Episodes

  • Episode 56: Food and Wine Festival 2022 Part 2
    Sep 29 2022

    Your podcast hosts Mary Yohannan and Emily Nugent gave you all the juicy details about the good and bad food then encountered in episode 55.  In this episode they finish the rounds, and go into the fun activities.  Are you ready to find Remi?  

    Hungry? You will be after finishing the rounds at Epcot Food and Wine Festival with Mary and Emily. Listen to find out one of their secret go to spots for apple themed drinks and dessert! Yum!

    Thinking of planning a Disney or Universal vacation? Why not plan with one of our Authorized Disney vacation planning specialists. Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back to you soon.

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    39 mins
  • Episode 55 Food and Wine Festival 2022
    Sep 16 2022

    Food and Wine Festival 2022 - Your podcast hosts, Mary and Emily are here to tell you what is good and what you should stay away from!!

    One of Mary's favorite food choices year after year at the Food and Wine Festival is the Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese! Yummy!!

    Thinking of planning a Disney or Universal vacation? Why not plan with one of our Authorized Disney vacation planning specialists. Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back to you soon.

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    32 mins
  • Episode 54: Epcot Part 2
    Jun 10 2022

    We hoped you enjoyed the last episode where we talked about Part 1 of the redesigned “Worlds” of Epcot.  In this episode we get into the amazing new parts of the “World Showcase.”  Epcot was built to bring the culture to America by having 11 countries in the World Showcase.  Each country was built to be authentic and true so we could be transported without having to leave the US. 

    Over the years, not much has changed with the exterior of the countries.  If you went in 1981 when it first opened, it would look pretty much the same.  However, Disney decided that they needed to bring their movies to life first by adding various characters such as Mary Poppins to England, Belle to France, and Mulan to China.  Then came the redesign of Norway’s boat ride into Frozen Ever After after the Frozen movies.  Last year was Epcot’s first major ride build in the World Showcase with Ratatouille ride.

    Your podcast hosts, Emily Nugent and Mary Yohannan, talk about all these updates including how Disney finally learned to make going around the showcase fun for kids and adults.  Mary’s kids on their last trip went into each country doing these two things, and Mary got to try different foods and drinks because of it.  Don’t miss out on this major tip! 

    Are you ready to explore all of Epcot's worlds? Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back with you shortly to help plan your next Epcot adventure.

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    29 mins
  • Episode 53: The Worlds of Epcot
    May 27 2022

    Your podcast hosts, Emily Nugent and Mary Yohannan, have dedicated two parts to going through the redesigned Epcot park.  Epcot will be celebrating 40 years this year.  It seems like the Disney Imaginears were hard at work to make it pretty for its birthday.  Over the past couple of years has undergone major changes. 

    In this episode we talk about the redesign of what used to be called Innovations East and West.  Now it is all the “Worlds.”  The “World of Discovery,” the “World of Nature,” and the “World of Celebration.”  Each of these make up the front end of Epcot, while the “World Showcase” makes up the back of the park.  We go into detail about each of these redesigns explaining our favorite areas, and where the best toddler friendly areas are located.  

    If you think your kids would be “bored” at Epcot, make sure to listen into this episode because we talk about the amazing kid activities that are worth the trip!

    Are you ready to explore all of Epcot's worlds? Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back with you shortly to help plan your next Epcot adventure.

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    40 mins
  • Episode 52: Universal's Halloween Horror Night
    May 12 2022

    Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) 31 is ready to book!  You can purchase packages or just tickets to enjoy this frightful, award-winning experience for 2022.  Universal did bring back the R.I.P. tours which are at an additional cost to your already purchased admission ticket.  Each is limited to a certain number of guests, but you get priority access to the houses and all of the shows.  Most guides have been doing this for years so they also have a ton of HHN history knowledge.  These tours are so popular that they do sell out.  They only have so many R.I.P. tour guides per night and they do two time frames.  

    New this year is the Behind The Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour.  If you have ever wondered what the houses look like with the lights on, well this is your opportunity!  You can choose from going through either three or six houses during the day, and you can take photography!  Of course Mary opted to do this tour this year.  

    The only thing that we are waiting with bated breath for is the themes to the houses and scare zones.  Your podcast hosts, Mary Yohannan and Emily Nugent,, talk about some of the speculation maps that are out and some of the themes might interest you! So make sure to listen in on this episode. Comment to let us know if you have any thoughts on what a house might be or what you would like it to be.

    Is this the year you are ready to take that leap and be frightened by the best in the industry? Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back with you shortly to help plan this Halloween adventure.

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    28 mins
  • Episode 51: Walt Disney World Updates for Spring 2022
    Apr 21 2022

    Walt Disney World has so many new and exciting things happening over the next couple of weeks. Let's dive right in! Meet and Greets are back. That is right, you can get up close again with many of your favorite characters. Ready to hug Mickey Mouse or how about dancing with Joy, you can do just that.

    Your podcast hosts, Mary Yohannan and Emily Nugent, are super excited about the release of the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller-coaster at Epcot. This is the newest installment at Epcot and one of the few Marvel(R) rides at Walt Disney World. If you are an annual passholder you probably received an "early admission" ticket for this ride. Otherwise, everyone else will be able to ride early this summer.

    If you love the wilderness and are looking for some old time show, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is back! Grab a table, enjoy family style dining, and bring your singing voice. This is an interactive show for all ages. In other news, Expedition Everest will be open again. It is still unclear exactly what was refurbished during the down time, but our fingers are crossed it was the broken Yetti.

    Spring promotions are out and we have been busy at Life is Better Traveling applying them to our clients reservations. On one reservation we helped save a family $800! Thinking of taking that Walt Disney World vacation this spring or summer? Simply fill out the form below and one of the Life is Better Traveling agents will get back with you shortly.

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    23 mins
  • Episode 50: Beating the Crowds
    Apr 6 2022

    We are excited that our 50th episode is here!!  It has been a great ride the last year and half, and we look forward to giving you even more amazing information in the next 50 episodes.  So what do you talk about in the 50th episode?  Crowds, of course!  

    It is springtime, and with spring brings spring breakers.  Everyone is flocking to warmer destinations, and Walt Disney World is on that short list of getaways for families.  With the large amounts of people crowding Main Street USA, how can one feel peace and assurance that they won’t get lost in the crowds or become that stressed out guest we see on Tik Tok.  Mary Yohannan, and our new co-host, Emily Nugent have some amazing tips and tricks on how to beat the crowds at Walt Disney World this spring.  Grab a coffee, and a pen and paper!

    We are busy helping plan 2022 and 2023 Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando vacations. Make sure to reach out to us to help you plan an amazing family vacation. Simply fill out the form below and we will get back with you.

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    29 mins
  • Episode 49 Pin Trading
    Feb 23 2022

    Pin trading!  In the beginning, getting the character’s autographs is fun for the kids.  As they phase out of wanting to get autographs, they phase into trading and collecting pins.  All of the Disney parks have had various pins since their openings.  However, it was until 1999 that trading pins became popular.  Today, it seems to be a sport.  Can you find rare pins, mystery pins, cast member pins, volunteer pins, etc? 

    Your podcast hosts Mary Yohannan and Melissa Snyder along with Life is Better Traveling travel agent Emily Nugent talk about how pin trading has evolved.  We talk about around what age kids get into trading, the best way to get pins to trade, and the new pin trading boxes released in October.  Spoiler alert!  If your kids are 8 years of age or older you may want to listen in. 

    Not sure where to start to plan a Disney vacation? No worries. Our agents over at Life is Better Traveling have helped hundreds of families plan amazing Disney vacations from WDW to Adventures by Disney.

    Simply fill out the form below and one of the agents will get with you shortly.

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    29 mins