Latest / Ear Scouts Podcast / Live from D23: Day 3
Transcript
- Rob & Erick: In this episode of the Ear Scouts Podcast, we're coming to you live one final time from Anaheim, California, as we cover the D23 Ultimate Fan event. And this is the main event. We're talking about the Horizons Parks and Experiences panel that just happened last night. We have so much to talk about and so little time, so let's get right to it. Hi ho everybody. This is Rob with Ear Scouts coming to you live from the Pixar Place Hotel here in Anaheim, California. And today I am joined, as always, by the other half of Ear Scouts, Eric, who's here in Anaheim. Hi ho, Eric. Hi ho, everyone. I'm also joined by Eric doesn't have his mic on. I'm also Craig: Yeah. Jessica: Haha Rob & Erick: I'm also joined by Jessica, who's joining us from s somewhere in Connecticut. Is that correct, Jessica? Jessica: No, I'm in Newport, Rhode Island. So I am heading Rob & Erick: Newport Rhode Island. Very fantastic. Jessica: to see the mansions right after this. Rob & Erick: All right. Well, I I hope if you if you run into nine hundred and ninety nine happy haunts, say hello for us. Jessica: We will. Rob & Erick: Also joining us also on the road is Quizmaster Craig. Where are you joining us from, Craig? Craig: ho everybody, I am joining from Tucson, Arizona. I've been here for a few days for work and I coming home tomorrow and I'm very jealous of Jessica 'cause Newport is one of my favorite cities. Rob & Erick: Awesome. Well, we're we're all in fun places. And last night we were all watching the same fun show. I want to start just really quickly with everyone's kind of top-level takeaway. I'll I'll go first and be really fast. if you didn't see the show, I think the biggest takeaways were number one, this felt like We're in a a different cycle than we were before. So the the the previous cycle we were in was new, new, new, new, new. Like all of these new lands, you know, new attractions, you know, really building out the parks. And I feel like now we're in a refresh cycle where we're we're getting more details about those new things that are all about to actually happen, but we're also hearing about all the attractions that we know and love and how they're kind of being refreshed and and and brought up to to the the quality that we're gonna expect especially as we do all these other new things so I for one was thrilled that we're getting some love for some of our our favorite attractions and my second big takeaway this was a Disney World lovers D twenty three. I mean, coming off of last year where it felt like most of the excitement was everywhere except la I shouldn't say last year, two years ago, where it was everywhere except Disney World was getting love. This year I feel like if you were not a Disney World or you were like, Well, whenever they can talk about our park, because it was so much Disney World. But Eric, what's your your top level takeaway from last night? I will go with the Jetty coming back. Yeah. Yeah, like absolutely just. the well I'm also very excited to see Figman like on his real how how he started, you know, and maybe I will give I I will love him. Craig: I know. Jessica: Ha ha ha. Rob & Erick: Eric, Eric if if you're a first time watcher or listener, Eric not a big fan of Figment. but I think I think maybe now that we're gonna have the true Figment from legend you will you will enjoy that that version of Figment. Jessica, what were your top level takeaways from last night? Jessica: Yeah, I guess my my top level takeaway is it does seem like they are putting more thought into building out experiences and lands throughout the entire park. Like it felt like it's not gonna just be a monstropolis ride. It's gonna be Monstropolis. Like we're gonna see things in there. Same thing with Villains Land, same thing with Tropical Americas. Like we got Information that they're going to be more immersive experiences or immersive places that we haven't had. you know, I think of Guardians of the Galaxy, it's lovely. You don't know you're in Guardians of the Galaxy when you walk over to that ride, right? And I think I loved that every one of these things that they were showing us, they weren't just showing us this is the new technology ride system we're building. They showed us, hey, This is how we're going to build this land that the ride fits into. And that to me was the biggest takeaway that I I think that's what we've lost over the last few years of building huge rides and not thinking about what Disney does best, which is imagination. And I think, you know, ending with Figment and ending with a reminder that imagination really is where it sets you free. It really is the most important part of Disney. I felt that. in the displays and the presentation and what they showed us. And I liked, I liked that from last night. That was my big takeaway. I'm feeling I'm feeling the lands come back. Rob & Erick: Awesome. Craig, what's your top level takeaway from last night? Craig: well, yeah, obviously it was it it was all about showing new love to old attractions, which could not make me happier. I'm I'm loving that. and I noticed there's there wasn't a whole lot of blue sky things. I think we've gotten gotten a lot of blue sky things in the past, D twenty three's that never come to fruition. So that's why I mean I we didn't get a whole lot, but what we got is happening. And especially like with the new lands that were just announced and very amorphous, we didn't know what to expect. And Up until that point, I th up till this point really, I think we've been over promised and they've under delivered, but now I think they've listened and they are delivering. 'Cause these bands look amazing. Rob & Erick: Yeah. I and I do think it was interesting. You say there's no blue sky, but in a way, I mean it's not blue sky because it's clearly been approved, but the the updates to these attractions, we got zero information. I mean, it was j this is gonna happen. Like this is gonna you they're well, that's not entirely true. Spaceship Earth, we got a little bit of the idea of how the theme is gonna change. But in terms of what it's gonna look like, you know, how it's gonna feel to be on the attraction. I d I didn't think we got a lot of detail. And I almost wonder, I I kind of wondered was were these all kind of late breaking approvals that was like, you know, they they all felt like they were kind of like quick moments in the show. And then it was like, wow, that was a huge announcement, and we're gonna move right on. You know what I mean? Like it was it almost felt like maybe these were less planned out. to be part of the full presentation than the other elements that we saw on the show. But I could be wrong. Craig: Well, I mean I think 'cause they as of late especially they have been dropping like announcements. Okay, this is what this is gonna be, like in the middle of nowhere. Stuff that we'd usually have to wait till a D twenty three or a the destination d D twenty three. so I think I I I'm feeling pretty positive about all of this, to be honest. I think they're really coming through with coming in and delivering the goods. Rob & Erick: Yeah. Yeah. If if you're if you've if you're a longtime Disney World fan and you've been complaining about Figment, you're getting a new Figment. If you've been complaining about why does the why does the the Yeti not work? Why do we have disco Yeti still? You're getting the Yeti. And Craig: Okay. Rob & Erick: that's gonna segue to I want to know what everyone is number one most excited about and number two most surprised about. And I think for me, those are both the same answer because My favorite ride in all Disney World is Expedition Everest. And I am so excited that they're gonna fix the Yeti, but I'm also shocked because I feel like I feel like Disney and specifically I think Joe Roadie has explained multiple times that you know it it's just such a huge challenge and an undertaking and engineering feat to try to fix the Yeti that just my sense was give it up. It ain't gonna happen. It's just that ship is sailed. And so that they kind of started out with, yeah, by the way, we're gonna fix the Yeti. And Joe Rhody himself had a cameo at the top of the show. I don't know, for for lovers of Animal Kingdom and Expedition Everest, that was huge. So what what about you, Eric? What was the thing that you were most excited about and the thing that surprised you the most? I was very excited to see the cocoa ride. and how well to know a little bit a little bit more of the story. well for for the ones who missed it, they say that it's going to take place one year after the the movie happened. So I'm excited to see Like to see it in real life. it seems like it's going to have an an animatronic of Miguel. That's that was the sense that I got. So the the thing that shocked me the most, I would say, was the Yeti. I think as you as you mentioned, like the fact that they have been playing along well, they they have been pushing in a way of like, this is not going to happen. never going to happen. The fact that you have to remove the top of the of the mountain. and then it's happening, I I think is I think it was it was a big surprise for me. Yeah. I I'm my my gut says that they found a way to do it without removing the top of the mountain. 'Cause I I feel like that that would be a massive undertaking if that was really what they had to do. Jessica, what about you? What was your your thing you're most excited about, which I looking at what's on Craig: That's all. Rob & Erick: what's on your ears than I Jessica: Yeah. Rob & Erick: can guess. But what are you most excited Craig: Emerald please. Rob & Erick: about? And what are you most surprised by? Jessica: I am most excited about the Figment ride getting the love that it deserves. I think that is very important. I I think I will say because of all the hype surrounding it, I'm not surprised that it was announced. I would have been surprised if they didn't announce that Figment was getting it, because I feel like it got a lot of discussion. But the thing that I was the most surprised about really was Jamie Lee Curtis and Brian Cranston as Rob & Erick: Wow. Yeah. Jessica: As carousel progress. And Jamie Lee Curtis has kind of been around Disney for a while. And I I guess that, but Brian Cranston seemed like he came out of nowhere to me. And I don't necessarily think about him as classic Americana. And I guess he is. but I think that I think it's great. Like I listened to their interview and boy, they're both really excited, and I think that's great. I was Shocked though that they're going with those iconic kind of voices as I I loved that. That was one of the things that just, they're giving us the voices and they're giving us voices. I mean, good voices. Rob & Erick: Mm-hmm. Jessica: That says a lot about what's happening to Carousel Progress to me. That was like, we're putting money in this. We're not, I mean, we're putting Jamie Lee Curtis and Brian Grantston money in this ride. So I I really liked it. Rob & Erick: Yeah, I think if you think about it as Walter White from Breaking Bad is going to be the voice of Jessica: Yeah. Rob & Erick: Character Progress, that seems weird. But if you think about it as the dad from Malcolm in the Middle is gonna be then it feels like it makes more sense. Jessica: Mm Malcolm in the Middle, yeah. Yeah, it does. It was just weird. Craig: Right. Yeah, but Jessica: It was like I had to take a moment and go, okay, I know he did something other than breaking bad. And I I I Rob & Erick: Yeah. Jessica: really cause Malcolm in the Middle was not i it was during that time when I had kids and I, you know, I still have kids. I didn't get rid of them. But it was during the time when the kids were Rob & Erick: Yeah. Jessica: busy, I should say. I should say. Craig: Mm-hmm. Jessica: but yeah, so I it took me a second, but boy. I I love Jamie Lee Curtis. I'm super excited about that. And that was surprising that they announced that. Craig: Yeah, we in last night we haven't even talked about this, but we had a live Patreon chat while the the show was going on. Jessica: That I fell asleep. Craig: Well I'm on the east co on the west coast right now, so I'm I'm lucky. Otherwise I would have been struggling last night too. But yeah, a lot of people were like, Walter White? I don't know about that. I'm like, no, Jessica: I know. Craig: Malcolm in the middle. He is the dad from Malcolm in the Middle. He's perfect. He's gonna be great. Jessica: Yeah, no, I I I think it's gonna be great. I just that but from a shock perspective, that was the thing that surprised me really probably the most. Craig: Mm-hmm. That was nice. Rob & Erick: Craig, what what was your biggest what were you most excited about and what was the biggest surprise for you? Craig: Okay, so obviously I I would say Encanto, but I'm also I'm gonna go with Indiana Jones. I'm Rob & Erick: Mm-hmm. Craig: really excited about this and here's why, because it sounds like they have totally redone how they're gonna do the story in this building that has the ex exact same track layout as two previous versions. Those two are different basically, but they're very much the same as far as like how you go through the ride. It's kind of the same ride with different effects. Like same beginning, same ending. but this is gonna be totally different, it looks like. And it's serpent themed, which I know a lot of people on the Patreon chat were not happy about. Those who are afraid of snakes were not were not thrilled. Yes, it has to be snakes. It Jessica: Why does it have to be snakes? Craig: has to be snakes. and I think what I was most surprised about would be the spaceship earth one. I mean Yeti yes. That that kind of came out of left field totally, but spaceship earth glad they are addressing that because we were supposed to get a whole big redo but COVID happened and so I'm glad that they are giving that attraction the love that it desperately needs. Rob & Erick: Yeah. So no. Jessica: I was surprised I'm sorry, go ahead. Rob & Erick: I was just gonna s I was just gonna say that that for those who haven't seen the show. You can see it on Disney Plus. I think it's gonna be there now. It was it was broadcast live on Disney Plus, but you can watch it after the fact. I would encourage you to watch the whole thing. Neil Patrick Harris was perfection. There if you're a if you're a Parks nerd or a theater nerd, you're gonna find so much to love. I I I gave multiple standing ovations at Moments show. I was so excited. But I think if you haven't seen it, we should just do a really quick rundown of top level what was announced. So the very beginning, they talked about how the Yeti is being fixed, you know, disco Yeti is going away. And to celebrate it, they actually brought out Gloria Gaynor herself, who sang, I will survive live on the stage. so no more disco yeti. They announced that Carousel of Progress is, I'm sorry, not Carousel of Progress, Spaceship Earth is being revamped with a tweak. It's no longer gonna be about the history of human communication. It's gonna be about the history of human connection. Connection. You know, and how we're all connected, which plays beautifully with the themes already there in Epcot. and then for the bulk of the show, it was just updates on the things we already knew were coming. So not not a whole lot of huge news. but then at the very end, we got a couple of other really big surprises, and that was Tomorrowland is being redone, and that was my prediction. I predicted it was gonna happen at Disney World and it's actually happening at Disneyland. So I feel like I get 50% credit on that one. I called Tomorrowland, Jessica: Ha ha ha. Rob & Erick: I just called the wrong coast. and so that is coming. the the the revamp of Tomorrowland, we didn't see much, but I can tell you from just the chats I had with Imagineers at the Carousella Progress booth at the the at the expo. I I think it is definitely going to embrace nature and and kind of this new vision of the future that we have, which is one where we're, you know, spending a lot more time thinking about and caring about our connection to our planet. And so I do think we're gonna see that reflected in that new tomorrow land. And then of course the big finale that was just like the show was over. I mean, really, the show was over, and then the the ending was interrupted by Neil Patrick Harris coming out dressed as the dreamfinder with Figment. And that was, I mean, i I don't know how much of this you could see in the broadcast, but at that moment when he turned around and he was the dream finder, there was just this explosion of purple confetti that filled that entire Honda Center. I mean Jessica: Mm-hmm. Rob & Erick: it was purple confetti party happening and people were ecstatic. I mean, Craig: Yeah. Rob & Erick: you could see people were filing out 'cause everyone makes a race to the to the shuttles to get back to their hotels and stuff. And people were filing out and they just stopped. They turned back around, we're going back. We're gonna this, we're we want to see this. So I thought it was the perfect way to end the night. Craig: Yeah, it was it was kind of funny. I was having issues with Disney Plus at the time, so I kinda went to a YouTube. So it was somebody like sitting in the back just filming from the back and after he said, Well that's it for tonight, people were booing. I wonder do you hear booing where you were sitting? Rob & Erick: did you hear booing? I didn I didn't notice it if there was. Craig: Yeah, it was just like when it was like, Jessica: Mm-hmm. Craig: Well, that's it. And then it was like, Of course, we're not done. There's gotta be more. So Rob & Erick: Yeah. well, before we go, we did ask Patreon, who's joining us live as always. If you'd like to join us live as we record each episode of the podcast, just head over to patreon.com forward slash Earscouts. but we did ask everyone to give us thumbs up, thumbs down in terms of the their overall impression of the Horizons presentation last night. Let us know what they were most excited about and what they were most surprised by. Eric, you've been keeping an eye on the the responses. What what's the consensus? Thumbs up or thumbs down? We just got for a thumbs up. so I don't know. well we we we got a few thumbs up and then well we're getting some reactions right now what's on the on the live. A lot of people just got excited with about the Dreamfinder and the Jetty. I think that was the consensus, like everyone is Dreamfinder Dreamfinder and Jetty. Yes. All right. well, thank you all so much for joining us. this has been so much fun spending D twenty three with all of you. And I for one can't wait. I think we should do this for destination D twenty three next year. What do you guys think? Should we should we keep keep up? Yeah. Jessica: Excellent. It's more likely that we Craig: Yeah. Maybe we Jessica: can get to destination D twenty three to be with you though, I think. Rob & Erick: That would be amazing. We should all try to be here together live. That would be awesome. and all of you should try to get get down to Orlando for Destination D twenty three. I think it's the perfect way. If you're if you're thinking about doing D twenty three expo, destination D twenty three is like the the the soft landing. You can you can kind of get a get a feel for what it's like without all the craziness. So we hope to see you all in our next episode of the podcast and maybe in person at Destination D twenty three or the expo. Until then, don't forget to think lots of happy thoughts, everybody. We'll see you again real soon.