The Park Hopper Society - A Disney World Podcast

We discuss our recent trip down to Disney World where we rode the new versions of Big Thunder Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, tried almost everything at Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival, and experienced the madness that was May 4th at Hollywood Studios. We recap our experiences, give our opinions, and forget what promises we have made mid episode. Let us know what your favorite items have been at this year's festival, and if you've ridden the updated versions of Big Thunder, Buzz, Frozen, and Ratatouille what did you think of them?

We are joined once again by the Masked Maniac himself Frankie Goodman! We talk life, Disney, restaurants, the Junkies group, bathrooms, and a whole lot more. As always you do not want to miss this, because you never know where the conversation is headed next with Frank!

This is the audio from our April 16, 2026 After Hours Social Livestream. We do these about once a month on Facebook and YouTube. It’s a more open ended relaxed discussion and we answer your questions in real time! Make sure to check our socials so you’ll be able to hang out with us next time!

Is there really such a thing as a Disney Tax? Are you actually paying a premium for Disney World just because of the name and the mouse? We decided to dive into the numbers and find out. We compared the cost of everything from tickets, to resorts, even to parking between 5 different theme parks (2 Disney, 2 Universal, and 1 that's near and dear to us), and the results were actually a little surprising. We also bring back one of our favorite segments, Pass or Stay. This time we look at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you can let us know what we got right, what we got wrong, and whether or not you think there is such a thing as a Disney Tax!

Step into the Park Tank as we read some of your best pitches to change, modify, and add to Disney World. We took our favorite listener submitted ideas ranging from retheming parts of Animal Kingdom to an entirely new hotel concept, and voted whether we would be in or out. Of course we offer up some of our own ideas as well. Plus, we finally get around to playing Pass or Stay with the deluxe resorts. There are a lot of them though so we kick it off with the Magic Kingdom area resorts. 

This is the audio from our March 23, 2026 After Hours Social Livestream. We do these about once a month on Facebook and YouTube. It’s a more open ended relaxed discussion and we answer your questions in real time! Make sure to check our socials so you’ll be able to hang out with us next time!

This time we hang out and recap a seven-day Disney trip full of new experiences — Festival of the Lion King, Hoop-Dee-Doo, Behind the Seeds, and more.

We also share our opinions on transport (minivan vs. Uber), park-hopping strategies, airport timing, favorite nighttime hangouts, and answer listener questions in a casual, live-format conversation.

We discuss the history of Disney CEO's starting with Walt and going through Bob Iger (twice), exploring each man's impact on the company's parks, films, and business strategy. Will Josh D'Amaro be a steady hand like Don Tatum? Or will he usher in a new Disney Renaissance like Michael Eisner?

We are joined by friend of the podcast (and friend in real life) Dave to discuss what Disney was like from the very beginning. Dave started working at Disney in 1975 as a bartender before joining Disney University and helping to write training programs for all sorts of roles throughout Walt Disney World. This was a really cool interview, and if you like imagining what a day in the park was like back then (or want to relive it if you experienced it first hand) this is an episode you don't want to miss!

We also preview the upcoming 2026 Flower and Garden Festival menus (and do a much better job this time), and talk about what we're most excited to try. And sadly, we mourn the loss of one of the greatest menu items ever to grace an Epcot festival.

We discuss the similarities and differences between Disney World and Disneyland. From comparing rides and food, to the "Disney Bubble" or lack thereof, to resort offerings, and more, we dive deep into both destinations and give you our thoughts and opinions.

Plus, in honor of President's Day here in the US we talk about the history and evolution of The Hall of Presidents. We learn some interesting things ourselves about this classic attraction (or classic napping spot).

What if Walt hadn't died? We discuss the evolution of Disney parks under Walt from his original idea as he watched his girls play at Griffith Park, through the construction and opening of Disneyland, to the land acquisition and unveiling of The Florida Project and ask ourselves: what would Walt think of Disney World today?

We also play Sail, Float, Sink to decide which classic Disney attraction we would never change, which one we would give a major overhaul to, and which one we would tear down and get rid of if we were in charge.