DisLove Podcast with Vanessa and Kris

DisLove E162: Finding Hidden Details Across Disney Parks with Kevin and Amanda from Where in the Park

• Vanessa Ferguson and Kris Johns with special guests Kevin and Amanda • Season 7 • Episode 162

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Ever feel like you’re sprinting through Disney and missing the magic right under your nose? We slow the pace and map a different kind of day—one built on curiosity, texture, and sound. From the sly Imagineer tributes on Main Street to the handcrafted mosaics in Morocco, from the koi ponds tucked behind Japan’s pagoda to the choral power of Voices of Liberty, we show how attention turns crowded parks into living stories.

Then we’re joined by Kevin and Amanda, the creators of Where in the Park, a seek-and-find game that turns wandering into wonder. They explain how their image cards, hints, and QR-powered answers guide you to details you’ve walked past a hundred times, without standing in lines or stepping into shops. We talk game design, ground rules, and the satisfying “aha” moments that families turn into competitions or slow, thoughtful loops between meals and shows. They also share updates to their refreshed packs, new digital games for Disney Springs and CityWalk, value-friendly bundles, and practical shipping timelines.

We round things out with an evening stroll: bioluminescent trails in Pandora, Toy Story Land’s glow, and Galaxy’s Edge immersion from blaster marks to authentic droid tracks. Add resort displays, seasonal touches, and a day riding the monorail, boats, and Skyliner, and you’ve got a relaxing, low-cost way to savor more. Ready to trade rope-drop rush for discovery? Press play, grab a seek-and-find, and tell us the best hidden detail you’ve ever spotted. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who loves the parks as much as you do.

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SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Diz Love Podcast with Vanessa and Chris. I'm Vanessa Ferguson. I'm Chris Johns. We would like to welcome you to show number 162. And for any listeners joining us for the first time, our show features things we love at Disney. And in each episode, we have a guest who creates Disney Magic for our listeners at home or on their Disney vacations. From vacation planners to product producers, our guests can bring Disney magic into your life. And we like to take a moment to remind our listeners, please take time to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or any other platform where you listen. We always love to read these reviews, and of course, it helps new listeners find the show. You can also now subscribe to us on YouTube if you prefer to use that as the way to listen to the show as well. So thank you so much to all of our listeners. And before we get started, we have a couple messages.

SPEAKER_05:

Our first message is from our friends Kevin and Amanda from Where in the Park. They want you to experience your nectar trip to Disneyland, Disney World, or other outside parks like you've never had before. They have seek and find games that allow you to explore all new details that you've walked past a thousand times. And so see that check the notes for this podcast, but go to whereinthepark.com, use the code DizLove10 to save 10% off your next order.

SPEAKER_00:

And an exciting thing is that our guests today are going to be Kevin and Amanda. They have some exciting updates from We're in the Park. So we are super excited for you to hear from them and to learn a little bit more about what they've been doing. We thought it was a great tie-in where we had Stefan on our last show with all of his cool games. So really excited to have Kevin and Amanda back on the show. And now before we get started into talking with them, we wanted to talk about. So our last two episodes have really focused on really taking time and looking at those other elements in the park. So go ahead. Which means they didn't see it all.

SPEAKER_05:

They did not. No, they didn't.

SPEAKER_00:

So today's episode, we are going to focus on looking at all of the different elements that can help you slow down and enjoy the parks a little more, whether you've been there too many times to count, whether you're local, or if you're going for your first time just trying to slow down a little bit and enjoy those elements.

SPEAKER_05:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

So we are going to take you by park by park and give you some of the highlights of the cool things that you can check out while you're going through the park. And if you have one of your packs from where in the park, you could probably take them along and be able to answer some of the questions in there as well. So let's start with the most obvious. And of course, that would be Magic Kingdom. And we're going to look at what you can see on Main Street. And to be honest, what are people usually doing on Main Street?

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, they're taking photos as they walk in to see the castle. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And usually, or they might be going into one of the places to grab a snack or a coffee or the popcorn or going into the emporium. But I don't think they take time to look at all of the details that go into Main Street alone. And we're going to look at some of those different elements. And this is something you can do in five minutes when you are going into the park. And like Chris said, when you're stopping to take a photo, stop and look around a little bit. One of the first things, and I learned I had read about this in some books. And then when I took one of the tours at the Keys of the Kingdom tour, they really have you stop and look at the windows above the shops. And Chris, did I don't know? I know we've talked about them a little bit, but have you ever really paid attention to the names on the windows?

SPEAKER_05:

I've seen that there are names, but to know who they are, no.

SPEAKER_00:

So the cool thing is that they are named after imagineers or different Disney legends, and most of them have like funny puns to the names that relate to something about that person, a hobby or an interest. So it's really neat. And I know when we took the one tour, they talked about the windows that are at the end of Main Street facing the castle. Those are like the ultimate because you're you're at the end right at the castle. So those are some really cool things. Um, another thing, and I don't know how true this is. I've read this a couple places, so maybe it is true, is like looking at the pavement. They have the pavement tinted certain colors, and rumor is that the main part of the there's some part of the pavement that's supposed to be red, which it is tinted red that's supposed to look like a red carpet. I don't know if I believe that one or not.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, it's a tough one.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So now another thing that I think most Disney veterans would know, but a lot of people go into the parks the first time part time is that there is a force perspective, which what that means is that the buildings get smaller the further you go down Main Street to make the castle look bigger. And even though I know it's there, I always fall for it. I agree. So that's kind of a fun thing. Um, another thing that is fun to do is you have to catch it at the right time to slow down. They used to have a lot more before COVID. I loved when they had the trolley and the trolley would come and the the singers, but that alas is no more. But you can still get a chance to catch the Dapper Dance and they are the singing trio. They will be on Main Street at certain times. Sometimes you can find them right by the barber shop, sometimes you can find them in other areas. But often when we see some of these performers, we rush by because we're on our way to a lightning lane or we have a dining reservation, and just kind of taking time to slow down is important. And this is a paid thing, this isn't something that you just stop and watch, but they even have there is a barber shop on Main Street, and Chris has gotten his haircut there.

SPEAKER_03:

I sure have.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so there is a barbershop right before the emporium by the firehouse, which is a cool thing. I think people wouldn't stop and slow down to do that, which we should get our daughter's haircut there one time. That would be fun. It sure would. And you can if you have a little one that it's their first haircut, I know they do a special little thing and they get a certificate, and even the adults can get pixie dust for that. So slowing down and checking out some of those elements is a really cool aspect uh at Magic Kingdom. Now, obviously, there are so many other areas in the park, but I think too often Main Street is where we're rushing through, or we happen to be squeezed in with a crowd waiting for a parade or for the fireworks, and we don't really take some time to look at those different elements. Another I have to add this one though. This is one of my favorite ones, is that Disney pumps certain scents into the into the street as you're walking by because they want you to have that scent of popcorn. They also have a scent of vanilla near the bakery because they want you to come in and try those cookies, try those other baked goods, buy the popcorn. And I know I like the smells when I and I when you go down Main Street.

SPEAKER_05:

You love those smells, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And of course, we've never had one of the vendors. So if any of them are listening, if there's any of the candle companies that do the candles and the scents, we'd love to have you on the show. Now let's move over to Epcot, which of course is my favorite park, and we're gonna focus here mostly on the World Showcase. So kind of focus on the back side of that park or the front if you're coming from International Gateway, I guess. Now, when you are going through the countries, I think so often people don't know that there is so much detail in the different countries around the world showcase. A lot of detail. So first off, like looking at if you're coming from the International Gateway, if you go over to the Morocco Pavilion, if you go into some of the different structures and the buildings, you can see very elaborate mosaic carvings and tile work. And these are super beautiful, and they brought in artisans from Morocco to do those. And that country is so fun to kind of get lost in the alleys and the walkways. Often you either pass by the country or like our daughter likes to go see Jasmine sometimes, so we do make it back in there, but you can just walk around and it's pretty quiet in some of the areas and get some really beautiful pictures inside the Morocco Pavilion. All the little courtyards and alleyways, everything is handcrafted there as well. Now in Japan, it's super cool if you can take some time to go up by the one quick service that's kind of behind the one tower tower. They have the koi ponds and a rock garden and the lanterns that are hanging there. We've even got eaten the quick service there, and it's kind of a nice quiet place. We got wet wedding pictures there on that bridge. So it's just kind of a more quiet, off the beaten path where compared to everybody going into the main shop there or listening to the drummers, you can kind of go back and it's a little bit break of and peace and quiet back there. Not always, depending on the time of the day and how many people are eating, but that is a very nice quiet spot in the Japan pavilion. Now, moving a little bit further around the world showcase, I'm gonna skip American Adventure, I'm gonna come back to it in a minute. But in Mexico, it's fun. They often will have a mariachi band that comes through, which is fun. They have the Taiko drummers in Japan. Um, our daughter really loves to watch the drummers. So the immersive music groups and some of the entertainment is one of the best parts of walking around Epcot as well. Now, going back to the American Adventure, we were married in the American Adventure Pavilion. And one of the things I love about it is that it is really enriched and planned out in American history. When you look at the building itself, it represents um structures in Philadelphia, and it also has a forest perspective, like we talked about on Main Street. Uh, interesting thing about this building is on the front, it looks like it's five stories, but there's only three stories, and it also has that forced perspective to give you that, but it looks like a colonial structure. I really love the American Adventure show. I think Chris enjoys it for a nap. Yes, I do. Um, but that had it. I will say, I thought it was cool when we did that backstage too when we got to see the animatronics and how the whole system works.

SPEAKER_05:

Definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's a cool thing. You can't just walk up and see. But the show is really nice. It has a history of our country and so many different things, and it's a hydraulic system that the show works on, where the whole like scenes come up, and that's what we got to see behind the scenes. But really, if you watch, you can kind of pay attention to some of those elements. And one of my favorite things to do, and I think too often people just listen to them because they're waiting for the show, but is to sit and listen to Voices of Liberty. We're getting ready to go here shortly, and I'd love to hear they typically will do a holiday shows, but they are one of the best vocal groups on property, and I really enjoy hearing them. So if you get a chance just to sit down in the rotunda and listen to them, the acoustics are amazing, but also, I mean, they're just a great group to group of singers as well. So when you just take some time and slow down, listen to the drummers, listen to the mariachi band or voices of liberty. There's so many different elements that you would miss out on if you're going too fast. And I also enjoy just slowing down and going into the shops and wandering around. I think a lot of times we pass by them when we're in a hurry. So kind of slowing down and stopping and checking out all the unique things. That's actually a good idea for a show. We should do all the unique gifts you can get in Apcot.

SPEAKER_05:

I agree.

SPEAKER_00:

So these are just a few things, uh, elements that you can do to slow down at Apcot. And of course, you can exit the International Gateway and you can head over to Hollywood Studios. You can also use the Skyliner, so you can use boat or Skyliner. And over in Hollywood Studios, there's two areas that I think are fun. The one I really need to go to an after-hours party or something. Our friends were gonna have thought about using it for their vow renewal. But Toy Storyland, it has so many cool elements. It is just very hard to slow down there because it's such a busy area of the park.

SPEAKER_05:

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00:

So if you can kit it in an after-hours party or maybe at the right time, but at night in particular, it's fun to go when the lights are up and you can see all the toys in the small army men and the green army men and all of that. The lights are really cool to see. Now, all of you know that we're not Star Wars fans, not at all. But kudos to all of you who are. But I will say that Galaxy's Edge is one of those places that you can really feel like you're in, but too, and it like it's very immersive. I know, like, we're going here shortly, and my cousin likes Star Wars and he's never been. So it's always fun to kind of see people who are um interested in Star Wars, what they like. But here in this area, there are so many elements that I think if you're like us and you're just rushing through to go something else or go to a ride, or other people rushing to get in line, there are some things like if you look in the pavement, there are it looks like tracks from a droid, and they use the actual R2D2 film prop to make the tracks into the that is authentic. Yes, that's very authentic. And when you look on the buildings, there's like blaster marks in the areas that look weathered. So it looks like these buildings have been there for a long time. Just like we talked about on Main Street, the some of the music and different things, there's audio that you can if you listen. Often I feel like it's too busy there to listen, but there's some directional audio that makes it sound like there's ships flying overhead. And of course, there, if you speak to the cast members, they are very immersed in their characters. And if you take some time to notice some of those elements, you can definitely get a different perspective on Galaxy's Edge. And I think when I go this time, I'm gonna try to look for some of these things. I'm interested to see the R2D2 tracks in the pavement. That would be fun to find.

SPEAKER_05:

I do remember seeing those.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so little things like that add to the elements there. Now, last but not least, we have Animal Kingdom, and one of the things with Animal Kingdom is there are so many details just in the tree of life alone. Hey, here's a good trivia, Chris. How many? Well, it's like an over-under kind of how many animal carvings are in the trunks and roots of the tree in life?

SPEAKER_05:

32.

SPEAKER_00:

Over 300.

SPEAKER_05:

That's what I meant.

SPEAKER_00:

320, right? So you could just spend a lot of time looking at these. And I know early on when used to when it was tough to be a bug, we I remember wandering the path and the line, and my family spending some time looking at them. But now that Zootopia is there, and you might get the little ones there, you might be able to kind of slow down and pay attention to them. Another thing that is kind of nice that people often rush through is at the front of the park as you're moving towards the tree of life, that oasis area, there's a lot of nice plant life and waterfalls and small animals. I know a couple of times our daughter is a little slow moving, and I it's forced me to kind of slow down and look at some of the animals in that area, especially, which is fun. Another place as you go further to the park back of the park, obviously, any of the different trails with there's the gorilla trail, there's the tiger trail, you can just wander back there, and the detail of the architecture is so cool. And obviously, you get to see the animals, which is an added bonus. But when you go into Harambe Village, there are some really cool walls, and we've gotten our photos by some of those walls. Um, one wall was very, very hard to find. Do you remember when Charlene, we had found that one wall that was like at a cast member entrance?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So there are some cool walls back there. I'll try to include some of the photos in some of our posts for this episode, but it makes it feel like very authentic when you see like the buildings look like they're weathered and things like that, which is cool. And last but not least, I think one of the coolest parts of the park, and I really only like it at night to notice all the details, is in Pandora, the bioluminescent lighting and the sounds that you can hear. I like to go the trail, like if you were coming from depending on what direction you're coming from, kind of opposite of Navi River Journey. There's a few trails, it's not a big area, but you can kind of walk through and at night in particular. It is really nice to see the bioluminescent lighting, and it is a good area. This is a random story, but that was the area we went during our COVID trip, right before the parks were closed, and we did our grocery order there. It's quiet enough. We did our shipped order there.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, we did.

SPEAKER_00:

But at night, it's a nice area to go and just kind of take in all of those different elements. So these are just all the, and I would say not just there, but all of the parks at night are fun to walk around and see the lighting and pay attention to all of the different elements, whether it be the lighting on the walkways, the different lamps, the different lights throughout the each of the different areas are so cool. So it adds some different elements into it. And then obviously, beyond the parks, there's so much at the resorts, which we could spend a whole episode talking about. But at the resorts, um just taking some time to check out all the different things there, whether it be during the holiday seasons, whether it be Christmas, Easter, they always Halloween, they always have something new to look at. And it gives you a way to, on a day that you don't have a park ticket, to enjoy some of those different elements. And another fun thing to do, and I know my parents did this on a recent trip, is just spent, and we had some friends that did it too, just spending a day checking out the different transportation. You could go on a monorail ride, you can go on a boat ride, you can go on the Skyliner, you can go on a bus if you were so inclined, and enjoy all of these different resorts, but just enjoy a nice relaxing day going around on all the different transportation. As well. So take some time, slow down a little bit. Of course, when we have our call here with Kevin and Amanda, they can definitely help you slow down with their packs for all of the different parks and beyond. So looking forward to hearing from them and their updates, and hopefully, between everything we've recommended and what they can help you with their packs, you will be able to slow down and enjoy Disney a little more than you might in the normal hustle and bustle. So before we get our call up with Kevin and Amanda, Chris, we have a message from our friends Eric and Alexa.

SPEAKER_05:

Yes, they want to make your next trip to Disney even easier. Our friends, Ericks and Alexa, they have their independent baby quip quality providers. And what's awesome is that they're gonna, and again, we're gonna be using them again on our next trip here coming up soon, is they're gonna be providing you access to brand new equipment for your young child, whether that be cribs, Vanessa knows all the technical names, but all the strollers. I know the strollers, but there's they have names for things that dads just don't really remember to get. And then the main thing is that the there's three great things. Number one, they're an awesome company, two, excellent customer service, but the most important, you're gonna be having access to brand new equipment that's gonna make your trip to Disney even easier. So please visit the show notes for a link to make your reservation for the equipment you need for your next trip.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you, Chris. And I will make sure to put all those links in the show notes. So give us a just a second and we're gonna get our call up with Kevin and Amanda. We'd like to welcome Kevin and Amanda back to the show. Their business, Wear in the Park, is a seek and find game product, and they have some really cool options for you. We've done some of them at Disneyland and at Walt Disney World. They also have Universal and other parks, which they'll talk about as we get further into the show today. But we'd like to welcome Kevin and Amanda back to the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for having us. It's it's been a while. Like we've we've met at the park, we've we've hung out, we've chatted online, but to be back on the show is wonderful. So thank you so much for having us.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for coming back. And as Amanda mentioned, we actually got to hang out at Disneyland in March. So we're excited to hear some of the updates since we last met. And right now, we've been asking people what is your favorite show at any of the Disney parks?

SPEAKER_01:

Go for it, Kevin.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, we have the same answer. I can't I can't remember if we brought it up on this show or not, but Amanda and I, we actually met at World of Color for New Year's Eve um about 15 years ago. So um yeah, so that's kind of uh our our go-to show, I think. Uh it's it's definitely one of the best shows ever put into uh any theme park in the world. So yeah, I love world of color, it's my top choice.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, for the original world of color.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, they're they're all good. It's a lot of fun as well with all the inside out stuff. It's still a good time, but the original is definitely like perfect.

SPEAKER_00:

That's like we love illuminations because on our wedding we had our dessert party for illumination, so like that's kind of it for us. So totally understand that. And we were bummed when we were at Disneyland. We missed World of Color because we had to leave to drive down to get ready for our Disney cruise the next day. So we had to leave, which was a bummer. Well, we've already told a little bit about your business, but we'd love for you to tell our listeners a little bit about your business and the products that you offer connected to Disney.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yeah, so we actually um we go to the theme parks, a lot of theme parks. So it's not just Disney, we love all parks, and we go around taking photos of random details. Like the thing is that every theme park, the people who create them put a lot of work into just putting little touches here and there that most people go to the parks and just completely ignore. So we've created a game that kind of helps you to appreciate all the work that goes into these parks. So what you'd be ordering from us is you go to our website and you would buy a pack that has actual physical cards in it for the most part, that's what we have. And those cards have an image on each one of those, and it's your quest to go into the park and figure out where in the park those images are located. Because every photo, like we've to make it look kind of like you're looking directly head-on with it, and um, yeah, so it's kind of just uh the game that we've created. But if you need help, we've also included that because some people just give you like you know, images go find it, and you're kind of on your own. But where every card has a QR code on the back that you can scan with your phone, and it will take you to a page dedicated to that one card where you can reveal the hint, the land, or the answer, or all both, or three, I guess. It's three things. Um, so yeah, it's just kind of what we did. Um, the hints are kind of tough sometimes, they're a play on words, kind of a riddle to solve. Um, I know when we played with you guys, it was like, what are you saying? So it helps if you know the park a little bit for our hints. And again, if if you don't know the park, at least we do give you the land. So at least you know you're not wandering around in the wrong location trying to find it. But the idea is that these parks have kind of a look to each of their lands. So the hope is that when you see that card, um, the image on the card, you it'll get the gears turning. It'll make you think like, wait, what land would this be in? So that way you would go over there and try to search for it. And the image can be up high, down low, it can be really big, it could be real small. It's been cut out of its background, so you have no idea the size of this image when you're looking at it on the card. And that's kind of the fun. So that way it's like it could be literally anywhere, except, except we do have it where um we have some ground rules. Uh, do you want to go over those, Amanda? So I'll just move on. Yeah, perfect.

SPEAKER_01:

So the the ground rule, like so, first off, the very first card in every one of our packs is a scan before playing card. It's very important that you scan that card because it gives you one information about the game. It also gives you an example image to kind of get those gears turning. And it also will tell you if any images are hidden by holiday decor, construction walls, anything like that. You'll have a digital card replacement right there. And the ground rules, as Kevin mentioned, we do have some suggested instructions of suggested gameplay. But the ground rules are it's anywhere that guests are allowed to go. It's but it's not gonna be in shops, restaurants, bathrooms, of course, just anywhere, just as you're walking around or just roaming around the park. Uh, and it's not going to be in any lines for attractions or any attractions, period. So we've definitely enhanced the game over the years um to make sure that that is not included. If it is in an attraction or anything, you can see it from outside of it. So uh that's that's really one of the goals is that you're not standing in line for hours in line for rides. You don't have to pay for lightning lanes or quick cues or wherever you are. They're they're equivalent of a lightning lane. Um, and you can play whenever you'd like. So if you want to take a few cards um out and just experience those cards on this trip, that's great. If you want to make a whole day out of it or a multiple day trip out of it, that's totally doable. Uh, you can stop and start whenever you'd like. So it really adds to your experience. You can stop and start between shows, between meals, all the fun things. So it's a lot of fun and it's hours of entertainment.

SPEAKER_00:

I will say to add what you were just talking about, like we did it with both of you at Disneyland, and we are not familiar with that park at all. But we did another one of the packs at Epcot, and we did well on that. And it was nice because, like you said, the one day we were just there for dinner in the evening. So we took out a couple of cards and did them, and then another day we were there all day, and so we just carried them around and did them throughout the day. So it is nice because you can customize whatever you want that experience to be. And it was still fun doing Disneyland because then it made us stop and see those details. And then with Epcot, it had gave us a chance to see things in a new way that we had never noticed before in the park. So that was really what we loved about it a lot.

SPEAKER_05:

Yes. And you know, we also know, you know, you shared the origin story of like why you did this. I'd like to know more about once you kind of hit Disney, what was your inspiration, or like what was how'd you decide on the next park? Like what non-Disney park and which one was it, and why?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh, you know, honestly, the reason why we branched out again, we love all theme parks, just like that out there. Um, but the things we were doing live events with just the Disney packs, and um, one of the first questions we got from a lot of people when we when we explained, oh, we have a seek and find adventure you can play inside of Disneyland, like, oh, that's really cool. I have a pass for knots, I have a pass for universal. You know, it's like, do you have a game for them? Like, I guess you could do a game for them, right? So we went to those parks with our cameras and started looking around. It's like, oh, hey, you know what? They actually have a ton of details in these parks as well. And it just kind of snowballed from there, where every time we go to a theme park, it's like they actually put a lot of work into this. I had no idea. Like, because I mean, I'm a lifelong theme park like person. I've always thought of myself as a person who's like an enthusiast, and I'd just go for the rides. I was kind of stuck in that kind of mindset, like a lot of people are where you go to a theme park and you stand those lines all day, go on as many rides as you can. At the end of the day, you feel like you've accomplished something. But when you start looking at all the details, it's like, wait, I don't think I've ever been here before. It's like this place is actually has a lot of work they put into it, and our games kind of help you to appreciate that. And that's what I love about it. So it really motivated us to really expand as well, besides just the request for it.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you, Kevin. And it this goes to Amanda, but you mentioned it expand. We know you have California and Florida Disney parks down. Are there plans for Europe or Asia?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, uh eventually, yes. Um, there are a ton of other parks here in the United States, though, uh, that we have our sights on first. And especially with like um Knott's Berry Farm and the Cedar Fair Parks now merging with um the Six Flags parks and how you have one season pass that covers all of those parks. And so we really want to utilize our annual passes and branch out to all those parks first before we go into overseas parks um and adventure that way. But we've also been in talks with a bunch of people who have said, hey, what about cruise ships, the Disney cruise lines? And you know, we are have our days at sea. Why not go on a wear in the park game at the the cruise ship? So we have lots of areas of opportunity to expand. Uh it's just we are a team of three. So um try, and we also have you know, full-time jobs outside of where in the park. So it's like finding the time and finding the the resources to be able to go to all of these parks because there's a lot to do and a lot to see. But that's the beauty of it is that we have so many areas of opportunity, not just to go to these other parks, but also to create, you know, series one, series two, all of these, you know, a seasonal game. The the possibilities are endless. So um it's really, really exciting. And to be a theme park fan is just fantastic.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, I fully understand. And I know there's so much in America to explore about you know, you know, Vanessa, we've heard his interest in going to, I believe, Tokyo and other places, it would just be a nice way to invest some of those research and development dollars and and be able to write off a trip all in the sake of you know research. 100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

One of these days.

unknown:

We'll get there.

SPEAKER_00:

No, you did just do a recent relaunch. So, in that, could you explain to our viewers a little bit about what all of that entails and what you've updated since we last had you on the show?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. So one of the big things that we've updated is the cover of the game. So the actual game pack itself is exactly the same. We've just enhanced the covers a little bit um to include some details like we are not affiliated with the parks in any way. Um, you know, we are independently owned and operated, that kind of thing, and to really have our logo stand out a little bit more because our logo in and of itself is a we're in the park game. You know, the components of our logos can be found at Disneyland and California Adventure. So it's uh a play on that as well. Um, so that was basically the biggest part of the relaunch. Um, but for the most part, um, it was just to kind of have a little refresh. We updated all of our graphics. Um, the the some of the images are a little bit more crisp. Uh, you know, as technology has advanced with uh you know, we're just using our cameras on our cell phones. So to go back around the parks and take newer images and uh advance the cards a little bit more, so you'll find uh some of those images have some crisper colors um and some more defined lines.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's true. We started uh making these cards over four years ago. Yeah. So like we hadn't we had we have better cameras today than we did back then. For sure. So we've gone back to parks and been like, hey, let me get my new top of the line and uh take some better photos and I'll go back through kind of make them look better than ever. Um I was thinking um it's been about a year and a half since we were on the show last time. So I don't know if we actually have um, I'm sure we have something new that we've unrolled since then. I'm having trouble remembering because everything's kind of been like so much at once. It's hard to keep it.

SPEAKER_00:

I was gonna ask what what was your latest pack since we last had you on the show? Or park, I guess. What was your latest park?

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, I don't know. Okay, what are you gonna say?

SPEAKER_01:

Um well one of the biggest things that has uh been newly rolled out since we've last been on the show is our digital games. So we now have digital games for uh downtown Disney and um the um what is it called?

SPEAKER_02:

Disney Springs and City Walk.

SPEAKER_01:

Disney Springs and City Walk. Yes. So Disney Springs and City Walk over at the Universal Parks and over at, you know, obviously the Walt Disney World Resort. Uh so we did a digital game for those because it is constantly changing. And to make a physical game pack, as soon as we rolled it out, they would update something and it's just too much to keep track of. So we did a digital game instead. That way we can immediately update the image uh if something goes wrong. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

That's perfect. We are actually going to the park, the Florida park soon, and I'll have to get the digital one for Disney Springs because we haven't spent a day there in a very long time, and I actually have a day that we're gonna be there most of the time. So I'll I'll definitely get that um digital pack to try it out because it'd be fun to see the difference between the digital and doing the because we've done your regular packs before. So that'd be great. Now we've already talked about this quite a bit, but if you could add a little bit more and maybe some anecdotes from people who have used your games or used your cards and that, what how do you think that your products add Disney magic to your customers' lives?

SPEAKER_03:

Go for it.

SPEAKER_02:

She gestures to me. Um she talks to the uh customers way more than I do, but I can um tell you that it we've had a lot of people, especially at the live events, like just come to us like, you know, thank you so much for these games. Where again, it's kind of like I already said, where it's like we go to the parks all the time, but we never really paid attention to how amazing these parks are until we started playing your game. It really kind of like sparks that like need to like look at everything. And now we all of a sudden you realize how hard of work they put into them. Um, I know that we've had um different customers um reach out to us and like you know, they go, Hey, I'm gonna go to the park by myself. I need to get this pack by like the certain day, you know, because we can't go to the park by my you know, so I can't go to the park alone without your game pack. You know, so it's kind of an interesting, like kind of getting your foot in the door to be able to experience the parks alone as well, which a lot of people do, and all the more power to you if you go there and have a great time um without our game. But some people think, hey, without your game, I feel kind of weird in the park alone. So we're kind of the friend with you in in game pack form. Um, we've also had some customers where they've renewed their magic key just because they had more cards to find. You know, it's one of those like I was gonna let it lapse because I'm not really going on the rides, but now that I have something new I can do, it really helps. It's also a great thing when you have um families where you have certain people who don't like going on all the thrill rides with people who do. So now you have an alternative. Like if you have like that Aunt Beth or whatever, where it's like we can't bring her to the park because she doesn't like going to theme parks, it's like, well, this is something that she would enjoy doing too, because it doesn't involve standing in line for rides all day.

SPEAKER_03:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

And it doesn't involve going on thrill rides that she might not enjoy. So it's just kind of a fun little thing that we've learned. Like when we first developed it, we were thinking just like, you know, this is for pass holders who have run out of things to do, you know. But kind of helped us to understand, like, no, it's actually a need that they like that they had that we didn't realize. So it's really filling in that gap where you can introduce the park to more people who kind of weren't really theme park people before, so you can like share the park with them with our games. Well, and I'm not that note, Kevin.

SPEAKER_05:

I have a coworker who she'll be taking her family down to Universal, and there's a new edition where she's like, you know, my kids are just gonna be playing and I'm gonna be waiting. And I told them about where in the park, and I said, Vanessa and I did it, it's wonderful. And I said, You're good. There's so much time waiting for food and cues, letting the kids play. And her kids are probably old enough where they could be by themselves on a certain ride. I said, Go enjoy the park. And so I'm actually planning on purchasing a pack for her for Universal and kind of giving that to her before they go down in March.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, that's awesome! And we always tell people to like like it's fun for the whole family, right? Even if you're there for solo trips or whatever, we have heard from customers that they're doing a family reunion at the parks. And so going back to what Kevin said about not everyone's gonna go on those rides, not everyone wants to stand in those lines or can't stand in those lines for that long, right? So this is something that the whole family can enjoy all ages. You know, we have some as young as four completely rocking the game because they are, you know, they're using their brains in a new way and finding different details. And uh it's just a fun way to go explore the parks in a new way and really train your brain to experience those details in in a new way. And you'll never unsee those details. So even if you've found that image, the next time you're at the parks, you'll see that image again. And you'll one remember the time that you had and that feeling of ah, I found it. It was bothering us for hours. We were roaming around, we went to three different lands, we didn't want to reveal a hint, and we finally found it in that joy uh of of finding that image, and you'll relive that feeling every time that you see it. But then our Also, too, it's taking your your uh annual past and your fandom to the next level. So it's going, okay, I know a detail that most people walk right by. Right. And you you'll start to notice so many people walking by that detail and they have no idea that it's there, or you know, consciously don't know that it's there. And you're like, okay, not only do I know that it's there, but I I now know what's around it and why it's there. And I've really stopped and took inventory of, okay, this is telling me a story. This was put with intention, and I have a deeper appreciation and love for this park. And so it's just been truly rewarding and fulfilling to hear these stories from our customers of I never knew that this was here, or they make it a fun competition. And, you know, it's mom and dad versus the kids, or you know, they divide and conquer and they make it a super competitive thing or a more laid back thing, and they're like, oh, the girls won, or you know, whatever. And uh, so just to hear those stories and all the different ways that they're experiencing the game and to know that you know, we're printing these on our home printers, we're cutting them by hand, we're you know, putting all of this time and and love into these games and to know that people are appreciating it is just truly fulfilling.

SPEAKER_00:

So I'll have to find some videos of Chris when we were at Disneyland in March because he got super excited on a couple of the ones that he found.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, no, yeah, I saw you, yeah. But Amanda hit on it, just that detail because you know, like you said, like there's things that you walk past sometimes a thousand times, and it just shows the love that, like in this our case, Disney puts into the effort, and then people who do love Disney, and then like to your setting, now you're a third degree you know enthusiast where you're seeing just details that many folks are just eye blind to, but yet there was so much intention put into when the park was built or when that or that design was put into yeah, absolutely everything is put there with intention, and you know, it's not just a haphazard, like, oh, we'll put this here and we'll put that there.

SPEAKER_01:

No, everything, especially in the Disney park, it is there on purpose, it is to tell that story and to fully immerse you in the uh world that they're building. So uh just to take a take a lazy stroll through the the lands and really explore everything, it's it's amazing. Highly recommended.

SPEAKER_02:

You mentioned Universal. Universal's been upping their game, yes. So it's definitely an amazing like it's where if you haven't been to Universal Studios for a while, you might think like there's nothing to see there, but they've added so many details to these parks on both coasts. But when we go there, it's like, man, we have a lot of work to do. We have thousands and thousands of photos. So just narrowing it down, I guess we should explain like what our packs even are, right? Where uh we have different choices where uh we have a mini game that you can get for all the universal Disney parks. I think we have one for Knots as well, where it's a small pack that has eight cards in it. So is you're on an adventure trying to find eight images hidden in the details of the park of the park, pardon me. And um yeah, that's what that is. That's the mini game. So you can think of that as either your intro to the game or a bonus pack if you've already played the bigger games. And the bigger games are a bigger pack that have 30 cards in each of them. So again, we take thousands of photos, but we pick out eight to 30 cards that we think are a good spread across the entire park. So when you get that pack, you're gonna be going from every land, from every little like nook and cranny in there. But again, where guests are allowed, not inside shops. So at least you we do like have those ground rules to make it a little bit easier, right? Because if we had everything, you'd be there for an eternity, it'd be kind of um monotonous. But we have where it's just a fun adventure that you're doing while you're in between rides and shows. If you're there for that, if you want to just play our game all day, you can do that as well. We do try to make it as either in as intense or as laid back as you want. That's kind of the way we've designed these. So, whatever is like your preference, you can play it that way. Um, we didn't mention with that scam for a playing card. We actually have a little section at the bottom where we will give it to you if you want to. We have it hidden behind a button, so you're not gonna like just get to it um on accident. Where we'll show you every single um card by land, every single card has a number on it. And when you reveal that, I say this land has these card numbers in it. Nice. So if you want, you can actually sort your deck. Because when we give you the cards numbered one through 30 in the bigger packs, but they are in an order where none of them are usually like near each other.

SPEAKER_03:

Sure.

SPEAKER_02:

Like if you try to go in that order, we did that once at SeaWorld. Again, we haven't gone through all of our parks either. So we have SeaWorld on both coasts as well. Um, we did one day with Amanda where she's like, hey, let's see like how many steps it is. We had one of those like little tracker apps on our phone where it'll like track your steps. If we go from card one to card two to card three, like, how many steps would it be? We got through, I think, half the deck in like a few hours because it's so much back and forth the way we have them spread across the park. I'm like, even if we put it in the card order, you're still gonna be playing for at least a couple hours if you know where the cards are. Right. Yeah, so it's definitely a long adventure as far as like what you're paying for with these game packs. Because right now, um, they're uh ten dollars for the mini games and twenty-five for the bigger games. We have bundles and stuff, and um obviously you have a coupon, I believe you mentioned it in all your episodes for 10% off. And it's one of those things where the like the value proposition is amazing because you're getting a multi-hour experience in a theme park for 10 to 25. If you imagine like at the theme park holding one of those, how much would they charge you for that?

SPEAKER_00:

Like, yeah, any of the extra hours events, how much those cost, and those are just a couple hours, I mean, amazing or a lightning lane or anything like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Like you're getting like uh quick access to a ride or a couple of rides, and you know, that's gonna just last you the one day, whereas this can last you multiple days or throughout the entire year.

SPEAKER_05:

So I want to picture oh well. We're in the park, half marathon. I mean, people pay big money for these half marathons, even without imagine saying do our card pack and you will walk 13.1 miles. That would be something.

SPEAKER_02:

I assure you, it's uh maybe not 13.1 miles, but you're doing uh a few thousand steps for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

You're at least doing a 10k for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

I guess if you do go in the card number order, it might just be a marathon.

SPEAKER_01:

I think so, because it was. I mean, and we kevin mentioned we were at SeaWorld San Diego doing this, and we got through 15 cards, and we were not running, but we were speed walking to each one, and man, not recommended to do it that way.

SPEAKER_02:

Might be we're actually hurting just trying to get to the next one. Like, you know, I think we have to stop.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it was it was painful, so don't do it that way. Sort your cards, use NASCAM before playing card, or just take your time through it.

SPEAKER_05:

Now you mentioned the cards and the digital packs. Where can people go to get ready for their next trip?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you can go to whereinthepark.com. That easy, that simple. And use code DizLove10 to get 10% off their next game. And that includes the bundles too. So it's an additional savings uh on top of that. And you know, because it is an affiliate link, Vanessa and Chris get a little bit of a commission off of those sales. So it just supports the the podcast and supports the amazing work that you guys are doing in highlighting small businesses. So we love that you guys are affiliate with us, and we love your support and you know, all of the listeners and everything. It just is so wonderful to have you guys part as part of the team.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you. Well, the major shout out goes to both of you because or or and also your the third companion, because really without that ingenuity and the desire, I mean, because most people go, Oh, I have a pack of cards, they have no idea of just the blood, sweat, and and achy feet that go into putting something like that together. So I just give you kudos for having an idea and seeing it through because there's so many, oh, I have a good idea, and then it that's where it ends. But for you guys to see it through and going from coast to coast, that is awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

And one quick question if somebody was listening and they want to get a pack for their next trip, how soon should they order? What is the time frame that they need to keep in mind?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we're located in Southern California, and so if you are also in California, uh typically shipping is anywhere between three to five days. Um, but if you are on the East Coast, uh it could be upwards of a week to a week and a half, especially as this episode is coming out. We have the holidays to combat with. So um just plan for if if you have a trip, you know, two weeks out or more. That's what I would recommend because you never know with shipping delays, um, it anything can happen. So uh as soon as you place the order, we are printing out the cards. If we don't have them um on hand already, and we are getting them out as fast as possible, typically within 24 to 48 hours uh is when the order will go out. You'll receive the tracking information, and we track it every step of the way. So uh, but typically that's what we see is three to five days locally in California, upwards to a week, a week and a half um for uh anybody on the East Coast, and then it just kind of varies in between there. So for sure.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, thank you. Like I mentioned, I do have a coworker who's gonna be going to Universal Florida, and so we'll out there that's in March, and we'll be making that order very soon so they have it in time. And um, what a just a wonderful idea. And again, it just makes it so much fun because people ask how many times have you been to Disney? I truly cannot remember. I mean, I don't have the best memory to begin with, but I cannot remember. And like you get so eye-blind to so many things where oh, you just see the cast or you just see this. And to your point, there was something where we saw like it was on a just kind of almost like a flagpole or a fence post that was up high, and you've walked past it a hundred times. You're like, oh my gosh. And so that's why I just love wearing the park. And it just like for me, it just keeps your mind going, and that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, we will make sure to put not only the discount code, but also the affiliate link. And remember, if you don't get a chance to order in time, they did mention their great digital games. So you could do downtown Disney or Disney Springs. So if you forgot to order those packs, you can always get that when you're at either of the parks on either coast. So thank you again, Kevin and Amanda, for joining us today.

SPEAKER_01:

Happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for having us.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you again to Kevin and Amanda for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00:

And now we are on to our two-minute trivia and our wisdom from walt quote. Chris, you are up with trivia.

SPEAKER_05:

You mentioned it if we we will be going to Lake Muna Vista. It's Main Street USA.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_05:

That is not the name in Shanghai Disneyland. Ooh. What is the name in Shanghai Disneyland?

SPEAKER_00:

I have absolutely no idea because I don't know much about Shanghai, and I know it's obviously not Main Street Shanghai.

SPEAKER_05:

It's extremely simple. Okay. Can I just tell you? Sure. Mickey Avenue.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I like it.

SPEAKER_05:

That is very cool. Yes, because Main Street Shanghai just doesn't have the same ring as Main Street USA. And of course it wouldn't be Main Street USA there. But yes. And the purpose of Mickey Avenue is again to just help orient visitors to Disney characters.

SPEAKER_00:

Very interesting. Well, see, I that all of those international parks are on my bucket list, and I would have known that if I had been there by now. So to kind of wrap up our episode, we just talked about like exploring and taking time to look at all of these different elements in the parks and all of the ways that Kevin and Amanda can help you find all of these unique elements as well. So this is one of Walt's quotes that's simple, but I think it really rings true for what we talked about today. It's simply ideas come from curiosity. So hopefully, your curiosity can help spark some ideas as you walk through the parks, maybe thinking about something you'd like to try more out of or experience with your family. So make sure that you can take some time to be curious as you visit the Disney parks. So thank you so much for joining us today. Don't forget to check out our other episodes on our Buzz Sprout page and follow us on social media for even more Disney magic. So thank you again for joining us on this episode of the Diz Love Podcast with Vanessa and Chris. I'm Vanessa. And I'm Chris.