Ep. 340 - Around the World in 24 Days: An Adventures by Disney Private Jet Tour

00:00.00 dclduo Welcome back everybody to this week's episode of the DCL duo podcast brought to you by my path unwinding travel and Sam We Don't have eighty days but we're going around the world today with adventures by Disney. 00:14.64 Sam I know this is crazy. This has been something. We've been super excited about covering um of course when it first got announced by adventures by Disney that they were doing this twenty four day trip around the world on a private jet where you hit all of the worldwide Disney parks. As well as a bunch of other exclusive locations like the Walt Disney studios in Burbank and Skywalker Ranch up in I guess it's in napa. Um, but really just all these like amazing locations and we discovered an amazing guest. Who has joined us here today. So let's welcome Benji from laughing place. Welcome Benji yeah, thanks for joining us. Um, you know it's a very small and elite group of people who got to do this around the world with adventures by Disney. 00:54.63 Benji Hi. Thanks so much for having me. 01:09.93 Sam Um, before we dive into our topic. We love to get people's you know disney background Disney cruising background and we know you run social media and our content creator and have a blog called laughing place. Why don't you tell us about sort of your background with Disney. And of course Disney Cruise line since that's our first. Love. 01:30.13 Benji Sure. So um I became a Disney fan when I was about 3 when ah we they had the Disney channel free preview weekends and I was with my grandparents and I watched the disney channel and I fell in love with. 01:40.58 Sam Um, move. 01:45.25 Benji The idea of the Disney channel and quickly got it and obviously through the Disney Channel They had a lot of parks content so I wanted to go to the parks and ah we I grew up in the bay area which is Northern California and so we could drive down to Disneyland. If I had realized how close it actually was I would have been very upset with my parents that we only went like every five years but um, and so then eventually when I was in fourth grade went to Walt Disney world fell in love with that. Um, we became ah I'm sorry we. We started coming to Walt Disney World when I was about 12 and just was odd by that whole experience and sort of established my desire to eventually be part of the Walt Disney company so when I started going to college I went to uc a in Los Angeles so is easy enough to work at Disneyland. Then I spent a while working on Walt Disney world I did some various other things I had to move back for some family reasons to the Bay Area so um I started working with laughing place I I became friends with laughing place Dubi and Rebecca the co-founders. When I worked at Disney and so we kind of brainstormed ways we could revitalize the site. My love of Disney Cruise line I haven't I'm sure I haven't done as many as you I've only done 25 but okay. 02:58.60 Sam Um. 03:09.86 Sam You've done more than us Benji. You've actually done just by a couple but you've done more we're we're almost to pearl but we have a couple to go so we're just a couple bit but couple behind you. 03:19.52 Benji So in fairness, what happened was is I did I had to do a cruise for work and so I did a cruise and I didn't think I wanted to do it because it was Disney but I didn't think I would love it as much as I did we did ah a for night and I just fell in love and before I could. 03:25.17 Sam Um, yeah. 03:29.96 Sam Um. 03:36.34 Benji Get off the ship I had a book another one back when they had the like people on the ship to sell you a specific cruise right? And so I did that and then I was working at Disney not making a heck a lot of money but they had great cast member rates where you could basically it was like cheaper to do the cruise than you know, go out to dinner. 03:41.72 Sam Yep. 03:48.47 Sam Oh yeah, okay. 03:55.77 Benji Um, so you know you'd book it. It was like fifteen seventeen dollars a night rates at that time and so you would book it and I would I ramped up a bunch of cruises that way and then when I left disney you know, still enjoyed going on cruises I probably do 2 or 3 a year kind of depending on what. Is going on in in the world that we do now that I'm been involved of laughing place. We obviously do a bunch of cruises sort of for work quote unquote. But um I still enjoy doing them just for fun. Sometimes I do a cruise where I specifically say I am not working I'm not taking a single picture on this thing. Um. 04:24.75 Sam Um, right. 04:33.41 Benji Neverli them the guest magic of it because it's one of a few places at Disney I never worked so I can kind of have that ah distance ah between me and sort of the backstage magic of it and I want to know as little possible about how the cruise line actually works. 04:38.17 Sam Um, yeah. 04:50.00 Sam Yeah, yeah I I totally understand that I think when Disney becomes provo. Well I'm guessing that when Disney becomes your profession. It loses some of that magic because you do see sort of behind the curtain um type stuff. So um. 05:02.41 Benji I I like to tell my I'm sorry rep. But I I like to tell people that it just changes because you sure you lose a little bit of the the illusion but you gain so much appreciation for the people that make the magic happen. 05:09.38 Sam You hear. 05:19.27 Sam Are. 05:21.60 Benji That it almost becomes more magical in its way when you when you know the people behind it. You see the careers that have been created. You see the fandom through the other side of the of the looking glass. It's not I haven't lost my love of Disney by working there. It just evolved and changed. 05:35.45 Sam Um, yeah, awesome, Awesome And how did you get involved. Well you sit? Yeah ok ok, ok. 05:44.71 dclduo ImSam we need to pause because I'm not sure what just happened and I'm not sure if we lost anything so we need to. We're gonna do a new room. Um, sorry binge something happened I got kicked out I couldn't hear you I reloaded and now I can hear everybody but when that happens I just need to make sure that we didn't lose a bunch of stuff so hold on one second 00:00.28 dclduo You're good. 00:01.27 Sam And okay and I forgot my question. Ah um, ah so yeah, benji How did you decide or what prompted you to book doing this around the world trip. 00:05.62 dclduo So Benji was good. 00:18.47 Sam I Want to call it a cruise because I feel like it's kind of like a crew. 00:20.99 dclduo I I think that's an unfair question Sam because if any Disney fan had the disposable income to do this trip I don't think there's a question in their mind about how they would how why they would book it or whether they would book it I mean I think when this trip first came out I was looking at what what kind of room. Do we have on our mortgage on our house. So um. I don't think the why behind it is necessarily interesting I'd be curious bingji what did you think about this trip when they first announced it because I think there was a little bit of rancor in the community that like oh this is totally inaccessible and it is it. It is I always want to be upfront with people like this is a pruian interest kind of show right now or being waeuristic and wanting to learn more about this trip. It is for you know, kind of ah you know a different sort of class of people going to Disney which I don't have a problem with I don't have Disney Disney has always kind of offered differentiated experiences. So I don't have a problem with that. But I'm curious what you thought about it when you first saw this trip being announced. 01:10.73 Benji So I mean I agree with you 100% this is not accessible to everyone and and I was debating whether I should even continue forward with this. You know and I wasn't sure it's it's not just the money. Obviously the money is a big thing but taking twenty three days out of your life to go on this experience is not accessible for everybody and what happened was they announced it and I was at a conference and I was miserable and I just wanted to do something fun for myself. 01:32.79 Sam And right. 01:45.71 Sam A. 01:47.65 Benji So I emailed the travel agent and I said hey go ahead and book this if I had not had a travel agent I wouldn't have it follow through with it but because I already sent the email out i. It happened without my knowledge right? I didn't have to wait on hold for however, long it took I just it just happened without my knowledge and that's not a plug for travel agents. It's just that's what I the experience I had and I must have thought about canceling a hundred different times once again. 02:06.64 Sam Um, yeah. 02:20.64 Benji I'm not trying to say the money's not insignificant but taking that much time off and what you're working for laughing place taking time off during comic-con during the heat of the summer normally we have the television critics association. There's a lot of stuff that usually happens in July and I was concerned about it and. 02:23.00 Sam Um, right are. 02:35.61 Sam Um, yeah. 02:39.90 Benji I would have canceled if I had not received a message from a friend of mine who works from a venture by Disney says hey I saw you on the manifest can't wait to see you on it and I was who well now I can't cancel because I'll look like a dub or whatever right? And so I I'm and you know i. 02:47.70 Sam Oh. 02:58.70 Benji I thanked her at the kind of middle of the trip I was like thank you so much for messaging me because I probably would have canceled. Ah luckily and I don't mean to say this is a positive thing. The writers and actors strike really helped us in terms of feeling guilty being out because a lot of that. 03:03.48 Sam Wow. 03:13.41 Sam Right. 03:16.89 Benji Content that we'd normally be covering is not something we had to worry about at this and I was able to reach out to our friends at the parks and kind of square everything away ahead of time. So I appreciate that but it was It was not something that I normally. 03:21.68 Sam Um. 03:36.34 Benji Would have booked and it's also I struggle to say that I am not much like many of the guests that were on the trip that it was a very diverse guest mix in terms of why people were there. 03:49.20 Sam Is he. 03:55.89 Benji But I was a little surprised and I don't mean this in a bad way at all, but these were people that I would say are kind of like I like going to Disney World or I like you know going to the Halloween parties. These are not what I would call like sort of like hardcore d 23 members where they're. 04:13.29 Sam Um, oh wow so not like super fan Disney people. 04:14.51 Benji And I mean and there were some people that knew more than others but I was shocked at the level of disney knowledge being a lot lower than I would have anticipated. We had Becky Klein from the archives on the trip and it was. 04:25.40 Sam Um, yeah. 04:32.68 Benji We had a conversation where it was like yeah we kind of have to bring it down. You know you you go in thinking. This is all going to be people who know who Mary Blair is like you know and they don't and you know as a whole they just love going to Disney Parks and saw it and had the means to do it. 04:38.11 Sam Right? right? wow. 04:49.20 Benji So that was a little surprising to me not in a bad way. In fact, it probably made my experience better because if it was filled with a bunch of people like me I would have it would have driven me crazy. But um. 04:49.81 Sam Ah, her. 04:54.64 Sam Um. 04:58.34 dclduo And that's just that's just so interesting to hear from the standpoint because when I look through the itinerary There's so much that's like behind the scenes special access with imagineering the Disney story that Disney Touches because it's it's way more than just visiting I mean you do visit each park and no shame there. But. It seemed like it was so much so geared I should say toward those hardcore Disney fans. That's so interesting. 05:20.83 Benji I was surprised that the number of people who this was their first time going to Disneyland like they're disneywell people and this like this is how they were introduced to Disneyland once again, not everybody and are making a generalization here for 73 people and that's you know it's a bit unfair but I think it as a whole it really. 05:25.57 Sam Wow. 05:26.80 dclduo Wow. 05:32.96 Sam Um, sure. 05:40.75 Benji Surprised me at um, just just for example, you know they did a trivia question and it was like you know what's the number 14 oh 1 significant to the Walt Disney company I was like oh you know it's Wdi and I was like the only person who responded. 05:52.32 Sam Yeah. 05:59.27 Benji Yeah, like oh wow this is this is not the people I hang out with which is great because I made a lot of great friends who kind of diversified my friend base because most of my friends can name all the 9 old men in like 10 seconds so it's it's nice to have people who view are there's still fans. There's no question their fans. 06:00.37 Sam Right. 06:05.72 Sam Who. 06:13.45 dclduo Um. 06:16.80 Sam Right? right. 06:18.95 Benji But are fans in a different way than I am which I which helps me as someone who lives in the fan community. 06:24.17 dclduo So Benji had you been on and adventures by Disney before. 06:26.48 Sam Nah. 06:27.61 Benji Yes, as it turns out this is my seventh I only know that because they give you pins for everyone so they got a little 7 pin on this one. 06:32.45 Sam Um, wow. 06:32.93 dclduo Nice. So I'm I'm curious because this one is like you know, kind of the pinnacle of adventures by Disney at the moment did did you find the the lead up the service experience kind of the white glove experience to be the same or was it amped up. A notch further than what you've seen on prior abd trips. 06:53.30 Benji Ah, no I mean I would say the pre-t trip. Service was bad. Um, and what's interesting is is and this is getting a little wonky in terms of the weeds of how Disney operates but when Disney purchased Twenty first Century Fox I got nat. 06:58.89 dclduo Um, oh. 07:11.25 Benji Basically national geographic in the in the deal and they merge national geographic expeditions with adventures by Disney and this is essentially a nat geo trip because nacho does around the world trips of various ilks with. 07:22.10 dclduo Moon. 07:24.50 Sam Yeah, right? and it was their plane right. 07:28.18 Benji Yeah I mean they rethemed the plane but it's it's an iceland airplane that they use frequently for their trips but its they rethemed it again for adventures by Disney But if you looked out the window. You could see the kind of where they painted over the yellow border with the Disney Adventure by Disney Star and. 07:31.94 Sam He. 07:46.30 Benji And so this was the first time they've done anything like this where sort of Nat Geo and Disney were trying to merge together operationally and so I believe and this is me kind of reading between the lines here that the lead up was challenging. 07:53.79 Sam Um. 08:04.52 Benji Because they they just didn't weren't prepared for it for example, like when you sign up, you're supposed to get an email with um like information and then also like a sweet upgrade form. So unlike a regular abd you can upgrade to a nicer room if you so choose you know at various locations. They sent those forms with like fonts that aren't recognized by most Acrobat readers. So it was all gibberous and so it took them two days to fix it I kept getting emails of people's names in it. This is like dear Johnson family you know and ah, that's not us like no like nothing like bad. It was just. 08:41.60 Sam Um, yeah, yeah, just the kind of snafus. You don't expect from a well oiled machine like you expect a B D to be. 08:42.63 dclduo Yeah. 08:43.10 Benji Sloppy and I mean and. 08:50.77 Benji And I've had great experience booking abds before so it was it just seemed like this was a little like they send out an email saying you were going to get 3 emails from us on this date on this date on this date and first of all I felt like you can email me a lot more for the amount we're spending email me. Yeah. And but then at same time like they miss those targets and so and like for example I I put in for a couple of sweet upgrades which ended up being a waste of money because we weren't in the room long enough to enjoy them. But ah. 09:21.77 Sam A. 09:26.14 Benji Like I didn't know that they got approved until they had the travel agent check and they're like oh yeah, it got approved and they want the money today I was like I mean I mean it's fine. It just seems like what if I was busy or something you know like that makes no sense. So and I gave them that feedback right? when I started and I said I'm having a great time. You know on the first two days of this trip. 09:38.30 Sam Um, right. 09:45.70 Benji But man the communication before we left was bad. 09:46.16 Sam Yeah, and what if you were like us on Castaway key and didn't have good internet or something right and they wanted your money that day would they have like denied your upgrades that seems kind of crazy. Yeah. 09:57.38 Benji Yeah I don't think in practice they would have I just and I don't I don't you know didn't seem like that kind of thing where it's like they were that anal about things. But um, it was It was very sloppy at in the beginning. 10:02.77 Sam Yeah. 10:10.30 dclduo So so the trip that so the trip starts off in. Let me keep like I want to get there soon. So so the trips so the trip starts off in Southern California Benji that's where you start and you meet up basically at Disneyland. 10:10.50 Sam Um, yeah, so like let's I want to talk about demographic. Ok. 10:26.45 dclduo Ah, and you're spending a few days on the west coast but I'm curious. You met up with the group on your first night is is pretty typical for abd what what kind of folks were on this trip was it mostly older couples were their kids like we're just sort of curious. What the demographics looked like on the on the trip. 10:42.75 Benji Sure so the youngest person was 14 No I'm sorry yet the youngest person on the trip was 14 You could book it as young as 12 Um, there were not many families. There was maybe 5 or six kids and I could say kids. But. 10:59.40 Sam Right. 10:59.41 Benji You know that we're still in college. Um, but it was mostly on average. Maybe 50 s and sixty s a couple families here and there you know I think the economics of these are people who had their career Maybe ah. Are now at the point where they're focused more on traveling and and spending the money they hard. You know worked hard to get so it was it was we were on the younger side and I'm 40 of of the average demo. 11:26.70 Sam Um. 11:32.46 Sam Um. 11:34.20 dclduo Um, and and how many people was it on the trip again. 11:36.49 Benji So supposed to be seventy five two people had to cancel last minute which stinks because they lost yeah $200000 um but yeah, so supposed to be 75 we had 73 and then I would say it's probably about there were probably 8 to 10 11:41.96 dclduo Um, ah yeah, okay. 11:42.16 Sam Um, wow. 11:53.59 Benji More than that maybe 10 to 12 people that were on the that came and journeyed with us so we had 3 adventure guides and they were sort of like the Disney folks representative. We had an adventure leader who is named Troy we had an assistant adventure leader who is Patricio in his essential. 12:03.69 Sam Um. 12:12.70 Benji His job was focused mostly on luggage. He did other things but that was what his sort of area of responsibility was and then we had another assistant venture leader named Julie and she was the point person for visas and immigration and passports and stuff like that then we had Becky Klein who was the interest tour ah venture host. 12:25.28 dclduo Oh very cool. 12:30.29 Benji And then a couple different executives I think were kind of just um, traveling along just as a you know first try see would get it by people would come and go. 12:40.50 dclduo So as Sam mentioned up front. It'll be hard for us to go day by day here and keep this within kind of the parameters of a podcast show but I want to try to hit some of the highlights if we if we can and then as we proceed through you know hit across some of the big themes here like hotels and food and that kind of stuff. But. Um, one thing I was interested in immediately. So obviously you're in Disneyland so they got to put you up at the the crown jewel of the Disney resorts the Grand California hotel but your dinner the first night ah was at the Lincoln Theater ah which I I don't know to be a normal dinner venue for disneyland. 13:12.97 Sam She. 13:16.27 dclduo And I'm just curious what that was like. 13:18.66 Benji Sure so they brought us in the back where the fifth fural there where the fifth freedom mural used to be now. It has just random people on it. Um, not random but celebrities and things and then we went into the theater and we had a presentation. Ah, kind of overview if very familiar to like an abd opening dinner kind of presentation. You're going to go here. You're going to go there. The head of adventures by Disney came and did a little talk to and then we exited where you would normally enter the main show into the opera house lobby and then they had tables set up there. 13:45.49 Sam So cool. 13:54.84 Benji In the back area where around the capitol building essentially and then the buffet was kind of where the Disney gallery is with in exhibit and Mickey was. Off in the corner there too. 14:13.95 Sam Oh nice. So an exclusive visit with ah the big cheese himself. 14:18.33 Benji Yeah, absolutely we got we he can I should say you know I didn't count him on the he wasn't on our plane but he definitely traveled around with us. Um I he may he must have had a different plane. He was taking because we saw him quite a bit. But yeah, he was there in his Disney 100 outfit 14:27.32 Sam Ah. 14:32.92 Sam Oh nice. Yeah, did he have different outfits throughout your your visits with him which is the best I feel like you know because everyone has like that classic picky pick start. Everyone has that classic picture with Mickey. 14:35.53 Benji And yes, absolutely. 14:48.80 Sam Um, in sort of his well I'll call it his regular outfit right? is red. Um, but then you know you can see him all around the different parks and different locations in various outfits and various themes for of course holidays and Disney 100 and all that kind of stuff and it's just kind of nice to get pictures at all the different places. So I I think will sort of as Brian mentioned you know Disneyland is fantastic. You obviously got to do um I know some vip stuff there and some you know private experiences there but I will say oh sorry yeah. 15:23.23 dclduo Can I ask can I ask 1 question there though Sam Really Fast I just want bing. You were you surprised on the itinerary for Disneyland 2 things that caught my attention that were not there that I would have thought a trip of this caliber might have had was some way to get this group into club 33 or ah, 191 15:39.11 Benji No I wasn't um and ah and mainly because I know um at Disneyland because it's a membership club bringing other people in there can devalue the perception of the membership and so I know Disneyland at. 15:39.96 dclduo Okay. 15:46.43 dclduo Yeah. 15:56.34 Benji And we did go to 2 club 33 s but that particularly at what Disney and Disney world. It's not meant to be someplace that Disney can take nonmembers there for exclusive experiences. 16:05.76 dclduo Gotcha oh. 16:07.69 Sam And yeah, that makes sense and I know you guys do get some you know vp tours and um special you know meals and things like that. But I feel like because we've got so much to cover. We've got to move on from Disneyland and head up to the bay area where you're actually from um. Because you did some really cool stuff in the in San Francisco and in I guess napa area tell us what? um, kinds of exclusive stuff. You guys got up to in the bay area. 16:36.92 Benji So we went to the Disney Museum and I would say that that is that wasn't particularly exclusive and being from here. We ah are we go all the time so that was kind of of a little bit of a chill moment. But then we went to Lucas film now we we kind of bypass the studio a lot. 16:45.86 Sam Ah. 16:55.81 Benji But there we we got to see the infinity stage. You know you may know it as a volume or basically where they and so when we went to Lucas filml. We were able to see the other part of that where they really can do motion capture with um, ah an actor and kind of insert it into ah a space right? so. 16:57.96 Sam So cool. Are. 17:15.24 Benji We got. We met the guy who's basically been rocket and groot in every Disney attraction. You know he's and even sometimes they're they're face ah calm face characters. But you know actors but they just mocap them in with ah this gentleman who was just sitting in the corner. He's like oh yeah, no this Africa's name but yeah are the guy leading was like. 17:15.61 Sam Um e. 17:17.92 Sam Look cool. 17:34.58 Benji You remember that? That's this guy that that's this guy you're like it was like he's been a more if you want if he did his box office. This guy would like have has been in every billion dollar movie ever. But so so that was pretty cool getting a tour of iol am but the real ah I would say the wow moment. 17:47.27 Sam Oh that's awesome. 17:53.98 Benji Was going to Skywalker Ranch and as cruise folks, this is the one part of the trip that felt like a cruise felt like we we were given there was options you could do them. You couldn't do them. You know like there was wine tasting. There was trivia there was you know hikes up into the up into the. 17:58.97 Sam A. 18:13.30 Benji Observation area. They asked us to if we wanted to have spa treatment so we signed up and the weird thing about it was is after the spot treatment I tried to pay and like oh we don't take money so they went to the front desk and they're like check back later and then I went back to the ah desk. At the end and they're like oh no, don't worry about it's covered I was like oh so ah because there was definitely a price list. So whatever. But um, ah it was that it was unfortunately like three days in that we did this because it was the most relaxing part of the trip. 18:33.65 Sam Oh Wow. Is. 18:51.34 Benji And we could use like we like we everyone joke goes like I wish we had this two weeks in the other thing I forgot to mention and I should is. We also had a doctor on board that traveled with us. Dr. Shey who is amazing. Um, and was actually like I think a crew favorite like in terms of us like we just fell in love with him. 18:51.46 Sam Um, yeah, right. 18:58.56 dclduo Are. 19:10.67 Benji And he was there to help kind of keep an eye on you answer medical questions but also was just a great guy just to talk to. 19:17.38 Sam That's awesome. That's pretty cool I never would have imagined um a doctor traveling with the group but it totally makes sense when you've got that many people and you're flying around on a private jet from you know all over the world and you know if a medical emergency happens probably helpful to have an American doctor with you. Wow. 19:32.76 Benji You know it's interesting because we were and we went to India and had you have to have a doctor fill out a form for you before you can go on the trip like you go to your personal doctor and and what have you and no one ever mentioned malaria to me. 19:34.82 Sam That's awesome. 19:39.28 Sam E. 19:50.96 Benji And so on the first day when we're in the opera house. The doctor mentioned hey you may want to get malaria medication so I went up to him and I said you know can you help me get this and so he wrote us a prescription as I'm waiting to go into waltz apartment on our Disneyland day I get a text from Cbs saying. Your prescription is ready to be picked up in garden grove I was like okay so I was like do it should go to garden grove I show it to someone from abd and she's like oh no, don't worry, we'll pick it up so they picked it up and they didn't charge me for it. You know it was having insurance was like $12 but you know it was nice not to even have to worry about it. 20:19.25 Sam Oh wow. 20:25.98 Benji And in fact, in every destination every non us destination. They gave you about ten bucks in local currency. So if you had to use a rest you know, pay restroom or just grab a coke or something you had a little bit of money because obviously changing money that many times would have been a bit of a burden. 20:26.26 Sam Um, yeah. 20:40.71 Sam Oh yeah. 20:40.98 dclduo That that that leads me to a quick question benji which is you know on most Abds like most meals are included not all you know that sort of thing was this more inclusive than what you've experienced an abd in the past or about the same. Okay. 20:52.54 Benji Every meal was included and that sometimes I meant more than three. So um, for example at Scottwer Ranch they you know they had the meals but there was also like a 24 hour snack room of cookies and cake and. 20:58.60 dclduo Wow wow. 21:10.89 Benji Soda and everything. So ah, it was There was no shortage of food I don't think I ever paid for food out of pocket. Sometimes they give you cash to buy the food or you like a gift card to buy the food but there was never a shortage of food. 21:23.68 Sam Um. 21:29.54 Benji The only thing you really had to pay for out of pocket were 2 things. 1 was any merchandise you bought and to at every stop they would ship things for you if you know because obviously the luggage situation was limited and we're going to a lot of cool places so you had to pay the shipping but they would do all the packing for you. You could just go here's the stuff. 21:33.44 Sam Right. 21:35.32 dclduo Yep. 21:48.70 Benji And then they would pack it and and ship it off home for you there. Also every stop every stop. They gave you a postcard where you could write and they would mail it off for you. You know they would want it or do so we were able to I was able to you know ah mail a postcard to an uncle. 21:49.40 dclduo Wow. 21:49.92 Sam Oh that's an amazing amenity. 21:59.60 dclduo But that's a nice touch. That's a nice touch. 22:08.20 Benji From every stop who was wanted to follow along on the journey and it was funny because the one from San Francisco the Skywalker Ranch that was the last one he got so. 22:16.57 Sam Yeah I love that That's hilarious. 22:17.74 dclduo What and I'm I'm sure they probably gave you some swag along the way too. I mean I would kind of expect that for this kind of a trip. Yeah. 22:24.38 Benji Sh yeah and a lot more swag than what I would expect on regular abd. Ah so obviously you may have seen our video where we unboxed sort of the bag we got so we got to me luggage or all sorts of junk in it and not junk. But um. 22:36.79 dclduo Yeah. 22:39.24 Sam Um, neck. Wow. 22:43.51 Benji I add you know Boe Headphones all sorts of things and then on the plane there was another o a tomby kind of duffel bag or call. Ah, it's like a Mary Poppins bag and I don't not a there my bag terminology and that you kept on the plane so you could put anything you wanted in there. 22:45.36 dclduo Oh wow. 22:52.53 Sam Um. 22:56.14 Sam I Love it. 23:02.36 Benji And just like let's say you bought something you didn't want to you know pack it unpack it. You just put it in there and you just kept it and then it was there when you came back on the play the next day or wherever and then there they had a blanket and and some more sort of like typical flight amenities. You know if you flat first class you know you get the toothbrush and all that stuff. 23:09.79 Sam Oh wow. 23:15.53 dclduo Oh. 23:17.81 Sam Um, you write the eye mask. 23:21.87 Benji Then it eats then in each stop when you would check into the room. There was a gift of some sort. Um, so for example, when we first the first one was kind of bigger because it was the first one I think but had we got fans like electric fans we had. Ah. 23:27.86 Sam Wow. 23:40.85 Benji Ah, pinbag which I didn't know what was a pin bag until I asked somebody um and and because we would get a pin of the day you know if if you're familiar for ventures by Disney for example in Egypt we were given a necklace in India. 23:42.83 dclduo Yeah. 23:49.32 dclduo Yeah. 23:52.10 Sam Um. 24:00.35 Benji We given a plate which was in which featured inlay art similar to what they did on the taj mahal ah, and Paris we were given. Ah what I call like our a rebus brother style crystal name tag. So there's the Thirtieth anniversary name tag with their names on them. 24:16.63 dclduo Oh wow. 24:19.47 Benji But there there was definitely a lot of gifts I mean in each stop but there was it was It wasn't like I mean overload because obviously luggage became a situation. But yeah in every stop we would go into the room and there'd be something and there would also be things like um, you know fruit baskets and and. 24:21.30 Sam E. Right. 24:37.22 Benji Drinks and snacks in the room constantly and at the Grand Laridian at the last stop they had a chocolate sculpture which was like a suitcase and they gave you a bomb take it home and because I mean wasn't edible is just sort of a you know piece of art. 24:37.87 Sam Wow. 24:50.85 Sam Right? Wow yeah. 24:53.54 dclduo Yeah, the only problem with that is when she walked outside with it in Orlando it became chocolate milk. But yeah, ah. 24:55.36 Benji Yeah, going to California wasn't going to happen so we called a friend who was local. It's like hey do you want those. 25:03.15 Sam Ah I love that. I love that so after um, Skywalker Ranch which I know you were there for you know, a couple of days um you flew to Tokyo by way of Anchorage Alaska. What. The reason for stopping in Alaska do you know was it just to refuel or what did you guys get off. Okay. 25:19.74 Benji Yeah, it was just to refuel so it was it was that we didn't get off. It's it I don't even know why they even call it out on the thing because sometimes get it and they didn't call it out. So ah yeah, it's being a seven fifty seven I mean we haven't talked about the plane but it's. 25:28.43 Sam With. 25:37.93 Benji It's um, you know it can only go so far and so it was just a fuel stop. We stopped for maybe 30 minutes and then you back up. 25:42.33 Sam Um, is he. 25:47.92 Sam Awesome! Let's let's talk about the plane for a second because you mention it here right? So um, we you've got you know 75 passengers plus ah you know you said I think 12 is sort of people traveling with you. Um. And you're on you know a commercial airplane that's been made and into you know a plane for well first nat geo and then for adventures by Disney um, is the whole plane essentially like first class or how how is it set up. 26:18.60 Benji Yeah I think it the best way to describe. It would be domestic first class so it wasn't like ah a live flat seat kind of situation or because you wouldn't be able to fit that many people on am 57 that way but it was. 26:21.60 Sam Is it. And. 26:36.60 Benji It was. It was nice enough. It's a little little dated I'm imagining I mean that you know they haven't made seven fifty seven s in quite some time so I don't my understanding is nacho actually has a newer nicer plane that they use and so I think at some point they'll probably convert to that but it was. 26:46.77 Sam Yeah. 26:54.95 Benji It's not so much the plane that ended up being the kind of fun part about it. It was being with the same crew the whole time same pilots same chefs. You know all that stuff I mean even going from Burbank or we flew out of Ontario Ontario to Oakland you know they had. 27:04.27 Sam Right. 27:13.89 Benji Ah, snack service like and I don't mean like peanuts like they gave us like caviar and stuff. Um and then once we left America you could go in the cockpit you could watch them take lift off the plane you could watch them land the plane. Ah. 27:17.35 Sam Wow. 27:29.83 Benji You know it was kind of cool and you know the safety demonstration got a little more lax as we want to want where you know it was It was like suddenly the adventure guides are doing it and then the guests were doing it and then we did it in Spanish and. 27:38.62 Sam Yeah, ah. 27:41.72 Sam Ah, oh my God I love that and then during the flights I mean you, There's a lot of flights that you because you're going around the world of course. Um you know are are they doing sort of activities to keep you entertained is are people sleeping on the plane. You said it wasn't lie flat sleep seats. But obviously there's going to be a lot of Jet Lag going on because you're changing time zones quite a bit. You know every few days. In fact,, um, but were was our kind of entertainment on the on the plane. 28:10.10 Benji Sure and this is something I did give them feedback and they kind of pivoted midway through to their credit. Um, so Becky would do presentations you know Disney History presentations and then before we would go to Disney destinations. They'd give like an overview of the park. Um, at first they would kind of do it. In the middle but they transition to doing it at the front you know either soon after take off during the meal service or you know closer to landing because they they gave us all Ipads to use for this system but they basically would have to make an announcement before they used it. You know saying hey we're going to use the system. 28:30.98 Sam A. 28:46.51 Benji You know and then it's a little the system was a little clunky I think a little clunkier than they intended it to be and so they'd have to kind of go up and down kind of like troubleshooting it. So the problem with that was it would just wake people up so you know in the middle of the flight they kind of went away from doing anything. Um. 28:50.48 Sam Um, yeah. 29:05.14 Benji And just move it to the front and back so there was and I mean there was enrichment during it but you also you know at that point you kind of just wanted to sleep a bit. Um you were all given free Disney plus accounts. 29:09.65 Sam Yes. 29:17.89 Sam Um, yeah, yeah for sure. 29:24.40 Benji Which is silly I mean at first I was like this is silly who's going on the strip who doesn't have Disney plus but with with the idea we could download content to watch you know on the plane. 29:33.96 Sam Right? right? No that that definitely makes sense sense all right? Well so you you get to Tokyo and you are um, shipped off to the Tokyo disneyland hotel um, having never been to Tokyo disneyland myself. Um. You know, tell us the the accommodations. What were they like and and how would you sort of compare the accommodations to what we see at the at the local parks. 29:58.76 dclduo 1 and Benji I'm curious had have you been to all of these international parks before or were any of these your first time. Okay, okay. 30:04.20 Benji No none of these parks were my first time only thing that was new to me was India and Egypt. So the thing about the Tokyo Disney Resort hotels are they use these hotels differently than most people than I shouldn't say. 30:09.63 Sam Yes. 30:23.85 Benji They use these hotels differently than a domestic guest would typically you only stay there for 2 nights you're not there for the week you know you you check in. Basically you check out so they're smaller. Most rooms are twin you know double beds. Um, and. 30:26.38 Sam Is he. 30:40.99 Benji We upgraded to a cinderella room which was lovely I mean they're beautiful rooms but they're not as spacious I mean none of the rooms are spacious as a domestic hotel is. It's just just the expectation is different. So it's nice. 30:47.81 Sam Um, and. 30:59.66 Benji And the hotel' is lovely and the cast is out of this world. But you know if you're used to staying at a high end Grand Floridian room. You know it's It's probably and I'm I'm not but you know, especially because a lot of people now use Vacation Club where the rooms are just humongous. Yeah. 31:01.20 Sam A. 31:16.51 Sam Um, right. 31:19.11 Benji It's it's not like that right? It's just it's ah you know it's smaller than an Nbc suitess room. So um, it's nice and it's gorgeous and it's themed and the amenities you know you have tooth brushes you have yeah you have a little bit more robust service. The 1 thing that I also failed to mention is. 31:22.96 Sam Yeah. 31:37.31 Benji Laundry was complimentary so we would because we couldn't pack three weeks of clothes. Ah, you know you would you would send the laundry off and I sent it off on the last day in Florida too and it was it was ah a nice little. 31:39.30 Sam Um, oh Wow right. 31:52.75 Benji You sort of when you would go into Ruby the first thing you did was figure out what the laundry process was. 31:58.40 Sam Right? right? that makes sense. Wow that's a great amenity I mean ah, of course it makes sense. You can't possibly um you know if they're limiting you on the weight and the size of your luggage. You can't possibly bring enough for the entire trip but that's a pretty nice amenity as well. So tell us about um you know the experiences. Ah let's talk. Um, we'll focus on the exclusive experiences that you guys got to do at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo disney c um, outside of obviously you know just getting to go on rides. 32:28.44 Benji Yeah, so the 1 thing that was Tokyo disney resort is different because it's not owned by Disney right? It's it's by the oriental land company. So I would say in terms of the special experiences. These were a little bit more limited. Um, just because you know oc doesn't have to um. 32:31.68 Sam Right. 32:42.41 Sam Um, yeah. 32:46.16 Benji So we got we got a we went to so your Disney C before the park opens and we got a tour we could pick between tower of terror soaring or journey in the center of the earth as like and get an imaginary tour of the kind of area and then you'd go on the ride. 33:02.42 Sam Is it. 33:04.81 Benji Um, and I picked journey as center of the earth because it's the 1 attraction I haven't worked and it was. We had access unlike we didn't have the ip tour guides. We could just walk up to the rides using our badges which was different than any other park and then. 33:09.40 Sam Right. 33:18.22 Sam A. 33:22.84 Benji We had 2 exclusive dinners one was at Magellan's in Tokyo Disney Sea followed by exclusive viewing of their nighttime show. It took a Disneyland and then the next night was at club 33 which was special in its own way. Long 3 hours but so but in terms of like the special you know experiences we got they? This was probably the least, but it's also Tokyo Disneyland so you don't need as much you know Disneyland and what Disney world had the most because. 33:43.38 Sam Um, oh wow. 33:54.95 Sam Um, yeah. 34:00.39 Benji Presumably we go there all the time but Tokyo disney you know there's so many attractions that you wanted to ride that that was that was more of the focus here and you could also you know in each of these stops. They also had options to go into the city so you could go into Tokyo or. 34:00.71 Sam Right. 34:08.63 Sam Um, yeah. 34:17.60 Benji Hong Kong Shanghai Paris Etc. 34:17.50 Sam Awesome now for club 33 at Tokyo Disneyland like is it a private club tell us about it because I I know nothing about club 33 outside of the United States 34:31.49 Benji Sure it's a it's a private club I believe all of the club 33 s are some form of a club private club I don't know what the rules surrounding that one? Um, um so I don't know how you you know? Japan's a lot more buy the book on everything. 34:39.97 Sam It is. 34:47.12 Sam Yeah, who. 34:49.10 Benji So there's a process to get into it. Um I don't know what magic adventures by Disney Pulled to be able to get in but it was um, it was you know a special surprise. 34:58.50 Sam Um, yeah. 35:03.63 Sam Yeah, what was the the food like um in you know in all of these meals that you sort of let me say that again. What was the food like in all of the meals that you guys were served at Tokyo Disneyland I mean where you served american food where you served japanese food was it a combination I just. Curious as to you know? what? the sort of focus is on the eating side of things. 35:24.34 Benji So you bring up a good point because this this was a little bit more japanese style in Tokyo Disneyland and this trip had a lot more what I call picky eaters than I had would have anticipated and to be frank more than I think Disney anticipated. 35:32.57 Sam Mm. 35:41.65 Benji So the the food got a little bit more accessible as we went on just as they would pivot because of guest feedback. But yeah, this one was pretty. It was probably the most out there food now breakfast there was always western options and but you know they even well. 35:55.87 Sam Right. 36:01.28 Benji They went out of their way to accommodate guest taste but it was one of the funny things is I mean I'm getting all ahead of myself. But when we went back when we first got to the grand floridian they had like a baked potato bar nuggets mac and cheese and they said that on their nat geo trips. The first trip back. The first dinner back in America is always like comfort food because never on. We're all Ed you just want something so you know the parks are obviously able to. Um yeah, when we had our own lunches. You know you could get whatever you wanted in the park and I believe and they just gave us cash. 36:34.46 Sam Right. 36:39.72 Benji So we just buy what we wanted you know in in Tokyo. 36:41.74 Sam Yeah, now you had um, an option to do on your own exploration or go do some tours in Tokyo I think it's for your second day in Japan. What did you which options did you pick. 36:58.61 Benji So we we with the exception of Paris we picked to stay at the park. Ah we had to preselect these things and not that there wasn't some wiggle room later on but you had to preselect them. 37:02.24 Sam It is. 37:13.31 Benji And at the time I was hoping to just have I needed new I was gonna need to do some work and we had we had just been to Japan tokyo city proper and 2019 I had been to Shanghai and and Hong Kong previously um Alex I was traveling with hadn't been to had been a decent of Paris tons of times but never been to Paris City so 37:16.14 Sam Easy. 37:32.85 Benji That was the one we elected to actually go in so he could see Paris. Finally. 37:37.46 Sam Nice, nice. Let's talk about um Shanghai a little bit because that's where you all headed next so you had back in that beautiful private jet and head from Japan to China. And tell us you know what kinds of um I obviously you're visiting Shanghai Disneyland when you go to Shanghai but what are some of the exclusive things you got to do there. 38:00.69 Benji So we got an im imagineinering tour of the park. Ah, which was neat. You know it was neat to see the local imagineers people who have you know are native to that that that territory. 38:08.52 Sam Is it. 38:17.50 Benji But have drunken the Disney kool-aid so much same. Ah, it was it that was really neat. You know, just to kind of see the global impact and they were so proud of their park as they should be but you know it was um obviously by the time we got to Shanghai Disneyland we were already well familiar with you know chinese bureaucracy. 38:27.91 Sam Ah, yeah. 38:37.51 Benji And it was It was neat to kind of say. Okay, even though this country is very different inside the berm here. It's basically the same thing you know and that's kind of cool um in terms and then. 38:37.56 Sam Um. 38:50.57 Sam Wow. 38:56.92 Benji We had we got we got sort of reserve say seat excuse me reserve seating for the 2 main shows they have there the the Captain Jack show in the pirate show and the I don't I want to say Mickey's wondrous journey. There's this sort of. Similar to the show that they do in every park now where it's like Mickey finds a magical object and then it uses then you know all the all these characters from different worlds come together and you know I get them all confused but it's ah it it was and then we got after the show we were able to get to see. Ah. The costumes and then Mickey and I'll say Mickey goofy came out to kind of meet us and then we started our VVp tour we once again went into club 33 in Shanghai this club 33 is much more accessible. Um, but still neat and I had been there. 39:39.53 Sam Oh fine. 39:54.43 Benji Not too long ago but a lot of people kind of bought the whole store out there of hey 3 um. 39:56.82 Sam Yeah, oh yeah, because they have exclusive club 33 merchandise and I I'm imagining that every club 33 around the world has its own exclusive club 33 merchandise so unique stuff to their own club. 40:11.28 Benji Yeah in Japan they wouldn't let you buy anything. They gave us all like clip 33 tumblers but in Shanghai they let they let everyone buy whatever they wanted and they made a killing Luka Lu at the store at at Skywalker Ranch also made a killing I think when people joined the skywalker. 40:15.40 Sam Oh. 40:28.53 Sam The wine club. Oh yeah. 40:30.28 Benji Vineyards Wine club. You know you know it's ah that you know there was definitely some people that were happy to see us. Um, so and then you know reserve seating for their nighttime show whose name I'm forget I Want to say illuminate. 40:36.58 Sam I I Love that. 40:45.51 Sam Awesome now Now these are like obviously they're nighttime shows or like light and firework type shows right? and so it seems like at all the parks you you all got kind of the reserved seating. You know. 40:47.15 Benji Once again, they all went together. But yeah. 41:00.56 Sam Like you would get if you're taking ah, let's say a vi p tour at 1 of the one of the US parks 41:04.38 Benji Yeah, and it's interesting in that that was part of the problem I think the thing that they didn't think all the way through um and I don't blame them I wouldnt necessarily thought about this too. But if you're goingnna want to have a picture in front of the castle before the park opens and you're going to want to have the fireworks show. Ah. 41:22.43 Sam It's a long day. 41:23.46 Benji And you're doing it in summer so you can't have the fireworks show at 7 Um, you know it's a long day. 41:28.90 Sam Oh yeah I mean I mean if anything maybe can you take a nap in the middle of the day. But if you're doing a Vip tour the whole day. You can't really I guess on those days where you're like a little bit on your own. Maybe you could take a nap but still. That's yeah, that's quite a long day. 41:43.24 Benji What and people would drop out of things you know people like they kind of group you into groups to do the ap tours sometimes people would leave sometimes people would stay um I think for the shanghai fireworks. There was 3 of us watching from the viewing so you know it. 41:49.79 Sam Is. 41:57.18 Sam Ah, wow. Yeah. 42:00.30 Benji Yeah, once again, these are not these are not Disney Completionists for the most part they don't feel they need to see everything so they probably felt a lot better up and a trip than I did but ah yeah, no, it's ah it it did make for long days as opposed to like an ngo around the world trip where. 42:05.28 Sam Um, yeah. 42:14.13 Sam Yeah. 42:19.32 Benji You know you're not want waiting till ten o'clock at Machu Picchu to see something right? You know you you go back? You see you go out. You see what you're going to see you come back have dinner and you go to sleep. 42:27.98 Sam Yeah, so now because you stayed at Shanghai disneyland I take it you missed the dinner at dint tai fung. 42:36.30 Benji I did. 42:36.17 dclduo I saw that on the itinerary Sam and knew immediately you were going to ring it up which I I thought it was funny that didn't take fun was the place they took everyone because we've got those now in the states. But yeah. 42:46.80 Benji We yeah and so I mean that was part of my reasoning. Um, ah I went there with the adventures by Disney when I did the china abd and also there's 1 coming to downtown Disney so it just felt like you know and there's what I just I literally went to one in Vegas maybe a month and a half ago so it was not. 42:53.90 Sam Um. 42:57.42 Sam Yeah, yeah, we have a bunch. Yeah, we have a bunch of them in the Seattle area and I want to put this out there like I'm obsessed with Din Tai Fun I love it it's one of my favorite restaurants like period. 43:01.51 dclduo Yeah. 43:04.62 Benji Yeah. 43:13.88 Sam But I probably I probably would have skipped it also because I'm like I can go in Seattle I don't need to go when I'm actually in Shanghai and I could spend the time at Shanghai disneyland so. 43:23.17 Benji And the ones in China are different than the ones in America I mean they both have the soup dumplings but the vibe is very different but it's I mean here, it's like I mean there, it's it's almost like a Mcdonald's with soup dumplings like I mean it's like it's table service but it's super casual as here they kind of tried. 43:28.28 Sam Sure sure. Right. Class it up of it. Yeah yeah, listen I can house some Xolu bow with anyone. Okay, so I'm all about it. Well awesome. It sounds like that's. 43:42.57 Benji Make it more exciting and exotic. But yeah. 43:54.98 Sam I mean you guys had a couple of days at Shanghai and then you're headed to Hong Kong because obviously you got to hit Hong Kong Disneyland so well if I'm counting that this is park number 3 out of 5 or sorry destination. 44:06.45 Benji What does that destination 3 park number. Yeah yeah. 44:14.30 Sam Yeah, yeah destination though, you right? Yeah so um, out of the 5 major resort so Hong Kong ah tell us what kinds of stuff you guys got to do that just a regular guest. You know going to Hong Kong Disneyland might not get to do. 44:31.99 Benji So full disclosure it was ° out and so um, they they did kind of pivot a little bit on this one. We did an imaginary tour once again, ah which was basically just walking tour. We had breakfast at Mickey's corner at the main street corner cafe. 44:43.86 Sam Um. 44:49.52 Benji Which if you're Disney old person sort of the equivalent of the plot like if they made the Plaza restaurant bigger um that so but it's right there on the right hand side of main street. Um, we did Tai Chi with Mickey Mouse and 44:54.13 Sam A. 45:05.69 Sam Whoa. That's awesome. 45:07.74 Benji Yeah, and I kept losing my balance but Mickey kept cheering me on. Ah we yeah we I mean and we also met Mickey at club 33 who met hiy yeah in in China we met duffy at club 33 in Shanghai so we made walk a little bit. 45:21.87 Sam Ah, oh my god I'm very jealous because I'm obsessed with Duffy and the only place in the states that you can meet him is at Alani and even there he's like very elusive. It's hard to actually like. 45:34.70 Benji can can I give can I give you a little duffy pro trip if you go to Hong Kong so there they do ah like a lottery to win merchandise the a right to buy duffy merchandise that is the new stuff. However, if you stay at the hotel. 45:38.70 Sam Um, yeah. 45:51.67 Benji You can buy this stuff without entering the lottery though if you're stay at this Shanghai is or sorry honk kong is on hotel you can just go downstairs the gift shop and they have it all there but you have to be staying at the hotel and if you go you know if you go to ah the park you have to enter the lottery on your phone. 46:09.27 Sam Okay, Brian um Mark this down because we need to book trip to Hong Kong Disney Land um one because I want to go there but 2 because I want to buy all of the disney merch. Ok. 46:20.95 Benji And and you guys you guys saw the duffy news that just came out right? Do you hear the duffy news that just came out yesterday as we're recording this duffy will be on the upcoming reboot of Mickey Mouse clubhouse 46:20.99 dclduo Check need and. 46:26.18 Sam Um, sorry say that again. No. 46:38.38 Sam No way. Yeah, oh my God Well I'm going to watch it even though we have a nine year old. So I'm seen but that out there. Ah oh two dos. 46:44.35 Benji I don't have children and I know yeah. 46:46.48 dclduo Um, all right Sam I've I've written it down. We need to take our family of 3 all the way to Asia to Disney just so you can buy duffy merch I've met. 46:55.70 Benji Right? You may want to go on an traction or 2 but you know if. 46:58.82 Sam Ah I want right? I might I might do a couple of rides I will see I don't know I still want to I really want to go to Tokyo Disneyland we've been talking about Tokyo disneyland for a couple of years now we're just waiting for our son to get a little bit older. And to maybe'd be a little bit more adventurous with food but because obviously everybody raves about Tokyo disneyland especially to Tokyo Disney Sea so um but we have not been I've been to Disneyland Paris um but it was many. It was about twenty years ago so before they had a second gate. Um, and yeah, it's I barely remember it so I have to we we definitely have to hit some more some more spots all right? Well Hong Kong it it. seems like is a actually a quicker trip than Shanghai and so then you head your stay in in Asia but you're headed to. India tell us about Agra India 47:53.20 Benji So. What's interesting is is that the airport near Agra is a military airport. So. There's not commercial flights. However, so we went we landed at a different airport went through customs that went back on the plane. And then flew to a Agra. So if you hear people talk about how much of a pain. It is to get to the tasma hall. Um, this was a way to circumvent that. Ah and so we were we we were maybe 15 minutes away 20 minutes away now are every. 48:16.44 Sam Ah. 48:25.45 Benji Room at this hotel has a view of the Taj Mahal and so you open up your balcony and there's the Taj Mahal and the Taj Mahal is one of those things that it's not really like historically significant in that you know it's it's not a palace. It's a mausoleum essentially. But. 48:31.11 Sam And wow. 48:44.49 Benji It is so beautiful and it's so much more beautiful in person that it really is hard to describe that. So at that point we were so tired but they recommended doing the sun right? You know so we left sunrise version of the tour so we left it four 30 in the morning. 48:50.37 Sam And that's awesome. 49:04.40 Benji So after the taj we also went to the agra fort which you know sort of compliments that sort of story of the Taj Mahal but then we did a lot of sleeping because we were pooped. 49:04.70 Sam Um, a wow. 49:12.46 Sam Um, yeah, and it sounds like you also had a traditional um tea in your like an afternoon high tea. Ah when you were in India am I right? oh. 49:26.95 Benji Don't recall that it might have been something they offered that we didn't partake of but um, yeah, yeah, the thing about in the they did kind of transition things because of the heat and um, you know if you look at the brochure. 49:29.66 Sam Well maybe ah okay. 49:44.36 Benji They have like iterary online. There was a lot of differences when we went in practice. Some things didn't happen. Some things happened that weren't on there so that's more of a guideline than something to get completely married to. 49:57.75 Sam Gotcha well it I mean it sounds like in general heat was an issue throughout this trip. Um, because of course it was in July right? So or end of June into July um, which of course is you know summertime for all the locations where you all were going. Um, but I'm imagining Cairo was pretty warm because that was where you're headed next after India. 50:16.17 Benji Like yeah, yeah, that that was kind of brutal and we flew into the New Giza airport that like I think there was 3 flights the whole day there because it's really meant for the new museum. That's not open yet so we went to the old museum which is a. Not they say it's air conditioned but I don't think they know what that means and um and then obviously we went to the pyramids and the sphinx so we did those after hours once again, our room hotel room had a view of the pyramids from the window. Um. 50:49.45 Sam Wow. 50:52.99 Benji And we were able to go inside the pyramids. There's nothing really in there. But it's kind of neat to say you were in there and then went to the sphinx and we were able to go right between the sphinx legs which you normally don't get to do. 51:03.90 Sam That's awesome. That's it seems like um, they're trying to at this point mirror some things that you get to do on the ride Soren am I right about the yeah right. 51:10.64 Benji Yeah, that's exactly that was their justification there. There was also sort of logistical reasons. But yeah, that was their justification. 51:19.85 Sam Yeah, because I mean the Taj Mahal and and of course the pyramids you know they're featured in in some movies of course. Um that Walt Disney studios owns ah but they're not um, you know they don't necessarily fit with. The parks in the same way that going to like Hong Kong Disneyland or Shanghai Disneyland right? So interesting stops. But of course I mean right totally makes sense. Yeah. 51:38.38 Benji Yeah, absolutely is is you what you don't want to fight from Hong Kong to Paris you're gonna stop anywhere. So. 51:49.30 Sam So exactly that's where we're headed. We're headed to France or headed to Paris to Disneyland Paris um tell us about Disneyland Paris and what kinds of cool things you got to do there. 52:02.74 Benji So we got to ah have some special experiences once again, we had a ah presentation by imagineering at the lucky Nugget Saloon which is sort of the equivalent of the golden slash diamond horseshoe and. 52:17.19 Sam It is. 52:20.44 Benji Which was neat. We got the vip tour guides again and um, the we had sort 2 special dinners. One was a colonel hathy's which they themed out normal colonel. Hathy's is a pizza place but they kind of made it I welcome to France dinner and then on the on the the second night we had. 52:35.30 Sam Oh cool. 52:40.42 Benji Like a dinner at the Manhattan restaurant I couldn't attend that personally but then the third night we had dinner at um, the remy's restaurant b store to remy and then. 52:54.31 Sam Oh cool. That's the one where you can like see into the ride right. 52:59.80 Benji Yeah, exactly and then um, there was a mime that showed up for some reason and then remy showed up and then we got to do like a ride like a last ride on remy's ride to adventure and then they did this sort of impromptu show in the courtyard there. Well for friends. Singer singing France songs and then Mickey showed up in his you know beret and all that and and that was a culmination of our art is sort of our farewell to France dinner. They they very they played it up a lot like this is gonna be special and it was nice but they they really want to make sure we were there and they had champagne toast. 53:22.49 Sam Oh awesome. 53:37.66 Benji And you know we're we're breezing through this as we should, but there's a lot of special details that we're missing I don't want people to think that this is just like an exhaustive list of every special touch. They had. 53:46.60 Sam So yeah, no, we couldn't possibly um cover every thing that you got to do obviously on this trip. We're just trying to for those listening. We're just hitting. We're hitting some highlights because as I said we we could spend probably days. Um, recording a show with Benji about all of the different experiences that that were had on this um adventure. Um. 54:06.46 dclduo Well and and I'll say binge wrote this up over on laughing play. So I think you've got quite a bit of detail over there as I recall. 54:13.20 Benji Well to be fair and and not to get in trouble Alex wrote it up but we were to get it so kudos to him for being able to write this up and go on this trip because that was exhausting. 54:17.43 Sam Yeah. 54:25.23 dclduo Yes. 54:25.36 Sam Oh yeah, I'm sure I'm sure to to do both of those at the same time is kind of crazy which hotel did they put you up at at Disneyland Paris because I know there are obviously multiple hotels there. There is the Marvel the New York and you know i. I guess the marvel 1 is the New York 1 am I wrong I don't know wow. 54:45.20 Benji Correct yeah that so that yeah they put us up at ah, the hotel New York Art of Marvel the dissonant hotel. There is the one that's like right in front of the park is currently being reimagined so that's completely closed. So this this is probably the highest end hotel they have operating at this point. 54:47.85 Sam Oh cool. Great. 55:00.44 Benji My understanding is next year and once the hotel reopens they'll be staying at the disunt hotel. 55:05.20 Sam Oh cool. Yeah, that's where I want I mean I want I kind of want to stay both of them I wonder if they do if people do split stays at Disney in Paris that's a thing obviously at ah in Orlando a lot of people will split their stays between 2 different resorts. But I imagine that. 55:11.92 Benji Yes. 55:17.56 Benji I love the whole I love the art of Marvel but and I would stay there. The only thing you get by saying at the dis zone hotel I mean obviously I've been you know theyre reimaging it who knows what'll be like but um, it's so close to both parks. 55:22.23 Sam Yeah. 55:31.33 Sam Right. 55:34.56 Benji Because if you say at art of Marvel or any of the other hotels you have to walk through the Disney Village and you know it just adds more time whereas and you have to go through security and everything whereas if you if you stay at the disney hotel you just go down the elevator and you're right in the park. So. 55:42.44 Sam Um, right. 55:47.63 Sam Yeah, it's like leaving the grand call and heading into the to Dca right? I mean that easy. 55:54.28 Benji Exactly Yeah I mean and and so it's just a lot and and you don't have to go through security again. So um, yeah, yeah, so it's ah it's us because they do security at the hotel entrances as well as the park. So. 56:00.26 Sam Ah, that I love even more. 56:11.79 Benji Hotels already clean. 56:11.91 Sam Fin fantastic now you did get up to you said? Um, ah some options in Paris on this trip. Um, and so you had I imagine you did in the caparris city tour or something like that. 56:25.19 Benji Yeah, so we started the morning ah and going to the palace of versailles and then we did now it started raining but then we did ah we did a tour of Paris which was basically the louvre and then we got these little sort of classic french cards. You know little small old french cars and drove around the city of Paris. 56:27.55 Sam Nice. 56:43.10 Benji You know guts diiel tower and all that um so I've been to Paris several times but Alex hadn't so it was more for him than me but you know you want to check off the Mona Lisa and the venus deilo and dael tower. 56:51.21 Sam Um, yeah. 56:55.97 Sam Of course, love it and then you're hopping back in that beautiful private jet and heading back to the United States for Orlando for the Walt Disney world resort obviously you've got a couple of days at the Walt Disney world resort in Orlando what were the. You know you've been there I'm I'm sure millions of times. Ah, well maybe not millions but hundreds of times and I'm sure everyone who has been on who was on this trip with you had probably already been to the Walt Disney world resort so you you had mentioned earlier that this is some place where they kind of had to give you some more of those exclusive and behind the scenes type of experiences. Um, let's let's talk about those what kinds of things were you able to get up to it at w d w. 57:43.42 Benji So the they kind of split it up into three days so there was a magic kingdom day. Ah Hollywood Studios Slash Animal kingdom day and then an apcot day so magic kingdom we started with breakfast at ah, be our guest. Which just kept coming like they said give us menus and we're like oh we're trying to figure out what to order and then no it was just that was just a list of everything we're gonna give you so that was crazy. It was all amazing. It was like you know normally when you get overfaed, you're like oh I'm going to skip something like you don't want skip anything because it was also good and they had these like. 58:11.98 Sam Oh yum. 58:16.23 Benji Breakfast of Claires filled with gray stuff that were ah um, and so then we we went to storybook Circus and hopped on the train backwards to the roundhouse were split up and went to holiday services the central shops and. 58:26.41 Sam No. 58:36.27 Benji The monorail roundhouse and yeah and I you know I don't know if you've ever the holiday services I think they offer as part of tours often. But ah, you know pro tip on that don't book a holiday services tour during the holidays because then you're just looking at empty warehouse. 58:36.53 Sam Oh cool so you got to see the backstage of all of that. That's amazing. 58:46.83 Sam This is. 58:55.66 Benji Um. 58:57.80 Sam Ah, right? because all the stuff is up on the trees and posts and everything there's nothing there. 59:00.84 Benji Exactly yeah, right? You'll maybe see some Halloween stuff. But yeah, um, ah yeah in central shops. I mean if you never had a chance to go to central shops I mean just need to see all these vehicles just sitting around and these animatronics that they're working on. It's pretty cool. To get a tour of it and then um, the mono resh roundhouse. They gave us a tour of you know the different parts of the monorae including the new undercarriage lighting shows I know if you they kind of give us the the advanced warning they're going to add a Halloween version which that which debuted a couple weeks ago at magic came them. 59:37.80 Sam Um. 59:37.40 Benji Um, and then each one of those stops like so you know in central shops. They give us a key chain that they made there right? you know and then at holiday services we were just able to pick an ornament from their collection to take home with us and ah at the monoality give us a piece of the bus bar of the Monroe. 59:41.70 Sam No cool. 59:49.74 Sam Um, wow. 59:53.57 Sam Oh that's so cool. 59:57.36 Benji So ah, then um, we took the mono all backwards back to the ctc and then went into the Mountain Kingdom We had lunch at Ta Marlin Terrace and this was then became sort of our free time. Ah, and. 01:00:10.72 Sam Um. 01:00:14.35 Benji Now the dinner here this was kind of a miss and I don't want to be acc cued of being a show so I can say this? um we were asked to pick like 1 of the magic kingdom of sitdown restaurants and then they gave us the time to go unfortunately the logistics of this coupled by rain causing guests not wanting to leave their table. 01:00:23.28 Sam Here. 01:00:32.75 Sam Oh yeah. 01:00:32.90 Benji Caused huge backups at the restaurants and um, ended up being a bit of a guest to satisfy but then in the end we all got together to watch happily ever after and everything was all right in the world. Um, yeah. 01:00:38.85 Sam E. 01:00:44.51 Sam Yeah, the so then the next day you're doing is at the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios day. 01:00:53.10 Benji Yeah, yeah, so but and 1 thing I thought was a nice touch here was we did back check at the grand floridian so we would get on the bus to whatever park and they would do bag check at the like on the bus so we didn't have to do it when we got to the park or you know, go through the regular bag. Check. So. 01:01:06.40 Sam Oh nice. 01:01:12.28 Benji Um, yeah, went to animal kingdom and we went on Kilmanjaros but we Safaris but we also got our tour guides were senior leaders in the animal services program so it wasn't the normal drivers I mean who who are fantastic of what they do, but we got a little bit more behind the scenes perspective of. 01:01:22.75 Sam Oh cool. 01:01:29.23 Sam In. 01:01:31.93 Benji Ah, Kimanjaro Safari and then we went to Rafiqi's planet watch where we had breakfast. They had a presentation by Dr Scott and then we went on behind the scenes tour of you know the vet the innovation lab the prep. 01:01:48.43 Sam Oh cool. 01:01:51.71 Benji All those areas as well and then we took the train back in the park. We had some free time. There was a you could go see a festival liking show. We elected to go do some other things and then we are vp tour guides we had lunch at at yakkineti which was. Like the most overkill lunch I mean like we stopped after like we they gave us. We told him to stop after they gave us half the food. There was so much. No and we had the same pp tour guide for every day at Walt Disney world it was only place where we had to v ip tour guides for more than one day so we got to know them a bit. 01:02:27.56 Sam Um. 01:02:29.19 Benji And they took us over to epcot I'm sorry took us over to Hollywood Studios where we went to smugglers run and we went into the pit of the Ada vehicle so you could see the vehicle kind of going in to the projection cone and coming back out. 01:02:36.23 Sam Nice. 01:02:45.96 Sam Ahead. 01:02:49.90 Benji And then they described how you guys you guys understand how Smuggler Dr works. You know it's basically carousel progress right? and and so they kind of demoed us what that looks like and that was that was pretty cool I haven't done that before so that was a neat experience and then after that we had sort of a reservation. Plus. 01:02:54.38 Sam Yes, yes. 01:03:06.54 Sam Um, that's awesome. 01:03:08.73 Benji 1 free drink at uga's cantina so I did that with our friends and then we had some time to explore hollywood studios once again, we elected to kind of find we went to someplace to cool off a bit and they started raining so. 01:03:11.92 Sam Um, nice. 01:03:27.50 Benji Ah, but that was also our I don't call it our farewell dinner but's what would typically be an adventured by Disney Farewell dinner because they had the Slideshow. Um and we had that that was over Disney Junior the dance party the um we were supposed to go see have the option to see fantastic. 01:03:33.23 Sam Here. 01:03:41.90 Sam Um, yeah. 01:03:47.44 Benji But due to weather fantastic was canceled so and you know, um then we had our final day over it was basically at appcot. But we started we split up into the flavor lab which is the concept kitchen for Wal Disney world um they talked a lot about roundup barbecue. 01:03:47.65 Sam Cancel Anyway, yeah that makes sense. 01:04:02.83 Sam Um, oh cool, all right because that's the new the new. Ah the newest restaurant right. 01:04:06.31 Benji Um, right? yeah exactly and then tri circle d went over there and you know um I was trio these you know open to the public but we got a little bit of a tour I found out that they have a horse named Benji which was exciting to look. 01:04:23.69 Sam Ah, did you get to meet Benji though. Ah fantastic because I feel like it would have been a kind of a fail. Ah. 01:04:26.75 Benji I did actually yes, he's a lot. He's a lot pretier than I am um and then we went to ah have lunch at the seas pavilion the living seas lounge at seas of wemon burns and. 01:04:39.86 Sam Cool. 01:04:44.37 Benji Ah, the first thing we did was we walked they took us up to the top of the aquarium and we walked did a full circumference around it. They were very nervous about this. They gave it the Dr Scott you know was like please do not let this be the reason I get fired. 01:04:50.39 Sam Oh well. 01:05:01.99 dclduo If. 01:05:02.28 Sam Yeah, nobody fall in the Aquarium nobody vault in the aquarium. 01:05:02.84 Benji So from here and then imagineer camp now first. Originally they were gonna give us a presentation and then do this experience. However, they flipped it because of incoming weather and um, we went. 01:05:16.50 Sam E. 01:05:22.77 Benji To journey into water with ah milwaana inspired by Juana um, and they took our pick right? Yeah, we were the first guest to go in there. Um, and then we got a presentation about some stuff coming to ep cut that they told us not to talk about. 01:05:30.90 Sam Um, oh that's not open yet. Yeah, that's cool. 01:05:40.40 Sam Okay, fair. 01:05:42.30 Benji And then ah we had some free time in epcot once again, we kind of elected to go someplace to chill after doing an attraction or 2 We did a group ride on Soren and then we had dinner at the american adventure rotunda yeah I mean that was kind of what's the the. 01:05:53.50 Sam Um, of course you did a group ride at Soren for like the end of the trip right? because they were basically like right. 01:06:01.46 Benji Culmination of all it right? You know seeing all these so every time we would get um it was a private theater essential. It was just us and every time we'd get to a place that we've been everyone would clap and it was kind of cool. Um and then went to had dinner at American Venture Rotunda I would say it was it kind of felt a little antic-limatic at that point. 01:06:10.27 Sam Right? right. 01:06:20.99 Benji Um, the food was amazing, but you know if you've been around long enough. You've had dinner at the American Adventure Rotunda and then we're supposed to have a dessert party they move the desserts inside due to weather. But then we saw epcot forever and that was the end of the experience. 01:06:25.41 Sam Right. 01:06:31.53 Sam Oh nice, oh my goodness and then the next day they give you breakfast at your hotel and then shuttle you off to Mco to go home I take it unless you're sticking around Orlando for longer. 01:06:43.64 Benji Right? So yeah, so you could sit. We had breakfast as citricos it's sort of like the long goodbye if you' ever done ventured by Disney you say goodbye at the final night but then he keeps seeing you everybody like even see people at the airport right? You go the sky club and there's still people there. Um, but and it was interesting. We thought they were gonna stick us all like. 01:06:57.22 Sam Right? right. 01:07:03.12 Benji There's a bunch of us leaving the hotel at 11 and we thought oh they' just get on best to altogether. No everyone had private transfer first. So yeah, we all went back to mcceo and I mean you know we didn't cover every single gift or everything but there was ah it was it was quite the experience ready to go home at that point but also ah. 01:07:07.90 Sam Oh wow. 01:07:08.33 dclduo Yeah. 01:07:20.81 Sam Um, right? That's awesome and sorry, go ahead brain you know that's good. 01:07:22.70 Benji Made a lot of new friends. 01:07:25.83 dclduo Very very go ahead to well I was gonna start to wind us down. so go ahead so so bingji this sounds like it won an amazing trip to an exhausting trip. Ah, but I had a couple of ah. Maybe what I'll call wrap up questions here for you about the trip shooters lost my notes they're there. Um I want to return to something you said the very beginning and just ask this question. You said at the very beginning that you know there are a lot of people on this trip who viewed it as a way to see all of these parks at once you know they weren't the super Disney fans that. 01:07:44.56 Benji But. 01:08:01.64 dclduo That we all thought might be the ones taking this trip but they were using as a way to see all the parks. Do you think this trip hit that mark because there was a lot of stuff going on not in the parks and a lot of behind the scenes stuff. So do do you feel like that hit this mark for them. 01:08:13.67 Benji Everyone seems satisfied I mean everyone had feedback and everyone had unique feedback. Um, and I would say everyone seemed satisfied. Everyone seemed to say I loved I did this I'm never doing this again. Um. 01:08:27.86 Sam Yeah, ah it is a once in a lifetime thing though. It isn't something that's necessarily repeatable or at least not in the same way. Yeah. 01:08:32.33 Benji Yeah, at day three I was ready to sign up for like another. You do less's do this again next year ah day 23 it was not and um, a lot of people on the trip actually booked a nat geo around the world trip by the time they were done so I would say they are they were satisfied I will say. 01:08:47.10 Sam Um, oh wow. 01:08:51.52 Benji If you are your goal is to see all the Disney parks around the world. Even if you want to have a premium experience. This is not the way to do it if you want to have backstage ultimate service. Um, unique trip then this is the way to do it but do not. You know you can buy a vip tour at all these parks and. You know, go see them for more than you know you? you really parks are not meant to be seen in 18 hours and so that I you know I had been to all the sites before so I can't speak to you know, but we you couldn't do everything even with a vp tour guide. So um. 01:09:15.45 Sam Right. 01:09:26.60 Sam Right. 01:09:29.52 Benji You know if you really want to go to Tokyo Disneyland go to Tokyo Disneyland book a vacation package get you know the 6 attractions or whatever comes with it and have fun. Um, but if you want to have a special experience at all these parks where you're doing unique things. Only you can do through something like this you know, go into clip thirty three s and this I mean the studio lot I mean to me that was I've been on the studio lot hundreds of times but they got to do things that I've never seen guests be able to do before so it was um. Pretty impressive. You know what they failed to mention is that Lucas film. You know you're like wow we're here you know we're in the shadow of Pixar we're not even got no they brought in Bob Peterson the voice of Doug Talk talk about all state. So you know you even got to round it out with that. So um, you know. 01:10:14.96 Sam Yeah, oh that's amazing. 01:10:22.14 Benji I Don't know what this trip How this trip will evolve. It will evolve. It will not be the same. You know once they take the feedback but we I'm fascinated to see what they tweak moving forward. 01:10:30.69 Sam Yeah, that's awesome. 01:10:30.89 dclduo Well speaking of that I wanted to ask you? What was your biggest highlight from the trip and what did you see as the biggest opportunity for this trip going forward. 01:10:42.87 Benji The biggest highlight to me was and this is gonna sound so hokey but seeing people discover parts of the magic of Disney through this trip including the staff including the. 01:11:00.10 Sam Is in. 01:11:02.85 Benji The Nacho team. Um I have a weird life I do a lot of things that most people don't get to do through various reasons so you know you're not going to get you know it's not about me getting unique experiences. Um, because that's rare. Um, there are things on this trip I haven't done before but I would say few and far between however, um, seeing them light up as they learn things about Disney and got to see the nuance of each park going in rapid succession and seeing how each one has a unique flair. Um and meeting friends that you know we. 01:11:24.20 Sam E. 01:11:41.47 Benji But before we were podcasting today I was you know were talking to some friends we met on the trip where you know next time I met Walt Disney world where I'm going to Victorian Alberts with you know someone I met on this trip. You know it's it's um, that that was real. It sounds like a commercial but it's it. 01:11:49.85 Sam How awesome. 01:11:57.98 Benji Really is I mean because part of what you're getting. You're paying for essentially is doing this with 74 other people and it wouldn't be the same if you just did it on your own and and. 01:12:04.56 Sam Right? Yeah disney friends are the best friends. We always say that I mean we we always say cruise friends are the best friends because that we've met so many great people through cruising on Disney Cruise line and obviously now through the podcast. Um, but. Really there's sort of something special about the community of people who love disney and obviously there's a lot of different ways to love disney and there's a lot of different depths to that right? you might be just sort of a casual parks person versus somebody who loves like the history and you know reads and watches all the. You know, imagineering stories and things like that. But it yeah, it's a great community. 01:12:45.37 Benji Yeah, and it's it's it's um, you know, especially because this is the Hundredth anniversary. We did some things that were specific for the hundredth anniversary that you know this is the only time that's gonna happen because this is the Hundredth anniversary year. You know we got to see. 01:12:49.85 Sam You. 01:13:02.55 Benji Once upon the studio before nearly anyone else. Um and with the directors you know there's a special moment in time and every version of this trip will be a special moment in time but it captures whatever's going on at Disney at that moment. You know. 01:13:13.77 Sam And. 01:13:19.80 Benji Parks are going to open up new attractions and you're going to be there. We saw Rogers a musical during this trip with vpc day because we went on this particular time and you know and and that will keep going you and you know next year particularly interact is a huge year for international right? You have fancy springs openings utopia and ah world of frozen in Hong Kong 01:13:25.65 Sam Even. 01:13:37.96 Sam Right. 01:13:39.51 Benji So you know there's a lot going on and and so this part this will inherently be different every time because the parks are different every time as opposed to a that geo trip where I don't think Machu Picca goes to you know, ah big transitions every year. 01:13:59.71 Sam Brian sorry I I'm sorry hit he he's mad at me because I interrupted you? yeah. 01:14:01.10 dclduo You Yeah, you do railway question. Um, so bing you the other question I I'm not mad at you and just you do railway question. Ah. 01:14:12.68 dclduo So benji The other question I had for you was opportunity. Do you have an opportunity that you see them needing to address on this trip. 01:14:18.10 Benji Yeah, absolutely and I I know you didn't mention um, communication. Um, the communication on the trip that was better than before the trip but there was a lot of just wrong communication and um, the. 01:14:31.80 dclduo In. 01:14:34.11 Sam Um. 01:14:37.50 Benji A lot of the people on this trip. Don't have a lot of Disney knowledge and they're not geo people and they're they're great and I don't this is not a criticism for it but they just weren't that whatever training they had to go through was just not sufficient. You know, for example I left when we left the opera house we had reserve viewing for the fireworks. And so I'm facing out of the opera house right? across town square to city hall and a guest asks one of the adventure staff. Yeah, where the fireworks he goes like oh I think they blow off right here and is like motioning from behind city hall as if they blow em up from jungle curs was like no they they go from behind the castle like they just didn't have the Disney knowledge that. They really had you know for example on Shangi Disneyland you have to go there with an id you know a passport. Ah you need photo id to enter the park and or at least you should have it sometimes they don't check but bring and yeah and I knew that but none of the other guests would and I mean. 01:15:25.30 Sam Um, oh yeah, but but I wouldn't know that. Yeah. 01:15:35.20 Benji Don't generalize. But yeah I mean most guests won't know that because they've been to 4 parks already and they don't never had to do this so you know you need to communicate those things it got better as time went on but it was it definitely felt like the net they put everything in a net geo they said we're gonna do a nat geo trip. 01:15:36.33 Sam Um, great right. 01:15:54.51 Benji And we're just doing it with Disney and without realizing the subtle um nuances for example, dietary restrictions. Most people going on and I'm not talking allergies or things I'm talking like taste like the taste palate was much more limited. 01:16:05.77 Sam It is. 01:16:10.62 Benji Then probably someone who is going to go on a that Geo trip who wants to see the world and have those whole experiences. You know they're they're here to go to a theme park. They're not necessarily here to eat asian food. They just want to go to the asian parks. So we had a lot of dietary restrictions that they weren't they accommodated but weren't prepared for. 01:16:14.44 Sam Oh yeah, very true. 01:16:27.34 Sam A. 01:16:30.58 Benji Shipping is obviously a bigger deal here. So while they facilitated it. They weren't really prepared for the volume that was going to happen on any. 01:16:36.70 Sam Ah, yeah, because like you said the merch um being different and being exclusive in certain places. Yeah, that's huge for Americans at least right. 01:16:44.81 Benji Yeah, and and also probably unlike a nacho trip where you're going to see the thing right? You're going to see the pyramids so you go you know and that's the thing whereas at the parks. Everyone has diverse take of what they want to do some people may just want to like. 01:16:55.90 Sam Um, yeah. 01:17:02.54 Benji Spend 2 hours doing duffy stuff or you know really are passionate about XY or z so you need to be more specific than you do at like on a normal abd you just kind of you know, put your hands back and you go okay, what match you know, do for me right? Show me tell me where to go and and show me what I need to see. 01:17:03.90 Sam Right. 01:17:17.55 Sam Right. 01:17:22.10 Benji That's why you book through them so you don't have to plan it all out but the parks we all know what we really want to see right? It could be a flavor popcorny 1 at Tokyo Disneyland or what have you? So ah then that is the kind of thing that differentiates this than a typical nat geo around the world trip. 01:17:33.93 Sam Business. 01:17:38.16 Benji And what they maybe weren't quite ready for. 01:17:39.19 Sam Interesting. Yeah. 01:17:41.17 dclduo So benja my last question for you as we wrap up here and before I hand you over to Sam for rapid fire round is someone comes to you and says I'm thinking about doing this trip who would you say the trip is for and did you think it had. I could ask you if the price was right because I think that's way too subjective but do you think that it had the value for the price that you paid. 01:18:09.79 Benji I'm gonna let me answer the second part first cause it's easier. Um I I this was a ah experience I'll never forget. It was priceless. So absolutely I think it has total value um with the understanding I know it's not accessible for everybody. But if it's accessible and not. You know you don't have to stretch yourself too much. I would totally do this I'd recommend it. You know if you have the time to do it absolutely who the trip is for I think is the bigger challenging question to answer because I think Nat Geo's for getting that out too. Um, the way it ended up being I would say it's for. 01:18:46.72 Benji Hardcore Disney fans that want to have exclusive experiences that they can't money can't buy experiences. Um I don't know that's necessarily who they got but that's who the trip was structured for so as I get feedback from the guests they got it'll be interesting to see how it evolves. 01:18:52.20 Sam Right. 01:19:05.00 Benji So for example, like I feel like the k clubpry 3 dinner at Tokyo Disneyland it was long. It was 3 hours I love it because I'm at Tokyo Disneyland Club day three I can't go here when I just go to Tokyo Disneyland a lot of other people just really wanted to get back in the park and were kind of frustrated dinner was taken that long. So. 01:19:16.45 Sam Um, right. 01:19:21.85 Benji And I don't you know we were we you know we're not sure if they're going to go back there right? because we don't know what the how that was perceived on either side of the equation. So um, yeah I think that's that you you hit the nail on the head on the right question I just think Disney's trying to answer that too. 01:19:24.60 Sam Right. 01:19:37.90 dclduo Um, yeah. 01:19:39.27 Sam Yeah, well those are some some excellent points. Um, it'll be interesting to see how Disney handles that I think you know I think Brian and I would sort of straddle the line between you and the guests that you were the other guests that you were with because. We what we would love those exclusive experiences but we've also never been to Tokyo Disneyland right? So if we had been on this trip. It would have been kind of a hard. Um, you know we would been tugged in both directions because we would have wanted more time in the parks. But we also would want the exclusive experience. So I think um, you know I think you're sort of. Ah, thought about if you just want to you know if you just want to go to all the parks. There's probably a better way to do it meaning you can go and take separate trips to each of the parks and spend. Um you know, spend time you know whether it's you know four days or five days at each of the places so that you can see everything. But this is a different experience. This is not just a you're going to see the parks. This is you're getting to see these exclusive things and behind the scenes type experiences so it's super cool. 01:20:36.22 dclduo Yeah, it. It kind of reminds me just to close us out here. It kind of reminds me of what's going on with Disney Cruise line in Australia for us right? Like we want to go see Australia would love to do a Disney Cruise while we're there but taking that time to sail say from Hawaii to Australia or to fly all the way out to Australia for a short cruise like. The balance just isn't right I think if you haven't been to Australia before. So um, yeah I think that that's kind of where it's landing in my mind a little bit but ben. 01:21:03.62 Benji When that's that's I mean to me that that you getting a little off topic I'm sorry to drag you down. But that's what's I find fascinating about this acquisition chip. It's like I want to see it but is it Goingnna am I is it going to be made for me in that way right? like am I gonna. 01:21:13.33 Sam Um, yeah. 01:21:21.20 Sam Yep. 01:21:21.46 Benji if I if I go there am I just not you know I I really I'm struggling with that question right? now you know it's 1 thing to go not go on the wonder I've been on the wonder you know, but I'm really curious to see how that plays out me. 01:21:29.88 Sam Right? Yeah, this global dream at a Singapore I'm we're going to call it the global dream until it has its own. You know, new name but something like that. Yeah, but that it. 01:21:32.66 dclduo Yeah, for sure. 01:21:38.35 dclduo I Think it's called the project global one now or something like that. Yeah. 01:21:41.95 Benji Yeah, according according to the Disney corporate filing that they put where listed all their upcoming Dis I should say all but a lot of the upcoming. It's just list is this Disney treasure. Ah third wish class ship and quote unquote acquisition ship which is the least. 01:21:58.88 Sam Acquisition Ship I like that. Okay. 01:22:00.44 dclduo I could just hang think it just called acquisition ship hangs Scrooge Mcduck off the back and we're good to go right? So there you go like. 01:22:01.11 Benji Disney name of anything. 01:22:05.10 Sam I like. 01:22:05.15 Benji I just I feel having just been to India I just imagine like Bob Chepek goes watching walking the you know indian markets and was just like hey want to buy a cruise ship. 01:22:17.80 Sam Ah, it's a good deal. Ah, he was go Actually he was in the markets at Aggraba and somebody jumped out. 01:22:18.29 dclduo ah ah yeah, yeah well Benji. We have reached that point in our show where I need to hand you over to Sam for some arbitrary questions some arbitrary rules. 01:22:24.96 Benji Um. 01:22:33.10 dclduo And a dash of judgment or the round we know as Rapid fire So Sam take it away. 01:22:35.84 Sam All right? Benji I'm going to give you a very special and unique rapid fire because you are now an around the world Disney expert. We're going to start out with some of your general Disney favorites and then I'm going to ask you some specific favorites about you know parks trips ships that sort of a thing. Let's start with who is your favorite Disney character and by Disney I mean anything that Disney owns. 01:23:05.50 Benji I'm gonna this is so bland for a guy who has such Disney experiences but I got I still got go off Mickey I well it's like the Disney one hundred name tags now like if you failed to select something you got Mickey mo's. 01:23:11.18 Sam Yeah, what's planned about that you know I love it. 01:23:21.43 Benji So if you actually pick Mickey Mouse everyone just thinks that you failed to like fill out the form. 01:23:24.82 Sam Ah, it's like when you used to get those magic bands that were just like gray and because you didn't pick your color. 01:23:32.44 Benji Right? Yeah because they asked us because ah one of the things they gave us on the trip was a picture of a sketch of our favorite Disney character right? and but they asked us at the start who's your favorite Disney character for this purpose and I was like how. 01:23:41.85 Sam Ah, love that. 01:23:49.14 Benji Deep can I go like like like like can I get like radigan or whatever and I was like I was like ah you know I'm just gonna go off Mickey so um, here you go yeah Becky Klein picked out Oswald the lucky rabbit which is. 01:24:00.47 Sam Ah, love it even though Mickey is the default I love it. Okay, what's your oh that's that is a great pick. What's your favorite Disney movie. 01:24:06.30 Benji Is a great pick. 01:24:13.53 Benji My favorite Disney movie I mean that's ah, it's like pick my favorite child. But um I'm gonna go sleeping beauty. 01:24:19.91 Sam Um, yep, nice. What's your favorite Disney song. Oh I love that all right favorite Disney Park you can pick from anywhere in the world. 01:24:24.64 Benji Great big beauty for tomorrow. 01:24:27.69 dclduo Um, not it. 01:24:40.30 Benji Ah, that that's so tough. Ah, but and I you know I've worked at many of them and that sort of changes the calculus of it for you. But. 01:24:53.79 Sam Um, sure oh awesome. What was your favorite stop on this trip this a B D around the world like what location. 01:24:54.48 Benji Um, I'm so gonna go if Walt Disney's Disneyland. 01:25:08.11 Benji That's an excellent question. Um with full disclosure that I've been to all these sites before the stop that I had the most fun. At it was going is going to have to be ho and we have to go Dis ah Disneyland Southern California because the studio lot day was just so amazing and Disneyland we got to. 01:25:40.10 Sam Um, wow. 01:25:45.50 Benji Chat with Ken Potruck the president Disneyland it just really set up very high bar. Yeah. 01:25:45.50 Sam Oh cool. Yeah, yeah, that's a great way to start the trip right? All right? What's your favorite Disney Attraction 01:25:59.32 Benji My favorite Disney attraction I know not being particularly rapid fire about any of this um is. 01:26:05.71 dclduo Yeah. 01:26:10.35 Benji At this moment is per I'm gonna go with haunted mansion. 01:26:19.53 Sam Oh nice. Love it all right? We have to jump to where my heart lives which is what's your favorite Disney Cruise line ship 01:26:31.30 Benji Disney Magic I Know it's it just if it's what I fell in love with and then you just like? yeah yeah. 01:26:32.59 Sam Oh you were an originalist. It makes sense. Mickey Magic yeah absolutely makes sense. Yeah I get it I get it all right? What was your favorite a b d trip. Let's say outside of this around the world trip because I'm not sure any other ab d can kind of. Compete with this one. So what's your what's been your favorite abd trip outside of that. 01:26:55.40 Benji My favorite a b d trip is wenna go China you get you get the 2 parks but you also get to see the great wall and and just you you know and it's you get to and know the chinese people which is illuminating for. 01:26:59.48 Sam Oh awesome. 01:27:14.74 Sam Yeah, all right? Well I I usually ask for my last question of rapid fire a bucket list cruise if you could go anywhere around the world on a Disney Cruise where would it be but I'm going to change it up for you and ask what is your bucket list Disney experience meaning a Disney experience. You haven't done. 01:27:14.83 Benji Many obvious reasons. 01:27:33.33 Sam But you really want to do no, it can be a totally imaginary 1 01:27:35.30 Benji Does it have to be 1 that they offer or is it can be something that I want not okay I want them to do an adventures by Disney that recreates Walt Disney's south of the America trip the The El Groupo trip that inspired salutous amigos and and the like um. 01:27:47.18 Sam Ah, wow. 01:27:51.77 Benji I just think it would be so fascinating to see South America as through the lens of what walt saw and was inspired for the rest of his life by. 01:28:00.85 Sam Oh that's an amazing idea I love that Disney Adventures by Disney if you're listening um you need to give credit to Benji when you create that trip but I feel like that's probably in I think that is probably a future trip for your adventures by Disney. Well thank you. 01:28:15.30 Benji Becky Becky and I becky and I kind of were trying to pitch it constantly throughout this trip because I I told her I wanted me to do it and she's like oh yeah I have all the I have all the assets I know exactly where he stayed and know where he went I was like yep, let's do this. Let's do let's make the let's let's find Nancy and and just. 01:28:18.61 Sam There you go. 01:28:29.85 dclduo Nice, nice. 01:28:30.13 Benji Make or make this happen. 01:28:31.69 Sam Awesome! Well thanks Benji you are an expert so you you have totally won rapid fire. Um, no judgment on any of your answers I think that they are awesome and I'm just jealous of all the stuff that you've gotten to do to be perfectly. Honest. 01:28:44.96 Benji I just want to go on a cruise with you guys now I just want to see what that's like you being cruise line experts I would I would just love to know what I mean I've done I've done 25 but that's over 25 years so I'm not yeah I'm not. 01:28:45.28 dclduo Yeah. 01:28:57.76 Sam Yeah. 01:29:01.22 Benji I'm not exactly going on them all the time. But you guys I I feel know so much and particularly for this podcast. You probably learn a lot too about experiences I Just I'm really excited ah to learn about cruising through you guys. 01:29:10.87 Sam Um, yeah. 01:29:15.90 Sam Well, thanks. 01:29:15.35 dclduo Well well we appreciate your. You're 25 over however, many years we're ah, 22 over since 2018 so we've been hitting it hard hittting it hard hitting it hard. 01:29:23.72 Sam Are a little crazy. 01:29:23.85 Benji Wow Guys That's amazing and you you sound like you live in port Canaveral You guys are that's almost I'm jealous. 01:29:30.80 Sam Yeah, with we're. 01:29:32.87 dclduo If if they had put a ship in Seattle we would probably be at Castaway key plaque stage by now but thankfully thankfully for my bank account. They we got to fly a little further for that. But. 01:29:38.41 Benji Yeah I I I got tell you I I had to be pearl and so I went on like the most like I when I went down to San Diego twice just to go on cruises to I also. ah I'm ah I'm a bit of an idiot. Um, you know they have those new cruise line trivia medals right? have like yeah so I needed all of them. So I I I kept booking cruises until I got all of the medals. 01:30:01.70 Sam Um, yeah. 01:30:03.74 dclduo Yep, we got 1 on our last sailing for twenty fifth anniversary trivia. 01:30:15.40 Sam Ah I love that oh my God I want all of them myself. We don't have all of them. But we have a few of them. 01:30:18.51 Benji Well and I'd like to think whatever crew step because you know they would pick a met all and then like you know you could you may I would have have more mickeys I know what to do? ah but then like 1 time she forgot to bring them and she's like well which one are you missing and I was like daisy like. 01:30:18.90 dclduo We get. 01:30:35.22 Benji And so now that was like how I completed it otherwise I would have ended up working on and had to book another I mean had to book and. 01:30:35.71 Sam Oh yeah, had to I Love it. 01:30:39.33 dclduo Did you get 1 of the did you get get 1 of the general cruise ship metals. Yeah, that's my that's my favorite one? Yeah well. 01:30:42.77 Benji Yeah I did yes yeah and so well maybe I maybe I sha you offline but like that's not that long. That's only 5 years what made you fall in love with Cruise line. 01:30:55.20 Sam Yes. 01:30:55.25 dclduo Yeah, oh we have a we have a whole podcast that our listeners have demanded. We record we're calling our origin story that will be coming out in about a month and a half but well bingji we would be remiss in not letting you plug. Ah the fabulous blog and cite. 01:31:04.14 Benji I cannot wait to hear that. 01:31:05.99 Sam Awesome. 01:31:14.63 dclduo Over at laughing place you want to do that. 01:31:14.75 Benji Yeah, sure. So we're laughing place. We cover the entire Walt Disney company from um, all the tiles to the Disney Tile Pixar marwells star wars netchio also Abc Isp and all that stuff and we got a lot going on more than most people probably know. So ah, keep an eye out if you want the latest Disney News we have. Ah we just posted a story this week about the journey to water. So if you want to see what it looks like inside of that experience. You can check that out too and then you know there's there's it's gonna be a very busy month for Disney Theme Park fans so 01:31:43.13 Sam Ooh. Yes. 01:31:52.44 Benji Um, please follow us and to get the lowdown of the news and analysis that we hope you enjoy and and please give us any feedback you'd like but we just we you know we do it to kind of share the information with everybody so they can get a very top level view of all the fun that's happening at Disney. 01:32:09.12 dclduo Amazing. Yeah, it's a great site. You can. Yeah, it's an amazing site. You can over to laughing place dot com to check it out and with that Ben I'll just say thank you for taking time to share this amazing adventures by Disney trip. We were. 01:32:09.74 Sam Awesome! Well thanks for doing that. 01:32:25.59 dclduo As soon as we saw it We knew we needed to have someone on to talk about it and we're so excited that we found you. So thank you for coming on taking time out of your weekend to share it with us. We really really appreciate it. 01:32:35.17 Benji It was my pleasure. Thanks for letting me relive it. It was ah it was a blast to remember all the fun I had. 01:32:38.43 dclduo Alright, let me hit stop.