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Show Summary
Discover the hidden sanctuaries within Disneyland's lively atmosphere as Paul from the Window to the Magic podcast guides us to pockets of tranquility where the magic of relaxation meets the wonder of Disney. Amidst the whirlwind of excitement, we navigate through serene spots that offer a much-needed reprieve. From the sensory-friendly oasis of Popcorn Park in Toontown to the hushed nostalgia on Main Street's porch, our conversation is a treasure map to peaceful havens that provide a restful escape for all, including sensory-sensitive guests and those just longing for a quiet moment.
Join us on a leisurely stroll around Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park as we unearth quiet seating areas and the lesser-known picnic spot near the park entrance—the perfect place to enjoy the Esplanade's soothing music. We venture beyond the lively throngs to reveal the peaceful corners behind Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land, sharing our tips to find these hidden gems and how to savor a moment of calm with a chicken and coleslaw side. Our journey through these tranquil locales is a gentle reminder that even amidst the theme park bustle, spots of serenity await to rejuvenate your spirit.
The episode closes with an intimate look at the creation of the Window to the Magic podcast, where Paul shares how his vision of delivering an immersive auditory Disneyland experience has connected listeners around the globe. We learn how the magic of ambient park sounds can offer therapeutic relief and joy, as Paul recounts heartwarming tales from fans whose lives have been touched by these magical soundscapes. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that invites you to experience the enchantment of Disneyland's atmosphere in a whole new way, and stay tuned for future collaborations that promise to amplify the delight.
Chapters and Time Stamps
0:00 Intro
8:38 Habor Gallery
12:36 The Porch on Main Street
13:05 Main Street Cinema
19:28 Hollywood Backlot
21:38 Boardwalk Pizza
22:38 Silly Symphony Swings
23:58 Behind Grizzly River Run
26:06 Near Soarin'
26:38 Hotel Lobbies
26:50 The Disneyland Hotel
Show Transcript
Welcome to the ParkMagic Podcast, your place for insider tips for your next Disneyland Adventure. Whether you're a first-timer or a first-time-in-a-while visitor, we're here to unwrap the secrets to creating and simplifying your dream Disneyland vacation.
Robyn:
Intro to Paul from Window to the Magic
Shhh, do you hear that? I do. I hear this amazing guest. Nobody knows the sounds of Disney Parks better than our guests. We have Paul from Window to the Magic, which is a podcast that I love listening to as somebody who goes to the parks, and the parks are my happy place. I actually told him when I met him just a couple of weeks ago that sometimes when I get really stressed, I'll put on his podcast because it brings to life the magic of the park through the different sounds that you would hear. So, nobody knows the sounds of the park better.
So, Paul, thank you so much for coming on to share a little bit about the quietest places in the parks. There are a couple of places around the parks that can be a really great place to get that quiet fix, and I was kind of hoping you could share from your years and years of recording at the Disneyland Resort where are some of the best places and then some of the places that you know might seem like a good quiet place but might end up having some noisy surprises.
Paul:
Thank you so much for having me on the show. I appreciate it. And yes, I have, at this point, made an almost 20-year career out of podcasting the sounds of Disneyland. So, I am very familiar with what the park sounds like and where you can go.
One of the places that I was going to mention, and I'll just start with that one, is called Popcorn Park. It is in Toon Town, and it is one of the new spots. When they redid Toontown, they did it in such a way that they had in mind sensory necessary for kids. So, they have redesigned it in such a way that it's you can have fun regardless of your abilities or needs.
Popcorn Park in Toontown
Popcorn Park is in the back, and it's a covered area in the back. They've got grass there now, it's big grass, but they've got grass and benches.
Where Toon Town has all of that tonish music playing and it's fairly loud and things like that, once you get back into Popcorn Park, it's designed for kids to get away from all of that stimulation. So, it's darker and there's not a lot to see back there. It looks like a cave, and they are playing Disney music, but really lo-fi like downbeat Disney music. You almost can't identify what songs they're playing. That's how off the beaten path it is. And it's really, really a nice place to go and just kick back. Really, the only noise that you hear is the sound of Chippendale's Gadget Coaster because that's over in that area as well. But that's, you know, 50 feet, 75 feet away. And that's a fairly quiet coaster. So, it's not too bad. But I would say that is the newest and best location in the park for this type of activity.
Robyn:
I actually really liked that area. You might have some people talking or, you know, background noise, but for the most part, it's really quiet when you walk into Toon Town. There's also a little grassy area. That's right, as you come in. That's not what he's talking about. You're going to head to the left and kind of go until the road, but I agree that is one of the best places to get a little sensory, so it can be a nice place to decompress for both adults and children.
Paul:
The location is just immediately to the left of Mickey's House, between Mickey's House and the Chippendale Gadget Coaster. That's really nice.
Robyn:
What are some of the other areas at Disneyland? Because I feel like there's fewer areas at Disneyland just because the footprint is so tight. Where are some of the other areas of Disneyland I think might be a good place to get a quiet break?
Paul:
The Old Motorboat Launch Dock
My next choice, kind of working my way logically around the park, would be the old Motor Boat Cruise launch dock. That is over by Idle Weiss snacks, and it's under the monorail track, immediately across from the Matterhorn and it is a very quiet place because most people look and they go, ‘Well, that's like an abandoned boat dock, and all I see is some chairs there, but there's nothing going on. There's no theming, there's no nothing.’
So, if you walk down to the far end of that boat dock, it's just quiet. There's water all the way around you, except for the way you walk in, and the only sounds you will hear are the sounds off in the distance coming from, you know, Small World Mall, that sort of thing. The occasional sound of the monorail running above your head. The monorail doesn't honk when it's above you, thankfully. But this is one of those places where you want to be aware because this is right next to Small World Mall that's on the parade route. So, if the parade is running, if there's a marching band, if there's any sort of activity happening on the parade route, or if it's fireworks time, it is not going to be quiet.
Of course, it's not going to be quiet anywhere in the park during fireworks. But this, especially because this is closer to the fireworks by a lot than being out on Main Street, that sort of thing.
Robyn:
I think sometimes I see people go, ‘Oh, go take a call on the outside between Monorail and over by Galactic Grill, and it is quiet there most of the time.’ But when a parade comes through, it is very much not quiet. And I think, yeah, that's where Disneyland can be, especially, you know, it can be tricky because there are announcements that come through, things along those lines that can definitely bring up the volume quite a bit.
Paul:
Now, depending on how actually quiet you want it to be, if you don't mind the sound of the occasional Autopia car going by, I would say one of the most fun places you can go to is actually just a little bit down from that boat dock. And it's the former smoking area underneath the monorail platform, over by where Autopia and the Submarine Voyage meet. The only issue, you know, it's like a business called, probably not a good idea, you're going by in the background and the occasional sound coming from the Matterhorn of people screaming and whatever. But for kids, they're not going to mind either of those noises. And so, I think that would be another good location.
Robyn:
I feel like you're taking me through a void just like you do on your podcast. What would be the next location for you?
Paul:
Another location that I enjoy, oddly, is completely on the other side of the park now, which is all the way over, in the backside of the Hungry Bear restaurant.
Hungry Bear Restaurant
The Hungry Bear restaurant is actually on the second floor, and its seating area goes around the restaurant and behind it next to the railroad tracks. But it's actually the second floor; if you take the stairs down, you end up on the first floor, which, it’s got some additional seating in the Country Bear bathrooms and things like that. And that's where the walkway to Galaxy's Edge is if you go all the way to the back. Without going down the stairs, you go all the way to the back.
Unless it's a busy day, you're going to have an entire seating area to yourself, where the only noises you're going to hear are the "2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2" of the train as it goes by, and you can wave at everybody as they're going by. And it's, you know, that's a fun, especially for somebody who's audio-driven like I am. It's really neat to hear that train going by. Then you'll hear the Mark Twain as it goes down the Rivers of America. And then, if the Columbia is running, that's the only time you run into a little bit of a problem with this area because that is the area where they fire the cannon. So, if the Columbia is running, be aware that, you know, once every 20 minutes, once every 30 minutes, the ship is going to come around the corner, and you're gonna get a big bang. Then it's quiet for another 20-25 minutes.
But this is a really nice area, nice seating. You get Hungry Bear restaurant there so you can get your food and go over there and eat. And even if it is crowded, it's still fairly quiet back there. The farther you go back, the better it gets.
Robyn:
Habor Gallery
How do you feel about over the area over by Harbor Gallery across from haunted mansion?
Paul:
Are you talking about the new area that they just built or the area that's been there for years?
Robyn:
You know, can you go in and then there's it's like you can't see the tables from the front there's like kind of like a little kind of secret seating area.
Paul:
That's the hidden path, the Harbor Galley hidden path that really has no purpose except just to be a nice little walk and about halfway along that walk are five tables, or something like that. A fairly exclusive location if you can get seating there, that's really nice. And that is super isolated because most people don't know that it's even there. And like I said, you have to walk around the boat, so if there's a boat in the dock, you're completely blocked from every other noise in the park except for whatever's going around the Rivers of America. So that's not a bad area.
There's also they just built a new area like Harbor Galley seating area, that's the one with the birds. I can't remember the name of the birds right now. A Pelican, Pelican Landing, I think is what they call it. And that is actually not a bad location either. Although it's very much in front of Haunted Mansion, and on a walking path. It's not loud; there's not a lot of foot traffic that goes through there because it's kind of blocked off. And when Fantasmic is running, if you're sitting there and you've seen it before and you just want to be there for it, it's not a bad viewing area either.
Robyn:
Pirate's Lair (Tom Sawyer Island)
What do you think about Pirate Lair on times? I find that Tom Sawyer's Island, it's kind of like literally a walk in the park. Like even over there, we were there on a day that was oppressively busy. It was a day that there was a fire alarm, and like plumbing happened and near TikiLand, so they had all of Adventureland blocked off, and it was just oppressively busy. So, we went over to Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island, and especially on the far side of the island, I found it very quiet, very peaceful. And since so few people go over there, you know, a lot of personal space.
Paul:
Nobody goes over there. It's one of those locations. I mean, there's maybe 10 people on the island at any time. And so especially when they have the actual Pirates Lair open, and you can go into the area that used to be Injun Joe's cave and stuff like that. That is some really good getting away from it all time at Disneyland that I used to go over there. We used to do a video series on Window to the Magic called the Window Series. And we would go around the park, and we would shoot video, we would tripod mount a camera pointed at a really nice scene and let it run for 10 minutes. We wouldn't talk, wouldn't do anything. We just capture the sounds of the park in the video. And the idea basically is that you turn it on, on your television and it had surround sound. So we would just surround you with the magic, and you weren't supposed to look at the television other than just glancing like when the Mark Twain went by or something like that.
One of the shots that we did was from Tom Sawyer Island up in the tree house pointed across the river at Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn. You can hear Disneyland off in the distance. Because this area is so quiet, you can hear things happening on the other side of the water. So you can hear Big Thunder happening way off in the distance. And, you know, you can hear the Mark Twain or the Columbia coming around, you know, and as they leave and all that other stuff. It's just a beautiful, beautiful shot. And so, yeah, that spot on the island is absolutely fabulous.
The Porch on Main Street
I have one that is right in the middle of the action but oddly removed, and that is the porch on Main Street. Oddly, once you step onto that porch, you're just far enough away, especially if you've got kids and you know, you can let them play on the porch. There's like a little defined area where they can just run around and do whatever, and they've got five feet in each direction to move around. And, you know, whatever. And it's just far enough away to where you can see Disneyland happening off the porch, but you're on the porch. And that's totally different.
Robyn:
Main Street Cinema
When my kids were little, I used to go into the Main Street Cinema because they have all of the silent movies. So when I was trying to get my littlest one down for a nap, I would kind of just do circles in there. And then they have benches for adults to sit down, so it can be a nice quiet area as well.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
And then, you know, outside of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, I love it there for a little quiet break. But wait for this, the heat and the sun, I mean, obviously, there are moments inside Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln that are very loud because there's a war happening. But if they've got a lot of these, there's a lot of cycling through exhibits and then some permanent exhibits. But they're really interesting if you like history. And so for my son that's like super into like we can't pass a plaque. We joke in our family about, ‘Oh no, there's a plaque.’ It's a nice place for us to get a little bit of decompression and maybe a little break on a hotter or wetter day too.
Paul:
And I can tell when you go to the park versus when I go to the park because you said go to Mr. Lincoln to escape the heat, and I go to Mr. Lincoln to stop from freezing. I'm definitely a night person. I go to Disneyland primarily after sunset. I'm one of those weirdos where my favorite time of year is right now, well actually last month, technically when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. So it's, you know, 4:30 pm, and it's completely dark. I will show up as the sun is going down, especially being follically challenged as I am. It is nice to go to Disneyland and not have to wear a hat to stop from being sunburned.
So if I go to the park then, like there's been times where I've gone out to record for the show because we'll record things for the show, events that happened and parades and fireworks and things. And when seasonal things happen like the Christmas fireworks, we'll go out there, and we'll record. Well, sometimes we end up sitting there for an hour because we've got a nice spot, and we don't want to lose it. And so I'll end up freezing. And so I'll like, have my son sit there. And I'll go into Mr. Lincoln and warm up. And then I'll trade places with him after 15 minutes, and then we'll switch back and forth. So yeah, that's always a good place. And my best friend and I used to go to Disneyland when we were in our teens and 20s. And Mr. Lincoln was nicknamed by us, "Great Naps with Mr. Lincoln."
Robyn:
So comfy those seats. Yeah, I love that. And the history on that is that attraction is so, so deep and so lovely. And I think those are the big ones for Disney Land. Should we do California Adventure?
Paul:
Picnic Tables Outside of the Main Gates
Sure, except on the way over, I'd like to stop at the picnic area.
Robyn:
Yes, very few people have seen that. They just, they're so focused, they just scoot right past it.
Paul:
Not only is that a nice little area as you're facing Disneyland, it's on your left. If you go over by where the bathrooms are, there's the lockers, and then the bathrooms. And then there's just a hole in the fence, basically, you walk through, and it's a big area with all of these picnic tables and lockers, and like jumbo lockers and also speakers, and those speakers are playing the Esplanade music so you can sit there and enjoy your meal or whatever you're going to do or just sit there, and your kid can take a nap. And you can hear the music from the Esplanade; the monorail goes over your head every couple of minutes, but it just kind of “shhh” by, it doesn't honk or anything like that.
The only shortcoming of this spot, I went there one time when the Disney 100 celebration started. And I was like, I'm gonna sit in this area; it's nice and quiet. And I will record the background loop and share it with my listeners. And I very quickly found out that that is where all the trucks park on the other side of the fence backstage at Disneyland, where they make all the deliveries for the, you know, just the whole time we'd be listening to the music, and then all of a sudden you'd hear “beep, beep, beep” as the trucks were backing up, and then they would drop off their loads and whatever, and then, you know, it's like, well, it's kind of a shortcoming, but all right. It's not loud. It's not, you know, it's not gonna wake the kids up, but it's when you're trying to record the background music for something, and there's this loud beeping going on.
Robyn:
I think that's the trick about Disneyland too. You might look at the whole resort, including the hotels; you might think this is a great place that, and especially if you're going to do business, just know that at any point. You know, there are people that are on vacation that are loud; there could be a vehicle there. You know, there's a lot of unexpected things and a lot of those locations for sure.
Paul:
Fire trucks. Oh, and in the picnic area also, although way off in the distance, the two firings of the gun from The Jungle Cruise. So you'll hear, often in the distance again, not loud enough to wake your kids up, but still something to be aware of. When we get into DCA, we're not going to get an. How far do you think we're gonna get into DCA before I've got a spot?
Robyn:
Hmm? Hollywoodland?
Paul:
Nope. Not even gonna get to the flagpole.
Robyn:
Oh, look at you fancy!
Paul:
California Adventure Entrance (Near Oswald's)
Because there's that park right there, right as you walk in the front door, right in front of Oswald's, and also there's some permanent benches off to the right, right as you walk in the entrance. Look to your right, and it's by the exit. So it's not all that popular. But if you sit there, you can hear the music from Buena Vista Street, and it's, although it's in the middle of all the action, again, it's like the porch on Main Street. It's just far enough removed to where if you're in that park sitting on the benches, or you're over on the right sitting on those permanent benches, you're gonna be fine, nice, quiet area, nothing loud ever happens there. The only sound that comes and goes is the red car trolley. And that's really pleasant. So that's not going to disturb your kids either.
Hollywood Backlot
What's your next favorite place? The Hollywood Pictures Backlot area is quiet. That entire section of the park is a quiet area because if you're just looking in that area underneath the building that used to be Muppet Vision, it used to have that big entrance for Muppet Vision, which is now not an entrance or an exit. That area is the seating area that is quiet. And then if you go over by that little stage, that's also very quiet. And then if you continue to go in, there's that snack shop with all the neon at the end, and past that, right in front of the soundstage is another seating area, all very quiet areas. And there's a bathroom right there so that is a plus as well.
Robyn:
I feel like that is one of the quietest areas on that side of the park because Avengers Land kind of has, you know, a lot of shows that come in. So it might be quiet when you sit down, or when you know, the Warriors of Wakanda will come by or StarLord will come by and they start dancing. And then Cars Land has a lot of beautiful sights and sounds in it. I think kind of the next one would be between, if you kind of go behind Flo's, there's a walkway behind Flo's to San Fransokyo. And kind of back there, the only sound that you really hear is the cars from Radiator Springs Racers going by. What are your thoughts on that one?
Paul:
Flo's (seating in closest to Radiator Springs Racers)
My thoughts would actually be not the walkway but actually inside Flo's proper, not the building, in that outside seating area. There's a covered seating area out the back of Flo's; I always sit out there, and that is isolated from the walkers. So the people that are walking by and whatever. And like you said, you get to hear the cars going by every 12 seconds, but they're 75 feet away, whatever, and it's not a real cars noise and so everything is kind of muted over there. It's nice and cool during the summer, but if it's raining, it's covered so that's a plus as well. Not so bad at all, actually.
Boardwalk Pizza
I have one area that I like to sit in, which is over by Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. I go over to Poultry Palace, and I pick up the best chicken in DCA. The reason I like it is that it tastes like shaken bake. And I will get myself a chicken with an extra coleslaw, which I think they sell now by themselves because I asked so many times.
Robyn:
It's so good, and it's gluten-free.
Paul:
And then I walk over by it, past Mood Swings and out the other side. And just to the left, where the parade comes out, there's a little walkway. And before you get to the building on your left is a little walkway with a little seating area. And it's just like a little area; it's got maybe 10 tables, got trees above it. So it's shady if you happen to be unfortunate enough to be there in the daytime. And you're just again, just far enough removed to where you can have a nice quiet meal; you can go in and get the awesome sun-dried tomato pasta at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.
Silly Symphony Swings
And also immediately across from there, if you don't mind a little music, is the underneath the Silly Symphony Swings. There's a walkway on the ground level; if you walk around, you can walk all the way around the building, and it takes you out by the water, and there are benches back there and things. The only time that's not a good place to be is during World of Color.
Robyn:
When I find even the main seating by Boardwalk in Paradise Grill before 10 am, you can actually make a business call there for the most part. After 10 am, you know, they've got bands playing and everything, but so your options would be better, for sure, without a doubt.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
And then I think the next place would be kind of heading down, you know, over to Redwood Creek Challenge, which is if I think sometimes people underestimate how awesome these playgrounds are if you have little ones, and that one is not only quiet, and there are so many things that just aren't on a normal playground. My kids, you know, my son was willing to hang out with his sister on that at 16. I was like, and he came back panting and having a good time. I was like, you know, so nice of you to, you know, just do that with your sis, not that you would want to be here, and he's like, no, no, just to be with my sister.
Paul:
Behind Grizzly River Run
I actually, when you said Redwood Creek, I thought, so going from Little Mermaid, walking towards the wheel. I actually thought of turning right, instead of turning left, going behind the Grizzly River Run, or more correctly, underneath the Grizzly River Run where there is a huge hands that you and like a long area where you can walk, and you're literally walking underneath the attraction as it's going, warning. You may get wet at times because it's a water ride. But there's waterfalls back there. And there are areas where you can view the attraction and things, and most people take that area out in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, the main walkway that you would take, and most people walk that way. So if you go this way, you're going to be by yourself, and it's not necessarily quiet, but it's not noisy.
Robyn:
And I don't think they have any music piped over there. Do they?
Paul:
Yes, there is music back there. Typically, the waterfall is the primary sound that you're hearing. So you've got the white noise of the water. But as you walk in, if you're coming from Little Mermaid, you go in, you turn right, and you go underneath the Rise, in that area you'll hear the music, and then you'll get over towards the waterfalls, and then you won't hear it much anymore but then also back in that area is the area where you can walk out actually watch the people coming down the big drop at the end, and that's a fun place. You might get wet there too but it's still fun.
Robyn:
And it's really beautiful. You know, I think that area of the park is really, really pretty and peaceful. And you know, there are several places kind of along that row that you know, are quieter too, like little, like over by the plane, there's a little plane where you can get a picture with Goofy. If the character is not there, usually, it's a pretty, you know, fairly quiet place, but the monorail goes right over there. So you'd have to have that monorail noise occasionally.
Paul:
Near Soarin'
Right. And underneath the scout tower in front of Soren is another one of those areas, as long as you don't mind that you have the monorail going by every 12 minutes, then you're fine. And that's a nice quiet area with the background music going on, you know, very quietly but pretty much no other noise other than just the rumbling of people's voices as they walk by and no parades, no fireworks in that area. No nothing.
Robyn:
Hotel Lobbies
People tell me they have to do a business call; usually, I tell them they're probably better off going into one of the hotel lobbies. So Disneyland, you know, we did a recording for your show, which was, a kind of fan girl and like had a little bit of trying to keep the panic down. But, you know, we, you know, over in Disneyland Hotel, there's some outdoor areas that, you know, and then, but the Grand Californian has a lot of different places to take quiet calls, a lot of nooks and crannies, and, you know, sometimes they'll have piano music in the background. But overall, it's, you know, it's not going to be blaring Disney music anywhere in that lab.
Paul:
The Disneyland Hotel
In the new DVC, there's the new restaurant that they have by the pool.
Robyn:
Oh, yes!
Paul:
Underneath the hotel tower. And so it's protected from the sun, you get to see the pool on one side and in the monorail pool on the other side. It's a little windy if you're under there because you're underneath the hotel and there's nothing blocking the wind. So it's a little wind tunnel. So if it's windy, be prepared.
I think they even had some power outlets for laptops when my husband went, which, and that's the harder thing to find is quiet and a power outlet is a difficult combination. Unless you're in one of the hotel areas.
Paul:
You’re batteries, people.
Robyn:
Yes.
Paul:
But yeah, that's not a bad place. And then depending on whether they're open or not, the lounge at the Disneyland Hotel is also a quiet place where you can go. You could have a business call there if it is not the evening time when they're doing brisk business. Nice and quiet over there, quiet comfy chairs. You could sit there and be on your laptop and talk on your phone, as long as your boss doesn't mind you talking to the bartender while you're having your meeting?
Robyn:
Well, I think this helps. I feel like it's a question that people ask over and over again. And you know, somebody only came one time a year or you know, maybe I think I remember it was kind of quiet, but they not might not realize that, you know, some of the things that you said, you know, like my daughter's like more sensitive to beeps and honks and so you know, they're they're depending on what somebody's trying to do, whether they're trying to mask the Disney background where it's identifiably Disney, or whether they're trying to avoid a specific sound or a certain volume level, I think this will really help them in trying to decide where they need to go.
Bringing Kids with Sensory Issues
So, I think everybody should listen to your podcast and I think especially if you have a little one that or you as an adult or somebody that doesn't like surprises and likes to be acquainted with something, listening to his show is a really great idea of what to expect in the sounds of the park. You know, because I have a daughter that is more sensitive, I will tell you when we go to the parks, we bring not only in earplugs like the little kinds that you would bring you know that they might give you at the hotel if they're doing construction but we also bring like a headset that like the that we just got at Home Depot for the same kind of gardeners use to protect their ears from the noise and there are some rides that it really that those we actually use both together but for the most part just having one of those in brings the volume down enough where it's makes Disneyland much more enjoyable for her where you know she would have been fine but it wouldn't have been fun.
Paul:
That’s good. That's good. Yeah, you want it to be enjoyable for everyone.
About Window to the Magic
And the idea behind Window to the Magic, although we started as a DVD creation thing, when podcasting came around, I realized I was listening to the official Disneyland podcast with Michael Geoghegan and he was walking through the park and he was talking to Demo Day or talking to Tim Allen or whoever it happened to be. And he would walk around, and they would be talking as they went through the park. And I would be like, ‘This is really neat, but I wish they would shut up; I want to hear Disneyland.;’ And so I thought to myself, ‘Well, wait a second, I could do that.’ And so for the first couple of years, Window to the Magic was around, and you can still go back 20 years in our audio and hear the shows. We did a thing called "We're in the Park." And we would go into the esplanade. I would say, ‘Hi, everyone, welcome to the show, blah, blah, blah, this is what we're going to do,’ I would explain the premise and then I would stop talking. The only time that I would say something is like to a cast member or something as I walked in the main gate, you know, ‘Hi, thank you, you know, whatever.’ But then I would walk through the park taking a specific path. And you would have to follow along with your ears. You would have to determine using only the sounds where we were going. And then at the end, I would say, ‘Okay, we're at our final location; you have a minute to figure out where we are. And then we'll go do the ride or show or attraction that we have reached.’ And then I would wait a minute, and then I would just get in line for whatever it is. And you know, I would edit out the boring parts, but go in and do the attraction, and people loved that. And that's basically what we do now, except we've kind of morphed to where you're hanging out with us in the parks now. So we're kind of just casually talking to you as we go through. You know, as I'm walking down Main Street, I'm like, ‘Well, it's actually a really nice day here today, you know, it's 75 degrees. And you know, it's not a lot of people, and oh look, that you know, that kind of thing.’ And I'm literally committing the same faux pas that Michael Geoghegan was doing back with the original Disneyland podcast. There's probably a lot of people going, ‘I wish this guy would just shut up.’
Robyn:
Sometimes I listen to it on my phone, sometimes I listen to it in my car. You can ask Alexa to play it, play it for you as well. So it's really great. I've done several podcasts over the years, and I know how much work goes into them. So the amount of love that it takes to continue to do this and provide this for so many people for so many years is just, I mean, it's beautiful. And thank you for doing it.
Paul:
Well, you're quite welcome. My favorite thing that I get is when people send me a message and say, ‘You have helped me through this time in my life, or I have anxiety, and I put on my headphones, and I'm transported to Disneyland.’ Or like, I'll go through social media, and I'll look at people that say, ‘man, you know, like I just saw somebody yesterday, yesterday, day before. She said, if I could be at Disneyland every day and ride Space Mountain or something. She said, I probably wouldn't need my anxiety meds.’ And I responded back and I said, ‘I don't know if this will help. But we provide audio in the parks, please give it a try. We'd love it if it helped you.’ And we've had people that have literally sent us emails and said, ‘you did nothing short of saved my life. I was in such a bad spot that being able to put on the headphones and go to Disneyland helped me.’ And that is the biggest compliment I could ever get is just for somebody saying, ‘I’m still here because of you. Thank you so much.’ And I’m like ‘I’m beyond my honor.’
Robyn:
What you do really does matter. And you can find it on iTunes, on pretty much any place where they have podcasts. If you want to go to his website, it's windowtothemagic.com. You might even see him strolling around the park. So thank you again so much for coming. I so appreciate you being so generous with your time and sharing with our listeners.
Paul:
Yeah, I'm sorry it took us so long to get together the first time but now you're gonna be on my show. I'm gonna be on your show. Look at us.
Robyn:
Look at us! Thank you very much.
Paul:
You betcha. Have a good one. And to everyone out there, we'll see you over on Window to the Magic.
Robyn:
Thank you so much. You're awesome!
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Park Magic podcast. For more tips and planning tools designed to help simplify your Disneyland adventure, visit ParkMagic.com. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to hear more tips, be sure to subscribe to the ParkMagic podcast. And don't forget to leave us a review; your feedback helps us spread the magic even further. Leaving a review could also help you. Each month, we will be selecting one reviewer to win a one-hour planning session with Robyn. Winners will be announced at the end of the first episode of every month. Thanks for tuning in, and remember that we are here to help you have a less stressful and more magical trip to Disneyland.
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