotel and the three buildings to the left just be DVC, right?
00:33:14
Speaker
Kind of like Bay Lake Tower, right? Yeah. And then also too, i in this same drawing, by the way, there is a whole lot going on on the other side of the lobby of the main hotel. I don't know what it is.
00:33:25
Speaker
the walkways and maybe river. I don't know what all that is, but there's a whole lot of stuff thrown into that area. So I don't know. It looks like Gator country over there. It looks like what Gator country Gator country would it be Gator country. Well, because i if I'm looking at the same one, you are like, yeah, there's like all the trees, but there's like a bunch of water right along the ah the pathway and all that, which I'm looking at just like the schematic with the the red oh i was in blue building. Yeah, I was looking at her. So yeah, I was I was looking at there there's a picture where it it looks like the back of like a restaurant or something. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Off to the side. And it just like that's an awful lot of.
00:34:08
Speaker
just looks like swamp water honestly but no i'm looking at the design of the buildings on on the on the construction article where it has okay it has a break it has the original breakdown of kind of like where all the buildings are supposed to sit and also by the way that looks like there's cabins involved here too lakefront cabins oh so but Well, I mean, you don't have to stay at the cabins. I stayed at one one time. It was awesome, but I wouldn't do it again. It's insane amount of points. So yeah, as long as there's no dogs allowed, that's fine. Oh, yeah, that's a fair. Well, that's OK. So that that brings us to Jeremy's question, though. Jeremy wants to know if if this is happening, he's calling it the new tower at River Country, which I feel like it's going to be more than a tower. um Is it going to be part of the DVC at wilderness cab cabins?
00:34:55
Speaker
So the the the Fort Wilder's cabins that just came out, are they going to include it in that condo association? I'm saying absolutely not. I think this will be wholesale new by itself, not the same as that. Yeah, I think they want to do new so they can just get all the you know blue car people, man. Yeah.
00:35:15
Speaker
yeah Yeah yeah i agree with you because the thing is is that they if if they i mean that the cabins do have a lot of the restrictions as well but you have to set this up net new. They can set the rules however they want like you said you know you know the all the blue card restrictions apply.
00:35:31
Speaker
The other thing I was thinking about too is, you know, could they potentially like, because the weird thing is, is that this, but in that area alone, you know how Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek and the cabins, and then you will have a fourth one all in that area, yeah which is like not, it like they're all pretty close to one of them, but I guess it could also be seen kind of the same way as like you've got the Grand Floridian and the Poly and and um contemporary, but those ones are all very,
00:35:59
Speaker
clearly separated from one another. So I don't know. i Like I, I kind of see the point of, you know, could they just add this to an existing association? But I also, I, I grew with you guys. I don't see them doing that was when there's an opportunity for them to sell it as, you know, a brand new association, brand new, you know, hotel, all that kind of stuff. Right. And then it's going to be too large to like, it's just too large, I think, to, to just have it as be part of another association, you know,
00:36:29
Speaker
Yeah, I feel that the you know, the the Pali Tower was by and far the exception to the rule of building such a big structure and then attaching it to the existing association. I don't think you're ever going to see that happen again.
00:36:44
Speaker
I kind of agree with that ah because that's you don't really see that all that often. right so i mean Listen, i I tend to believe that this is if it's going to be a DVC resort, it's going to be a standalone one on its own. But to your point, Trevor, I'm excited about this if it happens because I've said this many times. I love Wilderness Lodge. I think it's maybe the one of the it's one of the best resorts on property. It's it's a fantastic resort.
00:37:07
Speaker
And um you know that whole area is so kind of secluded and quiet. you know like You're close to Magic Kingdom, but you're kind of not. like you know Because you you feel like you you feel like you're in the woods, you i mean which you are. But like you know you don't feel like you're you know a little boat ride away from Magic Kingdom. right So ah this would probably be a go-to for us. I could see myself buying more points at this resort if it were to be what we think it's going to be. like I could see myself doing it.
00:37:36
Speaker
And we don't really need any more points truthfully, but if if we were going to buy more and this is available. I mean, ah yeah, neither do we, but that doesn't stop us from talking about it all the time. True. That's true. Damon, I got a conspiracy theory for you about your gut hotel.
00:37:51
Speaker
So we didn't even talk about this, but there was the thing recently where Disney removed the dolphins from there from the living seas and also ah you know swapped out one of their manatees. And the the reasoning for the dolphins was that you know they were going to maybe do some like structural updates. What if they're moving the dolphins because they're going to do construction behind that of a new hotel and they didn't want to disrupt the dolphins? Look at that.
00:38:15
Speaker
All right. I mean, I'd be on board with that. I think what's going to happen is it's going to be really annoying. They're going to make this, you know, some sort of river country awesomeness. I'm going to buy points and then they're going to do the Epcot. Then I'm going to be like, man, finally going to do the Epcot hotel.

Calculating DVC Points for Future Trips

00:38:32
Speaker
um Yeah, no, that that's a ridiculous conspiracy theory that I just came up with right now, but I love it. I really love it. Yeah. like I just don't know how many points I need.
00:38:42
Speaker
It's a tough question always, right? Because people ask that all the time, well, how many points do I need? And it's like, I don't know. I don't know how many points I need. What do I even have? I don't even know what I have. 520? I think I have 520. Yeah, OK. Yeah, I have 520. How many points do I need? What do I have? I don't even know what I have. I think I have 310. 310. I think I have 310, which is funny for me.
00:39:04
Speaker
Yeah, I'm way behind you guys, but I have enough points for what you have enough for. which I 100 in there by mistake. I have 420. OK, that's there. Yeah, with that's with the you had recently gotten like 100 at maybe I haven't been there yet. It's for a cruise. I haven't even been there yet, but yeah, I got a good review now.
00:39:24
Speaker
We were talking about getting more points with the Poly Tower opening up, but i mean the the thing is is, we still only go for a week at a time. If we really wanted to stay at the Poly Tower, we would just bank and borrow points. like We don't even need to actually get more points to do that. My thing is is that if right all of my kids have kids and we do like a blowout, right like I don't even know if a three-bedroom cuts it.
00:39:52
Speaker
It might, but a three-bedroom's expensive, right, I feel like? I mean, it's it's a lot of points, but- I think a three-bedroom is more than 420, isn't it? Yeah, you're going to have to borrow some points, yeah. or That's what I'm saying. i so I probably need enough for one week of a three-bedroom. That's, I think, where I where i need to sit at.
00:40:07
Speaker
But that, but you can rent for that. You don't need to like have it all sitting in your honor anti-renting. So, okay. that's a Sponsor of this episode, DVC rental store. It just be funny if we did it literally right now. It's an easy thing to rent, yeah but I'm super particular. I don't want to have the hassle.
00:40:38
Speaker
Of dealing with it. That's it. That's just me being snobby and not wanting to do it. Is it easy? Yes. Is it cost effective? Absolutely. But you know how nice it was for me just to get my crews not have to think about it.
00:40:50
Speaker
It was nice, right? So I feel like the mental aspect of it for me is just like, ah, it is too much hassle. I can appreciate that. Later on, Damon, you might just want to do like what I just did on my last trip. Instead of doing a three bedroom, do two two bedrooms, which actually ends up can be less points. So like, uh, if you look at like, uh, I just pulled up Saratoga, a two bedroom for a week is in September is 203 points and a three bedroom is 459. You could get two bedrooms for less than a three bedroom.
00:41:19
Speaker
Yeah, I have to be doing, but that the thing is I have still have to probably do the summer though. Yeah, so I mean the summer is obviously a little pricier, but it still makes more sense to do. I mean, you still get more by doing two two bedrooms and that that actually worked out really well. Did you get two two bedroom lock offs? Like does that exist? Where they connected, where they're connected. Like they're all connected? Oh wow. I don't think so. Somebody might tell us we're wrong on that, but I don't think there is, but that would be it. We try to get rooms next to each other and didn't work out at Saratoga anyway. But um I mean, maybe they're closer at other places, but the way it worked out, it was they weren't close enough. So but they were around the corner. It wasn't a big deal.
00:41:56
Speaker
Yeah, that'd be crazy though if they had four bedroom lock offs. But then again, I think if they did, they would probably like sell you those, right? That's true. Yeah, that's true. but Let's do our ad really quick and then we'll talk about some other stuff. All right, so this week, the sponsor of our show is DVC Resale Market, not Rentalsport. Yeah, so so DVC Resale Market is a world of DVC company and is the leader in the DVC resale industry, the 13 former Dizzy Vacation Club guides, and three former Dizzy Vacation Club quality assurance managers. If you're thinking of buying DVC, browse the largest selection of DVC resale listings anywhere, with DVC experts on hand seven days a week to answer your questions.
00:42:36
Speaker
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00:43:00
Speaker
All right, so we we did that whole, ah you know, the whole reflections thing, we'll see what happens, right? We don't really know if reflections is happening or not, but we'll know soon enough, I feel like, right?

Disney's Property Tax Litigation Impact

00:43:12
Speaker
Yeah, I would think, you know, probably after they're done pushing the poly tower, we'll hear something. So yeah, it'll be another month or so at least. Yeah, well I will hear about it soon. and So this other piece that you put on here, the so the the title that you have is Disney wins the latest round in property tax battle. So This is a very DVC specific topic because it's very interesting. And I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly is so there, there was a property assessment that was done back in like 2015, 2016. Yeah. That greatly overestimated the value of, um, some of the resort profits. Yeah. And Disney's been in.
00:43:57
Speaker
I guess litigation over it for years and there i guess something just came around that they they won something where it could potentially mean that dbc owners or or the the short the short of this is if um they get back the money that they were paid into this property tax that could potentially turn into a benefit for DVC owners, which I don't think it means us getting money back as DVC owners, but it could mean that our dues either go down or they actually just stay flat for you know years or whatever as they you know use the ah you know whatever they got back from this in property tax. That's what I'm interpreting.
00:44:39
Speaker
so Yeah. so i mean and What this says is, you know with this win, the tax collector is saying that ah Disney could get a refund of a total of $80 million dollars across all of its properties. ah which you know Listen, we as DVC members, we pay taxes through our dues. right so like we are we We pay these taxes. and so um you know They're about 15-20% of our annual dues. um and so If they get a refund on that, you know, this is saying a portion would be presumably passed on to DVC members. So the question is, do you get a refund, like, you know, a check in the mail or do they just lower your dues for the next year? I don i would i see the latter, I can see them just lowering dues, which I mean, fine by me, you know, if I don't have to pay as many dues and you know, it makes my dues cheaper for a couple of years, great. Like, yeah.
00:45:31
Speaker
yeah that's I agree. so so you know that That's good news you know for for you know those of us that are paying DVC dues. and you know it's ah you know something to i guess it's not It's not DVC news specifically in that DVC is announcing it, but it's definitely good to be aware of things like this because um Let the interesting things you know somebody buying in at this time you know it could actually create a negative perception for them because you know if the first year they were in that the dues were lower because ah you know.
00:46:06
Speaker
you know If they did something where like they they just like flat you know reduced to everybody's views for a year, and then all of a sudden the next year they jump up and they go, hey, what of what's what's this? right it's like you know It's good to understand you know this kind of stuff that's going on in the background. Do you guys read the budgets when they they come in? No. Because I totally read the budget for my research. I mean, maybe I'm a nerd. I don't have time to do that, unfortunately. Yeah.
00:46:31
Speaker
I mean I don't really have time either but every once in a while it's just you know it's like oh okay this is kind of i i I just find stuff fascinating so sometimes like I don't read them every year but occasionally they do just good because I think it's interesting to see like how much stuff costs you know because we pay for everything.

The Return of Push the Trash Can

00:46:46
Speaker
you know So, we pay for buses, we pay for you know the property tax, we pay for the people that work at the resort. like We pay for all of it. Somehow, Disney's convinced us to pay the salary of their workers that they at the at the resorts, right? so and But I don't have to pay $900 a night to stay in the hotel that I'm in. That's true. and And theoretically, if you were paying cash for that, you know, you're also not theoretically, but you were paying cash. You're still paying those people. Right. So yes, that's true. It just it just is is in a weirder way. That's all. um I wanted to talk about the fact I want to talk about push. OK, I want to talk about push the talking trash can.
00:47:25
Speaker
And I feel very nostalgic about Push. I don't know why. i feel I feel like a lot of people do, right? Did you ever meet Push? I did meet Push, yes. Okay, yeah. I met Push too. It was a very cool interaction. Yeah. Damon, what'd you say? I like Push too. I'm about Push.
00:47:40
Speaker
Yeah, so push has been gone for a while, right? Too long, too long. Yeah, push should come back, right? Push can't come back because people are stupid. That's why push can never come back again. Sorry. Somebody punching a trash can. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he's not wrong.
00:48:01
Speaker
and so It's unfortunate. I mean, how often do we see all of the ridiculous news that comes out of Disney of just guests behaving badly, right? So and it's the same reason why they have a hard time with the the the free-roaming robots, right? ah But push has been somewhat resurrected, just not in the United States. It's been resurrected at Shanghai,
00:48:22
Speaker
Um, and they have a magical recycling bin wandering around now. Um, I, I really, I love that they're doing this again. I just, it makes me sad that it doesn't exist at Disney anymore at Disney worlds anymore. Yeah. It's funny that they, they did update, um, the, uh,
00:48:44
Speaker
yeah like so It's not a trash can anymore. It's actually like it's a ball recycling can. which the The name is Xiaotui, I think. yeah for shout tweet something like um ah which I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I'm guessing it's probably you know kind of like how push was a play on. you know It said push on the front of him, you know maybe something representative of what it says on the on the recycling can. But the thing I liked that you know they I was reading about this is he actually does talk about he's hungry
00:49:19
Speaker
But he's specifically looking for bottles. So I think that's a cute like, you know, that yeah they're trying to make a point of like, hey, you need to recycle properly. And he's only looking for, you know, a particular type of recycling. Yeah, I do think that's cool that that that they did update that. i So I can't believe this, that push has been gone since 2014. That's 10 years ago. It's been gone now. That's insane. Wow.
00:49:46
Speaker
does not feel like that's been that long. I mean, they did have like a they had like a little brief thing where they had a talking trashcan at the Odyssey Pavilion a couple of years ago, but it wasn't it wasn't push. It was just a talking trashcan. You know, yeah, yeah it yeah, it was very different. Like we we actually so we actually ran to push in Disneyland. Oh, which yeah, because he was on on both coasts. And yeah, it was a it was a weird thing where like like the the great thing about push was it was like you you weren't, if you didn't know what it was, you know, you weren't looking for it and all of a sudden, you know, a trash can moves out and starts wheeling its way down the, you know, through Tomorrowland and you're like, what is happening? It was like a Disney practical joke, right? And then like, once it happened to you, you could stand there and watch other people get surprised by it, right? Like, you know, like it was kind of is one of those fun, ah you know, atmosphere things that they used to do. I mean, and they still do that. They just,
00:50:42
Speaker
do different things, right? like The one I always see like clips of is that Muppets one at Epcot, and I never got to see that one in person, but that one looked really cool too. um yeah Have you ever seen that one? It's a beaker.
00:50:57
Speaker
Yeah, it's a beaker. I've only ever seen the videos as well, never never seen it in person. but But yeah, to your point, you you know stuff like this, ah you know it's it's unfortunate that it's in Shanghai, only because of the fact that you know we'll we'll never see it. because like you know i'm I don't see myself going to Shanghai anytime soon, but you know. sure no um So, but you know maybe you know if it gets enough response, you know maybe ah maybe it's something that gets enough attention that people start looking at it to get it in the North American parks, which you know goes back to your point about just street atmosphere in general, like yeah random stuff that happens at Disney. um you know It is sorely missing in the park and you know articles like this you know remind me of how much cool stuff used to be in the parks that really isn't there anymore.
00:51:43
Speaker
They're bringing some of it back. i mean they're They're starting to do a lot. Every once in a while I see articles about like this this act is coming back, this act is coming back. you know um there's There's definitely some that I miss. like There was a really cool one at the France Pavilion at Epcot where the guy... ah Did you ever see the guy that did like the the chair act where he Yeah, bouncing on the chairs. Yeah, yeah every I watched that several times and every time I watched it just like terrified for this guy that he's going to fall from the top of these chairs. But it was like, that was a cool show. And I mean, of course, you know, they still have the drummers over, you know, they still have the drummers and they still have the mariachi band and they still, you know, they still have a bunch of that. but Those are all because they they come from the the countries that they're representative of. So there's like a contracting
00:52:31
Speaker
um because because even like the taiko drummers only hear certain times of the year as well. but They still have the jameters. They still got the jameters. Yeah, that's true. yeah we we did actually My son was confused actually when ah we the jameters started playing outside of connections.
00:52:48
Speaker
ah yeah He was he was confused for a second and that and then I was like because he saw these people walking and he's like, what is this? I'm like, just just wait and then they start playing and he was like, oh cool. Like, you know, we never see the jambiters before. No, we we so we just never ran into them prior to covid. and yeah And, you know, since covid, it had been a while since you saw stuff like that. So, yeah, on our last trip, he yeah you know, we saw it and he was like, oh, OK, you know, that's cool.
00:53:14
Speaker
Yeah, no, for sure. I also have to point out, by the way, if you Google this, this is actually listed under theme park entertainment on the official Shanghai Disney Resort website. Oh, so so the trash can is officially part of the entertainment. It is. Yeah, it's literally listed as an entertainment item. it's It's Disney, and then that name that I'm not going to try to pronounce, and then it says the magical recycle bin. So unfortunately, no performances today. I don't know.
00:53:41
Speaker
Although maybe they don't, maybe they don't even put that on there because it's more of like a random thing. I don't know. I mean, that's the point is people have to stumble upon it, not, uh, not, it would be weird if everybody was standing around a trash can, like it's like the Deborah Dan's, you know, Deborah Dan's just kind of show up sometimes, you know, exactly. Yeah. yeah All right. Anything else with push?
00:54:02
Speaker
No, I think, I think I'm good on push for, for the moment until we actually, till we get something in North America, then I'll be more interested. Then you'll be more interested. But, you know, I guess speaking of, you know, you know, we were talking about things coming back and I guess, you know, you know, entertainment.

Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot

00:54:17
Speaker
Um, oh they so it looks like Star Lord is going to be coming to Epcot as a meet and greet. So i I mean, it kind of makes sense because of, you know, the guardians ride is there. And so, you know,
00:54:31
Speaker
Sure. and I take more issue with how bad this Peter Quill guy is in this video, but, you know, that's neither. Yeah. Well, yeah, either i I watched it and and, you know, he's definitely he's trying to play up one aspect of the Star Lords. Yeah. ah You know, of his personality, which is fine. But yeah, I guess the hard part is, you know, they definitely try to find people that look similar to the actors from yeah movie and stuff. And I mean, I guess the way I, you know, people will, you know, people always, you know, suspend their disbelief of, you know, oh, that's not really Star-Lord. And I guess I would argue, you know, hey, they've got a whole multiverse of, you know, Loki's and stuff. So, you know, what's to say that, you know, this isn't the original Star-Lord, right? Okay, you can do that if you want. i maybe Maybe the star Star-Lord likes dancing more than the one that we know from the movies. I don't know.
00:55:29
Speaker
i seen I would like to see most. I would like to see some of the other characters from Guardians there, though too, because if I remember correctly, Disneyland had a really cool group one at one point. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And like, why not bring that? I would get my picture with Groot. I would wait for that. Like, absolutely. I mean.
00:55:47
Speaker
Yeah, like, you know, so but or even if they like rotated them around, like, like, you know, Star-Lord Gamora group, like, like that there is, you're right, there is opportunity for them to not just make it one thing because, you know, you know, it's very easy to to cycle through the characters from Guardians.
00:56:04
Speaker
Yeah. There's lots of characters there that you can, you know, that you can do. And I mean, I know that they, at Disneyland, they did a lot more of this, right? Like they had a whole like dance show around it. Right. So like, that's, but like, why not do that at Disney world too? You have a guardians ride there, just like you have at Disneyland. like And they have the, all the festival pavilion area that they're not heavily using right now.
00:56:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm sure they have plans for it, but yeah, you're right. There there is there is plenty of opportunity for them to do stuff like that in Epcot. I feel like Epcot is, they' you know, stuff like this, that they're trying to get it back to where it was before all the construction, but it's just not happening. Yeah, it's it's not happening fast enough. You want it to happen faster.
00:56:51
Speaker
but I want I want to just run into random characters. I know that doesn't happen in Florida. Like it it happens in Disneyland, which is just amazing. But I wish they would. You get it. You get it over at a country bear country. The country bears wander. Yeah, in Frontierland. That's true. But what but I mean, that's different than running into like like Corolla or, you know, the Evil Queen or so or even the Mad Hatter like the Mad Hatter in Disneyland is amazing.
00:57:17
Speaker
Well, they were also doing during like COVID times for a while. They were doing like, they were having like almost like little shows like happening, like little just ambiance kind of things. Like though at Epcot, like Winnie the Pooh was trying to catch a butterfly and yeah the one they had, you know, Chip and Dale at Hollywood Studios having like a picnic and like doing weird stuff there. I mean, it was, you know, there was, they did that kind of stuff, but it wasn't, like you said, it's not wandering wandering around randomly. Like it's just in one place, but yeah, I get what you're saying. That makes sense. yeah Yeah, I mean, I said it's i'm I'm fine with it. It's not, you know, I'm not like itching to go meet Star-Lord necessarily, but, you know, hopefully this leans into more stuff like this happening. I think Star-Lord is the last character I want to meet from Guardians. Yeah, it's it's weird because he's I mean, he's kind of a main character, but I don't know. I mean, i technically the main character, right? But like there's more interesting characters than him.
00:58:12
Speaker
I feel like they're trying to put Rocket more forward for the Guardians. Yeah, sure. But you can't really meet Rocket, though. How are you going to meet Rocket? Yeah, that's true. But like you said, no, Groot is definitely a cool mean greet.
00:58:28
Speaker
Yeah, because he was like the giant version of Groot, right? like He was all one super tall. like I remember seeing pictures of that and going like, why don't they have that in the park anymore? I mean, why don't they have that at the park at Disney World? you know Do that. All right, so we're going to end today, unless you have anything else to say about that, Charlie. No.
00:58:47
Speaker
um we're gonna and We're going to end up with a rumor.

Dinoland's Closure and Transformation Rumors

00:58:50
Speaker
yeah just so and this is kind of you know I'm sad about this. i'm i'm excited You guys, I think everybody who's listened to the show know that I will be sad if things go away, but I'm happy for new things too. I like new things. I like you know ah the evolution of the parks at all times. you know there's They're supposed to keep moving forward. right like that's what they're supposed to do. I always find it interesting when people get mad about like the parks changing because it's like literally Walt Disney himself said they were going to be constantly changing. Like that's what he said. Like, you know, so. um So what's going to happen here is Dinoland is going to start closing. Disney said when they announced, you know, this at 23, they said you'd have plenty of time to get on dinosaur. But it looks like they're going to start closing stuff sometime here before the holidays.
00:59:39
Speaker
So, and according to this rumor, they're going to start with closing Chester and Hester Steinerama, which is actually a lot of stuff. Like that's a big piece of land, right? That's like almost most of the land. I feel like it is like like, that's like, there's like the, the gift shop there. There's the, all the games, all the midway games midway and the world's already gone. So like, I'm kind of, yeah, get rid of it. It's a parking lot.
01:00:05
Speaker
Well, I know you're, I know you're saying, you know, that you're, you're missing like dinosaur. I i don't really care. okay So I'm so gonna get in trouble for this. You're just so excited for for Indiana Jones. Yes, like like like I'm sorry, but but Dino, like dinosaur was a cool ride, but it's not indie and I'm excited to see the new indie ride that they do. And that and really my main reason, or me and my son, our main reason to go for going to Dino Land was for Dino World. And when they closed that down, it was like, we didn't even set foot in Dino Land. So it's like, you know,
01:00:43
Speaker
Even if they close the whole thing down in one day i would not be hurt at this point that and this this is just me speaking i'm not speaking for anybody else you know you know you're you're very much you know entitled to feel you know sad about these things going away i just am like.
01:00:59
Speaker
Like you say, you know, I'm like, great, I want to see what the next thing is. I'm excited to see what they come with because like all the reasons that I had, which really was just DynaWorld, like that was a cool unique poster. Yeah, primeval world yeah um so yeah you know that was a cool coaster that, you know, you know, was very unique and, and you know, we enjoyed that.
01:01:21
Speaker
So, you know, since it's been that's been gone for a long time at this point. So, you know, losing the rest of Dinoland is kind of to me, that's a that's a non issue. But, but yeah you know, it's funny you say that because last time, you know, when I was at Disney in May,
01:01:36
Speaker
I mean, I pretty much knew at that point that dino land was not long for this world. Right. And ah a couple of us, we, there was like a it dinosaurs walk on, right? Like it was animal kingdom was dead that day. That was the day. I think I told you that was like a half hour wait for flight of passage. And we were going to like, I'd never seen it that low. And we like tried to hoof it over there. And by the time we got there, it was already get back up to like an hour, but Um, but it was fine. It was walk-on for, for dinosaur. And so a couple, you know, we were talking like, okay, who wants to go down on dinosaurs? Like I can take it or leave it. Yeah. like like That's fine. That's unfortunately it is that it it's, you know, it used to be.
01:02:17
Speaker
A lot of the effects and stuff, like it it has it is showing its age, for sure. yeah Yeah. So unfortunately, it's kind of hit that point where you know people have no nostalgia, and we we talked earlier about nostalgia, and that's fine.
01:02:31
Speaker
But, you know, it's it it does need some love. And, you know, in this case, the love is turning it into Indiana Jones. But the I do say, Trevor, though, I do have nostalgia for one part of that ride. And that's the pre show. Right. Oh, yeah. so With the free of a video is one of those things that lives in my head still. Right. Like that. That's one of the i have really good pre shows, I feel like.
01:02:57
Speaker
Hello there, or I think that yeah, just yeah, you know talking about everyone talking about Yeah, you know we're in Just that whole thing they do. Yeah. Yeah, it's Yeah, you know, it's it's not that it was it's bad and it needs to go away. But yeah, it's I get it Yeah, yeah you know that people are you know people being worried about this closing down and again, you know this this is a rumor or or I guess we didn't really establish what the rumor is the rumor is that um before christmas a good chunk of dino land is gonna close down so so you know between now and christmas. Expect to see walls going up in that area but you know dinosaur will still be accessible yeah but yeah you know everything that we can talk to you know all the midway and everything that's all gonna start vanishing at some point here.
01:03:45
Speaker
um Again, it's a rumor, you know, we won't know until we actually see walls going up. But I mean, like I said, I guess the way I look at it is, you know, anybody that I can't imagine there's a lot of people that are like, standing in the midway, like shedding a tear, because Nobody's tying themselves ah you know to the cue of Triceratopspin and be like, you can't take it. yeah Just don't take it from me. oh by My daughter might be. that's That's like her favorite thing. She loves Triceratopspin. She was actually, it's funny because we were watching, she likes to watch, she watched like a lot of YouTube kids' videos and some of those are Disney videos. Actually, this is ah maybe a topic for another episode, but my i've I'm
01:04:28
Speaker
being sad about my daughter like losing her innocence in a way because she's watching Disney videos of like behind the scenes stuff. right so like she's watch She watched a video of Tinkerbell, a behind the scenes of Tinkerbell going down the zip line. so She says to me today, she goes, she goes, Daddy, Tinkerbell is not real. She's the zip line. and I'm like,
01:04:52
Speaker
Like you're six. Can you like pretend to think it's real for like another couple of years, please? you you know like let Let me ask you this. d So this was a thing when, when my son was very young, we we bought into this and i and like yeah and I know it's not a super long tradition, but do you know the elf on the shelf? Yeah. Yeah.

Children Discovering Disney's Magic Tricks

01:05:12
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, so we, we bought into that or, you know, we have, we have an elf and and you know, we did that for years. And then I think it was by the time my son was about,
01:05:21
Speaker
Seven or eight it was it was the you know, same kind of thing where you know, you know he was not we could tell he was like over it and You know, seeing yeah seeing things for what they were and all that and it was yeah I get where you're at where it's like, yeah you know, it's it's wonderful that they're learning about the world and that they're there, you know getting smarter and all that but part of it too is like, you know, you you you see the You know, when when they start uncovering the magic, right? And I think, you know, the Tinkerbell thing, it's like, you know, you know, she doesn't fly. And it's like, oh, but she does. You just don't understand. that's Yeah, and that's what bothers me too, right? Because it's just like, I mean, if if she were like 12 or something, I'd be like, OK, but like, you know, she's six. And I just want her to have that idea of magic still in her head for a little while, you know,
01:06:14
Speaker
Like, and but I mean, literally the second we walked into Magic Kingdom, this last trip, she goes, she goes, Daddy, I see the zip line that that that Tinkerbell uses. And I'm like, really? Well, not pay attention to that. That doesn't exist. So so the interesting thing about that and actually, you know you know, this this is something for I'll put this out for everybody to think about, you know, as my son was going through this, um I have two nieces that that my my oldest niece is four years younger than my son.
01:06:44
Speaker
So as my son was figuring all this stuff out, he had younger, um, you know, cousins that, you know, we're still very much, you know, into these kinds of things and whatever. And I had to kind of explain to my son that, you know, yes, I'm glad that you figured this out or that you, you see the trick, but, um, it's now your job to keep the magic for okay the younger ones that, you you know, just because you know, it doesn't mean it's fair to spoil it for other people.
01:07:14
Speaker
right and that's yeah and i can explain that to him is you know that that's the way that you know you know you you actually become responsible for you know keeping that magic or keeping that thing.

Maintaining Magic for Kids

01:07:27
Speaker
Going for other people because it is important you know because we all had you know you know we all we all had that magic growing up and you know yeah you know at some point you you did see the zipline and you know you figured out what the trick was and all that but. It doesn't take away from yeah or or you know, you know, making them I guess a part of it is probably the best way I feel to handle that or that that's how I handle those. Yeah, you know, but you know, you know, it's great that like you said, you know, it's great that your daughter's like watching behind the scenes stuff. But like I said, the way I handled it personally was just, you know, reminding my son that, you know, hey,
01:08:01
Speaker
just because you figured that it out, you know, don't go to your, your, yeah your cousins. Yeah. And, and, you know, being like, you know, this is how, a you know, you know, here's how the world works and your, you know, your ideas doesn't work. like it's Yeah. Yeah. I hope, I hope that that's like just one of the few things and like, she still, you know, finds the magical thing, you know, cause I just, well, I think you always have to have that somewhere, you know,
01:08:27
Speaker
yeah You know, when we went to space to 20 back, it was what, two, two years ago now. Like, yeah, it was it was two years ago. You know, I kept telling myself, I'm like, yeah, we're going to get in, you know, it's a it's a, you know, you get on a thing and they launch you up to space. And he and he he actually like he was like, are we really going to space? And I'm like, yeah, of course we are. Like I was I was not giving it up. it And, you know, he he knew. But but it was just funny because his line of questioning was like,
01:08:57
Speaker
he knew and it like logically, he was like, there's no way this is actually happening. But there was still a part of him that was like, like, that there was still that question of like, Hey, is he like, could this really be what this is? Like, well, I had that similar situation was basically 20 on my last trip. I told the story of the show where my daughter was like, and it's such a realistic experience. Like, you know, it's yeah really cool.
01:09:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's very cool. like Things are shaking, there's beeping going on, there's the the screens, and like they do a whole show of it. And so and my daughter you know is like getting freaked out and and a little bit, but also still kind of excited, you know a little bit of both. and so And she says to my wife, she's like, hey, is she goes, is this real? Are we really going to space? And I was like, yeah, it's real. We're really going to space. And then she gets you know more and more nervous. And my wife goes, it's not real. We're not going to space. And then she gets more upset because it's not real. that's Yeah. So I'm like, I can't win, man.

Episode Wrap-Up and Listener Engagement

01:09:55
Speaker
Can't win. um But anyway, so I mean, why don't we wrap up ah and and get out of here? But we we went down some great rabbit holes. I enjoyed. but yeah I enjoyed the weird rabbit holes this episode because I like when we just kind of freewheel it like this. So yeah.
01:10:11
Speaker
but yeah um Yeah, so you know at this point, if you know if you guys have any questions about anything that we talked about on the show or you want to just you know share your own trip reports or or you know anything like that, you can always find us at welcomehomepodcast.gmail.com.
01:10:28
Speaker
um you know Like we said, we we love hearing from you guys and just you know talking with you guys in general. In the same vein, we are on social media, so you can find us on Facebook as Welcome Home Podcast. You can find us on YouTube as Welcome Home Podcast. You can find us on Instagram as Welcome Home Picks. Also, ah to note on Facebook, we have our group, which is Welcome Home Disney Waitlist. If you haven't joined the group yet,
01:10:50
Speaker
Please check it out. it's It's a great group where we have lots of people that talk about all kinds of Disney stuff. so you know It's not not just us. ah you know we We have our our listeners as well. um are you know Frankly, you know a lot of them are far more intelligent about some of this Disney stuff than we are. yeah and you know you know It's a great place. you know to you know Everyone talks about their own experiences with Disney and DVC and you know you know talks about trip planning and all that kind

Promoting Community and Sponsors

01:11:18
Speaker
of stuff. so You know, if you're if you're looking for a good new Disney group on Facebook, please come check us out. And if you'd like to help support the show, you can go to store.welcomehomepodcast.com and you can check out our different merch there. So, you know, maybe if you're planning a trip and you need some shirts for your trip, you know. hey you know
01:11:35
Speaker
We can help you out there and then, you know, just, just snap a pic of, you you know, you know, the, the shirts, you know, if you're wearing the shirts in the park or whatever, you know, we love seeing those eyes. It still blows new way when, when people are like, you know, Hey, you know, rocking the merchant Epcot. And it's like, yes, it's very cool.
01:11:52
Speaker
it It is very cool. you know you know we We love seeing that kind of stuff. but and And yeah, you know you know that you know if you buy stuff from the store, it just helps us keep the show running. It's just one of the ways that we you know we keep things going around here, just being open and honest about that. And similarly, we do have a Patreon for the same reason. So you can go to patreon dot.com slash welcome home pod. And Patreon has exclusive merch. So the logo over there is something you can only get on Patreon.
01:12:19
Speaker
And everybody who supports us through Patreon also gets access to the Discord server, which we talk about on the show. you know It's just another place that we we have great conversations about Disney and and sometimes you know random off-topic stuff as well. But you know again, it's just another great place to to come and hang out and talk about all the stuff that we talk about on the show. So um you know please check those out if you're you know like say if you're looking for merch and stuff like that.
01:12:47
Speaker
And ah last but not least, if you're listening on iTunes or Spotify or or really any platform where you can leave a review, um you know, leave us a five star review on the show. We we love. We love seeing that because you know you Tom likes to see the the number rating go up, but also it does help. yeah it the so So it makes Tom's algorithm happy. So the the Google algorithm and you know the search algorithms for for our show, you know leaving that five-star review helps more people find the show, but more importantly, it makes Tom's little algorithm in his heart happy. So make sure that you make sure you leave us a five star review and you know share any thoughts you have about the show. We love hearing from you guys. And yeah, I think that's it. Yeah. So but yeah, well, no, the other thing, Trevor, though, is to don't forget to subscribe to Welcome Home Podcast. So you we remind that every time we release a new episode, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, iba Amazon Music, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Music, just about any place you can find podcasts you can find us.
01:13:46
Speaker
Uh, so just look for welcome home, look for the one that has the castle and the microphones and all that fun stuff. Uh, just a reminder to our listeners, welcome home pockets, fair entertainment only. We are not employed by the Walt Disney company and as such all opinions we express on the show our own. So please consult a DVC representative or Disney cast member for more information about anything we talked about today. Huge. Thank you to our sponsored DVC, resale market, uh, and world of DVC for sponsoring this episode and continuing to be our partners over many, many years. Uh, so please check them out for any of your DVC related needs.
01:14:16
Speaker
Join us next time for more Disney Parks discussion. Of course, more DVC talk. We hope to see you all real soon.