The Park Hopper Society

Park Tank: Your Ideas to Improve Disney

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

After Hours Social - March 23, 2026

This is the audio from our most recent After Hours Social Livestream. We do these about once a month on Facebook and YouTube. It’s a more open ended relaxed discussion and we answer your questions in real time! Make sure to check our socials so you’ll be able to hang out with us next time!
This time we hang out and recap a seven-day Disney trip full of new experiences — Festival of the Lion King, Hoop-Dee-Doo, Behind the Seeds, and more.
We also share our opinions on transport (minivan vs. Uber), park-hopping strategies, airport timing, favorite nighttime hangouts, and answer listener questions in a casual, live-format conversation.

It All Started with a Mouse: The History of Disney CEOs

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

Cast Member Confidential: Dave

We are joined by friend of the podcast (and friend in real life) Dave to discuss what Disney was like from the very beginning. Dave started working at Disney in 1975 as a bartender before joining Disney University and helping to write training programs for all sorts of roles throughout Walt Disney World. This was a really cool interview, and if you like imagining what a day in the park was like back then (or want to relive it if you experienced it first hand) this is an episode you don't want to miss!
We also preview the upcoming 2026 Flower and Garden Festival menus (and do a much better job this time), and talk about what we're most excited to try. And sadly, we mourn the loss of one of the greatest menu items ever to grace an Epcot festival.

East vs West: Disney World or Disneyland?

We discuss the similarities and differences between Disney World and Disneyland. From comparing rides and food, to the "Disney Bubble" or lack thereof, to resort offerings, and more, we dive deep into both destinations and give you our thoughts and opinions.
Plus, in honor of President's Day here in the US we talk about the history and evolution of The Hall of Presidents. We learn some interesting things ourselves about this classic attraction (or classic napping spot).

The Florida Project, What Might Have Been

What if Walt hadn't died? We discuss the evolution of Disney parks under Walt from his original idea as he watched his girls play at Griffith Park, through the construction and opening of Disneyland, to the land acquisition and unveiling of The Florida Project and ask ourselves: what would Walt think of Disney World today?
We also play Sail, Float, Sink to decide which classic Disney attraction we would never change, which one we would give a major overhaul to, and which one we would tear down and get rid of if we were in charge.

Is Tokyo Disneyland Really Cheaper Than Disney World?

We've seen the meme that it's cheaper to go to Disneyland Tokyo than it is to go to Disney World, but is it really? We put that to the test  by comparing three realistic family trips across parks worldwide. We look at hotel, park tickets, and even food prices as well as flights from 4 different cities in the US.
We also preview the booth menus for the 2026 Festival of the Arts (which we very maturely refer to as FArts), and discuss the summer discounts for Disney World.

New Year, New(ish) Disney

We take a look at major 2026 additions and refurbishments for Disney worldwide, and debate which international parks are our number one pick to visit this year.
 
We also share our opinions on the best times to visit Walt Disney World in 2026 — covering festivals, crowds, weather, and price to make the most of your trip.

Our Disney Christmas Wish List

We make our Disney Christmas Wish Lists. From the mundane, to the unlikely, to the unhinged we list the things we hope and wish could happen at Disney. We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season!

Lightning Lane, Naughty or Nice?

We discuss the history of Lightning Lane at Disney World. From the early days of paying for individual rides, through ticket books, Fast Pass, Genie+, to today's Lightning Lane we discuss how things have changed and what we think of the current version. We also take a look at the 2025 Festival of the Holidays food menus.