EarzUp!

A lot of attention is given to how well Disneyland keeps up with its looks - the exterior of show buildings, the cleanliness of the streets, but we don't really think too much about what it takes to maintain the actual show figures in the rides.  Today we talk to Matt Staley,  who is a Figure Finisher in Disneyland, about what goes in to figure maintenance and ... How to be a Disney Figure Finisher But first ... We talk about recycling, which is a natural segue to the old cartoon Captain Planet of which Terrence and Taren were apparently huge fans of.  Then Terrence lets us know just how much of an emotional fireball he is, which comes as a shock to literally nobody in the studio. Then, the return of Taren's Thinks.  Or Taren Stinks, depending on how you hear it. Finally, Matt Staley joins us, and he's part of the Figure Finishing department at Disneyland.  We talk about what it takes to be a Figure Finisher, and what that really means to us as guests.  Matt is a lot of fun and gave us a great look behind the scenes, while still keeping the magic alive for us! Jason totally blows the Fact of the Show to hell, then it's time to leave. See you in the Parks!   Save

Every so often we like to take the helm of Disneyland and imagine how we can make the parks better.  At least, to us.  To that end, its time for ... EarzUp! Imagineering ... Again! But first ... Our resident Marvel expert, Anthony (AKA Kanye),  joins us to talk about Marvel's new flick, "Civil War",  and what that means within the Marvel Universe.  But since he's family we lt him sit in on the whole show, which starts with some cool feedback, and a long trail of weirdness ensues like it always does. Then we jump right into the EarzUp Imagineering show, trying to see who has the best ideas for breathing some new life into the Anaheim resort that doesn't have "Frozen" in the title.   Autopia, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Matterhorn, Skyway Buckets, Shooting Gallery, sailing ship columbia, and more - are all on the chopping block for us.  Or at least are in need of a little love. Taren does her research on our Main Street Windows segment, Jason pops his Fact of the Show, and that's it. See you in the Parks! (Thanks to Kyle for the photo of the window. Check out his Flickr page for more great Disney photos!) Save Save

Weddings are tough to plan, and even tougher to execute.  A lot of cash is spent on places and services that offer up an easy time on your Big Day, and where there's cash to be had, you can find The Mouse.  Today is all about the glamor and unexpected awesomeness of ... Disney Weddings But first ... Jason shaves his beard but leaves his terrible moustache, and everyone in the world lets him know about it.  Terrence talks about how he's failing at doing his Bambi review for our Disney Animated Classics reviews, but swears it won't end up in the Drafts folder like Jasons' Fantasia review has. We get a recap from Bev on her recent trip to Disneyland, including her ride of Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters. Terrence has some friends who were looking for a Disney Wedding, and through a series of fortunate events, got the wedding they didn't know they were looking for.   We chat with them about not only Disney Weddings in general, but how they got so lucky with their ceremony and reception, and get a few tips for those of you out there who may be interested in your own Disney wedding. Then we bring our pal Jeremy from SpectroRadio back for another segment of SpectroMagic, we do some Disney News, rattle off a Fact of the Show, and that's it. See you in the parks!

All of us on the show have a Disneyland Annual Passport, but not all of us are going to continue that tradition.  For some of us, the passes are more of a burden than anything, and we are going to not renew. It's a conversation we've been wanting to have for awhile, so today we get right down to ... What's Wrong With the Disneyland Annual Passport? But first ... Jason opens the show talking about how nervous he is regarding his upcoming wisdom teeth extraction.   Then we handle some rather unique feedback, with a listener asking us to imagineer a restaurant on the spot, and we do our best to do him proud. Then it's SpectroTime!  Jeremy from SpectroRadio comes on to give us another history lesson on the magic of Disney music.  Today, we learn about the area music of Main Street, USA! Finally we get to the show - the Disneyland Annual Passport and what we think is wrong with them, and why most of us are giving them up at the end of the year.  For you long-term listeners, we did a similar show back in October 2013  that Taren listened to (so you don't have to) on why passports are great, and gave us a rundown on our thoughts three years ago to preface this show.   My, how things have changed. Then we discuss ways that Disneyland can improve the over-crowding in the parks with on of our favorite things to do - stretch our inner imagineer! Finally, it's Disney News, the Fact of the Show, and we are off.   See you in the parks!      

With a park as complex and varied as Disneyland, there have to be injuries occurring on a daily basis, right?  And humans being the way we are, there have to be numerous lawsuits resulting from thee injuries.  Author David Koenig does the research, uncovering years and years of court cases, all culminating in his new book ... The People v. Disneyland But first ... We have a few listeners in the studio tonight, which is always a treat.  Listener Caleb and his family stopped by to chat with us about what an 8-year old boy loves about Disneyland.  As adults we can guess, but rarely do we sit down and really ask.  Caleb lets us know! Terrence and Jason  talk about that time they faceswapped.  The results of which can be found below:   We hit up some feedback and drop some suggestions on where to propose in the parks for a listener.  (Spoiler alert: she said yes!) Our friend Matt, who works at Disneyland, came on the show to talk about the EnvironMentalty Art Challenge that the CM's do backstage, and this year was the first time their projects were shown to the public.  It was great to hear about the cool things that go on backstage, and we were happy to help spread the word! Finally we chat with Caleb about what he loves to do in the parks, which is pretty fun, and then we chat with David Koenig, the author of The People v. Disneyland.  David is a blast to interview, and the book is a very interesting collection of lawsuit summaries.  I know that doesn't sound exciting, but David's writing style pulls you through each one very well.  Highly recommend it, and you can grab it here via our Amazon Link!       Then it's the Fact of the Show, and we are done. See you in the Parks!                

Few rides are loved and hated as much as The Matterhorn.  It stands as the ride that redefined the roller coaster as we know it today, and also the one that bruises hips, knees, and arms.  Love it or hate it, The Matterhorn is here to stay, and to that end, crack-shot reporter Terrence is here to give us ... The History of The Matterhorn But first ... We had a full studio tonight, as a group of friends came to hang out and watch the podcast radio magic happen!  A listener writes in with Feedback for each of us.  Except for Bev.  Then we talk to our Twin Reporters Parker and Annie Essers, who give us an exclusive report on their sneak preview of Harry Potter Land over at Universal Studios in LA.  Yes, I know it's not called Harry Potter Land, but it should be. Taren's Thinks happens, and then Terrence takes over the show to give us the history of The Matterhorn ride. Then it's the Fact of the Show, and we get to go home. See you in the parks!                    

For most of us, enjoying Disney Parks is a pretty simple business: show up, walk around, and explore things the way Walt intended.  But for others there's a call to see the parks in a whole new way.  That's the premise of today's show, where we interview Philip Swift about his new Disney documentary called ... The Dark Side of Disney But first ... We start the show talking about why we do a live show and choose not edit out our rambling nonsense.  Which I still don't understand, but whatever. Terrence waxes poetic about typewriters, which somehow became a talk on film developing.  We don't know either ... Feedback happens, and then we jump on with our guest, Philip Swift, to talk about his latest Disney documentary, The Dark Side of Disney, based around the book of the same name.  In it, he and a small camera crew interview some Disney superfans who have done less-than-legal things in the parks, including jumping off of rides and walking around the animatronics!  Philips quest was to see if it was really possible that there were Disney fans out there that pushed the envelope on what it meant to love Disney.  And he found them.   Philip was a great interview and The Dark Side of Disney is super entertaining,  we can't recommend it enough.   Head to DSOD.com to find out how to watch it for yourself, or you can grab it here from our Amazon link! Then Fact of the Show and we get to go home. See you in the parks!  

Taren takes up her history books and presents us with the second part of our epic look into how Walt built up his company, from lone animator to king of an empire. Today, we dive deep into ... The History of the Walt Disney Company: Part 2 But first ... We open with the studio clowning on Taren about strange stuff.  Which is pretty normal these days. Then we jump right into the show, as Taren gives us part two in the history of the Walt Disney Company, covering how Walt raised funds to build the park, all the planning involved in that, and how he dominated over his haters.  Taren does her homework to find some great that you don't hear too much on.  For example, Roy totally freezing Walt out of using company funds to build Disneyland.  We never knew! Bev treats us to another insight into the Windows on Main Street. Pretty tidy little show. See you in the parks!

The older you get, the less a ride can freak you out. Well, Disneyland has figured a way around that, by building a center of all that is evil in the world in the outskirts of California Adventure.  Today, Terrence brings you ... The History of Tower of Terror But first ... In introing the show we discover Terrences secret desire to build a Tower of Churros, and figure out just how to make that happen.   Then we jump into some Feedback, and another unreal segment of Taren's Thinks. We debate the interest that folks in Imagineering have in Disneyland, which as Taren points out, seems to be diminishing, and we segue that into talking about the recent 60th Tv special that wasn't all that special. Terrence takes us through the History of Tower of Terror, from inception to construction, including some cool hidden gems within the ride that you may not have noticed. Then some Disney News, a Fact of the Show, and that's that. See you in the parks!  

Through the years, Disney has created some (if not all) of the most memorable rides and attractions in theme park history.  But like any entertainment juggernaut, there is always room for ideas to improve, and sometimes that means cutting them all together.   Today we talk about ... Disney and the Rides That Never Were But first ... We run through some feedback where we debate if the SD zoo is the same as Disneyland.  Then a rousing segment of Taren's Thinks.   We talk to Dan from Mousebrew about the latest and greatest in DCA drinks-wise, which pretty much means Cove Bar! After Dan, Terrence turns back the clock to tell us about the Disney rides that never were built - and not just in the parks! Some real quick Disney News, then the Fact of the Show , which centers around a very angry duck, and then we leave. See you in the parks!  

The Little Mermaid ride at DCA is fairly new , but it's Bev's favorite movie and well, it was her turn to do a segment on the show. So with that in mind, we bring you ... The History of The Little Mermaid Ride But first ... We start off talking about slang and what the hip term is for "significant other", for some strange reason.  These show intros are never planned, and are totally organic, so we have no clue what's going to come pouring out when the mics turn on. Then we talk to Jeremy from SpectroRadio for a quick recap of his recent broadcasting troubles and how he is now back broadcasting.  After a sigh of relief, we get down to brass tacks: Jeremy is debuting  a new re-occurring segment on EarzUp, called  "It's SpectroTime!", and the point is to have him on once a month to talk to us about a different piece of Disney music.  Today, Jeremy tells us about his favorite piece, SpectroMagic: what it is, where it came from, and why he loves it. Bev has the floor as she tells us the history of The Little Mermaid ride, and we all learn a lot about the ride that has one of the shortest lines in the parks.   It's also a great place to get out of the heat, since it's air conditioned! We move on to Jason as he does some Disney News, Fact of the Show, and then we are done! See you in the parks!  

Disneyland has so much to offer by they way of rides and attractions that we sometimes can miss the details that make the parks what they are.  The Disney is in the details, if you will.  Terrence sat down to make a list of some amazing details that can be overlooked, and came up with ... 23 Things You May Have Missed In Disneyland But first ... After our usual opening of banter, we jump into Feedback, and Jason and Terrence make fun of Taren.  Terrence raps a song about the Haunted Mansion, written by a listener called Greg.  Yes, that Greg!  Then it's off to a new episode of Taren's Thinks that may have you rethinking the contents of your shopping cart. Then it's time for Terrence to shine as he runs down his list of 23 things you may have missed in Disneyland.  For the photos and locations, see our blog post! We also have Terrence's Audio Game to play, and this one goes a bit more smoothly than the last one. Finally, another Window on Main Street Segment from Bev, and that's it. See you in the parks!

Most fans of Disneyland know a little bit about Walt and the company he built, but for the most part we just sort of pick up his history after the construction of Disneyland.  In today's show, we take you through  ... The History of the Walt Disney Company: Part 1 But first ... Jason had a very special gift for those of you listening live over on Livestream, as he forgot the cameras were rolling and made some terribly rude gestures.   Thankfully they were edited out of the video, but if you like seeing sort of "outtakes" like that, watching live is the way to go, I guess. Terrence and Bev's kids have some history, and they are only 5 and 4 years old, respectfully. Jason reflects on age and how his timeline is out of whack, and we go over even more ramblings about life, the lottery, and earthquakes. We do some Main Street Fanny Packers talk and give an update on our logo production and some possible methods of joining. Then we get down to business!  Taren has done a ton of research on The Walt Disney Company and broke everything down into three parts.  Today we talk about part one, which is how Walt went from ambulance driver to Academy Award Winner. After that there is some Disney News, and then we end the show ... or do we?  After the outro music Terrence and Jason stick around to talk a bit about the new Star Wars film, so if you haven't seen it, be sure to stop listening when you hear the outro music! See you in the parks!    

We never really thought about doing a Christmas show.  There are plenty of podcasts that do them, and we don't get to the parks during the holidays enough to have a solid report or opinion.  But then our friend Jeremy at SpectroRadio suggested we give it a shot and so we did.  Here now, is the first ever ... EarzUp Christmas Show But first ... It's very clear that this is our second - and last - early morning show.  Between the weird laugh that Jason has, to the long rambling conversations about donuts, this show has a hard time getting going ... but it does.  Eventually. We explore the complex world of the EarzUp podcast podcast, if it were to ever happen.  Then after a few more random rants, Taren takes us through the history of the NBC overlay on the  Haunted Mansion. After, we presented ourselves with a challenge - to craft a Christmas overlay for an existing ride.  Not that we need more overlays in Disneyland, but it was a fun exercise. Then we speak with Mickey Clause to give him our Christmas lists, Terrence/Conrad/Steve tells us about another window on Main Street, Jason hits the Fact of the Show, and we are out!

Disneyland has loads of dining options - some good, some not.  But what about when it comes to their character dining options?  Terrence and Bev give us the rundown on everything you need to take on ... Character Dining at Disneyland But first ... We recorded this show early on a Saturday, and it shows.  Jason's voice is scruffy and we are all a bit overly chatty in the beginning.  We also had some issues with Terrence's mic, which is why he sounds like he's 8 miles away.  It was an odd morning, for sure. Terrence talks about how dramatic his kid Tommy is, then we jump into a bit of Feedback before the insightful social commentary that is "Taren's Thinks". Then we jump into Character Dining at Disneyland with Terrence and sort of Bev.  We get the full rundown of all options available draw upon their experiences to determine if  the high-cost is worth it. We continue with our Main Street Window rundown with Taren, Disney News is next, then the Fact of the Show, and that's it!