Month: August 2013

A few months ago, I shared a [list of what I felt were the best Disney-related podcasts](https://johnkiv.us/2013/03/17/best-disney-podcasts/). Since that time, the rise of Disney-related podcast networks has greatly altered the Disney podcasting landscape,[^fn1] and has exposed me to a ton of new Disney-related podcast content. After sifting through these new offerings, I feel that my previous Disney podcast recommendations are out of date. Here is my updated list:

## Favorite Disney Podcast

* [Mighty Men of Mouse](http://mightymenofmouse.blogspot.com/)[^fn2] – Mighty Men of Mouse is the podcast I wish I had thought of.[^fn3] It combines Disney, Sabermetrics[^fn4], pop culture references[^fn5], and a good bit of humor into a show that I absolutely love. After hearing the show’s *TPPN* version, I went back to dig through the show’s archives over at [MightyMenOfMouse.com](http://MightyMenOfMouse.com),[^fn6] and, if you enjoy what your hear in the Touring Plans feed, I encourage you do the same.[^fn7]

## Podcast Most Frequently Listened to within an Hour of Its Release

* [WDW Today](http://www.wdwtoday.com/) – In my [previous write-up](https://johnkiv.us/2013/03/17/best-disney-podcasts/), I listed *WDW Today* in the “Other Disney Podcasts I Sometimes Listen To” category. I said that I only listened to the topics I was interested in and that I skipped the user mail episodes. Now, a few months later, I listen to every show, frequently with the breakfast on the morning it is released.[^fn8] Matt, Len, Mike and Mike cover Disney using some of the same time-value analysis that I enjoy so much with *Mighty Men of Mouse*,[^fn9] but also talk from–what sounds like–frequent visits to the parks. My only complaint is that the 30-minutes-or-less episode length usually leaves me wishing the show went longer.[^fn10]

## Most In-Depth Disney Podcast

* [WDW Radio](http://www.wdwradio.com/) – [Previously](https://johnkiv.us/2013/03/17/best-disney-podcasts/), I named *WDW Radio* the “Best Overall Disney Podcast.” Though I still thinking highly of the Lou Mongello hosted show, both *Mighty Men of Mouse* and *WDW Today* has passed it in my Disney-podcast priority queue. The show is still well-produced, but, as I have listened to more and more episodes, I no longer think of it as “well-structured.”[^fn11] I still enjoy the episodes that feature Disney-historian [Jim Korkis](http://www.mouseplanet.com/search.php?type=w&aid=57), but I sometimes let episodes like [Top Ways to enjoy Disney on the water](http://www.wdwradio.com/2013/07/wdw-radio-331-best-of-the-best-ways-to-enjoy-disney-on-the-water-july-28-2013/) sit in my listening queue without being able to motivate myself to play them.

## Disney News Podcast For Cynics

* [Wakefield Report](http://wakefieldreport.com/) – This show, hosted by Chris Wakefield[^fn12], operates under the premise that Disney fans suffer from some kind of “pixie dust addiction” that clouds their eyes about what is really happening at Disney World.[^fn13] Admittedly, the shtick can get a little over the top, but it works for the most part.[^fn14] Though I do not always agree with Chris’ takes, it is interesting to hear someone who breaks from the standard buzz that surrounds many Disney stories.

## Best Insights from Disney Travel Agents

* [3 Moms and the Mouse](http://www.3momsandthemouse.com/) – If you listen to any Disney podcasts, you almost certainly have heard mention of Disney travel agents.[^fn15] *3 Moms and the Mouse*[^fn16] gives you a little more insight into that world, and provides you with useful tips related to planning and booking your travel. Though it may not be for everyone, I definitely recommend this show for those people who are the de facto “travel agent” for their family’s Disney trips.

## Podcast Most Likely to Feature Jim Hill

* [The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish with Jim Hill]() – Two things about Jim Hills: (1) He is a frequent guest on podcasts,[^fn17], and (2) I will listen to any show he is on.[^fn18] Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoy *Disney Dish*.[^fn19] It combines some current news, speculation, and a good dose of Disney history[^fn20], with someone who is in the running for “living person with the most comprehensive knowledge of Disney and its history.”

## Best History-of-Disney Podcast

* [WEDWay Radio](http://wedwayradio.squarespace.com/) – I just recently stumbled across this long running Disney-history podcast. Hosted by two brothers, Nate and Matt, it features the kind of in-depth Disney history that I love, delivered on a weekly basis.[^fn21]

## Disney Podcast Most Likely to Jump into Heavy Rotation

* [Be Our Guest](http://beourguestpodcast.blogspot.com/?m=1)[^fn22] – I recently took another look at the *Be Our Guest* podcast, and–unlike the previous time I reviewed it–I found that it has a number of shows that I want to listen to. Originally, I was a little apprehensive about so many guest, trip-report-type, callers, but I have found that host Mike Rahlmann does a good job picking guests and moving the conversation along. I have a feeling that once I catch up on some of the archives on the other shows, [^fn23] I will starting listening to *Be Our Guest* a lot more.

## Other Disney Podcasts I Sometimes Listen To[^fn24]

* [DisAfterDark](http://www.disafterdark.com/) – This show got a bit of demotion after I started listening to *Mighty Men of Mouse.* It features similar kind of humor and dynamic, but I found that the analysis is not quite up to the level of that on *Mighty Men.*[^fn25]

* [DisUnplugged](http://www.disunplugged.com/) – A *very* comprehensive Disney podcast that I simply do not have room for in my regular rotation.[^fn26] If there is a particular segment that contains information I have not heard somewhere, then I will listen to that one segment.

* [The Mickey Miles Podcast](http://www.mickeymilespodcast.com/) – This podcast by Mike Scopa [^fn27] and Michelle Scribner-MacLean focuses on information for people running Disney races. As someone who is running such a race next year, I have recently started listening. I already have picked up a few tips that should make my [runDisney](http://rundisney.com) experience go a little smoother.

* [Other Shows on the Touring Plans Podcast Network](http://podcast.touringplans.com/) – The *TTPN* contains a bunch of different shows. I really like *The Crowd Report,*[^fn28] and I have listened to an episode or two of *WDW Happy Place* and *Capturing the Magic*, but the other shows did not really connect with me.[^fn29]

[^fn1]: Most notably, [The Touring Plans Podcast Network](http://podcast.touringplans.com/)(“*TPPN*”) and the [Micepod](http://micechat.com/category/micepod/) network.

[^fn2]: As a semi-disclaimer, I am going to be in a fantasy football league with the hosts of this show later this year. I had already started drafting this post when that happened, and it did not impact my decision to name *Mighty Men* as my favorite podcast. Still, I feel that fact deserved a mention.

[^fn3]: *Might Meny* is a part of the [*TPPN*](http://podcast.touringplans.com). In, what I can only assume is an effort to increase their total subscriber numbers, the TPPN only has a single RSS feed for all of their podcasts. That means, if you only want to listen to a few of the shows on the network, you still get all of the other network shows jammed into your podcatcher. For the purposes of this listing, however, I am only going to mention the shows that I actually listen to and enjoy. I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure how to best get the individual shows out of the *TPPN* feed.

[^fn4]: If you have seen or read [Moneyball](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball), then you already know what Sabermetrics are. If you remember hearing about [Nate Silver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Silver) during the previous presidential election, you probably also have a good idea. If you still have no clue what I am talking about, then a good working definition for our purposes is “advanced statistical analysis to determine the value of something.”

[^fn5]: For example, I recently heard a segment where they did impressions of [Mike and the Mad Dog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_and_the_Mad_Dog) while analyzing how far in advance you have to book various ADRs.

[^fn6]: Currently, I have about 15 shows remaining before I have listened to all of *Mighty Men’s* episodes. I am going to be quite bummed out when I have no more unheard episodes left to listen to.

[^fn7]: As a side note, the fact that two of the hosts of this podcast are lawyers makes me wonder: What is it with Disney and attorneys? On the podcast front, there are two hosts from this podcast, and, of course, [Lou Mongello](http://abovethelaw.com/tag/lou-mongello/). On the blogging front there is [Tom Bricker](http://www.disneytouristblog.com/), and, to a lesser degree, [me](https://johnkiv.us/tag/disney/). What is about our lives buried in court and case law that makes us want to ramble on about the magic of Disney?

[^fn8]: I get especially excited when I see an episode drop the night before. I feel like I am getting a nice, surprise gift.

[^fn9]: This frequently comes from co-author of the *Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World*, Len Testa.

[^fn10]: Of course, the shorter show length does mean that I can easily stay up-to-date with the latest episodes.

[^fn11]: For example, there are too many times that I have heard a “Top 10” list start out with a disclaimer that “we are not going to limit this list to 10 things.” Also, some of the “in-restaurant,” restaurant review episodes can ramble on a bit (*see, e.g.,* [Whispering Canyon](http://www.wdwradio.com/2013/03/wdw-radio-316-live-restaurant-review-of-the-whispering-canyon-cafe-disney-trivia-contest-and-more-mar-17-2013/); [Via Napol](http://www.wdwradio.com/2013/04/wdw-radio-320-live-review-of-via-napoli-in-epcot-disney-trivia-contest-apr-14-2013/).

[^fn12]: Chris also hosts the Universal NOW! podcast on the *TPPN*. If I had to put Universal Now! into one of the categories in this post, I would list it in the “Podcasts I sometimes listen to” category. Personally, I just do not have the same level of interest in Universal Studios as I do in Disney World, and I quickly lose interest during an hour long show about it.

[^fn13]: It is similar to what people say about purchasers of Apple products.

[^fn14]: On the other hand, the show’s format could probably use a little tweaking. For example, Chris used to spend the first 10 minutes plugging his various social media accounts, etc… before getting into the real meat of his show: The “Nine News Nuggets.” Generally, this meant I would just skip the first 10 minutes of every show. Recently, he has experimented with reading forum posts from the Micechat forums and responding on air. Again, this is something I just skip through. Personally, I think he would be better served by further developing the stories he does in the “Nine New Nuggets” and simply making that his weekly show. He could possibly do a one-off interview show here and there, or some other special show, but I think concentrating on his takes of the news each week would make the show a better listen.

[^fn15]: For example, [Mouse Fan Travel](http://www.mousefan.travel/) seems to be a sponsor on a number of the major shows.

[^fn16]: One admission concerning this podcast: Due to the casual pacing of the conversation, I listen to it at 1.5x speed.

[^fn17]: *See, e.g., [Universal Now appearance 1](http://www.universal-now.com/1/post/2013/07/episode-18-oh-the-stories-youll-hear-from-mr-hill-part-1.html), [Univeral Now appearance 2](http://www.universal-now.com/1/post/2013/07/episode-19-oh-the-stories-youll-hear-from-mr-hill-part-2.html), [DisAfterDark appearance 1](http://www.disafterdark.com/disafterdark-disney-podcast-episode-36-papa-soap-juniors-back/), [DisAfter Dark appearance 2](http://www.disafterdark.com/disafterdark-disney-podcast-episode-38-hashtag-disdiots/), and the [podcast reference page](http://jimhillmedia.com/p/podcasts.aspx) on his website.

[^fn18]: In fact, his column is the only reason I ever would even consider reading anything on the [Huffington Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hill/).

[^fn19]: Though this podcast is technically part of the Touring Plans Podcast Network, I have found that, unlike all of the other network shows, the [original feed](http://www.superfluffybunny.com/lenjim.xml) for the *Disney Dish* is still functioning (and even releases the episodes a few days earlier than the [*TPPN* feed](http://podcast.touringplans.com/feed/podcast/).) I have no idea if the gang at Touring Plans is going to keep that going.

[^fn20]: If you like what you hear in the current episodes, and since so many episodes contain anecdotes from Disney’s history, I would recommend digging into the archives of this show.

[^fn21]: Nate and Matt also host a companion show, [WEDWay Now](http://wedwayradio.libsyn.com/rss), that features (approximately) weekly updates of Disney-related news. I listen to this companion show when I get a chance, but it is not something that I will be digging through the archives of.

[^fn22]: I could have also titled this section “podcasts most hurt by the timing of this article.”

[^fn23]: The *Mighty Men of Mouse* and *WEDWay Radio* archives in particular.

[^fn24]: If you want someone else’s Disney Podcast listings, you can check out Tom Bricker’s list [about half way down his posting about running and fitness](http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-fitness/).

[^fn25]: Also, they sometimes have *terrible* guests. In fact, my fiancé pretty much refuses to listen to this show after a few of the guests they had were so bad.

[^fn26]: Basically, it has a lot of information that I get from other podcasts that I enjoy listening to. If I only listened to one or two Disney podcasts, the comprehensive nature of this show might be more interesting to me.

[^fn27]: Yes, the same Mike Scopa found on *WDW Today*.

[^fn28]: I listen to every episode, however, the episodes only come out monthly.

[^fn29]: Excluding the shows I have previously mentioned in this post: *Mighty Men of Mouse, Unofficial Dish with Jim Jill,* and *Universal Now*.