Park Peeps Podcast

Plus Size Park Hoppers are finally here! Join Stephanie and Ashley as they guide the Park Peeps Podcast through the ultimate Disney Parks accessibility guide, offering tips and recommendations for the best rides, shows, and activities for you to do while planning an accessible trip to Disney World.

Plus, the ladies tell Joey Nolfi (@JoeyNolfi) and Demi (@MagicalHijinx) about their history as friends and creators, as well as navigating living out loud for body positivity and handling the Disney Adult haters — all before giving the best accessibility tips for what to do on your Disney World trip if you or your family wants to have an accessible vacation to the theme parks.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Plus Size Park Hoppers' recommendations and accessibility tips for visiting Disney World
• Which Disney World rides and attractions are most accommodating for larger body types — and their pick for the most accessible ride at the Magic Kingdom.
• What theme parks still need to do to make sure they're size-inclusive for all guests.
• How the Plus Size Park Hoppers deal with Disney Adult hate and other critics in an increasingly volatile internet landscape.
• Plus, Joey and Demi break down the news that FunSpot Atlanta's beloved ArieForce One roller coaster is being relocated to... Six Flags Magic Mountain? We break down why that's an INSANE choice.

New episodes of the Park Peeps Podcast drop every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts!

Halloween is upon us — and that means the end of Halloween Horror Nights 35 and a reflection on the scariest Disney rides of all time.

First, Wicked Thrill Seekers (@WickedThrillSeekers) Pao and Joaq join Joey Nolfi (@JoeyNolfi) for a season-end review of HHN 35 live from Universal Orlando Resort, where they discuss which houses improved throughout the season (Invasion: Alien Abduction, Hellraiser), which got worse (Stranger Things 5), and which remained the best houses of the year (Cybergoria!)

Then, Spencer from @SpencerFinds joins Joey and Demi (@MagicalHijinx) for a special Halloween edition of Park Peeps celebrating the most terrifying Disney attractions ever built.

In this episode:

• Tokyo Disneyland's horrific Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour that featured some of the most terrifying things ever seen in a Disney attraction, from Chernabog to talking skulls to one of the only Black Cauldron representations inside a Disney theme park that will rattle your bones.
• The horrors of the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (and our personal trauma stories of surviving the experience)
• Late-night Yeti: Spencer reveals why Pandora isn't the only thing you should do at night at Animal Kingdom, as Expedition Everest's creepy vibes come alive in the dark.

• Petrified on Pinocchio and the Pixar Pal-A-Round at Disneyland (unorthodox picks but truly terrifying Disney rides)
• Terror on the Tower of Terror — the name says it all!

New episode of Park Peeps premiere every Tuesday!

Some Disney queues are objectively bad — and yet we keep coming back for more.Jerendelle (@jerendelle_official) and Derek (@DerekMatt) join Disney Adults and Park Peeps cohosts Joey Nolfi (@JoeyNolfi) and Demi (@MagicalHijinx) to celebrate the best worst ride queues at Disney parks: We’re talking about the lines we love to hate, hate to love, and can't stop obsessing over either way.In this episode:

• Slinky Dog Dash: Why Hollywood Studios’ sun-scorched line takes the crown for the worst queue on property
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Does the queue live up to the legendary ride, or fail it completely?
• Maelstrom nostalgia: A look back at the defunct, backrooms-esque minty green Norway pavilion queue (and that giant mural)
• Living With the Land: Who actually said those random quotes on the walls in Epcot's best ride?

New episodes of Park Peeps drop every Tuesday!

You know Disney Ducks — but do you know Minnie's Kitties? There’s a secret, four-legged unit running the night shift at the Happiest Place on Earth, and you might see them during your next visit to Disneyland.This week on Park Peeps, Joey Nolfi and Demi of Magical Hijinx reveal the true story and history of Disneyland’s Feral Cat Army — and why Walt Disney allowed them to stay!

According to lore, when Disney officials first ventured into the upper rafters of Sleeping Beauty Castle in late 1955, they didn't just find empty space — they uncovered a massive feline colony and a major flea infestation. What followed was an unexpected pest crisis that forced Disney to partner with Anaheim’s stray population to create a permanent, overnight pest-control strategy.In this episode about Disney theme park history, we cover:

• The Sleeping Beauty Discovery: The bizarre 1955 castle walkthrough inspection that started it all

• Avoiding Public Backlash: How Disney adopted out the original colony to cast members to protect their image as a park run by a giant mouse.
• The Rodent Surge: Why Mickey Mouse's extended family initially check in to the Happiest Place on Earth.

• The Night Shift Fleet: How an informal working relationship turned into Disney's working feral cat program.

Press play to meet the most mysterious cast members in Disney history 🎧 Subscribe to Park Peeps so you never miss an episode!

Can your favorite book become a world-class theme park ride? Sometimes it works—and sometimes you get an official Twilight dark ride featuring a stripping animatronic. This week on Park Peeps, former Disney Food Blog star and future author Cassie Green joins us for a "Page to Park" segment, reacting to the weirdest real-world literary attractions before we pitch our ultimate book-inspired theme park lands.

From Dubai’s high-speed Hunger Games Capitol Bullet Train roller coaster to China's hilarious backrooms-style Twilight ride, we break down the bizarre history of book-based attractions—and then build the immersive park lands that desperately need to exist.

In this episode, we cover:

• Real Page-to-Park Weirdness: Dubai’s Hunger Games Capitol Bullet Train coaster and China's uncanny Twilight Saga: Bella’s Journey dark ride.
• Literary Theme Park Wishlist: Pitching full theme park lands for Percy Jackson (Camp Half-Blood!), Dune (Arrakis!), and The Lord of the Rings (Middle-earth!).
• Outrageous Park Pitches: Tyra Banks’ Modelland novel and replacing Disney’s Hall of Presidents with The View’s Hot Topics table (inspired by Ladies Who Punch).

Plus, we have an opening weekend review of and report from Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest, including tea on whether or not Herschend's takeover is working wonders for the park, or if the horror haunt is indicative of more bad news for one of Pennsylvania's best amusement parks.

New episodes of Park Peeps stream every Tuesday—subscribe so you never miss a drop!

Long before theme park dining (and restaurants in general) leaned into sleek modern design, craft cocktail lounges, and elevated chef-driven menus, it was ruled by pure, unhinged maximalism. In the 1990s and early 2000s, dinner meant mechanical gorillas roaring over fries and simulated storms every 20 minutes at the Rainforest Cafe. It was the golden age of ultra-immersive restaurant chaos — and then it vanished.

This week on Park Peeps, viral creator and Disney defender Adriane Hamilton (@HeyAdriane) joins Joey Nolfi and Demi from Magical Hijinx to investigate the lost art of themed dining and the slow extinction of the Rainforest Cafe.

We break down how Rainforest Cafe became such a massive cultural phenomenon that Disney courted the brand to build sprawling locations at Disney Springs, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney at Disneyland. We explore the unbelievable rise of the chain, why it captured the decade's obsession with eco-entertainment, and the exact mix of shifting consumer tastes and massive overhead that brought on its downfall.

Plus, we take a nostalgic dive into the most ridiculous themed restaurant flops of the era:

• Mars 2112: NYC's underground red-planet simulator complete with a shuttle ride entry.

• Hulk Hogan’s Pastamania!: The Mall of America disaster serving "Hulkaroni and cheese."

• Fashion Cafe: Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington's supermodel-backed dining spot that collapsed almost immediately.

• Britney Spears’ NYLA: Midtown Manhattan’s short-lived Southern-meets-Italian experiment.

• The Titans: Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, and the peak of oversized souvenir glasses.

MINI SEGMENT: NAPA ROSE REVIEWIs Disneyland’s marquee fine-dining staple still worth the high price tag? Joey and theme park journalist Jacqueline Dole head to Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel for their first visit since the restaurant’s full remodel. We deliver an honest, unfiltered review of the new atmosphere, updated menu, and whether this splurge belongs on your park itinerary.

KEY TOPICS:

• The peak, boom, and slow death of Rainforest Cafe
• How Rainforest Cafe landed inside Disney Parks & Disney Springs
• The wild era of '90s dining excess: Mars 2112, Hulk Hogan's Pastamania, Fashion Cafe & Britney Spears' NYLA
• Defending theme park culture online w/ @HeyAdriane
• Napa Rose post-remodel review at Disney’s Grand Californian w/ theme park journalist Jacqueline Dole!

Subscribe to Park Peeps wherever you listen! Leave us a 5-star review if you miss eating under an artificial banyan tree.

Planning your next theme park trip? Today on Park Peeps, Joey Nolfi and Demi of Magical Hijinx break down the most OVERRATED and UNDERRATED things to do at Disney Parks, Carowinds, Universal, and theme parks beyond!

From popular lounges and rides to character dining and questionable award-winning roller coasters, we share what’s actually worth your hard-earned dollar.

• Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: Is this popular Disneyland lounge worth the wait, or does it fall flat on expectations? And is there a better option nearby?
• Character Dining Reality Check: Why Chef Mickey’s might not deliver on its price tag (and where you SHOULD book instead).
• The Golden Ticket Coaster Debate: Fury 325 at Carowinds has won "Best Steel Coaster" for 11 years running... but is it actually overhyped?
• Stop Value Resort Shaming: Why Disney’s All-Star Resorts are low-key slaying with updated food options and budget-friendly perks.

Whether you're heading to Walt Disney World or hitting regional roller coasters, this episode will save your wallet and your itinerary.

New episodes of Park Peeps drop every Tuesday!

Decades before corporate theme parks took over America, a former Disney visionary tried to build the "Disneyland of the Northeast" in Wakefield, Massachusetts. What followed was Pleasure Island, a surreal fever dream of donkey rides, live product endorsements, bizarre pop-culture crossovers... and a 70-foot animatronic sea monster that still rests at the bottom of a lake in our latest installment of weird theme park history.

In this episode of Park Peeps, Joey Nolfi and Demi of Magical Hijinx plunge into the bizarre, scary, and submechanophobia-inducing history of Pleasure Island—a 1950s theme park designed by C.V. Wood, the rogue visionary who helped Walt Disney build the original Disneyland.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Disney DNA: How C.V. Wood brought Disney-style dark rides, Wild West towns, and immersive environments to Massachusetts.
• The Weird IP Fever Dream: Inside the park’s bizarre character roster, featuring Popeye, Bozo the Clown, and Pepperidge Farm endorsements.
• The Moby Dick Hunt: The infamous water attraction featuring a massive, 70-foot mechanical whale rising from the depths as guests passed by in boats.
• The Sunken Animatronic: The horrifying true story of how Pleasure Island closed in 1969, abandoned the giant whale underwater, and how modern urban explorers found its rotting remains half a century later.

New episodes of Park Peeps premiere every Tuesday!

Is it actually possible to have a relaxing, stress-free Disney theme park vacation? On this episode of Park Peeps, Demi of Magical Hijinx and Joey Nolfi sit down with theme park content creator Matt Richardson (@MattRichardson) to master the art of chilling out, taking in the magic, and leaving theme park burnout behind.

If rope-drop drama, Lightning Lane stress, and massive crowds overwhelm you, Matt joins us to break down the ultimate blueprint for turning a chaotic Disney trip into a vibe-heavy, peaceful escape that doesn't skimp on magic.

In this episode:

• The Secret Emporium Nook: The hilarious truth behind a tiny, hidden corner inside Magic Kingdom’s Emporium that Demi swears by as the ultimate park decompression zone.
• Park Quiet Zones: Underrated spots to recharge —including why Pinocchio Village Haus is a hidden chill haven, the soothing magic of taking the TTC ferry, and how to soak up the atmosphere and the Imagineering magic away from the crowds.
• Mastering Resort Hopping: Finding elite lobby vibes and hidden relaxation spots at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, and the Contemporary.
• Disneyland Chill Spots: Tropical bliss at Tangaroa Terrace, serene hideaways at the Grand Californian, and coast-to-coast relaxation hacks.
• Mindset & Magic: How practicing gratitude, kindness, and taking a breath can completely shift your Disney vacation experience.

New episodes of Park Peeps drop every Tuesday! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 35 features a wild lineup, and we're ranking all 10 haunted houses from 10 to 1 this year. Joey Nolfi and Demi from Magical Hijinx break down this year's intellectual properties and original mazes, naming the best houses and revealing the worst house of the season.

Episode Highlights:

• The IP Verdict: We break down why Sinners turned into a major disappointment, how the Prince of Darkness house successfully keeps Ozzy Osbourne's legacy alive, whether Stranger Things 5 justified heading back to Hawkins, and if Hellraiser was genuinely worth the wait for its long-overdue HHN debut.
• Original Mazes Ranked: We dig into the brutal and bizarre original concepts of the year, grading Madlands: Caged Cannibals, H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!, and Cybergoria.
• The Definitive List: Find out which house takes the crown as the best haunted house of HHN 35 and which maze was a letdown at our favorite event of the year.

New episodes drop every Tuesday. Make sure to follow, leave a review, and share your personal house rankings with us!