The Theme Park Trader Podcast

Join us for episode 499 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

We've done something a little different this week, we've put every ride, show, restaurant and bar at EPCOT under the microscope and ranked the lot from best to worst.

But we didn't just take Google's star ratings at face value. A place with a handful of reviews can look like it's beating somewhere with thousands, so we ran every score through the same kind of formula IMDb uses for its Top 250 — pulling the small-sample scores back until they've earned their place. What's left is a ranking of what's actually rated highly, not just what got lucky.

Along the way, we:

• Crown the highest-rated attraction in the park (and debate whether it deserves it)
• Work out which iconic sit-down restaurant is coasting on atmosphere rather than food
• Expose the quiet underdogs that score far better than their reputation suggests
• Argue about the ride we reckon is genuinely the weak link — and whether nostalgia is clouding the judgement
• Sort out what's worth your time and money on your next trip, and what to skip

Plus, we get into our D23 predictions — what we think Disney has up its sleeve, the announcements we're hoping for, the ones we're dreading, and the wilder rumours we reckon might just come true. Expect some bold calls we'll almost certainly be held to later.

If you've ever wondered what's genuinely worth doing at EPCOT — and what's coasting on hype — this is the episode for you.

Join us for episode 498 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

Our big Orlando trip is almost here, so this week on Theme Park Trader we’re joined by two very special guests — Ryan’s sister Charlotte and his nephew!

With the countdown well and truly on, we chat through the plans for the trip, what everyone is most excited about, the parks and attractions at the top of the list, and all the inevitable chaos that comes with taking a big family holiday to Orlando.

Expect plenty of Disney and Universal talk, questionable planning decisions, family disagreements and a few predictions about what’s actually going to happen once we get there.

The holiday is nearly here. What could possibly go wrong?

Join us for episode 497 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

We've done something a little different this week — we've put every ride, show, restaurant and bar at Disney's Hollywood Studios under the microscope and ranked the lot from best to worst.

But we didn't just take Google's star ratings at face value. A place with a handful of reviews can look like it's beating somewhere with thousands, so we ran every score through the same kind of formula IMDb uses for its Top 250 — pulling the small-sample scores back until they've earned their place. What's left is a ranking of what's actually rated highly, not just what got lucky.

Along the way, we:

• Crown the highest-rated attraction in the park (and debate whether it deserves it)
• Expose the snack spot whose glowing rating completely falls apart under scrutiny
• Work out whether one of the most hyped, hardest-to-book spots in the park is quietly one of its worst
• Argue about the ride that genuinely underwhelms — and the one nostalgia won't let us criticise
• Sort out what's worth your time and money on your next trip, and what to skip

If you've ever wondered what's genuinely worth doing at Hollywood Studios — and what's coasting on hype — this is the episode for you.

Join us for episode 496 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

This week, we’re going behind the screams as we speak directly to Universal about Halloween Horror Nights 35.

In this exclusive interview, we dig into what guests can expect from this year’s event, how Universal approaches bringing HHN to life and what makes the 35th anniversary such a major moment for Halloween Horror Nights. We also uncover a few exclusive details about HHN35 that you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re counting down the days until the fog returns, planning your first-ever visit or simply obsessed with everything Halloween Horror Nights, this is an episode packed with insights straight from Universal themselves.

What are you most excited to experience at HHN35? Let us know in the comments!

Join us for episode 495 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

Guests DESTROY Beak and Barrel & BaseLine Tap House in this week's episode of Theme Park Trader!

But first — is table service dining dying at Walt Disney World? With guests now dropping serious money on Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Premier Pass before they even step through the gates, more and more visitors are skipping sit-down restaurants altogether. So is Disney's answer to grab those lost guest dollars... bars and lounges? We dig into why spots like The Beak and Barrel and BaseLine Tap House might be exactly where Disney wants you spending instead — lower commitment than a two-hour ADR, no huge kitchen overhead, and premium-priced drinks with a themed backdrop.

Then it's time for the main event: we read the most BRUTAL guest reviews of Magic Kingdom's pirate lounge The Beak and Barrel and Hollywood Studios' BaseLine Tap House. From "a tavern full of disappointment" to complaints about pricing, portions, queues and theming that didn't live up to the hype — nobody is safe.

Do you agree with the reviews? Have you visited either lounge? Let us know in the comments!

Join us for episode 493 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

How much does it REALLY cost to build a Disney World ride? In this episode of Theme Park Trader, we rank the 10 most expensive attractions ever built at Walt Disney World — and then adjust every budget for inflation, which completely reshuffles the list. A ride from 1999 might still be the most expensive Disney has ever built.

We cover the $500 million price tag on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, why Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance's building permits said $78 million when the real number was closer to $450 million, the legendary "Disco Yeti" — one of the most expensive animatronics ever built, broken since 2006 — and how Tiana's Bayou Adventure cost $142 million for what's technically a retheme.

Join us for episode 493 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

Every theme park fan has a list of petty pet peeves, and today we're airing all of ours. We count down the worst theme park icks — ranked by rage — from slow walkers and parade curb-savers to ring-light vloggers and Disney adults who can't take a single critique. Building all the way to the number one offender, everyone secretly hates. We even confess the ones we're guilty of. No one's safe, including us.

 

Join us for episode 492 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

In this episode of Theme Park Trader, we’re talking through our upcoming Orlando plans, from where we’re staying and what parks we’re hoping to hit, to the food, attractions, and chaos we’re already overthinking.

We also get into the latest Disney transport restrictions at Walt Disney World, what they could mean for guests, and whether Disney is slowly making it harder to enjoy the resort without extra planning, extra spend, or a spreadsheet worthy of NASA.

Expect Orlando excitement, Disney transport moaning, a bit of trip-planning panic, and the usual Theme Park Trader nonsense.

 

Join us for episode 491 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

This week, we’re heading over to Universal as we share some of our favourite memories from the parks.

From recording Theme Park Trader at Halloween Horror Nights , to seeing Hogwarts for the first time, staying at Hard Rock Hotel, stepping into Seuss Landing, and revisiting classics like Jaws, Spider-Man and The Hulk, this episode is packed with nostalgia.

We also chat about the excitement of hearing Universal could be coming to the UK, the build-up to Epic Universe, and the Universal moments that have stuck with us the most over the years.

Join us for episode 490 of the Theme Park Trader Podcast!

This week we’re getting properly nostalgic as we share some of our favourite memories from the Disney parks.

From unforgettable attraction moments and family trips to unexpected laughs, emotional memories, and the kind of chaos only a Disney day can deliver, we’re looking back at the experiences that have stuck with us the most over the years.

Expect plenty of Disney Parks nostalgia, a few ridiculous stories, and probably far too much sentimentality as we celebrate the moments that made us fall in love with the parks in the first place.