Adventures and Mousecapades: A Podcast About Disney

We have Audie and Tim Lawley back on this week because they just did something few people have (yet) … they sailed on the brand new Disney Treasure cruise ship! Fresh off the first 3-night media and travel agent preview, they share all the excitement and wonder to be had onboard. New venues, amazing theming, and of course the best crew in the industry. You don’t want to skip this episode! Tim and Audie are travel agents with The Magic For Less. You can find them online at Meet Tim & Audie Lawley - The Magic For Less or shoot them an email at lawley@themagicforless.com. We’ve known Tim and Audie for over a decade, so we want to make it clear that this is not a sponsored episode. That said, if you’re looking for a great agent to work with tell them we said hi! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Sometimes we travel for pleasure. Sometimes we travel for business. This November, we did a bit of both! When we’ve got a conference to attend in Miami, you’d better believe we fly into and out of Orlando to do it. In between was park days, after hours events, train rides, epic meals, surprise megastar concerts, and a whole lot more! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We had the distinct pleasure to get all dressed up and head out to Disney World’s newest after-hours holiday party, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios a couple weeks back. In its second year, this event is kind of like if your company holiday party was at Disney. Amazing food and drinks. Incredible Music. Great character interactions. And a whole lot of fun. Listen in to find out if this was a one and done for us, or a new tradition waiting to happen. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a great after-hours event at the Magic Kingdom that we’ve been to before. Would this edition be better? You’ll have to listen in to find out, but if the food was anything to go by this was going to be a fantastic evening! Let’s kick off the holidays… ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

It’s our last retroactive trip report! This episode we look back at our 16-day trip to Disney World in August of 2021. The parks were still in pandemic mode and we had a LOT of DVC points to spend or lose. Our 3-bedroom suites at Animal Kingdom and Bay Lake Tower, and a 2-bedroom suite at Riviera, were great escapes from the heat and humidity! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Sara Ward from Magical Adventures with Sara is back this week, and introduces her kids to Disney World for the first time. These Disneyland vets visited did some resort hopping at Port Orleans Riverside and Yacht Club, and spent time in all the parks. Sara also gives a great overview of the Disney Dining Plan and how great of a value that can be for you - the numbers really do add up! If you want to find Sara online, she’s at… Sara@axistravelgroup.com Links to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more at https://linktr.ee/MagicalAdventureswithSara ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we’re joined by Chris, aka DCL Cruising Dad, to talk about the Magic that is Disney Cruise Line. No, literally, he recently went on the Magic for the first time in a long time and was excited to share all about it. She may be the oldest ship in the Disney fleet, but she still offers an amazing vacation to her guests, and this cruise featured a stop a DCL’s newest destination - Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Evidently, in spooky season VIP tours turn into RIP tours at Universal Studios theme parks. This week, in honor of the holiday this week, we’re talking about Alicea’s evening at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights where she, Sterling, Kaitlyn, and a good friend Sanae enjoyed the RIP Tour. They got quick access to all the haunted houses, a meal and snacks, some special tour-only surprises, and generally had a frighteningly good time. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

After hours parties at Disneyland can be frighteningly fun, especially when your host is none other than Oogie Boogie himself! Alicea and Sterling recently enjoyed the spooky season spectacular Oogie Boogie Bash, stayed at the reimagined Pixar Place Hotel, and even got a special visit with Mickey and Minnie at Club 33, which was decked out for the Haunted Mansion’s 55th anniversary. There’s a special bonus at the end of this episode too - enjoy! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

What Disney franchise should be the next Broadway musical? Who’s the best Disney couple? Which Disney movie would you want to live in? These hard-hitting questions and more as we turn the mics on our kids this week to find out their Disney favorites. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Sometimes your vacations don’t go exactly as planned. Sometimes the plan is completely thrown out the window, which is what happened to us in March of 2020 on the Disney Wonder’s westbound Panama Canal cruise. BUT if you think that sounds like a disaster, you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Listen in to hear why this was the best cruise ever, and why we compare every other vacation against it. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

What happens when your family is all grown up? Is a trip to Disneyland still fun when the kids are in their 30s? ABSOLUTELY! This week we’ve got Darryl on to recap her recent family trip to Disneyland. Fun rides, magical moments with cast members, a family portrait 50 years in the making, and Dole Whips - they packed a LOT into just 3 days! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, or MNSSHP if you’re in the know, is a fun event during the spooky season in Florida. But because it’s in Florida, that means it doesn’t always go as planned. We had tickets to this special-ticketed event at Magic Kingdom a week or so ago and, while we did have fun, it was a reminder that Florida weather can and most likely will impact your park plans. Just remember to go with the flow and you’ll still have a frighteningly good time. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Turnabout is fair play, so the saying goes, and last week we put that to the test. We flew from Seattle to Orlando to surprise our amazing friends with a visit and to crash Bill’s 50th birthday party weekend. It was Nathan’s birthday weekend too, so needless to say shenanigans ensued - plus visits to all 4 Disney World parks. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Rachel (from HR) is back, and this time we’re talking about her Disney career. She’s a former cast member, with three College Program stints under her belt plus a bunch of time as a full-time resort HR staffer. Rachel (and Bill) were married at Disney World, and she regales us with what it’s like being a princess for a day. Plus, she and our friend Heather just spent a whirlwind 4 days in Disneyland. This is a FUN episode that we know you’ll love. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we bring you on a whirlwind tour around the Disneyland Resort to sample the amazing food and beverages to be found. From Mickey waffles to multi-course extravaganzas with a few rum drinks and old fashioneds in between, Disneyland has whatever your tastebuds desire. We hope you’re taking notes, Disney World, because you have some catching up to do! ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We attended our very first D23 Disney Fan Expo this year. It was an incredible experience and we got to meet and talk to so many incredible people. We also got some Disneyland park time in before and after the show, and those days did not disappoint either. Join us as we recap all the fun, and some lessons learned, from D23 2024. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we’re joined by one of the preeminent voices in the Disney news arena, Scott Gustin. Scott has been working in the news industry for over 17 years and was a fellow attendee at this year’s D23 Expo in Anaheim last weekend. Join us as we recap all that was announced by Disney Parks and get a seasoned perspective on what we heard and saw. You can follow Scott over on Twitter @‌scottgustin (https://x.com/scottgustin). If you want to hear a Disney Cruise Line-focused review of D23 check out the live episode of DCL Duo that we were on. You can find that at dclduo.com or YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/9makz-idF4E?si=H2Zzp9DqckmVI9ff. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We’re continuing our occasional series looking at Disney Vacation Club resorts with an overview of the original DVC location - Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This sprawling campus has over 500 rooms across 50+ buildings, and offers some of the biggest rooms available to DVC guests. Olivia’s Cafe is worth a visit even if you aren’t staying on property, and Disney Springs is just a short boat ride away. ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We’ve got Sara Ward on this week from Axis Travel Group. She’s an old friend of ours who embarked nearly a year ago on a brand-new adventure as a travel agent. We wanted to know what that journey is like and get the inside perspective on the world of Disney travel. Sara has lots of cruising experience and has traveled all over the world, and it’s clear she has a passion for helping others do the same. If you want to find Sara online, she’s at… Sara@axistravelgroup.com Links to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more at https://linktr.ee/MagicalAdventureswithSara ---- Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Twitter: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com