Those Happy Places

In this comparative episode, Buddy and Alice explore how motion in rides and attractions can be used to gesture towards an experience, place riders in the mindset of a character, or imply themes of a story. Listen in to find out how motion itself is the language of attractions—and how it mimics the written word in literature! Featuring discussions on Soarin’, Riddler’s Revenge, Superman, The Hulk, Splash Mountain, Dumbo’s Flying Circus, and the Mad Tea Party. Small asides on Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, naturally. If you’re interested in helping us dissect Splash Mountain’s historical and cultural connections at a greater depth, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us. Be sure to visit our Patreon for all of the cool Passholder benefits, stretch goals, or simply to pass the word along! Check it out and consider supporting us! Those Happy Places is Produced by Alice White and Edited By Buddy Duquesne. Our theme song is Golden Gate by the California Feetwarmers, Featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music comes from Kevin Macleod. All Tracks Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. Tracks in this Episode: Bummin on Tremolo, Airship Serenity, In Your Arms, Off to Osaka, Casa Bossa Nova, Hyperfun, Space 1990, The Descent, Breaktime, Fig Leaf Rag, Chee Zee Beach, I Knew a Guy, Poppers and Prosecco.

In this conventional minisode, Alice reflects on her experience at Podcon Seattle. What do themed spaces have to do with the vast blank canvas of convention halls? What are the benefits of being at an event that draws people together? How does it feel to meet your listeners—and the people you listen to? This Minisode is a preview of our Patreon member benefit—available at the “A Ticket” Tier and above! Check it out and consider supporting us! Those Happy Places is Produced by Alice White and Edited By Buddy Duquesne. Our theme song is Golden Gate by the California Feetwarmers, Featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music comes from Kevin Macleod. All Tracks Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. Tracks in this Episode: Bummin on Tremolo, Airship Serenity, In Your Arms, and Off to Osaka.

Explore the intriguing dance between permanence and change in theme parks! The hosts dive into how attractions evolve and impact nostalgia, examining why some beloved experiences get retired or revamped. Discover the balance between tradition and innovation, drawing parallels to films and cultural heritage. They also discuss community engagement and the exciting launch of a Patreon. Plus, learn about the history of Innoventions and how parks strive to keep experiences fresh in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape.

In this festive episode, Alice and Buddy take a trip to Knott's Berry Farm to discuss its Holiday overlay, Knott's Merry Farm! While on an iconic coaster, Alice was struck with inspiration--why do we scream on thrill rides? Are we performing for others? What makes the social experience of theme parks unique? Plus, an aside on Ghostrider, the wooden coaster in question, and a particularly emotionally resonant end-of-the-year message! Those Happy Places is produced by Alice White and edited by Buddy Duquesne. Our theme music is "Golden Gate" by The California Feetwarmers, featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music from Kevin MacLeod, available here: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html Tracklist: Bummin on Tremolo, Airship Serenity, Breaktime, Apero Hour, Casa Bossa Nova, I Knew a Guy, Fig Leaf Rag, In Your Arms, Mining by Moonlight All Tracks Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The California Feetwarmers: http://www.californiafeetwarmers.com/

In this moving episode, Alice and Buddy take a look at the ways Ride Vehicles interact with the fiction of theme park rides and attractions—how do they function in -universe? What separates the diegetic vehicles from their non-diegetic counterparts? How do some attractions transcend their vehicles non-diegetic qualities? Featuring discussions on Roger Rabbit’s Car-Toon Spin, the Haunted Mansion, Universal’s Studio Tour, E.T.: The Ride, and Transformers: The Ride. Those Happy Places is produced by Alice White and edited by Buddy Duquesne. Our theme music is "Golden Gate" by The California Feetwarmers, featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music from Kevin MacLeod, available here: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html Tracklist: Bummin on Tremolo, Airship Serenity, Off to Osaka, Breaktime, Ghost Dance, Apero Hour, Casa Bossa Nova, Vivacity, I Knew a Guy, Space 1990, Fig Leaf Rag, In Your Arms, Mining by Moonlight, Secret of Tiki Island All Tracks Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The California Feetwarmers: http://www.californiafeetwarmers.com/

In this celebratory episode, Alice and Buddy pitch each other movie franchises based on two classic Disneyland attractions, and are then joined by three very special guests to hear their adaptation pitches. Featuring Marie of Go Your Own YA, Charles Gustine of Iconography, and T.H. Ponders of Accession! We would also like to preemptively apologize to Paul Giamatti.

In this rollicking episode, Alice and Buddy set course for Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean to discuss its complex relationship with history, and the ways it has gradually changed over time. How have audience tastes and needs changed over time? Has the attraction changed sufficiently to reflect them? What, exactly, is this attraction’s theme? What is its relationship to history? What is its relationship to its own history? This one’s a bit long! Keep a weather eye open—there be squalls ahead. Those Happy Places is produced by Alice White and edited by Buddy Duquesne. Our theme music is "Golden Gate" by The California Feetwarmers, featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music comes from Podington Bear, available through the Free Music Archive. Buddy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/buddy_duquesne Alice's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceWhiteTHP The California Feetwarmers: http://www.californiafeetwarmers.com/ Check Out Podington Bear at the Free Music Archive: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/

In this spooky episode, Alice and Buddy take a look at Halloween’s origins, its unique traditions and tones, and its role in extending theming into our daily lives. Then, we take a look at how Theme Parks tackle Halloween, by taking a look at Disney’s American parks, and Knott’s Scary Farm! Featuring a Walt Disney World Field Report from Wil Williams! Find Wil’s website for podcasting resources and reviews here: https://wilwilliams.reviews/

In this chilling episode, Alice and Buddy take on the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay, featuring all of our favorite characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas! Discussions include: Thematic Synthesis between the two rides, the effectiveness of the combination, and the film’s place in holiday movie re-watch rosters. We were really surprised with what we ended up deciding—we hope you are, too! Those Happy Places is produced by Alice White and edited by Buddy Duquesne. Our theme music is "Golden Gate" by The California Feetwarmers, featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music comes from Podington Bear, available through the Free Music Archive.

In this animated episode, Buddy and Alice take a nostalgic trip to Toontown. We discuss its internal lore and structure, its history, and its role in constructing the experience of meeting our favorite characters. Plus, an aside on the secret connections between Disney's animated characters and the lore behind their appearances in the parks! Those Happy Places is produced by Alice White and edited by Buddy Duquesne. Our theme music is "Golden Gate" by The California Feetwarmers, featuring Phil Alvin. Additional music comes from Podington Bear, available through the Free Music Archive. Buddy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/buddy_duquesne Alice's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceWhiteTHP The California Feetwarmers: http://www.californiafeetwarmers.com/ Check Out Podington Bear at the Free Music Archive: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/