The Biggest Theme Park Week in Years

It was one of the biggest weeks in the amusement industry in years, and Mike and EB have a ton to cover. First up: D23 - Disney's biannual fan convention, which featured Neil Patrick Harris hosting a full award-show-style presentation packed with 33 announcements about the future of Disney Parks and Experiences. The guys break down the highlights, including a Carousel of Progress refurbishment featuring new voices from Bryan Cranston and Jamie Lee Curtis, a Coco-themed attraction (the IP's first ever), a Magic Kingdom Villains Land finally getting its official name, and Dream Finder and Figment returning to Journey Into Imagination at Epcot. But the biggest surprise of the night: Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom will see the return of The Yeti. (HE'S HUGE! HE'S HUGE!) Then it's Quick Hits, where Mike and EB dig into the opening of NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood and the genuinely mixed early reactions — much of it, they argue, coming from riders misunderstanding the ride's intentionally storybook visual style. Plus a live call-in from the base of Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point, giving listeners a real taste of the launch in action. The back half is a can't-miss exclusive: Silver Dollar City's Director of Content and PR, Joey Thorsen, joins the show fresh off the announcement of Miner's Mountain Express, walking through a full POV narration of the ride, introducing its brand-new skunk and bat mascots, discussing the final year of the beloved Thunderation before it closes in January, breaking down how the new Daredevil Pass connects two previously separated areas of the park, and telling the wild true story of how the ride's real 15-story mining head frame ties back to America's 250th anniversary. 00:00 - Welcome Back 01:14 - First Drop: A Massive Weekend at D23 Horizons 17:16 - A New Coco Attraction Is Coming 18:09 - Indiana Jones' New Animatronic Has Harrison Ford's Actual Face 23:51 - Magic Kingdom's Villains Land Gets Its Official Name 27:10 - Dream Finder and Figment Return to Journey Into Imagination 29:19 - Quick Hits: Night Flight Expedition Opens (and the Mixed Reactions) 35:53 - Live From the Base of Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point 37:58 - Back From Break 39:02 - Exclusive: Silver Dollar City's Joey Thorsen on Miner's Mountain Express 41:42 - A Full POV Narration of the Ride 44:39 - Meet the Ride's Brand-New Mascots 46:12 - The Final Year of Thunderation 48:48 - What Daredevil Pass Actually Connects 51:39 - The Wild True Story Behind the Ride's Real Mining Head Frame