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Episode 87: Lou Mongello
56 Plays22 days ago
On this week's episode we're joined by coach, creator, author, and recently inducted Hall of Fame Podcaster Lou Mongello of WDW Radio!
For more info on Lou's WDW Radio community visit his site HERE
For more info on Lou's keynote speaking, coaching, and everything else click HERE
And MOST IMPORTANTLY to be part of the Dream Team Project click HERE
DISCLAIMER: We are not an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company nor do we speak for the brand or the company. Any and all Disney-owned audio, characters, and likenesses are their property and theirs alone.
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Transcript
Introduction to Sharing the Magic Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Sharing the Magic, the podcast that sweeps you away into the enchanting realms of Disney. Each week, we're joined by a special guest, be it a magician casting real life spells of wonder or a Disney expert revealing hidden secrets in the heart of the happiest place on Earth.
00:00:21
Speaker
Together, we'll venture down glittering paths, uncovering tales of daring heroes, Legendary places and whimsical wonders that make Disney sparkle. So prepare to be enchanted, delighted, and transported to a place where dreams dance, fairy tales breathe, and the magic is real.
00:00:47
Speaker
Welcome back to Sharing the Magic, the podcast where we explore the enchanting world of Disney through the eyes of those who bring it to life.
Hosts and Guest Introduction
00:00:54
Speaker
I am one of your hosts, Josh, and I'm joined today by more of the Sharing the Magic team.
00:00:58
Speaker
And we'll start with Chrissy. How are you? Hey, everyone from wonderful St. Louis, Missouri. Wishing I was back in Disneyland this week was last week at this time.
00:01:12
Speaker
You know, just living in the magic every day. Glad to have tonight's guest on. Really excited for this week. Awesome. Lisa? Lisa? Hey, everyone. I am super excited to see this guest again.
00:01:25
Speaker
He traveled to our Indie Disney meet a few years ago and was our keynote speaker, which was amazing. And so it's good to reconnect and um see him outside of the box because I see him in the box sometimes.
00:01:41
Speaker
Some of you will know what that means.
Lou Mangiello's Disney Experiences
00:01:44
Speaker
Awesome. Brandon, what's up, man? Yeah, you know, it's good to see faces, even though people can't see if they can hear us, though. but But to see smiles and everything, can't wait to hear, you know, what we have in store today, especially with your history and what you've done, where you came from and where you are now.
00:02:00
Speaker
So it's always a good thing to learn people's background and learn more about them. So look forward to it. Awesome. And Ashley. Hi, from Winter Garden. I'm looking forward to tonight's show as well.
00:02:14
Speaker
and our resident goof, Jeff? I'm tired, everyone, but I'm happy I'm here. ah I'm in California interviewing for a job. I live in North Carolina, but little go I'm happy to be here.
00:02:29
Speaker
and and And for me, this is like a really kind of surreal moment because I planned my trip, my first ever Disney trip as an adult years ago with my ah girlfriend, now wife, and watched a lot of your content.
00:02:42
Speaker
um And now fast forward, here we are sitting with sitting down with you. So, I mean, the accolades speak for themselves. We have here the voice behind WDW radio show, ah Mr. Lou Mangiello. How are you?
00:02:56
Speaker
Good. And thank you guys so much for having me. I really appreciate it. Of course, of course, man. And look, our fearless leader, Barry, is not here. He's got some stuff going on, but he typically asks a question and and that that kind of question, his first question specific to him.
00:03:10
Speaker
So I'm going to ask you one unique to me just to get things started. Now, what is your grounding element of Disney? Like a so a smell, a sound, a feeling that really sparks that centering of yourself or the grounding of yourself? Like for me, it's pirates.
00:03:28
Speaker
I could check into my hotel. i can i can but go underneath the sign. But once we get into pirates of the Caribbean and the smells, the sounds, the immersion is what like just transports me and locks me in for that trip. So what is that for you, Lou?
00:03:44
Speaker
First of all, I dig the question, man. um Super smart and insightful. I think for me, and ah this might be the like the lamest answer ever, there is still something for me, and I've been going since November of 71, and I live right behind Magic Kingdom.
00:03:59
Speaker
There's still something for me about stepping foot from outside the tunnel onto Main Street USA and getting that sort of hit of... The music in the background, the c clopping of the horses for the trolley, the castle off in the distance, the smell of popcorn. Like that for me is quintessential Disney. It reminds me of you know, basically growing up there and going with my parents, taking my kids and then now, you know, what I get to do for a career, I guess.
00:04:27
Speaker
No, that totally makes sense. that's That's a big feeling for me too, is going to that tunnel. I mean, especially smell the popcorn. Now, I want to start off with, um want to go way back um because I've known you, I've watched your content.
Career Transition to Disney Content Creation
00:04:42
Speaker
I didn't know though, before booking you as a guest that you picked up and left.
00:04:47
Speaker
And, um you know, I used to be stationed in Jersey at McGuire. And so to see that you were from there, I believe, right? New Jersey and picked up and moved um down to Orlando. And ah can you tell us slip a a little bit about that background of what kind of gave you that idea? Like, hey, this is this what I'm going to do Yeah, so ah let's rewind, insert dream sequence music here back to 2003. am a lawyer in New Jersey.
00:05:14
Speaker
Two things I ask that you do not hold against me. um I'm a lawyer in New Jersey. have a computer consulting company on the side. i say this all time because it really is is somewhat true. I think from watching one too many infomercials late at night, i you know I was always in the service business, so I had this idea of making something once and reselling it. That led me to the idea of, can I write a book?
00:05:35
Speaker
Can I get it published? Just as sort of a personal challenge for myself. They honestly wasn't smart enough to write about the law or computers. So i wrote the book that i wanted to read, which was a trivia book about Walt Disney World, this place that meant so much to me and my family since I was a little kid, just to see if I could do it, just to see if, you know, a publisher would be willing to put their name and, you know, and and backing behind the idea, never thinking it would ever turn into anything beyond that.
00:06:05
Speaker
So you wrote the book and you it it blew up for you? The the book kind of took off? You know, I would love to say much like J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter, that's not really, unfortunately, that there are very, very few people in the world that make their living selling books.
00:06:21
Speaker
ah But what it did was set me down on a path that I did not expect to go down. So I created a little two-page brochure website. And in early 2004, again, this is pre-social media, like those two words just never come together.
00:06:35
Speaker
i had a I turned on a discussion forum on my site and the first night 29 people signed up and I was like, this is crazy. Like there's 29 other nerds in their basement that love Disney as much as I do. Because again, I didn't know, you know, nobody in sort of my sphere of family and friends were sort of as as big of fans as I won. But that 29 turned into 100, 500, 1,000, 5, 10, 30, 50, 80. I'm like, wait a minute.
00:07:02
Speaker
like there's a lot of people out there that really like Disney as much as I do. In 2005, I hear about, you know, I say, cause it's really true. Like I asked Jeeves, I hear about this new thing called podcasting. Like I asked Jeeves, what is a podcast?
00:07:15
Speaker
And I started podcasting in early 2005, really in in the very infancy of the medium. One, because you can convey so much more in the spoken word than you can in the written word. And I'm a horrible typist. So it really served a lot of of benefits for me.
00:07:31
Speaker
And that really is what sort of led me down to this path that would eventually let me leave the practice of law, um get out of the consulting business, sell my house, move to Florida and take this leap of faith to see if I can turn this thing that I love so much into ah business. And fortunately, I ended up on the right side of either being crazy or like being able to make it work.
00:07:55
Speaker
now you So you jumped in early, i mean, compared to everybody else. I mean, I would consider you as about as OG as you can get when it comes to Disney content. It's fine if you want to say old. It's fine. Well, you said Ask Jeeves, and that kind of that took me back. I mean, I was using that in middle school or high school, so you know because I graduated in 07. So I really didn't nerd out on Disney much. I grew up really poor. So we um didn't have the opportunity. But when I got back from my first deployment is when my wife and I decided to, let's spend the money and go.
00:08:26
Speaker
And I can't tell you. i mean, it's... impossible to describe what that place does. And you mentioned in one of your recent videos about it should be a rite of passage for people to go to Disney and experience it because you can say whatever you want about Walt Disney World, but if you've never been there, I mean, it truly is something that and Something happens. I don't know. I can't i can't describe it.
00:08:47
Speaker
I can't describe it. i think I think either you get it or you don't, right? It's not not, everybody does not sort of, quote unquote, drink the pixie dusted Kool-Aid maybe the same way we do. um And I think, you know, especially let's talk domestically, it is to a certain degree for a lot of people a rite of passage. I think the number is like 75% of Americans or something have been to a Disney park, which is wild.
00:09:10
Speaker
But I think it is, and I still feel this way, This is my 20th year of of doing what I do. I still feel it is a very special place. And I think if you're able to do so, to be able to go whether it's as a child or as a kid at heart and experience that thing that we were talking about, right? Walking into Magic Kingdom, riding the first, you know pirates for the very first time.
00:09:34
Speaker
i do I think it's still a very special place. And, you know, part of the reason why i do what I do is to try and help as many people as I can not only go, but enhance their enjoyment and appreciation of it.
00:09:47
Speaker
And you also started a coaching.
Building a Disney Community and Coaching Initiatives
00:09:50
Speaker
Yeah, so years ago, like I've always been a sponge. Like I've always like, especially because I was dipping my toes into this medium that was very, very new. I wanted to just learn as much as I possibly can. So I would always go to conferences.
00:10:02
Speaker
And when I did, and I still have it, like literally next, you know, I still keep this as a reminder next to my desk. I'd go and I'd like run from like, session to session trying to learn.
00:10:13
Speaker
And like I would take all these notes and be all excited and I'd get back home and I'd put the notebook down on my desk. And then what happens? Real life gets in the way, right? The jobs, family, kids, all these other things. And all the things that I had in this notebook I never executed on was very frustrating to me. So I sort of accidentally fell into it because people started to come to me and say, hey, can you help me do this thing? Can you help me launch this business? Can you help me grow my brand?
00:10:38
Speaker
So almost at the same time, I started speaking at the conferences I was attending I started working with people one-on-one, and then because I had understood the power of things like a mastermind group, like I had sort of, I formed a mastermind group, and then eventually i created, I want to sort of help as many people in the most efficient and effective way that I could.
00:10:58
Speaker
I formed a, it was originally a one-day conference, it's now a four-day conference in Walt Disney World, that's I think solves a lot of the problems of going to conferences, which is going there alone, figuring out where to go, having a conflict. It's like one room, 50 people and a workshop.
00:11:15
Speaker
So you're not just leaving with notes, like you're doing the work in the room and networking and meeting and working with other people to help you know elevate all of us. you know I think a lot of us who are creators and solopreneurs, it is a very lonely existence, right? Like, i i say this all time, like, the cats are a great company, but they don't offer a lot of positive constructive feedback. So I want people to realize they are not alone and learn from other people, um rise the tide for all boats, and help other people turn what they love into what they do, because I want other people...
00:11:47
Speaker
want them to feel the same way that I do. Like every morning when I get up, I'm excited to work. Like I stay up super, I work longer and harder now than doing this than I did when I was a lawyer, which apologies to my clients in the past. I swear like I did not, you know, I was not derelict in my duties to you, but because I love this so much, I want other people to feel the same way because I think life is too short not to do what you love every day. Amen to that.
00:12:12
Speaker
Yes. So I wanted to know, is there a time where you had seen any ah Disney magic through someone else, such as like a child or someone like an adult that was skeptical or even like a cast member?
Stories of Disney Magic
00:12:26
Speaker
um And how that, you know, that interaction made it to where you can promote the brand and speak about the brand and, you know, describe just how the magic makes you feel seeing how things go. Yeah, it's a great question, man. And i see it every day.
00:12:39
Speaker
And I see it in, not just in Walt Disney World, but in Disneyland. I just came back from um Tokyo. I talked about sort of living your Star Wars story in the Disney parks at Star Wars Celebration. And of course, I had to go to Tokyo, Disneyland, and DisneySea.
00:12:53
Speaker
And I put up a reel and a video. Like, it was just this instinctual thing because I was so blown away by the cast members there who, like World and Land, were were so friendly. And there was a woman who was just smiling and dancing and waving. And I saw this like over and over again. I'm like, this is it.
00:13:10
Speaker
Like, this is what the Disney magic is that we talk about. I have had the gift and the privilege of being able to take my kids to Disney. And something happens when you do that, when you start to see it through somebody else's eyes. And they have those moments of awe and wonder. And their eyes are wide and their mouths are gape. And like, they have it, right? And they see it.
00:13:32
Speaker
one of the One of the stories I love to tell when I speak, because I'm also a professional speaker, and I want, you know, I think there's a lot we can learn from the Disney company and from the Disney parks. I think we're all in the relationship business. I think that's what Disney does so very well.
00:13:47
Speaker
And no matter what business you're in, you're able to apply lessons from the parks into what you do. So, for example, one of the things that I saw in the story I like to tell was... A family walks into Magic Kingdom. Little girl is dressed like Cinderella.
00:14:01
Speaker
And one of the uniformed security officers goes over and pulls the family inside and says, excuse me, can you come over over here? I want to talk to you. and there's like, when you first walk in into Magic Kingdom before you go through the tunnels, there's a tree there with sort of a planter and seats around it.
00:14:17
Speaker
He calls them over to that side and he says, you know, I want just want you know I saw you come in and I've been waiting for you to, you know, scan your tickets and get through the gates. And he reaches behind him and you're like, what is pot? Like, what is he doing?
00:14:30
Speaker
The parents are like, you know, struck. And he takes out an autograph book and he gets down on his knees and he gives the book to the little girl dressed like Cinderella. He's like, I have been waiting for you all day.
00:14:42
Speaker
Can I please have your autograph? Mom and dad are crying. The brother's crying. I'm getting a little weepy. And I'm like, that's it, man. Like that family will never forget that moment.
00:14:55
Speaker
That's not only going to be the reason why they come back, but that's the story that they are going to tell to other people. That's the ripple effect of the Disney magic that we talk about. It's not about the rides that they're going to go and see. It's not about the food or the character experiences.
00:15:11
Speaker
It's going to be that moment that is going to not just resonate with them, but when they go back home and tell other people. And I think that is one of the things that Disney does best is being able to not just allow, but empower cast members to have and create moments like that.
00:15:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's great. I love hearing that. You know, and it also sets the tone too for the little children to see, you know, if there's a badge or anything. They're not bad people, you know, they're good people. They actually have things that they do good for. So that's always a good thing. Good perspective.
00:15:43
Speaker
I love all those magic moments that that people have at Disney parks, especially, you know, some some of those families, they're there one day. Like that they are making the most of that one single day. And and one of the things that our family um did years ago Once we adopted all five kids, we all went to Disney World. We'd been taking foster kids for years and years and years.
00:16:07
Speaker
But after the fifth one was adopted and decided no more, um we went. And one of my sons sat down. he was having a hard time regulating sensory ah experiences. We were sitting by the castle.
00:16:21
Speaker
And along comes an ambassador, Nathaniel Palma. He just came, sat down. And he was telling, you know, my son was, you know, deciding whether he wanted to put... you know, headphones on and um Nathaniel told him the story about Goofy that was ah the one orchestrating the fireworks behind the castle.
00:16:40
Speaker
And of course, my son i was completely dressed up like Goofy, had the Goofy hat on. And so he went from being a very upset, agitated young guy to, oh my gosh, my Goofy is running these fireworks.
00:16:57
Speaker
Just that little bit of magic. And Nathaniel sat there with us up until, because we we would um get our spot by the up by the hub to watch the fireworks. This was long before projection.
00:17:11
Speaker
Or much projection. But you know, that that moment has stuck. He's 20 years old. And he would still tell you about that story. You know some of those magical moments are just ah precious and lifelong memories.
00:17:24
Speaker
And so where I was going to go with that for a question for you, being that you have have been to Disney, Disney mini media events, What can you share a moment or two ah a magical moment a moment that you helped either orchestrate or that you were the receiver on?
00:17:43
Speaker
So, you know, as you ask that question, you know, that there's a thousand memories that like flood into my head. would probably say without any specificity, because it happened more
Make-A-Wish and Disney's Impact
00:17:54
Speaker
than once. So the most important part of what I do not what do.
00:18:00
Speaker
what i do When I was writing my first book in 2003, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. And I drove with him every day into Sloan Kettering in the city. And as he was getting his treatment, that is when I did a lot of my writing for my trivia book.
00:18:15
Speaker
And on the way to where we had to go, we had to pass the pediatric ward. And I said, I wanna do something to to help these kids and thought about the Disney connection. and I said, so I knew immediately, was like, I'm gonna take a portion of the proceeds from anything I make on the book and I'm gonna donate it to a wish granting charity because I could donate it to research, but these kids would never see the benefit of it. I wanna do something that's gonna get them out of this hospital and into a place that I have come to learn is, trans we talk about the the Disney magic for us, it is transformative for these kids and their families.
00:18:47
Speaker
Very, very long story longer. The WDW Radio and and community as a whole, the Disney community whole, has been amazing sort of rallying around this thing that I call the Dream Team Project. and over time, we've raised more than $550,000 for Make-A-Wish to send these kids and families to Walt Disney World. And over the past number of years, usually over Marathon Weekend, because we have a running team that that gets together and and during one of my monthly meetups in the parks, we've I've been able to work with Make-A-Wish to have one of the families that we sponsor come to our meetup.
00:19:21
Speaker
And to your question, to be able to see the people who raise their money, see the result of what they do in not just saying, oh, you've raised X amount of dollars, we've sponsored this many wishes.
00:19:33
Speaker
You see the child, you see the family that they helped sponsor. it It's incredibly emotional. um It is very, very powerful. And for the Wish family, they too are saying, we're here because of these people that helped raise the money. And for me to be able to just stand back and watch that happen for both sides of that incredibly beautiful special coin has been an absolute gift.
00:20:03
Speaker
What a joy to be able to facilitate that. I was hoping that you would share something about the Dream Team project, in fact. um And as I shared in the introduction, I've been one of the box people off and on for years here and there. And it it really, truly is an amazing community. You would see people.
00:20:22
Speaker
and i see When I jump in, I'll say hi to a few that I know and then hop back out. But it's It's good to go in and be amongst friends. And the community that you and wdw Radio is just an amazing thing.
00:20:35
Speaker
has it created is just is just an an amazing thing I call the group, you know sort of where it lives, like now on Facebook. i used to have a discussion forum. with but I call it the clubhouse. and And I say this sincerely, like I might have sort of built the four walls of the clubhouse, but it's the people. right It's the people who are in this community that are in this family, you know because communities sort of become this community. you know, unfortunate social media marketing buzzword, but there's a family of people there that grows authentically and organically and knock on wood, like we don't have moderators, we don't have drama, we don't have like nonsense because the people who are there are there for the right reasons. And, you know, I say like, you know, my podcast and live video and stuff is the heart of what I do, but the community is is without a doubt the soul.
00:21:21
Speaker
So your your trip to Tokyo sounds like you had a great time.
Visit to Tokyo DisneySea
00:21:25
Speaker
Dude, I can't explain. Like, World is my home park. Only way I can describe it is that Tokyo Disneyland is like the best of the best of the the Magic Kingdoms and Disneyland parks.
00:21:38
Speaker
But Tokyo DisneySea is just on a whole different level. It's the only way I can try and describe it. And this is not like, it's not a Disney description, but my feeling is that Tokyo DisneySea is what happens when you give Imagineering unlimited budget and say, just go do it.
00:21:55
Speaker
Like go do what you, the storytelling and the place making is just remarkable. And I went to Fantasy Springs for the first time. And it was nostalgic and sentimental and emotional, also delicious.
00:22:09
Speaker
And, you know, i had I was able to have that moment of discovery again. But, ah yeah, Tokyo is just, it's a very, very, very special place. I have been in Okinawa martial arts since I was five, and I own my own martial arts school.
00:22:24
Speaker
And that's my main... Walk offline. I took martial arts when I was a kid for years. Yeah, so that's why when i when I heard you loved the culture there so much, it got me pretty excited because, I mean, it's, to me, I mean, you can see visiting each park in different countries. i mean, the culture is clearly represented by each park. And Tokyo, I mean, there is not a more respectful culture than the Japanese, in my opinion. You learn a lot. Listen, I love to be like more than anything anything, but man, we can learn a lot because it is a culture of respect and it's a culture of service.
00:22:57
Speaker
And it's not just in Disney, it's everywhere through the country. Like you could go to a restaurant or a Starbucks and put your bag down and your laptop and your phone and just walk away. And it's going to be there when you get back.
00:23:09
Speaker
You know, people are just good to each other and they're kind to each other and they serve one another and the community as a whole rather than focusing on individuality. And yeah, I didn't want to come home.
00:23:20
Speaker
think guy this i'm I'm fortunate. I'm blessed. I get to go back in a couple of weeks because I'm hosting an Adventures by Disney. and I'm like, can I just stay? Can I just stay in Tokyo for three weeks? Would my family be there when I got back?
00:23:33
Speaker
That's on my bucket list. I want to go over there so bad. That's on my bucket list too. Hopefully when you get to go back, the Pirates it should be open again so you can experience that.
00:23:44
Speaker
Yeah. it's ah It's, oh my gosh. It's great. Yeah, everything about it. Like they literally have a ride. It's just called the Happy Ride with Baymax. I'm like, that is like the most awesome Japanese name for an attraction because that's exactly what it is, man. That's all that's awesome.
00:24:01
Speaker
I want to talk a little bit about, you know, you're a coach, um so you'll understand where this is coming from. ah the the little bit of the hardships. I know that it was never, it couldn't have been easy or perfect path to kind of leave your home state and have a dream and it go perfectly smooth.
00:24:18
Speaker
So I have a two-part question for you, man.
Reflections on Content Creation Journey
00:24:21
Speaker
How hard was it? you know What was like your biggest kind of obstacle? And who were some of your like unsung heroes that kind of helped lift you up through that whole process?
00:24:32
Speaker
Let me ask you, in your notes, is it like, these are the questions I think are going to make Lou cry, and these are the ones that just about the parks. oh and Listen, it it's not easy.
00:24:43
Speaker
It is not easy and it's scary. So just to give a a bit of context, the thing that got me to make what was an absolutely a leap of faith was fear, and let me clarify, because when I say fear, I don't mean fear of failure, it was fear of regrets.
00:25:01
Speaker
Because I was afraid that five, 10, 20 years would go by, and I go, you know, I would have happened if I would have given this Disney thing a try. I did not want to have that feeling, so I said, look, I'm gonna take the risk,
00:25:13
Speaker
you know I'm gonna sort of take the leap and build my wings on the way down. I had set myself up that I could go, and if I didn't make any money for a couple of months, like my family could still eat a couple of times a week.
00:25:26
Speaker
Black and cheese is pretty inexpensive if you get it from the Dollar Tree. But I knew, and the question, you know when I get this question now, i answered the same way that I but answered it back then, which is, if somebody says to me, what do you do for a living? I say, whatever it takes.
00:25:41
Speaker
And it it's a tongue-in-cheek answer, but it's true, because I knew that if I came down to Florida and I couldn't figure out how to make this work, because I was not earning enough to support my family and pay my rent and cars and car insurance, I knew that if I couldn't start making it work and then the savings was going to start to run out, I'd go work wherever I needed to do to make sure that those things can happen, whether if I had to go, you know,
00:26:06
Speaker
not to take anything away from anybody who works at Waffle House or Best but if I had to go work at Waffle House or Best Buy, i was going to do it. And still tomorrow, if this could all disappear, you know, in an instant, I would still do the same thing.
00:26:19
Speaker
and And so I knew that even if I couldn't make this work, I would find a way to, you know, end up on my feet, but I had to at least give it a chance. And that fear, just so you know, that but fear of failure does turn into, okay, like...
00:26:33
Speaker
Yikes, okay, now I've made this leap and I've quit you know a very stable job and I don't have health insurance and I'm not getting a steady paycheck every week. There is this fear like, rut row, like what did I just do? you know The first day that I like left my job and I went down on a Monday morning to my desk, I was like, my God, Mangiello, are you insane?
00:26:51
Speaker
What are you doing? like Maybe just go back to work and see if they'll, first i worked I worked for my dad, so I think you would have understood. But you know I left and and there is that fear, but I think fear is a great motivator.
00:27:02
Speaker
too, because that's the thing that's not going to allow you to become complacent. It's going to be the thing that's going to force you to improvise and innovate and do whatever you need to do, because if you get complacent, you die, right? I've been doing this 20 years, and I've had to always look to do what is next, look to see how I can improve what I'm doing, differentiate myself from all the other people who are doing similar types of things.
00:27:29
Speaker
So there is a the little bit of fear that comes with steering your own ship. But for me, I wouldn't have it any other way. And the second part of your question was. Who is that person that kind of was in the trenches with you along the way? That's the crying part.
00:27:44
Speaker
um So, you know, fortunately, you know, my mom and dad have both passed, but I would not be here without them like. for more reasons than we have time for me to enumerate. um And the same thing for my immediate family.
00:27:58
Speaker
You know, when I, I still remember the moment in New Jersey that I went upstairs, my wife was watching TV and I said, you know, i think I can turn this thing into a business. And I think in order to do so, I can't keep flying back and forth from New Jersey to Florida. Like we had a young baby at the time.
00:28:16
Speaker
I think we need to be where what I do is. And the words, okay, were not out of her mouth. And I like i ran downstairs and started packing. like I don't want to give you a chance to change your mind because if you think it out loud, like this is you're a crazy person. like We can't just pick up and and move.
00:28:33
Speaker
But my wife and my kids have been incredibly supportive, um you know doing things that sometimes they don't understand. i think we as entrepreneurs and solopreneurs and creators live a very unique,
00:28:46
Speaker
lifestyle, um especially if this is something that you do not just as a side hustle, but full time, whether it's the time that you invest. And sometimes you invest a lot of time and there's not necessarily a quantifiable financial return on that time.
00:29:01
Speaker
It's like, what are you doing up in your office? Like, all day, every day for hours, like I'm recording, I'm editing, trust me, it's going to turn into something someday. And it's it's my immediate family and my extended family, the people who are in the community that allow me to do what I do.
00:29:17
Speaker
You know, I've never, and I still to this day, I am not concerned about numbers, if you don't mind a bit of friendly advice, nor should you be. Like, I don't look at my download numbers because I don't care. Like, I look every so often just to make sure, like,
00:29:29
Speaker
The technology is still working. But the thing, I concentrate more on the people who are there than worrying about trying to grow. Because without them, but without that one person that's listening on the other side, and wouldn't be able to do this.
00:29:44
Speaker
So I'm very grateful for the fact that people are willing to give me their most valuable commodity, which is their time. And whether I have met them or not, I feel like we are friends. i Hopefully they look at me that way by listening, because I think podcasting is such an intimate medium.
00:30:01
Speaker
But that's the way I feel about them as well. That, Lou, I mean, I i only ask that because i imagine there's somebody, at least one person, hopefully it's out there that hears this message and it just kind of pushes them that extra little bit to pursue their dreams because, i mean, i I'm doing podcasting and I'm just trying to get get into it and and try my best. But when it came to taking over my martial arts school, i was going to college for a whole different thing out of the military and broke and my wife,
00:30:33
Speaker
was the one that was like, follow your dream and, you know, take over that business if you want. And it was, i mean, we went through absolute hell. So I love those kinds of stories where, you know, it's always the people who lift us up that, you know, um during podcast conversations, they never get brought up a whole lot. And I always try to make it to where,
00:30:52
Speaker
They get their little special moment because they, more than anybody, deserve that little bit of shout out, you know. Out of doubt, brother. And look, and I'm sure, you know, not everybody is going to be supportive.
00:31:04
Speaker
you know There were friends who, when I left my job in New Jersey, they're like, wait a minute, like you sit in your room and you talk about Mickey Mouse for an hour a week and you're leaving your comfortable job that you went to law school and studied for the bar exam and invest all this money for to talk about Mickey Mouse.
00:31:21
Speaker
And I'm like, yeah, man, isn't that awesome? They're like, I give you six months. And then when I said, well, now I'm leaving all this behind and I'm selling my house, I'm bringing money to my closing, which is not how it's supposed to happen.
00:31:32
Speaker
And I'm gonna try and like figure out this out once I get down to Florida. They were really not supportive. They're like, you're gonna be back here begging for a job in three months. There were some people who were like that, who not don't understand.
00:31:44
Speaker
They're not supportive. They're not encouraging. They're jealous, maybe because it's something that they don't want to do or they can't do or they know don't know how to do. I'm not friends with those people anymore um because you have to avoid like being one of the crabs in the bucket, right? That's always being pulled down by the other crabs. You have to surround yourself by people who believe in you and what you are doing and will lift you up and understand when...
00:32:09
Speaker
hey, you guys need to go and do this thing without me because I need to stay here and get this podcast done. I need to record this thing. i need to do whatever. It's during those hard times that you find out who really is supportive and who's not.
00:32:22
Speaker
I was wanting to add too that, you know, anytime someone tries to bring you down, that just that just just makes you stronger. um Use that as something to, you know, be like, well, you know what? This is more of a push for me.
00:32:34
Speaker
So you can say what you want to say, but I'm going still keep going. Just stay on Twitter. saying no Ignore the idiots on Twitter. we're excellent It's so difficult.
00:32:45
Speaker
I know. but Don't do it, man. It it is it is a it's a cesspool of of negativity. That's terrible. you know they They have this, they're protected by this veil of anonymity, right? Because your name is like GoofyGuy77. You get a lot of keyboard courage when somebody doesn't know who you are, but you have to just ignore the idiots and believe in yourself and just keep doing what you're doing.
00:33:06
Speaker
Guy77, that's me. I'm just kidding. I'm just joking. GoofyGuy78, I was very careful. I'm 78.
00:33:14
Speaker
ah the Yeah, one of my passions is I want to start getting involved in helping people plan Disney vacations. ah You should, because as I'm sure you know, it is not simple. It's very complicated.
00:33:27
Speaker
I'm sure we've all gotten email. Hey, I'm going with my family at Disney World next week. What do I need to know? i'm like, whoa, whoo slow down, buddy, because you're already too late. Like if you're going next week and you haven't booked your parks and your food and your dining and all these other things, you're already behind the eight ball. So it is, um there is a need to help people understand and and plan because it it is a very complicated process.
00:33:49
Speaker
I get calls all the time. will you plan my trip for me? I'm like, i'm not an official planner. Yeah, that's our, my wife and I are travel agents part-time. Well, she's full-time travel agent and I help her out. And when people call in or email, hey, we're looking to go in June. We're like, okay, next year. They're like, no, like in a few months.
00:34:07
Speaker
It's like, all right, well, good luck. Good luck sometimes the park And like, I remember this it it didn't happen too long ago I was like walking into Epcot.
00:34:17
Speaker
It was like 11 o'clock in the morning and I see people buying tickets and i want to run over and be like, no, like you're too late. Like your son is not going to ride guardians today. Like it's just not going to happen.
00:34:30
Speaker
Come back tomorrow when you, you know, you have a better plan. and It's true, though. You know, i I hope the family's not listening, but I had booked a family, let's just say, i mean, I'm not talking bad about them, so it doesn't matter, but two weeks before they were supposed to arrive, and as we were on the phone, the price jumped up.
00:34:47
Speaker
I was like, man, I felt so bad. i was like, oh, so let's fix this. So let's look for something else. And we finally got something, and man, I helped them so much. I worked hard for that, but they had the time of their life.
00:35:01
Speaker
I really love it. That's the greatest reward, right? When you get an email or you see somebody, it's like, because of you, this thing happened. And that's, you know, you can't put a price on that feeling. I turned my non-Disney loving brother into a Disney loving brother. This past fall, we brought down my nieces and nephews for their first Disney trip. And he's like, okay, now I see how you love it. i need to start making this annual or maybe even biannual. I'm like, please.
00:35:28
Speaker
was like, that's why I moved to Winter Garden. Yeah. I kind of think I know what the answer is going to be based on well what your conversation has been, but what has, what's your favorite part of being the the being Lou Mangiello is what is, what is, is it
Listener Impact Stories
00:35:49
Speaker
the traveling? Is it the speaking that, the writing is it the hosting is it the advice giving is it the walking in the parks and seeing seeing guests around the parks is it just being able to visit the parks all the time I mean what is what is the fate what is your favorite part of being the host that you are and so I what is it what's your favorite part of being you the job that you do
00:36:16
Speaker
So I want to say all of it, right? Because it's just, it's the honest answer. The fact that I get to live by the parks is like the least, for some people like, oh, that'd be the best part of it. It's not.
00:36:30
Speaker
The best part of it is when you get that email from somebody who says, because of your podcast, because of your show, because of whatever, this thing happened.
00:36:42
Speaker
Because I think we don't, and I say this all time, it's not as a warning. I mean, it's somewhat have warning, but more of an encouragement. You never know who's listening. but You never know who's listening on the other side. You might see the download number, but you don't, if they don't reach out, you don't know who or what that person is. And you don't know how what you do might impact them. So I do a very positive show just because I'm a very positive person. I like talking to things that make us happy about going to the parks. I want my show and and the live stuff and the the products and the things that I put out to be a welcome, happy, positive distraction from all the nonsense, you know, in the rest of the world. and Because I think positivity has a ripple effect.
00:37:20
Speaker
And, you know, to the point of of what my ex-friends were saying, like, you know, I talk about Mickey Mouse for a living for the most part. But you don't know how that impacts somebody. So when I get an email from somebody and they say, you know, your show got me through a really rough time. It got me through a divorce.
00:37:37
Speaker
Your show got me through cancer treatments. I got an email not too long ago, and I'm going to try and say this without, I cry every time I tell the story. But somebody's like, listen, i i was in the hospital and while I was there, you know, you were my only friend. You were what I listened to as I was laying in this bed and, you know, you were sort of holding my hand.
00:37:59
Speaker
You were holding my hand as I was laying there. And, you know, you read that. And when we're sitting here talking about, you know, popcorn at Tokyo DisneySea, you're never thinking that on the other end, somebody needs this to help them get through something. When somebody emails you and said, your show got me through, you know, contemplating suicide, you're like, good God, man. Like,
00:38:22
Speaker
You never fathom that that is how you might impact somebody. So that for me, like knowing that wherever on the scale or spectrum is that I get to hopefully have a positive impact on somebody. And I'm sure there's stories that I've obviously never heard. and Like that is incredibly rewarding because hindsight being 2020, I think I've always been in the business of wanting to help people.
00:38:48
Speaker
As a, you know, I was a plaintiff's attorney, right? So you came to me when you needed help. When I had my computer consulting business, I wanted to help you be more effective and efficient in networking your your office or building a website or whatever it might be.
00:39:01
Speaker
I started this journey by wanting to help people have a better experience when they came to the parks. And now I want to help people have ah better, not just business, but life and home and family and things like that. so When somebody sends you an email and it takes it to a whole nother level, that's the very long winded answer to your very short question.
00:39:20
Speaker
But that that's it right there. And when you have those nights, and I'm sure if you guys haven't had it, you will. You're going to sit there going like, what are we doing this for, man? Like money is not rolling in and nobody's listening. Don't ever say that because there's always somebody listening.
00:39:33
Speaker
But and you start to get frustrated. And then you get one of those things, you're like, this is it. This is the reason why. This is sort of the reminder of, you know, this, because I think your why has to be so, is the most important question you need to ask yourself is like, why are we doing this? Like, why are we creating this podcast?
00:39:50
Speaker
When you get that, something like that, that's it. There's your why. I will say, I just finished battling cancer myself. And the whole time I was in recovery and laying in the hospital, it was Disney family, Disney, all Disney podcasts.
00:40:03
Speaker
What got me through? And just knowing, okay, I'm going to get back to the parks one day. I've been back once and it was hard. I still couldn't totally enjoy it because I was still like recovering, but I know I'll get there one day.
00:40:15
Speaker
But that is my happy place. And I wouldn't be where I was if I didn't have my Disney podcast family. There's something therapeutic about going to the parks too, isn't there? or like There is. Yeah. We went like two weeks ago, i was two or two weeks post-op, or three weeks ago, and just walked down Main Street. I knew I couldn't ride anything, and we rode like the little vehicles down Main Street.
00:40:37
Speaker
And just being back in the park, surrounded by the sights and the smells, was all that I needed. Good. I hope that you continue to recover and you can get back to enjoying it fully. That's my goal, for sure.
00:40:50
Speaker
Now, what's that um organization again, Lou, that you ah you do? um so that So we support Make-A-Wish and what I do, we we just call we call it the Dream Team Project.
00:41:03
Speaker
Okay, so we need to get a link for that and share that to our our page so we can ah know blast that out there. I mean, that's such a huge thing, man. I mean, I ah didn't know about it until you know earlier, so I definitely want to get in on some of that, man, and help support help support that.
00:41:19
Speaker
I thought it'd be kind of fun to do just some fun rapid rapid fire ah
Quick-fire Disney Favorites
00:41:24
Speaker
questions. like Favorite Disney snack? Oh, popcorn on Main Street. Okay. Most underrated Disney movie?
00:41:32
Speaker
The Black Hole. Okay, good. Most emotional Disney moment? You see how I snuck that in? Yeah, exactly. You don't have to we can We want to get a little. We can say, leads uncontrollably, um watching my daughter eat ice cream on Main Street USA, watching the parade go by for the very first time.
00:41:53
Speaker
Beautiful. If he could have dinner with one Disney Imagineer, past or present, who would it be? That would be one Walter Elias Disney. Epcot, 1982 or 1982. Come on now. Totally.
00:42:08
Speaker
All right, all right. alright or Okay, fine. just hey maybe I'll cheat until 1983. This way, Figment's... All right, you could live inside any Disney Park attraction for a week, which one would you choose?
00:42:25
Speaker
And then I'm done. This is it. That'll be someplace that has food in it. please Well, like pirates or something. Yeah. Like you live in an attraction for a week. Um, wow. It's a great question. would be food You could door dash.
00:42:38
Speaker
The Haunted Mansion. I want to just go and explore. Yeah. Okay. That's all I got, y'all. No rapid fire stuff. I had a question about food because I've seen a few videos of you eating, Lou. His body does not happen naturally. and I work very hard at this.
00:42:55
Speaker
You might enjoy some Disney food, maybe. um What are some of your favorite places to go what What things do you highly recommend? So I think the Boathouse in Disney Springs is the best of the best of the best.
00:43:11
Speaker
Okay, you've got me commiss. I need to go there now. People tell us all the time, try something different and go to the Boathouse. It is amazing. The food, the service, the quality of everything from beginning to end, from the location to I've never had a bad meal there. I've never had a bad server there.
00:43:30
Speaker
um The variety is incredible. it It is an exceptional, exceptional meal. I need to jump in real quick. I did a debate with one of my buddies on this because I'm a huge Raglan Road fan. It's not because I'm Irish.
00:43:43
Speaker
thousand percent not because of that. But I used to love the boathouse. I still do. But something just transports you in Raglan Road. I mean, you get in there on a Friday evening and it is like packed and it's... Oh, man. The Irish breakfast shop there...
00:44:01
Speaker
never had an Irish breakfast shot from Raglan Road. The bacon is like this thick. Wow. So my secret Raglan Road hack is not to go to Raglan Road, but go around the corner to Cooks of Dublin.
00:44:12
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Okay. The food there is great. um You have access to this huge menu. You don't have to wait. You can sit outside. There's a bar out there. um I did a review a few months ago, and I was wildly surprised at how much I loved it.
00:44:27
Speaker
think I ate there first a long time ago before I ate at Raglan Road. And I thought it was like the same the same thing. But um yeah, outside vibe is awesome too. I just love being inside.
00:44:39
Speaker
but We like Summer House. Summer House. Summer House is really good. I think, um again, my love of Japan goes far and wide and deep. I think Takumite in Japan is the best overall dining experience in Walt Disney World, possibly in any Disney park around the world.
00:44:58
Speaker
Is that the one next to Tappanito? Correct. It's downstairs. It's sort of hidden in the back. It has that one very nondescript door. If you like Japanese food and want a true experience, it's they they they serve omakase, which basically means like as the chef decides. And you go in and it's like nine course meal that is just brought out like course after course after course.
00:45:21
Speaker
And is if you like Japanese food, is that you forget that you are in Walt Disney World. And my hack is that if you make a late later in the evening reservation, like 7.30, 8.30, because you're going to be there for a couple of hours, it is a true experience.
00:45:35
Speaker
When you walk out and the fireworks are over, you have the entire promenade all to yourself as you sort of slowly meander your way out. That, my friends, is a good night in Epcot.
00:45:47
Speaker
Oh, that's good good to know. Sounds amazing. And if you don't believe me, I'm happy to go with you and we can how we experience that moment together. We do go to Teppanito frequently. We like Teppanito.
00:45:58
Speaker
I love Shikisai. I think Shikisai is a great addition to the parks. Oh my goodness. Let's that one. Vegetable tempura is amazing. Dude, the omu rice? can't get over that. Like the omelet over the rice that they slice. Oh God.
00:46:13
Speaker
I haven't had dinner either, so I'm famished. So this is torturous. So if you're listening to this and have not had food yet for the day, I apologize. You need a warning at the beginning. like Put it in your you know podcast description at the beginning. Don't listen. Do they do do you have to have a reservation for that one?
00:46:30
Speaker
You do, but they do walk-ups. Yeah. They do? Okay. Walk-ups, I mean, I've been seated within like 15 minutes. Oh, that's not bad. But you know whenever the park's busier, of course, it can vary. so I'm hoping it'll be slow the next couple of weeks now that the spring breakers are gone.
00:46:48
Speaker
Give us some time before Memorial Day. i will give you I'll give you one more. And it is a it's sort of a hybrid counter service table service because you order and then they bring the food out to you. It is wildly overlooked. It is tucked into a corner.
00:47:01
Speaker
I think when a lot of people hear what it is, they're like, nah, this is just not for me. But the secret, most overlooked dining experience in all of Walt Disney World is in Disney Springs.
00:47:14
Speaker
And it's EET, E-E-T, by Manichuan. Oh, I saw that a couple of weeks ago when I was walking around. Oy vey. It is so... Oh, wait. I think that's It is incredible. The food is amazing. Don't overlook that it's Indian food, like, scare you off. It's not crazy spicy or anything.
00:47:32
Speaker
It's over by the Christmas store, Connor, right? The old Wolfgang Puck location. Yeah, yeah. You have to get the garlic naan bread. If you don't, you're not doing it right.
00:47:43
Speaker
This is why Disney Springs is the fifth theme park. I spend more time in Springs than I do in the parks because there's such great dining options there. That's just keep trying to go back to Saratoga Springs.
00:47:54
Speaker
don't know why. i just I've stayed everywhere else, and I just keep finding myself back at Saratoga Springs because my wife and daughter go to bed at 10 o'clock, and I just walk myself on over to Disney Springs and just walk myself back when the bar's closed.
00:48:09
Speaker
You cannot beat it.
00:48:12
Speaker
Okay. Well, Mr. Lou, I got one more kind of not really deep question, but it could be. I mean, you're encroaching on what, a thousand episodes now?
00:48:23
Speaker
I mean, you're you're almost there, right? Yeah, I'm in the mid-800s, not including my first show that I did for about a year ah before I started t Radio. Oh, my gosh. I mean, that just proves that, I mean, really the consistency and the hard work is like, you can't beat that. You cannot beat that.
00:48:40
Speaker
and be continue If out of all those episodes, I know it's a lot to kind of sift through in your head, but I think you'll have one. Maybe that pops out. um If Walt could sit down and listen to one of your episodes, but just one, is there anything that you, that sticks out that you would be like, yeah, here, check this out.
00:48:58
Speaker
This is what I'm, what I'm doing for the. du I've never been asked that question. I like that. Wow. um Yeah. So that changes my answer. Um, cause at first she's like, I was like, when you were asking me to highlight one, i was like, okay, i know exactly what, you know, there's an interview that I did that for me was a huge deal.
00:49:17
Speaker
But if Walt could listen to one episode and You know what? I did an episode that I called Taking Walt to Walt Disney World. And it basically was if Walt could come back and I could take him to the parks, what are sort of like the 10 things that I would show him?
00:49:32
Speaker
So if I couldn't actually take him to the parks, I would want Walt to hear that because i think it's I think it's a love letter to Walt and it's a love letter to the best of the best of the parks as well.
00:49:43
Speaker
I have to go check that out. I love that answer. Yeah, it's really I love that answer because, you know, like to me, this is a big thing for me. I mean, being able to interview somebody who's been in this industry for 20 years, and I'm sure it's big to everybody else here, um you know, to I was hoping that if when it put Walt in the mix, that it would bring you away from any big time people you've talked about. And then, you know, because I know for sure that, know,
00:50:11
Speaker
And Walt, especially seeing how you're giving back through the ways that you're giving back, would be like, this is exactly what the whole thing's supposed to be about. So, I mean, that's why I was excited to be on tonight, man. I mean, I think that all of us here share, you know, at least that point of view where it's all about trying to give back and and make the magic happen in our own kind of unique way.
00:50:34
Speaker
You know, and I'm still trying to figure out how mine is. But I got to tell you, man, we're talking about motivation and kind of what we take kind of to heart during those hard times. And I mean, you have kind of lit more of a fire for myself tonight.
00:50:49
Speaker
You know, I'm still trying to figure out my place in this whole in this whole industry. And you've definitely, and just from my personal experience, you know, just talking with you and hearing your story about how, you know,
00:51:00
Speaker
20 years in, this is where you're at. I mean, I wish I could have started sooner, but there's only two times to start and then and now. so So I appreciate that, man. And that's just, you know, when we were talking about where, you know, you don't even know when you're motivating somebody, you don't know when you're helping somebody, you just speak and don't know who's listening. And I'm sitting here the whole time going, I'm like amped, but I'm ready. I'm ready to rock and roll, man. So I appreciate it.
00:51:23
Speaker
No, thank you guys for inviting me. I really appreciate it. and hopefully i'll see you around walt disney world at some point yeah absolutely if our listeners want to reach him how how how would they reach you lou how would they find your community your website your book all of those things yeah thank you so everything i do on the disney side of things is at wdwradio.com everything i do on the business and coaching and event and things like that side is at lumangello.com and i'm at lumangello on all social
00:51:54
Speaker
Well, huge thank you to Lou for not only sharing your time, but sharing your heart and your story. And a reminder that magic isn't just ah something that we find in a theme park. It's something we can create every day. so um And to our listeners, if this inspired you, made you smile, brought back a memory, share it with a friend who needs it A little Disney always brightened my day. So pass that on to somebody else. And don't forget to check out that WDW radio, a Lou show.
00:52:22
Speaker
I think it's a masterclass in passion, positivity and storytelling. So Lou, I thank you, man, for joining us. I really do. I appreciate it. Thank you guys so much. was a lot of fun. I really appreciate your inviting me and your your questions and your insights and conversations. So thank you so much.
00:52:38
Speaker
and Thank you.
00:52:42
Speaker
Thank you for joining us for another enchanting episode of Sharing the Magic. We have magical conversations that are crafted to your ears. The Edutainment Show, where education and entertainment collide each week.
00:52:54
Speaker
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00:53:06
Speaker
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