Liberty Square at Walt Disney World - Episode 180 of The Disney Exchange Podcast

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave, and me, Nick 

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Lisa is visiting Walt Disney World, so it's just Dave and me this week. Sorry to all 3 of you Lisa fans.-WINK-WINK (miss you Lisa!)

Have you heard about Alberto?

Dave and I talk about Liberty Square at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.  

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week: Did you get your tickets for Incredibles 2 yet?

If you have any Wheel of Distiny topics or Show Suggestions please check us out and make requests on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange  or Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange   

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095 The Disney Exchange - Drinking Around World Showcase

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave and me, Nick. 

A note about this week's show, which was recorded well before Hurricane Matthew was forming. We had planned a meet up with the 3 of us at Epcot for Friday October 7th, and we make reference to it in the show. We had to cancel due to the fact that Walt Disney World closed the parks for only the 4th time since it opened 45 years ago. Lisa and I did meet up on the 6th.

I also had the opportunity to meet Listener #12, Jennifer on the 6th!

We will be talking about the entire experience on a future show.
Now, on to our regularly scheduled program: 

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We have a few shout outs, notably to areas of the World who are really finding and apparently enjoying our show. Welcome and thank you!

Thank you Liv L., listener #63 for suggesting this week's show topic, drinking around World Showcase at Epcot.

What, you may ask, does this whole "listener #63" thing mean? Well, way back when we first started, we would make jokes about having almost a dozen listeners. Fans of the show started asking to have listener numbers assigned, or would just claim a spot! This quickly outgrew the initial dozen, and, well, became a bit of an administrative mess, if I'm being honest. So we put up an official list pinned to the top of our Facebook page.

There is an extra special benefit to getting a Listener Number. You'll be entered in our 100th Episode Giveaway! Seriously, all you need do is hit us up on Facebook or Twitter, ask for a Listener Number, and you are entered!

Oh, yea, the show!
We wanted to do something different to distinguish ourselves from other shows, so we approached drinking around Epcot's World Showcase in the spirit of friendship and sharing. We alternated pavilions, starting with Epcot, and chose which drinks and snacks we would buy each other as well as ourselves. For America we all chose our own items. Canada we left up to friends and listeners, sharing feedback from Twitter and Facebook.

The Wheel of Distiny topic: Favorite Scene from The Haunted Mansion

Want to be part of the show? Have your name heard round the world in, like, 3-4 different countries and every state except Alaska apparently? Submit your show suggestions or Wheel of Distiny topics to us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange  
Thanks for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Grim Grinning Ghosts

By Nick

Disney is releasing several great books about The Haunted Mansion over the next few months, and I have ordered them all from Amazon.

This illustrated book featuring the beloved song Grim Grinning Ghosts (GGG) arrived just a few days ago.

The cover features the Hitchhiking Ghosts in front of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

The book is beautifully illustrated and has the lyrics to GGG.

 

It even comes with a CD so you can sing along!

I just yesterday received another HM book, and will share that in a future post.
Hurry baaaack. Hurry baaaack.

Disney Park Starz Vinylmation Haunted Mansion Bride

By: Nick

A few years ago Barbie and I took a short trip to Walt Disney World with another couple, staying in a Fort Wilderness Cabin.

While visiting the Magic Kingdom’s Emporium, I showed my friends the new form of Vinylmation, the Park Starz line. I stated that before the trip was through, I would have to buy one, in the hopes of getting one of the few figures I was interested in.

That evening, they went to the Magic Kingdom for evening Extra Magic Hours, while we stayed at the cabin. Imagine my surprise when I awoke the next morning to find that they had bought me a Park Starz figure! I couldn’t wait till everyone woke up to open it, as I am like a kid on Christmas morning when it comes to opening gifts, so I took it out onto the deck to see what “Santa” had brought me.

The packaging is terrific. I love the graphics. The box itself is a work of art.






What can it be? Is it one I want?! It feels roundish, is it the Yeti. I wouldn’t mind the Yeti, but it isn’t my first choice. I hope it isn’t Big Al, as my wife really dislikes the Country Bears.



I open the foil to find the figure I actually wanted the most! The Haunted Mansion Bride!
She even comes with an ax!





They even thought to paint in her shoes on the bottom!



It gives me chills just looking at it.



Included is a little fold out pamphlet with a name of each figure, and the year of it’s creation at each of the parks it may be in or have been in.
For instance, the Robot Butler, Horizons, Epcot, 1983-1999.





A fantastic collectible. A big thank you to my friends!

10 Favorite Things About the Haunted Mansion

It's almost Halloween and Lisa Green (nice rhyming scheme) is doing some perfectly timed articles for this time of year over on her Living a Disney Life Blog.-Nick

By Lisa Green 

So, I’m cooking dinner.  I do this a lot – cooking relaxes me and I like it.  Maybe mowing the yard relaxes Raymond the same way.  I hope so, since I wouldn’t know how to start the lawn mower, much less maneuver it around the yard.  But I digress.  Back to the cooking.  I’m waiting for the pasta to boil and the sauce to do its thing and I see the leftover wine from last night, secure in its bottle with my Haunted Mansion bottle stopper.  That’s how many of these blog posts begin – so many things around me to remind me of Walt Disney World and what I love about spending time there.

Haunted Mansion – My 10 Favorite Things

 

Location – You can’t beat the setting in Liberty Square – just at the edge of Frontierland.  I prefer to approach from Fantasyland for the best first look of every visit – I’m weird that way, but hey!  Makes me so happy!!!
Exterior – Sure, the view from land is awesome, but the Mansion, viewed from the water (aboard the Liberty Belle), is breathtaking!  The color of the stone, the shapes of the different wings, towers, and solarium, the black wrought iron fence, the green awning…all of it!



Queue – Purists will lament the 2007 refurb that added many new elements to the waiting-outside part of the Mansion’s queue.  This was a huge improvement to us and we love all of it!  Because the ghost horse & hearse and the cemetery are original and amazing on their own, don’t miss them while you’re taking in all the other interactive and hilarious elements.  A feast for the senses, the Haunted Mansion’s queue invites you to touch, look, and listen to an amazing number of details, large and small.

Costumes – Some of the outfits Cast Members wear are less than memorable to me, but at the Mansion, they look great!  Also, those appropriately-attired hosts know how to play their part.  Sure, some are better than others, but overall, the Mansion’s “help” couldn’t be better!

Humor – This is not a haunted house to be feared.  Puns, sight-gags, and creepy charm abound.  These spooks are friendly and funny – from the stretching room portraits to the ghoulies in the cemetery at the end of the ride…the mix of fun and fright is pure genius.




Doom-buggy – What omnimover ride has a better vehicle?  None.  This shiny, black, rounded and oddly cozy capsule is the perfect transportation.  The ghost host (voiced by Paul Frees) speaks directly to you!  This makes the experience seem personalized and adds a special element to the fun.

Madam Leota – Leota in the crystal ball, Little Leota at the ride’s conclusion – I love all her forms!  (“Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween…Awaken the spirits with your tambourine!”).  She’s mysterious and beautiful and her voice is perfectly frightening!



Wallpaper – Now available on Disney’s Dooney & Bourke handbags, the Mansion’s wallpaper is but one of the hundreds of tiny details that make every tour special.  I’ve ridden dozens of times and still, every time, I find some previously unnoticed element.  This alone is why I may ride several times in a single vacation and more than once or twice in a single day.  Glowing eyes, moving shadows, floating objects, ever-changing portraits, dancing, singing, partying spirits  – all if it amazing!




Constance – She’s weird and clearly insane!  Constance is the bride in the Mansion’s attic.  She’s been busy, our Constance, and proof of her misdeeds is all around you as you glide through her diabolical history.  If you’re fortunate and you look carefully, you can find her ring outside in the Mansion’s queue before you go inside.

Singing Busts – I LOVE these guys!  First of all, catchy tune!  They’re also fun to watch as you glide toward the attraction’s finale.  Lighthearted and well-crafted, the final scenes are clever and interesting.

“Hurry Baaaaaaack……Hurry BAAAaaaaaaaack….Be sure to bring your death certificate if you decide to join us.  Make final arrangements now.  We’ve been dying to have you…”-Little Leota
What do YOU love most about Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion?

Lisa can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!   

Wordless Wednesday: My Favorite Ride in Each of Walt Disney World's 4 Parks

By Nick

Walt Disney World Pop Up Book from Hallmark

A Fun Filled Visit to Walt Disney World with Mickey Mouse: A Hallmark Pop-Up Book.

..

By Nick

Like much of my collection, I cannot recall when and where I got this book. It’s copyright is 1972.

It isn’t in the best condition, with stains and tape marks, but the pop-ups all work pretty well.



Our first pop-up is the Ferry Boat to the Magic Kingdom. But that isn’t how we are getting to the park.



We’re taking the Monorail with Mickey. Lift the door tab, and Mickey gets on board.

Interestingly, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has been reduced to just “Submarine Voyage” here. There is a rotating wheel that rotates and shows wreckage, treasure and sea life.





Next, the Country Bear Jamboree pop-up.



It’s a Small World. Pull the tab on the right, and the drummer drums while the camel nods in unison.

The Mad Tea Party. pull the tab to see Mickey “Spin”. On one side he’s smiling, on the other, he looks as if he may be ill, which is the same reaction I have as this ride goes on.



A Jungle Cruise pop-up.



The Mickey Mouse Revue, which was housed in the space that is now home to Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Pull the tabs and the whole gang rocks out while Mickey orchestrates.



The Swiss Family Tree House. Lift the flap and see the Jungle Cruise Ruins in the distance.
Not very exciting.

Maybe the creator of this book was lulling you into a false sense of security, and then, wham!
Pull the tab on the Haunted Mansion page, and a ghost pops up! Thrilling.



And to cap off a fun filled day at the park with Mickey, fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle.




I hope you enjoyed your time with Mickey Mouse.

Memento Mori in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

By Nick

A new shop, (or is it an old residence?) mysteriously appeared a few months ago in the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square, at the exit of the Haunted Mansion.

Memento Mori was the home of Madame Leota, until her disappearance, and, I suppose, partial reappearance within the Haunted Mansion. Her portrait can be found inside.

According to Webster's Online Dictionary, Memento Mori means "a reminder of mortality." Google  provides a definition that is even more appropriate; "an object serving as a warning or reminder of death," and the Memento Mori shop is happy to provide such reminders of the iconic ride it is located beside.

There are a lot of items in here that appeals to fans of the HM, and you can go a little nuts. Indeed, if  we had more space in the house, I'd have walked out with much more than just the one item I did leave with. I could easily see having a room dedicated to some of this fanatasmagorical merchandise.

Think of a merchandise category, and there is a really good chance you'll find it here. Clothes? Obviously. Shoes? Check. Make-up? Wait, what? Yes. Haunted Mansion Make-up kits from the Beautifully Disney line!

Want to redo the kitchen in Early American spooky? Yes, you can do that also. Dish Towel sets are $19.95, coaster sets are $24.95.

We were very interested in the dinner plates, but had breakage concerns. The round plates are $26.95.

There is a lot to see here, and you may stay so long you actually build up an appetite. If you are hungry for Haunted Mansion food, popcorn and cotton candy are readily available.

Want chocolate? They have chocolate in the form of bats, for $4.95.

There are many t-shirts and even collared shirts to choose from.

 The Gracey Family Reunion shirt is $24.95.

This shirt of the Ghost Host himself, which is $ 36.95, changes, transforming into a skeleton...

...like the portraits below.

A version of this can be had on a postcard as well.

 

Looking for the perfect Haunted accessory to go with your clothes?

How about a protective case for your smart phone?

There are action figures for boys, and even something for your little girl. Perhaps she'll like a Haunted Bride doll for $21.95?

Holidays aren't forgotten, as there a couple of different ornament sets to be had.

There are higher end collectibles and home decor items, such as the Haunted Mansion wall hanging for $100.

This replica of the Haunted Mansion sign can hang in your home for $95.

Plenty of less expensive souvenirs can be found as well, such as key chains, notepad and magnet sets, and antenna toppers, which are 2 for $8.

You can even take home an 8x10 ghostly image of yourself or a loved one for $19.95 plus tax.

Step behind the curtain for your own piece of "Spirit Photography."

I had read online that there is a limit to how many items a guest could purchase at one time, and indeed there was this sign hanging under one of the displays:

When I asked a Cast Member why guests would be limited to 6 items, unless otherwise specified, I was told it was because people would buy items in bulk, and sell them on eBay!

We did buy one item, the throw pictured below, for $59.95.

As you can see, Disney has found yet another ingenious way to separate me and my money.
"Hurry back, hurry back," indeed!