The WDW News Today Podcast - without News Today · Tom Corless & Eric Morton

Behind the Scenes at The Seas Pavilion - The WDW News Today Podcast: Episode 94

January 24, 2026·1 hr 12 min·5 clips

Episode 94 starts with a victory lap. The hosts look back on a strong stretch that included Leslie Iwerks, AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF, and an Imagineer interview listeners will hear next week. The tone is relaxed and pleased with itself, and they also point people to the main channel and the other places their videos live. The show then leans into the kind of theme-park argument it knows how to carry. A Star Tours discussion turns into a debate about thematic integrity, timeline logic, and what George Lucas apparently did or did not care about. One side says the ride should follow its story rules. The other says people mostly want to be blasted at by AT-ATs. The conversation never stays abstract for long. It keeps coming back to what the attraction feels like when it actually works. The hosts compare that logic to newer Star Wars experiences and keep circling back to why Star Tours still lands for them. They argue that recognizability matters. They argue that music matters. They argue that feeling like you are inside Star Wars matters more than perfect internal chronology. The original version of the ride comes up as part of that case, including the reminder that its story made little sense either. That does not hurt the ride. It helps explain why the ride survives. The discussion also settles on a personal favorite detail: the emotional hit of being chosen as the rebel spy. That small moment carries a lot of the ride’s appeal. It is the kind of thing this show likes to notice because it tells you how fans actually remember an attraction. Not by the documentation. By the moment their face lit up. From there the episode pivots again. The closing stretch turns toward Disney Cruise Line, with mention of Jane Alcorn giving a walking tour about the work she did to bring Castaway Key to life. The hosts frame it as one of the more interesting pieces tied to the cruise event. Ticket availability becomes its own practical mini-segment. They say the cruise is sold out. They warn that only a limited number of rooms remain. They explain that those remaining rooms may change in type or price if more open up. The sales pitch is not subtle, but it is wrapped in the usual event-logistics talk rather than a hard break. The final minutes keep the familiar WDW News Today rhythm. There is some joking, some housekeeping, and a reminder to go to events.wwnt.com for tickets. The episode closes with the usual sign-off energy: a little weary, a little pleased, and already halfway into the next thing.

As heard by us

A wandering episode that settles into a sharp Star Tours discussion.

Episode 94 starts in a crowded lane, with interviews and event chatter that take their time before the conversation settles into Star Tours. That later stretch is the strongest material here.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want Disney parks talk that starts with a busy week and lands on a Star Tours argument?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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