CMDTA’s 1st Annual Disney Podcast Awards

I know there are some legitimate podcast awards out there.  Those are no fun.  I’m doing podcast awards my way.  You won’t find your normal categories on this list.  In fact no one else does a Disney Podcast Award (I think).

The “I thought they died” Award:

This one was tough.  Annette Owens took a big break from WDW Today.  Most years she’d walk away with this award except Van from Netcot only put out a couple episodes this year. Congrats Van! I thought you were dead!

Best Rant

In this category Pete Werner from the DIS Unplugged is nominated…about 15 times. So it’s Pete vs. Himself!  I guess that takes the suspense out of who wins but not for what!  Pete wins for his rant on the “Sick Show.” He was the only person on that episode and he still took the time to do a rant!  Now there is an example of going above and beyond.

Goofiest Guest

In terms of Disney – It’s good to be Goofy!  Out of all the countless guests, who was the goofiest?  The award goes to Tim “Bananas” Foster on the WDW Radio show.  What can you say?  The guy sounds like a dufus and he is a major deek.  Of course I mean that in a good way.

Award for the Podcast with the Most inside Jokes

The winner by a massive margin is WDW Today! When you have to check the wiki at least once in every podcast you know there are a lot of inside jokes.  Arrrgh MONGELLO!!!

Best New Personality Not on Their Own Show or Own Segment for that Matter

Congrats Princess Lisa!  It’s good to know someone is keeping Skipper Ben in line.

Award for the Most Insane Episode

You’d think WDW Today would win this one.  You would be wrong.  This goes to Inside the Magic for its year end review. It clocked in at over five hours. FIVE HOURS! Some people don’t sleep that long at night.

Podcaster Most Likely to be Caught Picking His Nose on a Ride

The first name that comes to mind is Lou Mongello.  However, Lou loves to eat and that’s just gross so this award goes to Len Testa!  Congrats Len!

Most Addicted Podcaster

Ricky Brigante for his Haunted Mansion addiction!  Don’t be surprised if he dies on this attraction while trying to set the consecutive ride record.

The Odd Couple Award

Who doesn’t love an odd combo?  Even the Disney Podcast Community has one.  Congrats Jim Hill and Nathan Rose from the Magical Definitions Podcast!

Most Likely to Die a Death Somehow Related to Van Halen While in a Disney Park

Do I even have to say this one?  Congrats Len Testa!

Most Likely to be Mistaken for the Yeti

Congrats Mike Scoppa!  Most people don’t know this but if you shave the Yeti you find he’s Mike Scoppa’s long lost brother.

The WDW Today Chronicles

As you may or may not know I pull a lot of my ideas from the Disney community. I’ve done posts on the gang at the DIS, Ricky Brigante, Lou Mongello, Nathan Rose, Jim Hill, Deb Wills, and Van at Netcot. However no one has been abuse more than the gang at the WDW Today Podcast.

I’ve done so many posts about WDW Today I couldn’t keep track of them. That’s why I organized everything I’ve written into the WDW Today Chronicles. Below is an organized brake down…or record of abuse depending on how you look at it.

Matt Hochberg

The Hochberg Conspiracy: This was the post that started it all. An epic death match between Van at Netcot and Matt Hochberg which landed on of them in the hospital for more than a month.

Matt Hochberg Isn’t Afraid of Dinosaur: I reveal the why Matt claims to be afraid of Dinosaur including his secret encounter with Barney.

Len Testa

Len Testa – Tequila – The Shocking Connection: The first full post on Len Testa turned out to be a shocker. So many questions were answered in this post. Why Len acts like he does, why people drink Moxie, why Len loves Tequila, and who actually likes Stich’s Great Escape.

Len Testa Hates Donald Duck: I expose a huge, brutal feud between Len and Donald Duck in this post. From duck eating to alien abuse, it’s all here.

Massive Fire in NC Linked to Podcast Personality: I explain why it’s not a good idea to abuse an iPhone in this post about Len’s addiction to Mouse World Radio.

Mexico’s Tequila Bar Has Disastrous Opening: Everyone knows Len loves Tequila. So what could go wrong with Disney opening up a Tequila Bar? Maybe insane bingeing and cast member abuse?

Disney Worlds Unofficial Marathons: Not a full post about Len but I did name a unofficial marathon after him.

Authorities Track Maple Syrup Abuse to Disney Podcast: And you thought it was funny when Len drank maple syrup. He started a crisis with far reaching consequences.

Mike Scopa

Mike Scopa’s Dark Secret: Possibly the most demented post I’ve ever done about another human being. Did you know how old Mike Scopa really is? I expose it in this story.

Awful Weather Predicted for the First Week of March: What happens when Mike Scopa goes to Disney World? It rains, freezes, or some other weather nightmare. It’s so bad the weatherman have started basing predictions on his trips.

Mike Newell

Don’t Mess With Mike Newell: It’s always the quiet ones. You’d never guess Mike Newell was an evil mastermind would you?

Epcot Runs Out of Nachos: Did you know Mike Newell started an epidemic?

Annette Owens

Annette Owens: Butt Kicker: You think Annette is a nice southern belle don’t you? HA! I expose the truth in this shocking story. Beware of Annette’s Army.

General

WDW Today Starts Their Fifth Season Without a Fatality: Yes there is a reason why no fatalities is surprising.

Facebook is Evil but Everyone Is On It: Guess who is quick draw McGraw on Facebook.

WDW Today Does the Oregon Trail: What would happen if the gang from the WDW Today Podcast were forced to do the Oregon Trail? It was anything but fabulous.

One Big Dysfunctional Family: Ever been on a live show? You don’t know what you are missing.

The Hochberg Conspiracy

A few months ago Matt Hochberg of www.studioscentral.com and the WDW Today Podcast took time off to get “married.” Most people believe (other than the rest of the WDW Today gang) that. After all when he showed up again he was married.

Shenanigans! I declare shenanigans!

What was Matt really doing? After extensive research and a lot of hard work (terms used loosely) I have discovered the truth (if truth means funny fake story).

Matt was supposed to take time off and get married. At the last minute he got an offer he couldn’t refuse. He found himself in a real pickle. Should he take the offer and postpone his wedding? Should he turn it down and go ahead with the wedding? Or should he try and do both? Matt chose the third option.

Matt informed his fiancé that the wedding had to be changed radically. He made plans with a local justice of the peace affectionately called “Uncle Bubba” by his friends for that very afternoon. After that, there would be a brief wedding dinner for family only at the local Denny’s where everyone would get a Grand Slam. The honeymoon would be reduced to two nights at the Motel Six and then Matt would be off to take the offer he couldn’t refuse.

The offer was a spot on “The Not so Amazing Race” staring Matt vs. Van of the Netcot podcast. They would battle each other in a brutal death match that makes the recent film “Death Race” seem like “My Little Pony.”

To start each contestant had to ride one ride at Epcot. Next you had to consume one food item before leaving the park. After that you had to use Disney World Transportation to make it to the Magic Kingdom. Whoever arrived first won!

Matt started by hitting Soarin because it’s a short ride. Van started by hitting that awful thing in Mexico because you can walk onto it. Matt cheated. Somehow he got right through the 60 min line at Soarin. I think he beat up an old lady and took her fast pass. Van didn’t cheat but he walked half way across the park for his ride.

For food, Van found a loophole and ran to Club Station Cool and swigged down some Beverly. What people who saw the video don’t know is that this plan backfired. After drinking that swill Van became violently ill and spent 30 minutes paying homage to the porcelain god. Matt decided to get popcorn. Not a bad idea but he had to wait forever in line to get it.

The trip to the Magic Kingdom was odd. Matt did the sensible thing and got on the monorail. Van jumped on a bus bound for Fort Wilderness and then took a boat to the Magic Kingdom. That must have taken forever which ruined any chance he had of winning. Matt beat him to the Magic Kingdom.

Matt won the race and returned to his wife a “winner.” Matt’s wife said winners sleep in the dog house until further notice especially when they have nothing to show for their victory. As the loser Van was dragged outside the gates of the Magic Kingdom and severely beaten by Mickey Mouse. He spent weeks in the hospital which explains why Netcot had no broadcasts during the beginning of 2009.

Matt returned to WDW Today and came up with some malarkey about getting married and going a honeymoon because he was too embarrassed to admit the truth and his wife threatened to kill him if he told people what really happened.

If I had been in that race I’d have whipped both of them. First of all you ride Spaceship Earth. It moves a ton of people an hour and in the off season it tends to be a walk on ride. It’s also right at the gate. For food I’d use the same loophole as Van. If you only need to drink something I’d run to the nearest water fountain and take a few swigs. Next I’d highjack a tram and drive to the Magic Kingdom (what?!? It’s Disney Transportation). Beat that!

(DISCLAIMER: Please do not take the above seriously. It is mostly a joke. Matt and Van were not involved in a death race and no one was injured in during the filming of “The Not so Amazing Race” that I know of. I’m also 99% that Matt did not blow off his wedding to partake in the race (I hope). Again, the above is meant to be funny. If you don’t think it’s funny go to the doctor and ask for some happy pills. Or go to Disney World. They tend to have the same effect.)

Podcasts

There are a number of Disney podcasts out there. Each one has its own flavor. Some are serious, some are funny, and some just exist. I thought I really stoke the fire and rank them. Not all of them. Just the ones I listen to. If you listen to another podcast not listed let me know and I’ll check it out. Here are the things I take into consideration. Information, Humor, Guest Hosts, Diversity, Community, Cheese and Oddity.

#1 WDW Today

Information Factor 9
Funny Factor 8
Guest Factor 3
Diversity 8
Oddity 8
Community 8
Cheese 5

Four guys – One Girl – One show. I don’t think I’ve seen a combo like this since the five stooges. I say five because there were five people who played the three stooges. I’ll let you figure out who is who. There is no question they cannot answer. There are numerous runny jokes. Some of their topics are ridiculous and they occasionally have a random person join them. The cheese comes from their song. It’s decent but cheesy. MONGELLO!

#2 – This one was VERY close but number two goes to the Magical Definitions podcast.

Information Factor 10+
Funny Factor 4
Guest Factor 1
Diversity 5
Oddity 10
Community 4
Cheese 1

Jim Hill is the reason this one comes in second place. I don’t know where he gets his info. I don’t know if he makes it up or he really has some inside sources. Either way I can’t stop listening when he tells a story. He’s the Josephus of Disney. The format of this podcast odd too, it just seems to happen. A lot of the others have ridged formats this has no real format that I can detect, just two guys talking Disney. They are an odd couple too. I don’t know how these two found each other but it works.

#3 The Dis Unplugged

Information Factor 8
Funny Factor 7
Guest Factor 7
Diversity 10
Oddity 3
Community 10++++
Cheese 3

No podcast has a bigger heart. They know their stuff and they go beyond the parks. They are a strange mix too, a young married couple, a recovering alcoholic who hides nothing, a man who just wants decent meal with his mother in tow, and a total hodgepodge or random people along for the ride. They have a peanut gallery. They often start laughing so hard you think they are going to ruin a Depends. They have a prize thingy (sorry I don’t know the proper spelling of prizeamatron). They also have such a big Disney community around them that you can’t tell where the podcast ends and where the community begins. That was proven with the loss of Bob Varley. Let’s go grab a Dole Whip!

#4 NETCOT

Information Factor 7
Funny Factor 2
Guest Factor 6
Diversity 5
Oddity 3
Community 5
Cheese 9

You may wonder why the cheese factor is so high on this podcast. It’s the outtakes, the music, and the transitions. What really makes this podcast standout are the countdowns. They are great and almost always interesting.

#5 This was very close but it goes to Inside the Magic.

Information Factor 7
Funny Factor 2
Guest Factor 4
Diversity 5
Oddity 3
Community 5
Cheese 7

Ricky does a good job with packing a lot of info into his podcast. Sometimes he runs out and packs a bunch of Disney music in there. I normally don’t enjoy that. Some people love it. If I want Disney music I’ll listen to my iPod or go to wdwradio.com. That’s why his cheese factor is so high. He tries to have a good variety of topics and tries to keep it different.

#6 – The WDW Radio Show

Information Factor 8
Funny Factor 2
Guest Factor 8
Diversity 3
Oddity 3
Community 5
Cheese 4

MONGELLO! The walking Disney Trivial Pursuit pulls this one off on a weekly basis. He has a wide variety of guests and keeps me wondering who he manages to find so many Disney legends on his show. Even his creepy fascination with tiny Lolita and Samantha Brown isn’t enough to scare me away. The music he plays in the background can be distracting at times. Sometimes his show just goes too long and you get bored but overall it’s a great show.

Before anyone starts complaining about who should be where just remember this, if you do anything and come in the top ten, you’re doing an exceptional job.