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Theme Park Treasures: Thrills, Culture, and Cast Stories with Hillary

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Step into the captivating world of theme parks with us as Hilary, our delightful guest and former theme park employee, shares her unique insights into the magical realms of Disney and Universal. Discover how these iconic destinations create immersive experiences through intricate theming and cultural representation, contrasting with the coaster-centric vibe of UK parks. Listen as we share personal stories that journey from the nostalgic charm of local UK parks to the awe-inspiring grandeur of international theme parks, with a special nod to Epcot's World Showcase, where cultures are brought to life in delightful and sometimes humorous ways.

Join our lively discussion on the thrilling balance between high-octane attractions and family-friendly experiences. We reminisce about the buzz of adrenaline at Universal and the enchanting family moments at Disney while pondering the possibility of Universal making its mark in the UK. The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we recount tales of wildlife encounters at Disney, reflect on the historic launch of Euro Disney, and offer a whirlwind tour of Disney parks around the globe, each with its unique magic and allure.

Explore the world behind the magic curtain as we spotlight the vital role of cast member training and welfare in maintaining the enchanting atmosphere at these parks. Hilary shares heartwarming tales from her time at Universal, like the cherished employee Thanksgiving tradition, and highlights the rigorous yet rewarding training that ensures every visitor feels special. We wrap up with a heart-tugging dose of nostalgia, celebrating iconic rides like Disney's Tower of Terror and Universal's Escape from Gringotts, leaving you with a yearning to relive those unforgettable theme park adventures.

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Davey:

Hello and welcome to Bonus Dad. Bonus Daughter a special father-daughter podcast with me Hannah and me, davy, where we discuss our differences, similarities, share a few laughs and stories. Within our ever-changing and complex world, Each week we will discuss a topic from our own point of view and influences throughout the decades or you could choose one by contacting us via email, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok Links in bio.

Hannah:

Hello and welcome to another episode of Bonus Dad, Bonus Daughter, and we are joined by our lovely guest.

Hillary:

Hills. We're here again.

Hannah:

She's back, again, she's back again, we are doing back again. We are doing an episode today that's very close to my heart.

Davey:

Yeah, you were really excited about this one, weren't you? I was, you really were, I was, I was.

Hannah:

So we're going to talk about Disney and Universal Parks. We've done a couple of episodes on roller coasters, so if you want to check those out, please do. But we're going to talk about Disney and Universal Parks and we are joined today by Hilary, who's actually worked at one of them as well, which is pretty cool Someone who loves them and works at them.

Davey:

So yeah, one thing that I found interesting, though, was in our last episode that we did with Hills is when you said about well, not our last episode, but the first episode we did with you from the US versus UK and you said one thing that you could just go to a park, you know, because you lived in that kind of vicinity, so it was almost like it was a day trip to you, whereas, you know, as us it was. We went on a two week holiday, didn't we Back?

Hillary:

in 2017.

Davey:

It was a real kind of you have to plan and save. Yeah.

Hannah:

Yeah, and our local roller coaster park is not good. No, I mean. I mean I enjoyed my time there. I went very recently. Actually it's Pleasurewood Hills, because people know that we're from Norfolk, so Pleasurewood Hills is like our biggest park. But from going there as a child and then going there now as an adult, it was just so run down and it made me really upset, because I was like it's not how I remembered it.

Hillary:

No it never is.

Hannah:

It never is, I guess, but yeah, the theming.

Davey:

They don't have theming like like that's what I was gonna say. It's like you don't have the money, like it's the money it's the tourism as well. Um, yeah, because, yeah, off the beaten track that's exactly what I was gonna say is because when you go to disney, there's a whole theme. There's a disney theme and even universal. You know the theme of universal. It's. It's a, it is a theme park, rather than say, a roller, a roller coaster park.

Hannah:

Yeah, I think that's what the UK don't do as well is that we have Alton Towers, which is amazing, and they're getting better at their theming as well, and we've got Thorpe Park. They're the two biggest ones in the UK but they are, in my opinion, they are a roller coaster park, not a theme park, and I think there is a massive difference, but I don't know if that's just because I'm just a massive nerd about this, but they don't have the same. Disney have Disney theming because they're Disney and they can, and they've got the rights to a lot of things and all of the films that they've made and everything is the same. With Universal, you've got, like you've got kind of the DC world, you've got the Harry Potter side of things and you've got you know, everything is so well themed to those things that you consume on the daily, whereas UK thought parks have to theme it on their own ideas and their own, they can't base it on a film, although we've got the Saw ride and things like that, but you know.

Davey:

That's more just like the odd one here and there isn't it.

Hannah:

It doesn't really make sense, the fluidity between like little lands and things like that and, as they adapt and progress, the building of roller coasters and stuff. They've done very recently a massive re-theme at Alton Towers. Actually They've got like this where Nemesis is now. The theming is incredible, which is so good. They're taking a leaf out of, I feel like these big park books in America particularly. I believe they're taking that and going yeah, we need to be better. We need to be, better and they're getting there.

Davey:

Yeah, yeah, we need to be better, we need to be better and they're getting there. But, yeah, yeah, and there's a thing, because it's like take Epcot, for example, and you know when you go around that bit and all the different countries around the world. I absolutely loved that.

Hannah:

It was incredible. I absolutely loved that. It was actually quite fun going to like the UK part of that park. Yeah, Just to see how your own culture is perceived, I guess as well.

Hillary:

And I was quite embarrassed Fish and chips in a red telephone box.

Davey:

Didn't they have an Oasis kind of flag as well? I don't know, but we definitely went to the pub. Oh yeah, we went to the pub. You've got to do the pub.

Hannah:

Irish pub there, which was funny. My understanding is the people that work in those areas are of that culture as well, aren't they? So there was like a Brit in there pulling pints.

Hillary:

they go to the international employees, but they're like the students they go to the Disney Academy or whatever you get selected from all over the world and then they place them like oh, you're going to be like a ride attendant or you're going to work in this restaurant or in Epcot in different parts of the world. So yeah, it's really cool that they do that still so it's more of a career, isn't it?

Davey:

I suppose, like here, it would be more like of job or, you know, like it's not a, it's not a chosen career, but I suppose in disney.

Hillary:

I mean you know they, they will work there forever. Like I've known people that work there for 20 odd years like, yeah, they, you, you go and you don't go back. So it's a lovely. I mean, every big corporation has their ups and downs you get into it?

Davey:

yeah, but you know.

Hillary:

So there's going to be positives and negatives to things, but for the most part I mean, it's a lot of positivity about working at, you know, disney especially.

Hannah:

Yeah, and Disney and Universal are all year round. The parks in the UK are seasonal. We're only open between March generally speaking March and then Fright Night is the last thing, so October. Whereas I guess Disney and Universal they're so big, they're also in an area where weather doesn't really All the weather unless there is a hurricane.

Hillary:

They open through the rain, the torrential rainfalls and stuff and tropical storms and stuff. They open but the rides will shut because our big rainstorms will last like 10 minutes and they'll be over. People, even the tourists, actually find them fun. They'll go minutes. Yeah, they'll be over. You know, people, even the tourists, actually find them fun they'll go out and they'll get out of the cover and they'll be like like dancing the rain in front of the castle and stuff, and it's quite cute to watch.

Davey:

I do have one question, though, one that I know that you will definitely be able to answer and it's something I was going to ask in the first podcast. Yeah, because we kind of touched on the whole alligator thing yes yeah, I know, obsessed thing? Yes, yeah, and I know, obsessed with alligators. Obsessed with these alligators? Yeah, I am so. But you said, how do they clear their alligators out of those areas?

Hannah:

I don't know um you were like oh yeah, this is a question you can definitely answer. So no, so like uh I don't think they do.

Hillary:

I mean, I think like in your disney, like in disney property, like when you're in the Magic Kingdom, for example, and you have like the little lakes and stuff. There's not saying that they aren't there, but there's a good chance that they still live there and they probably have like their own Disney has like their own fire department. They have everything. Right so they probably have their own little guys.

Hillary:

Yeah that do all their own stuff, yeah that come and remove them and put them into a safe habitat somewhere off property or in the Everglades, probably somewhere like some sanctuary for alienators, because we don't want to kill them, no, no, no. We also don't want them to kill small children that are at the parks. Oh, my goodness, all the lovely ducks, the resident ducks on property. But yeah, I think it's really. You do hear, unfortunately, some um horror stories of, like you know, alligators and stuff that just because you're on Disney property, you're on, you know whether you're not just in the magic kingdom or one of the parks, but like at the resorts or you know, in the area I'm like, anytime you see a body of water, don't go in that body of water, stay away from that. Don't put your small dog by that body of water. Don't go on a floaty in that body of water. Just stay away, because it's people.

Hillary:

Don't people just forget that it is wildlife like it is that there's really not a whole lot of places for them to go, so they're going to go to what is available so just be mindful when you go to the parks. It's not just because you're on Disney doesn't mean the alligator is going to come up and talk to you. It's not a cast character, it's not part of it. It's not animatronic.

Hillary:

It's most likely a real alligator, unless you're on the Jungle Cruise, then it is going to be a fake one. Yeah, probably mixed with some real ones somewhere. But, like you know, just just be careful. That's my, that's my little warning.

Hannah:

And the water moccasins, um, those two so I think what is a massive distinction is we've talked about the theming and the mercivenessness, and then I think, with Disney and Universal, compared to other parks, is kind of the family versus thrill factor. Universal, I would argue, is definitely more thrill, but Disney, I would say, definitely more family. You don't very. I can think of the rock and roll roller coaster as the first one that comes to my head as an actual thrill roller coaster, if I can. Indiana Jones in Paris might be another thrill. Yeah, I got the odd one, but it's not thrills, thrills and also, it is definitely aimed more for family, especially like the magic kingdom Cause I don't even sell alcohol in the magic kingdom.

Hillary:

So I mean, there's your first clue, yeah. So yeah, universal is definitely more for your teens. I think kids can still enjoy it because they have Islands of Adventure on one side of Universal and then you have Universal Studios, and Studios now has a whole Minion section, like a Minion land, and just because they work with DreamWorks, they own DreamWorks, they now have the whole DreamWorks land too that's cool which has your Shrek and your. Trolls.

Hillary:

Oh awesome and it is huge, yeah, so I think, yeah, I think universal definitely has such a great mix for all ages. Yeah, I just I love universal and I am biased because I worked there, but I not anymore, I used to, but I just I think it's a really great company.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

Yeah, yeah, and we are hopefully getting one in the UK as well. I heard that. Yeah, I am keeping tabs.

Hillary:

I am considering like packing up and moving closer and then working there. It's not that far.

Davey:

What are they thinking?

Hannah:

Bedford is not that far. How far? No, an hour and a half tops.

Hillary:

Is it yeah, trainable?

Hannah:

Don't know about train, because they're building the infrastructure or thinking about building the infrastructure.

Hillary:

Until they actually put a stick in the ground and say we're building here, they're definitely excavated and made sure that it's all good.

Hannah:

They've got the plan and permission for the roads and everything. I have to wait until that first bit, that first shovel in the ground.

Hillary:

That's how they do it, yeah.

Hannah:

Yeah, I am beyond excited, yeah.

Davey:

There was a thing when they did Euro Disney, though as well wasn't there. I mean, euro Disney was like Disney's come to Europe. Everyone was getting really excited.

Hannah:

And then when it opened, it was a little bit of a yeah, oh really yeah, do you remember that?

Davey:

no, are you too young, I think so. Yeah, it was a bit of a kind of a bit of a let not let down. It opened in 92 which oh, yeah, that was four years before you were born, yeah so, but it was, it wasn't as grand a launch, as what everybody was expecting.

Hillary:

It's not going to be the same. No, but that could just be like where it was located too yeah, it it's not the same vibes, but yeah, I know I love the parks I love the parks. I am a theme park junkie, as Hannah is. There isn't a roller coaster I won't ride.

Hannah:

There isn't yeah, we're very much the same thing A meet and greet. I won't wait in line for Like, I just I love it all I love it. I a thrill seeker. I as much as I loved Disney and I've been, we've been to America, we've been to Disney Florida, we've also. I've also been to Disneyland Paris as well. I just don't like it as much as a thrill because I'm definitely more of a thrill seeker person, but I do appreciate everything that goes into it and I really the theming.

Hannah:

I cannot fault theming. It's incredible, incredible. I'll go through the parks just as a fact file.

Davey:

Okay, facts with.

Hannah:

Hannah Facts. With Hannah, here we go. So there are several Disney parks across the world. So we've got Disneyland Resort, which is California, made up of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Then you've got Walt Disney World Resort, and that's Florida, which makes up Magic Kingdom, epcot, hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is is that the one with the Avatar ride? Yes, yes.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

Yeah. Then we got Tokyo Disney Resort in Tokyo, so that's Disneyland at DisneySea, which opened in 2001. Then we've got Disneyland Paris, which is 92. So that's called Disneyland Park. And then there's Walt Disney Studios Park, which opened in 2002. Then we've got Hong Kong, that opened in 2005. And then we've got Shanghai as well, which opened in 2016. I think there's another one being built. I want to say somewhere else, but I can't remember off the top of my head where that is. Then, going to Universal, we've got Universal Studios Hollywood, which is, of course, la California, which opened in 1964. So Disney's Disney's first park was, sorry, 1955. They weren't that far behind Sixty four. So what's that? Nine years.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

My maths incorrectly. Yeah, yeah, nine years Universal opened to Hollywood Studio. Then they've got, of course, orlando, res um in florida, um yep, which obviously, oh, that encompasses quite a lot, doesn't it? It's universal studios, florida, island of adventure, volcano bay and epic universe.

Davey:

Yeah, I was just trying to coming 2025 yeah, when we were in florida, when we went I mean I know we're talking now what eight years ago since we went, I'm trying to differentiate in my head what was universal and what was Disney in some of the rides. Oh no, you're one of those. I know, yeah, sorry, I know, get out of here.

Hillary:

You're one of those people that wear Mickey Mouse ears to Universal. I'm in the wrong room.

Davey:

I'm in the wrong room. I'm sorry, but I'm genuinely trying to remember which was which.

Hannah:

There's Universal Studios Japan, 2001, universal Studios Singapore 2010, and then they went to Beijing as well, so they're just well over in the east at the moment. Opened in 2021 was the Beijing one and then, coming soon, universal Studios Hollywood, las Vegas apparently date to be determined, yeah, they're all over spreading the fun to everyone.

Hillary:

Yeah, so we don't have any Universal parks in Europe at all, Because if they did that, then no one would travel yeah no one would travel.

Hannah:

That's exactly it. I'm joking, but it's true, and considering a large part or maybe not a large part, that's perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. But Universal Studios for me, there's a massive Harry Potter world there. So good, but Harry Potter, oh gee, is the UK.

Hillary:

That's the funny thing about it, isn't it? They have the whole King's Cross station and everything.

Hannah:

It looks so good. Platform 9 and 3 quarters is there. I'm just like why?

Hillary:

but you guys have the harry potter tours. We've got the studios studio tour, which is obviously not the same at all, but it's still very cool and a lot of it was filmed here.

Hannah:

So we have, like um in edinburgh, for example. I went on my hen do um. We went on a little tour of kind of the places that inspired a lot of like diagon alley was in there and Gringotts Bank and stuff like that, so that's quite cool. And JK Rowling kind of wrote a lot of the first maybe three books in Edinburgh as well, so that was quite cool to see. So I guess we've got that side of things naturally, because a lot of it was filmed here. Yeah, but to have such a massive world in Florida, like well across the pond.

Hillary:

I think that's cool. But I think it's great, though, because it gives for all the people that have never been to England.

Davey:

Yeah, it gives them a taste a taste.

Hillary:

It gives them a taste of like the magic that we love like. I love England like and yeah, I think and it's funny like people that have never been to England, when I'm there showing them around Harry Potter, I'm like it is very similar. Yeah, it's not that bad, not the dragon on top of Gringotts but not the.

Hannah:

Our buildings really look like that and our shops are like diagonal alleys a classic example of a little street. It's perfect. I do think it's really cool. It is so cool and it's amazing to have such a like, such a iconic British thing. I'm going to say it because it is like you know, a lot of people when they think of the UK, they do think of Harry Potter because it's so big. And then to be so big in another country as well, it's really cool. I think that's so like, it's amazing.

Davey:

I must admit, when we went there because I just remember, when we did go there, I did feel a little bit of, yeah, this is us, this is us.

Hannah:

This is us, this is our little take on pride, yeah.

Davey:

I even think I started speaking a little bit louder, so people could hear my English accent. Oh, people love a bit of that. This is my manor, yeah.

Hillary:

They're going to start asking for directions over there. Yeah, exactly, and also, we had butterbeer.

Davey:

We also. We had butterbeer.

Hillary:

We did have butterbeer.

Davey:

We had butterbeer, are you?

Hillary:

a frozen butterbeer or a regular temperature.

Davey:

Regular.

Hillary:

Oh, I liked the frozen all the way.

Hannah:

So much better. The regular. It's grim. No, I like the frozen Grim.

Hillary:

No, just joking. Teach the room.

Davey:

And the Harry Potter ride was amazing.

Hannah:

There are several Harry Potter rides the one, the three, the screen where you were sitting in there. The original one.

Davey:

The original one. Yeah, okay, yeah.

Hannah:

I think you mean Escape to Gringotts. That's the one. Oh yeah, that's not the original one, that's.

Davey:

Escape to Gringotts. That's the universal.

Hillary:

So if you're talking about the ones at Islands, like Islands of Adventure, the one in Hogwarts, no, not that one, not that one one.

Davey:

yeah, that's very cool.

Hillary:

yeah, it's just so 4d, so clever, like it's just amazing, and like just all the thing they did with, like all, even just the food, and like the ice cream shop and like all the, all the intricacies that you can get, and like now even like the minions area they have like the minions bakery and they just have the most adorable like themed food. They are definitely up their game, because I always say that Disney has much better themed food. There's literally vlogs and vlogs of people on TikTok and Instagram that will go around and talk about all the food, but they never, talk about the food at Universal.

Davey:

It's always about the.

Hillary:

Disney food. But I think that is because Universal's food no offense, universal was not great. I had a really stale churro last time I was there. But I think they've really upped their game on the food because when they opened up these new areas, the food with it is just so much nicer yeah yeah, yeah, turkey legs are a thing though, aren't they?

Davey:

Ugh yeah, everywhere I went, I saw people with these giant turkey legs just eating them.

Hannah:

I wonder how many turkeys they sacrificed. Oh don't I always think about chicken wings? Yeah, I have a lot of chicken wings. I have a lot of murdered chickens.

Hillary:

I'm not going to go into that. Yeah, oh, speaking of turkey chicken. So, as I said, I worked at Universal. We might get into this later, but I just thought now we're talking about food. I just thought now we're talking about food, I just wanted to bring it up, oh go for it.

Hillary:

So working at Universal is really lovely. I don't know if they still do this, because I haven't worked there for a long time, because I've lived in the UK now for like 10 years, but around Thanksgiving they would give all their employees a free turkey free frozen turkey so you can pick one up if you want one for your family.

Davey:

You pick it up and you take it home, like how I don't know any other like, honestly, that's a lot of turkeys.

Hillary:

I mean talk about sacrifice, yeah a lot of uh.

Hannah:

What if matt hughes do that for their?

Hillary:

employees. I just thought that was just they're just really thoughtful in a lot of ways I do. I just again, I can't compare it to like working at disney, because I've only worked at universal, but they just, they just treat their employees so well, honestly, to do that and, like they, just for a big corporation as well.

Hannah:

You don't? Expect the same level of humanity.

Hillary:

Yeah, I'm like I worked in like the performing aspect of it, so I don't know if other people in different departments had a different experience than I, but like as a performer. I just felt nothing but looked after all the time.

Davey:

I kind of get that impression from Disney employees, though, as well some of the cast characters. When I see videos they do seem to be. They look after them, because I've seen some videos where people have got up a little bit aggressive or been a little bit inappropriate with the cast members.

Hillary:

And they're very good at dealing with those types of situations to protect their employees so, as a performer, you always have a character attendant with you. So it's always the person in like the normal, like the the park clothing, with like their you know badge and everything on, and they're the one that keeps like the people, just like safe, just keep you safe. Keep you safe as a performer. Um, because there are people that are just like bananas, like I worked.

Hillary:

I want to ruin the magic I feel so again just from my experience at universal. So I did um, I was a performer for all their seasonal events. So like if you've ever been to Halloween, horror nights, have you?

Davey:

done that yet yeah.

Hillary:

Yeah.

Davey:

Have you done.

Hillary:

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.

Davey:

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I thought you were going to say Primeval, because I know that you've done similar Primeval here. Yeah, that was UK, yeah.

Hillary:

So Universal, we did something very similar. It was called Halloween Horror Nights and it's just, it's great.

Hannah:

The theming. If you like theming, hannah, you've got to check this out.

Hillary:

It's incredible. Maybe I need to go again, because they asked me what my experience was like. So they're going to Halloween Horror Nights and they're like oh, what was? It like working there and it was amazing for one. It's exhausting because you're like doing repetitive motions constantly all night, yeah, screaming Like, scaring the crap out of people as you do. But I was in the Resident Evil house.

Davey:

Awesome.

Hillary:

I was a zombie that night with my good friend that I'm still friends with today, and there's this woman that went in with her son, probably like 14 or so, okay, and which is fine. I do recommend like be mature enough to go there, like be like 17, 18, you know a little bit more mature Like.

Hillary:

I think 14 is a bit young. By the way, he was scared shitless. The mother or, like I, was quite dark in there. I'm assuming mother, grandmother, whatever got really upset that I scared this boy, even though they're in a haunted house. She rolled up whatever thick paper she had. I don't know where she got this book from. She was like walking around with a book or a paper magazine. She rolled it up and she whacked me on the head really, really hard and I, you know, I was young and I was like new to performing for Halloween Hornet, so I didn't want to break character, but I was pissed, I was hurt and my friends across from me, she saw it all happen. The character attendant is at the end and he kind of saw. It's dark and misty.

Hillary:

You can't really see she broke character, got up, pointed to him, told him get her out and she got escorted out of the park that day.

Hannah:

Because you cannot you can't, you can't, you can't, isn't it? They won't touch you. You don't touch them, isn't that?

Hillary:

that's the rule, yeah you just don't do it like you know what you're here for like I don't care how scared you are, you don't attack me. That's ridiculous, yeah exactly, yeah, so it is crazy, but you know I thought you were going to say that you'd lent in a bitter.

Davey:

I should have. I should have. I didn't see it coming. She was behind me.

Hillary:

She's so whack me on the head with this newspaper and I was like I'm not wearing literally anything to protect my head.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hillary:

And so I just like growled at her. I think I was just like you, were just like in shock. I was like what are you doing? Like, what are you doing? Like? Yeah, it's like a free-flowing line of people that are walking past every couple minutes.

Davey:

So it's like you need to.

Hillary:

Yeah, she needed to be told off, basically. And I don't want to ruin someone's experience, but equally I'm like you can't abuse.

Davey:

No, you can't do that, no, no, ever.

Hillary:

I'm like sorry, yeah, but other than that, so they're really good at like taking care of that like they don't, they don't tolerate abuse at all so if you're going to Halloween Horror Nights this year. Don't abuse. Don't hate us on the, whether they're real or fictitious. Do not abuse anybody, please yeah, it's a good message.

Hannah:

it's a good message. Yeah, I spoke a minute a minute ago about Pleasurewood Hills, which is our local one, and I have to say when I was there, of all the parks that I've been to in the UK, they were the friendliest stuff. So I can tell that their uniforms were all crisp and clean and everything, and so you can tell they're definitely being looked after, even if the park itself looks really super run down. But I can't say the same for Thought Park and Alton Towers. You have some very grumpy ride attendants and I get it. They're hearing that same song over and over again. But there's also a part of you that's like you're there to have a good time and a good day. There's no need to be abused into a station or like get in line, da-da-da, all this. There's a way of saying it.

Hannah:

I agree I just think I agree yeah.

Davey:

Again, I think that comes down to it's a Saturday job or it's you know, it's a career, it's a career and a full-time thing, part of the experience For.

Hillary:

Disney and Universal like you have to go and this is something that I don't know for sure, but I don't think they do this with like parks here in but with Disney and Universal you have to go to orientation. You have to go there and you, before you can become a cast member, you have to go through orientation and watch lots of Like a course.

Hannah:

Yeah, you have to sit there and go to class, basically.

Hillary:

Yeah, and you have to learn about the business, you have to learn about how to be appropriate. You learn you know, and then before you are officially like, it's like after you're hired, but you have to go through so much stuff before training or whatever, before you're even allowed to, like, talk to guests. Yeah, that's just. Yeah, I mean, and that's how it should be. That's just my experience again, but like it could be different for others, but like that's what I had to go through. Yeah, Um, which I think is so important.

Hillary:

I'm like this is what I think. You know you have. These people like yourselves or other families from other countries, they dream. You know most families like this is not a cheap holiday. They save for years, sometimes Years. They sacrifice, they save. They want this to be the trip of their lifetime and it is your job, working there to make sure that dream comes true. It sounds so cheesy, but like that's what I found. Like just because I'm pissed off today, I'm not going to ruin their time because, imagine, if I just spent all that money to be here?

Hillary:

Like come on, like, just smile I just, that's just my, but that's my personality, that's not everybody but that's how.

Hannah:

I see it that's a good work ethic, but no that's one thing.

Davey:

I noticed that every single cast member that we saw, everyone was smiling, everyone seemed happy. You probably know that inside they might be slowly dying.

Hannah:

There might be, yeah, like the heat in that costume.

Hillary:

Being a fur character is no joke.

Davey:

I mean, I can't remember that train thing that came through where everyone was dancing. The parade, that's train thing that came through where everyone was dancing and the parade, that's the one. Yeah, the parade, I mean there was a train thing, well, you know, but everybody who was dancing, everyone who was on there, they all looked happy, they all looked smiley, they all looked like they were having a good time on the parade, you know I've seen videos online about how sorry hills oh no, it's great.

Hannah:

I've seen videos about how cast members interact with the people coming. Obviously, they don't tend to talk, but the amount of them that know sign language, how inclusive is that?

Hannah:

as well, like you know, imagine a child that's deaf going to a theme park. Like that, again, it must be so overwhelming as well, because there's a lot of people going around. If you're hard of hearing or completely deaf, that must be so intimidating. Hard of hearing or completely deaf, that must be so intimidating. But then to also have your hero, your idol, your woody, your buzz, your your um it's only because I saw woody doing it specifically on that video but like it could be, um, a stormtrooper, it could be anyone, and they're talking to you in a language that you understand, like, it's brilliant, like oh, just, even if they just know the bare minimum of just how to say like hi or I think it is, and like are you having a good day?

Hannah:

I think is what they were signing to say yeah. Yeah, but that's great. It's incredible that the amount of effort I think that goes into being a cast member.

Hillary:

Yeah, I just think all of it is just so important.

Davey:

Well, all employees. Actually, when you just said about that and being smiling and happy and being saying about the heat and being hot, I just remembered that when Kylo Ren and the stormtroopers walked through and I remember thinking at the time they must be sweltering in there.

Hannah:

It's hard, absolutely boiling yeah, but even as an adult, you were losing your shit oh yeah, I was really excited because this was Star Wars and this is what the magic is there. I was like five years old again yeah, it's no matter how old you are, the magic is still there, and I just think that's one thing that Disney has down. Is that?

Hillary:

oh yeah, because they're very strict with like everything like it it has to be, it has to be the best yeah and like they'll do like with performers and dancers and if you're, you know, you know um no characters and stuff that they they, um, they do these things called looks or whatever, and so they will go into the park, like incognito, like, and just watch the parades, watch how performers are interacting with guests and stuff, and if you aren't doing what you should be or you're not doing it good enough, you will get you'll get reprimanded Like you.

Hillary:

you know you don't get, just get fired, but you will. You will literally be like all right, we need to do this improvement and if you don't improve, then you're gone. Like you have to be top all the time, which is really exhausting that is a lot of pressure.

Hillary:

But also in that heat, over what, two mile radius, yeah, three times a day or four times, whatever it was we did. It's exhausting and then especially do like the meet and greets and stuff, and it's really hot and you're in big costumes, they um so I can't remember it's been like it's been such a long time but like, so you're off, you're, you're doing 30 minutes or you have like an hour, yeah, 30 minutes outside, depending on how hot it was, and you get an hour break in the in the AC and that's how your days are oh right, okay, you're not working 11 hours on your feet in a costume.

Hillary:

You get multiple breaks.

Hannah:

Yeah.

Hillary:

Because you have to stay hydrated. Yeah Well yeah, so you'll do a parade.

Hannah:

Well, I can't have anyone passing out like mid-song.

Hillary:

If you do a parade, you'll do the parade and then you'll sit probably inside until the next parade.

Davey:

Like you, don't have anything else to do.

Hillary:

Like that's nice. Yeah, so that is good so they do take care of you, did you do?

Hannah:

a lot of reading. At that time I'd read a book.

Hillary:

At the time, no but, now, yes, yeah, adult Hillary, yeah, crocheting in the corner, I can get a discounted food, which is amazing. Nice, and also, there was just lots of video games and movies available.

Hannah:

Oh, okay, just normal recreational, yeah, and also like again that was and all your mates are there.

Hillary:

I suppose Ten years ago or something Like, even social media wasn't quite as big, so it's like you weren't scrolling on TikTok, were you?

Davey:

Yeah, no, you couldn't tiktok, were you?

Hillary:

yeah, no, you couldn't. Reels weren't a thing. Yeah, you don't really want to watch youtube.

Hannah:

There's nothing really on youtube like it was different. It was a different time, so, yeah, it was crazy. That's so cool. Okay, so what would you say is your favorite ride?

Hillary:

disney universal oh, that's really hard, specifically so I don't have a absolute favorite diehard ride because I think there's such a variety and I'm such a theme park nerd, I love them all. So it depends on the day, but if we're talking just ride and theming, I love Tower of Terror, I know it's an old one. It's old, they fixed it. It's an old one, it's old, they fixed it. But I there's just something so nostalgic about that for me because that was like one of the first scary rides I've ever been on and I love spooky stuff.

Hannah:

I love it, isn't it? Just I shat myself.

Hillary:

Oh, I didn't know it was a drop tower see the thing is, the drop isn't actually that scary. If you're like, if you're, if you're like if you love, if you love rolling, how do you not expect it? You walk up in the queue and you see people dropping no, we didn't see.

Davey:

We were kept very much in the dark yeah, we didn't see that, so we were told the ride when you walk into the park.

Hillary:

You see the big towers. Yeah, you didn't see people. No, I just thought it was a piece of scenery no I was kept in the dark, screaming and going up and down rock and roll roller coaster. A rock and roll roller coaster which is all fair by so funny. I never saw it from that perspective we thought it was a simulation.

Davey:

Yeah, we genuinely thought it was a simulation, until the doors opened and we both went it's a great ride.

Hannah:

Don't let that deter you from going on it no, no, no, it's a great ride it is an amazing ride. I'm just scared to shit.

Hillary:

I think all of it is just so clever. And if you watch, if you have Disney Plus, there's a show where you can see behind the oh, like behind the scenes, behind the scenes oh, I have to put it in, like the bio, whatever what it's called, because it's so good and they do a whole episode on the Tower of Terror and how they came up with the idea and how the mechanisms work and how they couldn't do a traditional pulley system because of how it would feel, because it's meant to just feel like you're not actually going up before you drop yeah, that's what it genuinely did feel like it is a brilliant show and it has so many fail safes on it so many fail safes that even the fail safes have fail safes, and it's one of those.

Hannah:

It's an engineering masterpiece and the fact that it's such an old ride and it had that much thought that went into it is incredible.

Hillary:

I just love the theming of it. It's so eerie and so creepy. I mean, the next one to that is the Haunted Mansion. I'm talking about the ones in Florida. I haven't actually had the chance to experience any of these in, like you know, tokyo or anything. I would love to, because those are even better, I heard, because they're just more up to date. But like I just love those and then my, so that's like kind of like the overall, probably favorite, just for a lot of nostalgic reasons, but the most recent one I've rode at I think it was Epcot is the Guardians of the Galaxy, oh yeah.

Davey:

Is that a new one? Is it a new one?

Hillary:

That is incredible. What sort of ride is it? It's a roller coaster, okay, but it's like a family roller coaster. It's very fast and I don't want to give too much away because if I tell you what I see, it will ruin it, okay.

Davey:

It will ruin it.

Hillary:

But it's a roller coaster. It's a mixture of just high tech. It's an indoor roller coaster. I can tell you that, okay, indoor roller coaster, very high tech, just really immersive, nice, very, very, very cool. And you have to get your little. Was it a genie pass? I don't know what they call them anymore. Um, lightning, it's not lightning pass anymore, but it's a virtual queue yeah just do it, try to try to get into it if you're going to disney soon ride that ride, because you will never ride anything like it.

Hillary:

Oh okay, it was cool. I wasn't saying it was like the most thrilling ride, but it was just so cool yeah, I was just like I had the biggest, dopiest smile on my face the entire time, like it's just so happy. But yeah, those are my favorites. What about you?

Hannah:

I think for me it was definitely as a huge Harry Potter fan myself it had to be Escape from Gringotts, just because of how cool the ride is and how they thought of everything and how it moves you around and how the mechanism works. And I've seen behind the scenes footage and I'm like what? That's what it looks like like it looks like everything the light and then it's like when the lights are on, you're like, oh, that's what it is, but they immerse you so well in it and as a massive harry potter fan, that's a lot of nostalgia.

Hannah:

and I remember um there was a cast member outside of Platform 9 and 3 Courts with a train coming out. He was so lovely, he was the train conductor guy.

Davey:

There's a photograph of me and you.

Hannah:

And I was wearing a T-shirt that said don't let the muggles down, because I knew I was going that day, and he was like, pointing at it and going, look at this shirt. Like it was just like. I think just that whole experience seeing him and then doing the ride as well, I think that's what added to the it's just brilliant. Just the theme is incredible.

Hillary:

Basically people that are not into theme parks. I will never understand. No, I just won't get it.

Hannah:

What an experience. Why not?

Hillary:

go somewhere where you can just be somewhere else.

Davey:

Yeah, it is magical, it's escape.

Hillary:

It is, it's magical, it's escape, it's escape, it's escape it's escape, like don't be grumpy, just go and enjoy embrace it for what it is, because it might seem silly and stuff, but just embrace. If you just embrace, it's the most magical thing ever.

Hannah:

It's incredible. I yeah, I very much enjoy.

Hillary:

I can't wait to go back. I'm going in October. I'm doing Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween. Nice, I'm leaving on my birthday and I cannot wait. All this is hyping me up.

Hannah:

I haven't got plans to go to Universal or Disney, but I am going in October myself actually to Europa, so I'm very excited to go to Europa.

Hillary:

You'll have to do a podcast on that.

Hannah:

I will. I've never been there. I'm so excited they're my current theme park plans. Do you have a favourite, David?

Davey:

Escape from Gringotts, definitely. But if I was going to go coaster-wise as well, the Hulk, oh yeah, love the Hulk, because it's a launch coaster. You go off, there's no messing, you're gone and you're around, yeah.

Hillary:

Hulk was my first roll coaster ever, was it really? Fun fact, I was in fifth grade. I almost pooped my pants. I was going to say what a first coaster. Legitimately almost pooped myself. I was so scared. I remember feeling so sick about it and then we rode it multiple times because there was no queue that day, and so all my friends were like, let's keep going, and I was like what.

Hannah:

What a first coaster.

Hillary:

I I love that ride but I hate to say it, that ride gives me a banging headache every time it rattles your head back and forth you feel the same about salt, so be, you know, try to be stable when you're on the ride. Try to hold your head in place or don't put your head all the way back, kind of put it a little bit forward, because it just rattles your brain anyway, yeah, because when we went, because, Avatar had been built and Avatar was running, but I think the day that we went the queues were something like eight hours long or something ridiculous, so we couldn't get on it.

Davey:

Absolutely not Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom, that was, wasn't it Disney yeah, yeah, that's Disney, sorry, that's fine, I'm getting my Disney's and Universal things.

Hillary:

That's okay, try it. That's great oh this is lovely.

Hannah:

Anyway, we will end it there today. Please follow us on all our socials as normal and have a lovely rest of your day, Whatever you choose to do with it, even if you are listening to this before bed and go to sleep. Have sweet dreams.

Davey:

That's so nice, hannah. You're welcome. Actually. Did you see? Sorry, I know it's completely random, but did you see that I'm closing?

Hannah:

the episode.

Davey:

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but talking about listening to podcasts at night, did you see that message from Ed? No, you've not seen that on Facebook. Did I send him to sleep? Apparently, when he was listening in bed to the Urban Legends one, my voice, it scared his wife and she called him something that she couldn't repeat.

Hillary:

So shout out to Ed on that one if you want to put people to sleep, you should end it like thank you for watching our podcast. I was really worried about what Hillary was going to do then, yeah, they do the, they do the. Thank you for watching the podcast. They do all these really weird noises. It's really weird. It's not weird, it's relaxing, but they just ASMR oh right, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah and they're just like goodnight and we'll leave it there. Anyway, please don't end that with me, god that's staying in oh, no, please, I was joking bye, bye, bye, outro Music.