Are Annual Pass Parties Worth It? | Disneyland Paris News & Halloween Updates

Ash: Hello everyone, I'm Ash.

Holly: And I'm Holly and you're listening to...

Ash: Arcades and avenues. Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Arcades and Avenues, the podcast dedicated to Disneyland Paris, where we look at latest news in the parks as well as have a fun look at what makes DLP unique. I'm Ash and I'm with my co pilot Holly. How's it going?

Holly: Good, how are you?

Ash: Good. A bit disappointed with the term copilot. I think that was a bit corny. But

Holly: You've called me co-pilot multiple times on this podcast.

Ash: vai, butonna.

Holly: Yeah. It doesn't bother me.

Ash: Okay, well that makes me sad. I need to think of something a bit more cooler. But yeah. How you been? What's going on? You been alright?

Holly: Alright mate, yeah, good. Not a lot.

Ash: No? Yeah. It is that time of the year, right? Where, you know, six weeks' holidays is done, everyone's back

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: at work, it's just carrying on as we're carrying on, isn't it?

Holly: It is indeed. And yeah, as usual, I have nothing interesting to talk about other than

Ash: Ha ha.

Holly: what we're to talk about on the podcast. All I have

Ash: What we're gonna talk about. Yeah. I did

Holly: to report is I went to see Resident Evil at the cinema and I gave it four out of five. It was very good.

Ash: Really? Is that based on because you're a massive Resident Evil fan and so you're looking at the similarity with the game and the movie or

Holly: Nuh.

Ash: the story is generally good as well?

Holly: The story is genuinely good. It's pretty much only Resident Evil by name. There's like subtle nods to

Ash: Right, okay. Yeah.

Holly: the video games, but it's not like, this is exactly, I mean, there's like 20 Resident Evil games, so it'd be hard to put that all in one film.

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's gonna be a Street Fighter film. Have you heard about that?

Holly: Yeah, I see that and the I saw that in the trailers. I don't know how I feel about it.

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, we'll see. some people are looking forward to it 'cause it's got some wrestlers in it, it's got Fifty Cent in it and Jason Mamora

Holly: Mm-hmm. It does.

Ash: in it, so it's got some like n good names in there. but you know, who knows? You know. Mortal Kombat came out a couple of months ago and that was shit apparently, so No, nor did I. But yeah So was I actually. I love Tekil.

Holly: I mean I didn't see it. I was a Tekken girl. I was a Tekken girl.

Ash: I love technically

Holly: Yeah Tekken was where it's at.

Ash: I loved it. Yeah, what was going on? So I did another stand up after a bit of a

Holly: Yep, how's that going?

Ash: break. Yeah, it was alright. It was okay. I so this hadn't happened to me before. I was put on last. Usually usually, you know put on a few month you know, not a few months, a few like acts afterwards. you know. Fourth, fifth in the middle, then you're kind of alright, you know, you've you got your bit you got yourself bit judged up, you still got the energy of the audience, but at the end you don't. You don't

Holly: Mm.

Ash: want to be right at the front at the start because you're like your opening and you don't want to be right at the end. Yeah,

Holly: Yeah, I wouldn't want to be first.

Ash: exactly. But nor do you wanna be right at the end because then the whole you know they've all they've laughed themselves out now, so you've

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: Exactly all of the all of the

Holly: So we can go home, yeah, go to the pub.

Ash: and it was in a pub as well, it was in the basement of the pub. So they were just, you know, they were waiting to neck down a pint after I finished.

Holly: Mm.

Ash: So, you know, the but it was alright. I I still managed to get a few laughs, a few chuckles.

Holly: good.

Ash: came up with a r spontaneous joke in the middle as well, which

Holly: Brilliant.

Ash: funnily enough, got the most laughs than my written jokes.

Holly: It's always the way.

Ash: Which I don't know how I feel about that. And one part I'm like, Yeah, that's pretty cool. But also I'm like, mm, maybe I need to get better written material. But I kinda need to change my material in any way. So But yeah, there are. That's what happened.

Holly: I'm happy for you, I'm glad you're still doing it.

Ash: Yeah, I don't know, maybe I'll have a break now till Christmas, who knows? But you know. You know, me and my validation, I'll probably go, I need the laughs and I'll probably put one in again by the end of the year. But you know, it's fun. It's a fun little hobby.

Holly: And you're good at it.

Ash: Well thank you. Yes.

Holly: Well, I think so.

Ash: Yes, yes. You you did see it, so yeah, yeah, you c you you

Holly: Yeah, I have seen it. Yeah.

Ash: you you can see that so no, thank you, appreciate it. we've got a lot of news.

Holly: We do. We do.

Ash: and items. you know, we we're main main topics. yeah, we we had the A P night, so how do we review that and obviously for ones that may already know from our socials, it is our one year anniversary of Arcades and Avenue. So go through some highlights of our first year later on in the pod. But For now we're gonna go with the news. and first one on the list is Halloween season has begun.

Holly: It's actually his favorite season for those that don't know.

Ash: And it is earlier than normal.

Holly: It is.

Ash: So I'm getting an extra week of the Halloween season at Dizardum Paris. So yes, Halloween started on the twenty sixth. Am I correct in saying that? Twenty twenty-fifth or twenty sixth? Yeah,

Holly: Just yesterday, yeah, yeah.

Ash: yesterday. as the

Holly: Hmm.

Ash: as you know, the time of this recording. so the twenty sixth of September Halloween has started at Dizadam Paris. And there's new decorations everywhere. A lot of things happening. you know, new signage over the the train station. some new

Holly: How do you feel about that?

Ash: I like that. I like that particular thing, yeah. I thought I thought that looks good. Yeah. It's better than

Holly: I like it too. I think the new signage is

Ash: the old one where it's this orange and shadows and that was a little bit

Holly: No, no, no, no, I'm talking about the literal text on the

Ash: right, okay, yeah.

Holly: station. It used to be like literally in pain, not pain in word. It was like a generic text like Kervick Chiffon that said happy Halloween. so I'm glad to see the back of that because every year when

Ash: Yeah. yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Holly: I would go for Halloween and see that, that font on the front of the station, I'd be like, it just kills the vibe. Like it just completely

Ash: Yeah, yeah.

Holly: kills the vibe. I admit I preferred the orange shadows. I don't like the new standard glass. Yeah.

Ash: Did you? no, I love the stained glass. I think it's a lot more

Holly: Do you not think it's giving AI?

Ash: I mean

Holly: Just my thoughts.

Ash: If we if we go into I don't think it's AI. I don't think it's AI.

Holly: No, I don't think it is, but like, it is.

Ash: Because if it was AI, it would be shit. But and then you probably you probably do think it's shit, so that's why you probably think it's AI. But there's worse

Holly: I don't, I don't, I

Ash: there's worse AI crimes in the park.

Holly: 100%, there it is.

Ash: If it is AI, there's worse AI crimes in the park than that. but I don't I don't think it's AI. I think it's genuinely been designed.

Holly: Yeah. I mean, I'm- I am glad that they're changing things up. I think it's- it's

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: been a while and yeah, I can forgive the stained glass because I really like the new... sign as you enter.

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's nice. coming in there as well, you're seeing Candlewicks, which is different.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: So Donald Head Candlewick. Yeah,

Holly: What's the other candle? can't remember. Is it daisy or is it goofy?

Ash: Daisy or Goofy, Goofy I think it is. Candlewick. Yeah.

Holly: they're the only two candles and then on the other corners it's pumpkin mini and pumpkin mini yeah

Ash: Yeah, yeah. It's a bit weird. It was just like yeah, you get two of them and that's it. It's like they just didn't follow it through. Like yeah, it's just

Holly: we're going to take everything off the gazebo and just whack a couple of candles on there.

Ash: Yeah Yeah Yeah exactly Taking things off that's that's a good thing to note They've taken the garlands off the g well the garlands just just don't doesn't exist is we've noticed which

Holly: Not this year. Yeah.

Ash: I don't understand the the direction of that for some reason. That was

Holly: Mm.

Ash: a I I loved the I love the garlands during Halloween and Christmas having the gardens up there is great. I hope that's not a sign for Christmas season because Yeah.

Holly: me either because that's when I'm going next but like to those people who probably think guys get over it like it's just a couple of like autumnal garlands I know it's not that much of a big deal but it does really add to the overall theming and atmosphere of Main Street and for them this is the first year

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: and I want to say like 16 years we

Ash: In a long time. At least it yeah, yeah.

Holly: have not had garlands on Main Street and I would just I just think it's such an odd decision Someone said, it's probably because of the projections on Main Street. Now I haven't seen any videos or anything of the projections on Main Street that we had last year, but it's not because of that, because we had them last year. Okay, it's back. But we had Garland and the projections last year, so it's not that reason. It's bizarre. And it's a bit disappointing, I think.

Ash: We we th it is back. It is back. Yeah, it is back. But it's got nothing to do with that. A hundred percent. It's not it's not that reason. Yeah, I don't I don't get it. Yeah, it's it's tradition at this point now, really.

Holly: easier.

Ash: So it is it it's not like it was there for a few years and then it's gone. Like this is well over a decade thing that has been done, so I don't understand now

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: without any mention of it. that you're just gonna not do it and people not recognize.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: well, especially a podcast dedicated to Diesel and Paris, we are gonna recognise it, aren't we? So Exactly

Holly: Right. Especially two people that spend 90 % of the time just standing on Main Street, noticing all the details.

Ash: Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. actually Mm another thing that we've seen as well is we have Unlucky Nugget back as well as the projections. So Unlucky Nugget to the success of its launch last year has now made a return. However,

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: on top of that they have Phantom Manor music around Fundemesa as The resident Phantom Manor fan. Think so? I think I think you I think you're I think I think you like that. Yeah, I think you like that. I think you think it's alright.

Holly: think you're alluding to me aren't you? Yeah, yeah, this year.

Ash: what what do you think about what do you think about that? Do you think that's a good thing?

Holly: Listen, on the whole, yes, I do. I loved the theming in the lucky nugget that we got to see last year. I love that they've extended it now over a little bit to Last Chance Cafe. I don't know if you've seen that. But it says on outside Last Chance Cafe. They brought a banner

Ash: yes, yes, yes, I have. I have, yes, sorry.

Holly: that says come in and come in to socialize with like different lighting. There's actually new artwork in Lucky Nugget that wasn't there last year and it's one of my favourite pieces of original artwork from Phantom Manor. I'll see if I can find a picture of it but it's the manor before the tragedy and it's like a cloud coming over Phantom Manor in the shape of a skull. Do you know what I mean? And it sort of changes.

Ash: no.

Holly: It's like one of my favorite bits of original artwork. They've got that upstairs in the Lucky Nugget. Yeah, and they've got like a wedding arch in just outside the Lucky Nugget. They also have opened the popcorn cart with a limited edition Halloween flavored popcorn. But it's cheese flavored popcorn. We could have been, we could have done something.

Ash: Hmm. Okay. why did I do that?

Holly: So these are my criticisms. We could have had something a bit more exciting like curry or pickle flavored popcorn. I would have enjoyed that. The menu from the Lucky Nugget is the same as last year. It's a black burger or chicken tenders.

Ash: Yeah. I and I tried I tried some

Holly: And, yeah.

Ash: of that and it's it's not great. Like do you know I feel I feel sorry because they can't win can they? Because we'll say do something new or do

Holly: No, I know, I know.

Ash: things and then they try and do things and then we give them shit for it. And I don't want to be like that fig, but like they also tried

Holly: Listen! No, no, no!

Ash: pumpkin beer and I'm like it doesn't work So So yeah

Holly: Well, I wouldn't drink pumpkin bit anyway, but like on the whole I'm really happy to see that they're they really are trying to bring more of Phantom Manor into Thunder Mesa for Halloween and I don't want anyone to think that I'm just being negative for sake of being negative because on the whole yes, it's good and I love to see it like I'm happy for it. Does it bother me that a lot of the stuff is not lore accurate? maybe, but that's just a personal preference. Like, I'm just a stickler for things like that. So like the music now plays, Melanie is singing All Around Thunder Mesa, even though the original story was she never left the Bloomin' House. But

Ash: Mm.

Holly: there's like, it's like little things like, I'm annoyed that the Halloween flavoured popcorn is cheese, but like, I'm not really annoyed. And ultimately, I'd

Ash: No, no, no.

Holly: rather there be something than there be nothing at this point. So

Ash: Yeah, exactly. A hundred percent. A hundred percent.

Holly: That's my take on the Phantom Manor extended. would, if I'm being like, if while I'm being a stickler, I would have preferred they could have done something really cool with like, you know, that the final scene when you're going through like the cursed Thunder Mesa on Phantom

Ash: Yeah, yeah.

Holly: Manor, they could have brought the citizens up from that scene and gone with that kind of storyline. I

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: think that would have been really cool. But ultimately, like I say, I'm just happy to have something and see them continue the Unlucky Nugget and extend that to Last Chance Cafe, which, note, is one of my favourite quick service locations. I have

Ash: Yeah, you love your vegan chili.

Holly: got Halloween FOMO a little bit, guys, so I be going this year for Halloween.

Ash: You love your vegan chili, don't you? You do love

Holly: I do. I do.

Ash: your vegan chili. yeah, that's

Holly: It's like.

Ash: citizens of Frontierland, why don't they bring them

Holly: yeah.

Ash: back and and make them like zombies or something or nah but they won't do that in Diesel Land. It would be, but they won't do that, it's too much.

Holly: That would be fun wouldn't it? But also I laugh when you say citizens of frontier land because like it just seems like on a random Wednesday

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: they'll throw them out there. I've never seen it.

Ash: Yeah. City's on Frontier Land on Wednesday at three o'clock. You're like all right, mate.

Holly: we're having a bit of a slow day come on we'll get these cast members in backstage and stick some cowboy hats on them and just sling them out into frontier land and get them to interact with people. i've never seen it.

Ash: It's so weird. And it's it's always it's I always see them on Twitter. I never see them when I'm there. I don't know what it is. It's so funny. So choosy yeah.

Holly: Yeah, yeah. No. And like I said, it's always like on a random Tuesday. It's like there's no significance. It's not like a daily or even a weekly thing at this point. It's like we've got a few more staff on than we need today.

Ash: Yeah. No, it's not.

Holly: Your citizens of Frontierland today. Off you go.

Ash: Yeah. Yeah, it's so weird.

Holly: Good for them.

Ash: I I would like to know what the rest of Frontier Land looks like

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: because tradition well, I say traditionally, they've only done it for the past what three years now. But

Holly: it's been longer than that.

Ash: what, Day of the Dead?

Holly: Yeah, because I can remember going like just before lockdown and going on Big Thunder Mountain and seeing I want to say it's like six years now, maybe seven years.

Ash: Of of Dale of the Dead Coco thing, are you sure?

Holly: Yeah, the ones... well, it was before it was the cocoa restaurant they still had the skeletons, didn't they?

Ash: N I don't think they had the cause this

Holly: Definitely had it in 2021.

Ash: yeah I I 'cause I think this is

Holly: So that's six years.

Ash: really

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: I can't remember it I can't remember it being anything past three years. Twenty twenty-three

Holly: I only know it was 20-

Ash: twenty-four probably twenty three out of push, but twenty four is when I notice wow, they've got these cocoa and I don't wanna fluff up the spot. the Spanish word for it, so I'll just say Day of the Dead.

Holly: Yeah, no, don't.

Ash: where it you know, it look like Coco where you saw the the dead people in the skeletons and they've got their like and there's flowers and everything and

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: it looks amazing and that usually starts from Big Thunder Mountain all the way down to cowboy cookout.

Holly: way down to Cowboy Cookout. Yeah.

Ash: but maybe maybe I just didn't pay attention to it. But as you know I'm a big Halloween season fan And yeah, it was just weird. I've j so yeah, but I don't know if they're there this year. I'm not seeing

Holly: Well, we don't know if they're there. We haven't seen anything. Yeah.

Ash: anything, nothing's been and to my dismay, just like Holly, I will not be able to make Halloween this year either. So,

Holly: Mm.

Ash: bit of a bit of a bummer. Although not nothing really

Holly: No ghosts, no pumpkins.

Ash: s significant is happening this year really, is it? It's just slight difference in, you know. You got Doctor Facillier

Holly: No, I mean we've got decoration.

Ash: at Cowboy Cookout, I suppose. That's

Holly: Meh.

Ash: New, isn't it? Yeah. I mean that's pretty good, I suppose, if if you care. If you're a character person. Yeah, yeah.

Holly: mean, if you're a character person, it might excite you. But also, they've taken Phantom Mickey away from the gazebo by Phantom Manor and replaced him with Pluto for the Halloween season, which I find really strange. Normally it's like a Jack and Sally meme. Yeah, normally it is.

Ash: Really? Is that Jack or Sally? Yeah, is it Jack or Sally there? Yeah.

Holly: They take Mickey away and put Jack and Sally there, but like this time they're just like, now Pluto can go here.

Ash: Okay, interesting. I wanna know what that's about.

Holly: It seems like they've just mixed it up this year. I don't know whether

Ash: Mm.

Holly: to gauge a reaction or it, but some of them I really can't, I can't.

Ash: Yeah, the pff figuring out what works.

Holly: Have you heard the new song as well on Main Street? They've got a new song on playing in Main Street for Halloween. You haven't heard it?

Ash: No. I every time all the videos that I listen to it's just playing it's playing the the evening loop. But it's there isn't no particular song on Main Street that I've heard. okay.

Holly: Hmm. Yeah, there's a new song. I'll have to send it to you. It's and like again, I'm not I'm not being negative but like it's it's fine. It's

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: fine. But I don't even though I wasn't the biggest lover of like all the ghosts on Main Street and then going we're like just having it had like the normal. Yeah.

Ash: Woo.

Holly: You would just have the norm for those that don't know.

Ash: it started doing some weird I'm like, what is going on? Is someone it would just

Holly: It was very overstimulating.

Ash: And I was just like, what is happening?

Holly: it for those that don't know it was the normal main street loop but because it was halloween they used to have lots of ghost figures which they seem to have axed just this year and it would

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: literally just be like normal main street but with

Ash: I love It's just weird. It

Holly: It's like in the background.

Ash: was just it was just weird. Yeah.

Holly: reminded me of last year when they when they added that cat soundtrack on the main street for evening time and Yumi was sat there like that cat is really...

Ash: To the Yeah. Meow Meow Meow Sound like what is the cat supposed to do? Is it supposed to elicit Yeah, like freaky like who's scared of cats? I don't get it. What what what is the Halloween significance in it? No, it wasn't it was just going meow

Holly: What is it signifying here? It wasn't even like a cat going... or like...

Ash: Meow It was just so weird.

Holly: point where we were sat there waiting for tales of magic like that's actually really annoying.

Ash: 'Cause someone feed that bloody cat or let her out 'cause it's doing my nothing.

Holly: Let it in.

Ash: Or let her in. Whatever the case.

Holly: Put it in, bring it in, take it out, something.

Ash: Just stop ignoring the cat 'cause she's pissing me off. Yeah. very weird. But you know, that's D L P isn't it? So one of those things.

Holly: Yeah. It is a big spag this year. have to say like at first I was like, I've got really bad Halloween FOMO. And now that this is the full package, they've also changed the name this year. Have you noticed that? It's called like Disney Halloween Festival. On the lamp post says we've got new banners. was it? Yeah. So they've got almost that

Ash: isn't that what it's always called? yeah, the banners. Yeah, the banners, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've seen the banners.

Holly: I actually did like as well. I thought that was a good touch this year. They're new banners on Main Street and they've almost got

Ash: Yeah. Yeah, they're good.

Holly: like, you know, the paper silhouettes that you can have done, like your family on Main Street. They've done that, but just of the villains down Main Street. thought, yeah, that's quite cool. I quite liked that homage to the silhouettes and stuff. But yeah, just it's all a

Ash: You can see

Holly: bit sort of like mix. It's all like they've muddled it all up, taken quite a lot of things that are almost like Halloween staples away, like the ghosts, the day of the dead, the pumpkin

Ash: And replaced it with other things, yeah. Yeah.

Holly: characters. There's a lot of photo ops between Main Street and Frontierland that they seem to have just taken for

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: what reasons are known to us. So now I'm like, okay, maybe I'm not so bothered about Halloween. And again, like... The merch is pretty much the same as last year, I would say, with the addition

Ash: Mm.

Holly: of a shoulder plush pumpkin Mickey. That's what's new for this year, obviously. So what are your guys'

Ash: Cotta got a

Holly: thoughts on Halloween? Let us know. Anything else to add to Halloween, Ash?

Ash: Yeah, yeah. Nah, nothing really. Nothing. It it is what it is.

Holly: That is what it is.

Ash: Another news item Disney Wonders finally opens in the Disney village. The it's out with the old and it's in with the new. Disney store has now been nast it has been and and now the Disney Wonders has open. And to Myth's reaction and when I say mitt's reaction I mean bad reaction because

Holly: looks like a Primark.

Ash: it it has not been, yeah, received well. It it's very sterile. It

Holly: Hmm.

Ash: does look like a Disney Primark. and we've already got that. Just go to the Disney section in Primark and you're you're basically there.

Holly: You can walk five minutes up the road to Val d'Europe and go to their like literally have a whole floor of

Ash: Yeah, yeah.

Holly: Disney and Primark there.

Ash: and I don't know why they keep doing this. I don't know why

Holly: Do you to talk about?

Ash: they keep doing this. It's it is it just looks soulless. It looks boring. I understand the modernization of stores, but I'm

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: also hating the steriliz sterilization of it. I'm hating the Apple white clinical look in every store. and

Holly: Yeah. I mean, this one's just a slate grey box really, isn't it?

Ash: Yeah, it just it just needs to like just have some character and it doesn't need to be stuck in the nineties. it doesn't need to be stuck in the nineties, but

Holly: No, whimsy is not stuck in the 90s.

Ash: yeah, yeah. but it's just not like there's some cool things in there, like Tinkerbell going around of war and stuff like that and Yeah, yeah, just that's cool.

Holly: yeah, I don't, I quite like that. I thought that, but it's not enough to take away from the rest of the store being a slate grey box.

Ash: Yeah, no. No. It doesn't yeah, it doesn't make up for that, does it? It's just a small bit, isn't it?

Holly: No. Yeah.

Ash: but like it's just so grim, just Star Wars bots, Marvel bots. Do you know what I mean? It's like

Holly: I love that there's a box for Stitch.

Ash: Yeah, gosh. Just Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Holly: So everything else is done like Pixar, Marvel, Disney princesses, Stitch.

Ash: Yeah. But you know, the moneymaker isn't it?

Holly: It's a given. It's a given in Disneyland Paris. Do you want to talk about

Ash: It's just yeah.

Holly: the, the blind box thing?

Ash: The blind bots. yeah, no, well you could talk about that actually 'cause you're more

Holly: So with the opening of Disney Wonders, I mean it's not purely with the opening because I actually did notice it in Harringtons on my trip which

Ash: okay.

Holly: was just before the opening of Disney Wonders. We'll talk about my trip.

Ash: The best store, by the way.

Holly: It is but they had dedicated a whole wall to blind boxes in Harringtons which I don't like. Harringtons is for the finer pins.

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. The cultured

Holly: ornaments, snow globes, arabesque glass. It's a nice store.

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: If you want a decent piece of Disney memorabilia, you go to Harringtons. If you're looking to buy one of the clocks, one of the ornaments, a Jim Shaw, you go to Harringtons. But yeah, there was a wall of blind boxes in

Ash: Mm-hmm.

Holly: Harringtons, which really threw me off guard. But with the opening of Disney Wonders, they have got a whole section of the store it's actually the middle of the from the videos that i've seen it's the middle of the shop dedicated to blind boxes and i know that minnesota and pop mart and things like that are very very popular at the moment so i can kind of understand it but what i cannot understand is

Ash: Mm-hmm.

Holly: that we have not been able to have blind bags for pins in Paris since opening due to French gambling laws, I don't see how the minifigures blind boxes are any different.

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: So if someone would like to explain that to me like I'm five, I'd love to listen

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: because to me that it's essentially the same thing.

Ash: Yeah. No idea. But yeah, that's a good question.

Holly: And in my personal opinion, it's just tat. you're spending...

Ash: So do you w do you not get anything good in those boxes? I don't do because I don't want to care about

Holly: Well, I mean, it's entirely subjective. Some people want to collect

Ash: Yeah, I suppose, yeah.

Holly: all the minifigures. Sometimes I get pulled in. Like I went to London a few weeks back and had lunch with a friend and we went into Minnesota and I picked up one of the Disney blind boxes, which was like a keyring thing there. And I got like the worst one. And then I spent like 15, 16 quid on this thing and I didn't get the one that I wanted. So I just think it's a waste of time.

Ash: Mm. Mm.

Holly: I'm- it doesn't make me think, I'll go and buy another one. I think, well, I bought one, I didn't get the one I want, so... But that's just

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: me. I know if you're... Yeah, I mean, you didn't... I had to tell you about the blind... No, you're not into it.

Ash: No, I don't really do yeah, I don't really yeah, care about to be honest with you.

Holly: But it is a big craze at the moment amongst Disney fans and everybody.

Ash: Right, okay.

Holly: It is a bit of a craze at the moment, but it's not my cup of tea.

Ash: I my my craze was pins and even then I've kind of calmed down on pins now. I've been a bit more selective with them. So

Holly: Well, the pins, I can tell you, the pins on the most recent trip was...

Ash: No, not good.

Holly: I could not find a single pin I wanted to buy.

Ash: dear. Yeah, that's disappointing. But yeah.

Holly: I didn't buy anything.

Ash: Yeah, I usually find better pins when I go to the States.

Holly: Obviously.

Ash: Yeah, I mean, that's the whole merchandise in general, isn't it?

Holly: Yep.

Ash: anything else on that?

Holly: on Disney wonders.

Ash: Yeah. That's it, really.

Holly: yeah, I mean, I have to say like the facade looks sleek. I quite like all the new bits and pieces outside the shop. do you want to talk a bit about the news coming out of the village? It's nothing, no one...

Ash: what? Then the thing the thing I mean no. 'Cause

Holly: Rainforest Cafe's clothing.

Ash: yeah, Raycoast it's nothing that we don't already know, so I don't know what to say really that is that we haven't mentioned before. They had an event, they invited people to this

Holly: Yeah, pointless.

Ash: event, they did an embargo on the news just f for the news to be by the way, it's what you already know which was just the most pointless waste of time. And

Holly: Yeah. And the new restaurant, the new restaurant that we've been building for

Ash: No.

Holly: years and years and it's going to open early next year. We're not going to give you an exact date. I genuinely sometimes believe that these events...

Ash: Yeah. I thought it was gonna be I thought that I thought that was actually gonna o open by the end of this year, but it's not now. It's

Holly: I might have got that wrong. I genuinely don't really care enough about it to pay much attention.

Ash: Yeah. I think that is still open in the end of ne this year, but

Holly: yet end of this, but it could be potentially be end of this year. Also, did you see

Ash: Yeah, that's right. And yeah.

Holly: the Annette's concept art? It looks

Ash: Yeah, I did.

Holly: exactly the same. looks exactly

Ash: yeah.

Holly: it's just like here's the restaurant you know and love but we've we've we've drawn it in a 1950s style to make it look like

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: in something different i it is honestly my belief that sometimes these events are held purely for the people that they invite because what it does for the community is nothing it's just a stroke the people that they invite see you go

Ash: Yeah, it's a bit weird. I I although I am looking forward to I am looking forward to Annette's. I think a lot of people are. I'm a big yeah, yeah. I'm a big, you know, fifties,

Holly: yes, I might, but we didn't get any information about that. We just got a picture.

Ash: sixties fan, as you can see, but it was just very, very weird. Very, very weird. Exactly. A hundred percent. It's

Holly: I love, I love it. It's a family fave in this house. But

Ash: just very weird that the news was everything that we already know. I don't know, I just don't know.

Holly: I don't understand why they had a social media embargo. Let's be real. I think that was the most hilarious part of it for me.

Ash: They could have just l Yeah, that was fun that was so extra for the sake of it and I just don't know why. And they could have just

Holly: you know, 15 inside ears have been invited and there's a social media embark. We did, we learned nothing. You gave the community nothing. What you did was stroke the ego to the 15 people

Ash: Ha ha

Holly: that you took around the shops. Tell me I'm wrong. Am I being a jerk?

Ash: No, no, there was obviously I we didn't know anything new. Yeah, yeah.

Holly: But Rainforest Cafe's closed at the end of the year. Like, hello? If you listen through our back catalogue, Jeff told us that back in May.

Ash: Do you think do you think and I don't know, I don't I can't say this is an excuse for them, but do you think a part of why we're disappointed with DLP and their news is because social media has ruined it. Because

Holly: a little bit potentially.

Ash: insiders are going and going, look, we've heard some inside news, we've some leaked news, some anonymous sources that Rainforest Cafe, for example, is closing down. Now Disney haven't never said that. They never confirmed it. And so we're going by these inside sources. And so when Disney finally announced it, we're like, yeah, well we already knew that. Why didn't you tell us anything? And we're like, well and Disney like, well, that's for you to believe them or not, but we didn't announce it.

Holly: Maybe but then Disney are terrible at giving anyone any kind of... Disney and Paris are renowned for being dreadful with giving the general public

Ash: Communication, yeah.

Holly: any kind of information or anything until the 11th hour anyway. it

Ash: Yeah. Yeah.

Holly: was... Rainforest Cafe has been closing around the world. It's not a Disney owned restaurant. It's not a Disney owned restaurant. They've all been slowly being phased out. Like that's one of the last ones other than the ones in the States, I think that are on Disney property and that crazy one that has a water ride in it in like Ohio, wherever.

Ash: I think that's still

Holly: Yeah, the one in Disney Springs and... Well, that's it, isn't it?

Ash: Yeah, I think so. I think so. I'm tryna I can't remember going

Holly: I just, it was, it was given.

Ash: down downtown Disney and seeing it. So yeah, I think it's just in Disney Springs now.

Holly: I don't have one in downtown Disney. That's not a downtown Disney vibe.

Ash: No. Definitely not.

Holly: It didn't make the car.

Ash: So yeah. downtown Disney's actually quite bougie now, so there's there's definitely nowhere there's going to be Gordon Ramsey, ding Ty Fung.

Holly: It very- it honestly... I don't want to tell you how much I paid for a hot honey pizza.

Ash: Bloody hell Yeah.

Holly: It's the upper crust there now. And I do feel like while we're still on the subject of the village, like I do feel like the vision for the village going forward is very much similar to that of downtown Disney in Anaheim. Eventually,

Ash: Downtown Disney. Yeah. They are making it like that, yeah. They are making it like that.

Holly: think that, I mean, but even still, downtown Disney is still work in progress. They've been rebuilding Earl of Sandwich for this is like the second year. still haven't opened it.

Ash: But at least at downtown Disney there's still variety. There's Din Tai Feng, Taiw Taiwanese. And then

Holly: There is variety. Yeah. Yeah.

Ash: there's Gordon Ramsay's thing. Do you know what I mean? And th there's there's a variety in cuisine. Yeah. But there's a variety in cuisine

Holly: And the Star Wars shot, which looks like something out of Star Wars just plonked in the middle of downtown Disney, it's completely themed outside and inside.

Ash: There's variety in cuisine

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: but there's also significance in what they in what in what is being offered. Where

Holly: That's true.

Ash: I don't see any cons significance in Casa Julia or Vappianos or Five Guys Nor do I see there a variety in it because it's all the same American or French or Italian. So there just needs to be better.

Holly: Yeah, American Italian. We do need an Asian style restaurant, I feel, in the village.

Ash: Yeah, we do. We do.

Holly: And like, I don't want to be completely negative. Like I feel like the reimagining of the sports bar has been a success and the menu. Yeah,

Ash: Yeah, that's good. That's good.

Holly: do know what It's not all doom and gloom. Let's be real. Like

Ash: Yeah, that's good.

Holly: there are some things in the village that I actually, that I think I really like. I really like the new sports bar. All I'm going to say is they better not touch world of Disney.

Ash: Nah, yeah, I don't think they will. I don't think they will. It's it's a very hallmark

Holly: No, but you just don't know, do you?

Ash: it's a very hallmark thing, isn't it, when you come at the station you see it. Yeah.

Holly: I can remember that opening and it being like wow.

Ash: Yeah. Yeah. I wonder I still I still they could have given us what they're gonna do with what's it now? I've completely forgot the name. not Billy Bobs.

Holly: I don't know what you're trying to reference to.

Ash: where they watched the the the horses and you got the meals. What's it called? And they closed it down.

Holly: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Ash: Buffalo Bills, there we are. Couldn't get out of my head. Yeah. Buffalo Bills. they could have given a sneak peek on what they're gonna do with that if they Do you know what I mean? But they probably don't know.

Holly: They probably don't know yet. They don't know yet.

Ash: But again, I think it's go go back to my point. Maybe we should manage our expectations on what they're gonna announce because really we're going by we're taking what is leaked as gospel.

Holly: Mm.

Ash: but also maybe Disney could be a bit better in giving more than what we expect. 'Cause they should know what's leaked.

Holly: But don't forget, it's not leaked per se because like, just get comp- these people are like voices of Disney.

Ash: Yeah, to an extent.

Holly: to an extent, like they're their official spokesperson. like, yeah, I don't know. But like, yeah, I just thought that that whole, preview day, preview day was just like complete waste time for

Ash: Yeah, it was a bit of a fuss.

Holly: everybody other than the 15 people that they invited to go and walk around with a hard hat on. Just my five cents.

Ash: Next she's gonna get foodie we've got quite a few other things. Castle walls are still not down. Dad from Carlisle is gonna be miffed when he comes in next week and sees it still up.

Holly: It's gonna be up till October now. No official, I don't think of an official date's been given, but I did look at it two weeks ago and think, that's not ready to come down yet.

Ash: No. That is so still there. Still there. but it should be

Holly: it's still there don't pay for premier viewing spaces for tales of magic while the walls are up because you'll be very very close to them that is my advice

Ash: When they said Octo when it says October, was there a there's no date, but is there early October, mid October, late October? You're

Holly: I can't remember now.

Ash: right.

Holly: We're not very good news sources for this kind of thing. I just remember thinking like, I'm sure the castle walls are meant to come down.

Ash: Yeah, we just forget we just like to show our opinion. We don't actually want to Yeah. Don't come here for facts, just come here for opinions 'cause we're not news Yeah, we're just coming.

Holly: Just coming from a banner, yeah. Vibes.

Ash: New A P night called Disney Christmas Wishes has been announced that will take place on the twentieth of November, of course. Christmas themed. It's in the name. thoughts, knowing how an AP night is, think it will be good.

Holly: don't know whether I want to answer this question or not.

Ash: Dear. Okay. Well you're cr you won't be going, no. But you you are going during Christmas, but you're not you're you're not

Holly: I won't be going. I won't be going. I'm going literally 10 days later. I'll get on to why I wouldn't be going when I talk about the AP party. But

Ash: Okay. Okay.

Holly: yeah, I'm not. Yeah, next like is. Although what I would say is that they've given a lot more information. about what to expect from the party than they did for the one that I went to in September ahead of time as well.

Ash: Yeah. Okay, that's a good sign. Maybe because it's just a repeat of what happened before while this one's a new one. Right? This one is a new one. They haven't done this one before.

Holly: No, they have one, they do have one at Christmas most years. Yeah.

Ash: Do they? Okay. yeah, I don't know. But yeah, if you wanna get that news then is it just joining those groups in Instagram or is there other th places to find the news?

Holly: You can join the Disneyland Pass Instagram channel. They'll pop all the information for that in there. So be on their social. And yeah, just follow them on Instagram. They generally have, they post about any upcoming annual pass, things like the pop-up surprises.

Ash: Right, yeah, yeah, of course.

Holly: Which by the way, I had one booked for... the day of the annual pass party and I can't.

Ash: meeting a meeting a a character.

Holly: Well, I didn't know what it was gonna be and got the reservation and then saw it was just like Chip and Dale dressed as DJs from the music festival and thought, I'm not that bothered actually.

Ash: Mate, Chip and Dale as Darth Punk is pretty cool. Darth Punk Chip and Dale.

Holly: You can do- I'm not a character person!

Ash: Sign me up.

Holly: I'm too awkward.

Ash: yeah. Next and last news agenda that we've got is Bob Chapet's memoir. He's been doing around rallying up the media for his new Memoir, that's right. former Osted CEO Bob Chapeck has a new book coming out called Behind the Castle Walls where in his memoir he is memoir, memoir, how how did you pronounce that?

Holly: même moi.

Ash: Memoir. He stands by his price increases and other strategies that were unpopular with the Disney fandom. and he even goes as far as to say that Bob Iger you know had an ego trip and he says quote there was an intentional and preconceived role in abruptly ending his ride as Disney CEO In fact the memoir goes as far as to defend his decision on on his opinion on return of Jafar saying actually it was very good So basically all this memoir is, is saying, yes, every hill is worth dying on.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: believe me took the time out of all the things that have happened to go no no no put that in. I I I wanna set the record straight. Return of Jafar was good actually. When it was infamously bad. hilarious. Absolutely.

Holly: My, my, thing that shocked me the most was the quote of him saying like, basically he's taking credit for Josh becoming the next CEO when I'm pretty sure there's the story goes, Josh and a bunch of other people higher up were like, basically saying if he doesn't go, we're quitting. Yeah. And there was some pretty, there's some,

Ash: Almost gotta quit. Almost gotta quit, Josh was yeah, apparently.

Holly: I didn't, I'm not going to buy the book if I'm being real with you. Just seeing the quotes from like the preview, because I think it's on pre-order, is funny enough for me to know that

Ash: Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

Holly: I don't want to read it. It's just rage bait for me.

Ash: I mean I don't think the public and and I say the public, the Disney fandom generally, specifically I'm speaking to, are ready for the amount of delusion that is gonna come from this book. But it will be pretty heroes.

Holly: Yeah, because there is a lot of it by the looks just from the just from the previews. There's like so much. Yeah.

Ash: Yeah. I do I do I do admire him though to leave Disney and

Holly: For what?

Ash: still well here I'm telling you, to leave Disney and still have his head firmly stuck in fantasyland

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: because this book literally is all just that. It's complete fantasy. it's a joke. But I'm tempted to get the book because if anyone

Holly: Yay.

Ash: Yeah, if anyone, you know, the Disney historians will know you know, Disney War, which was a great, great book. all about the ascent of Michael Eisenhower and how it came crashing down. Such a good,

Holly: Mm-hmm.

Ash: good book. and this kinda seems like part two, but it do you know what I mean? It it it kinda seems like a sequel of that of because it ends with Bob Iger. taken over on Disney Wall. So this is kinda like, okay, and what happened when Bob Iger you know left and Bob Chapeck. Now of course it's not going to be as objective as Disneylor because it'll be it's it's Bob Chaypeck just basically standing by his guns and just trying shit. but you know it's it's definitely gonna be juicy. So

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: I'm tempted I am tempted to to read the juice or the Kool Aid, so to speak, of what he's sipping. yeah.

Holly: Maybe he should have called the book Return of Jafar.

Ash: Yeah, should have. It would probably been I don't know, would it be more successful

Holly: More apt.

Ash: than the actual movie? Who knows?

Holly: Probably.

Ash: But yeah. He's yeah, it's it's pretty funny. Pretty funny.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: W N W D W World Disney World News Today,

Holly: Walt Disney World News Today, Tom.

Ash: Tom has a great

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: has a has a great review on it. it's quite funny. So yeah. there we are. There we are for the news. Quite packed one. this month.

Holly: It is. But also it's been a while since we filmed an episode, so...

Ash: Is it? I mean it's usually a month. We'll do it about once a month. It's

Holly: It's a little over a month this time. Yeah.

Ash: been a lot that's happening now, isn't it?

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: in the world of Disney, so to speak. But main topic discussion that we're all looking forward to. Get the news out of the way. This is the main course. The entree, as the Americans call it, is Holly's Annual Pass Trip Report. Course, as you may know from following our socials, Holly went to the Pirates and Princess annual pass party and has quite a few words to say regarding her experiences, so I give you the floor, Holly.

Holly: Well, I think it's funny that you started that with, as you know from our social media, when like I posted a story and then didn't update it for the rest of the night and you-

Ash: By the way, people, for the rest of the night we're gonna be I'm gonna be the roving reporter of the annual pass to show you and then I was just going through for the re I go, must must be my I was like that for

Holly: No, no, in-

Ash: like the whole must be my wifi, then I can't see anything that's that's happening. But I'm getting other updates, I don't know what's so something must have happened.

Holly: And then I didn't, I literally was like, hey, I'm at the annual pass party. I'll be posting, say hi if you're here. And then at the next, that was it. And then the next day I had two messages, one from Ash and one from my sister being like, well, what happened?

Ash: Yeah. gosh. But I I take it it was because you had such a great time that you just

Holly: Ugh.

Ash: forgot to to to add to the to the story, no? Is is that what you're gonna say?

Holly: Now listen, I want to premise this. Like I know there's probably some people who listen to our podcasts and think I say things just to be shocking or to be negative, but I honestly promise you that's not my intention. Like I'm just giving you my, my honest thoughts about this stuff because I think one, it costs a lot of money to be an annual pass holder. And this event wasn't included in your annual pass. you had to pay for it 65 euros per ticket I paid for this and you know I just think Disney set an expectation and I didn't I went into it not knowing anything about an annual pass party yeah I've seen people post pictures of them in like fancy dress outfits before but I've never really heard anyone speak about it so I went in with like an open mind and genuinely I was really excited to go to the point where I paid to stay on site with an AP for this party.

Ash: I'm site. With an annual pass. There we are. That is that is dedication.

Holly: I stayed on site. And it cost a lot of money to stay on site. I don't really know where to start. How should I start?

Ash: so rundown on what happened.

Holly: Okay, I'm gonna probably break it up into like three separate things like getting your ticket, what happened at the party.

Ash: What happened afterwards?

Holly: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So day of the party rolls around, I arrived the day before. I'm gonna talk a little bit about the organization. So I'd bought the ticket online weeks before the party. And if it wasn't for the people that I was sort of with in the park, I wouldn't have known what to do. So a few people was like, yeah, you've got a queue up and get your wristband. They normally open the wristband queue at like 12 o'clock. So at that day, I'd maybe got into the park around 11 and there was already a queue forming. I figured I'll just, I'll just join the queue. Like, I've got nothing else to do. Like I'll just join the queue and be like, I was literally like one of the first. few people to collect my wristband. and everyone was like, yeah, the other queue opens at 12. These people saying this must all be like seasoned annual pass holders that go to APs all the time, because there was literally zero information on the broadcast channel or like email,

Ash: Like anywhere, yeah.

Holly: anything like I didn't get any kind of information of where to go on the day there was like sign. It was my first time.

Ash: So if it was your first time Well it was your first time technically so

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: if if it wasn't for them you wouldn't have known, like at all. There weren't any cast members around. Yeah.

Holly: I wouldn't have known where to go, to do. There was a big sign in Fantasia Gardens, like, your wristband here. And there was like a group forming. I was like, I'll go here. So

Ash: What yeah, how you d yeah, yeah.

Holly: we wait around an hour. So it gets to 12 o'clock. And at this point, nothing's happening. I can see the front of like where the ticket booth sign, there's nothing happening. And I look behind me and now the queue has gone. all the way through Fantasia Gardens up in towards the village. Right? A group of cast members have come out and we can see that they're sort of dragging a table around, putting some shopping bags on it, moving it back and forth. That went on for nearly 40 minutes before they let us in to collect our wristbands and I thought it would be like a real... like, we need to look at your ticket, check your pass against your ticket. Because I actually had two tickets for the annual pass party. I had one for Ash, but he couldn't make it through no fault of his own. Last minute, I rung Disneyland Paris and asked them, can I please change the name on the ticket to give it to another person? And they were like, I mean, the guy who I spoke to on the phone, he did like put me on hold to check multiple times. He was like, madam, it is not possible. So I was like, fine, fair enough. And on the day there was a lot of people waiting, like whilst we were in this queue, we're holding up signs

Ash: Ha ha

Holly: like, has anyone got a spare ticket? And I'm thinking, well, I can't give them your ticket because they're gonna check it and stuff. When I go to get my wristband, they just like literally just showed it on your phone and then gave you the wristband and that's it on

Ash: Okay.

Holly: your way. So I actually could have, it wasn't the money that I cared about. was like, there's people that want tickets and can't get them. And also I waited almost an hour to pick up that wristband. So by the time I'd got my wristband, bear in mind I was one near the front, it was about one o'clock or just gone one o'clock. So I'd actually wasted, not wasted, but like I'd waited on nearly a good chunk of the morning of my time in Disneyland Paris, just waiting to get a paper wristband. Now, before I get onto the goody bag, I want to talk about accessibility. And I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I obviously as an AP holder who doesn't have a priority card was able to buy my ticket online and collect my wristband on the day. That is not an option. If you are a priority card holder, you have to turn up on the day and buy your ticket on the day and get your wristband there. there is a serious problem with all that.

Ash: Hmm. That's yeah. What?

Holly: Yeah, so there was disabled people waiting in queues for hours to buy a ticket to this annual pass party. Again, a queue that went

Ash: But the whole that's just

Holly: all the way through Fantasia Gardens and... I have a

Ash: Crazy.

Holly: daughter who's disabled who cannot wait in a queue. That's why she has a priority card. Why

Ash: Yeah, that's the whole point of a priority card.

Holly: are we then expecting our guests with accessibility issues to stand in the blazing sun for hours on end, just so they can have access to the same party that I was able to buy from the comfort of my own home online. At Disneyland Paris, I know that they probably don't listen to this podcast. But that needs to change because it is, I don't think it's acceptable. Full stop.

Ash: That isn't acceptable. That's not acceptable at all. And I don't understand the reasons for it. Is

Holly: Nope.

Ash: it because they need to see evidence that the person's disabled? But if you've got an annual pass, then you should have it is can

Holly: But if you've got an annual pass, it's connected to your annual pass.

Ash: yeah, exactly. So I don't

Holly: So.

Ash: get it. I really don't get it.

Holly: and all that, they have to go through this whole different...

Ash: Even if you don't have an annual pass, you can still apply for accessible pass by showing documents on the website, right?

Holly: Yeah, so yeah, so if you if you're not the AP holder and you're coming as a plus one and you have a priority card there's surely got to be a different way that that that means that people aren't waiting I mean imagine if it was pouring with rain or it was freezing cold like the next one's coming up 20th November we just spoke about in the news What if that day it's blistering cold and it's pouring with rain and you're expecting people in wheelchairs and with, you know, all matter of health problems to stand for hours in Fantasia Gardens to have access. Accessibility is about having an even playing field. We spoke about this in our media episode. That is not an even playing field. That's unfair. That's unfair. They should be able to buy the ticket online, bring evidence wherever on the day. I'll be honest, going... The whole theme of my experience at the AP, I felt was really badly organized. But this is like a regular thing, like it's how they've always done it, that disabled guests have to buy their ticket on the day. And why are we just accepting that? I don't think, I just don't

Ash: Yeah. Yeah.

Holly: think it's right. Like I always praised Disneyland Paris for how good their priority card is and what that does for people with accessibility. But that really shocked me. I'm not gonna lie. And that queue

Ash: So

Holly: did not get smaller. It was long AF all day until I went into the park about 6.30 because that's when I could enter for the early bird for the party. That queue was still all the way back to the village. To me, that's just so unfair and just not acceptable whatsoever. like a real person perspective, one of the friends that I was with was buying a ticket on the day. Luckily, She got in line when I got in line, so she was one of the first through. But they had one ticket sales booth open, and we were laughing about it at the time because it just seemed so ridiculous. There was a couple that was in front of her. There was only one couple in front of her. That one couple, to get them both their wristbands and their tickets, it took about half an hour. So I was stood outside the same train station for half an hour waiting for my friend who had got in line the same time as me and was again the second person in the queue. because they had one ticket booth open.

Ash: Yeah, that is crazy. Absolutely crazy.

Holly: It is crazy. Do you want to see what I've got in the goodie bag?

Ash: Yeah. What did you get in the goodie bag? 'Cause that's what

Holly: So again.

Ash: everyone got right when they entered, they got a goodie bag.

Holly: So when you go to an annual pass party, you get a goodie bag. Just gonna light reminder, it cost me 65 euros for my ticket to go to this party.

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: So we just got one of the reusable shopper bags that you can buy when you're buying merchandise in the park.

Ash: Ooh, okay. Nice poster there.

Holly: It's a paper poster.

Ash: What else?

Holly: That's it.

Ash: You what? I thought you said you got a goodie bag.

Holly: That's what was in the goodie bag, mate.

Ash: What? In the goodie bag is goodies. So you got a poster, fine. What else did you get? Yeah.

Holly: I did get one other thing. I got one other thing. It was a magnet that didn't stick to anything. That was also the same print, just like a little one. Skin ticket

Ash: That is insane.

Holly: was 65 euros. What am I gonna do with this? Am I gonna put it up on the wall? No. So that was a massive

Ash: That is crazy. Wow.

Holly: disappointment to me. I'm not expecting like crazy things, but they've used the printer.

Ash: Yeah, yeah. Okay.

Holly: It just felt like a bit of an insult. Didn't let it dampen my spirits. So

Ash: No?

Holly: I'm going to have a quick run through of what the annual pass party offered for those who don't know, just like a quick overview. So at the annual pass party, You've got a selection of shows to choose from, quite a lot of characters like limited edition, what do call them, limited edition, rare? What would you call them Ash?

Ash: What rare meat yeah, yeah, the characters aren't they? Yeah. That's fair.

Holly: rare characters. I'll just read a couple of them off. So there was Gus Gus and Perla, Peter Pan and Wendy, Genie,

Ash: Mm-hmm. Well. Yeah, not real are they?

Holly: Mushu, Raya, Po-Kontas, Miko,

Ash: Okay, that's good.

Holly: Rapunzel and Finn, Anastasia Drizella, Mickey or Goofy. And then Kida and Milo, Vanellope, Asher, Boba Fett and Rey. Because that's what I think of when I think of pirates and princesses. I always think of Boba Fett and Rey.

Ash: Right. They just thought look, we need we need representation from all angles of Disney. Someone get someone from Pittsark,

Holly: mean, technically.

Ash: get get Star Wars, get animation, just get them all and just put in there.

Holly: Again, if I want to be nitpicky, we should have had Leia because she's technically a princess.

Ash: Hmm. Funny. Okay. so you so you saw those? Did

Holly: Okay, so that was the selection of... No.

Ash: you did you you didn't see them, no? Okay.

Holly: The queues, I don't, if you're a character person, the annual pass parties, I think, would be geared more towards someone who really just like characters, but you're gonna spend the entire evening in a line.

Ash: Yeah. Which is yeah.

Holly: Yeah, what else can I say? So I did see a couple of the shows, but what I wasn't expecting was the sponsorships. So there was a couple of

Ash: Okay.

Holly: sponsors around the party, which to be honest, I don't mind. I don't mind that. I went to a show in the Videopolis theater. not Videopolis Theatre, in the Discoveryland Theatre, so where they do Philharmagic. And it was a Disney Cruise Line show. All the shows are completely in French, which I'm not complaining, it's Disneyland Paris, but it would be nice to have the option of seeing...

Ash: Don't they like mix it up a lot like boo boo boo they'll say in French, I'll be like, Yeah, that's right, McKee the you are gonna Do you know what I mean? And they like translate it basically in English. They didn't do any of that, no? Okay. Interesting.

Holly: 100 % French. And when I brought that up to a group that I was talking to afterwards, they were like, yeah, all the shows are in French, which is like, it's not a problem. I just would have maybe liked to have known that going in,

Ash: Fine. Yeah.

Holly: but the show was kind of interesting because it was like, I couldn't understand, it was like hosted by a woman and a man dressed in sort of like captain, cruise captain clothes. And then it was like, we were then singing a song, like a sing-along with the lyrics on the screen from the Disney Cruise, which I found really weird because I had just come off a Disney Cruise like two weeks before.

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: And then they were like, now we're going to bring Mickey and Minnie out in their Disney Cruise outfits. And then it became like a free for all selfie spot. So like they were on the stage and then everyone's like at the front of the stage trying to, you know, like COVID times where like, you're to take, yeah. So Mickey and Minnie are on the stage and I'm there like, do you like,

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. well they'll be there, but you there was a barrier, so you had to take a s yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Holly: okay, I'll take a picture. So it was like, am I saying the entertainment was bad? No, I'm not saying it was bad. I just felt like I was not the target audience for that show, which is really, if I was there with my daughter, who's like four and a half, I think, Yeah, fine. But this is an after hours party. There was another show which was very, very similar in the Frontierland Sagem, where they were handing out like the Disney Cruise Line pirate bandanas. And people were going nuts for them. And I was just like, someone said to me, do you want to come and see the show and get a pirate bandana? And I was like, no, not really. Because I went on a cruise two weeks ago and I bought the bandanas at home. But also, people were getting so worked up about these bandanas thinking, why couldn't they have just put it in the goody bag?

Ash: Yeah. That's I don't what

Holly: Why couldn't they have just put it in the goody bag?

Ash: I don't know. What do the bandanas look like? Pi pirate bandanas. It's just

Holly: They're like red band. So when you're on the Disney cruise on your cruise,

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: normally the middle of the, the, of the holiday, your pirate night and housekeeping on that day will leave you for however many in your party, they'll leave you red bandanas and they're just like red bandanas with like Mickey is like different patterns is like Mickey and the gang with pirates on the exact same ones I had at the annual pass party. And it was at this point that I noticed that actually AP is called Pirates and Princesses, just FYI, I was a princess, that's what I went as, but there was very little princess representation. So let me just read you the

Ash: Just pirates.

Holly: it literally was. keep losing this thing.

Ash: Stop this princess erasure DLP.

Holly: Well, no, listen, it's not so much that like, I just thought it should have just been a pirate party. So the shows were Minnie and the Pirate Academy, Disney, a Crossroad Adventure. which was with Betty Rose and Jimmy Ocean. Don't know, it says meet Betty Rose and Jimmy Ocean in a revamped version of our popular show Pirates and Princesses, but I'm assuming that was from like a thing they did with DLP before. Then it was Pirate Celebration, Pirates Calvelcade. It was very pirate heavy basically. So one of the main

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Holly: sponsors was Disney Cruise Line. I didn't mind that too much. I was still in the vibe of coming off of a Disney Cruise, but it felt very shoehorned in.

Ash: Okay.

Holly: There was posters for Disney Cruise Line everywhere. So was like trying to subconsciously sell you a Disney Cruise, but there wasn't really any advertising of Disney Cruise so much. It just had Disney Cruise characters and all you can have a Disney Cruise.

Ash: Mm. Mm. Yeah. It just felt like, this seems yeah, this seems very parity, so let's just put it in as

Holly: Right and like as someone who just had paid to go on a Disney cruise and experienced it seeing people get like yeah I've got the Disney Cruise pictures the Disney Cruise characters I've got picked I've got a pirate headband on I'm thinking okay I just spent six thousand five hundred pounds to go on a Disney cruise and now it makes me feel like now that's slightly less exclusive because everybody in this annual pass party is getting to meet the same characters and get the same kind of not merch but like getting one of the things you can only get on a Disney cruise. I know it seems pathetic but that's kind of how I felt at the time. The other thing was there was a sponsor by Autopia trying to sell you hire cards. Avis?

Ash: Abis, yeah. Abus cards, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Holly: Avis, Avis, Avis. And it was like a whole thing like, you can come on down to Autopia and get a,

Ash: Mm-hmm.

Holly: like a driver's license. And I was like, okay, but is it different to like the normal like driver's license you can get at Autopia? And they were like, no. Okay, so why would I do that then? And I, in the end, did not bother going down there. But I don't know if anyone knows a friend of our channel, Hanny B spoke about it on her TikTok, but it was so poorly organized that someone asked her to do a survey for the AP party. And she said, based on her experience with Avis, Avis and the Autopia thing, she wouldn't hire a car from them.

Ash: wow. Damn.

Holly: Yeah, I'm trying to wrap my brain anything else. I saw the pirate show at the end of the night, which was all the pirates. Again, the main show at the end of the night. It was really good. Don't get me wrong. It was really good. But it was it was pirates. Pirate themed. And it again, again, the show was great. I caught it as I was leaving but like a few minutes, literally a few minutes before the show happened. Cast members were having like a back and forth about where they're going to bring the characters out and moving people and then telling them to go back and then moving people. You can see it in Nick and Claire's vlog. doing it. I experienced it further down Main Street. They were doing it in Central Plaza as well. And it just felt like by this point of the evening, it was half past one. And I hadn't really achieved that much, to be honest. I'd seen a couple of wandering performers, like pirates and princesses and stuff. I'd seen a show, I'd wandered about a bit. It just felt all really disorganized. Like, cast members weren't really sure where people were supposed to go. Like, at one point, we were outside Toad Hall and a princess performer came up to us and said, I've got a friend coming in this room in a minute to play the harp. I want some more princesses to come in with me. And we sort of said, okay. When's that then? went, 10 minutes, 15, 20 minutes passed, nothing was happening. So then we'd like... So we like ended up just wandering off and going to do something else.

Ash: That's a So funny.

Holly: Honestly, that part felt like a fever dream. She was all dressed up and she was like, and I

Ash: it's so funny. It's just such my gosh.

Holly: was like, I thought she was just another like person attending the party, but she was actually like a performer. And she was like chewing our ear off like,

Ash: Just completely forgot about you.

Holly: And then it was like, no, no, she was like, she was still lurking about, like talking to other people, but she took us into this side room in Toad Hall and was like, there's literally a golden harp in there. I'll send you the video. It's like, and then we were like, yeah, wow. I'm really awkward, guys. I'm

Ash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Holly: neurodivergent. I find that kind of thing really awkward when there's like a performer talking to me. I find fancy dress a bit awkward, to be honest. Like it took a lot for me to get into fancy dress. And then she was, and we were like, and then I felt bad. So it's like, right. She's invited us to this harp thing. better hang around. So I was with a group of people outside towed hall and the room was literally there. 20, 20 odd minutes have gone past and I'm thinking, nothing's happening. Yeah. Like

Ash: Yeah, what's happening? So funny.

Holly: I kind of left feeling like. without being too critical, I felt like it was disorganized and like, I just don't see the point of them.

Ash: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Holly: That's how I can sum it up.

Ash: Yeah. You wouldn't you

Holly: I... I...

Ash: wouldn't you wouldn't recogni you wouldn't recognize it. You wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Holly: No, like I just think I felt like I was ripped off, honestly.

Ash: Yeah. It feels like you were paying for the privilege of staying there till like midnight rather than you was getting something exclusives. No.

Holly: Well it was on till 2.30pm. I didn't make it till 2.30pm because as well a lot of like the restaurants and stuff were closing at like midnight. I did try some of the limited edition snacks for the party.

Ash: Food. Yeah.

Holly: I had a mocktail. It was essentially like cranberry juice. It was fine. I think it cost me like 8 euros and I had some macarons which again They were tiny little macarons with like some pictures on them. If that excites you fine, but I'm like, I'm not trying to be like a negative Nellie, but I just think I paid 65 euros to go to this event. I got given a paper poster. All the shows are in French. It's massively disorganized. Like cast members don't know what's going on. Like everything, and I literally spent like most of the night. standing around?

Ash: Mm.

Holly: And I just think, okay, what do you get for that 65 euros? Are there shows you can see? Yes. As long as you know that they are going to be pretty much all in French. Are there limited edition characters, rare characters? Yes. But you're going to wait a long time for them. Is there different nighttime shows? Yes. But they're on really late. So they're on the first one was I think like half 11. The next one was on at like half 12, half one. can't remember what one it was on, what time it was on. And yeah, there is ride availability, but they're all like pretty much walk on. And I'm just like. Is it value for money? In my opinion, no. Would I go to another one? Absolutely not. Like things would have to change considerably for me to consider to go to another one.

Ash: Wow. That's really Yeah, 'cause I was originally supposed to go.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: well, originally look back, I was like, I'm not bothered. Pirates and princesses, like I don't weren't really

Holly: Yeah, you weren't bothered from the get-go, but I was!

Ash: wasn't really bothered. You was. You said you're gonna go and I'm like, mm, okay. And it was only literally only for the fact that you was going and I thought, well, okay, maybe I should go. Maybe let's make it an arcades and avenues thing first so, you know, we could go together and meet people and, you know, even if it's not as good as I'm anticipating, because we'll be together, we'll still have a good time. Fortunately, that didn't happen. I went to Seville anniversary trip, which was nice, but it then quickly Turned sour because our flight got cancelled and we couldn't make it for back home until like two, three days later on and have to pay expenses and other things that I had to pay for, which means that I couldn't then pay to get to DLP. But the fact that I don't know, I still I'm still sad that I couldn't go but in a sense it ha in a sad way, it has kind of basically proven my point and that some of these things that Disney Lampiris do extra are just not worth the the effort or hassle, man. Because it's a bit it's a bit of a

Holly: No, that's that's how honestly I felt a bit duped and I know that like other people

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: have like said like yeah like I just don't like like Nick and Claire I'm sure some of you know Nick and Claire they're quite honest and open about the fact that they just don't like them and I get it right I get it and I just think

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: yeah and and a lot of people are like yeah but you get to hang out with people from the community in the park after hours and I'm like yeah but Like you can do that in the park anytime and you're not paying 65 euros for it. Like I just think they're priced way too high. I'd be happy to pay 40 euros max for that. And even that's a stretch, I think. Do you know what I mean? I think it was a little, and

Ash: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Holly: then for me to get there, you're a star, pay to stay on the site. And I feel like

Ash: Yeah, it's a lot. It is a lot.

Holly: it's made me really... Look, like being an annual pass holder is meant to feel exclusive and it used to. It used to feel exclusive, but it's made me sort of sit and have a real look at like how much money I'm spending at Disney and if it's really worth it. And I have to come to the conclusion that I'm not renewing my annual pass next year. And I will not renew my annual pass until I have a reason. Like they've not given us anything in terms of the 35th anniversary. So I know it, we know we're not getting a new parade because the new parade is not coming until 2027. So like, I'm just like, why would I renew my annual pass for like more of the same next year? I'm just,

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: we had frozen this year. That was great. And the expansion, I'm not saying I'm not going to visit Disneyland Paris this year, but I just think, I'm

Ash: No, you gotta be going again. Yeah.

Holly: just saying, I feel like having an annual pass is like having, is like being part of a humiliation ritual.

Ash: Yeah, yeah.

Holly: Being an annual pass holder is like a humiliation ritual because it's like you give

Ash: It's like yeah.

Holly: them all this money and you literally, I'm not asking for much, would it have killed them to get like a little pin or something to put in that goody bag? Anything, you know, something that made you feel like as an annual pass holder, you've got something that no one else can get because you've attended this annual pass party. I've got a paper poster. Do you I mean? I'm not expecting the world, but I... When you look at Disneyland nights in Anaheim or Mickey and Minnie's Halloween party in Florida, things like that, I just would have killed them to hand out some sweets or just anything just to make

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: it feel a little bit more fun and a little bit more exclusive. It didn't feel that way.

Ash: And even then at Disneyland Resort because their A P nights are only they're like after hour nights, so only like four hours. So

Holly: Mm.

Ash: there's the big com and it used to be like that at Disneyland Paris where the big complaint is, well, you don't really have enough time to do anything 'cause four hours you're either waiting in line to meet characters all the time or

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: you're trying to go to all these shows but all these shows you're not gonna see all these shows within four hours.

Holly: Yeah, that's another one of the other things I forgot to say, you're never going to see and do everything because a lot of the time things conflict with each other. So like I went to the one in Discoveryland theatre, I

Ash: Yeah. You're gonna have to sacrifice something.

Holly: mean, I couldn't go to the one in Frontierland theatre. So like, you know, you're going to have to pick and choose.

Ash: Yeah. But I would have thought that that I would have thought that they would have eliminated a bit of that, because they increased the hours to two thirty. But

Holly: Mm.

Ash: it's still badly organized if you're giving more people hours in the park and it's not four hours now, it's five, six and a half hours. but you're still making things conflict with each other so that people still don't have a chance to see everything. It's a bit weird.

Holly: Another thing I forgot to say actually, Ash, another feeling of the disorganisation was because we were allowed into the park from 6.30, once Tales of Magic had finished, we were being stopped every 30 seconds. And I mean, every 30 seconds, we were walking from Discoveryland to Adventureland. We had to keep showing our wristbands. We had to keep showing our

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: wristbands. every like five steps show me your wristband and and like I get it right the cast members need to determine which people just have day tickets and wish people and which people and your pass holders but like I saw a literal woman screaming in a cast member's face because he was asking her to leave because she didn't have a wristband and then everyone was being stopped and held up and it was like you know and I'm just thinking there's got to be an easier way of like, yeah, yeah, it was just like,

Ash: Yeah, putting that's putting a difficult position in cast members really, isn't it?

Holly: honestly, I was walking, I remember just walking from Central Hub to Adventureland and I was stopped at least 12 times to show my wristband, which fine, I'm happy to do. I've got my wristband, I paid for my ticket, but like, it's a hassle for the poor cast members who are getting abuse, right, of people that is like, well, why are these people in here and we're not? And for us being stopped all the time, they've got to stop all these people and check everyone's wristbands all the time. And I just think it got to the point where it felt like, it felt like I was in an airport. I feel like I'm in a security checkpoint in an airport. I just want to go on and see what this annual part, the past party has to offer. But I'm being stopped to show my wristband every five steps I take.

Ash: Any highlights, were anything that were worth it there that you've known?

Holly: I feel bad saying no. Like, I got to meet some really nice people and some friends that I've been chatting to through social media. That was definitely a highlight. But in terms of what the annual pass party offered... Yeah.

Ash: No, what they provided, yeah, what they provided. Nothing.

Holly: I enjoyed the pirate show at the end of the night. It didn't make up for the fact I spent 65 euros. Like it just felt like, it felt like I've been conned, honestly. And maybe I expected too much. Maybe I did, but they don't really, they didn't really give us much information beforehand. And like I said, like if I hadn't have found people who've done them before, to know where to get my wristband and like when people were saying to me, yeah, the shows are always in French. Like I didn't. know any of this and it's not told you're not told it beforehand so

Ash: You didn't know any of that. Hmm.

Holly: I would say save your coin and it's made me like yeah really reassess like at the moment I don't think being an annual pass holder is worth it for me another thing I found on this trip completely separate from the AP party I feel like they're getting really picking and choosing where you can use your annual pass discount now

Ash: Interesting. You would go to

Holly: Like I tried to buy

Ash: where? Where where have you been where have you been denied it?

Holly: I mean, I'm talking like I was buying some drinks in Main Street, like a couple of Cokes and went to tap my silver pass. They were like, no, pass here. It's 10 % off. It's 80 cents discount. Like it's getting a bit like. It seems hit and miss where they are letting you use your discount. And it's not

Ash: Or to question that.

Holly: like I'm getting a lot of money off. I'm getting like...

Ash: If it's a store, then they should. If it's a cart, then I can understand. But it's if it's a store, you're going in, then they should. How the question that. Does it it's happened to me sometimes where like, no no, there's no discount, I go speak to get your manager. And he goes, sorry,

Holly: I know you're bolder than I am.

Ash: I'm free. I'm I'm sorry, I'm I'm new, I didn't know it goes, Well if you're new, don't make shit up. Just ha just say I don't know. And get someone that does know. But don't waste my time telling me there's no discount when there is discount. yeah. So it's just a miscommunication thing, I suppose.

Holly: Yeah, maybe.

Ash: all right. Well, thank you for that. but for anyone that may disagree with Holly, let us know. give us your thoughts. No, mate,

Holly: Yeah, mean, sure, if you had a good time, I'm happy for you.

Ash: the annual pass is absolute amazing. It is the dog's bollocks, all of that. I want we want to hear it.

Holly: such good value for money.

Ash: Yeah. It was really well organized. If we didn't really wait that long. Everything the food

Holly: Yep. Down to the nail it was organised.

Ash: was pristine. Everything. If you've got those thoughts, we'd like to hear it from you. We're not gonna take the piss. We're just actually genuinely want to hear a different opinion. 'Cause it's it's it's good too. We don't wanna be in our own echo chamber, so to speak. all right. next topic we've got and this is a fun one. It's One year anniversary to Arcades and Avenues. Happy birthday.

Holly: Happy birthday

Ash: Yes, yes. There's yeah two people crazy about Disneyland Paris for why why not? Why why why why should we just hide out unfiltered opinions that nobody is asking for? Let's put on a podcast.

Holly: Yeah. Yeah.

Ash: And so here we are. and it's been a year and you know

Holly: I guess gone so, so quickly.

Ash: It has. It has. I can remember it. Just like yesterday when we met in Halloween

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: and we was sitting at the Disneyland Hotel trying to come up with ideas for reels. And we're like, I don't know, what do we do? Shall we do this? Aiden, film is doing something, I don't know, let's just put something else.

Holly: Yeah. Yeah, I'm getting my teenager to film us doing stuff.

Ash: And you know what? It's been a year but it's it's it's a it's it's it's it's been a great year. and there's been some quite good moments in it actually. so we're just picking out our favourite moments. I think one of them definitely for the top of our list is Ceppetto Week. I think

Holly: That's my favorite.

Ash: that is probably number one.

Holly: I still laugh about that now and I don't think anyone else actually finds it funnier than you and me which makes me love it more.

Ash: No, I I think it I think I think that's it. I think people are like, yeah, it was a silly joke that you speak.

Holly: Someone pixie dusted me in at the AP party and it was a JAPERO sticker and I was like...

Ash: Ha ha ha.

Holly: can't remember who it was. Someone gave me like a bunch of stickers like pixie dust and

Ash: god, I hit a

Holly: there was a Geppetto one on the top and I was like,

Ash: No way.

Holly: I think I texted it to you. I was like, someone's given me a Geppetto sticker.

Ash: That is crazy. That is hilarious. I hope you wore that with pride. Hole.

Holly: I don't know where it is. I feel like my four-year-old might have had it. I know. A shame. A shame.

Ash: No how dare you That's Jap. one one moment f your popular opinions?

Holly: Yeah, I mean, it wasn't really a moment. It was just, I think that was like my third ever TikTok I'd ever made. And it got like 800 or something comments on there of just people saying the most you think things that we say on this podcast is unhinged, go to that comment section. It was like, I couldn't believe it.

Ash: Yeah, it was until our last episode before this regarding the heat wave, our most watched YouTube episode.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: It it st it stood the test of time for a long time of us going through some of those unhinged comments

Holly: What the things.

Ash: that people were saying.

Holly: You

Ash: I can just remember Holly just going, What the hell is going on? What have I done? And it was just so

Holly: Like why, yeah, what have I done?

Ash: many I was like, What are you talking about? You d you're not getting people just to reply back to you and then I went onto the account and I was like, Wow, okay, crazy. So,

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: yeah, that was a big, big moment. But it was good because that in essence kind of put us on a map, can I say that? Is that is that too harsh? Is that too much? Put us on a map or we are on a map,

Holly: Yeah, we're not on the map, Ash.

Ash: no?

Holly: We're on the map because we put ourselves on the map. We have not gained social media. Social media... not social medium. Stardom.

Ash: I think I think we No, we haven't got social media installed, but I think we've got a cult following.

Holly: put us on the map? That's kind of saying the same thing.

Ash: I think cult following is is is kinda like do you know what I mean? Like cool I I I love films with c cult followings.

Holly: Listen, just I things like that don't yeah, I

Ash: You know.

Holly: I'm just happy people listen to the podcast honestly, because I tell

Ash: Yeah, that's true.

Holly: people I just like the numbers on social media do not mean anything to me. I'm just like I thought no one would ever listen to this podcast. And then last month, we had like something crazy like 2000 downloads. So thank you everyone who listens to the podcast and listens to our weird rants because Genuinely, 12 months ago, I genuinely thought no one would listen to this.

Ash: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That is that is crazy how we are climbing higher and higher in terms of travel in podcasts. and you know, people are listening to us and our rants.

Holly: Which is funny because we don't give any travel tips whatsoever. Yeah. Of a tourist destination.

Ash: No, we don't give travel tips. We give honest opinions and so maybe that is a okay, well you know what? Yeah, yeah. You know what, you've saved me money on that. But generally no, we don't really give any tips.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: so yeah, I thank you all for listening.

Holly: What else have we had?

Ash: I thought our outfits matching Main Street was good. In that's in

Holly: You wish.

Ash: fact that's probably one of my favourite reels that we've ever done 'cause it's very very different, very original.

Holly: Yeah but that was completely coincidental as well. People don't realise.

Ash: And it was it was.

Holly: It was until we were like, we were in DLP and we were

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: like just messing around, like just having fun and then I was like, wait a minute, you're kind of dressed like Waltz and

Ash: Yeah.

Holly: like the barber shop and Ash was like, you

Ash: Dunce.

Holly: look like Main Street Motors! Because I had a red jumper and leather pleather trousers on.

Ash: Yeah. It was so it was just such a coincidence. No, we did not folks. We we did not get our clothes f

Holly: Honestly, it was not planned. I know people are gonna think we're lying.

Ash: yeah, looking at Main Street builders go, yeah, let's make sure we will do that. No. It literally was coincidence.

Holly: Yeah, it was.

Ash: and so yeah, that was and that's probably why it's one of my favourite things, 'cause it's original and it was just on spur moment.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: which usually happens when we're at DLP. We ha we have a lot of you know, just peeling back the curtain on our process. We have a lot of ideas that we like to fall back on if we can't think of anything. But a lot of the time we do think of things. So when we go there, we're like, this has inspiring me to do this.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: so it's very much action gives inspiration rather than inspiration gives his action.

Holly: We need to go back and do it again. It's been too long.

Ash: It's true, it's true. We will we are looking at potential visits at the start of the year. So yes. We wanna do a lot more arcades and avenue trips 'cause yeah, it's pretty cool. It certainly won't be an annual pass hold on the more, so yeah.

Holly: You're to a new pass holder anymore.

Ash: I guess y you'll have to figure out what how you gonna get there. But yeah, we'll figure it out, I'm sure. Yeah, exactly.

Holly: I'll get there the same way I always do, I'll just have to buy a park.

Ash: but at least you won't be a mug.

Holly: Yeah, I'm probably still gonna give the mouse the same amount of money, just in separate increments.

Ash: Yeah, a lot of things happening but yeah, big moment for us as well is of course people just recognizing us and recommending us, you know, on stories and y you have these ten accounts to follow which we don't really do. but we are thankful that you are thinking of us.

Holly: I did message someone who did put us in one yesterday to say, please don't feel like I don't appreciate that you tag us in these, but I'm just too lazy to do it. Another 10 accounts.

Ash: Yeah, we And and we get in our heads on okay, which ten do we do? And but there's another ten that we know and there's another ten and then

Holly: Yeah, yeah.

Ash: by the end of it we're like, Well we're gonna have to do every follower that we know and we just get in our heads so we just don't do it at all. But we love you all, we appreciate you all, and we thank you all for listening to us, following us, engaging with us. We love the engagement on the pod. It's been a wild wide and yeah, as Holly says we We had we had minimum expectations. Of course we like to do things properly. We don't just do things half ar so you know doing this we made sure that we'd have a name, we'd have a brand, would have things that would look make us look sleek and professional. But we had no how yeah. We had no idea.

Holly: we actually did not have any idea how to produce a podcast when we started this. We had to research and it's been the first couple of episodes, the sound was really janky and we like... we've learnt along the way.

Ash: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Holly: you know, at the heart of A &A it's just two friends who like talking about Disneyland Paris and taking the mick, to be honest with you. Everything we say is to be taken with a pinch of salt because I'm quite facetious.

Ash: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I said, we're we we give our opinions but it is just our opinions, right? It's it's not certain stone.

Holly: Yeah, we like to have a laugh.

Ash: It's true. It's true. It's what we're there for. It's what we're there for. anything else? What are we looking forward to for A in the next year, Holly? More meets

Holly: Yeah, I think I'd like to do maybe some more deep dives. know this is something that,

Ash: More deep dives, yeah.

Holly: yeah, some deep dives. I know we sort of like, haven't aired it on the pod yet, but we would really like to hear from you guys if you would like mini episodes that we can maybe put

Ash: Mm.

Holly: like an extra episode. If me and Ash can squeeze in another recording each month, would you guys like a? like a long form episode like you get now and then a mini one or do you want to just stick to once a month? Because we're

Ash: Yeah, yeah, that's a good question.

Holly: toying with the idea about fitting a mini episode in between long form episodes, aren't we? Yeah, yeah, little mini ones.

Ash: a twenty half hour episode, a mini one. so yeah, let us know about that. and also anything that you want us to discuss. you know we had our first guest in our first year, Jeff. We're hoping to have other guests in the future. It's not a regular thing. I don't think it will be a regular thing, but whenever we do have a guest it will be of someone of significance that we can pick their brains out and

Holly: I have a couple that I'd like on.

Ash: yeah exactly so it will be good to discuss and share with them and hopefully we'll get more guests in as well. I also am hoping to have a live episode at some point. s

Holly: I mean, we can do that.

Ash: so yeah, that will be pretty cool. and we yeah So we've got some ideas twinning an hour old noggin of hours for the next year. but yeah, it's it's all fun and games at the end of the day. It's we're we're just doing it for the love of the game. So thank you everyone. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.

Holly: We do it for a laugh basically.

Ash: We've got to get these crazy thoughts out somehow.

Holly: Yeah.

Ash: But cool. Alright, anything else?

Holly: I think that's it.

Ash: But we have rambled on for quite a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Holly: If you've made it this far guys, congratulations. Your attention span is perfectly fine.

Ash: but okay. we'll leave it at that and we will see you in the next episode. Thank you all for listening as always. Take care and we'll see you down the road.

Holly: Bye!

Ash: That's it for this episode, thank you for listening. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcast.

Holly: If you want updates from us in between episodes, can follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube on arcades and avenues. And we'll see you in the next one.