DFO Disney Conversations: Epcot Expansion

We belong to a Disney Crew, or a Disney Squad, as the kids might call it these days. This is a fellowship of a dozen or so family and friends who are all long-term Disney fans; and who have spent excessive time, money, and brain cells in service to the Mouse. We have occupied many happy hours with members of the Crew, talking comprehensively* about all things Disney.

[*I do mean comprehensively. From Disney history, to trivia, to debates about rides, movies, and park amenities — right down to the very ideas and concepts behind the whole empire — these conversations are high-level nerdery.]

Just a couple of our squad members, dancing.
Just a couple of our crew members, uh, dancing? Which we totally do all the time… I guess?

So, when The Walt Disney Company announced that one of their oldest theme parks will be the focus of a multi-billion dollar makeover, we got all excited to talk about it with the Crew. More specifically, we wanted to wildly speculate about what it might mean when Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek declares Disney would be doing “…some major transformation at Epcot in the future.”

For this Deep Forest Outpost Disney Conversation, Amy and I sat down with frequent collaborators and fellow travelers Rich and Hydee. Both are deeply intelligent and well versed about a great many things, including Disney. We tend to lean on Rich for his analysis and linear thinking, whereas Hydee is our keeper of “Disney Lore” and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the characters and media.

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Thanksgiving Dinner Matchup: Your Family vs. Mickey and Friends

Happy Thanksgiving from the Deep Forest Outpost! We hope you have a wonderful day filled with loved ones, laughter, and mountains of food. Or whatever you want your day to be filled with — hey, we just want you to be happy.

Pictured: Mickey on the way to his very first Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, Walt Disney had not drawn any friends for him yet.
Pictured: Mickey on the way to his very first Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, Walt Disney had not drawn any friends for him yet.

I was conducting my morning rituals the other day when I started wondering what it would be like to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mickey Mouse and his friends (I often have these deep thoughts while sudsing). The brainstorming ground proved fertile, and I started taking notes. Who would play all those critical parts in the holiday drama? How would it measure up to our own family meals? These were ideas that needed exploring.

So exercise your imagination for a few minutes with me and come along as we spend the holiday with Mickey and company…

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How to Find the Perfect Holiday Gift for the Disney Lover in Your Life

The gift-givingest time of the year is just around the corner, and unless you are a crazy overachiever with ample free time, you have some items yet to buy. But if someone on your list is a Disney lover, you are in luck; your shopping is about to get a lot easier. Welcome to the Deep Forest Outpost Disney Gift Shopping Primer.

This is what it looks like when a Disney lover dreams about the Holidays.
Come. Accept this gift of your own free will. Then give us all your money. Join us. Joiiiiiin uuuuusssssssss…

One usage note: This primer is for adult gifts. Disney gifts for kids and teens are pretty easy. Infants and toddlers get something soft and fluffy with Mickey Mouse on it, older children get a toy from the latest hit movie, and teens get a t-shirt.

It’s only as adults that we start judging people based on their gifts. Kids may not like what you give them, but they won’t think you are a jerk when they unwrap it. That impulse seems to kick in around the time you are legally able to vote in the United States, which can’t be a coincidence.

Read below and decide which message you want to deliver this Holiday season. Let’s dive in!

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