WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic!

869 · How Disney Magic Changed Baseball - Jesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas
What happens when someone takes Walt Disney's philosophy and applies it far beyond Disney?
In this episode, I sit down with Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas and creator of Banana Ball, during their sold-out appearance at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports. What began as a conversation about baseball quickly became something much deeper.
Jesse shares how Disney shaped him as a child, the unforgettable Typhoon Lagoon experience that still influences his leadership today, and why Walt Disney's principles of innovation, storytelling, attention to detail, and relentless "plussing" have become foundational to Banana Ball's explosive success. We also hear from Disney Sports Vice President Adam Ball about why Banana Ball and Disney make such a natural fit.
This conversation isn't about baseball.
It's about creating unforgettable experiences, embracing criticism, taking bold risks, building culture, and putting people first.
Whether you're a Disney fan, entrepreneur, creator, leader, or someone pursuing a dream, the lessons in this episode are powerful, practical, and deeply inspiring.
In this episode you'll discover:
How Disney influenced Jesse Cole's vision
The surprising connection between Walt Disney and Banana Ball
Why fan-first thinking changes everything
The importance of "plussing" every experience
Lessons in leadership, innovation, and resilience
Why criticism may be a sign you're doing something meaningful

Jesse Cole - Instagram
The Savannah Bananas - Instagram - YouTube

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LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.
Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

868 · Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress: History, Debate & What's Next
The Carousel of Progress reimagining announcement sparked one of the most passionate Disney fan conversations in recent memory.
Some fans are excited. Others are heartbroken. Many are somewhere in between.
And all of it makes complete sense - because this attraction isn't just a show. For a lot of us, it's a memory. A person. A moment that lives somewhere deep.
But before you land on how you feel, there's a story you need to hear. One that starts not with the announcement - but in the 1950s, with Walt Disney himself, and an idea that never made it off the drawing board. Because when you understand where Carousel of Progress actually came from, and how many times it has already changed, what Disney just announced looks like something very different.
In Episode 868, we trace the complete history - from Edison Square to the 1964 World's Fair to every revision across six decades - and into every detail of what is coming in 2027. The new scenes. The Walt Disney animatronic. The off-planet finale drawn from John Hench's original concept art. The fan reaction breakdown. And the case, built on Walt's own words, for why the carousel moving again after 30 years might be exactly what he always intended.

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Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!
LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.
Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

867 · Walt Disney World Just Got Major Upgrades - and This Summer Is the Best Time to Visit
This might quietly be one of the biggest overall summer upgrades Walt Disney World has had in years.
Not because of one giant new land - but because every park, every age group, and nearly every type of guest got meaningful, real enhancements at the exact same time.
After being invited by Disney to their Summer Fun Fest media event, Lou Mongello goes far beyond the headlines in WDW Radio Episode 867.
At one point during the event, he sat in a room with Disney leadership - park operations, Imagineering, and the facility asset management team (the most important team at Walt Disney World that most guests have never heard of) - for a candid conversation about how Disney actually makes decisions, processes guest feedback, and thinks about the future of the parks.
That context changes everything that comes after it.
Buzz Lightyear. Big Thunder Mountain. The Muppets. Mandalorian and Grogu. Bluey. Every park, something real - and a full conversation with a Walt Disney Imagineering Story Lead about how Disney decides what to change, what to keep, and why it all matters.
Plus: why the connection between films, streaming, and parks is stronger than it has ever been. And why now - right now - is the best time to visit Walt Disney World in 2026.

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391
✈️ Looking to visit a Disney Park, Disney Cruise Line, or any vacation destination around the world? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you! - visit MouseFanTravel.com
📬 Stay Connected:
- Subscribe for email updates + get my FREE Disney book!
- Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
🎧 Explore More:
WDWRadio.com - Blog, archives, podcasts, and more
WDW Radio Nation - Support the show and unlock rewards
WDWRadioLIVE.com - Watch and chat LIVE Wednesday nights
Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!
LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.
Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

866 · The Best Food at Walt Disney World Isn't Where You Think It Is
The best food at Walt Disney World isn't where you think it is.
In WDW Radio # 866, Lou Mongello spends a full day eating his way through Disney's Animal Kingdom - stop by stop, bite by bite - and makes the case that this is Walt Disney World's most extraordinary culinary destination.
Colombian arepas and globally inspired rice bowls. Viral desserts and hidden gems. Drinks in Pandora - The World of Avatar developed with James Cameron's team. Nomad Lounge. Tiffins at 10 years. And a full conversation with Chef Greg Hannon, Culinary Director of Disney's Animal Kingdom, about authenticity, storytelling through food, the future of Tropical Americas, and what his perfect food day in the park looks like.
This is Disney's Animal Kingdom like you have never tasted it before.
Plus, I'll have a very special announcement to share with you at the end of the show... but here's a not-so-subtle hint

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391
✈️ Looking to visit a Disney Park, Disney Cruise Line, or any vacation destination around the world? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you! - visit MouseFanTravel.com
📬 Stay Connected:
- Subscribe for email updates + get my FREE Disney book!
- Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
🎧 Explore More:
WDWRadio.com - Blog, archives, podcasts, and more
WDW Radio Nation - Support the show and unlock rewards
WDWRadioLIVE.com - Watch and chat LIVE Wednesday nights
Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!
LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.
Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!

865 · When Wishes Assemble: The Story of Disney and Make-A-Wish
45 years. 175,000 wishes. One out of every two Make-A-Wish wishes granted in America is a Disney wish.
The Disney Make-A-Wish partnership is about far more than theme park vacations. Every single hour, somewhere in the world, Disney helps grant a wish for a child battling a critical illness - creating moments of hope, joy, strength, and healing for families who need it most.
In this very personal episode, Lou shares the extraordinary history of Disney and Make-A-Wish, from the very first Disneyland wish in 1981 to the incredible “Wishes Assemble” event at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure, featuring Anthony Mackie, MrBeast, Mark Rober, Paul Bettany, and 40 remarkable children and their families.
Along the way, he explores the emotional impact of wish granting, the medical research behind why wishes matter, and why this cause has become such an important part of the WDW Radio community for more than 20 years.
You’ll hear stories about wish kids meeting their heroes, Disney Cast Members who once received wishes themselves, and how the WDW Radio Dream Team Project has helped raise more than $550,000 to help grant wishes for children and families through Make-A-Wish.
If you’ve ever wondered what Disney magic truly means, this episode may change the way you see it forever.

📣 Comment in the WDW Radio Clubhouse or 📞 Call the Voicemail: 407-900-9391
✈️ Looking to visit a Disney Park, Disney Cruise Line, or any vacation destination around the world? Let our friends at Mouse Fan Travel help you with expert planning at no cost to you! - visit MouseFanTravel.com
📬 Stay Connected:
- Subscribe for email updates + get my FREE Disney book!
- Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
🎧 Explore More:
WDWRadio.com - Blog, archives, podcasts, and more
WDW Radio Nation - Support the show and unlock rewards
WDWRadioLIVE.com - Watch and chat LIVE Wednesday nights
Events & Cruises - Join us for group trips and in-person meetups!
LouMongello.com - Creator or solopreneur? Turn your passion into your profession with coaching, courses, and events, including our Momentum events in Walt Disney World. I am also a keynote speaker who shares how to leverage lessons from Disney on customer service, experience, and leadership.

🙏 Thank you for listening, being part of the WDW Radio family, and helping the show be recognized as the Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years - and for the incredible honor of being inducted into the ⭐️ Podcast Hall of Fame.
Please subscribe, tell a friend, and join me again next week... and as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WDW Radio Show!