Podcast: The Ride - Rainforest Cafe with Carlye Wisel

Episode Date: February 2, 2024

Much like the rainforests themselves, Rainforest Cafes continue to dwindle worldwide. On today's pod, we get an important update from Carlye Wisel on the state of their robot trees and simulated thunderstorms. “Epic Universe Epic Info Dump” is up at The Second Gate: Patreon.com/PodcastTheRide  FOLLOW PODCAST: THE RIDE: https://twitter.com/PodcastTheRide https://www.instagram.com/podcasttheride BUY PODCAST: THE RIDE MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/podcast-the-ride PODCAST THE RIDE IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/podcast-the-ride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The PC Insider's World Elite MasterCard. The card for living unlimited. Conditions apply to all benefits. Visit pcfinancial.ca for details. Forever. Dog. Warning. The following podcast is the crazed fever dream of a man in a humid house.

It may contain massive rotting mushrooms, robots of people in the Epstein files, and robots of trees purchased by different people in the Epstein files. Carly Weisel returns to the show to talk about her exotic expedition

to the Rainforest Cafe on Podcast the Ride. Welcome to Podcast the Ride, a podcast that is dedicated to protecting endangered animals, specifically rotting, dead-eyed, barely functioning animatronic ones. I'm Scott Gairdner, there's Mike Carlson. I'm here, yes, and the empathy I have for decaying robots is strong. I empathize with animals that are living that can breathe and pump blood but they get they'll figure themselves out animatronics are truly helpless yes no money is ever put into their maintenance or into fixing the uh less and less popular restaurant that they live in

yeah and real animals they have the ability to heal robots can't heal unless man decides. Do you know what I'm saying? So unless man or Landry's decides that it's their time to heal. Jason Sheridan, so committed to this cause. I'm here, I'm trying to get the bucket and sheet metal set up for the thunderstorm that will happen every 20 minutes on this episode.

Oh, I see, you'll be providing a live oh great yeah yeah i regret this choice already it's a fun idea it's a fun gimmick but ultimately yeah it's gonna wear you out you shouldn't have buckets of water by this many wires i think that's right yeah we'll be safe uh yeah try to contain it over there um yeah hey we're excited to be talking about rainforest cafe we've touched on it a little bit before the rainforest cafe came up in the the downtown disney ordeal with former employee of rainforest cafe julia prescott yep returning to the show soon uh but we thought i mean we have not truly done the deep dive i thought hey there's still meat on these mojo bones. So let's get into it.

Yeah. Especially because returning victorious from a recent Rainforest Cafe expedition and also returning to this show for the first time in nearly two years. For the first time since becoming, I believe so, for the first time since becoming a mom for a podcast. Very amusing. It's Carly Weisel. Hello. Hi. I got to say, I didn't think after two years i would come back to such rainforest cafe slander about the audio animatronics

because we'll get into it but i thought they were in fine condition oh jeez well you know also look i'm i'm the one who's out of date because i haven't you've been to one much more recently than me i'm oh you're not taking a full work day to drive to Ontario Mills to go to Rainforest Cafe? That is what it takes. It's to go to the nearest Rainforest Cafe to us. That's an hour or more for everyone here. Yeah. Oh, it was at least two.

Jeez. It was two flat. Wow. Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Depending on where you go also. And that's one of those drives that just keeps going You start to suspect this has to be done soon

No it doesn't And you look and it's like oh now we're 19 Okay okay we're still going My god it's an expedition I was very excited to hear you were You were doing it And have done it I'm really excited to get into it but also we've not

We haven't had you You haven't been on in a little bit and we're so excited to have you again I know I'm happy excited to get into it. But also, we haven't had you. You haven't been on in a little bit, and we're so excited to have you again. I know. I'm happy to be back. Much has changed for you. And I'm just excited. I haven't really talked to you about a new dimension of your theme park fandom and excursions. Yes.

Doing it as a parent. Yeah. You've done a bunch of it, it seems like. I have. I've been really ramming it in. I did Disney World for four days, and then i've gone to disneyland twice now and i'm gonna be going back to disneyland i think every two weeks i'm all in wow that really oh my god i know that's just your that's your local part that's like like your local playground is disneyland i mean i mean

not just because la only has golf courses and not really public parks we won't get into that but oh not well see that's well that's the Burbank thing. Burbank. Yeah. Being a Burbank parent, it's crawling with parts. You can have a new one for every day of the week and never repeat them. I keep finding them still. Wow.

Yeah. One will just pop up. Yeah. Burbank is a magical place. Okay. I mean, I have to explore this. I've only been to dog parks in Burbank and those are great too. Oh, sure.

Yeah. That's good kid entertainment for sure. but yeah you're right i guess for you it just makes sense just just head down to disneyland yeah once we got over the i mean for people who don't have kids this is so boring i'm so sorry uh but once we got over the threshold of she can be in the car seat with someone in the back seat with her and that means we can get to and from then we're fine and wait as opposed to wait what i can't drive her alone because she when the longest i can go is probably 20 minutes before she's like um no no no no no no no i want out oh geez you got any entertainment back there we got a little portable dvd player like old school dvd player uh we can throw uh you know

pixar movies and thomas the there. We're almost there. Okay, okay. We're still at, like a rattle is fun. We're still coming out of that. Oh, great. Wait, because how old now? Well, she's 10 months, but she's loving a toy. Okay.

She's loving to explore. She's only 10 months? I thought it was, wow. Oh, wow. 10 months, yeah. I thought it was longer. Oh, crazy. Well, geez.

Going well? You having? Yeah, she's, as far as I know, she's growing, which is the only metric they can really measure. That means you're doing your job right now. Yeah, she's alive and eating. Yeah, it's going well. It's just I can't believe this world is run by parents

and they're all awake enough. I didn't know this level of exhaustion. And now that I do, I don't trust anyone operating a vehicle. I just can't believe people are flying planes out here. Flying planes with kids? Like you have a sick kid and then you go fly a plane impossible yeah yeah I know like our yeah our main thing is doing this and then we'll be like grumpy doing this because of a bad night yeah same deal yes oh man I got a podcast I got to go in my office and talk about lunar new year how will I ever survive like I can't believe it dignitaries heads of state

and yes people who operate heavy equipment all do it with more children than we have you know they have kids they must yeah i would assume i would assume too unless they navy seals aren't like recruited from like an orphanage or something Right? Like where they just like Train them to be like Super spot But even not Even if we don't know About Navy SEALs

People who run cruise ships People who run cruise ships Captains of ships Are just on a ship We're the kids Right And they just keep Getting bigger

They keep getting Water parks and stuff Put on them I see we have The same algorithm That's right Yes Oh

Like with innovations And how crazy Cruise ships There was a new Cruise ship that on them. I see we have the same algorithm. That's right. Yes. With innovations and how crazy cruise ships can become. There was a new cruise ship that launched recently. And so my whole feed is like, can you believe how many water slides we got? It is, yeah. They're insane, yeah. So, no, those people have kids. I know.

I can't believe it. To all the parents out there, wow. Wow. You had no idea. You're doing great. How parents out there wow wow you had no idea doing great how hard everyone was working yeah i had no idea i thought life was hard when i like didn't get seven hours of sleep you know it's like oh i didn't get my latte i'm i'm not i can't survive the day i mean i still feel that way but now it just has more oomph to it yeah yeah yes yeah people are more willing to say oh i see okay okay yes before no excuses especially from parents didn't know what the other side was now i'm there uh but i love it it's it's very fun it's very weird to have a tiny version of you enter the

room and you're like oh hello they just appear it's so i can't wrap my head around it it's been almost a year yeah i don't i i am interested to like know if that was ever, was that common 50 years ago? It feels like it wasn't. It feels like, I don't know, I guess we're all a little bit more children into our adult years. And that's part of why it feels a little strange still to be like, there's a little person that looks like my father when he was a kid. And I see his baby pictures when she walks in, when I see her face. And I go, whoa.

And like, if I've been gone for six hours, I come back and go, there's a baby in here. Exactly. Yeah. It's my baby. It must be because we all had this extended child adulthood where we professionally had fun. And we still have fun. God bless it. Boy, you're really like needing those accrued memories by the time you start putting in all the but it also but then

you get this kind of like then there's a perma kid that happens from having a kid around which you'll especially experience like going to the parks yeah it does um not not to name drop but the one person i always think of is that john stamos specifically told me that it's going to be more magical with a kid and i remember he told me when he didn't know i was pregnant and i was pregnant and i was like boy i hope he's right i don't know i don't know and it he was right it is it's a different type of magical to be at somewhere like disney world with a mini version of you and have them watch it for the first time so that you're not as focused on like i don't like the way the frozen animatronics work like your child is just enjoying it. All that shit's gone. I know. We've had to dredge it back up,

I feel like, to do this podcast. Although, you haven't done your official Disneyland trip. No, we have not done it. Yeah, it makes you shut up about a lot. You're just like, it's great. It's so good. They did a good job.

It's a place that entertained this kid for five hours. I'm thrilled. Yeah, it's a magic renewed. Yeah. That would be a good ad campaign. Hey, yeah. That's a word they haven't used.

Renewed. Renewed. Yeah. That would be a good firework show. Renewed. Yeah. And I'll remind you that the only way to get a magic key is renewal. Oh, yeah.

True. I missed the last round. I don't know if all yeah i'm still sorry a dog fight to get it you missed the 30 hours notice god yeah that's right they barely said it and you're in a big line and then like oh my god you need to set up text messaging alerts for scott gustin tweets i see yeah that's so you that the way. That is a pro tip. The non-corporate way. Truly, that is how I ended up buying mine because they were sold

on whatever day it was. The next day, I was going with that SoCal resident ticket, the three visit ticket. That's why I already had my ticket, so I don't want a pass now. I know, and you can upgrade from that ticket if you're, like, I was going to start it the next day. So I thought, oh, I'll go to the park next day, I'll scan in with the ticket, and I'll upgrade it, I'll save money. I just pray that the passes are available day. So I thought, oh, I'll go to the park next day. I'll scan in with the ticket and I'll upgrade it.

I'll save money. I just pray that the passes are available. And they weren't. And I saw his tweet because I got the alert. That was like everything sold out with the resident pass. And I immediately bought it. I just ate the cost. Okay.

Because I had to do it. Because Scott Gustin told me to. I had family visiting. And I was like, I made reservations on these park hoppers, but I got to renew them. And I, it used to be, you would just walk up and say,

I want to put this towards an annual pay. And now there's like one ticket window open and there's not, there's a two hour line at city hall. And I'm like, I can't, I just can't. I know. I feel you. I was't. I just can't. I know. I feel you.

I was there and I am still annoyed that I ate, what, $225? Yeah, yeah. But that's why I'm going back to kind of to heal that wound. Get your money's worth. Go as much as possible. Stop being mad at the place. Yeah, yeah. But look, you also, you've got plenty of other entertainment options and and themed experience options and animatronic

options because uh you know not much further than disneyland is a magical realm a magical place where you're transported to another continent to another world to the rainforest uh as you got to be uh several months ago um yeah what what happened here? What was your experience that led you to this and led you to want to talk to us about it? So I have a group of friends who for probably almost three years we had been joking about going to Rainforest Cafe. And it was all that we, someone,

I think my friend Amy brought it up as a joke. And we were like, wait, I actually want to do that. And we all wanted to do it. And one of us lives in the Bay Area. It's all, this group of friends I'm talking about are all hollywood people with incredible jobs and i don't want to like fully i got their consent to talk about them in this podcast but like one friend works at pixar another is a producer another one like makes all these shows and they all were all in on this convoluted idea of driving all day to go to rainbows cafe yeah and the friend at pixar

finally had the day open and we all traveled to it and we found it on the count like we were going but what we realized after the fact was that the only day we could all do it was the day after the taylor swift show oh which was one of my only big nights out in a long time so i not only drove all day to go to rainforest cafe i did it extremely hungover extremely friendship bracelet on your arm on my wrist just got in the car the next morning with so much coffee in my body and drove those go late too or those those went late because i saw i saw beck at the forum next door and all the beck dads were trying to like beat the traffic that was the main concern is like okay technically see the end of the show okay run to the okay she's still playing thank god let's get the fuck out of

here oh yeah and we had a i went with the group so we had a party bus situation oh my god but two of us couldn't find the party bus so we were there a lot longer than i think you would have oh i'm pretty sure that i texted my friends a photo of me in front of the beautiful rainforest cafe sign which i'm sure we'll get into and they texted back that they were still in bed oh my god so you had that much time to kill at ontario mills you went to lunch oh no i just didn't sleep oh okay oh no the friends who didn't other friends that i went to the show with. Oh, gotcha. Two of us. Not the people you would meet. I went to Rainforest Cafe with three other ladies, and one of them went to Taylor.

I went to Taylor. Okay, okay. And you're in the rainforest, and they are in the comfort of their bed. Oh, my God. Was there any thought to just taking the party bus straight to the Rainforest Cafe? If I could have gotten those girls on board, that would have been a dream. But people were laughing at me when I told them the next day

I was driving to California's only remaining Rick Burr's cafe. Sure. Yeah. What was your era real quick? Just in general, what's your era?

I think my era was I'm not too big of a fan, but I'm going to assimilate into this group because this seems like a great night. Now that I've seen the show, I am a reputation girly

as they say. Great. Do you guys have- Folklore. I saw a show.ly, as they say. Great. Do you guys have- Folklore. I did. I saw a show, yeah. Wow. A folklore era.

Yeah. Oh, so chill. Very chill. Wow. I guess I engaged the most in 1989. I love 1989. That's mine, too. You're in 1989.

Oh, okay. Yeah. We've got our eras. But yeah. Yeah. But no expert. Okay. So this is an insane whirlwind, although also the best. What a great one to punch. Okay, so this is an insane whirlwind,

although also the best. Like, what a great one to punch. Oh, yeah. What do you think was fueling this enthusiasm? And, like, what was making this group all salivate for Rainforest Cafe so much? I think it was the threat of them going away forever. Yeah.

Because we've seen them really, I mean, if you look at that Wikipedia of closed ones, it's frightening. And we knew that we probably weren't going to be able to coordinate all of us being in Orlando at the same time. So while this one was open and still thriving, I'd say, definitely had to make it happen. Great, great. Yeah, it's true. You know, I figure, again, we touched on Rainforest Cafe, and we were in the underworld. This was a paywalled episode for people who were just on the main feed. But, you know, this was 2019 when we talked about mainly the downtown Disney one.

And I was expecting to look at the list and go, all right, well, in the over four years since that, we've lost a lot of these. And, in fact, only four, only four have gone away since we talked about it before. London is gone. London has fallen. I was going to say it's fallen.

Dubai has fallen, though I think it got replaced by another one. And then both Chicago's. Both Chicago's have passed. And you know, for the two two of us that's a big deal yeah yeah yeah that chicago that downtown chicago one that looks insane that looks like a real highlight of the enterprise part of my childhood oh really oh yeah for one of our we do like a turnabout sadie hawkins dance thing in high school and part of it was that when you're a junior and

senior you get to dress up in theme and so we all all dressed up. And I don't know why we did this. We drove downtown in a limo to Rainforest Cafe. So you did have a party bus kind of situation to Rainforest Cafe. And I think that was the same year we went back and the dance was at the high school in the Chicago suburbs. So we left basically a mile radius from school, went downtown to Rainforest Cafe, and then came back. Which is how far?

Very far. Wow. On a Saturday night. school, went downtown to Rainforest Cafe, and then came back. Which is how far? Very far. Wow. On a Saturday night. Oh my God. We had like post-prom, which the prom was close by the suburbs, and then we took like a bus after prom down to the city

to get on a boat or something. Yeah, what was that? And then came back. We could have gone to, I don't know, Michaels and Highland Park. There could have been other places we could have gone. Yeah. But for some reason. That is weird. I don't know, Michaels in Highland Park. There could have been other places we could have gone. Yeah.

But for some reason. It is weird. I don't know why. But Rainforest Cafe as a high schooler was fun. Wow, wow. It was so beautiful. I don't know if you, I mean if you Google the facade, stunning. It's maybe the most ambitious one besides like the notable ones

I'd say are like the volcano ones. The Disney Springs one is volcano. But often they're in these mills settings where like they're grand once you get in, but there's no real like outside of it. But that Chicago one, bonkers. Massive, massive character. The silly, it must have seemed so, I don't know what the surrounding of downtown Chicago was. It was like the Rock and Roll McDonald's or what the former Rock and Roll. They kind of updated it, right? I think so, was. Well, it's kind of like the Rock and Roll McDonald's. Oh, cool. Or what, the former Rock and Roll?

They kind of updated it, right? I think so, yeah. It's like still kind of, yeah. I made it there. That was in 2008. That was on my Chicago list. I did it. I did do the Rock and Roll McDonald's.

Yeah, so it was right by there, so it was a little like, ooh, this is fun chain land. Oh, cool. Yeah. Wow. Have you seen it lately, like in person or photos, what happened to Chicago? Oh, the rainforest?

No. Yeah. It just kind of, they like stripped off most of the branding. The mushrooms. Mainly what stayed is just like big rotting mushrooms. Characters gone, signage gone, but the mushrooms are too like baked into it to do anything. And then just kind of the faded mural that's still up there they just kind of like cut and ran and then that building has just been nothing and it's actually been

in a war for a long time where various um dispensaries have tried to get it i think multiple of them i feel like my dad sent me a you know like a real dad link like my dad sent me a link of this story oh my dad man. Like a dad link. That's understanding of your interests. Fantastic dad link. Yeah. None of them worked out. Various, I think, lawsuits and shadiness of companies. I don't know where it stands today.

But yeah, it's just been this kind of creepy abandoned mushroom patch. See, this is what fueled my desire to go. Because I should publicly admit, I foolishly never made it to Mars 2112. kind of creepy abandoned mushroom this is what fueled my desire to go because i do i should publicly admit i foolishly never made it to mars 2112 and i will regret it for the rest of my life lived in new york never went never went you had the opportunity oh yeah had the opportunity never went never went sadly and so now i'm like i can't ever do that to myself again was not mars 2112 also in schaumburg field yeah uh thefield Mall, which we went to Chicago and did a live show all about the Woodfield Mall, so there

was one, that's right, that's why I was so... It is so weird that this whole audience knows about Woodfield Mall! That's so weird! We've primed them, we've conditioned them, we've got it all at Woodfield. There's a theme song? There's a song, an old commercial, which they sang in the show.

I was thrilled, I didn't grow up there, but I was, but every time Mike talked about it, it just really called to me and intrigued me. And with good reason. Mars. And you didn't go to that one either? I didn't go to that one. Woodfield Mall was... So I learned to drive very late, which means I was bad at it. So when I finally was allowed to drive, I think only senior year of high school, or I drove with friends once they could drive,

Woodfield Mall was the furthest we could go. That was the furthest we could take ourselves in a car. And we would go to go to Forever 21, because there wasn't one near us, to get going out tops, and then we would drive back. Going out tops. Sure. It's also impossible to imagine a time where Forever 21s weren't everywhere. I know. Woodfield was like, we've got to go and get going out tops.

We're going to college. We need tops. And and then we turn around it wasn't as you know with theme restaurants weren't weren't our goal on that trip what's a keyword of a going out top from the the mid-2000s or some sort of like gems on on the the neckline but a lower neckline but gems and then maybe a what I would call a bubble hem I I think, where the bottom is elastic, so it kind of poofs over, where it's like, boop, boop. And then anything that has some weird crisscross in the back. Oh, I see.

Crisscross straps. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. That's familiar. And importantly, going out, Tots, by the time you drove back home, they had disintegrated. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, they were not. Yeah.

Crisscross gone. Yeah, yeah. If there was any rain between leaving Woodfield Mall and our Oh, absolutely. Yeah, they were not. Yeah. Criss-cross gone. Yeah. If there was any rain between leaving Woodfield Mall and our car, over. Yeah. I remember in college

people would talk about going out tops and there was also like the subtext was like if we spill stuff on this or vomit on it, it just will go in the garbage.

That's why I have none of them. I keep everything. They're all gone. It's not going to withstand an industrial dorm washing machine. Oh, my God. And no one is going to the dry cleaner. No one's, hey, can I get a ride from my dorm to the cleaners?

Oh, my God. That's so true. I can't even, if you asked me, if you would pay me a million dollars to find a dry cleaners On the Urbana Champagne campus I'd be poor like it would never happen I can't think of a single dry cleaners In my college town There's gotta be one

But I can't think of it and I walked those streets for years Well I can't think of a Bloomington Normal dry cleaner Exactly When I spent a semester out here And lived at the Oakwood apartments uh over by universal where they put up child actors and their families and stuff i did go to the cleaners because there was one in the complex because i needed like a windbreak i needed sleeve shortened sleeves and pant cuffs i I need shortened.

I'm sorry, you were getting tailoring while you were basically studying abroad? You were so cool. With the jacket I bought at Sears? Wow. To recently reopen Burbank Sears. That's right. What? Sears is back?

They reopened it. Wait, that's a current reopening, not a past reopening? Yes, current reopening. It closed. It was closed for a while, and then all of a sudden, one day, they just turned the lights back on. The Burbank Sears is hot, but the Burbank Mall is bad. It is. Wow.

The Disney memorabilia auction was at the old Bed Bath & Beyond, not the old Sears. Right. Whoa. Yeah. And it's not that it's gotten nicer or anything. People don't know why it's reopened either. There's speculation in the media why Sears is reopened this specific sears because most years have closed yeah they still have an online business but there's a lot of like we reached

out to sears for comment and sears is not being clear with us why this is open again is this a part of a strategy yeah is this just because they want the real estate to like at least be generating somebody nobody knows what media is reaching out to sears for comments jason guardian wall street journal we spoke to the burbank sears jason and i had a conversation about this and we were looking up online there might have been cnn we're trying to figure it out yeah speculation is a shorter way to type out alleged money laundering so it seems suspicious from the way that Sears just isn't explaining why. They haven't reopened

the tax preparer and the optical and the photo center. You cannot get your taxes prepared anymore. You cannot get eyeglasses at the Burbank Sears. But you can still buy

some Covington loungewear, some structure button-up shirts. You know the brands that Sears has? Oh, God! I've spent some time at Sears. I've got some Sears Christmas gifts in my time. Oh, my God. Damn. Now you've lived.

Yeah. In the same way where you're worried about Rainforest Cafe going away, I say get to the Burbank Sears while it's back open. I didn't have to go after this. I had no idea. It feels like entering the set of the Phantom of the Opera. Like no one knows why things are happening. And it's just as scary in there.

It's just as like bleak seeming and dim and unnerving. It reopened because it's like that cursed soundstage that they eventually demolished on the Universal lot. It's like, we left this set up. Don't go in there. The series controls this. The series has a mind of its own. Yeah, so we have lost, they are disappearing in California, and this was all, it was down to one,

when we talked about it in the Downtown Disney ordeal. South Coast Plaza had one, Costa Mesa, that's now Din Tai Fung, Fisherman's Wharf is gone. Downtown Disney, as we all know, has been a Star Wars store for quite some time. Which it is funny that for a lot of years now, after Galaxy's Edge opens, which is this new dimension of immersive theming

and we were watching all these materials about how they studied the floors in Turkey and tiles and like what would you be walking on and what type of stone would be and then meanwhile at a public facing like not far from that for years now they've had a thing it's just like uh star wars rainforest cafe it's fine it's like a temple you know there'd be a we all right it's not just temple that we put a satellite dish on it so that's star wars that's what star wars is that know, there'd be a temple. All right. It's not just temple that we put a satellite dish on. So that's Star Wars. That's what Star Wars is. That's going to be fine, right?

Yeah. And I don't think anyone's complaint. I don't think anyone's. Yeah, truly. Why haven't we? If they put it. Well, I just think if they move the building into Galaxy's Edge, it would fit. It would be fine.

I know. That's the thing. Now, I point all that out. I'm not necessarily against it. Yeah. I am pro that level of Star Wars broadness. I'm like, yeah, sure, satellite. We're fine.

Put a satellite on it. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. That would have been- It's fine, and it could stay there forever. I mean, it's not- It might.

Right? It's going away. I don't know. Where is the- For years now, it's going away. I just say bring back Tracy Tree. Tracy Tree could be a Star Wars character. Why not?

Absolutely. Great. Yeah, yeah. Well, just put a Star Wars character. Why not? Yeah, yeah. Well, just put a random apostrophe in her name, and then she's a Star Wars character. Just give her an eyepatch or something. Make her look like a weather. Ooh, that's good. Warfax. She's a space pirate. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Trap her in weird bandages. Where is the two-story Earl of Sandwich going in downtown Disney? Do we know? Listen, I'm going to be real with you. I had a kid. I have no mental capacity. I decided to turn the lights off when it comes to keeping track of Disneyland

changes. We'll see what happens with Disneyland forward and then I'll start paying attention. To me, I'm like, yum yum, I'm going to get my portos, I'm going to get my din tai fang, and I don't know anything else that's happening. You'll know where they are when you get there. Yes, and also I've been burnt so many times by Disneyland changing their plans and being so

excited. Remember they were going to build that gorgeous new five diamond hotel, six diamond hotel, I think it was. Yeah, yeah. Like the amazing hotel maybe in 2018. Yes. When they removed those plans, I was like, I will wait until I see it built. Yeah. And then I will be excited. Yeah.

It was a, yeah, six diamonds. Yeah. It's going to be so fancy. The art didn't make it look nice i'll say the art looked like it was just it was not up to your house it was not up to your diamond standards it was not up to my diamond standards as far as not looking looking hotel wasn't nice yeah well mike is in the brotherhood of cross keys like in grand budapest oh yes okay yes, okay. The concierge. You lost me for a half second,

and then I got you, and then I'm back. Yeah, yeah. Which is kind of based on reality. There is kind of an unspoken or a pseudo union for Hotel Viva. I wouldn't know that. That was a long time to talk in. It's kind of, and I'm so good.

You're going to do a full minute in that sound. I exaggerated for the movie. You were twiddling your fingers the whole time. Yeah, well, that's great for an audio movie. You were twiddling your fingers the whole time. Yeah well that's great for an audio medium. You get some hand movements in there. People can hear the

twiddling though. Sure. You're louder wrestling. Don't you feel like they've toyed with our emotions over Earl Sandwich so often?

Well Earl keeps moving and that's why I'm like I'm good at my job I promise but they keep telling me it's here and then it's going away and then it's back and then you can never get a seasoning sandwich and it's too much. It'm going to sound like I'm good at my job, I promise. But they keep telling me it's here and then it's going away and then it's back.

It's going to be everything. And it's too much. It's going to be Tortilla Joe's and where it is currently, the former La Brea. The trailer right now. And Star Wars. And it's going to be the Earl of Sandwich Temple. I think they're giving all of Tomorrowland over to Earl of Sandwich soon. It's like a auxiliary classroom.

Like when it's like they're doing vent work at your elementary school. Music class is in the trailer now. Yeah, a couple people roll up with like five igloo coolers full of sandwiches and then they just like take cash from people at this point. Like they've moved it around in such like just random places. It's a shapeshifter.

If you don't get your hopes up, you won't get your heart broken. So when they open it, I'll be there and thrilled. But until then, I'm just going to wait. I don't want to get too excited. Yeah. Yeah.

Sure. As you are also, you don't want your heart broken by the eventual disappearance of this chain from our world, because it does, you know, even, you know,

they move, but that's a little scary. Vegas closed, but it moved. Mall of America closed, but it moved mall of america closed but it moved um but it's it's on the fence it's on the ropes i feel like in ontario mills unless you seem to be implying that it was uh pretty jammed that things things are happening in there it well jammed i don't know okay all right the animatronics, good. The crowd, quite possibly mostly non-existent.

Oh, okay. That's what I was ensuring. That was kind of the case when I went in early 2020. It might have been, and we were there at an odd time. When you're there on a Wednesday at 2 o'clock. Yeah, we went on a weekday, middle of the day. We were told that they weren't busy right now, but they had been busy. Not in an aggressive, please keep coming way, but in like a normal, broad way.

Because I went with my friends. And my friend Kelsey made the reservation. And unbeknownst to me, she wrote a bit of an essay requesting a specific table. And we rolled up and she was so stressed about like, from what I remember, she was stressed about not getting the table. And they were like, you're fine. You're getting it. And I brought the essay with me oh yes if you would like to go and i'm so curious what table and why okay oh wow this is from her oh the fact that research was done in order to or just there was awareness of a special table this is from her

reservation confirmation email. Under the special requests when making it. Hello. We cannot express our genuine excitement for our upcoming Rainforest Cafe experience. We're traveling hours from all over the state just to come to you because we miss you so much. In the spirit of it never hurts to ask, we would love to be able to sit in one of the circular booths nestled into the plants and animals. Also, if available, we'd absolutely spend a silly amount on the balloon artist and would be ecstatic to get a visit from the froggy mascot. We are so sad that all of your California sibling stores have succumbed to deforestation, but are so excited to come to you in Ontario for a special trip.

Oh, wow. So the hostess saw this and was like, I gotcha. So this was the hand delivered at the door, basically. This was the online reservation. So she pulled up in the POS or whatever that's called. So she pulled up, oh, kelsey party of four and saw this and knew she'd take care of us like well we got a paragraph check the pos as a paragraph here yeah better deal with it um i understand though the request because when i just did a pop-in

you know look all you're not going wrong with theming in that place anywhere but we were just middle of room we weren't enveloped in plant life. It must have been incredible. It was incredible. It was because we had pretty high hopes. We've been planning this for years. And we got there. And is this a pro-swearing podcast? Yeah. Pro-swearing, yeah.

We lost our shit. We were so thrilled. It was better than we expected. We thought, ha-ha, like all the animatronics will be broken. This will be funny but sad. No. It felt alive. It felt fun.

We sat across from Atlas, which was very exciting. Is Atlas... Wait, what's Atlas? Atlas is Atlas. Like the man? Oh, you mean the big gold man. Yeah. Okay, yeah.

So we were sitting nestled in plants. Oh, that's like all the way... That's the VIP booth. Yeah, we were truly in a VIP booth. Oh, boy. Wow. Yeah, he has a big orb and it says,

Rescue the Rainforest. He's like the top of an Emmy or something. Yes, we could see him. The elephants were behind us to the right. I think we had some sort of monkey at our table. Is Atlas from something other than the Rainforest?

Is he just- Mythology? So it's just the God. They haven't taken the- I'm just saying, is this that God? Is it Rainforest Cafe. Mythology? So it's just the God. They haven't taken the, I'm just saying, is this that God? Is it Rainforest Cafe IP? Yeah.

This is not an original character. Not an original character. But I didn't know that because I have in my notes just like big gold man. I didn't realize that was meant to be Atlas. The Atlas.

I mean, was it explained to me at the table? Yes, it was, but still. But now we know. Now everybody knows. Did they still have the bar stools that look like animal legs? Jason, you know they did.

You know they did, and they were empty, which was upsetting. I wanted to go to the bar for a drink after, but we didn't have time. I wanted to nestle into one of those little giraffe butts, giraffe seats. Seat seats? There you go. That's the only one. That's the swearing that we do. That's the only one that we monitor.

Yeah, a seat seat. Let's call it seats. And they were beautiful. And also, last night when I was just like, wait, who invented Rainforest Cafe? I wound up on the website of the guy who makes the seat seats. Oh, wow. Fascinating man. You guys got to do some sort of episode about that.

Was this the guy? Is there somebody different who did the seat seats specifically? Or do you mean like the restaurant there's an artisan oh who does the yeah whoa it's like seat seats by it's like gregory something whoa oh gosh oh you've dropped a person oh man yeah i wish we had this at our wow because they are pretty you know there's like there's braiding on those rope tails. Listen, when you see a podcast the right episode forming, this was that. All right. So separate episode is the artisan.

Please send us that info if you got it. That's exciting. Yeah, I thought they just churn them out at some Rainforest Cafe factory. But no, it's true art. And that's why it looks so good. They also, that zone is called the Magic Mushroom Bar. I've seen it referred to as the Magic Mushroom Juice Bar. I feel like now it's utilitarian.

It's playing to a broad audience where people want booze, unfortunately. I think there was a time when it opened, when there was only one location at Mall of America, when it was meant to be fully a juice bar, which is pretty in keeping with the theming, I would say. I like that. But what an insane idea. And that's especially, I mean,

they're all pretty ambitious in various ways. There's the aquariums, the store is a massive operation, and you've got your magic mushroom bar. The Mall of America one, they must have stopped this, right? Maybe the other locations did but at least that first one was also a pet store you could leave with exotic birds what you could buy birds who lived in the rainforest cafe like pandora the world of avatar but real yeah yes

it's like it's contradicting the other half of the establishment. You think the message is a little muddled there? Caging exotic birds. Yeah, you could buy them a car, a toucan, or a cockatoo. And at this time, this is when the store was swinging. It opened, it had a big hit year or two the first couple of years, and they said they sold one bird a week, which doesn't sound like a lot, but that nets you $1,500 to $2,500. Wow.

So that's good. One bird a week. Can you imagine going to the Mall of America and the thing you leave with is a toucan? Do you bag that up? They probably got to breathe. You probably got to let them put that on your shoulder. The way the of america was hyped though when i was a kid when we were kids it actually makes sense because it feels like they were hyping it up as like this is everything you would want that is true including toucans so that is so funny that they did that uh that how do you know how long that lasted i don't

know no and i think that first one was a whole other ballpark like yeah yeah you know uh more ambitious than the others but the others are incredibly ambitious too i mean that's the footprint you can attest to that ontario one i mean i'm never gonna get over this bird store i'm simply like never gonna be able to process this information it's really weird um and then also like just other early stuff that maybe just that one had okay so like i think all of them have the aquarium, basically, where you walk through this big, like, bright blue,

bold blue, and there's probably fish in there, I think. Maybe not deer. No, no, no. No, I think anyone listening to this

has seen the YouTube video of the dude who went to all the rainforest cafes. Oh, yes. It was that viral video. Eddie Burback, is that correct? It's Burback,

not Burbank, right? And as that person pointed out, there are many many some select ones that don't have fish. This one just had bubbling water. OK. Which if you go in not expecting that, it's very jarring to enter someplace. It's like the rainforest is alive and thriving. And from the from the drop, you're just like, nope, animals not here. And you have to I mean, your brain just kind of jumps to conclusions that, you know, we're here after the pandemic. Malls kind of closed suddenly.

What happened to these fish? Oh, yeah. Was that a slide out during that? Yeah. I don't know. What happened? When it closed, like, was it like, who's taking the fish home? And like, was there a whole debate?

And then nobody could. I know. I don't know. Oh, and everyone forgot. Everybody just like pencils down and nobody ever dealt with the fish. It feels a little bad that there's no fish there. I heard an apocryphal story about the fish at the Wynn Casino in Vegas that a security guard, the first few months when all the casino hotels were closed,

they were just like I don't know about fish just leave what are we going to do and like one security guy took it upon himself to scoop out the fish food and like keep the fish alive see I don't because if you're like in a hotel you're security you're

in the hotel yeah if you're just inside the gate of a of an outlet mall that isn't open I don't open, I don't know. Yeah. And I don't, listen, don't sue me, Landry's,

please don't come for me, but it felt disconcerting that post-pandemic it was a very empty tank. Sure. There would have to be like some altruistic like man or woman

who comes into the mall at night or comes into the Rainforest Cafe at night and feeds the fish. Yeah, Mr. Mills. Like Mr. Mills is coming in with his skeleton key. Yeah, Mr. Mills. Like, Mr. Mills. Mr. Mills.

Coming in with a skeleton key. Sir Mills. He owns many of them. Sir Mills. Yeah. That is one, the one in Philadelphia, the formerly Franklin Mills, now the Philadelphia Mills. That one apparently closed in February of 2001, but it only opened in 1998.

So very short lifespan of the Philadelphia rainforest. Does that area not seem food? No, it's a giant outlet mall. The mills, Philadelphia mills. Is there anything else fun in that mills, or is it kind of a boring functional mill? Well, I believe if you look up, there was a giant Ben Franklin,

like a multi-story Ben Franklin thing. I don't even know how to describe it. It wasn't a store where you could buy Ben Franklin merch? Somewhere between a statue and a puppet. Oh. Oh, it moved. Yeah. Oh. That's interesting.

And it's a little frightening. Size-wise, are we talking a Transformer? Like, what are we working with? Yeah, bigger. Ooh! Like, both stories. Wait, a Transformer's really big. Yeah, bigger.

Yeah, like, both stories in an atrium in the mall. Were you scared? I don't know if I ever saw it in person. I might have just seen pictures. I'd be frightened. Or it's a nightmare you had jason growing up in philadelphia would often have nightmares of a giant man eating ben franklin kaiju man ben franklin ben franklin versus godzilla i mean we there there are a number of

things uh in phil that like there's a dickensian christmas village underneath the Macy's downtown. A one with a roof and a basement? That used to be a Wanamaker's. Wanamaker, a former big department store chain. My grandmother claimed she was fourth cousins with John Wanamaker. You said, what a brag. What a brag. You say claimed as if you're a little bit in doubt about it.

False brag. It's like Barbra Streisand's basement. I am sorry. I was exaggerating this Ben Franklin puppet thing. Only probably one story. So closer to a Transformer. You're talking about a Transformer in the park. You're not talking about a Transformer in the world.

In the movie, it's like many stories tall. I mean, no, that's about bumblebee sized, in the movie, is many stories tall. I mean, no, that's about Bumblebee-sized, I would say. Well, it depends. They're not six stories tall. I think they're maybe one and a half or shorter. Is that right? I think so. What's the scale of it?

Some of them are taller than that, aren't they? We're going off Bumblebee. Because Bumblebee and... I've seen the first one. I've seen Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee, and it feels like Bumblebee can just kind of crouch down a little one. I've seen Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee, and it feels like Bumblebee can just kind of crouch down a little bit. That's what I was going to say. They come to your eye level,

and they wouldn't be able to do that if they were so big. Yeah, if they were like Godzilla's size, it wouldn't be. Yeah, I think they're only like one and a half stories or maybe like around there. I guess so, yeah. I like that Ben Franklin. That is frightening. The Mills chain of outlet, of course, this is a Simon owned property. Oh, of course. Simon, the company is frightening the mills the mills chain of outlet of course this is a simon owned property simon of course the company runs the malls of course uh i never remember them being

uh super crowded or particularly desirable the mills uh location i've talked a lot of review yeah i've talked a lot of smack about mills over the years and maybe i we maybe we need to do some kind of mills roundup determine what else is weird like that like the franklin what else are weird at mid mills the standard simon malls i mean i feel like a lot of the malls around philadelphia uh were uh nice and then eventually started to consolidate ownership and simon starts buying up and then i like westfield more than simon i'm disappointed you're westfield man okay yeah but that's they're all westfields are you jason are you a simon lad are you a little simon boy i don't know i mean they didn't save the granite run mall it's kind of a weird, my childhood mall's a weird Frankenstein where like some of the-

No, no, no, a Franklinstein. Oh, it's a- Oh, no, the Mills is a Franklinstein. Where it's like one or two of the anchors stayed and then they built like a pseudo outdoor mall. Thank you for sharing. So you're not even, you wouldn't declare anything,

any allegiance, any type of boy you are as far as mall ownership? Well, certainly moving out here, yeah, I've become a little Westfield boy. Okay, so you're more of a little Westfield boy as well. Yeah. Okay. Or Fashion Square lad. I don't want to be a little Caruso lady.

Oh, no. Uh-oh. Oh, no. I think the little is optional. These guys are always going for the little if that's in the- Yeah, yeah. If you're a fan of anything, adding I'm a little something boy is generally how we like to refer to it. Yeah, and very non-off-putting.

It's on-putting. Who owns Mall of America? Anyone? Ooh. I think I'm a dependent. I'm not sure. I don't know. I think I'm a...

The bank. Oh. Because I believe the company was leveraging, using Mall of America credit to run the American Dream Mall. Oh, that's right. Oh, wait, okay.

My brain is going back to all the press releases I got about American Dream. Who runs that? Who runs that? I don't know. It's not a particularly memorable name. Can I... Wait, is it Simon?

It is Simon. Simon's part of it. Or they manage it. I think it's owned by Triple Five. They own these mega malls, Mall of America, West Edmonton, which is huge and has a theme park in it, and American Dream, which is a bizarre nightmare that I got lost in. I had a very horrible experience. I spent my birthday there.

You did? Yeah, I went to the Shrek water park for my birthday. Oh, right. You know, like a normal adult woman does. Before the collab, before stuff started falling. Oh, yeah. We went during the pandemic, but during a light, a casual break in it. But my husband and I are neurotic, so we wore masks up until we got on the water slides.

It was a real specific time. And the people operating them were like, you can't wear that on the slide. So we left it next to the vehicle. But it was great i got i mean it's so embarrassing i got to hug shrek like next to the wave pool in a bathing suit which was an iconic moment for me but the problem is my phone was in the locker and my husband had his phone on him so he took all the photos and then i put them in an album and send them to myself but he doesn't use his phone his photo album a lot so now anytime you open photos on his phone there is just an icon of me in a bathing suit with Shrek every single time just a huge

photo because he doesn't make photo albums so you'd open his phone to camera or photo it's just me being like in a bathing suit with Shrek forever that is how your husband sees you that is his primary that's how we should yeah image have you been to Mall of America I've never been actually I did I did Mall of America and then went to Chicago Mall of America and Rock and Roll McDonald's trip have you been I have not

it's amazing it's pretty good real quick on the topic I think did you do a thing I wanted to do into an episode but for some reason when it was here I wasn't available did you go to a Shrek r available. Did you go to a Shrek rave? I did not go to a Shrek rave because I was pregnant and I didn't think I could handle it. Because I want to

Look, he can't not take X if you go to a Shrek rave. When it's back, can we go to a Shrek rave or something and do an episode on it? I interviewed the founder of it, Cash, and it was one of my favorite interviews of all time. I did a podcast episode on it.

And I have never, I don't think in my life I've left an interview that happy. Wow. It was just, we had so much fun talking about Shrek rave. Wow. I felt like, you know when you meet people in college who like the same things as you and you're just on one? It was that. Whoa. It was pure joy.

You and Cash were that aligned? Yeah. Over Zoom, we were so happy. Are you excited to visit Shrek's home at Universal Studios Florida soon? Don't even get me started. Oh boy.

I'm so, I've done all the Shrek experiences except for, I never made it to Universal Studios Singapore, sadly, because I went on a huge tour and by then I went with my husband and he's fun,

I promise. But he went to four international theme parks and was like no no more i missed that and then i haven't been to is the ride in dubai the indoor there's a dark ride a shrek dark ride i don't know yeah i haven't done that um oh for anyone who doesn't have context every december i do shrek sembra on my podcast we focus on we've almost run out of Shrek experiences, but we did the Shrek Airbnb this year and that was good. Where's that? What's that?

The Shrek Airbnb, I'm so sorry to derail from Rainforest Cafe, but the Shrek Airbnb was a promotional thing that one winner was allowed to stay at, they recreated Shrek's house and they were allowed to stay. It was in Ireland. I think my brain's fried, but I hunted down the person who stayed there. I sleuthed it and I found them and I interviewed them and we talked about the experience staying in Shrek's house.

Have you gotten any, and I feel like maybe this was on a Jim and Len Disney dish. They were, they were talking about like, this is a number of years ago, but there was like rumors of like, well, people like Shrek, but they're sick of the movies.

So it could be prime for a live action, like a Disney version, like a live action reboot. I've never heard that since. Barf. Yeah, I don't think it would be for me necessarily. I don't think they're doing that. I think they're doing new anime.

I always wondered how far along, was that just like a meeting where someone was like tapping a pencil on the head and it's like, do you think Myers would want to do like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm looking at the dates. The Shrek rave is like... Yeah, it's always. It's always, but then the one in Los Angeles says it's a spooky rave. Because it's... Is it Halloween time? I don't know. It's February.

Well, we said it in the Shrek 4D timeline. Ghost of Farquaad. I don't think it is said in the Shrek 4D. It says spooky rave, my bloody valentine. And then the next... It's sandwiched by things that just say Shrek rave. So I don't know why. Is the Los Angeles market, do they not want Shrek rave?

Maybe we've done it so much, we're like, we need another layer to it. We're going the opposite direction. The works of My Bloody Valentine. Yeah, it's weird. Well, if you want to go, I'm there. All right, great. What city do we have to go to to go to a Shrek rave? Sacramento.

Maybe San Diego. Oh, there's a San Diego, I think. They did it in Anaheim once, too, I think. Oh, okay. I think it was the Anaheim House of Blues. Wow. Yeah, let's see. There's a, I saw one, House of Blues, San Diego, 21024.

And then I think there was one in Sacramento, but that's obviously a little farther. Yeah. But if we find out it's better, I mean, we should go to the most quality Shrek Raiders. Well, yeah. If an expert could tell us which one it's superior at. Yeah. I'll inquire about Ticket Sales. Great, great. Let me ask about

particulars of your experience. Were there animatronics you were especially endeared to? Yes. The elephants. Elephants, yes. I thought elephants weren't really gonna work it just seems like those ears wouldn't flap very well it just i was expecting nothing and it gave everything wow they kind of they like shake around when the storm happens they like they blow those trunks so i forgot the storm happened so imagine me sitting in our little booth we just got in we're

overjoyed we made it and then there's a storm and i completely forgot and my friend took a video of me that i didn't realize at the time and i just it was just an endless shit-eating grin just so happy i think i had both of my hands glued to my face in shock it was so fun i cannot emphasize how fun this was yeah. I had a magical time at that one. Admit it. I was with a smaller group. But it was like the amount of... You're shocked by how many storms you get. If you're there for...

If you take a slow lunch, you can maybe get like five storms in. No problem. I mean, the later storms obviously don't have the same effect. We just kept gabbing about serious life issues. But the first few storms were very fun. But once we sat down... I don't remember the exact process. life issues. But the first few storms were very fun. But once we sat down, I don't remember the exact process. It must have been the waiter

who asked if I wanted to be a member of, I think it's Landry's Select Club? Jason wouldn't know. I'm a member of the club as well. You're a Landry's Select too? I don't know if it's Landry's Select, but I'm a Landry's card holder. We have Lowry's

cards. Yeah, I have both of those. You have both. Although you're more of the Landry's because of course the Landry's card holder. We have Lowry's cards. Yeah, I have both of those. You have both. Although you're more of the Landry's because, of course, the Landry's points came up. Yeah. Jason accidentally spent his father's Landry's points

when we went to Bubba Gump's a couple years ago. I was trying to be nice and I was like, oh, I'll get him some points because then what he wears is a Landry's and he just automatically

used whatever credit was on it. His father worked for decades for those points and he comes in and just takes them. We went to a Morton's one year and a Chart House the next. We earned those points. They had Morton's too? Yeah, so Landry's bought Rainforest Cafe

in 2000. They of course own Morton's and Chart House and the Golden Nugget Your of courses are interesting Of course Yes yes yes

I too am now a card carrying member and I feel like I've had a lot of high moments in my life of just being like I really accomplished something I'm proud of myself and this was one of them the way the manager came over and thanked me for joining, brought me the paperwork.

I love the thanks. Like buying a car. It's like getting a promotion just for dining there. Yeah. Now, just remember, you can't put the points back on the card. Jason tried. I tried. I tried.

I was like, no, I just wanted the point. The pan to the scramble when it happened. The fear on your face. I felt so bad tried. I was like, no, I just wanted the point. The scramble when it happened. The fear on your face. I felt so bad because it was probably like the, I think they give you 20 bucks on your birthday or something. Well, I spent 25, but with the promise of I have $25 credit. Coming. Yeah.

Yeah. That's on the card. So it was a little bit of a dark exchange. Jason grabbing this guy by the collar. Put him back. Put him back. Those are my father's I want to talk to Scampi

I want to talk to the big shrimp mascot Scampi who's a shrimp but Cha Cha is a frog do not get your Landry characters confused I didn't know the shrimp had a name I believe it is Scampi I forget that every time we've done all these series

I think I looked it up because the last time none of us could remember. I'm like, I need to remember what that. And I think it's. Scampi. Oh my God. I believe it's scampi. And it's confusing because the one at CityWalk Hollywood is always very filthy. Like it's a dirty, dirty shrimp.

But he should be called filthy. He should be called filthy. Filthy dirty shrimp. But he should be called filthy. He should be called filthy. Filthy the shrimp. Yeah, you got to take him out back to the CityWalk hose. Give him a wad of water. The CityWalk hose. Go to their hose. The CityWalk hose.

The hose. The only one. Yeah. Once John Lovett's comedy club shut down, there used to be two hoses, but then the water pipes were shut off there. Lovett said he angrily took the hose with him. Yeah. Now, wait a minute. club shut down there used to be two hoses but then the water pipes were shut off love it so he took the he angrily took the hose with him yeah um i now wait a minute one of your requests was if possible a cha-cha appearance yes so kelsey was as you can tell better versed about the offerings

of rainforest cafe than the rest of us were uh we never got to see a cha-cha character i didn't know who cha-cha was until we got there and And then obviously, like rolling up to Disney World with no context, you know who the main character is. Yeah. We all immediately bought Cha-Cha zippers, which were a shockingly affordable $10 each. Oh, wow. Okay. We're used to higher prices on zippers. I was like, I'm going to spend $27.99 on this piece of plastic.

I'm never going to get back. $10. And it was one that I hadn't seen before, now that I've seen videos of Brick Forest Cafe, it was just Cha-Cha's head. It was all head. Not head on a cup. Full head. Okay. Oh, that's what you want.

Yeah. An immersive. Yeah, yeah. If it's only part of a cup, that feels functional. Yes. You all did it. We all four of us bought it. And then, of course, we opted for the professional photo in a frame, which don't get it twisted.

That's not a frame. It's a piece of paper around a photo. And when they came to our booth and they took our photo and we looked at it, the only way I can describe it is that it looks like we're in The Shining. Just holding our little cha-chas in front of our heads. So happy, but possessed. Completely possessed. Just not right. New Year's Eve 1920.

Yep. And you zoom in on us being like yeah you sent that photo a little while ago to i and like yes i clocked four cha-cha zippers and then that like rainforest cafe so the frame is going to be like a fun it's a bunch of leaves and vines no it's just kind of like gold, fake gold leafing. It's just kind of like what an old restaurant would have. It's not green and kooky. Just normal. I thought it was a frame like I'm going to hang it on my wall

because I'm dumb. A little flappy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so that's all cool. Wait, there was another request though. Oh, the balloons. The balloon person never came to us. Okay, but they were there.

They were there. So we were in the booth facing Atlas, just to give you the layout. And there was a table next to Atlas. And they got balloons. So we got to enjoy their balloons from afar. Okay. I think someone had a palm tree with a coconut. They were wearing it as a hat.

There was a very good balloon art happening. But we were never really offered the balloon art, which is fine. That's strange. It was in your, how many, that's strange. Like, you put it in your requests. Yes, it does.

This is not a crowded restaurant. How in the world does the balloon artist not make it to you? You know, it wasn't as disappointing as I'm making it sound now. We were just so happy the entire time that nothing, like, you know, going to the bathroom, seeing Queen of the that nothing like, you know, going, going to the bathroom,

seeing queen of the jungle, like just everything was spot on. Perfect. That not getting a balloon was fine. That bathroom's funny. The, I mean, I was only in the men's,

but if it's, if it's the same style, the like, it's very like airbrush. Yeah. It's very like, like old t-shirt style. Yeah.

Yeah. That's nice. I liked it in there. It's a good vibe. I, now, okay. I went back and re-listened to our Denton Disney episode about Raven First Cafe, and I am just kind of like guns blazing about the food quality. I'm just like, it's shit, bad food.

That's not the only experience. I've only had bad experiences with the food. But let me ask you now about the food portion of all this. How'd you feel about the food? No complaints. Wow. And you know what? Here I am listening to myself years ago,

flapping on. I got the aforementioned mojo bones. I really liked the mojo bones. I had a good time. I remember thinking like, have I been underrating? Maybe it's just, maybe it's location dependent, but I don't know.

They got the mojo today. The mojo bones have the mojo today. I knew what I was getting into, and I was coming out of a long night where I didn't drink much, but I have no tolerance. So I was just kind of exhausted, spaced out, got there so happy, so thrilled. Got to eat chips and dip. Got to eat a spinach artichoke dip. Like, just fun food, fun food with friends. It was great. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't artisanal.

Yeah. And I went into it knowing that there is a chance it was possibly frozen. And then they reheated some of the food, possibly. I don't know. I don't work in the kitchen. So I went, I ordered from that perspective yeah yeah yeah okay if that's where you set your your meter yes and you know what else i think has happened to me since like we've now done so much city walk multiple city walks in downtown disney we've experienced some food lows and i yeah so i like i don't know so when like i think my bar has been

lowered a lot so that my yeah my mojo bone experience if there's not something specifically wrong which there was not i i don't know i i i got what i wanted i got no complaints can you um just real quick clarify uh what what are mojo bones is it just ribs it is just ribs yes okay yeah how dare you demystify i said it so many times without saying that sorry i even had to remember i've had that phrase mojo bones haunting me and yet i could not until looking at my photos from that day could not remember that they are because i was just imagining the big thing of ribs put on fred flintstone's car oh, that'd be fun. Yeah, not that crazy.

You can imagine, though. You can blow them up in your head. Is Mojo the name of the pig that they- I had this question. I don't think so, because I think that's weird to- I could be wrong. It is weird. I mean, it's also weird to eat animals in the Rainforest Cafe.

Because the rainforest, you want to preserve the rainforest. Yeah, but you don't eat elephant. Well, that's true, yes. But there might be a wild Is there a wild hog in the rainforest somewhere? There might be. There isn't now. There might be a boar. Well, right, because Mojo is dead. He's got Aiden. I'll check my menu.

They might have been jaguar bones. Oh, that's the canon explanation? Or just truly. This organization slaughters Jaguars. Oh, no, you ate Maya the Jaguar. All these characters have names, by the way. Oh, right, right, right. In addition to Cha-Cha.

There's some sort of creole influence in the menu, which I feel like I picked up there and then I saw later when I was reading about it. Yeah. Right? Yeah, I think so. You get some jambalayas, right? Yeah, which I don't know where that crossover happened.

Zatarain's warehouse was just closing, so they bought everything in bulk. A lot of surplus jambalaya. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not sure. I mean, I guess that's a question when you open this plate. Like, where do you go with it? And you imagine kind of like South American or something.

But yeah, I don't know. I never felt like I was eating my new friends, especially the ones with names, as you mentioned. Right. Thank God. I never felt, yeah. There was nothing. I mean, Cha-Cha's the star.

The other ones, I don't know, but I would bet my life on the fact that Jason does Rio the macaw Tukey the elephant Ozzy the orangutan Bamba the gorilla Iggy the iguana that one's a little lazy

and Niall the crocodile we saw Niall the crocodile outside the Woodbridge one yeah I'm assuming that was Niall that's the freebie I think

what's that? that's the freebie oh yeah you don't have to you don't have to buy anything yeah a little taste there's the freebie I think What's that? That's the freebie Oh yeah You don't have to You don't have to buy anything Yeah a little taste There's a snake There's that

There's one other Sure Yeah I think in Nashville Instead of a crocodile They got a hippo Oh Is that

Was that listed? The hippo? Why? Special just for Nashville Just for you Just for Nashville Wow I

The snake was where I And maybe this has been improved since I was there, but I took a video under the snake where I'm just seeing the peel from the tongue, from that nasty black. I was right under it. Maybe all of them would suffer if you walked right up to it, but this you can.

You're walking right under that snake. I was just imagining bits peeling off and into an open beverage container or something. The snake was not looking great. I will have- That's why you gotta get a souvenir cup. It's covered. Cha-Cha's head is fully intact.

Oh, Cha-Cha just bounces right off of Cha-Cha's forehead. Keep your soda secure. It's an interesting experience going to that one to that one like the Odyssey to get there. I mean, I was very fond of my experience that like there's a lot of notable parts about it for me. I went with friend of the show, Bugman, Buzz Buzz. It was I think I texted you about this forever ago that I I went on that while we were there, it was announced that JPEG is taking over as CEO. That's where I was when that happened, which also places it at- Who doesn't remember where they were, you know?

Everyone was, because Jason was in Vegas. I was in Vegas. I was napping in Vegas, and I woke up to a flurry of text messages. Jason, wake up! Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. But that also places it at right pre-pandemic, because as we all know, he was put in as a fall guy with Iger's advanced knowledge that the pandemic was coming. He got the rich guy dossier.

Just like him and Oprah got it. That's what happened. But also, when I'm looking at my photos of my little Mills expedition, pandemic is in my head, because two weeks later, it was raging. This is one of the last things i did before which also means that i i'd missed the detail that like that that mall has a a truly

massive amc it's a 30 30 yeah it is like upsettingly big like you you feel so small you feel like an ant before it always what's that there's gotta be so many hallways oh yeah yeah yeah there's probably wings and like no you're in A2. No, you're in B9. We got an AMC 30 in Schaumburg. Really? Gosh, Schaumburg. You got it all.

Yeah. That's nothing to you. It's such a novelty to me. You said it, and I like scoffed. They're going to be playing that Sidney Sweeney Glenn Powell romantic comedy forever. Yeah, they have rooms. Yeah, they're going to be playing that for no one in august million dollar gross has just made it from shopper yeah that's right yeah that's what i my shoney there

was a shoney's right by there oh yeah whoa yeah uh the thing that i like it feels like weird like like urban ruins or something my photos of this though because already nobody's at that theater and then all the coming attraction posters i i don't know why i took pictures of posters but they're all for movies like black widow and lovebirds that we now know all became pandemic releases just kind of sadly spurted out at home so it's like it's a real like this was a window in time yeah really that i really had bookend visits yeah yeah yours was. Yours was like post and optimistic. This was my first indoor dining in a really long time. That was it?

Yeah. I made all my friends test. We were very stressed about it. It was my first indoor dining. I was willing to catch COVID for a cafe. Thankfully, there were not a lot of people there. You're going to get it anywhere. And so your first indoor dining was a fake outdoors.

That's interesting, isn't it? Yeah. I mean, we have seasons of not indoor dining. So this was one of the breaks. Oh, I see. Yeah. We basically, the way I try to do it is that I, well, for a while I had a younger baby and you got to be careful then.

But I try to, if I have a trip, I don't want to ruin the trip. So then I prepare before the trip. And then I end up traveling so much that I end up masking forever. Oh, I see. Yeah. That's why. It's all vacation. So it took me years to go to Rainforest Cafe. Okay, okay.

Gotcha. So you're beaming this. But this is just, this is like pure joy. It was better than I thought it was going to be. I thought we'd have to pretend to be happy, you know? That we schlepped all the way there. Like we'd have to drive back in traffic. It'll be a whole thing. We had so much fun. We had so much fun. And like, again, the food, you know what you're getting into. Like I

got coconut shrimp. It's, I'm not like off the water. I know I'm at, I don't even know where Ontario is. I don't know what direction I drove in. Yes, I know. We've been there and I couldn't see anything else about 30 miles around? Couldn't tell you. It was either you go to Disneyland or you're wherever this was. You could be at the outlets on the way to Disneyland or you could be like in the middle of the state. Yes. Had no clue.

Still don't know where it was. My car almost died when I was there. Had to find a charger. Barely did it. Couldn't figure out where I was. Wow. Yeah. Like just somewhat lost. but it was worth it.

It was incredible. We obviously got, oh, what is it called? The chocolate explosion? The volcano? The Sunday. Yes, I forget because they have a similar dessert at T-Rex at Disney Springs. Which is also owned by Landry's, but

it's not a Rainforest Cafe. Also created by the same person as Rainforest Cafe. Steve something. Steve something. Steve Schlesser. No, Schulser. Steve Schlessing. Steve Schussler.

I've been dreading this this whole time. Steve Schussler. Steve and Schussler. Schussler. I got some Schussler stuff. T-Rex. And their chocolate dessert is, oh, I think it's called like chocolate extinction, which is hilarious.

Oh, my dream. Yeah. So we have whatever the Rainforest Cafe version of it is. Wow. Wow. That's fantastic. Yeah. I think also my friend said it was my birthday and we got a cupcake.

Yes. Wow, there's a lie involved. I think so. It said it was my birthday and we got a cupcake. Yes. Wow, there's a lie involved. I think so. It was while I was in the bathroom. I was not part of it. Oh, interesting. Oh, this little thing foisted out. Yeah.

Was there a song then? You know, I have no memory of it, but there might have been. Okay. Because I wonder what the Rainforest Cafe, like, non, like, what their version of happy birthday is. Yeah, but don't think I have a, I don't have a video. I feel like if they set me up and there was a song, there'd be a video.

Did the gorillas sing it? Did the animatronics sing it? And they just make horrible creaking noises when they program that? You know what I wish they did? You know that sometimes when like a bunch of like monkeys or orangutans are together, that they all start playing off each other and they do all their mating calls or whatever that is. I've been to a sanctuary. I should know the answer.

I don't. But they should do that as an alternate thunderstorm. Just have all the monkeys start yelling at each other. Start screaming at each other. Oh yeah, like in a real realistic way. That'd be fun. Your birthday is making these monkeys

excited to mate. They'd be so angry though. I'd love that. It'd be realistic though. Yeah, it'd be great. When it's crowded, you just hear angry dads go, do you want to eat here either this had the shortest wait though if you want to go to tgi fridays we can the call of the tired dads yeah um i okay well let me let me talk a little, Steve Schussler. Schussler. Steven Schussler.

Now, Julia brought some of this to the table with us a while back, but I feel like I did not get entranced by Steven Schussler the way that I should have because the list of... So he sold a couple of these restaurants to Landry's ultimately, but he's got this whole like the the credits are are nuts i think i'm i'm preparing for some gasps here because it's rainforest cafe like truly personally this guy t-rex cafe is him yak and yeti at animal kingdom is him there's and then there's a quote what a like coup for this guy he's got two he's got rainforest and t-rex at disney springs and then rainforest outside animal kingdom and then there's a, what a coup for this guy. He's got two, he's got Rainforest and T-Rex at Disney Springs, and then Rainforest

outside Animal Kingdom, and then Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom. It's Shustlerland. It's basically Shustlerland. Then, I had no idea the same man was the Boathouse. Neither did I until last night. Wow. Neither did I.

Wow. Shocking. Totally different concept. Also fantastic. Great food. Fantastic food. Yeah. Great food owned by a steakhouse chain

now, I think. That's all off. I almost wore my boathouse shirt today, but it feels like it doesn't fit me right now. I gained some weight being a father, okay? Feels like it doesn't fit me right. I couldn't fit into my boathouse shirt, okay?

I had to wear Hello Kitty. It fits. It's just I was like, it looks weird. It feels weird on me. But I almost wore it today. I'm right there with you, brother. I've put a little weight on. Going back to larges. Mediums are getting a little tight.

Well, it's in style right now, so nobody notices. I've been told this. Yes. Yeah. My stylist girlfriend assures me Baggy is back. Baggy is back. I would trust Jane with anything. Well, yeah.

She's fantastic at her job. Sure. Baggy is back as back. Baggy as back. I would trust Jane with anything. Well, yeah. She's fantastic at her job. Sure. Baggy as back, folks. Baggy as back. I'm a little baggy boy. American apparel dead. I'm a little baggy boy now. Even though I just said that I had to wear one type of shirt, not another, I've retconned

that. I chose to. You heard how my brain was able to reconcile it in real time just now. I am a little baggy boy now. You were your comfy mashup Hello Kitty New Japan wrestling shirt. my brain was able to reconcile it in real time just now. I am a little baggy boy now. There's nothing to do with my... You wear your comfy mashup Hello Kitty New Japan Wrestling shirt instead. It's bigger. The shirt is bigger than my boathouse

three-quarter sleeves shirt that I have. Is it a polo? No, no. It's a baseball tee. I'm not a little polo boy. I'm a polo boy. Notice what word was missing there. A regular a regular polo i shouldn't have said boy either what am i doing you tricked me i still said boy it's like a baseball tee it's a

pink boathouse baseball tee it's one of my cherished possessions from like orlando as far as orlando related clothing you're gonna get to the gym then this is a cherished shirt you gotta squeeze back in. No, don't let him bully you. Go on eBay, buy a bigger size. Don't listen to him. That's true. That is enough.

Wait, yes, there's more of these shirts. Baseball, boathouse, baseball. Much later, Liz. I don't mean to bully. I just want you to have your shirt that you love. You gotta get on Depop, my man. Like, I'm sure there's some boathouse stuff there. I feel like I've only seen real, I mean, granted, you are a dad,

but real dad clothing. Like, dad golf wear. But that's I've only seen real, I mean, granted you are a dad, but real dad clothing. Like dad golf wear. But that's what I was excited about because yes, they will sell you a captain's hat. They will sell you a lot of polo shirts. A lot of like a Hawaiian type shirt things. Just dad clothes. Like a captain's hat.

Like a dad. That's how you know who's the captain of the family. Exactly. Which I think I almost bought as well, but it might have been too expensive his family i was gonna probably buy it for you try to buy it for you but then yeah that that's not necessarily my aesthetic yet so but then i saw a baseball tee and that's very much more my aesthetic and i i bought it and i was very excited it's pink and uh uh i haven't worn it in a while and I tried. Oh, can you imagine the magic moment? If he wouldn't have known he was wearing it?

I know. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, right. Well, it'll be a magic moment when you roll back in with that. Or probably with a large that you're comfortable with. They got like a boathouse here. There's like this very Margaritaville style shirt. Oh, that's good.

Oh, yeah. That a like a knockoff like daytona beach kind of yeah right wow i gotta go in that store more yeah um we didn't make that i wanted to go down when we were back i did not make it there and that is jammed we had much crappier restaurants to go to the uh um stay tuned on that um so uh but then oh and actually speaking of here let's move over to, because like, okay, so he's Mr. Disney, huh? Well, not necessarily. He'll cross party lines because his invention was Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

Wow. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Coming soon to the CityWalk Orlando saga. We'll hit that one. So this guy's just a machine of crazy restaurant ideas. Dude, I went so deep on this man last night that, okay, his name is Steve. My brother's name is Steve.

My brother is a surgeon. He has a full-time job. And in his free time, he makes Chicago Tavern-style pizza. And it's amazing because Chicago Tavern-style pizza is not a thing yet. Like, people don't really know about it. It's thin. It's crispy. It has, like, buttery crust.

It's thin. It's crispy. It has like buttery crust. It's amazing. And I wound up on a story of this guy and he's now making a Chicago tavern style pizza chain. Oh, great. He's trying to make it big. Really? Uh-huh. Whoa. Do you know the name of the chain?

Great question. So it's something like Steve and Dave's Big Time Pizza. And my brother, his best friend is named Dave and they had a musical group together called Dave and Steve. Whoa. Weird. I texted this to him last night and was like I'm having a stroke. Did you want them to play? I said they should

play the opening. My brother's like I gotta leave it all behind. I gotta pursue my Tavern Style Pizza dream. Oh wow. Oh gotcha. So this is almost like a restaurant themed after him. He's very good at surgery. He is the theme. Oh, gotcha. But this is almost like a restaurant themed after him. He's very good at surgery. He is the theme.

Yeah, but like Tavrisale Pizza's coming. Wow. Because if this guy says it's so, it has to be. Jeez. Well, and if he puts

his mind to it, it happens. Oh, and the Dave in Steve and Dave is famous Dave's Dave, I think. Oh, really? Oh, the barbecue.

Yeah. Yeah, so it's a little like buddy-buddy corporate honcho type of move. So if you know, not everyone's going to know who Dave and Steve are, but if you're in the know, you're in the know. I mean, famous Dave. Steve was like, I've opened all these places. I'm not getting credit. Yeah, that's exactly what I thought.

He wants it. He's like, Dave's got all this. I know. I want what Dave has. I want the credit. Right. He's like, Dave's got all this. I know. I want what Dave has. I want the credit. Right, because it's animals are getting all the credit. Atlas is getting all the credit and not Steve. Well, Atlas holds up the world.

Steve should have put himself in there holding up the world. Yeah, slap his face on there. And the world is like a meatball or something. You know, he sold his baby. He can't do it anymore. Which maybe might contribute to that this chain has decayed a little bit. That they've lost some. Maybe if Steve

was still in charge. I don't know. But he also, I'm sure he cashed in for a month. Can we just look forward to Rainforest Cafe inventor making a pizza chain? I mean, that's pretty fun. It's gotta be over the top. It can't just be plain.

Yeah, you're right. That's not just going to be some place. Yeah, yeah. There's going to be some kooky crap to that. Oh, I wonder. And it's thin. That's the type of pizza it is. Have you ever, sorry to make it very Chicago-centric,

have you ever been to Barnaby's? Yeah. It's like Barnaby's? That's Barnaby's, yeah. Oh, yeah, sure. Do you prefer the deep dish or the tavern-cut thin crust? Look, I'm basic. I'm a basic guy.

So I am a Lou Malnati's. Yes. Yes. McDonald's. That's my priority when it comes to the Chicago stuff. But Barnaby's is good. Yes. Or it was.

Yeah, it's still there. It's wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Is it still there? Yes. Oh, it's still there. Not the one on Golf Road, though, I think is gone.

I think. Is that the Northbrook one? I don't know street names because I didn't drive for a long time. I'm talking local Chamburg. No, I think there's, sorry everyone, there is the Northbrook one. And then there's the other one, which my dad prefers, which I think is, I think so. I think there's one right by O'Hare. I think so.

Whatever the one that's not Northbrook is the one my dad likes. Micro-specific about Chicago. I'm sorry, this podcast is micro- about Burbank those are the rules and we say some swears but not butt or ass those are the rules I'll be close please there's the one deep dish in the valley uh what's it called yes blanking on I haven't been there it's pretty good it gets you close it gets you close to what you want they ship they ship oh yeah we should we do it we did it for christmas yeah um big dream pizza i think is what this is uh going to be dream um yeah yeah the news is on pizza marketplace.com is it decorated to like steve's dreams they haven't opened it yet they were going to again i don't sleep why was i up all night doing this they had

a former like drive-in restaurant that they were going to launch within. Oh, yeah. This is an entirely new galaxy drive-in. This is the whole one that we missed. They were going to do it there. And then recently, I think a year ago, they decided it wasn't big enough for this huge pizza launch. So there hasn't been any other news. And they sold that to someone else.

Oh, interesting. But this tavern pizza trend is coming. Okay. I've really been on this quest to make the best pizza in America. When you try Dave's Pizza, you'll never want anything else. They're talking a big game.

Oh, and neither of us plays golf. Retirement is not the end game. These guys don't want to stop. They will not stop until we get the best pizza. Because tavern-style pizza is hard to find. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Chicago tavern-style pizza. If these guys seize it properly and the best pizza. Because tavern style pizza is hard to find. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Chicago tavern style pizza. There's a market. If these guys seize it properly and make it a thing.

The only way I get it is if my brother makes dough two days in advance and then invites me over. Wow. Sure. Oh, geez. So this will be special

if it happens then. Yeah. Well, if I could take it by carnage for a second about Rainforest Cafe, one of the other ones I went to growing up is on the Atlanticlantic city boardwalk

and like has like a cat with nine lives it is survived it is survived because it is on the ground floor of the former trump plaza casino so when trump plaza went under, Rainforest Cafe says we're going to close. And then they managed to get the utilities transferred to them. So they managed to stay open. And then they survived the, it is not the building that was imploded of Trump Plaza that we talked about a number of years ago. It is in, and then it survived the pandemic and somehow of all the rainforest cafes that closed this one is still going wow on the boardwalk hey how can you not be a fan of this chain after even hearing that story i i'm coming around i feel like it's i feel like i was talking some shit about it before but there's something about that it's hanging in there i mean that's

a story of survival yeah and metaphorically if this is you know if we root for this the way that we should root for you know for the planet maybe i think we have to they're one in the same and you want a you want a world where your son can experience the rainforest can run through can brush across his hand it brushes hands across uh the fake clothy vines right where he can reach out and touch the decaying black tongue of a creepy snake the asbestos tongue of the snake yeah i um one of the rainforest cafes that closed was in las vegas but i think it could potentially i think it should come back because current landry's, the head of Landry's, noted podcast ride guide, Tillman Fertitta,

author of Shut Up and Listen! The business book that warns you a paddle is coming for your ass. He is building a hotel casino on this strip it's a plot of land that used to be a travel lodge and the hawaiian marketplace shopping center it's all being demolished and they're building a new hotel casino this is like by if you can think of like the cosmopolitan uh sort of across from that area on this strip. So, since he's building a new hotel casino, I think we gotta get a Rainforest Cafe in there. You know? You gotta, it's his own company.

You gotta. It's his own company. Someone's gotta be, there's gotta be restaurants in there. Isn't it still, it's still in that weird, I've called it the shit stack. There's the tower of of like the bad chain restaurants one on top of the other in vegas yeah we had a view of at that cosmopolitan at the douchey night club right right yes so it's there's that one he's in a hard rock and brew dog the new rooftop

brewery yeah and so i yeah i i think just a couple blocks up from that will be this new Tillman Fertitta location. Wow. Yeah. His cousins run station casinos, the locals casinos in Vegas. Okay. Does he have anything to do with those? Or is that just like a, hey, here you go? No, it's his cousins who one of them helped start UFC. Oh, really? Yeah. Does this man run the world?

Well, I, you know yes the houston rockets and if you go far enough he has the houston rockets and if you go far enough back in the family tree there are texas mobsters there are the galveston mafia uh to the point where like people were surprised when they're like they let us go by the Rockets? Usually the NBA doesn't like, you know. I only know this man from, he had a CNBC show that we watched a lot of. We were very into the show The Prophet.

I think it came out after. We watched it a lot and it was him basically telling cupcake makers, I'll sell your cupcakes in Vegas. And then I never heard from him again. Was that show good? It was good enough. That's what you need. That CNNBC.

Super cable show. That's CNBC's motto. Good answer. Good enough. Yeah. It's, he definitely got the dossier in February of 2020. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The original dossier?

Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like, yeah, the personalities that run through this thing. And I just, just just one another

little thing about shussler and julie talked about this a little bit but i i haven't meditated on it a minute did he like to prove the concept he wait okay actually it wasn't even the reason he just he had a lot of tropical birds and he wanted to make the house comfortable for them so uh uh he made a lot of money, by the way, from a restaurant called Jukebox Saturday Night. Jason, old-timey music test. Who did the song Jukebox Saturday Night? Oh, is that a big bopper?

No, Lil' Al did that. It's a name you love to say. It can't be the Dorsey Brothers. We got a Glenn Miller. It's a Glenn Miller. Oh, it's a Glenn Miller. So he had some jukebox restaurant that kind of looked bad from the outside. I don't know.

But he made some money, wanted to keep going in the themed entertainment, themed restaurant world. But so off of that, he's like, you know, I want my birds to be comfortable. What other answer do I have than to make my home very humid and full of, like, water spurts and fog and mist of course and then eventually waterfalls so he just slowly is living in a rainforest himself and then quote this man when i realized that the rainforest made me comfortable too i began to wonder if i could market the idea whether i could mix the comfortable feelings with retail merchandising

in a restaurant. So slowly but surely, he just keeps making his house more of a rainforest and starts having investors come over. Check it out. What do you think? And most of them think that it's really weird. And then a guy comes over named Lyle Berman. Lyle Berman also thinks it's really weird and he leaves.

But Schussler's like, not giving up. So he keeps hounding him and hounding him. Come back. He doesn't do it. Come back. He doesn't do it. Eventually, this guy visits the rainforest house 26 times. Oh, my God.

In which time Schussler has put half a million dollars into the home. And after 26 times, Lyle Berman finally says, all right, fine. $2.5 million is yours. Let's partner with Mall of America. They got it built. This guy who went for it and did it is one of the greatest gamblers on earth, literally. He's in the Poker Hall of of fame he's won so many championships and then years later was one of the the many high profile victims of Bernie Madoff wow and that's why so we've got Schussler but we've also we got to credit Lyle

Berman and his gambling in real life this is literal gambling. This is the guy we need to hook up with. Oh, yeah. A guy who's willing to just throw a bunch of money at a dumb idea. Sure. Yeah. And we got to figure out. Insane gambling man. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, you know what they say about gambling? If you're down, do not stop until you win all your money back. That's right. I think it might be what he did. Yeah. And it paid off incredibly. They made $8 million the first year.

In that year, Michael Jackson visited and asked if he could buy a Tracy Tree. What? Yes. A limo was summoned for Steve Schussler. This will take you to Michael Jackson. Please negotiate a price for Tracy Tree. Did he have a Tracy Tree?

It is not clear. It's not clear in this Jackson. Please negotiate a price for Tracy Tree. Did he have a Tracy Tree? It is not clear. It's not clear in this article. Apparently the price, what he offered was $40,000. That's what he started with. So I don't know where it went. So unclear. But I don't see, at least he got to the table is the thing. The shock and joy I feel from this story is the exact way I felt when I dined at the Rainforest Cafe.

I cannot from this story is the exact way I felt when I dined at the Rainforest Cafe. I cannot believe this. You mean to tell me Imagineers are just living in regular old houses, not committing to the bit like this man? Yeah, you're right. Hey, we all love these people. This is what we need. But Joe Rohde didn't actually live in Pandora. He didn't make his home in Pandora. Tony Baxter's house seems pretty imaginary.

Yeah, yeah. He lives in Fantasyland. This is true. This is imaginary. Yeah, yeah. He lives in Fantasyland, seemingly. This is true. This is true. Yeah, yeah. But it would be better if Imagineers would literally change the climate of their house to slowly turn themselves insane to really get in the mindset. Become a human macaw.

Exactly. That's how we apparently get our best themed restaurants. That's what I'm saying. Well, what can we plausibly turn a home into that we wouldn't mind? I just keep imagining that when they introduced Fast Pass Plus, or when they introduced Magic Well, what can we plausibly turn a home into that we wouldn't mind? I just keep imagining that when they introduced FastPass Plus, or when they introduced MagicBands, that they built that. There was like a walkthrough exhibit to show executives. I just imagine the person who created that was just in there being like, this is my life now.

It's a little kitchenette. Yeah, just to schedule FastPasses forever. Wait, there was a little, you walked through a FastPass place? fast pass there's some old story that magic band police yeah they like because they had to explain it they like built out a whole a whole thing for execs wow wow i'll pick it up it's that's like um when they they first introduced um the app like booking fast yes when they did all of that there was a big profile of like they built a giant data center at disney mgm studios and then a few years ago i think we talked to someone who worked at disney and it's like oh that was gone in like a year year and a half we need more space like

that was great for the time magazine profile but yep yeah it wasn't super practical well this guy remains insane and he's still he has like outside And he still, he has like, outside of Minneapolis, he has like a workshop where he fully, he still does this. He fully builds out restaurants in miniature form that he wants to be. There's a 10,000 square foot lab. Outside the place, on the door, inventions, ideas, contraptions, and dreams.

Wow. There's a big T-Rex in there from T-Rex Cafe. But where he loves the most is a jazz club that he wants to build called Arrow Blue, a World War II era jazz club. Wow. And inside- I'm sorry, World War II era? Yes, I guess so.

So there's like planes and stuff. The resident Jew doesn't love that. Yeah. Yeah. The romanticizing of World War II. The fun part of the movie World War II. What a great time for everyone. He just meets Boogie, the freight, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and nothing else.

Oh, okay, okay. He just likes the planes is all. I was like about to get on a plane to meet this man and now I'm slowly creeping back. Hold on a minute. Well, I think he fudges the rules because apparently this place, it has, I'm like, what do you mean? Do you mean you have a full animatronic of this? This claims, all right, there's a large airplane that raises and lowers with a spinning propeller. There's a trumpeting Louis Armstrong and a dancing, sax playing Bill Clinton.

I take back everything I said. I take back everything I said. Yeah, we're on the creepy ropes now. Oh, I will go to this. Oh, you're back. Oh, I take back everything I said. I take back everything I said. We're on the creepy ropes now. I will go to this. Oh, you're back. Oh, I'm back. I wasn't sure if Clinton was a deterrent. Oh, no, this I have to see. I know. The robot one is

more trustworthy. Robot's not on any list. He can't go anywhere. Maybe he could because he dances. What the hell does this mean? There's a dancing saxophone Clinton in World Wari that you have to go to minnesota to see this sounds like we have to partner with these people because this sounds like some delirious like brainstorming we do at the end of an episode where we go well what would you want to see and i'm like dancing bill clinton and we all laugh you've never lived in a human house for two years

because i think that's probably why that That's true. It got in there. Can I talk about while we're, you know, since we are ride enthusiasts, the Rainforest River Adventure ride. Oh, my God. There's a ride. I mean, I think we can't fully do it until we've done it. It's odd. We're aware. Listeners have mentioned this.

In Galveston, Texas, there's one with a ride. But I feel like I would feel like a poser to do it without do it. But also, I mean, shout out whatever you want. I'm just saying. You know how a lot of rides, like movies or books, if you try to graph it, there's like spikes and oh, it's exciting.

And then it's building up and it says, this is a ride where the whole ride is like a single horizontal line. He's absolutely right. Very few events. Well, wouldn't you say the same about another ride called another relaxing boat ride called Navi River Journey?

It always comes back to boat rides. It's always slow. I know we've gone without slow moving boat talk. Right, but Navi River Journey is not a rapids raft. Exactly. For no reason. It is a rapid raft. It's not a boat? No, it's not a boat. What? Really? It is a slow moving rapids. It's still a boat though. It just makes the ideas that you're in.

So by that definition it is a boat. But it's the kind of vehicle where you should be like bumping around and going down waterfalls and instead you just kind of like spin around. Yeah I watched a couple ride videos. I also didn't see anyone loading or

unloading you. Yeah I watched it on 2x speed and it felt like it was a picture. Like nothing was changing. It was just a slow moving vehicle. I had no idea this was a... Should have been Twisty Turney, Rocky Rolly.

No. No, I thought there'd be a little like a Pirates of the Caribbean level dip. No, not the case. Wow. Still feels like we have to do it. Well, I need to see these sound effects because they also sound

there's some that sound like generic animals and then some that sound like a man screaming in either agony or ecstasy. It's very odd. It's probably a man screaming in ecstasy. He recorded himself

screaming in ecstasy. Those unfinished warehouse roofs really get that really healthy audio fidelity. Maybe it was just people genuinely screaming in ecstasy, as I think anyone would at any of these establishments, clearly. Sure. I mean, it's the kind of thing where, I found some article that was trying to figure it out. I don't know, millennials or Gen Z or whatever going to rainforest cafes? Why? Why would they do this? Well, it must be couched in irony.

And I'm like, I think you're overthinking it. I don't think there are a lot of layers here. It's improbable that these exist and that they're still there. You can go to an otherwise really boring mall. You can go to a place that has a storm every 20 minutes. It's so bizarre. And you were like, you had the best day ever, seemingly, doing it.

The best, truly an iconic 24 hours for me. Just bringing cha-cha full of Diet Coke in the console of my car, driving home. Taylor, cha-cha, icons. Nothing but icons. You had a spirit of adventure that you hadn't known for so long. You went to the Forever 21 outlet and bought a top that dissolved by the time you got back to Los Angeles. Self-eating top.

But anything else on the way out the door here? The only thing I'll say is that if the Rainforest Cafe exists in a mall and then it's replaced by something very boring, like an FYE or something, I'm upset. But Woodfield replaced theirs with something called Peppa Pig's World of Play. Oh, sick. Which I don't know. I'm not saying it's as good as the Rainforest Cafe, but it's at least something silly. Something silly. You can meet big Peppas?

Yeah, there's big Peppas. Which Peppas can you meet? I actually don't know the names big pepas which pepas can you meet i'm i actually don't know the names of the pepas can you meet the pepa dad uh i love the dad i don't know i don't know his name or anything but like he's very charming i have a somewhat unfounded crush on peppa pig's dad i don't know why he's a pig i think my wife will hear you on this absolutely there's there's something about that man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You too? Who do you rank first?

Peppa's dad or Bluey's dad? Peppa's dad. Okay. I'm a Peppa's dad kind of gal. Wow. Bluey's dad too commonplace. I thought Bluey, for the longest time, was the dad. And then I watched a couple.

I watched a couple because I was trying to get Garfield to watch it. Because there are some videos online that dogs really like Bluey because the color palette is good for their vision. He had no interest in it. Garfield was a hard one. He went right back to sleep. He needs his 16 hours, you know? Look at him here in a tux

and then that scruff. I think there's something about the scruff. I know. And then the glasses are cool. He seems cool. I just haven't watched it. I'll have an opinion soon. He seems smart. He seems like's something about the scruff. I know. And then the glasses are cool. He seems cool. He's cool. I just haven't watched it. I'll have an opinion soon.

He seems like he would order a scotch, which is a very cool move. Absolutely. Self-funny, self-effacing. Did you wear a captain's hat ever? Oh, probably. Whereas you're using a chef's hat. Just a baseball tee that's a little too tight. That seems like he's classier than that, though.

He's pink, which is your vibe. Yeah, he is pink. Okay. Daddy Pig is the name. Yeah, he is pink. Okay. Daddy Pig is the name. Yeah, I don't want to say that aloud, but... Daddy Pig? These little silly name boys here have no problem saying that.

Daddy Pig? Yeah, I'm very comfortable saying it. I'm a little Daddy Pig boy. I'm just a little Daddy Pig. Oh, no, I just realized Daddy Pig becomes Mojo Bones. Oh, no. Prince Hector,

don't let Daddy Pig become Mojo Bones. Oh, no. Protect him. Don't let Daddy Pig become Mojo Bones. Daddy Pig should take the family to visit down at that beach where the pigs swim in the ocean. What? You guys know there's like, in the Caribbean, I think, I think there's a beach where pigs swim around. Yes. Okay. Some wild pigs like to swim. In a couple years, we'll run out of stuff to talk about

So we'll have to go review the pig ocean But until that time We've got another couple decades With that big universe opening That's true We've got the Kronos Kronos will give us longer Decades of material.

All the time. Get ready for 40 more years of Podcast the Ride. But for now, so happy you came and talked to us about this. Carly Weissel, you survived Podcast the Ride. I did. Thank you for returning from Ontario full of joy and energy. So fun to talk about. Let's exit through the gift shop.

Is there anything you'd like to plug? My podcast, very amusing. We're doing weekly episodes now, which is a big leap from doing a bunch of episodes and then disappearing for four months for pre-production. So tune in. Tell me about that version, though. That sounds good.

Oh, it's nice. Does that work out? Yeah, but I was also doing episodes that, because I'm a solo host, and I'd be doing hour 45 sometimes just just old gal just you talking straight oh putting like four interviews in one episode we you know you learn along the way so now we are weekly it is more digestible as one would say and uh it's a bunch of fun it's all theme park stuff um every december obviously we do shrek stuff um disney

and universal mostly mostly other silly things we're going to be doing an episode about studio tours in Los Angeles a little more travel this year so it's fun and then I'm just always yelling into my phone on Instagram great so you can find you on that for quick yells and then for long talks

for long yells you got to go to the end and as for us you can find us on the socials at Podcast The Ride. Merch is available in our TeePublic store. Three bonus episodes every month at Podcast The Ride, the second gate, or get one more bonus episode on our VIP tier, Club 3. You'll find all of that at Patreon.com slash Podcast The Ride. And on the way out the door, I couldn't find Daddy Pig in a captain's hat, but pretty close runner up.

Grandpa Pig in a captain's hat. Whoa. Didn't know about Grandpa Pig. Grandpa Pig's pretty nice too. Unfortunately, not my type, but he seems nice. But it shows you where Daddy Pig will go. Oh, yeah. If I'm willing to make a long-term investment on Daddy Pig.

Basically going to turn into this. He has eye surgery. He'll get eye surgery apparently. Won't need those glasses. He's a surgery, but he'll get eye surgery apparently. He won't need those glasses. He's a little pale in a disconcerting way. Hmm. He's a little- Yeah, wait, he's a lighter pink

maybe than Daddy. He's closer to eventual pig decline, but- Oh, no, you're seeing that on his face? Yeah. Oh, no. So Grandpa Pig makes you sad a little bit? Makes me a little sad. Aging is tough.

Oh, let me turn the laptop around. I won't make you. What about Daddy Dog in a captain's hat? Who is that? It is a lot to learn. He's from the show? Yeah. Multiple captain's hat wearing animals in the show.

I mean, if that's not endorsement combined with the Schaumburg retail location. Wow. That's a big retelling of Master and Commander. Oceans are now battlefields. Make it happen, Peppa Pig creators. Forever Dog. This has been a Forever Dog production. Executive produced by Mike Carlson,

Jason Sheridan, Scott Gairdner, Brett Boehm, Joe Cilio, and Alex Ramsey. For more original podcasts, please visit foreverdogpodcasts.com and subscribe to our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Keep up with the latest Forever Dog news by following us on Twitter and Instagram at Forever Dog Team and liking our page on Facebook.