The Disneyland Paris Latest With Geoff DLP Town Square
Disneyland Paris updates hit different when you hear from the community. Ash and Holly chat with Geoff, InsideEars & from DLP Town Square about annual pass price hikes and what park operations really look like right now. This insider perspective cuts through the Disney corporate spin to reveal what actually matters to Disney adults visiting Disneyland Paris and why these changes matter for your next trip
The podcast episode features a lively discussion, covering a range of topics. The conversation delves into Geoff's experiences at Disneyland Paris and his unique reporting style, culminating in a review of the Cascade of Lights show. The conversation covers the evolution of theme park snacks, toxic positivity, the changing landscape of media reporting, and the influence of guest preferences on Imagineering. The conversation covers the exploration of unique and creative pockets of attractions, the importance of a connected guest experience, challenges in park operations and leadership, and the future prospects of Disneyland Paris. The conversation covers topics such as Disneyland Paris construction and expansion, exploring Disney Way and the experiences at Disney parks, Inside Ears and media releases, underrated attractions and food at Disneyland Paris, and wrapping up with where to find Geoff.
Takeaways
- Annual passes and theme park visits are influenced by factors such as cost and overall experience.
- Raising ducks and the unique experience of hatching duck eggs at home can be an exciting and engaging endeavor. Theme park snacks have evolved to become more visually appealing and Instagram-worthy.
- Toxic positivity can have a significant impact on the perception of experiences and products.
- The landscape of media reporting has changed with the rise of platforms like TikTok and Twitter.
- The influence of guest preferences on Imagineering may be shifting the focus from original creativity to catering to perceived guest desires. Unique pockets of attractions
- Importance of a connected guest experience Disneyland Paris construction and expansion plans are discussed
- Geoff shares his experiences and thoughts on various aspects of Disneyland Paris
- The conversation delves into the role of Inside Ears and media releases
- Underrated attractions and food at Disneyland Paris are highlighted
- Geoff shares where to find him and his work
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Updates
- 05:05 Raising Ducks and Disneyland Paris Experience
- 10:48 Disneyland Paris News and Castle Refurbishment
- 16:50 Emotional Impact of the Experience
- 27:02 The Changing Landscape of Media Reporting
- 35:25 The Influence of Guest Preferences on Imagineering
- 47:48 Operations and Leadership Challenges
- 54:37 The Future of Disneyland Paris
- 01:01:34 Disneyland Paris Construction and Expansion
- 01:13:32 Inside Ears and Media Releases
- 01:23:09 Underrated Attractions and Food at Disneyland Paris
Ash: That's it for this episode, thank you for listening. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcast. Hello everyone, I'm Ash. Alright, so joining with us now is Jeff. Jeff, of course for ones that may not know, is head of DLP Town Square. DLP Town Square is an independent fan site since 2013. Jeff has been one of the most prominent voices in the DLP community providing reliable news about Disneyland Paris and now has extended ⁓ by measure of news Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of Arcades and AVI News, the podcast dedicated to Disneyland Paris where we give you updates on contemporary news as well as look at what makes Disneyland Paris unique. Ash and with my friend and co-host Holly. How you doing?
Holly: And I'm Holly and you're listening to...
Ash: Arcades and avenues.
Holly: If you want updates from us in between episodes, can follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube on arcades and avenues. And we'll see you in the next one. I'm good, how are you?
Ash: Yeah, not bad, not bad. It's quite eventful in last four weeks since last recording. We've got quite a stir in our I people are engaging a lot more in the pod, which is pretty cool. yeah, looking forward to ⁓ this episode. First of how you been? What have you been up to?
Holly: Yes.
Ash: around the Disney company generally. ⁓ So, ⁓ you know this is a big deal for us, for ones of the DLP community. So thank you so much Jeff for joining us. ⁓ Appreciate ⁓ know, Hardy I like joke all the time ⁓ and again I think I said to you as well that you ⁓ joining ⁓ us. ⁓
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, of course. Yeah, glad to be here.
Holly: Thank you. actually I have something interesting to talk about this time where normally I'm like nothing, nothing's interesting. Yeah. I'm ducks.
Ash: ⁓ really? Okay. is a big deal for us because it gives us much needed credibility for our podcast. So no, definitely. Thank you for that. People would be like, Oh, you know what, actually, maybe we should listen to them then maybe they are, they do have something behind them. If Jeff is on there, then maybe. Yeah.
Geoff: You don't need that.
Ash: sorry what now?
Holly: know that you always say I'm mad. I'm like I know that I am but now you're like she is insane. ⁓ I I have got duck eggs in an incubator downstairs on kitchen counter ⁓ Yeah, I'm gonna have real yeah
Geoff: Of course.
Holly: Cheers, man. Ha!
Geoff: Yeah!
Holly: They're not charlatans.
Ash: Are these real ducks? Are you to-
Geoff: I don't know. We'll see.
Holly: No!
Ash: Are you telling the truth? You've got real ducks in your kitchen. But yeah, you just come back from Disneyland Paris recently, right? ⁓
Holly: In eggs, yeah, they're not hatched yet. But I've got an incubator with seven duck eggs and I candled them this morning and at the moment all seven are still viable. We've got heartbeats in some of them. So all being well, I will have my very own Disney ducks. We've got Disney ducks at home!
Geoff: Yeah, about just under a week ago.
Ash: Was that anything particular at all? It was just another visit? Yeah, yeah.
Geoff: No, it was just bank holiday wasn't it here? took the opportunity to head on out.
Holly: Yeah
Ash: Yeah? You ⁓ ⁓ what I saw, and correct me if I'm wrong, just bought annual I mean you've had annual passes in past obviously, ⁓ but ⁓ presumably and then ⁓ recently got new one, so what happened there? ⁓ Was you taking a break ⁓ or was ⁓ looking around world at Disney in general and just ⁓ put DLP the shelf? Alright. So this.
Holly: You
Geoff: Yeah, I-
Ash: Well, okay, so one, I'm glad other people are now seeing this and I'm vindicated when I told you how mad Holly can be. Two, I would like to know the thought process in what made you get to that decision? Like, you know what, ducks is what we need in a house. And how did you get them in your house?
Geoff: Yeah, I think there's a few things. ⁓ So the last time I had an annual pass I think was when the 30th was happening. ⁓ And it was fun, but I kind of got to a point where, you know, I'd just come back from Anaheim when I went to the April 12th stuff on for the 30th. And I just thought, okay, well, my money actually can go a little bit further here.
Holly: So like I've wanted chickens for a really long time and everyone, I mean like obviously I live with my family and like my other half is like no you're not having chickens like we've already got enough dependents you know yada yada yada and I've been like oh but I just really want them and then for a while I've been looking at like adopting chickens because obviously chickens there's unfortunately
Ash: Okay, yeah.
Geoff: actually if you know how to play Anaheim it's not that expensive. Whereas Disneyland Paris you know now if you look at if you want to stay on site anyway I think rooms are starting at sort of two three hundred euros a night for even basic hotels. You know in Anaheim you can stay across the street for the same price and when you're there I think you get a slightly better experience.
Holly: don't get looked after a lot of the time. So I was going to actually adopt chickens that were either ex battery hens or what have you. I don't know, I don't actually know how we got here. So my dad has a boat on the river and he found a egg and he was like, shall I bring it home? And I was like, ⁓ my God, stupid question. Like, yeah, unfortunately was a dud. Like it wasn't fertile. ⁓ Literally.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah.
Geoff: And so what I I just decided to do that for a little bit. then the Adventure World stuff started happening, went to the preview day of that. And I thought, actually, you know what? They've done a pretty good job here. So I'll I'll reinvest and we'll just see how a year goes.
Ash: Yeah, yeah. And so would that be now, will you be more intentional in terms of like reporting? Because you never really stopped, did you?
Holly: But then I started researching into like having backyard ducks essentially. like, did you know Ash, Ducks, hardier than they don't get sick, they're less likely to be prey because they can defend themselves essentially.
Geoff: No, I sort of, I didn't stop, but I slowed down. ⁓ And I think the reason for that was you sort of get in a bit of a funk when you get a little bit delusional or disillusioned even. Not delusional. And you sort of, yeah, yeah. And I sort of got this whole thing in my head that, you know, it's a DLP fan site and I have to talk about DLP and I don't really want to talk about that right now.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Hey, some of us are, Geoff. Some of us are.
Holly: Ha
Geoff: and then I just sort of sat there and went, no, I don't. I just have to talk about whatever I want to talk about. And if people care, they care. If they don't, they don't.
Holly: So obviously you said that you wanted to branch out and try reporting on other things like Anaheim and I know you did a bit on Disney Cruise Line as well. How was that received?
Geoff: Yeah. It varies. Obviously it's slower ⁓ because you've got however many followers that mostly care about Paris. And so when you start talking about Anaheim or cruise line or even Florida, you get a whole bunch of people that are not that interested, but then you get interest from other people that are. And so you just have to take the fact that, OK, maybe this... Because what I really want is conversations. That's why I'm in this...
Holly: Mm.
Ash: And when are expecting them to ⁓ I can't believe I'm asking this question. ⁓ When are expecting them to hatch?
Geoff: You I started it all because I wanted to chat. Really, you know, there's a longer story, but yeah, went to chat and, you know, eventually you get people chatting and sometimes you post about Anaheim and nothing comes back. And sometimes you post about Orlando or cruise line and something does come back and that's, that's it. It's as simple as that, I think.
Holly: Well, I don't know exactly when the eggs were laid, but they've been in the incubator since Wednesday, So they're on like day three or four of them being in the incubator. ⁓ And I a chart, so I know what I'm looking for when I candle the eggs every ⁓ evening morning. And we've got clear veins, we've got, you can see the embryo, we can see the heartbeat. So I would estimate that I'm right. about day three or four. It takes about 28 days for them to hatch.
Ash: Yeah, yeah. So let's take it all back. How did you get started with DLP Town Square? You said it stemmed from wanting to have conversations, what was, do you know what mean? The need for that and then you're going, okay, this is how I'm gonna get it started. Wow.
Holly: give or take a few days.
Ash: So by the time of our next episode, we be seeing some ⁓ ⁓
Geoff: Yeah. Yes, so I spent two years living in Paris. And obviously I visited Disneyland Paris for years before that, but I lived about 10-15 minutes away from the parks. And sort of weirdly, I mean the story as to why I got my first annual pass was I was sat at home one day and I kind of thought, do you know what, I really want to go on Star Tours.
Holly: Amazing. was thinking about making a little like mini series being like we have Disney ducks at home. If anyone's interested in that, please let me know because I will make a video because I'm so passionate about it at the moment.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: And so I just took the... It was actually a bus. It was a bus to the theme park. And I just took a bus and just dropped the 199 euros back in the day for the Dream Pass. And just wandered on in and did Star Tours. I was like, this is great. I can do this anytime I want now. ⁓ So I did that, basically. But yeah, it's a really weird story, isn't it? ⁓ Yeah, it was as simple as that, really. I mean...
Ash: You ⁓ God. I
Holly: That is brilliant!
Ash: That's great.
Holly: I really want to go on Starfield. I think I'll do that.
Geoff: Yeah, I think I'll have a go. And then, you know, I did, I was working out there. I was doing all sorts of stuff. And, you know, I'd finished a day's work and at that point, Dreams had just started, Disney Dreams. And so I was able to finish work, hop on a bus for 10 minutes and go have dinner and watch that. And then it sort of went to a place where I was doing all this by myself. And when you're...
Ash: ⁓ is brilliant. Yes, we to. I don't care what people ⁓ want. need a series of this and I need to. I'm saying it now as selfishly. Yeah, you need to do a series of your, we have ducks home. Hmm.
Holly: best.
Geoff: when you're sort of moving out there and doing all this stuff by yourself. You get friends, you know, all of that, but... The big thing is that quite often it's quite lonely living in another country by yourself. And so I just decided to start this thing and chat to people. I never wanted to be like a live daily report thing, like TLP report, ED92 and all of those. That was never sort of my intention. It was just a chat.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: tomorrow. Mm-hmm.
Holly: Yeah, to create conversations.
Ash: right that's good 199 euros for the jupy Wow ⁓ my gosh that brings me back ⁓ that brings me back yeah it was free that's right that's right I remember that ⁓ my gosh I remember that yeah yeah ⁓ goodness I think I was rummaging around and I found like one of my old ones and it's the awful what was it
Geoff: Yeah, it's a little bit more expensive now.
Holly: Just a little bit. Just a little bit.
Geoff: And if you sponsored three people in a year, it was free!
Holly: you
Geoff: Yeah.
Ash: gold or yellow? don't know what it was but it like yellow and then it was just like a dated photo of me just yeah ⁓ man that's like
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, it was yellow the dream one. Yeah, yeah Yeah, because you always had to go to the annual past office and they would just go, alright, we're gonna take a picture of you now and they'd just get this terrible webcam and just be like, yeah.
Holly: still like that.
Ash: Yeah, it was like... Yeah, well, it was 8-bit then. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. You could do that if you do it from home. wow, there have it, ⁓ there have it folks, that is, ⁓ that's ⁓ yeah well ⁓ not exciting as that. I thought it weird. ⁓ I thought it weird until you started talking about breeding My last month also has been writing, writing, writing now that I've joined this stand up
Geoff: ⁓ and now you can upload it from home. Mine's taken at home.
Holly: What about you? Come on, let's talk about you. You've got exciting stuff. Mine was taken underneath the Disneyland Hotel and Ash can tell you I look like the demon headmaster.
Geoff: Well, yeah.
Holly: arguably more.
Ash: Yeah
Geoff: I have a story. So when I was there last weekend, I was like, do you know what? really want to pick up the physical pass. Oh my gosh. They make that nearly impossible. So, you know, I was told, oh, you do it at the studio's ticket booth. So I go to the studio's ticket booth. It's like eight o'clock on Friday. And they're like, yeah, it's at the other park, but it's closed now. Yeah. Okay. This is, this is like traditional DLP. Okay. Fine. Go to the other park the next day. And it was like six and they go,
Ash: Yeah. Okay.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: that I have ⁓ to join. But been fun, you know? doing trials, practicing it out on people, and some of works, of it doesn't. I've got a major showcase ⁓ so that be good see faces you know, everyone is coming knows me. Wow. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Geoff: Well it is here, but it's only until 5. I was like, okay, great, but the ticket booth is still open, so why can't you do it? Anyway, so the next day I go back at five to the, was like a ticket booth at the back of the hotel, not the guest relations, we'll come to that. And the guy goes, yeah, is, you're in the right place and it is right now, but it's not this booth, it's that booth. Yeah, so I get to guest relations and it's like, it is here, you are in the right place and it is now, but my manager's on lunch and he has to do it.
Ash: well the ones I've invited anyway knows me well so they'll tell me I'm good or shit ⁓ then ⁓ can decide then whether I should pack up that hobby know before I get started or whether it's a new hobby that I undertake who knows but yeah ⁓ that's what been like really is yeah being a clown which isn't really different my normal ⁓ my normal ⁓ of being a clown yeah That is outrageous. ⁓ my god, that sounds like some awful fever dream. Someone for the love of god just gave me my pass. That is crazy.
Holly: No. You're already a jester. What the?
Geoff: I was just like, ⁓ my gosh.
Ash: Exactly. So, a pretty on brand hobby. ⁓
Geoff: Yeah, I mean, it surely isn't that hard, because all they did in the end was just, you know, scan the thing and just press print on a computer and it's like, there you go. When the manager showed up, it took about five, ten seconds.
Holly: Yeah, well I'm really excited because I am coming to see Ash's performance. gonna take the journey up. I've bought my ticket and I'll be there to heckle.
Ash: Yes. That's insane, absolutely insane. I warned her that it comes a risk. You're paying a ticket, you're coming all the way to London, it comes with a risk. ⁓ If shit, there are refunds. ⁓
Holly: I can't believe that. Well, I can believe it.
Geoff: Yeah, but in Anaheim you don't actually get one, so...
Ash: No, yeah, it's true, it's all digital, isn't it?
Geoff: You have to pay for, in Anaheim I think it's $20. And even then all they do is they print out a paper ticket.
Ash: Yeah, ⁓
Holly: Wow. It's a day out. It's a day out and I've supported my friend. Do know what mean? I'm sure it won't be. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Ash: Which is funny, that comes up to another question that we had which is funny. Holly, this is yours, right? What made you fall in love? ⁓ Yeah, yeah, no, no, that's true. Yeah, I'm hoping will be great. But yeah, ⁓ it. That is my news. ⁓ is our news. It's ducks comedy. But we've got ⁓ other news. got quite exciting episode. We will be shortly interviewing a good friend of ours well-known within the Disneyland Paris community, Jeff.
Holly: what what made you fall in love with Disneyland Paris? That's our news. Yeah. What more could you want?
Geoff: Obviously there's lots of memories, of course, ⁓ and it's still beautiful park. ⁓ You know, there's a lot of great things. ⁓ think it has issues ⁓ that ⁓ are probably deeper the moment, I think. ⁓ But in terms the experience when you're there, seeing friends, seeing people you know walking around the park, which is still looking outstanding. ⁓
Ash: from Town has been this a long time, giving people updates about favourite place and yeah, telling us his and what's thoughts on now, so definitely looking forward to that. ⁓ But we do have news, we scraped barrel the news. ⁓
Geoff: It's still a beautiful place. And I think that's the great thing. I go there now and I'm like, OK, I don't like this. I don't like this. But I enjoy being in Frontierland. I enjoy being less so in Discoveryland these days. But I enjoy Adventureland. I enjoy Fantasyland. I enjoy all of the things.
Ash: at Disneyland Paris because there wasn't much less. But we do have some.
Holly: You're saying we have news? I sent Ash a meme late last night which says we have, like two news reporters sat in the room and I might get Ash to include it and put our heads on it and it's like we have no news.
Ash: You
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, Hollywood Cosign you want to discover your land. Not off. Yeah, yeah, exactly. like, you know, trying to come up with a desperate headline for a that's not making the cut. But no, we definitely do have news. ⁓ Yeah.
Holly: Yeah, I don't, can't. It's just... But like circling back actually, Geoff, ⁓ saying like obviously you still love being in the parks and you kind of touched upon that you was there for the opening of World of Frozen and Disney Adventure World. Do want to go into a little bit how you felt about that?
Geoff: ⁓ they've ruined it.
Holly: Listen, it was bound to happen with after Adventure World opening, Frozen opening, now that that's been open for two months and all things have died down. I'm not surprised that we're in like a lull period for DLP news and ⁓ to be expected.
Ash: Yeah, they're calming down aren't they? Yeah, it's true.
Holly: this was a press preview wasn't it?
Ash: It's true. But we've got a few things. What's the first one? Holly.
Geoff: Yeah, it was. So they were about... I mean, they never told us, but I would sort of say that no more than sort four or five hundred people in the whole expansion area. So everything felt really quiet. You you could... I mean, I sat untangled six times in a row without getting off. I was just like, we're just going around again. You know, there was no... Yeah, yeah, it was great.
Holly: ⁓ have gone up around the castle. It's been quite the controversial experience this week guys. So boards have up around the castle because there's going to be a refurbishment done on the castle bridge which apparently is desperately needed. The boards went gosh I can't remember what day it was, some day this week and it's going to be ongoing until the end of September.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: I that.
Ash: Wow. That actually really probably would be a normal ⁓ ride circulation in any other ride because of how quick it is. I'm sure it's like 30 seconds if you was to...
Holly: But the reason why it's been such a talking point in Disneyland Paris News this week is because when the boards appeared, they were just white. Stuck out like a sore thumb. Bright white boards front of the castle and DLP. communication to don't worry, this isn't the finished product. We just had to get them out.
Geoff: Yeah, and even now actually, like when I was there last weekend, if you get towards the end of the night, you know, you can... there's no one.
Ash: Yeah, it looked awful.
Geoff: I think actually that's one of the big successes of that land. I think that attraction is really good.
Holly: So everyone was losing their minds. I mean, I was taking bets of people of how long it would be before someone graffitied them. then for 48 hours later, well, they're themed now. So it was all a big hoo-ha for nothing. Anything to add to that, Ash?
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, so that was fun. Yeah, it was a really nice day. We got from two until ten something in the land. So a pretty sizey chunk of the day. We were able to sample a few of the cocktails in the Regal View Lounge. We were able to try dinner in the Nordic Crowns Tavern.
Ash: yeah people were like couldn't they have done it at the beginning ⁓ you that would show that would competency of dlp ⁓ operations but i look it is ⁓ a ⁓ shit have the up i understand it needs to done don't know why they couldn't have done it at a quieter period instead of now
Holly: Right. what I want to know. Mm-hmm. Hmm. Love that.
Geoff: We did dinner. Sorry, dinner we already did. There some snacks. We were allowed to have some snacks. And then just do whatever we wanted for a day. It was really good, like I say, really quiet. You could really take in every attraction. Like Frozen I did, I think five or six times during the entire day. And every single time. Except one, but that's because we got a group together to go on it.
Ash: the summer like end of September is crazy that's literally summer be done and then you'll be going into ⁓ autumn so I don't understand why they've decided to do it now but they have whatever yeah it's it's I don't know ⁓ is what it is suppose but it's not a it's not a great decision ⁓ thankfully yeah they have themed ⁓ they have themed the boards
Holly: Bye. Mm. It is what it is. Right. Well, I just-
Geoff: one person per boat ⁓ yeah, yeah literally one of us on the boat yeah always front row, always in the middle everyone just going by through on this by themselves yeah it was awesome yeah I have the ride photos and everything I was like this is never happening again I'm having these ⁓
Holly: Yeah, and I just think you're right. Why did they not just theme them to get from the get-go? Like I don't understand that. I almost feel like like the people in charge sadists and they like they get a kick out of making everyone like lose their head for a couple of days ⁓ how am I gonna get my castle photos? it's I'm going for the first time and then then they're like, ⁓ well, we'll we'll look we've put we've put you know, The bottom of the castle so it's it all blends in ⁓ ⁓ really?
Ash: What? Really?
Holly: That is my son.
Ash: That's insane! Wow. That's... Yeah, yeah. That's great. Yeah, yeah.
Holly: I I've read your article, but for the people listening at home, what are your thoughts on Cascade of Lights?
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: now so you can all shut up. that 48 hour time period where everyone was going absolutely b- Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, I've actually seen it twice now. ⁓ I still don't like it. ⁓
Ash: this ⁓ It just didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense, you know. Refurbishments like this, like that unknown, they are sometimes scheduled in a year in advance. I don't know why it took them to do that first and then do the whole theming afterwards. made us don't understand, but again, yeah, there we are.
Holly: Yeah. Thanks, Jeff. ⁓
Geoff: So I'll expand on that a little bit. ⁓ So I think as a drone tech demo, it's great. ⁓ There are lots of things that make you go, ⁓ that's impressive and ⁓ that's nice. Like when it does that, like, know, when the drones do like the squiggly lines and I don't even know how you would describe it. They just look like squiggly lines floating over the lake. And I'm like, ⁓ that looks awesome. And you kind of go,
Ash: Yeah, Yeah, yeah.
Holly: Mm. Yeah, that's weird. I'm gonna go with they just like seeing people panic. And being like, well look, what's the matter with you? put fuming on it now.
Ash: checks out. Yeah but you gotta feel sorry for the people on their first day and they got one day. ⁓ They've got one day and then was their day. Like come on, on love, let's, driven all the here from ⁓ lovely Newcastle. ⁓ Yeah.
Geoff: But what does it mean? Yeah, they're like, it's a spark of imagination. It's like, it OK, sure. We'll we'll roll with that. Yeah. And like I say, I think I wrote in the review, like I came out of it and somebody was like, do you know what the story is about? It's like heroes or imagination or something. don't know. Yeah, there's there's not a lot to it.
Ash: What is it?
Holly: dignity. Yeah, can you imagine? Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, it means dignity. That's what Kirk. Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: from Carlisle. Ha
Ash: Look look I know I know we've traveled here. I know we've come all the way here. It's difficult. I know right we've had a pop tire We've pumped that up But we're here now. We're here all I want all I want is just a photograph infront the castle and I'll be fine
Holly: That's it! No. My favourite part of your review...
Geoff: ⁓ but yeah. I don't love it. I like, I saw it again cause I was like, okay, great. You know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get to see the drones. They're fun. ⁓ the pre-show music doesn't match the show itself. Like they kind of do this weird really upbeat thing and the show I think is quite downbeat.
Holly: Ha You
Ash: and they get to the castle you walk
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, it's almost... It's almost solemn.
Holly: What the bloody hell is-
Geoff: Other than the Zootopia section there's not much is there? Yeah. Yeah, it is. Yeah.
Holly: it looks nothing it looked like in the brochure!
Ash: It's very very weird. I don't know. I don't know why are they coming for more thoughtful philosophical type of hmmm. They're trying to tug at yeah yeah they are yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah are you crying yet? You Are you kidding me? After what we've just done? After what we've just travelled from? it's just come on man. They have done better. ⁓ They have done better. ⁓ here are. ⁓ hopefully next... It's true. the next bit of these would have made them feel better. Which is that there are snacks celebrating ⁓ million of ⁓ can find them... ⁓
Geoff: Emotion, I think they're going for they're trying to tug on your emotional like thing, right? But the problem is that there's no emotion in it because there's no story It's like here's Mulan. Why is Mulan here? Yeah
Holly: ⁓ Christ. Yeah. ⁓ well. You win some, you lose some. That's exactly how I...
Ash: Yeah, it's bizarre. It is bizarre and we mentioned earlier people are like, ⁓ but it's unique to Disneyland Paris. I don't know if that's the selling point that it's just unique. There are some things that have been unique anywhere and it's not good.
Holly: Yeah, disappointment.
Geoff: Yeah.
Ash: Actually, where can you find them? I'm assuming Market House Deli. They will have some.
Holly: They're in Market House Delhi, maybe Cable Car Bakery? I don't know. They're definitely in Market House Delhi.
Ash: cable car bakery I think so and do they have at Victoria's is there like a ⁓ I did I get that mixed up ⁓ sure there's one at Victoria's as well ⁓ yeah there's basically different that are celebrated of course you know many splashes of colour ⁓ very colourful yeah very colourful I'm TikTok
Geoff: Yeah, I went to Orlando when they did the... they did for like three or four weeks, like a really short period of time. In Disney Springs, they did a drone show. I can't remember what it was called now. But it was just a drone show. And that was really cool. Again, no story. But every single thing had like a Disney element to it. So, you know, there was no like random abstract squiggles in the sky or anything like that.
Holly: Yeah, I think there is something in Victoria. Yeah. everyone's favourite.
Ash: Wow. Hmm.
Holly: A lot of food colouring. Right.
Ash: A lot of food colouring, lot of e-numbers, but you know, is surprising with what you get? What your thoughts? Because apparently they're tasting really good. ⁓ From I've seen anyway. ⁓ Have Okay.
Geoff: You know, like it was always like, here's Big Ben and we're going to play a little bit of Peter Pan now. And then now we're going to play the Mandalorian theme and here's Grogu flying. And you still go, OK, great. Well, if you're not going to do emotion, just show me cool stuff. Great.
Holly: see I've heard mixed reviews I've heard that like they don't taste of anything like anything and I've heard that the Brookie's good but like the Brookie I think stays the same because I had the Halloween Brookie remember when we went and that was good but like I think they'd slap a different like chocolate thingy on top of it every time but I've heard mixed reviews of like it doesn't taste of anything but it like looks good in pictures which
Ash: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's fine.
Holly: I would prefer that to Cascade of Lights.
Ash: Yeah, have you seen it? I've not seen it, so I don't know what it's like, but I would imagine it probably would have been. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah it was.
Geoff: Yeah, I can't remember what it's ⁓
Holly: No, but I, the way Jeff's describing it, it sounds way better than, than Cascades for me.
Ash: You know what? And I said this on the last pod that ⁓ if it's a transitional thing then fine, your boots, do you know what mean? ⁓ It ⁓ have be mind blowing. ⁓ I'm ⁓ you ⁓ the expansion is still being worked on ⁓ and would hope you
Holly: half the time with these like novelty snacks. I think that's like the reason why they do it because people want to buy it, take an Instagram photo with it.
Ash: Yeah, yeah.
Holly: Yeah, I mean... Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, so snacks. Not tasteful, but you know, you can take cool Instagram photos with it, suppose. So there we are. that once the other parts are there, Lion King and whatever is to come on the third part that they probably would if they're not gonna improve on Cascade of Lights bring a better one and then that will be kind of the final form of the night time show that you will see at this is World of Adventure but yeah, did the dreams that I is that what the ones that you see, okay, okay interesting.
Holly: There is a Geppetto take. Geppetto's accordion at Chalet du Marionet. The Geppetto takeover is imminent.
Ash: Yeah
Geoff: Disney Dreams That Soar, that's what it was called. Yeah, that's what the Orlando one was called, yeah.
Holly: be watching that later.
Ash: But yeah, no, it's not, what we've got now is not great, unfortunately. Actually, now that reminds me, that brings me to the question that I had for you was, do you, and this is something that Holly and I ⁓ discussed previously, ⁓ we want to get your thoughts on it. In terms of ⁓ positivity is a good thing, right? Disney's about pizza dust and positivity and whatnot. ⁓ as, ⁓ ones that have a podcast for yourself that has a blog and everything, ⁓ do you think it's important to balance in terms of toxic positivity, being, just telling people the nice stuff, the fluffy things and not being truthful about what the reality really is or, because we kind of see that quite a lot and where do you stand with it? It is the of the Geppetto propaganda at Disneyland Paris. ⁓ I'm all for I'll be honest with you. for it. ⁓
Geoff: Yeah.
Holly: It is a takeover Is real
Geoff: Yeah, I think... ⁓
Holly: I think it's becoming, it's like, it's ironic now, isn't it?
Geoff: randomly create a term, positive realism, I guess. Like you have to, you have to be realistic. So one thing I was always conscious of, ⁓ am conscious of whenever I'm writing or whenever I'm doing whatever, is that you might persuade someone to spend a lot of money on something. And you know, whether that's a hotel or a meal or whatever it might be, you know, you look at the Nordic Crowns Tavern.
Holly: I think we've got a mole. I think that someone from Disneyland Paris is listening to this podcast and they're like, just to troll them, a bit like the Castle wall scenario, let's bring out a Geppetto themed cake. Because I just don't... But also in the clip that we posted to socials last month about us laughing about Geppetto week when we were just having a moment.
Ash: Mmm. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Holly: Right. someone reminded me in the tiktok comments that jepetto has his own shop in disneyland paris and i was like i forgot about the shop! he does! yeah.
Geoff: which I didn't like and I wrote a pretty bad review of. And I know I got given that meal for free, but the way I was trying to sort of frame it was, okay, well, this thing is 24 euros. And if I'm going there by myself, 24 euros is, it's still pricey, but it's not a lot, right? But if you're a family of five, 24 euros is like 120 euros. It's a lot of money. And you could accidentally persuade someone to have a...
Ash: Yeah, it's true. ⁓ need more chipetto. We need more chipetto. There needs to be a chipetto week. Make happen.
Holly: Bye. Well, we might. Watch this place.
Ash: can see it. No, no, no. Yeah. that's... Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's up. That's up.
Holly: Mm-hmm.
Ash: Exactly, if we're seeing cakes coming out, I'm sure there's going to be other stuff as well. You know what But that's great. That's great. ⁓ What's last bit of news?
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Geoff: pretty bad time of it. And I think there's a real, and I think also, yeah, there's a danger that you do that. And I think also,
Ash: Hmm. Hmm.
Holly: Yeah. The last bit New Zealand is Baby Care in Disneyland Park has moved to the former AP office. are now saying that kind of indicates there's no AP pop-up surprises in there at all or there may be AP pop-up surprises in another location. ⁓ didn't even really see this. I wasn't really paying much attention to this because the AP building has been kind of void for a while, hasn't it? Yeah.
Geoff: mean, I've had conversations before with people internally externally. Sometimes just that is amazing is almost not what you want to hear.
Ash: Hmm. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: If something's not good, it's better to say that it's not good and be honest about it. Because all of this stuff, whether it's good or bad, fed to somebody. And somebody ends up reading this. ⁓ if all they read is that this is amazing and it's not, they're going to think it is amazing. And you're just going to get more of that thing.
Ash: Yeah, yeah has been and they've only been using it for annual pass pop-up surprises. Hey and meet Bolt the dog or you know things like that, do you know what mean? I'm sure they've had much more exciting ones but like they'll do like a rare character now and again for you to do a meet and greet with and yeah if the baby cares move there then that means definitely there's not gonna be a pop-up Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: All right. Yeah.
Ash: Yes, yes. That's literally what I said, that over toxic of influences ⁓ in been cause of the deteriorating product we receive because ⁓ goes up Disney leadership way or another and they see that and go, ⁓ okay, ⁓ they just love it. ⁓ surprises a year there but that mean there won't be none ⁓ you ever or does that mean it's just got to go to a new venue we don't know who knows ⁓ so ⁓
Holly: Who knows? There was first aid in there the last time, I remember. Last time I ever went in there was like first aid in there as well.
Geoff: Yeah, I think. Yeah. And I think there's a big difference, actually, between someone like Paris, someone like Orlando, even, and someone like Anaheim. And I think if you look at Paris, my gut feeling is that not much of leadership actually go to the parks and experience the parks. You know, I don't I can count the number of times I've seen leadership experiencing the place as a guest, you know, for all of.
Ash: see no way to progress on it or do anything better. Yeah, no, First Aid now is... First Aid has moved somewhere as well now. It's... Yeah, I don't know where they've gone, but they've moved somewhere. But yeah, it's... Of course, they're a lot around that area. Of course, you've got Plaza Gardens, which they've refurbished for the whole around... but where the other things like the baby care and everything, like that whole... Hmm. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah. Mm. Yeah. where the baby care was. Mm.
Geoff: have seen Daniel Dilcourt who used to be this chief operating officer. I did see him do it, know, to give him some credit there. But very rarely you see someone like...
Ash: vicinity is having a ⁓ it seems so ⁓ ⁓
Holly: Thank overhaul. Yeah, so just check the app guys if you're there and you need to find where Baby Care is. Well, no, Baby Care is an AP in the old AP office, but if you need first aid, check the app or ask the cast member. Do not refer to this podcast because we don't know.
Geoff: No, I won't name names. ⁓ But very rarely you see people in positions of leadership actually experiencing the park. And I think in Anaheim, that's very different. And that's because you are located really close to Burbank. And quite often the people that work at Burbank are going to the theme parks and are experiencing it as guests. And well, also Josh Demaro does go to the theme parks. He was there just last week. ⁓
Ash: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: No, do not die. ⁓ there we are. ⁓ is it for ⁓ news.
Holly: Yeah. No, we don't know. That's the news, bye. a lot.
Ash: Yeah, he was. was just like Disneyland.
Geoff: Yeah, he was there just last week. And I know Bob Iker is no longer chief executive officer, but he is still, you know, on the board. Is he still on the board or is he gone for the? Yeah. But he was at Galaxy's Edge last week on Wednesday. so these people are still going to the parks just to be there and to talk to people and to see what's going on. And I think when it comes to Burbank, a lot of this stuff goes through the Paris filter, right? So if let's say you're an influencer ⁓ ⁓
Ash: at the end of the year. Yeah, dude.
Holly: Amazing.
Geoff: you say something negative and then maybe that gets filtered to management in a division like merchandising, food and beverage, whatever it might be. Well, they have to compile a report to their leadership in Burbank, let's say. And do you think that, you know, it was the bad stuff might make it to them. Do you not think that they're thinking, OK, well, I've got to make sure people think I'm doing a good job here and they just take the bad stuff out. They're like, hey, everything's great here. Have this. ⁓
Ash: Yeah. That's true. Yeah.
Holly: No.
Geoff: So yeah, I think would like people in Burbank to spend more time ⁓ every resort, not just Anaheim. ⁓ think that'd be great. ⁓ maybe it'll happen. Who knows?
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, ⁓
Holly: We can dream.
Ash: Who knows? yeah, you know, I think as you said, it is important to always give an unfiltered, that doesn't necessarily mean have to be, press it and go, ⁓ this is shit. Although sometimes, ⁓ sometimes doesn't escape. ⁓ Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. ⁓ But ⁓ yeah, yeah, true. It's true. I think like anyone that's always saying something good.
Geoff: Yeah, mean, toxic negativity exists as well, right? Like there's some people that are just looking for the problem in everything as well and that's not great either.
Holly: No, yeah, that's true.
Ash: I just can't really take them seriously in terms of the word because they're not being truthful and likewise the same way if you've always got a problem there's always something to nitpick I can't really take them seriously as well it's about being balanced.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure if I was looking for problems when I went to any Disney resort, I could find them. Like, you know, if I really care about like, I know in the past, I've looked at this and you sort of go, ⁓ no, the dueling pirates still aren't working. This is terrible. And you sort of go, OK, but what if OK, yeah, great. It's great. It's not that great, right? It's it's a problem. But does it really affect the whole thing? Not so much.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, 100%.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: You Yeah, exactly. That is true.
Geoff: It'd be great if it's fixed, but like Pirates isn't rubbish because that one effect isn't working.
Ash: No, exactly.
Holly: You say that though, Geoff, but every time I ride pirates, I'm like, is the swinging pirate swinging? Just from like years back when he never used to work.
Ash: You
Geoff: Yeah, I still do that. Yeah, I do it too. I do it too. I ⁓ just pick the one that's the easy picking. Yeah.
Ash: you
Holly: Okay. Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. do you think the landscape has changed in terms of social when you started and how it is now, ⁓ the dynamics of it, the reporting of it, ⁓ obviously, and everything.
Geoff: ⁓ it's so different. Yeah, TikTok's a fun one, isn't it? ⁓ TikTok's great for a lot of things. ⁓ I don't think it's great for... Yeah, like I say, I started this because I like to have a chat. I don't think TikTok is where the chat is.
Ash: Hahaha
Holly: No.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: No, it's not.
Geoff: It's very much like, I tried this biscuit and you need to try it too because it tastes of Nutella. And you go, OK, cool. That's nice. But also I don't like people that like just post a picture of their plate and go like, here is the meatballs from the Nordic crowns tavern. I was like, OK, great. Like, are they good? Like, you tell me, are they good or are they not? I've tried them, I can tell you, I don't like them.
Ash: Yeah. So in terms of like the general landscape they are much different but I mean I think what I'm trying to gauge is how different have they been, what have you noticed and what are... is it going in a good direction or a bad direction?
Geoff: Yeah. I think it depends. So when I joined, I think a lot more people were interested in the Imagineering. I don't, I'm not entirely sure whether the same level of interest is there. I don't think it's gone, but you know, I remember, I remember sort of being around the time that Mystic Manor was opening in Hong Kong. And you know, I've never been to Hong Kong, haven't really spoken about Hong Kong.
Holly: Yeah. Mm. Yeah.
Geoff: but I remember the buzz around that attraction and everybody caring about all the little design details and all how this is the original attraction that's been made really special. How it was Danny Elfman that did the music, like the whole every piece of the attraction coming together, everybody really cared about. And now I am less sure that's the case. ⁓ I think it's more like.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Mm-hmm.
Holly: Mm.
Geoff: I think all the conversation was around, ⁓ there's Olaf. ⁓ ha ha, he's fallen over. you know, like there's less. The stuff's there. you go look for it, it's all there. there was a great panel Disneyland Paris did where they were talking about how they went to Norway and how they went to Bergen and they found all these colors and they did all the facades in these colors. Like the content's there. Just fewer people care about it.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah. Well, we care.
Ash: Hmm. Yeah, yeah. That's...
Holly: Which is why we started this.
Geoff: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, ⁓
Holly: Yeah, because we miss it.
Geoff: I'm sure people are still out there. I just don't know whether they're... Maybe they're less vocal. I was talking to somebody actually in the queue on May 4th in Star Traders. And, you know, we were talking. I was like, I'm going to... I'm just going to go pick up the Adventure World book now. And people are like, yeah, I've already got it. It's great. You go, OK, well, there are people that really care about this stuff. And that book is sold out almost everywhere as well, by the way.
Holly: Yeah, it feels like
Ash: ⁓ yeah.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? ⁓ wow.
Geoff: Yeah, I picked up one of the last two copies. She was like, yeah, we're getting a delivery this week. that book is selling. So there are people that care about this stuff. I just ⁓ know where they are right now.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: That's good.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah and has that dwindled down in conversations on Twitter as well or X whatever.
Holly: Hmm
Geoff: It's still Twitter, isn't it? Has it twinkled down?
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: Look, it depends how you frame things. think sometimes you'll tweet about this stuff and no one's going to reply to it. And then sometimes you'll have a really long conversation. had a conversation that went in a very bizarre and twisted direction where I said that ⁓ Adventure Way is ⁓ one of the first original lands that Disney have done in years.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Geoff: And I got told that that was not the case because there is a Peter Pan statue and there is a Rapunzel attraction. So it is not original. It's like, it is. It's like, you like, come on, and this thing went on for about two days. It's just like my reply is just going nuts. I'm just like, OK, but like the like my logic was, OK, well, do you do you consider? Yeah, it was, it was, it was a long conversation. ⁓ It's like it's like, OK, but.
Ash: That can't be a sincere interaction. That's insane. You
Geoff: you consider Fantasyland an original land? Because I do! It's got IP in it, but it's an original land. And I actually think that Adventureway is probably more original than Fantasyland.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah. It is a, yeah. It's the original land. Yeah, exactly.
Holly: Yeah, I do.
Ash: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: I think they've done a really great job there. And just because it has a tangled attraction and a few statues and the score. Yeah, the score is great. But just because it has a tangled attraction and a few statues and a princess restaurant doesn't make it an IP land.
Holly: Yeah and the score.
Ash: ⁓ my gosh. Yeah, that is...
Holly: Yeah but you're forgetting the new uh, chair-a-plane, the up coming attraction, UP. I can't remember what it's called. It's got like wilderness excise school or something.
Geoff: Yeah, have... The only issue I have with that is that it's Pixar.
Ash: yeah that's what I mentioned is like you've literally got what have you called it world of pizza
Geoff: ⁓ care.
Holly: You've got worlds of Pixar miles over here.
Geoff: world of Pixar and then suddenly this show just exists outside of it but also that together show exists outside of it as well so I it's just like Pixar stuff it's it's over here and over there now too who cares ⁓ I think the original plan was to have that as a Mary Poppins attraction and that's why so you know the where the gazebo is that was originally going to be called the English Gardens which is why you have all the statues are
Ash: Yeah, yeah.
Holly: Don't worry about it.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: It's everywhere. which I would have loved.
Ash: Alright, okay, yes, yes. Yeah, yeah. right.
Geoff: 101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh. The idea was that was an English garden and then you move on to a sort of Mary Poppins swinging chair thing.
Holly: What was it called then? Because I thought it was English Gardens.
Geoff: ⁓ it's called Kazebo Gardens now.
Holly: ⁓ I was calling it English Gardens.
Ash: I don't understand why they changed tact on that though, like that wouldn't have been difficult to pull off still. Why did they just say, ⁓ you know what, no, I just don't get it.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: I don't know. It doesn't change anything, but I don't I think, yeah, I don't have an issue with the swingy chairs. I mean, the only issue I might have when it opens is everybody screaming and sort of ruining the piece of that area. But, you know, we'll have to see where that is when we get to it. To be fair, that's not an issue in California Adventure, though. You don't hear people screaming on the silly symphony swings.
Ash: No. Yeah. hahahahah
Holly: Real.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, it's true. No, no they have that as well. No, they don't.
Holly: No, it's not! Or even like under Incredicoaster where they've got like the inside out like kiddie version. I spent a lot of time there with my children. Like you don't really hear any screams at all, do you?
Geoff: So, Yeah. No. No, not so much. No. You hear it from a credit coaster, of course, but you don't hear it from the other stuff.
Holly: I'm trying to think, it went like a year ago. Yeah, obviously, yeah. And the Mickey Fun wheel.
Ash: Yeah. I hear Dash more than I hear the screams, in fact.
Geoff: ⁓ yeah, when you're walking down it's like 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, run!
Holly: No.
Ash: 41k! And I'm just constantly hearing that like every 30 seconds.
Geoff: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, if you're sitting there, like you're just sitting on that really nice bench looking out onto the onto the water and then just suddenly you just keep hearing five, four, three, two, So I picked the wrong bench.
Ash: Imagineers have and you know always will be doing a great job. know we We are of course a fan of imaginary and just talking about that but It's a discussion. I'm always having discussion with Holly as you can see we've got a podcast. So that's normal thing one of them was that there's a concern from my side, I don't know if this is everywhere, but maybe you share it, we're to see more ⁓ Imagineers ⁓ or instructed to do, ⁓ what the ⁓ would or think what the guests would like, rather than ⁓ just their own. Do know what mean? ⁓ Like ⁓ you he ⁓ built this great theme
Holly: No, it's valid.
Ash: still the best in the world and he came over and like yep I want a train okay well why do you want a train because I love trains and I want this train to go around the park and then when you walk in I want it to mimic the city that I was raised in okay is that gonna be yep I want it I want all join I mean he just did things because he loved it and he was passionate about it and he didn't take counsel from people of what they thought they would like and imagine there they had that about them
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ash: going all the way into the Innocence period really just doing things that they thought was great right Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and now I'm seeing stuff like ⁓ Villains Land which I'm sure probably will be good you know right because Disney know how to make an experience great but I don't know to me it kind of It has a bit of a stench of, yeah, we're doing this because we think the guests will like this rather than they just coming out and they're an agency. And I don't know whether you share similar thoughts or what are your thoughts generally on.
Geoff: Yeah, I think it's the same with films, right? There's that really famous Walt quote that's like, if I asked the people what they wanted, they'd have said more pigs. It's about the three little pigs. And so you kind of get that with films. You've got Frozen 2, Frozen 3, Wreck-It Ralph had a sequel as well. Zootopia, Toy Story 5, of course. everything. Mawanda live action for
Ash: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah. choice three five.
Geoff: absolutely no reason. There's all of that kind of stuff.
Holly: Hmm.
Geoff: But yeah, think there are, if you look around at the pockets of good stuff, because there are pockets of good stuff. You know, we're talking about Adventure Way. Adventure Way doesn't have an IP theme to it. You know, it's sort of a playground for a lot of ideas and a lot of things. And somebody went, wouldn't it be cool if that, like we had a big lake and there was a garden and there lots of plants, lots of popcorn lights. And you kind of go, yeah, that's great. And they did a really nice job of that.
Ash: Mm-hmm.
Geoff: You know, the whole load of Art Nouveau stuff dotted around the lake as well. You know, so yes, it's IP led in the fact that this thing has to include Tangled and this thing has to lead up to Frozen, it has to lead up to Lion King over there. But you know, there's pockets of things that showcase something quite interesting. It's the same in Tokyo Disney, where they have Fantasy Springs. Somebody said clearly.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: Well, we want a frozen ride, we want a tangled ride and sure, we're going to have Peter Pan. I don't know how Peter Pan got into the equation, but it did. ⁓ And they're all there and they all have like little themed areas, like the little frozen themed areas, a little Peter Pan themed area. But there's also this kind of organic, guess you could call it springs, but it's like this woodland mossy thing that ties it all together. And that's the really good part of that land.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: You go to the Fantasy Springs Hotel and you walk in and what you get is like this really nice sort of mural and it's like a beautiful rock work all over the place. And then you walk into this little Arendelle pocket and you walk into this little Peter Pan pocket. But the thing that ties it all together is entirely unique and it's entirely original. So it is there and I think the Imagineers are finding creative ways to do that. But yeah, it is all led by an IP.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Hmm. Yeah, yeah, is, ⁓ you know, ⁓ course, was driven, right? He was very much adamant on IPs, what's drive what is gonna be in the parks. Is there hope that to change with ⁓ tomorrow night at ⁓ realm? ⁓ No.
Geoff: No, I don't think so. No, but no, but I think you'll see. I think shift towards maybe a more connected guest experience. Where is where everything's being quite fragmented? I think he's made a lot of noise about this one Disney thing, ⁓ which, you know, when you read it, you just go, ⁓ this is corporate nonsense.
Ash: Yes. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, I saw that.
Geoff: But then you sort of dive into what he's been saying since he's introduced that idea and you kind of go, ⁓ there's like some logic here that's actually pretty good. know, like maybe I don't need six Disney apps. Maybe I just need the one. Why is Paris's app so much different to Disneyland's app? Like, why is it so much worse? You know, like, and sort of if you start to create that kind of connected guest experience where everything is just easier and everything, you know, like.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah. Ha ha!
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah
Geoff: you know what to expect. You go to a Disney park and you can mobile order because we all do mobile order now and we all have the same system. You don't have to care about it.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah, we were talking about this last time.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: I that's not directly related to the IP question, but...
Ash: No, no, but I understand where you're coming from. And yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, I think I think will still play a big part, but it's about how how do you integrate that to stuff better? And I get did good things like I could did. He did the California adventure stuff, which is great. I think I guess part two is less good than I guess part one. ⁓ But that's the same with Michael Eisner, right?
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. You couldn't wait to leave out the door. Yeah, that's true. That's true.
Geoff: Like, Disney has a weird history with CEOs having like a weird break somewhere in the middle and just everything going to mess afterwards.
Ash: Just...
Holly: Ha!
Ash: and then everything there discapitulating but he didn't I didn't capitulate as much as Isla did thankfully well yeah yeah yeah that's yeah that's true yeah I've it's true yeah but yeah ⁓ my what a rough four years
Holly: you
Geoff: Well, he picked Bob Chapek. Everyone sort of goes, everybody forgets that bit really conveniently. Like everyone's like, oh, Chapek was terrible. I was like, yeah, he was picked by Bob Iger. Like he was the hand-picked guy.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, it was rough. There were good things there as well, to be fair. Not as many, but there was some good stuff. ⁓
Ash: That's how rough it is. Yeah.
Geoff: don't know, there was no good stuff. Sorry. ⁓
Ash: No, I was about to say, I was like, really? I'm waiting for this. was ⁓ that? ⁓
Geoff: I guess there was Pixar up here. I actually like Pixar up here, so I guess that can sit under there. Yeah, that can sit there.
Holly: I Picsnop here.
Ash: Piss off here. Piss off here is good. Yeah, piss off here is good.
Geoff: I think if you were going to take a, I think it was Paradise Pier, wasn't it? If you were going to take a non-IP land and theme it, Picks Up Here is a pretty good ⁓ blueprint.
Holly: You kind of spoke a little bit earlier that when you're at DLP you can see that there's problems and you think they might be getting deeper. Are you positive about the future of Disneyland Paris?
Geoff: ⁓ it depends is the honest answer. ⁓ I can talk about likes and dislikes a little bit. let's, start because we've just talked about the app. Let's, let's go with the app first. ⁓ the app is two sales heavy. everything like you arrive and the first thing it does is it pops up a thing saying, doesn't waiting in line suck? Wouldn't it be great if you could pay to not wait in line? You still go, no, that's, but that's not how.
Holly: Yes. Yeah.
Ash: Mm-hmm.
Holly: Yep.
Geoff: That's not how when you go to the American parks, they position the lightning lane. The lightning lane is like, wouldn't it be cool if you could like supercharge your day? Yeah, wouldn't it? That would be great. Whereas Paris is like. All right, our shows are busy. Give us 20 euros and you can you can make sure you're getting in like. Yeah, I don't like, you know, when you go onto the app, one of the tabs on the bottom is just the word by. It's like, come on.
Holly: Mm-hmm. yet.
Ash: Hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: This should not be a thing. And so Paris has sort of leaned very heavily into these little transactions. I did the, I wanted to test it out, so I did the secure your seat thing last weekend. And have you guys ever done it? Yeah, don't. ⁓ So I paid 15 euros to do the secure your seat for Together.
Holly: Yeah. How did it go? No.
Geoff: And I they say get that 20 minutes before. I got there half an hour before I get into the special like here's the paid people section. And I'm standing there like this is really quiet. Actually, like there's basically no one here. So, number one, I'm like, why did I pay 15 euros? I'm a mug. And then I looked at the the app. I was like, it says it says, you will be among the first to secure your seat in in the in the theater. I'm like, okay, well, maybe the benefit then is, all right, it's quiet, but I'm going to get the seat I really want to get. I want to be towards the front this time because I've never seen it from the front. And so I'd like to be in like that little section, you know how when you walk in, there's like the upper tier and the lower tier. I'd like to be in the lower tier this time. Never done that before. so you have you walk into the queue and you know, you get taken either left or right. The queue is on the right.
Ash: Hmm.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: So they let us in and they do the rope and I walk in and the left side is already completely in. And I'm like. I can't sit where I want to sit. ⁓ want to sit down there, but it's full.
Ash: What?
Geoff: And it's just like, why have I done this? What was the point? Like, yeah, yeah. And it's like, you know, if you're gonna let me in, least, if you're gonna do this, at least actually make sure I'm the first one in, or at least radio to your guy saying, I'm letting the paid people in now. Just hold off for 20 seconds. That's all it is really, it's like 20, 30 seconds, right? Just to get into the theater. So those microtransactions, they exist, I think, in their.
Ash: Outrageous. 15 euros? Wow.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: way worse than... Well, I was gonna say any other park, but maybe Tokyo takes it, actually. Tokyo has a lot of microtransactions. But they're quite good at how they do it. Like, it's way more sneaky in Tokyo. Like, Tokyo is really sneaky about how they do it. Like, Tokyo is like, hey, do you wanna watch Big Band Beat? Cool, we've got a... We have a lottery, and you might get in! And so you do the lottery, and it's like, ah, sorry, you didn't make it.
Ash: Hehehehehe
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Geoff: but you can still go if you give us 300 yen. You sort of go, okay, well, fair enough. And you also actually in Tokyo get assigned a seat. So you walk into the theater and your app tells you your seat number. Like there's no, there's like, I'm going to sit over there or I'm going to sit over there. It's like, if your seat B6, your seat B6, like you're sitting in there. And the same for parade slots, actually, you can pay for parade slots.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Bye.
Ash: ⁓ wow.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Okay, that's good. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: and it'll be like your C69 and you are C69 like there's a little sticker on the ground that says C69 and that's exactly where you're gonna be. There's no surprises here. And everyone sits down which is great. ⁓
Holly: feel like Harris could learn from that.
Ash: So what I'm saying is, so what you're saying is, in terms of what you're positive for, you're not positive about operations at DLP.
Geoff: Yeah, operations I think is still pretty poor. Like the railroad starts at 1230 now and runs till seven, which is just nuts, I think. Um, and also fantasy land. Yeah. It closed at a tee time. Yeah. And fantasy land stations, Discovery land station is still closed. So you can't use the railroad for, you know, if you're. Yeah. I've been for years now, right? Um, like, sorry to go back to Anaheim again, but you know, you.
Ash: Just don't understand that. Don't understand.
Holly: and closes at tea time. Yeah, and have been full.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Yeah, I want to say like five years, maybe longer.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: When you get on at Anaheim, you just pop on the train like, you you want to go from you want to not walk to Toontown. I just hop on the train. I just it's going to be here in like three or four minutes. Just hop on. Hop off. Great. Have fun. Whereas in Paris, it's become a whole ordeal to get on the train. And when you get on it, it takes them so long to load it. You're stuck in a station for like five minutes, which is, I don't know. I don't like that. Q times feel inflated.
Ash: Yeah, you just pop on. Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: Yep.
Ash: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Geoff: Although they are definitely playing the game where they're gonna display the board about 20 minutes longer than the queue is actually going to be Which I really dislike as well And I know they do it they do it
Holly: they are.
Ash: Yeah, yeah. always, basically their argument is manage expectations and it's best to, you know, surprise them positively than to disappoint them and say, it's gonna be, you said it's gonna be five minutes and now I'm waiting for, I mean, sir?
Geoff: Yeah, I get that. Yeah, I get that. But also if I see a queue for 60 minutes, am I more likely to spend five euros to skip that queue? Probably. I think the food, generally speaking, is pretty bad still. ⁓ You know, like, although I will say I had Toad Hall. Toad Hall was perfectly fine. ⁓ I had the spaghetti and meatballs in Bella Notti, which was fine. ⁓
Holly: Mm.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah, that's true. It's true. Yeah, yeah,
Holly: Yeah. Yep.
Geoff: I had the cowboy cookout sheriff menu fine. ⁓ Did not like the Colonel Hattie's chicken curry, which I know you know, because I listened, I heard. Yeah, I think things will get better when...
Ash: Yeah
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: okay, do I say this diplomatically? We've had about 10 years of the same leadership. Well, I'm trying to say it somewhat nicely. We've had 10 years of the same leadership and I think it shows.
Holly: I
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: and I think there's something that fresh needs to come through. A lot of this is like stale now and it just needs someone to sort of shake it up a little bit. And who knows? Maybe that's Josh Demarro. Well, it probably won't be Josh Demarro because he's overlooked the results for years, but maybe that's Thomas Marsloom. I don't know. Maybe maybe he'll do something. He's German, so I guess he's probably going to spend a little bit time in Europe.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Ash: Hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I mean he had a very non-eventful, not, not, it's nothing due to him, it's not none of his fault, know. But it was like a non-eventful stint at Disneyland Resort. It was there, it's like s-
Geoff: I think it was very eventful, but in the other way, like in the downward way.
Ash: ⁓ really? ⁓ I didn't hear much about the down stuff that happened. ⁓ really? Did he manage to do that in that short space of time when he was there though? ⁓ yes yes yeah he got rid of he got rid of all of it. Yeah yeah David from Fresh Break was absolutely seething about that and some other love. Yeah they were good yeah.
Holly: you
Geoff: There was a lot of entertainment being cut. ⁓ Yeah, there was... Yeah, did you hear about Frygate? All the fries have gone to rubbish. Yeah, mean, those film strip fries are, ⁓ award winners are amazing. And not anymore.
Ash: Nah, gone. Yeah. So if there's anything that we can look forward to for Tamrish Muslim is that he may strip some things away from DLP.
Geoff: ⁓ He did good at cruise line though.
Holly: you
Ash: He did he did he he revamped like cruise line was really really good in his leadership, so
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, it's completely revamped. A lot of new destinations. Those UK sailings exist now that didn't exist before. The Wish class, which had a little bit of a rocky start, sure, but I think generally speaking people love. I think Cruise Line's done really well recently.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, it has. And there's a lot more in marketing for Cruise Line as well. I'm seeing it in places that I haven't seen it, the tube, know, TV, just come and I'm like, what, really? ⁓ Where it seemed like Cruise Line to me, like obviously it was known, obviously, but it seemed more like within Disney circles, Cruise Line was big as opposed to people that don't really go to Disney would...
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, it's getting big now. Over here.
Ash: would know about it because they would just pick a Disney park or they just go to Disney World or something like
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, I think you had to know about it rather than it just being so present. And I think the the COVID situation has a really big impact on that because, we were one of the only countries that allowed cruises to nowhere. And so Disney were just like, let's do it, let's go. And it worked out really nicely for them.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah.
Holly: British trials!
Ash: Yeah, yeah. Did you do that? Did you do one of those COVID cruises? Wow. And were they as good like, yeah, they were. They were really, really cheap.
Geoff: Yeah, I did three of them. They were cheap. Yeah, I think I paid like 500 pounds for four nights.
Ash: I was late on the ball by the time I even got to it I like yeah tickets are gone but yeah they seemed fun. I bet!
Geoff: Yeah, no, they were great. Weird. Like really weird, but they were great. Like compared to what you have now, which I guess is the more traditional cruise line experience. They were very odd. ⁓ A lot of social distancing, but they, I think you still got a pretty good vacation out of it. know, you've got all the shows, you got all the character meet and greets. The photos look really weird because you're in a mask, like, and they're on a stage and you're not. ⁓ But. ⁓
Ash: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Geoff: I think for a lot of people it helped them to catch the bug.
Ash: Yeah, yeah. was, yeah. We're hoping if he's done any bone-stretching of the imagination, revamped for the Disney Cruise Line, then he can bring it to the parks and hopefully Disneyland Paris can get some much needed attention.
Geoff: Yeah, I think it will come. think people that are looking and seeing and sort of saying, well, Disneyland Park hasn't had any new attractions since Buzz Lightyear. I'm sorry, you're to be waiting quite a lot longer. Like, really sorry about that. That's not happening yet.
Ash: but we'll see. Yeah.
Holly: yeah going off of how long it took them to build to build frozen land and it
Ash: just
Geoff: Yeah, but I also think it's the right... Yeah, I think it's the right thing to do as well, It's like, okay, would you rather have a new attraction in that little expansion pad at the back of Adventureland or would you rather have a big lake with nothing around it for 10 years? I know what I'd pick.
Holly: Hmm.
Ash: Yeah exactly. Yeah, yeah. ⁓ But I also think they could do both. I don't think it has to be one or the other.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah, that's I was about to say.
Geoff: Well yeah, okay they could do both, sure. But they won't.
Holly: It's a pipe dream.
Ash: You know how much a billion how much of a billion pounds like think I mean, yeah, it's wishful thinking but you know and Yes Disney World is Ten times the size of DLP. So of course they'll get Two things or three things simultaneously happening, but even Disneyland. Do I mean they could they had the San Francisco revamp, you know
Geoff: Yeah.
Ash: of Pacific Wharf as well as doing so you can do things like you can do things it doesn't have to be an attraction but to make something fresh or or you know reskin something even like yeah yeah
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, you can, it's true. How is this retouch done now?
Holly: Now, we've got Plaza Gardens.
Geoff: There's a Doritos stand now in the Redome Plaza Gardens, come on! And they took the animatronic out of Nautilus and replaced it with like some National Geographic stuff.
Ash: You don't know what I was about.
Geoff: That everyone sits there and is just like, this whale cannot catch up with the nautilus and you go, ooh yay.
Ash: It just... Yeah, I just have no idea what that was about. yeah, I mean, do you know what? I think probably they will bring Jules Verne like properly back into Discoveryland and that and that may be a I mean, I can see both of you are not really hopeful about that, but gosh.
Holly: It's not gonna happen Ash.
Geoff: so I think it's gone. I think you're more likely to see a Star Wars land back there than Jules Verne come back.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Geoff: I don't think that's likely either.
Ash: depressing. Yeah. Well, yeah. is. But yeah.
Geoff: I mean I was there for the made the force stuff and you know they put out like uh I don't know you look at galaxy's edge right and it's really detailed and ornate and intricate and all of that and then you walk into the hyperion theater and they've done this bdx droid thing and the background is like a bunch of crates and you go wow this is so star wars I know what I think of when I think of star wars a whole bunch of boxes
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: You Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Scrapes, rectangles, spheres, the lot.
Holly: Yeah, crates. Lots of them.
Geoff: whole bunch of boxes. That's what I think of. You know, you hear people say, Star Wars isn't as popular as it used to be in Europe. And you go, OK, great, but I just spent 45 minutes waiting outside a store in Disneyland Paris on Monday. Like, don't tell me it's not popular. Like, so I don't. It's yeah. No, I don't either. I get that Lion King is popular and I'd have loved to have seen the galaxy's edge. I still
Holly: Yep.
Ash: ⁓ dear. Yeah.
Holly: It is still popular, I don't believe that for a second.
Ash: Yeah, it's true.
Geoff: I still hope for something Star Wars in Disneyland Paris, but who knows. ⁓ I can't argue that Lion King isn't popular and won't be great because it will be both of those things.
Holly: same. Yeah, sure.
Geoff: We'll see.
Ash: I understand why they scrapped it. don't necessarily it, ⁓ I've made peace with it ⁓ I think what... ⁓ what they were gonna do Jeff, if you look at the ⁓ art, ⁓ was gonna be Smuggler's Run, which is the lesser of the two ⁓ and you can't really... ⁓ yeah, yeah. ⁓
Geoff: I still have not. But if you look at how I spend my time in Galaxy's Edge, like I'm not I'm not looping Rise of the Resistance. I'm just chilling And Smuggler's Run might actually be great in a couple of weeks like this this new update might be pretty good I think I Everything I've heard about it makes me go. Okay. Well, actually that's something interesting there because they you know, used to be like Oh, you're engineering you go Oh great. I get to stare at a wall and press some buttons wonderful
Ash: It's true. Yeah, yeah, because the whole atmosphere is beautiful.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: baby Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you know the problem with it is that there's no risk. Oh my goodness, and you're crashing hello, but hey you've saved the day still and you're like, okay well fine. Yeah, it's true. You're always just like... Yeah, yeah.
Geoff: but now you actually have stuff to do. Well yeah, but at least if you're pilot and gunner, right, you're facing forward and you're looking at the screen. If you're the engineer, you're facing a wall. It's just, it is naff. But you know, if you think about where I think, well, I spend my time at Galaxy's Edge when I'm there, it's Ronto Roasters, it's Ogres Cantina, it's the marketplace. Like, I don't tend to do Smuggler's Run. And you know, if I'm spending a week in Disneyland, I might do Rise of the Resistance once. So I don't think just having Smuggler's Run.
Ash: Yeah, that's true. Your rotter vest is cut to years, actually.
Holly: Yeah. Yeah.
Geoff: is the be all and end all. I understand that for some people it is, ⁓ but I don't think it's... you've got the less good Frozen attraction in Disneyland Paris compared to Tokyo, so like, okay, fine.
Ash: Hmm.
Holly: People would moan about it. Bye.
Ash: Yeah. land, ⁓ that likely, do you think? ⁓ if not, ⁓ would you like to see as a replacement?
Geoff: I was thinking about this recently. I went and looked up numbers actually. I can't remember off my head but I went and looked at numbers. ⁓ So Fire and Ash didn't do as well as the other two.
Ash: Hehehehehe Wow.
Geoff: Including in France. So Avatar typically has done pretty well in France. I think it's after China the number one market in the world. Yeah. So Avatar is super popular there. They didn't even do a UK premiere for Avatar. They did it all in Paris.
Ash: Really? Wow.
Holly: Yeah, that's about right, yeah.
Geoff: So if it's gonna happen anywhere it will be Paris. Do I think it's nailed on? No. Do I think it's likely? 50-50.
Holly: Yeah. I'm not so sure.
Ash: Okay.
Geoff: I think what they'll do is they'll hover around a bit.
Ash: Yeah, but they could change their mind at any point, right? Yeah, they're dead exactly.
Geoff: Yeah, I mean, they changed their mind about Star Wars, so there's nothing stopping them changing their mind about it. And realistically, if they want to start construction on it, I think they'll probably want to start just before Lion King finishes. So they've still got time.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. ⁓ is ⁓ But yeah, ⁓ Disney way, I'm looking to ⁓ the potential it because ⁓ I said it's a mixture between Epcot ⁓ and ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ layout and what it can bring into different worlds. And I ⁓ just know very excited about.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. Yeah. Have you had the, yeah, have you had the mojito from that? They have a mojito stand. And I had it.
Ash: when it all comes together, that feeling of. I I think I saw it but I didn't have it. No, okay, is it good?
Geoff: It is 8 euros and it is the strongest mojito I've ever had. Yeah. I like took a- I- They like gave it to me in this really nice theme cup and I took a picture of it in front of like the restrux. was like, I might use this for something at some point, who knows? And then I took a sip, I was like, whoa! Here we go.
Ash: Really?
Holly: Hahaha!
Ash: Wow. There we go. There we go. That could be a thing. Drinking around the way. Right? Coin that now.
Geoff: Well, yeah, who knows? ⁓ But hey, that's essentially what DCA and Epcot are, right? That's the part where people get drunk.
Holly: Run the way!
Ash: Yeah, yeah exactly, yeah.
Holly: It is.
Geoff: I think I'll never forget my first time in either of those parks. You just walk in, it's like, this is the adult park.
Ash: yeah yeah exactly yeah yeah but more more ⁓ to it for for dizzy ⁓ dizzy adventure world i'm looking forward to ⁓ all that stuff in ⁓ although what i was ⁓ of course a hundred percent
Geoff: Yeah, I think it's needed though, right? I really do wonder what's going to happen in the winter, because that place is gorgeous in the summer.
Ash: Yeah well I mean there's no shade. There's no shade anywhere. I don't understand was it just the Imagineers from LA that was just constructed that? How come there's like there's no refuge?
Geoff: Winter's gonna be fun.
Holly: You're gonna get wet and very, very cold.
Geoff: No, it's not. Yeah, well we had on that preview day we had a free Kaostorm.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: And I was like, oh, where do I go? Because I was down by the Regal View. I was like, OK, well, I can't go to Regal View because it's not my slot right now. No, it wasn't our slot. So we had slots. We were only allowed in there for 45 minutes because it was an open bar. So they don't want us getting drunk. So we were allowed in there for 45 minutes. was like, OK, so I don't know where to go. So I just bolted it to Meet Mickey Mouse.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: to regal being.
Ash: Really? Wow. Okay, fine, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Geoff: at least that's like under the cover right so i just sprinted across the whole place and ⁓ nearly slid because that pavement is really slippy
Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. That's a point.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: I need to add some grips.
Geoff: ⁓ Yeah, yeah, they do. Yeah, but yeah, that's gonna be a problem. You have to also remember we were behind the walls, so I don't know whether you would have to... You could maybe go down by cars. ⁓ We could not because it was behind a wall. So, yeah.
Ash: Yeah. Yes. Did you like your experience more coming in organically as opposed to being invited or was it all the same? it not really much of a difference?
Geoff: It's busy of course. But yeah, think I still have the same opinion. I think it's good. Cascade of Lights. So okay, on the preview day I turned up like three minutes before. I turned up half an hour before. Got a great spot right in front of the projector. you know, great. It never feels too busy. That is so much space. You know, if you get that princess ice cream and you just...
Ash: Yeah, sure.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: pull off to like the viewing area for the show, there's no one there. And you can just sit there real chill and just enjoy that. ⁓ Even the Frozen land actually, I was really thinking that was going to be a bottleneck and probably in the opening days it was. I don't think it is now. You know, you can move around that really nicely. The shop is still a big bottleneck. ⁓ That's a problem. But.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, yeah.
Holly: Mm. I never got to go in the shop.
Ash: I also think the celebration at Arendelle's a problem and I don't know how they're going to solve it.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, it is, I do, I think. I think you have to do it on the lake. Yeah. I think that's the only way to solve that problem.
Ash: on the main... yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: They have a viewing area because I think there's two tiers in front of Arendelle. So I think you just do the show performing towards Arendelle.
Ash: Yeah, that's right. okay yes ⁓
Geoff: I think that's the only way you can do it. But that's a problem, ⁓ But generally speaking, Regal View Lounge, you could always get seated without waiting. That was never a problem. I did the Princess Breakfast, which was actually quite easy to get a reservation for three days out.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: because if you're not staying at a Disney hotel three days out you can book that. So I managed to get that reservation pretty easily. ⁓ So I think it's fine.
Ash: You can do it, yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: I, I went, when I went with my family, I really wanted to go, but I was advised to not bankrupt myself for a meal, which, unreflection is a good, is good advice. Yeah. Well, that's the thing. When I saw the reviews as well for the dinner, was like, well, that's a lot of money for a crap dinner anyway. Whoa.
Geoff: But you should do breakfast instead. You should do breakfast. 100 euros, have to wait for the drinks on top as well by the way. Yeah. Yeah.
Ash: and you have to pay on the drinks on top where, do want a meal? If you just go to Disneyland Hotel with a buffet or a banquet, at least it comes with a drink. It doesn't even come with a drink at Regal View. But the breakfast is better, you're saying, do with the breakfast option.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: The breakfast, well, okay. So, same lineup of princesses. So, you know, let's take that as four princesses, I think, isn't it? Same lineup, breakfast, lunch, dinner. So, you know, take that out of the equation. It's 60 euros for breakfast as opposed to 100 for dinner. That 60 euros includes unlimited drinks as well.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Right, okay. ⁓ okay.
Geoff: So can have as much tea, coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, ⁓ apple juice as you want. ⁓ It comes with pastries, fruits, jams, all that sort of stuff. ⁓ And either a sweet or savory ⁓ breakfast, is sweet as pancakes, maple syrup and fruits, or a salmon and some form of egg. had the pancake.
Holly: Yeah.
Geoff: So it comes to UK pound equivalent, it's about 40 after discount if you have to do the gold pass, which is a much better value dinner. And if you just want to, which in my case, I just want it to be in that room, see it. And then, you know, I'm not too, I'm not a big princess person, but if your thing is I want to meet all four of those princesses and I don't want to spend the 100 euros per person, breakfast is a way better option for you.
Holly: Yeah. ⁓
Ash: Yeah. Yeah, okay. Yeah, that is.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: see what it's like. You Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: Plus if you take that 8.15 booking, you're allowed into the park half an hour before extra magic time even starts. And you can see that thing empty.
Ash: Yes.
Holly: Right. Yeah, which would be good for pictures. No.
Ash: But would the attractions be it?
Geoff: No, no, no. So you have to walk. You do have to walk all the way straight up, but you can you can enjoy that that whole walk from front lot all world premiere now. OK, fine. From world premiere all the way up to the regal view with basically nobody there. Which is is a really cool experience if nobody's ever done a Disney theme park that's empty. It's awesome.
Ash: Fine, okay. Yeah, well, premier.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah ⁓
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Erm... World premiere... It's okay. Personally, I think they should have demoed it. If it was really going to start fresh, then they should have demoed it.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, I agree. Yeah. Yeah.
Ash: We were speaking about those shops, those kiosks, right Holly? That they've brought on as well. Yeah, it's an obsession and I don't...
Holly: ⁓ Yeah.
Geoff: Ugh. Okay, yeah. The new obsession.
Holly: don't understand them. I don't get it.
Geoff: Like one or two of them would have been great. But it just seems to be the thing that are just dumping everywhere. Yeah.
Holly: Yeah, but we've got too many. Why?
Ash: and they're not bringing anything, know, like Holly had the great suggestion, like, you know when you're known in square, like they've got a jewelry store, do you what mean? Like they've got things, sorry, perfume store. So they've got like different things to, know, why is it just, you're just filling it with crisps and popcorn and sweets, like I don't.
Geoff: Hmm. Yeah, yeah.
Holly: No, it was a perfume stall. Mm-hmm.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was the thing. I remember when Inside is sent around the thing. It's like, we're making this really cool store and we're changing the fast pass kiosk. It was like, ⁓ this looks amazing. And then it opened. It's like, ⁓ it's like Haribo on Coke. Okay. Sure.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Doritos.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah. So.
Geoff: Yeah, okay, sure, yeah, ⁓ ⁓ mean, ⁓
Holly: Jeff, can you talk to us a little bit more about like what you do with inside ears?
Geoff: Well, okay, so they send a lot of stuff, okay? ⁓ And some people repeat everything verbatim. So, you know, they'll send, I think this week there was the whole thing about how they sent Mickey and Minnie to a hospital, which, you know, great, wonderful, like the story, brilliant. Well, they sent Mickey and Minnie to a hospital to cheer up some kids.
Holly: Yeah. What?
Ash: What did you just say? ⁓ okay.
Holly: Hey!
Geoff: No, okay. What do you think I meant?
Ash: because Holly and I are on the same page so we understood it to mean that Mickey had his legs broken in and he got us into hospital.
Geoff: ⁓ okay, well, no. No. Wow, that went dark.
Holly: I feel evil now for laughing.
Geoff: That went dark. ⁓ Okay, so they send around these things and they're all great stories and ⁓ for corporate media, they're great to have and publish, I take a way more selective approach. So no, no, no. No, they don't tell you to do anything. No, this is...
Holly: Sorry, Jen.
Ash: Sorry, go ahead. Yeah. Right, okay. You don't do everything that they tell you to. Well, do they tell you to do anything anyway? No.
Geoff: Okay, so this is one of the big misconceptions since they started doing it. ⁓ It's like, ⁓ they're telling people what to post and they're telling people to be positive. It's actually not the case. They tell you to be constructive. Which is very different to be positive. And I think, but I do think a lot of people take it the wrong way.
Ash: Right.
Holly: Thank you. That's good.
Ash: Yeah.
Holly: Mm.
Ash: Hmm.
Geoff: It's all about how you frame things. Yeah, like, just don't.
Ash: so you don't feel like you have to be overly positive or unless they strip you away from inside ears.
Geoff: No, no, no. If I I felt I had to be positive, I'd have come away from the Nordic crowns to have and told everybody that the meatballs were great. ⁓ You know, even if I was sat around the table with and I won't name who they were, but, you know, there were seven or eight of us from different from different sites and everybody sort of tucked into this meatball all at the same time. And the look at everyone's face was this is grim. This is awful. Yeah. Somebody turned up with the vegan meatballs and somebody and they went, is that the one of them? Is that the is that the vegan? Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, it's true, it's true.
Holly: Are there any rules?
Ash: Yeah. Really?
Geoff: Can I try it? And they like tried a piece of it and they went, nope, that's even worse.
Ash: Wow. This is really weird because when I went I didn't mind the meal at all. I thought it was but I didn't I don't know I don't know what people were expecting from it. I was expecting no more than Ikea standing meatballs that you would get there like do you what mean? So it was completely fine for me. Are ⁓ they? I don't know what happened between that time and when I went then because there were there's exactly what it said on the tin when I was there it was completely fine.
Geoff: I it. Yeah I think they're worse than a kiwi, boss. Yeah, 100 % yeah. But yeah, well, that's also something. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's also something that I try to be mindful of. Yeah. And I was thinking about this. was like, when I was there last weekend, it was like, did I just have a bad day with the meebles? Like, should I try them again? And I was like, no, I'm actually I'm not going to do that. I'm going to I'm to do something else. Right. Just because I hadn't had a whole bunch of other things recently, I was like, OK, well.
Ash: But it's inconsistency Yeah.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, of course,
Geoff: I will have those meatballs again and if I was wrong I will say I'll quite happily tell people that I was wrong.
Ash: yeah what you should do is you should get the French onion soup bread bowl now that will change your life that that was ⁓ man that is that is that is the craze that's going around adventure way now ⁓ but yeah
Geoff: I have not had that yet, no, I do need it. ⁓ Yeah, there's still loads I need to try there actually ⁓ I did try ⁓ I'll cut back to the inside is question I promise I did try the weird biscuits in regal view. They are weird ⁓ Have you have you seen these they're great I like them
Ash: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Holly: I just like the weird biscuits. had them. Yeah, I I think they're like a marmite, like whether you like them. Yeah, I enjoyed them, but I had it with a very sweet coffee.
Ash: Never had him yet.
Geoff: I like them! I thought they were great!
Ash: I think they were like cheese and something else. It's like weird mysteries of flavors.
Geoff: Yeah, so one of them was, yeah. Yeah, so one of them is mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Yeah, and that one was great. There was a chorizo one. That one was great. And then there was the Emmental and lardons, which was also really good.
Holly: cheese and basil, it's mozzarella and basil. Yep. Turizo one. Yep. Yep.
Ash: You
Holly: I didn't like that one.
Ash: But they work. They work, they?
Geoff: I liked them all. Yeah, I saw them on the menu. I went, really weird. I really want to try them. And then they arrived and I was like, there's a green biscuit here. That does look weird. It's like fluorescent green. And then I tried it. I was like, actually, I think that works.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah. Hahaha
Geoff: ⁓ Back to his ideas. ⁓ so please, I'm just selective. I don't necessarily ⁓ repeat everything. I try and filter it through what I think is interesting or what I think is ⁓ and important. So I think when they delivered that news about drones disappearing from Tales of Magic, it's like, okay, that feels like it's important. I should probably share that. just going through it now. Yeah, I didn't bother with the Devil Wears Parada stuff ⁓ in Hollywood Gardens. ⁓
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Yeah, that is important.
Holly: No, that's so random to me.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, I saw it. It's, ⁓ It's there.
Holly: Why is it this?
Ash: So they leak news to you for you to spread out.
Geoff: Yeah, so they'll send you sort of media releases. ⁓ And it's up to you what you do with it. You don't have to post anything. You can choose to post absolutely everything if you really want to. I choose just to filter it.
Holly: Do you just talk about it on X, Jeff? Or do you use that as on your sub stack? Do you use that as sort of like a news outlet or do you just use that for your own personal thoughts?
Geoff: Yeah, sorry. use a bit of everything. ⁓ It's more what I remember to do than anything else. ⁓ one person. I don't have time necessarily to do ⁓ threads, Facebook, all of the things. ⁓ I'll remember to do it all ⁓ then other times I will be busy in real life things and I will post it in one place and just forget about the rest.
Holly: Yeah.
Ash: Mm-hmm. We're gonna wrap up, because we've taken a lot more of your time than we anticipated. So I know really appreciate you giving us your time. know you really, really appreciate it. No, no, I love it. And this is exactly...
Holly: We've been round 10.
Geoff: I'm more positive, promise, than I make out.
Ash: this is actually what we what we ⁓ you know arcades and avenues is unfiltered opinion and on just what we you know because again what it boils down to it all three of us we we love disney parks we know what it brings and what it provides ⁓ and yet is that paris is accused in our web with passion and it's really is about look you you you have the capability provide open ⁓ good product and good service so when it doesn't happen we're gonna be vocal about it to a certain degree right so
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. It all comes from a place of love.
Ash: Yeah, yeah, exactly. yeah.
Holly: It does. And also, we wouldn't know each other, all three of us wouldn't be sat here if it wasn't for Disneyland Paris because we all know each other from back, way back when on Twitter.
Ash: Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. So the community has been there and still continue to be there. It's got the OGs, so to speak, that have been doing it for a while. Yeah, I know. Underrated food and attraction at DLP, Jeff. ⁓ yeah.
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, true. Yeah, long time. Underrated Attraction... Do you know what? I'm gonna say the new one. The Tangled Rapunzel's... whatever it's called. can't actually remember. Rapunzel's Tangled Spin. That's it. I think that is severely underrated. I think it's great. And I think it's really sweet and it's very nice to look at at night. The fact that it doesn't have a long queue is really nice. Music's good.
Ash: Okay. Yeah?
Holly: So.
Ash: Yeah. Yeah.
Holly: Great.
Ash: Yeah.
Geoff: think that's actually really underrated. You know, you could say all sorts of stuff, but I think ⁓ Curious Labyrinth is also underrated. ⁓ go for those two. ⁓ put Rapunzel on top, but ⁓ definite second. ⁓ Underrated food. Everything is underrated, ⁓ it's not difficult. ⁓
Ash: Yeah. Yeah. Hahaha! That's true.
Geoff: Yeah, you come from a place where not everything's great. ⁓ I'm gonna say Toad Hall still.
Ash: Wow, okay.
Geoff: I do not have a lot of fish and chips when I'm at home. It's not a big thing. ⁓ And I enjoy it when I have it. And I think for the money you spend on Toad Hall, you get two pieces of fish. The the fries are really not bad. They're like oven fries. I actually think that's not terrible.
Holly: I agree with you too. No, I agree with you and I feel like I have a better judgement on Toad Hallman most because my parents used to own a fish and chip shop and it's not a bad fish and chips.
Ash: There we go. Yeah.
Geoff: ⁓ okay. Yeah, that was, that gives you qualification.
Holly: It does.
Ash: There we go. If Holly says it's good, then it's good. Can't argue that.
Holly: It's not bad. It's not bad. It's not bad. It's fine.
Geoff: Yeah, it's not bad actually. The only thing is it's too small inside.
Holly: Yeah, and it's never open.
Ash: exactly. ⁓ Holly any other questions we ⁓ wrap
Holly: don't think so. Just thank you so much for coming on.
Geoff: Of course, anytime.
Ash: No, we really really appreciate it. ⁓ yeah, chance to plug it down, where can we find you, Jeff?
Geoff: everywhere ⁓ dlptownsquare dlptownsquare.com if you just search that on pretty much any social media except bluesky not on bluesky you'll you'll find me
Ash: Everywhere.
Holly: I'm sorry.
Ash: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I don't think many people are on Blue Sky. But yes, people definitely, ⁓ if you haven't, which it crazy to think that you haven't ⁓ been following DLPTownSquare, then make sure you do on X, Twitter, know, Twitter, IG, TikTok, anywhere except Blue Sky basically, that's what Jeff said. And...
Holly: later.
Geoff: Yeah. Nothing against blue sky. Just haven't got to it.
Holly: Thank
Ash: Yeah and of course the main thing which is course the blog dlptownsquare.com. want to thank you Geoff for joining us on Arcades and Avenues, we really appreciate it and great to hear your experience and your thoughts and yeah there we are.
Geoff: Of course!
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