The Golden Horseshoe Review: A Disney Theme Park Podcast

The Golden Horseshoe Review: A Disney Theme Park Podcast

106: Shanghai Disneyland, Part 3

May 23 • 29 min

We wrap up Shanghai Disneyland with Fantasyland’s Voyage to the Crystal Grotto and Tomorrowland’s amazing TRON Power Run, which Alexa claims is the best. Disney. Ride. Ever. Join us!

105: Shanghai Disneyland, Part 2

Apr 23 • 30 min

We leave Mickey Avenue and head over to Adventure Isle and Treasure Cove, visiting Shanghai’s all-new, high-tech rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean. Join us!

104: Shanghai Disneyland, Part 1

Apr 9 • 24 min

Louie and guest Alexa Grafera tell us all about their trip to the newest Disneyland, Shanghai! We discuss the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, Disney Town, Mickey Avenue, and Louie’s special contributions this brand new park. Join us!

103: Hong Kong Disneyland, Part 2

Feb 20 • 40 min

We continue our tour around Hong Kong Disneyland, visiting what Louie claims is Disney’s best attraction ever: Mystic Manor. And we speculate about a second park for Hong Kong. Special guest: Maja Henderson.

102: Hong Kong Disneyland, Part 1

Jan 30 • 27 min

Louie and his friends just got back from a huge Disney trip through Asia. First stop: Hong Kong Disneyland! We analyze the hotels, the resort, and the park itself, starting with Main Street, Adventureland, and Fantasyland! Special guest: Maja Henderson.

101: The Lightning Round, Part 2

Dec 26, 2016 • 22 min

In the second and final part of our 100th episode, we cover a bunch of mini-topics. Sticking “Disney’s” in front of everything, variable ticket pricing, and more on Guardians of the Galaxy Tower, including how it looks and what it’s named.

100: The Lightning Round, Part 1

Nov 29, 2016 • 16 min

In part 1 of our 100th episode, we cover a bunch of mini-topics. Guardians of the Galaxy makeovers, a possible Star Wars Hotel, Muppets in Liberty Square, we’ve got it all! Join us!

99: Critical Effects with guest Jessie Char

Nov 7, 2016 • 26 min

How “broken” does an attraction have to be before Disney closes it to guests? What if Madame Leota isn’t working? What if there’s no music on California Screamin’? Join us to discuss the ins and out of “critical effects” with guest Jessie Char.

98: Tomorrowland, Revisited. With guest Jessie Char

Sep 26, 2016 • 21 min

Everyone assumed Disneyland’s Tomorrowland would be filled with Star Wars and Marvel stuff, but Star Wars and Marvel now have their own dedicated lands. So where does that leave Tomorrowland? We take a fresh look at this topic with guest Jessie Char.

97: Naming Disney’s Lands

Jul 28, 2016 • 19 min

Should it be Cars Land, or Radiator Springs? If they call Star Wars Land “Star Wars Land”, is that a mistake? Join us in our attempt to figure out the rules of theme park land naming!

96: Disney Films That Should Have Attractions, But Don’t

Jul 5, 2016 • 29 min

Everybody’s got a favorite Disney film that has little or no presence in the theme parks. We talk about these missed opportunities, from Mary Poppins and Bedknobs & Broomsticks to Duck Tales and Inside Out. Join us!

95: The Worst Food at the Disney Parks

Jun 13, 2016 • 28 min

We’ve talked in the past about our favorite food… but which park restaurants have Disney’s absolute worst food? We also talk a bit about DCA’s Food & Wine Festival, and food in Star Wars Land. Join us!

94: The Guardians of the Galaxy Tower Hotel

May 10, 2016 • 30 min

We take on the most outlandish rumor to hit Disneyland in years: giving the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror a Guardians of the Galaxy makeover. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of this move, its likelihood…and the lousy state of WDI’s puns.

93: Bad Guest Behavior

May 3, 2016 • 20 min

Louie’s fed up with rude guests at Disneyland. We discuss guests that talk during attractions, guests that take flash photos, which park’s guests are the best-behaved, and what Disney can do to solve the problem.

92: Virtual Reality

Apr 20, 2016 • 21 min

Your three hosts have all taken turns with the newest VR technologies. Do they have a place at the Disney parks? Will they obsolete the Disney parks? Join us!

91: Zootopia in the Parks/Walkaround Character Costumes

Apr 4, 2016 • 23 min

We talk about whether Zootopia deserves to be in the parks, then move on to the quality of various in-park walkaround characters. Why do Pixar’s always look so weird? Why is Mickey wearing a tux? Join us!

90: More Disney talk with Amy Jane Gruber, Part 2

Mar 9, 2016 • 25 min

We continue our discussion with Amy Jane Gruber on a variety of scintillating Disney topics: the possibility of a Disney theme park in Texas, bad Star Wars merchandise, overbearing cast members, and animatronics versus live actors. Join us!

89: Does Disney Need A Third U.S. Resort? Part 1

Feb 18, 2016 • 30 min

Disneyland and WDW are bursting with guests. Is there demand for a 3rd Disney theme park resort in the U.S.? What would it be? Where would it go? Join the discussion with our guest and fellow Disney enthusiast, the charming and delightful Amy Jane Gruber.

88: Downtown Disney

Jan 23, 2016 • 12 min

We go off on Anaheim’s lackluster Downtown Disney district, and the overall sad state of Disney resort retail.

87: Is Disneyland’s Castle Too Small?

Jan 16, 2016 • 22 min

Is Disneyland’s castle -too- small? How would you feel if Disney tore it down and built a new one? We discuss this oft-mentioned (though remote) possibility, and ask: what’s that one thing in the park that we couldn’t stand to see changed? Join us!

86: Florida, Part 5: Hollywood Studios

Jan 13, 2016 • 18 min

We wrap up our trip to Orlando with discussion of Hollywood Studios…and why Greg liked the park a lot more than he expected. Join us!

85: Florida, Part 4: Epcot

Jan 5, 2016 • 31 min

We talk about our recent trips to Epcot, discussing the new Test Track, the Food & Wine Festival, and why Living With The Land might be the best attraction there. Join us!

84: Florida, Part 3: FastPass+ and Magic Bands

Dec 21, 2015 • 31 min

More in Florida: Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, Greg’s dislike of Be Our Guest restaurant and the Disney Dining Plan, and everyone’s dislike of FastPass+.

83: Florida, Part 2: Hotels and Bars

Dec 11, 2015 • 19 min

Continuing our Florida discussion, the group talks about recent experiences at Universal’s amazing Cabana Bay, Disney’s Polynesian post-renovation, and we compare Trader Sam’s in Orlando and Anaheim. Join us!

82: Florida, Part 1: Universal Orlando

Dec 4, 2015 • 33 min

Greg and Louie recently returned from trips to Orlando; in the beginning of this multi-part episode, we cover our thoughts about Universal Orlando, Harry Potter, and why Greg thought Universal’s blockbuster attraction “Escape From Gringott’s” was lousy.

81: Star Wars Changes, Part 2

Nov 25, 2015 • 29 min

Star Wars is transforming Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Good? Bad? Join the discussion!

80: Star Wars Changes, Part 1

Nov 8, 2015 • 17 min

Star Wars Land is bringing big changes to Disneyland Park. What do we think about the shrinking Rivers of America? The loss of Big Thunder Ranch? Join us and find out!

79: Special Effects

Oct 25, 2015 • 39 min

We survey some of the most amazing effects in the Disney parks. Which one is our favorite? The Mansion ballroom? Tiki Room rain? Big Thunder dynamite? Join us and find out!

78: Duffy, the Disney Bear

Oct 2, 2015 • 44 min

Louie tries to sell us on the merits of Duffy the Disney teddy bear, leading to an interesting discussion: what makes for “good” Disney merchandise versus “bad”?

77: Louie at Tokyo DisneySea, Part 3

Sep 25, 2015 • 23 min

We wrap up Louie’s visit to Tokyo DisneySea with a discussion of Mermaid Lagoon, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Fantasmic!

76: Louie at Tokyo DisneySea, Part 2

Sep 1, 2015 • 31 min

This week we visit Port Discovery, Lost River Delta, Arabian Coast…and discuss the fact that “Tokyo DisneySea” is kind of a weird name. Join us!

75: Louie at Tokyo DisneySea, Part 1

Aug 30, 2015 • 26 min

Post-D23, we pick back up with Louie’s visit to Tokyo DisneySea! We talk about Tokyo’s spectacular Tower of Terror, the Luna Park-inspired Midway Mania, and American Waterfront. Join us!

74: D23, Part 2: Avatar Land

Aug 24, 2015 • 42 min

We wrap up D23 coverage with our discussion of Avatar Land, what they should name Disney Hollywood Studios, and Hong Kong’s new Iron Man attraction. Join us!

73: D23, Part 1: Star Wars Land

Aug 17, 2015 • 35 min

D23 2015 concluded today, and we wanted to capture our thoughts, fresh. Today, we talk Star Wars Land! Join us for our discussion of what might be Imagineering’s most important assignment ever!

72: Louie at Tokyo Disneyland, Part 3

Aug 4, 2015 • 21 min

Our final segment on Tokyo Disneyland Park, where we discuss parades, Marie the Cat, what’s inside Cinderella Castle, and the oddly-named One Man’s Dream II. Join us!

71: Louie at Tokyo Disneyland, Part 2

Jul 24, 2015 • 30 min

More on Louie’s visit to Tokyo! We talk Haunted Mansion, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Space Mountain, and uncover why Tokyo’s Jolly Trolley doesn’t work either. Join us!

70: Louie at Tokyo Disneyland, Part 1

Jul 17, 2015 • 33 min

Special guest Cabel Sasser re-joins us as we dig deep into Louie’s trip to what might be Disney’s most amazing theme parks. We tackle the controversial World Bazaar, Westernland, and Japan’s Grand Canyon Diorama! Join us…

69: Aulani, Part 3

Jul 2, 2015 • 10 min

We say so-long to the Aloha State with a quick wrap-up at Aulani. Will Disney ever build another standalone resort like Aulani? How does Aulani’s success compare with that of the Disney Cruises? Join us!

68: Aulani, Part 2

Jun 23, 2015 • 16 min

Part 2 of 3 in our discussion of Disney’s Aulani Resort, delving into its awesome spa and (refreshing) lack of Disney branding. And was Steve Jobs right? Is Aulani not ambitious enough? Join us!

67: Aulani, Part 1

Jun 17, 2015 • 18 min

Louie’s back from his trip to Aulani, and we start our discussion about Disney’s resort in Hawaii. What’s good? What’s bad? Should Disney even be building resorts away from theme parks? Join us!

66: Disneyland in 2055, Part 2

Jun 1, 2015 • 15 min

More thoughts about what Disneyland will be like in 2055. Which will survive: Haunted Mansion or Pirates? Will the people of 2055 even want to go to a theme park? Join us!

65: Disneyland in 2055, Part 1

May 26, 2015 • 23 min

The LA Times speculated recently on what Disneyland would be like on its 100th anniversary in 2055, and we couldn’t resist chiming in. Will dark rides still be fun in the future? Roller coasters? What about Main Street or Frontierland? Join us!

64: Disneyland for Walt Disney Worlders, Part 2

May 7, 2015 • 27 min

Part 2 of our guide to Disneyland for Walt Disney World regulars. We talk Indiana Jones, the Disneyland Railroad, Fantasmic and World of Color, hotels at Disneyland, and turkey legs! Join us…

63: Disneyland for Walt Disney Worlders, Part 1

May 1, 2015 • 22 min

There are tons of Walt Disney World regulars making their very first trip to Disneyland. Which attractions are better than their WDW counterparts? (Which are worse?) What to see? What to skip? Join us!

62: Walt’s EPCOT

Apr 6, 2015 • 19 min

We go back to the “original EPCOT”: not the theme park, but Walt Disney’s never-built city of tomorrow. Why wasn’t it built? Would it have succeeded? Join us! (And look for links to pertinent Disney footage in the podcast description.)

61: The Ride Capacity Debate

Apr 1, 2015 • 14 min

Disney raised the hackles of some by announcing plans to expand Walt Disney World’s Soarin’ and Midway Mania attractions. The debate: should Disney use that money to build new attractions rather than expand existing ones? Join us!

60: Walt Animatronic

Mar 26, 2015 • 6 min

A tiny bonus episode! The Walt Disney Company hasn’t built an animatronic of Walt Disney, allegedly per the family’s wishes. But what does that say about the state of animatronics…and the propriety of building an animatronic of any real person?

59: Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary

Mar 22, 2015 • 22 min

On our 59th episode we discuss Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary, including why Louie will be sorry to see Luigi’s Flying Tires fly away, Fantasyland upgrades, Star Wars Land at Disneyland, the Hatbox Ghost, and the Yelp rating of various Disneyland…

58: Pirates of the Caribbean, Part 2

Mar 16, 2015 • 17 min

We talk more about favorite animatronic figures in Pirates, discuss the Pirates films, try to figure out just what Pooped Pirate is supposed to be doing, then talk live entertainment in the parks. It’s all over the place…but a fun discussion. Join us!

57: Pirates of the Caribbean, Part 1

Mar 2, 2015 • 14 min

Finally, finally, finally…Pirates of the Caribbean! We talk about our likes and dislikes regarding the world’s most famous attraction, and compare some of the different versions around the world.

56: Ideas for A & B Ticket Attractions

Feb 19, 2015 • 14 min

Anybody can come up with ideas for awesome E-Ticket attractions. But the tricky part is coming up with cool A & B Ticket ideas. Join us as we take on the (very hard) challenge of designing fun, small-scale attractions for Disneyland!

55: Attraction Tickets

Jan 30, 2015 • 27 min

Every attraction at Disneyland used to require a ticket. How did that work? And what type of ticket—A, B, C, D, or E—would today’s attractions rate?

54: Disneyland Strategies

Jan 20, 2015 • 20 min

When you arrive at the park in the morning, what do you do? Alex, Greg, and Louie discuss their techniques for a successful day at Disneyland.

53: The New Club 33, Part 2: Privilege at Disneyland

Jan 12, 2015 • 14 min

Is it right to have an expensive, private club at Disneyland? Is it right to have any experiences at Disneyland that can’t be shared by everyone? Join our discussion!

52: The New Club 33, Part 1: The Tour

Jan 4, 2015 • 17 min

Louie takes us on a tour of the recent changes at Disneyland’s legendary, members-only, Club 33.

51: MyMagic+

Dec 11, 2014 • 21 min

Alex reviews Walt Disney World’s new technology that promises to reduce lines, reduce stress, and take the theme park experience fully into the 21st Century. Is it a success?

50: Holiday Overlays

Dec 3, 2014 • 21 min

This week: Haunted Mansion Holiday, It’s A Small World Holiday, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy…Disneyland routinely gets dolled up for the holidays. But is it a good idea?

49: Diagon Alley

Nov 23, 2014 • 42 min

Alex tours us through the nooks and crannies of Universal Orlando’s spectacular Diagon Alley. And we find out why Louie thinks Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey is a lousy attraction.

48: Crowds and Pricing

Nov 10, 2014 • 24 min

Disneyland seems increasingly crowded. What can be done about that? Join our wide-ranging discussion about pricing, annual passes, and old-fashioned ride tickets.

47: Star Wars Land vs. Avatar Land

Nov 2, 2014 • 35 min

We debate the merits of two of Imagineering’s most anticipated projects: Animal Kingdom’s Avatar Land, and the (seemingly inevitable) Star Wars Land at Disney Hollywood Studios! Which one will be better, and why? We discuss it all!

46: Alex and Cabel in Tokyo, Part 5

Oct 29, 2014 • 27 min

It’s our final day in Tokyo, as Alex and Cabel give us an overview of DisneySea live entertainment, the crazy level of theming detail in the park, and the dreaded black gyoza dog.

45: Alex and Cabel in Tokyo, Part 4

Oct 18, 2014 • 33 min

Alex Pasco and guest Cabel Sasser take us to Tokyo DisneySea! Among the wonders they encounter: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage, and Tokyo’s amazing (and very different) rendition of the Tower of Terror!

44.5: BONUS: Tokyo Disneyland Snacks (Tokyo Part 3)

Oct 17, 2014 • 5 min

Snack-termission! Before we head on to Tokyo DisneySea, a very, very brief interlude describing some of the snack foods Alex and Cabel encountered at Tokyo Disneyland.

44: Alex and Cabel in Tokyo, Part 2

Oct 13, 2014 • 36 min

Alex Pasco and guest Cabel Sasser tour us around the rest of Tokyo Disneyland Park, discussing fireworks, Japanese bathrooms, and why you won’t get wet on Tokyo’s Splash Mountain.

43: Alex and Cabel in Tokyo, Part 1

Oct 5, 2014 • 30 min

Alex Pasco and guest Cabel Sasser traveled to Tokyo, and in the first of this multi-part series, we hear about Tokyo Disneyland, Disney merchandise in Japan, and the mystery of Gelatoni.

42: The Haunted Mansion, Park Orientation, “Story” in Attractions, and Frozen

Sep 28, 2014 • 22 min

We wrap up the Haunted Mansion, then talk about everything: the compass orientation of Disney parks, the role of “story” and plot in attractions, and finally, thoughts on Disney’s “Frozen” obsession.

41: The Haunted Mansion, Part 2

Sep 22, 2014 • 13 min

The second and final part of our Haunted Mansion exploration.

40: The Haunted Mansion, Part 1

Sep 8, 2014 • 22 min

Part one in our exploration of the deepest reaches of Anaheim and Orlando’s creepest attraction: the Haunted Mansion! We compare and contrast the two, and talk about what makes this attraction so special.

39: About Us

Aug 27, 2014 • 29 min

It’s our 39th episode, and we’ve still never introduced ourselves! Time to correct that oversight and tell you all about Alex, Greg, and Louie. (Don’t worry: lots of theme park talk thrown in, too.)

38: Disneyland Merchandise

Aug 17, 2014 • 23 min

From pin trading to questionable t-shirts to what does John Lasseter really do for Disney?…we cover it all regarding merchandise and collectibles.

37: Is Main Street a “Land”?

Aug 11, 2014 • 16 min

A debate that’s raged online for years: is Main Street a “land”? What about New Orleans Square? We tackle the definition of “land” and what it means to Disneyland.

36: Disney Hollywood Studios - Part 2

Aug 3, 2014 • 19 min

We continue our look at Disney World’s least-loved park, including talk about that dumb sorcerer’s hat, and the role of theme park centerpieces in general.

35: Disney Hollywood Studios - Part 1

Jul 27, 2014 • 17 min

We take a deep dive into Disney Hollywood Studios: what works, what doesn’t, what we’d change if we could!

34: Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur Attraction

Jul 21, 2014 • 15 min

It’s our least favorite E-Ticket attraction by far, and we analyze what’s so wrong with it, and how it could be salvaged.

33: Food at Disneyland

Jul 13, 2014 • 23 min

A spirited survey of all the food and snack options at Disneyland.

32: Ride Technology

Jul 8, 2014 • 22 min

We discuss the technology that make the attractions we love work: free-roaming vehicles, omnimovers, audio-animatronics, and why the floating Madame Leota is maybe a step backward.

31: The Disneyland Prospectus - Part 2

Jun 29, 2014 • 13 min

We continue our discussion of the original Disneyland prospectus that recently appeared on Boing Boing, then veer into Disney’s role in the 1964 World’s Fair.

30: The Disneyland Prospectus - Part 1

Jun 21, 2014 • 14 min

The original proposal for Disneyland surfaced recently, and Alex and Greg take a deep dive, analyzing the document, Walt, Epcot, and the fidelity of today’s Disneyland to the original concept.

29: Disney’s Movie Theater Chain

Jun 17, 2014 • 14 min

Disney doesn’t have its own movie theater chain, but Louie thinks it should. And the result is a discussion about the theater business, the movie business, and what kind of endeavors WDI should get into.

28: Things we don’t like. At all.

Jun 9, 2014 • 25 min

It’s not all puppies and rainbows. We trade some barbs with the park regarding things we don’t like.

27: Ahoy, it’s Discovery Bay!

Jun 2, 2014 • 11 min

From the “What Could Have Been Department” comes the heartbreaking story of Discovery Bay.

26: Fantasyland Dark Rides

May 28, 2014 • 20 min

Where the traditional dark ride is concerned, Fantasyland takes the cake. Our deep dive on the dark ride.

25.5: Disneyland Vs. California Adventure

May 19, 2014 • 3 min

A very controversial subject. How are Disneyland and DCA stacking up against one another?

25: The Matterhorn

May 19, 2014 • 9 min

The Matterhorn is like a little land unto itself. Let’s talk about it.

24: Disneyland ToonTown

May 12, 2014 • 15 min

We take a stroll through Mickey’s Toontown

23: Disneyland Critter Country

May 5, 2014 • 14 min

The past, present, and future of Disneyland’s Critter Country

22: What makes a good Disney Resort? Part 3

Apr 22, 2014 • 14 min

Should Disney be building hotels that aren’t attached to theme parks?

21: What makes a good Disney Resort? Part 2

Apr 12, 2014 • 22 min

A lively discussion about the different Disney resort tiers and their amenities.

20: What makes a good Disney Resort? Part 1

Mar 23, 2014 • 23 min

What are the ingredients for a successful Disney Resort Experience?

19: Tomorrowland - Part 2

Mar 3, 2014 • 22 min

A holistic conversation about Tomorrowland’s good parts, bad parts, and what it could be.

18: Tomorrowland - Part 1

Feb 26, 2014 • 13 min

A holistic conversation about Tomorrowland’s good parts, bad parts, and what it could be.

17: Epcot - The Future of Future World

Feb 17, 2014 • 19 min

Future World has the toughest problem of any Disney park - how can it change and evolve while still staying true to its original mission?

16: World Showcase Characters

Feb 10, 2014 • 19 min

When does it make sense to use or not use Disney Property characters in World Showcase pavilions and attractions?

15: The Adventurer’s Club

Feb 4, 2014 • 24 min

It hasn’t been stuck in Yesterland for very long, but we like talking about The Adventurer’s Club

14: Liberty Square

Jan 26, 2014 • 26 min

Let’s all take a trip to Liberty Square!

13: Louie’s Dilemma, Part 3 - The Wonders of Tokyo DisneySea

Jan 20, 2014 • 28 min

The final factor of the equation: Tokyo DisneySea

12: Louie’s Dilemma, Part 2 - Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland

Jan 12, 2014 • 29 min

All the finer points of Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland

11: Louie’s Dilemma, Part 1 - Disneyland Paris

Dec 29, 2013 • 31 min

Should Louie visit Disneyland Paris or the Asian Disney Parks next?

10: Favorite moments in Disney Parks, Part 2

Dec 3, 2013 • 28 min

A continuation of the little things that make Disney Parks so wonderful.

9: Favorite moments in Disney Parks, Part 1

Nov 2, 2013 • 30 min

All the little things that make Disney Parks so wonderful.

8: Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line Trip Report - Part 2

Sep 25, 2013 • 37 min

Cruising - Disney Style

7: Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line Trip Report - Part 1

Aug 20, 2013 • 27 min

New Fantasyland, Storybook Circus, and gallivanting around the Magic Kingdom

6: Disneyland Resort trip report - Part 3

Jul 28, 2013 • 24 min

A quick detour to Epcot, and then the Wonderful World of Color.

5: Disneyland Resort trip report - Part 2

Jul 9, 2013 • 33 min

Disney California Adventure: might as well be a brand new park.

4: Disneyland Resort trip report - Part 1

Jun 20, 2013 • 26 min

Disneyland trip report, attractions that are new to us and the legendary Tiki Maynard.

3: Main Street musings, corporate sponsorships and beverages

May 7, 2013 • 22 min

On Main Street USA, corporate sponsorships, Disneyland tickets and drinking refreshing and delicious Beverly.

2: Yesterland Attractions at Disney Parks

Apr 23, 2013 • 26 min

The guys wax philosophical about attractions that are no longer at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and Louie sings us a song.

1: Lucasfilm and Marvel in the Parks

Apr 4, 2013 • 28 min

The guys dish on Star Tours 2, Captain EO, the Indiana Jones Adventure, Marvel, and what role these things should play in Disney parks.