Time to Pay the Parking : Episode 170 of The DIsney Exchange Podcast

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

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Lisa is not happy about The Citrus Swirl being removed from Sunshine Tree Terrace. But the day after recording, it was announced that it would be returning due to popular demand.

Speaking of announcements from Disney.,. but that will be coming up later in the show.

The main topic is an in depth look at Main Street at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
We go through each of the shops, attractions, and restaurants.

Okay, let's address the Elephant in the room.

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week: Disney announced guests will now pay for parking at Walt Disney World Resorts. Thoughts? Aaaaaaaaand, go.

As this week's episode proves, we love Wheel of Distiny topics from our listeners, and would most certainly appreciate Show Suggestions so please check us out and make requests on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange  or Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange   

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Walt Disney World's Main Street U.S.A.

 

 

By Lisa Green 

 

 

Is there a better feeling in the World than stepping through the entrance to the Magic Kingdom and finding yourself on Main Street U.S.A?  That first moment when you pause to take it all in – The gorgeous colors – on the buildings, in store windows, floating in the hands of balloon vendors. The sounds – guests laughing, a piano playing, people singing, an old fashioned car horn.  The smell!  Delicious.  The view – Cinderella Castle’s majestic splendor in the distance – hands down, this moment is my favorite of every Walt Disney World vacation and never fails to make me a little misty.  While we’re thinking about this, let’s look at a few of my favorite things on Main Street U.S.A….

The buildings whisk you away to a perfect American small town, back in a simpler time – before our lives were filled with complex technological distractions.  Every detail of each storefront and window, each railing and shingle are perfect and, if you’re paying close attention, hold very important discoveries for guests to find.

The Main Street Vehicles are a wonderful treat – allowing children of all ages to experience early 20th Century transportation.  Catch a ride on a fire engine, a jitney, a horse-drawn car, or an omnibus and take a one-way ride to Cinderella Castle.

The entertainment along Main Street U.S.A. provides the perfect accompaniment for a stroll back in time.  The Dapper Dans croon their old-timey barbershop quartet favorites – and often delight onlookers by serenading guests celebrating a special occasion.  The Casey’s Corner Pianist (tucked around the corner at the Castle-end of Main Street on the left) amazes visitors with a huge repertoire of happy tunes!

There are plenty of excellent souvenir shops!  The Emporium on Main Street U.S.A.’s left side stretches nearly the entire length of the street – pins, shirts, snacks, batteries, toys – the Emporium’s a gigantic general store – Disney-style!  If you’re looking for a customized Earhat, there’s no better place to shop than The Chapeau – a Main Street classic!

Main Street U.S.A. is a great place to visit when you’re hungry – any time of the day!  Catch some breakfast at the Main Street Bakery, lunch at the Crystal Palace with all your favorite friends from the Hundred Acre Wood (Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet usually), and dinner at Casey’s Corner for some super fancy hot dogs.  Need a sweet treat?  The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is a delicious way to beat the Florida heat any time of the day!

 

Let’s not forget the parades!  Main Street’s a great place to secure a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade in the afternoon and the Main Street Electrical Parade at night.  Stand on Main Street for Wishes – oooh and ahhhhh with the people around you during the fireworks.

As the place where every visitor begins and ends each visit to the Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A. couldn’t be more perfect.

What’s your favorite part of Main Street?

 

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She 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!

Containing Mickey Mouse

By Gaylin: 

I found this small wooden box (4″ x 2.25″) in the glass shop on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom and loved it.

Small, well made and while it doesn’t hold much, it looks great.

I don’t have very valuable jewelry, mostly sentimental but it is nice to have a pretty box to put it in.
The small magnetic dots keep it closed quite tightly. I didn’t take a photo of the bottom as it is completely plain, no markings of any kind.

When you buy a watch at Disney World, you often get a tin container to store it in. I have 2 watches that came in these containers.

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I use them to store other things as I am always wearing one or the other of the watches! I think both watches cost $45 and I do like having the tins to put things in, shiny things, things with Mickey on them!

Hmmmm, maybe one day I will remember to take photos of the watches themselves.

Wordless Wednesday : Autumn on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom

Photos: Barbie and Nick

 

Favorites at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

By Nick

Episode 31 of The Disney Exchange Podcast which I co-host with Lisa Green and David Hodges was about our favorite favorite thing to do, favorite thing to eat, favorite shop, favorite Disney detail in each of the lands of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and I thought I would share them with you here, in case you haven't already listened to the show. 

We'll start on Main Street USA and go around clockwise. It's hard to just pick one thing that I love about Main Street, but I would have to say meeting Mickey Mouse at The Town Square Theater.

And I still love the moment I round the corner to see Cinderella Castle.

And a trip through the Emporium, even if I'm not buying anything, is a must every trip. As for food, I went with a frosty snack, (ok, it's more than a snack, it's a meal) at The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

And since I'm at this end of the hub, I'll take a walk over to see Mickey and Walt represented in the Partners Statue.

Heading to the left to Adventureland, my favorite ride is Pirates of the Caribbean.

But before riding, I'll be stopping for a Dole Whip which has found a new home at Aloha Isle.

The best detail is The Jungle Cruise. The entire ride. I love the themeing, though I confess I don't do it every trip!

In Frontierland, my favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which is an absolute blast in the dark! My favorite detail is rock work on BTMR based on buttes in Monument Valley.

As for food, I enjoy a burger at the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. I really enjoy checking out the pins and Vinylmation in the Frontier Trading Post.

Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride in Liberty Square, in fact, it's my favorite attraction in Magic Kingdom, my favorite detail being the glowing eyes in the wallpaper, with the breathing door that comes up shortly after that a close second.

I don't often eat in L.S.,  but I have enjoyed a Nutella and berry waffle at Sleepy Hollow. As for shop, hands down, maybe my favorite shop in the park is Momento Mori.

And then there is Fantasyland. So many wonderful details. To sort of narrow it down without actually narrowing it down, I'll pick Be Our Guest. The whole thing!

As for favorite ride, Seven Dwarf's Mine Train is a blast, again, like Big Thunder, at night. As for food, let's head back to Be Our Guest, where I will have the Braised Pork, though the steak is also pretty darn good. As for shops, be sure to stop into Big Top Souvenirs.

In Tomorrowland, I'm going old school, and picking Carousel of Progress.

My favorite detail is the model of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow which can be seen while riding the Tomorrowland  Transit Authority Peoplemover. As for food, I enjoy having a meal of any type, though it's generally a burger at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, mostly so I can enjoy the musical stylings of Sonny Eclipse.

So there you go, my favorites. What are some of yours?

This article was originally posted on The Disney Exchange.

Mickey's Mailbox

by Gaylin

Did you know that if you are at the Magic Kingdom, on Main Street, the green mailbox is not just for decoration?

It is a working mail box and on my last trip I decided to mail a few post cards to see how long it would take for the mail to go through. Turns out, the cards probably left the Magic Kingdom that day but took a week to 3 weeks to get to their various US destinations!

Next time you are there, remember mail your cards from here:

The Disney Exchange- Episode 31- The Best in the Lands

By Nick 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

-The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green, and me, Nicholas Maglio  

-Main Topic: The Best in the Lands

-We start with a shout out and Lisa has to reign us in, before we quickly (for us) get to our main topic, where David, Lisa, and I discuss our favorite attractions, shops, food, details, etc. in the lands of the Magic Kingdom.

-We start with Main Street, and I ask if seeing Cinderella Castle ever gets old?

-We go clockwise through Adventureland, and Dave and I disagree, not surprisingly on whether or not one place or another had Citrus Swirls in the past, and I think we both were confused! This is what it is like to grow old. Aloha Isle did have Citrus Swirl. Dave, I apologize?

-We very surprisingly veer off topic before going on to Frontierland.

-We may discuss this in a future episode.

-In Liberty Square we argue over the differences between Ravens and Crows.

-Sarah McLachlin, just...Sarah McLachlin. 

-Off to Fantasyland.

-Dave has grown, and his favorite ride is no longer Winnie the Pooh! Will Pooh forgive him?

-Finally, Tomorrowland.

-The Wheel of Distiny topic-  The most disgusting thing we've eaten at Walt Disney World.

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange.

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Or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange

My First Disney Souvenir

By Gaylin

My first trip to Florida, July of 1978, I was 18. The whole month visiting a friend and her family. One day she asks “Do you want to go to the Magic Kingdom for a day”? My response, “Sure, if it is not too expensive”. This was my first vacation away from my family, including my first airplane ride and much to my relief my first non-camping vacation.

A few days later 4 teenage girls, on a road trip to see Disney World. I had little clue what I was heading for, we didn’t yet have cable TV until I was 13 and my parents ruled what we saw. I had a few memories of the World of Disney but not much beyond that.

The shocker for me was how the magic hit right there on Main Street. I loved it, every ride, every line-up, the junk food and seeing characters, I was amazed. There was very little in the budget for souvenirs and my friends, being Florida natives, had little interest in shopping. I did manage to talk them into letting me look around a bit and I bought a beach towel. If memory serves me, it was $6.95.

As soon as I got home I started using the towel. I used it constantly, a new favorite.

The next summer, this lovely family invited me back! Of course I went and yes, we did go back to the Magic Kingdom for another day. This time I bought 2 towels.

I wore the first towel out by sheer overuse and then started using the other two. Thankfully I didn’t wear them out quite as much and then stopped using them because I wanted them to last.

This is the whole towel. Very thin cotton when compared to the plush, highly colored beach towels they make now:

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The top of the towel with Pluto and Minnie all ready for the beach.

The center with Mickey, hanging ten like the cool dude that he is.

And the bottom of the towel, including the Walt Disney Productions logo.

 

  

And, proving it was well made, the tag is still attached!

Finally, one of the few photos I have that proves I was really there, 1978, me and Tigger!!!