Adventures & Mousecapades: A Disney Podcast

There is an incredible amount of Disney history along Main Street USA in Disneyland, and we took a VIP tour to learn all about it. From window honorariums to plussed up soundtracks, all the way down to the light bulbs, there’s so much to take in on the Walt’s Main Street Story tour. The tour culminates with a visit to Walt and Lillian’s apartment above the firehouse, an opportunity every Disney fan should experience. Come along with us for a peak through Walt’s window…. One item of business this week: we're happy to announce we're adding our podcast to YouTube! If you're a YouTube Music or Podcast listener you can find us over there now too. We're adding our back catalog right now and should be up to date in the next week or so. See you in the comments at https://www.youtube.com/@ourmousecapadespod. ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We made our first visit to the brand new Villas at Disneyland Hotel tower last weekend. This Disney Vacation Club resort opened in late-September, and is quite simply an artistic masterpiece of Disney Imagineering’s take on mid-century modern design. From the rooms to the decor to the pool and the new Palm Breeze Bar, this place is a 10 out of 10 in our book. We can’t wait to go back! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We get lots of questions about what Disney Vacation Club is all about, so we’re taking a look at DVC from a newcomer’s perspective today. What do you get? How does it work? Is it worth it? Why do we have so many points? Let’s find out! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We’re frequent cruisers with Disney Cruise Line, and just experienced 10 days with Royal Caribbean. Join us as we compare and contrast the two. Which has the better food or entertainment? Who has the best staff? How does Concierge stack up in comparison. Which is the best value, and most importantly, will we be back on Royal? Listen in to find out! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We spent 6 days and 5 nights on the beautiful Garden Isle of Kauai, Hawaii after our cruise. It’s a magical place of lush green forests, dramatic canyons, amazing people, and fantastic food. We share some of our favorite spots and highlights from our stay … as well as a couple lowlights. Let’s just say one of us ended the trip on crutches. Tune in to find out what happened! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We just got back from our cruise to Hawaii on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas. This is the first time we've cruised not on Disney Cruise Line, and we were keen to both relax and explore the different style and offerings on RCI. With stops in Victoria, BC and Seattle, a 5-day transit, and a day off the stunning Nā Pali coast of Kauai, we had time to see and experience it all. Listen in to hear all about 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

A train trip from Seattle to Vancouver via rail is the perfect relaxing way to start off your vacation. Getting upgraded to a Panoramic Harbor View Suite at your hotel is just pure pixie dust! Good food and an epic start to our next adventure! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we recap all the Disney news from July through September. There were tons of announcements at Destination D23 just a few weeks ago, and we share the ones you probably care about the most. More importantly: “T-rex doesn’t have wings” ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we’re joined by Christine and Rob who had a literal whirlwind adventure in Disneyland recently when Southern California was hit by Hurricane Hilary. Who knew that the Incredicoaster in a tropical downpour could be so fun? They also got to take their 11 and 13 year olds to a magical meal at Club 33, saw Rodgers: The Musical, scored a black Kyber Crystal, and got cut in line by Captain Jack Sparrow. What a trip! ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Our great friends Rachel and Meredith (Mer) are on the show this week and we’re talking about the Disney Wish. Seasoned cruisers, they just took a weekend 3-night excursion along with their other halves Bill and Andrew, aboard Disney's first Triton Class ship. While they did have a great time, and there are definitely stories we didn’t cover on the record, it was a great opportunity to compare notes about our Wish experiences. ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

It wasn’t all frights and scares in Hollywood for Alicea and Kaitlyn, they also got to do a few other things while they were in town. Science fun at Griffith Observatory, “A Goody Movie” and the Walk of Fame at El Capitan Theater, and a day at Universal Studios Hollywood in regular theme park mode. Gotta get that podcast content! ;-) ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Kaitlyn and Alicea just got back from opening night of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights 2023. They got to experience all 8 houses, the Terror Tram, and all 3 scare zones - plus dinner - with the “RIP Tour”. Chucky, The Last of Us, Stranger Things, and Mummies … who could ask for anything 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we continue our conversation with Tim and Audie about the real reason they headed over to Europe, to enjoy a week-long river cruise on the Douro River in Portugal and Spain. River cruise is a different pace and a different kind of experience than an ocean cruise - is it right for you? You’ll have to listen to find out! 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

Audie Lawley is back on the podcast, and this time she’s joined by her husband Tim to tell us all about their transatlantic sailing on the Disney Dream earlier this year, from Miami to Barcelona with stops in the Azores, Lisbon, Cádiz, Málaga, and Cartagena (the one in Spain, not Colombia). Not only was this a special repositioning cruise, but it was also the Dream’s first sailing during DCL’s Silver 25th Anniversary celebration, complete with new character outfits, snacks, decorations, and of course merch! 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we’re chatting with Robyn Johnson, who’s a mom of kiddos with food allergies and a frequent Disneyland visitor about navigating food options in the park when you have constraints in what you can eat. She’s launching a new website called ParkMagic.com, and it includes a tool called Picky Mickey that can help you plan what and where to eat given your allergies. And it works for everyone else too, and includes drinks at all the bars. Do give her site a look to help plan your next Disneyland adventure. As we mentioned in the show, if you want to talk to someone at Disney about navigating special dietary needs while you’re at Disneyland or Disney World, there’s an email for each resort posted on the DL and WDW websites. Here are those pages: Food Allergies and Special Dietary Needs | Disneyland Resort Special Dietary Requests | Walt Disney World Resort ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

It wasn’t supposed to be, but as it turns out this week’s look back at a previous Disney vacation turns out to be the last time we were in Hawaii … and that was all the way back in 2018. Don’t worry, we’re fixing that in just a couple short months. This week we cover our DVC Home of Aulani Resort, Kualoa Ranch, and finding secret treasures via the Shaka Guide app. We can’t recommend both Kualoa and Shaka Guide highly enough. Do yourself a favor and check them out on your next visit to Oahu! And no, we're not getting paid to say that. ;-) Links to stuff we talk about in this episode: Aulani | Disney Hawaii Resort (disneyaulani.com)Best Oahu Tours & Activities | Kualoa Ranch | Eco ToursShaka Guide - Self-Guided GPS Audio ToursOahu, Hawaii's Top Attraction | Polynesian Cultural CenterPearl Harbor National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We had the pleasure of touring 3 different cruise ships while they were in port here in Seattle between cruises to see what Celebrity, Norwegian, and Holland America have to offer. They’re very distinct markets that each are catering to - are we one of them? Could a Disney Cruise Line alternative be in our future? Let’s find out! This episode is NOT an ad for any cruise line, or for Travel Perks - the travel agency that made these tours available through the Microsoft Prime employee discounts program. We paid for our tours on our own and nobody from Travel Perks or the cruise lines had any say in or knowledge of what we shared on this episode. “These are our own opinions and suggestions…” :-) ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

To conclude our European tour we taken in all the non-Disney sights, sounds, and tastes of Paris. Fine dining and stunning adornments at Versailles. A show at the Moulin Rouge. Famous artworks at the Musee D’Orsay. Big hitters like the Arc de Triumph, Sacre Cour, and the Eiffel Tower. And a TGV train trip to the beautiful old city of Bruges, Belgium. And to top it off, fine cuisine at … Five Guys?!? ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

We take a detour into Disney news this week with our latest installment of our Quarterly Disney Report, covering all the happenings at the House of Mouse from April through June. Movies came out. Content was added to (and removed from) Disney+. Anniversaries were celebrated. And Alicea and I had WAY too much fun recording this one. 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com

This week we finish our tour of The Disneyland Paris Resort by visiting Disney Studios Park, talking about some of the hotels, and touching briefly on Disney Village - the local equivalent of Downtown Disney or Disney Springs. Highlights include Worlds of Pixar, the brand new Avengers Campus, and Disney's Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel. ---- 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: @ourmousecapades OurMousecapades.com podcast@ourmousecapades.com