Archive for DISDads Podcast

Friday Five: Random References & Reflections

May 11, 2012 / AJRitz / No comments

1. Have you been considering buying one of these cool DISDads.com banner mugs? If so, head on over to our store and use coupon code MUGSNBOTTLES to receive 50% off on your mug purchase. The code is only good today until 4 p.m. Pacific Time.

2. It’s good to know that I’m not the only DISDad who’s addicted to the Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers game on Facebook. Disney bought the game’s developer, Playdom, almost two years ago. But this game, and the also recently released Marvel Avengers Alliance (also a Facebook game) are really the first game releases from Playdom that are so closely tied to Disney properties. I really enjoy playing the Animal Kingdom game with my 5-year-old son. He sits next to me and “helps” with the object finding games and helps choose where to place animals, plants, terrain and objects on the preserve. We have fun, and he even learns a little something about some interesting animals along the way. Come on by and join me, Brian, Carl, Christian, Darcy, Ian, James, Mark, Ryan, Steve – and any other I haven’t already found in the game as we help each other develop our online nature preserves.

3. Congratulations to our intrepid podcast Producer, Joshua Haas, on his college graduation!

4. As I first posted on Sunday, the DISDads Podcast listener line is open again, and we’re especially hoping to receive some calls from the children of DISDads, sharing something about what makes their dad a Disney Dad. You can use the “Call Me” button in the right-hand column of this site to initiate a call, dial us directly at (816) 348-3939, or even just record the message on your own computer and Email a .wav or .mp3 audio file to podcast@disdads.com.

5. Don’t forget to watch tomorrow afternoon/evening for the first round of “Zerf’s WDW Restroom Contest” to post. If you want to be sure to get a notification when a new round of the contest opens, just follow @DisDadsPodcast on Twitter, as I’ll be tweeting each post right after it goes up. This contest features the biggest prize package we’ve ever offered here at DISDads.com, with an estimated retail value of about $150.

Category: Being a DIS Dad, Contests & Giveaway, DISDads Podcast, Friday Five /

Mom! They’re at it again!

May 6, 2012 / AJRitz / No comments

That would be us DISDads Podcasters. And yes, we’re at it again. We’re putting together another special Father’s Day podcast episode. This time, we’re asking the children of DISDads to call-in and briefly share something about Disney and their dad. (Kids – please get your parents’ permission before calling)! It can be a memory of something Disney-related the child has done with his or her father; something about dad’s Disney obsessions – just about anything that gives us a bit of insight on how our children see their dads connections to Walt Disney World and all things Disney.

How do you do it? You have three options. Option 1 – just click the “Call Me” button on the right side of this web page. Enter your own phone number in the box that comes up, and the widget will connect your phone to the DISDads’ Podcast voice mail. Option 2 – call the DISDads Podcast voice mail line directly at (816) 348-3939. Option 3 – Record the message on your own computer, and Email it to us at podcast@disdads.com. (If you choose option #3, please save the recording as a .wav or .mp3 file. Other file types may present editing problems).

Just send in your messages. We’ll be editing them into the podcast – watch for it to be released on our about June 17, 2012.

Category: Being a DIS Dad, DISDads Podcast /

Friday Five: Random References & Reflections

May 4, 2012 / AJRitz / No comments

1. I’m hearing great things about the restaurant renovations in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot. @ScarlettAshley posted a detailed review of both the Tutto Italia redo and the new Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar on the TouringPlans.com blog. Executive summary: Food and service at Tutto Italia were excellent, but children’s menu choices were sparse and expensive. Tutto Gusto is beautiful, has a HUGE wine list, and allows you to order from the Tutto Italia menu as well as it’s own selection of small plate items and desserts. Sounds like either space would make a great date-night getaway.

2. Speaking of restaurants, @DisneyFoodBlog is reporting that a couple of Epcot-area WDW restaurants will be closed for renovations starting in July. First up will be Bistro de Paris in Epcot, which will close on July 1, 2012 and won’t be reopening until the end of September. Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort, with its character breakfast and all-you-can-eat seafood buffet is up next, closing from July 9, 2012 through August 4, 2012. The article also mentions unconfirmed rumors that Hoop De Doo Review will be closing for refurb this Fall, and a possible major renovation at California Grill in early 2013. In the comments to the posting, AJ also notes that Yachtsman Steakhouse may close for a few weeks, from mid-August through the end of September.

3. Thank you to participating DISDads Dave Compton, Jason Knox, and Nathan Trent. Nate’s been working on a great concept for a special series of podcasts that will be airing this summer – they’re going to be a lot of fun (more on this below)!

4. The DISDads Discussion Boards continue to grow – have you check them out yet? The conversation is lively and fun. We’d love to have you join in. The boards have also become the place to talk about the DISDads Convention, being held January 10-14 at Walt Disney World. Are you making your plans to join us yet? So far, we have 16 people/families planning on joining us, but there’s always room for one more! Information on early booking is available here – we’ve got rooms set aside for us at special rates at the Wilderness Lodge, Port Orleans-Riverside, and All-Star Movies. Once our room block is booked, we’re unlikely to be able to add to it, because our Convention weekend is also Marathon Weekend.

5. OK – so back to that special podcast project that Nate’s been working on. You may have noticed a series of thread in the Podcast forum on the boards, titled My , where Nate asked posters to share the 10 or so experiences that they immediately think of when they think of that Theme Park. Well, now we can share why Nate started those threads in the Podcast forum. He’s used the information you all shared to created a 64-experience, seeded bracket. And during the months of June and July (and maybe into August, depending on how long it ends up taking) we’ll be recording and releasing podcasts based on those brackets called “My Walt Disney World”. Why this unusual advance-notice of podcast topics? Because we’ll need your help. Especially for this series, we’ll be recording and releasing podcasts once/week, rather than every other week. We’re going to need volunteers to record with us – our goal is to have three panelists on each show, in addition to Nate and me. If you’re interested, please let us know in the thread I posted for this purpose on the boards.

Category: DISDads Podcast, Disney Travel Tips, Disney Trip Planning, Friday Five, Site News /

Friday Five: Random References & Reflections

April 27, 2012 / AJRitz / No comments

1. I highly recommend you check out my favorite new podcast – AJ Wolfe of the Disney Food Blog and Brad Johnson of WDW for Grown-ups co-host the DFB Podcast (iTunes link). This bite-sized podcast (each episode clock in at under 30 minutes) focuses exclusively on food and dining in Walt Disney World and Disneyland. (Warning: listening to this podcast in the car on the way home from work may be hazardous to your waistline).

2. Speaking of other podcasts, a big thank you to Ryan Kilpatrick, Todd and Cheryl Perlmutter of the Disney Film Project Podcast for inviting me to be a guest on their podcast. I don’t think I’m supposed to tell what movie we discussed just yet. I’ll give you another heads up when the episode is released. If know I’ve mentioned this one before, but if you’re not already listening, you really should.

3. Thanks to contributing DISDads: Dave Compton, David Juart, Jason Knox, Matthew Wrenn, and Nathan Trent.

4. Have you check out the new DISDads Discussion Boards yet? Come on over and check us out. The general forum and the podcast forum are open to anyone who registers. Yes, the more specific content forums are behind a paywall. But you can join for as little as $1/year (and if that’s a problem for you, drop me an Email and we’ll see what we can do). The paywall just helps keep the spammers and trolls out, and makes for a more pleasant message board experience (while helping just a bit to cover the costs of maintaining these sites).

5. Are you coming to the DISDads Convention, January 10-14, 2013 at Walt Disney World? So far, we have 15 families or individuals making plans for our first (annual?) convention. If you want to join in on the fun, come over to the boards, where we’re discussing plans for the event. More early information on booking your trip can be found here. Hope to see you there!

Category: DISDads Podcast, Disney Movies, Disney Trip Planning, Friday Five, Pop Culture Reviews, WDW Dining /

Friday Five: Random References & Reflections

April 13, 2012 / AJRitz / No comments

1. We’re developing a concept for a new series of podcasts, and we need your input. Please visit Nathan Trent’s “My Magic Kingdom” thread over on the DISDads Podcast message board and join in the fun!

2. I know many of we dads have children who may be candidates for the Disney College Program in the perhaps not-so-distant future. Check out Amanda in Walt Disney World to follow one College Program participant’s experience. Amanda will actually be starting with the Fall Advantage 2012 class, but she’s already written some really interesting, detailed posts about the application process and preparing for the program.

3. Thanks to participating DISDads: Dave Compton, John Thomas, Mark Pratt, Josh Haas and Nathan Trent. There’s always room for one more. If you’d like to participate in a podcast or write something for the blog, just let us know at podcast@disdads.com.

4. The time has come! We’re ready to begin taking bookings for the DISDads Convention! The official convention dates are January 10 – 14, 2013, and our group rate can be extended for up to three days before and after the convention dates. While rates will not be finalized until Disney announces them this summer, we do have a range (including a maximum rate). Your deposit of one night’s room rate can be made based 2012 rates. After 2013 rates are determined, you will be able to add a Dining Plan if you wish, as well as special group-rate tickets. The rates for our convention resorts are:

The 3% increase is my personal “best-guess” as to what the rate increase will be, but our contract guarantees that the rate will not increase more than 10% over 2012 rates. We have a limited number of rooms blocked out at each resort, and the reservations are first-come, first-served. To make your reservation, you can either contact a Fairytale Journeys by DISDads travel agent, or you can call Group Reservations directly at (407) 938-4868. Our Group Name is DISDads Trip 2013, and our Group Number is G0610952.

5. Disney PhotoPass recently announced a new, enhanced PhotoPass product they’re calling PhotoPass+. For $199.95, in addition to having access to photos taken by photographers around the theme parks, your PhotoPass CD and online account will include ride photos (from Space Mountain; Splash Mountain; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin; The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror; Rock ‘n Roller Coaster; Expedition Everest; and Dinosaur) and photos from many dining experiences (at 1900 Park Fare; ‘Ohana (breakfast only); Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show; Chef Mickey’s; Cinderella’s Royal Table; Tusker House (breakfast only); Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue; and Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall). While the $199.95 price appears to be a great value when compared to the standard PhotoPass price of $169.95, the pre-order discount that has allowed you to purchase a PhotoCD in advance of your vacation for only $99.95 is not available for PhotoPass+. Currently, PhotoPass+ is ONLY available as an upgrade, and must be purchased at a PhotoPass viewing location at Walt Disney World. While you can upgrade a pre-ordered PhotoCD, you must pay the full difference between the $99.95 pre-order price and the PhotoPass+ price of $199.95 – eliminating the pre-order discount.

At twice the price of a pre-ordered PhotoCD, PhotoPass+ is severely overpriced, unless you would otherwise be purchasing multiple dining photo packages and/or attraction photos. As quality digital photography has become easier and less expensive, PhotoPass pricing has become much less of a value, and it seems to me that PhotoPass+ is another step in the wrong direction for Disney photography products. I believe that Disney could make the purchase of a photo product virtually ubiquitous by dropping the price of PhotoPass+ to $49.95. I suspect that they would make back their money on volume and on the greater number of people who would be purchasing photo products after their vacations. They’re taking all of those ride photos and dining experience photos anyway, so the marginal cost of making them available via PhotoPass+ is virtually zero. But by raising the price to $200, I expect an even greater proportion of guests to skip Disney PhotoPass products entirely.

Category: DISDads Podcast, Disney Travel Tips, Disney Trip Planning, Friday Five /

Friday Five: Random References & Reflections

February 24, 2012 / AJRitz / One comment

1. They’re here! After months of talking about it, we’ve officially launched the DISDads Forum. Come register and check out our new interactive online community! We’re already at 66 active members in the less than one week that we’ve been open, and we’d love to welcome you there too.

2. The “other” online Disney Dad’s folks over at theWDWdads.com are running a great giveaway right now, in conjunction with the Exotic Driving Experience at Walt Disney World. Head on over and register to win an Exotic Thrill Ride! The giveaway runs through February 28th.

3. Thanks to podcast participating DISDads: Eric Anderson, David Nicely, Mark Harbeson, Mark Pratt, and producer/engineer Joshua Haas!

4. FASTPASS return window enforcement is just around the corner. The leaked memo to CMs indicated that return time enforcement would begin on Wednesday, March 7th. Remember, the new policy permits you to use your FASTPASS up to five minutes early, and up to 15 minutes late.

5. Anyone been camping at Walt Disney World? We’re looking at putting together a podcast on camping at WDW, but we need podcast panelists with some experience. Email me at podcast@ajritz.com if you’d like to come on the show and talk about camping at WDW.

Category: DISDads Podcast, Friday Five, Site News /
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