How are you supposed to know which are the best Disney World podcasts that provide quality information, and which are simply a waste of your time?
I have personally had a hard time determining which are the best Disney World podcasts to listen to. I’ve spent some time reviewing and listening to many different podcasts. The opinions presented here are just that – my opinions. You should listen to many different podcasts to determine which are right for your interests and your personal point of view. However, I hope that the information here will help guide you to the podcasts that may be the best fit for you.
Please note that I have listened to at least three episodes from each of the podcasts noted below. This article represents my impressions, but you may find different information and different approaches in the podcasts. Remember that these shows do tend to change over time, and each episode can be different.
Happy listening!
Podcast: WDW Radio
Host: Lou Mongello
Tone of voice: Very positive
Web site: WDW Radio Web Site
iTunes link: WDW Radio Podcast
Best for: People who love Disney trivia and details
Lou is a former lawyer from New Jersey who now lives near Disney World in Orlando. He seems to be living the dream of many Disney enthusiasts: quitting the normal day job and moving to Florida to be closer to Disney, and to somehow make a living off the Disney echo-system in a way that doesn’t involved cooking hamburgers for a living. By running a website, a podcast, and a publishing business that provides information on Disney World, Lou seems to be living that magical Disney dream. Plus, he seems like a really nice guy to boot.
WDW Radio operates two weekly broadcast. The first, each Wednesday evening, is a newscast covering news and rumors of the week. It is very focused on the most current events, and doesn’t have a very long shelf life. The second is a podcast that comes out each week and generally runs for about an hour. The podcast often includes interviews, in depth analysis, and well-informed opinions.
The thing that I enjoyed about Lou’s podcast is at the information is something you can’t get in other places. It’s not just a recap of this week’s rumors or official press releases. It is full of interesting commentary, information, interviews, and behind-the-scenes details that Disney nuts just love and can’t easily get from other sources.
In my opinion, the WDW Radio podcast is the best overall Walt Disney World podcast available. Others agree: this podcast has been voted for several years by listeners as the best travel podcast by Podcast Awards. If you can listen to only one Disney World podcast each week, you should make sure it is the WDW Radio podcast.
Podcast: DIS Unplugged
Host: Various
Tone of voice: Negative
Web site: WDW Info Web Site
iTunes link: DIS Unplugged Podcast
Best for: People who love to hate Disney
The WDW Info web site, an online bulletin board / community of Disney fans, is one of the biggest on the Internet and bills itself as “The Internet’s Largest Unofficial On-Line Guide to Walt Disney World.” When you have an audience that big, it just makes sense to also have a podcast. The corresponding DIS Unplugged podcast has been operating for several years.
During these podcasts a group of several moderators provides opinions and reviews in a roundtable format. The topics cover not only Disney World but also other theme parks and attractions in the Orlando area.
In my time listening to several of these podcasts, it was my experience that the tone was mostly negative – basically complaining about how everything was too crowded, too expensive, and too low quality. This is definitely the podcast for you if you love Disney, and still, somehow manage to hate Disney. If you want to know about the ‘worst case scenario’ or if you see the glass as half empty, this one is for you.
Podcast: WaltCast
Host: Katie Little and Shaun Bonneau
Tone of voice: Positive
Web site: WaltCast Web Site
iTunes link: WaltCast Podcast
Best for: People interested in interviews and folks who like Shaun and Katie’s stories
The hosts Shaun and Katie share their opinions and ask questions of the guests they are interviewing. This can be an interesting podcast where you can hear interviews with people that work for Disney – such as Disney Legends, Engineers, Imagineers, etc. You will also gets lots of thoughts from the hosts – and I do mean a lot.