Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - Disney's Magic Kingdom Holiday 2023 With Host Jeremy

Episode Date: December 17, 2023

Hello Holiday Travelers! Join host Jeremy and his wife Heather this week for a Christmastime stroll around the Most Magical Place On Earth - Disney's Magic Kingdom. Enjoy the holiday vibes of the castle hub, Main Street USA - hear the Casey's piano player, and end up with the stirring flag retreat ceremony featuring the Dapper Dans, the Main Street Band, and honored veterans.   As always, use good listening devices as we always record in 4 channel surround sound. We hope you enjoy the episode and thanks so much for following along!   If you like what we do, consider joining our crew on Patreon. They help us keep our podcast train on the tracks!   Visit us a walkabouttheworld.com - find links to all the things - attraction episodes, Insta accounts of all the hosts, and even how to buy your own Walkabout shirt!   Look us up at @WalkaboutWDW on Instagram and drop us a note to say hi.   You can now also drop us at line at [e-mail]. Say hi, tell us how you found us, and give us some suggestions on things you'd love to hear. Please consider giving us a rating and review wherever you listen - it really helps.   Walkabout The World is a weekly Disney podcast, always recorded on property at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort with the simple goal of making you feel like you are in the middle of the magic.

Well hey, welcome back to Walk About the World. From the castle hub, no less. Do I need to tell you what park it is? Welcome back to the most magical place on Earth, Disney's Magic Kingdom, at Christmastime. Standing at the Castle Hub, kind of with our back to Tomorrowland,

looking across towards Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, and to our right, the castle itself. Christmas music's going, and it is super windy. I'm hoping the little fluffy thing on my microphone will block most of that, but if not, that's what's going on. Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas. All that good stuff. We're just going to take a little walk. Not very long. Brief little Christmas stroll here at the kingdom. My best buddy's with me. Heather's here. Hi, everybody. And Heather, what day is today? It is my birthday. Today is December 14th. We normally don't date the shows, but it's December 14th. It's Heather's birthday.

Happy birthday. Thank you. Here's to enjoying the last year of being 40-something. She told you that I didn't. I wasn't going to mention the age thing. We are both the same age, though. So, yes, next year is the big 5-0. She's not old, but I will be.

Anyway, so we're going to do a little holiday stroll here. We're going to take an about face. We're going to go over to Tomorrowland just a little bit just because I want some Tomorrowland vibes. And we're going to come back, stroll around the Castle Hub, down Main Street, Town Center, etc. Ready? Let's do it. We also just stood in a very long line at Starbucks for a...

What now? Iced peppermint mocha. It's not a peppermint mocha. It's a... Oh, a mocha with cinnamon dolce. Okay, sorry, I forgot. It's a very fancy drink is what we're trying to say, but it's delicious. You know this one.

Let's go. No way you guys aren't going to hear this wind. It is astounding. It is astounding. We have now crossed under the gate into Tomorrowland. Thanks, Ulrich. Now approaching Monsters Incorporated Rack Floor. Mike Wazowski was asking some real monsters account whether you have one or nine take the time to see the show reference

to the timekeeper they have one iron i My fellow sentient life forms, be a member journey, as here he comes for a flight. Thanks for riding with us. It's been a pleasure. Come on, Pete! Oh, we want to go back this way. Alright, let's go. What attraction was that coming out right there? Laugh Floor?

I think so. There's a big pile of people coming out of a random door. We had to move. Tomorrowland is a multi-planetary galactic spaceport, so apparently it's not Christmas in Tomorrowland. I don't think they ever have a change in ambience there, but... Poinsettias or poinsettias, however you pronounce them over here in the planter beds, though. There are.

Updated the Tomorrowland planting with some poinsettias. Okay, we're headed back towards the castle hub. Tonight is a party night. So they're going to be shoving us plebeians out pretty soon. And actually, as I stand here, so placemaking, Tomorrowland Terrace is behind me, Main Street's in front of me to our left. They have actually opened up the backstage entrance

for the giant pile of party people that are streaming in as we speak let's see if we can navigate them and take a take a stroll for some holiday goodness here Jack and Sally were two hours, so we'll circle back. We did it. Okay, passing the Plaza restaurant. Or the Plaza. The Plaza. The Plaza. Right across is home to the hot dog-eating Disney ducks, Casey's. All right, let's take a right.

Thank God we got these for dinner. Look at that. Let's take a left. Breathe deeply. Smell the scent of tubular meats and fried things. Shhh. Thank you. How does he know when you're sleeping and when you're awake? Super creepy. That is what he's playing right now. Santa Claus is coming to town. Yeah. Heather is looking at me like you would expect, like I am a crazy person. All right, Casey's, the fries and the ducks are behind us.

Entering the castle hub. Do you hear it? It's a water feature. The wind is blowing so hard we're getting wet from the fountain. What? What? Castle right in front of us. Castle hub pretty crowded. In front of the castle, pretty crowded. The wreaths here.

Beautiful. They have fruit on them, right? The wreaths here, beautiful. They have fruit on them, right? A big red bow, some red, green baubles, and then pears, pineapples, oranges. They're very fruit-laden. Let's get, let's move. We're getting the fountain spray. God only knows what's in that water. Come on. Rudy! Soak it in. Magic Kingdom Christmas vibes. Deep breath in through the nose.

Out through the mouth. Ah. Are you cold? Yes. And I'm a wimpy Floridian. It's like 65 with the wind I actually think it's like 73 why does the wind feel so much better

it is super breezy I've got to be honest about that We don't want you to guide the sleigh because you're an awesome reindeer. As a matter of fact, we make fun of you every chance we get. We want you to guide the sleigh because your nose lights up like a blinking beacon. That old show, man. That show is brutal. If you watch it these days, man, it's... Rudolph definitely was bullied, for sure.

Rudolph has trauma, I'm telling you. Alright, let's walk up past the Walt and Mickey statue and head back down Main Street. Everybody knows the goal of course is to blatantly photobomb innocent families yeah standing right in front of the partner statue right now. Taking a picture of this for you because it is surrounded,

the planting bed underneath of it is surrounded with red, pink, and green poinsettias with the blue and gray castle. There's a rose gold on there too, I guess. But it is beautiful. Here, let's step out of let's head to Main Street He's passing an entire cart of bubble wands. Pete would be jealous right now. The only person that would is Jason. I'm so glad you're here. Sometimes you have to make out what's in the box. That is not a castle.

He's called the castle small. All right, now the castle behind us, Main Street in front of us. Headed back towards the piano, which you will hear. Heather, how how we doing? that is a sea of people All right, passing the entrance to Casey's now. Again, breathe deeply. House of Magic, directly ahead. All of this otherwise known Are we going to go inside the Emporium? No. No, we are not.

Did not bring my brass knuckles today. Because it's still people coming in and people leaving at the same time. So it's hard to tell. I'm if it's crowded or not because it's still people coming in and people leaving at the same time. So it's hard to tell. I'm betting it's crowded. We're going to take a left off of the sidewalk onto Main Street. Ooh, I see a photobomb opportunity. Center Street directly across from us. Crystal Arts.

And across the corner, Uptown Jewelers. All the lampposts decorated with, well, kind of Mickey-shaped wreaths that have fruit on them as well. And hanging out over Main Street, giant wreaths with what looks like candles in the middle. Quite lovely. The huge magic kingdom tree is directly ahead With popcorn strings around it Do you guys remember those? Huge Magic Kingdom tree is directly ahead. With popcorn strings around it. Do you guys remember those? Mom used to make those when I was a little kid. Strings of popcorn to put around the tree.

Little rocking horses and candles. That's dangerous. Let's go to the left. We can't. We have to go to the right sweet Please join us in just a few minutes in Town Square for our live retreat ceremony. Thank you. And we are going to take a quick left here. Don't get stuck in the railroad tracks, Heather.

We're going to take a left. Pause by a trash can. because why wouldn't we and I'll rejoin you here in a second for the flag retreat ceremony how about that are you a heathersickle not yet getting there okay see you guys in a second. Hello! Hello. We are the Dapper Dans, and on behalf of the Main Street Philharmonic,

our Magic Kingdom Security Color Guard, and Main Street Operations, we are pleased and proud to welcome you to today's Flag Retreat Ceremony here in Town Square. Our Town Square Flag Retreat Ceremony is one of our original Magic Kingdom traditions. We are honored that you have taken time from your day to become part of that tradition with us. And now please join us in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And now our national anthem. ¶¶ Thank you. And now, please join us in singing God Bless America.

God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above From the mountain to the prairie To the ocean white with foam God bless America My home sweet home God bless America God bless America

God bless America My home, sweet home My home My home Today we have the privilege of honoring today's special Armed Forces Honored Representative. Please join us in welcoming today's Armed Forces Honored Representatives. First, from the United States Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel Lynette Pretner from Los Angeles, California. Also from the Air Force, Colonel Phillip Pretner Jr. from Herndon, Virginia.

Thank you. ¶¶ Thank you for joining us for our flying retreat ceremony. Please enjoy the rest of your day here in the Magic Kingdom. Okay, for one of the last times this year, let's give a shout-out to our wonderful patrons who support us at the Beautiful Tomorrow level. Beck Castle, Bill and Aaron Zeese, Brian E. Grant, Debbie Jimbala, Derek at Satisfactual Sign Company. Feel better, buddy.

Eric Steinhauer, John Hamilton, Meredith Izzo, Josh Nakano, Hannah Ginn, David Krause, Jessica Davis, and Lindsay O'Connell, thank you all so much for your continued support and giving us a little bit of your hard-earned money to keep the old servers warm at night. We really appreciate all of you. And that is it from me. I think that's it from Heather. I think so, yeah.

And that's it from both of us from the Magic Kingdom. Thanks so much for listening. Thanks so much for being part of our year. Thanks so much for being part of our extended family here at Walk About the World. Please look us up at Walk About WDW on Instagram and you can visit us

at walkabouttheworld.com where you can find pretty much everything else, links to the hosts t-shirt link episode links, just all the links you can find all the things on there and as always and especially, oh hello wait

never interrupt the train okay nothing else to say. Alright, from me and Heather and the entire crew at Walk About the World, here at Disney's Magic Kingdom,

as we always say, there is a great, big, beautiful tomorrow out there, and we will see you in one of those tomorrows on another episode of... See? On another episode of Walk About the World. And there goes the train. Bye, everybody. Thank you.