832 · Adventures by Disney Japan Recap: Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Tokyo & Kintsugi - Part 2

Every step through Japan tells a story - and this week, I want to share ours.

From centuries-old villages to hidden antique shops, we went looking for adventure... and found something even more meaningful.

Japan continues to unfold its magic in Part 2 of our Adventures by Disney to Japan recap, as we travel to the serene mountain town of Takayama, the timeless village of Shirakawa-go, and the vibrant heart of Tokyo.

But beyond the destinations, it was the small, unexpected moments that truly defined the journey - the quiet ones, the funny ones, and the ones that took our breath away. From stumbling into a tucked-away backstreet antique shop, to mending broken pottery with gold, to the awkward bravery of stepping into your first onsen... this wasn’t just a trip. It was an experience that changed us.

It’s about the connections we made, the lessons we learned, the memories we’ll never forget - and the Adventures by Disney difference.

🙋🏻‍♀️ If you could visit one place in Japan, where would it be… and why?

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✈️ Looking to visit Japan (and maybe Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea)? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you - visit MouseFanTravel.com

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Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

831 · Disneyland at 70: Walt’s Vision, Origins, Secrets, and Stories from the Park - From the Archives

Celebrate 70 years of Disneyland with a deep dive into hidden stories, surprising history, and unforgettable secrets from Walt’s original park.

In this special WDW Radio Archive episode, I'm joined by the late, great Jim Korkis as we explore the surprising origins of Doritos and churros, the story of Walt's lost Holidayland, unusual Main Street shops, and hidden details in Tomorrowland mosaics (yes, really).

From snoring bears and the Wizard of Bras to personal memories and overlooked moments, we peel back the layers of the Happiest Place on Earth. It’s a tribute to Disneyland at 70 - and to Jim’s incredible legacy of storytelling, research, and passion for preserving Disney history.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Is Japan on your travel bucket list?

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391

✈️ Looking to visit Japan and maybe Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you - visit MouseFanTravel.com

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- LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

830 · Adventures by Disney Japan Recap: Stories & Highlights - Part 1

Japan is truly unlike anywhere else in the world.

And this week, I want to take you there - not with a guidebook, but through the memories, moments, and magic we experienced together on our recent WDW Radio Adventures by Disney Journey to Japan group trip.

Join me and some of the friends (who are really more like family) from our group as we reflect on our journey through Kyoto, Hiroshima, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, and Tokyo - and how this adventure changed us in ways we never expected.

We’ll share the beauty, the surprises, and the emotion of this remarkable experience - and explore not just what makes Japan so special, but why Adventures by Disney makes it unforgettable.

And if you weren't able to join us on this trip... don’t worry. Stay tuned for the announcement of our next very special WDW Radio adventure. I promise - you won’t want to miss it.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Is Japan on your travel bucket list?

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391

✈️ Looking to visit Japan and maybe Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you - visit MouseFanTravel.com

📬 Stay Connected:

- Subscribe for email updates + get my FREE Disney book!

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🎧 Explore More:

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- WDW Radio Nation - Support the show and unlock rewards

- WDWRadioLIVE.com - Watch and chat LIVE Wednesday nights

- Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!

- LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

829 · Celebrate Happy: A Complete Guide to Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary

Something special is happening at Disneyland… It’s turning 70, and the year-long Celebrate Happy party is packed with magic, surprises, returning favorites, and history in the making. Join me and theme park journalist Carlye Wisel as we unlock what’s new, what’s back, and why you need to visit - from "Paint the Night" and "World of Color Happiness" to Duffy’s return, MagicBand+ secrets, incredible merchandise, interactive activities (and free souvenirs!), more than 70 new food items, the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, and much more!

🙋🏻‍♀️ What part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary are YOU most excited about?

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391

✈️ Planning your trip to Disneyland’s 70th? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you - visit MouseFanTravel.com

📬 Stay Connected:

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🎧 Explore More:

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- WDWRadioLIVE.com - Watch and chat LIVE Wednesday nights

- Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!

- LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

828 · Disney’s Abu Dhabi Theme Park: A Whole New World Unveiled

Disney just announced a bold new theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi – and it could change everything. In this episode, we explore the Disney Abu Dhabi theme park announcement from every angle – cultural, creative, and corporate. We also have a thoughtful conversation about some of the questions and concerns this move has raised. Discover why Disney chose Abu Dhabi, what the “authentically Disney, distinctly Emirati” vision means, and how this expansion could shape the future of Imagineering, Disney’s global parks, and Bob Iger’s legacy.

🙋🏻‍♀️ How do you feel about Disney expanding to Abu Dhabi?

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- Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!

- LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

827 · Build Your Star Wars Movie Memorabilia Museum

The ultimate Star Wars collector’s wish list - no budget, no limits, just dreams!

This week, in honor of May the 4th, we’re heading to a galaxy far, far away… and diving into a fun, nerdy, and personal conversation, as we explore a galaxy of imagination and nostalgia and build our "Star Wars Movie Memorabilia Museum."

We’re not talking about toys or collectibles from the parks - we’re talking about the actual props, costumes, and iconic items from the Star Wars movies that we wish we could own. The ones that captured our imaginations, sparked our fandom, and still make us feel like kids again.

But this isn’t just about stuff. It’s about stories. About why these things matter - to me, and to you. Because Star Wars isn’t just a series of films. It’s part of our lives. Our memories. Our connections with the people we share them with.

So in this episode, I invite you to imagine your own dream Star Wars memorabilia museum… and come with us as we build ours.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering Star Wars for the first time, this is a celebration of the stories, symbols, and stuff that connect us… from a galaxy far, far away.

🙋🏻‍♀️ What's the one piece of Star Wars movie memorabilia that you would want in YOUR museum collection?

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- LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

826 · How Disney Brings Star Wars to Life: Reveals and Stories from Star Wars Celebration Japan

Have you ever dreamed of living your own Star Wars story?

This week, I take you inside Star Wars Celebration Japan for a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney Parks and Lucasfilm are transforming the way we experience Star Wars - and reveal new stories, secrets, and adventures you need to know about.

Join me for exclusive interviews with leaders from Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment, exciting updates to Galaxy's Edge, new droids, and the future of Star Wars storytelling in the parks.

Plus, I host a live panel at Star Wars Celebration Japan all about how you can live your own Star Wars story - and how emotional, immersive storytelling is changing Disney Parks forever.

Whether you're a lifelong Star Wars fan or just love Disney's magic of storytelling, this is one journey to a galaxy far, far away you won't want to miss.

🙋🏻‍♀️ What's the one thing you would love to experience in Galaxy's Edge to make your Star Wars dreams come true?

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391

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• LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.

Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

825 · The Top Ten Things We Love About the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT - From the Archives

Konnichiwa, my friend! As this episode is released, I’m on my way to Tokyo to host a panel at Star Wars Celebration about Living Your Star Wars Story in the Disney Parks!

So, in the spirit of sushi, samurai, sake, and Star Wars, we're reaching back into the WDW Radio archives for a listener favorite: The Top Ten Things We Love About the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT.

No, not the country (although I am heading back soon for our WDW Radio Adventures by Disney trip to Japan!) - but the incredible World Showcase pavilion that captures Japan’s beauty, culture, cuisine, and yes... the gift shops.

Originally recorded in 2016 (how was that 9 years ago?!), this episode is a nostalgic journey through one of EPCOT’s most beloved pavilions. From the serene gardens to Mitsukoshi’s Pokémon overload, it’s a celebration of all things Japan... but in the Walt Disney World park.

And be sure to follow me on Instagram @LouMongello for content from Star Wars Celebration, Tokyo Disneyland, and DisneySea all week long. Yes... it’s for research. 😉.

🙋🏻‍♀️ What’s YOUR favorite part of the Japan pavilion… and why? 📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391 (WDW1)

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🙏 THANK YOU for listening and your support by voting WDW Radio Best Travel Podcast for 9 consecutive years, and for the opportunity to be inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame!

Please tune in next week, and help spread the word about the show... and as always... sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio show!