1385 – Walk to All Stars with Ray | On Location

Episode 1385 – Walk to All Stars with Ray | On Location

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for a walking episode with me and my neighbor, Ray. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. Tonight we're doing it by taking a relaxing stroll on a sidewalk and actually completing a walk that was on my bucket list and has been on my bucket list to record for years. We just did the walk, so I can tell you that it exceeded expectations for being both sleepy and enjoyable. Ray, my neighbor Ray, does the narration for it, but we're here…right now I’m here in the parking lot between All-Star Music and All-Star Sports and Disney World, and we walked here from near the Blizzard Beach theme park.

 

Oh, if you're new, welcome to Sleep With Me. This is actually a podcast to put you to sleep and take your mind off of stuff, which might be confusing 'cause you're like, wait a second, what? So, yeah, just give the show a few tries. This is a show we’ve been dreaming of putting out monthly, and if we're able to do that it’s only because of listener support. So, what we got coming up for you is ways to support the show, then a meandering intro meant to ease you off into bedtime, and then we’ll take a walk, about a forty-five-to-an-hour walk where Ray just kinda narrates what he sees and goes off topic.

 

It’s strange; the walking episodes are very popular 'cause they're in binaural audio, so you could listen with headphones during the day, but they're also…it’s strange; when you're going on a walk and you're looking at stuff and you're supposed to be describing it, it creates this perfect ability to also be distracted and go off topic. So, yeah, what can I say? But I’m glad you're here. If you're new, this is a different style episode. Ideally these episodes come out once a month. Maybe they come out less. It just depends on where the show is at. But yeah, we put out a variety of styles of shows. This happens to be one that a lot of people really like. But if not, there’s a couple other ones coming out this week, and there’s hundreds and hundreds of shows in the archives.

 

But I’m glad you're here. Alls I’m here to do is keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and if you decide you get so much out of Sleep With Me, you're in that contingent of like, 20,000 people which is a small percentage of the listeners that have listened for years, listen all night long, listen every night of the week, Sleep With Me makes your life better and you want to opt in to become a part of Sleep With Me existing here in the world, it’s people like you that make that possible. If you want to do that, here’s a couple ways you can.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts on your mind, things you're thinking about, thoughts about the past, the future, the present, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, you could be getting over something, you could be in the middle of something.

 

Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. Yeah, those are some nice bird sounds, huh? So you could fall asleep. I’m here to be your friend in the deep, dark night, and that’s really all I’m here to do. I’m really glad you're here. The way the show works is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents, which means I go off topic, I get mixed up, I forget what I was talking about, I repeat myself, or Ray tonight definitely goes off topic, he forgets what he’s talking about. We're walking with soda cups that have ice in them. Yeah, because we're not here to be perfect and nobody that’s here has to be perfect.

 

We're here to keep you company and be there for you as a distraction so you could fall asleep because you deserve a good night's sleep or so you have some company in the deep, dark night and you don’t feel quite as alone, so you maybe feel understood, that there’s someone else out there that while…I have trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, all those things. But whatever it is for you, I think I can probably understand some of the underlying feelings. But even if I can't, there’s someone listening somewhere in the world who can understand what you're going through, because there’s just enough people listening. Yeah, I’m really glad you're here. What else do you need to know or what else do we got coming up? What we got coming up…oh no, this is the intro. Sorry; I get mixed up sometimes.

 

So, what you need to know is that…oh, you deserve a good night's sleep. Sorry; I don't normally record the intros while I’m walking and trying to avoid people and area music and stuff. But you deserve a good night's sleep. You deserve the rest you need so your life is more manageable — we got some more good bird sounds, though, out of this — that your day…you’re more rested to deal with things tomorrow. But ideally you get the sleep you need on a regular basis so you could flourish, 'cause that means if you're flourishing, if you're rested, the world’s a better place, your world’s a better place, and that’s what’s important about the podcast, that I do my best to understand and be there to help you, and there’s other people listening who can probably understand what you're going through.

 

What else do you…? This show is very different. It doesn't work for very many people on the first try. It does take a couple tries to get used to. So, if you're new to the show, just see how it goes. Give it a few tries. This episode is particularly different than a lot of other stuff 'cause we're just walking and talking and casually recording, just like if I was out on a walk and you were on the phone and you said, yeah, tell me about what you're seeing and where you're walking. I’m not gonna really listen to you 'cause I’m trying to fall asleep. That’s what this show is. What else do you need to know?

 

The…oh, yeah, give it a few tries and see how it goes, 'cause the other thing is if you were looking for something to help you fall asleep, right, and then you found the show and you were like, hey, I need something to help me fall asleep; I’m looking for a sleep podcast and someone recommended this show or you found it, you probably are like, this is not what I expected. I expected something more straightforward or whatever; you had legitimate expectations. So, just see how it goes. But if you're skeptical or doubtful, that’s how most people get here, because if you're like me and you had trouble sleeping and you tried a ton of different stuff and none of it worked consistently for you, maybe that’s how you got here. So, maybe see if this helps.

 

Now, if it doesn't end up helping you or you discover that you're…I don't know, you discover you just don’t like me or the show, that’s fine, too. We have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, for people the podcast doesn't work for. So, you can find something that does help you out. What else do you need to know? Oh, this is a podcast you kinda just barely listen to versus listening to it directly, right? It’s kind of like elevated background noise. Like, that’s one of the things we do about this. You can hear the birds in the background and you could hear the leaves rustling and the humming of air conditioners and stuff like that. At a distance, right, that stuff’s nice, and this podcast is a little bit like that, just out of focus, a TV show on in the other room or something streaming under your pillow, whatever it is.

 

It’s something you can listen to but you don’t have to listen to it, that it can engage you but it doesn't have to engage you. So, give it a few tries and see how it goes with that, too. It’s also…it’s been a sleep podcast…it’s been around since 2013, but it’s actually not meant to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep versus put you to sleep, and that is a little bit different. I’m here to be here as your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your neigh-bore, your bore-bud, your bore-bie, your bore-bud, your best bore-friend forever, your Boris Borlaf, to keep you company. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show. The episodes are over an hour for a reason so you don’t have to think about falling asleep.

 

I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, whether you're awake or asleep, whether you listen all night or you wake up in the middle of the night. I’m here to keep you company versus putting you to sleep. This show, you just kinda wake up the next day and you're like, man, at some point I fell asleep. I don't know even what that guy was…walking around a All-Star Sports Resort? Yeah. So, just kinda see how it goes. But yeah, what else do you need to know? Structure of the show; that’s the last thing I explain, usually. This show’s got a very specific structure, but you can change around how you listen based on what works for you.

 

But the structure of the show…the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, oh, okay, I think I can check that show out. Then there’s a long, meandering intro, like ten to fifteen minutes, twenty minutes long. This episode, I think it was probably around then. The intro is meant to ease you into bedtime. A small percentage of people fall asleep during the intro, but most people, they listen…there’s also a version of the podcast called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me. So, if you discover you don’t want the intro, that might be a better show for you.

 

But the intro is meant to be listened to while you're winding down, while you're getting ready for bed, while you're in bed getting comfortable. What seems to work best is having a wind-down routine that eases you into bedtime. But if you're just looking for the story-only stuff, you could also get that. But that’s just what works for me personally, is getting in bed, getting comfortable, or doing some sort of chill activity and then falling asleep. So, just, again, see how it goes. Oh, the stuff in-between is what enables us, yeah, to put the show out two or three times a week…everybody that works on the show. So, I think that’s it.

 

These intros and…are a little bit more obtuse when you're doing the on-location episodes 'cause I’m walking around and trying to make sure I keep the sound cool and avoid people and cars and everything and noisy stuff. So, I’m glad you're here. I work really hard; so do a team of people. I really hope I can help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by. If you decide you get so much out of the show, the show makes your life better, it does help you fall asleep, and you like it being around and you count on it, we also count on you. So, if you want to opt in and support the show back, here’s a couple ways you can do it. Thanks.

 

Hello, hello, hello everybody. This is your neighbor Ray. A little bit of yelling here. We are pretty close to a mini-golf park and a water park, so you'll hear a little bit of talking, a little bit of music, but soon that won't be a problem 'cause we're going for a walk on a sidewalk that doesn't really serve much of a purpose except for Ray and Scooter walking. But Scooter, I’m noticing we may have gone the wrong way because there’s a…you're right, Scooter. So, we're gonna have to go back here. So, yeah, I may, with the music here, be just doing a little set up here. But Scooter and I are gonna be walking from…what do you call it here?

 

From Blizzard Beach and Winter Summerland to the McDonald's…McDonald's, and then off to the All-Star Resorts on a sidewalk within the confines of Walt Disney World, which is a very rare thing. We're very excited about it. But there is area music here, so Ray’s gonna take a little pausey-poo, and then we’ll be back with you to start our walk. The thing is we gotta find the walking path, and I could even tell you a little bit more about it when we get on there, 'cause we have done one other part of it unofficially before. Alright.

 

Alright everybody, this is Ray here, and we're on the sidewalk. We found the sidewalk we're looking for, and so, we're standing outside of Winter Summerland Golf Course. I guess it’s open 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Santa Claus is on top of the sign here. We're gonna walk…there’s a sidewalk here. This is one of the few sidewalks within this Disney property that you can walk on. Nobody wants to walk on it. You can go in two directions; one we’ve been before but we did not record that goes from this water park over to the Coronado Springs Resort. Now, this other part, we're already gonna be…we're already standing on unexplored territory here, and we're gonna walk from here to a McDonald's to the All-Star Sports Resorts. There’s a helicopter going overhead, but this is your friend Ray.

 

I guess I should introduce myself once we start walking. But it’s…this is like…I’m Scooter’s neighbor. So, we're gonna walk. This is one of our dreams, to walk all these sidewalks, to find the sidewalks where the sidewalks have…okay, there’s other people on the sidewalk, everybody. Holy cow. So, Ray’s gonna have to…I’m also trying to record the video of me walking. Wow, there’s other people on the sidewalk. This is interesting. We're gonna try to…I’m gonna walk and film the woods. But yeah, we just left here. We just left…what is this place called? Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Oh, who am I? Scooter’s producing. Oh, we're hearing some mechanical noises that run one of the pumps for the rides. But so, here we are. We're…so, we're outside of this Blizzard Beach Park. Oh, who am I? Sorry, Scooter. My name is Ray.

 

I’m Scooter’s neighbor, and I’m his friend, and we both enjoy going to theme parks and walking around theme parks together. So, we both enjoy it. We just walked by some people and I smiled at them, but I tried not to say anything. It was hard 'cause I’m so…I like to say hello. But I did it with my eyes and my body language. Okay, so, I’m Scooter’s neighbor Ray. I record some of these. I’m from Parkchester, New York, if you're wondering where I’m from. I’m Scooter’s neighbor twice. Will I ever be Scooter’s neighbor thrice? I don't know. But right now I’m sharing…I’ve been sharing a hotel with him. We checked into our hotel here at Walt Disney World, and the room was not ready, but we didn’t actually need the room. I did have to buoy Scooter’s spirits a little because we had a plan which did not work out.

 

But it actually kinda worked out anyway for a step count and those type of things. Our original plan was to get up at our hotel we were staying at over on International Drive and then walk to Dezerland and some outlets to finish up a episode that Scooter had recorded last night where we needed about fifteen more minutes of audio. Scooter, I don't think you gave me any credits on that episode, too, even though I was trying to be helpful. But so, what was…what’s important here? What’s important is…oh, so, we're gonna…we were under the impression that the outlets and Dezerland opened at 9:00 a.m., but when we got up — and we woke up earlier than we planned — we looked, and they didn’t open up ‘til 11:00 a.m. It was around 8:00 and Scooter said, well, I have a little bit of work we could do at the hotel.

 

That’s a royal…'cause I don't…I only do this stuff with Scooter. He had to edit something and record something. But he said, I don't think I have enough work ‘til 11:00, and I don't think sitting around this hotel room is the best idea. So, we’ll have to do that another time, which is part of the Orlando experience, is like, oh yeah, we won't be able to do it this time. So…but look at this. This is almost wilderness here through these trees, and then these trees themselves, and we…so, we went to…we took a Uber, a Lyft, a car share to our hotel. So, the wind’s kicking up, Scooter. It’s okay, he said. So, we took a car share to our hotel, and then we…wow; so, that’s a little piece of wild country there behind the water park. If they were ever to redo the water park or expand it…there’s a fence for the water park so you can't sneak in it.

 

Okay, so, what I’m trying to explain inefficiently in a sleep podcast style…so, right now, Disney is trying different promotions to make people happy because a lot of stuff costs a lot more than people are used to paying. So, one of the things they tried — and we saw it in action today, but I guess I can't criticize it — is when you check into your hotel, on the day you check into a Disney-run hotel, they give you free admission to the Blizzard Beach Water Park. Now, we're checking in here on a Sunday, and so, the entire park is sold out. It was very, very packed, understandably, 'cause everybody’s like, well, I don't have to pay. I could go there. I don't have to…then I don't have to pay for a theme park ticket. I’ll worry about only going for a half-day, which all makes a ton of sense. So, we went in.

 

First, the funny thing is Scooter and I have quite a working relationship. So, you had to take two buses to get there, and then even before that, Scooter was like, I bet it’s busy; maybe we just won't go in at all. I said, Scooter, what, are you kidding me? We might as well go in. Say, what if there’s a line to get in? I said, well, then we’ll wait in the line or not wait in the line. Then the…our bus, the second…we had to switch bus…transfer buses. So, our second bus…there’s a pretty long line to get into the parking lot since the parking lot’s full, and Scooter’s…I don't think we should go in. I got…Ray, we gotta…I said, Scooter, Scooter, okay. Let’s just play it by ear, here. We're still on the bus. I said, it’ll be okay. We don’t have to go in, but we could go in. Do we have anything we would lose by going in?

 

Well, my daughter might be jealous. I feel guilty. I said, okay, Scooter, okay. That’s okay. Yeah, let’s just wait ‘til we get there, and we’ll see if there’s a line to get in. We’ll reassess. But what does it hurt to walk around? So, we get in there and we get off the bus and then we go to get into the park there, and Scooter’s…there’s no line to get in the park. Then we…we're waiting at stop light here. So, we're not only just on a sidewalk on the wilds of Walt Disney World property, but at a crosswalk. So, we go into the park, right? Oh, also, Scooter had to take a pee, so he’s like…that gave me a little more leverage, right? I’m like, okay, why don’t we go in the park now here? So, he was more willing. So, we go in, and it is very, very busy.

 

Okay everybody, this is Ray. We just went in the McDonald's, and it’s a reverse TARDIS. It’s the opposite of a TARDIS. It was much more on the inside than the outside. The reason I’m laughing is because it’s clear that the reason is that it’s like…the kitchen is hidden in this McDonald's because it’s made mostly…or fifty or sixty percent through…or a drive-through. Holy cow, Scooter, do you see that? There’s another…oh, you think…? Oh, Scooter, are we lost? Well, we’ve lost our sense of direction, Scooter said. He thinks we're not sure which way to go, which is exciting. So, there’s two sidewalks. I guess that’s probably the back-up sidewalk to the McDonald's here on our…straight across the street, and then…yeah.

 

So, what we're gonna do here is walk…so, this sidewalk on my left is a no-tresspassing sidewalk there. So, we're gonna cross this street here and walk to the All-Star Resorts and we're gonna get some lunch. We almost got lunch there in the McDonald’s. We went back and forth about it. But Scooter said…'cause Scooter said, well, at least…one thing you could say about McDonald's is it’s very reliable and predictable, right? The thing about Disney food is we're gonna be eating it for the next few days 'cause we're going on a family…a little family trip with Scooter’s daughter. So, yeah. So, we're walking here and…yeah, we're gonna see…we're gonna walk through these resorts. We went back and forth on should we walk through them in the opposite…closest…?

 

We still haven't decided that, but I was still telling a story, and it was funny. How are we gonna even get…? Can you even walk back into these parks, Scooter? Run Disney…so, this is a running trail, I think, Scooter, or a part of one. That’s exciting. Oh, they had a race today, too, though. Okay. Okay, so, I finally talked Scooter into getting into the park, use the restroom…then we're in the restroom and he’s like, should I put on my swimsuit? ‘Cause we brought our swimsuits. Put on a swimsuit? I said, Scooter, it’s okay. Why don’t you put on your swimsuit? Again, you don’t have to get it wet. But then we have it on; if you decide you want to take a dip, there’s no lines, we do it. So…oh boy, he puts…we put on our swimsuits, but it was…we walked the entire loop of the park. It was very, very busy.

 

Even the Lazy River did not look very lazy at all. So, cooler heads prevailed. So, we said, nah, we don’t need to do that, right? Alright, we're on a pedestrian-only path here. Very exciting. Cart path over there…we're in unprecedented territory. We may have to stop filming here for the security. Let’s do that, Scooter. Okay, so, we're walking here, and we're gonna walk through these three resorts. Are we gonna go through Sports? How many sodas will Scooter drink? I don't even know what time of day it is. It’ll be like…and how noisy will the resorts be? I guess those are the big questions, and how much time recording will we be? Okay, so, we're gonna walk here through All-Star. Why don’t we just start at All-Star Sports, Scooter? Now he’s the one that says, Ray, let’s play it by ear.

 

It goes All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, All-Star Movies. Or, you want to bet on it, Scooter? Oh, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sport…All-Star Sports is first. Music and Movies…do you think it’s…? It’s definitely…is it alphabetical? We don’t know. That’s exciting. So, what will be after Sports? We don’t know. But we're gonna go into this resort, see what we're dealing with as far as the music and the people, but this…as we had discussed on another podcast here…the sidewalk does not go in the same way. Even in Disney World property, people don’t stop for pedestrians, so Scooter had to do a little waving at a gentleman who said, I don't really care that you're walking. So, we walked the entire loop of Blizzard Beach.

 

We thought about getting in the Lazy River, but it was packed and Scooter doesn't like being in water with a lot of people in it because of natural things that happen, and he just doesn't like bumping into other people’s bodies. So, I said, no worries, Scooter. We don’t have to do that. We want you to be comfortable. Then we walked around. Now, one thing we noted…well, one…a couple parts of this…I don't think there was any negatives. It was just busy. These things happen. We don’t look at that like a negative but just a natural consequence. But what were the positives? The architecture at that park is very cool, and maybe one day Scooter’s got this idea for a style of show in the next five to ten years, hopefully, where he goes through things very…even slower than we're going now, and that architecture could be a cool thing.

 

‘Cause they have…one of the fast food restaurants there is this huge lodge, and it’s just gigantic, the architecture of it, unnecessarily…to look like a lodge, a ski lodge. So, Scooter changed our plans, I think rightly so, and we’ll just stay on this sidewalk on the outsides of the resorts. Scooter, what do you think is after Sports? I don't know. I see a giant football and a soda cup. Okay, so, the architecture…okay, Scooter, I got it, I got it. He wants me to walk slower, not talk slower. So, the architecture…you could see the All-Star Sports buses, and this may be the best time to walk these resorts as we posited on…the last time we walked around a hotel, I think Scooter was recording. It’s like, what time of day is best? Now, this is check-in, check-out time. Well, I don't know what time it is.

 

Scooter’s watch no longer works, so we don’t have…we're not on the clock as much. Because we're recording, his phone is in his backpack so as to not interrupt with the recording. But back to Blizzard Beach, right? So, the architecture’s one thing. Oh, the back side of the water park…thanks, Scooter. Thanks for that reminder. So, all of the water parks or the two…Disney has two water parks, right? Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. We were just walking and Scooter wasn’t sure if it was a loop, and actually, again, no offense, Scooter, Scooter wanted to turn back. I said, well, let’s keep going. It looks like this path has a arrow to some more rides or water slides. So, we kept going, and we…slower walking; okay. Thank you, Scooter. Thank you for the reminder again. Hey, look; there’s a red line and a green line on the road.

 

What do you think those are for? Who knows? Maybe for the other resorts? Maybe like driving a car and they say, follow the red line? Maybe. Oh yeah, that makes sense. So…oh, so the back side…so, we did end up walking, and you can go on the back side, 'cause both resorts are kinda like this one mountainous area built up with slides. Blizzard Beach…it’s supposed to be like a ski resort that melted. Typhoon Lagoon…it’s like a mountain with slides washing down it. So, Blizzard Beach…it’s like the melting snow. But if you go around back…now, Typhoon Lagoon, from my memory, has much more seating on its back side and maybe more water slides, though they’re the 1980s, 1990s-style water slides. But nice seating there in the back. You could really feel like you're on a vacation destination.

 

Blizzard Beach had some seating. They had two areas and it’s sandy, and…but it was so busy that even that was busy. So, Celebrity Hall would make me think Movies is next. Scooter, are you as surprised as I am that Movies is in the middle? We're both kind of surprised. This is quite…oh, we're getting some wild sounds out here, Scooter. How about that? Scooter wants me to check the time of the recording and make sure we're recording. Scooter, we're at twenty-six minutes. Great. How long do you think before we got to McDonald's? Eight to ten? Okay, so, we’ll just count on eight. So, we're at thirty-six or so. Okay, so, where were we? We're on the…remaining on the jogging route. How lucky are we to be just out here walking? Scooter, you think that’s a pool? Maybe, maybe a quiet pool. Oh, interesting.

 

Okay, so, what was I saying? Oh, the back side of Blizzard Beach. So, the back side of Blizzard Beach had some nice areas, and it would be nice if you kinda just wanted to…well, I think that’s where they do the…that maybe is where Pillow Pet ended up. So…no, because it was a different hotel. Thank you, Scooter. But yeah, Pillow Pet could be there now. Oh, that building does look run down. Huh, interesting. Okay, Scooter, I’m already lost. Oh, so the back side…it seems like the Typhoon Lagoon’s…has more of the back side areas to sit, and then Blizzard Beach doesn't. But I can't remember…it’s been a while, and it really is the kind of thing that the…depends on how busy it is, too, 'cause there wasn’t anywhere to sit.

 

But you get your area music, you got your beachy sand, you could kinda make…if you were with somebody…not with Scooter 'cause he can't sit around, and even…he’s just not that way. In his mind he is. Even then he was aspirationally saying, Ray, this would be great to sit around. Oh no, it is Music. Oh, wow. So, we're twice surprised here. Now, well, this person might even wait for us longer than necessary. Oh no…but this person did let us cross safely. Okay, so, another thing — and we're also seeing it on this walk — is the maturity of the plants at Disney and the lushness, because holy cow is…the lushness was breathtaking at Blizzard Beach, and I’m sure at Typhoon Lagoon it’s older. It’s even more so.

 

But now we're walking here on this All-Star path, and most of it’s shaded because of these huge trees, and that’s a really nice thing. Okay, you can hear the squeal of the buses, which is actually, I believe, a nice thing when you're doing this. I thought I just saw Goofy, but it was just two people blurring together. So, the lushness…those are the things I wanted to talk about, right, Scooter? The back side of the park, the architecture, and the lushness. Wow, it’s very busy. Long lines. So, we're like, we're not gonna eat, and we tried to see if they had any holiday ornaments. They did not. But this is worth it. This…since Scooter can't relax, this is probably…Scooter…he’s nodding, actually. It doesn't get any better than this.

 

Even though we only recorded a little bit yesterday and my voice is shot, Scooter…he thinks it’s the hotel, but you already mentioned the hotel. Well, it’s fine. So, our hotel had some issues. I think it was…we couldn't tell how new the hotel was, but we had never seen it before come up on our searches 'cause it’s kinda in a unique area that was well-suited towards our recording. But unfortunately there was a strong…Scooter has a sensitivity to some airborne scents or other things, and they had one in the lobby that he…disagreed with him, and they also do it at these theme parks.

 

But something about it…it did seem like it was being used to cover up something else like dampness, just…and then our room had the same issue, a different smell, but we didn’t notice it ‘til it was already…that we were getting ready for bed. Scooter was just like, Ray, I can't deal with packing everything up and going back here. So…wow, this walk is much longer. So, this walk…Scooter, what are you gonna do that you knocked this off your bucket list? This has been on your bucket list for what, two, three years? We're doing it in reverse of what we expected only because we discovered not that long ago…when did we discover…? I think it was just preparing for this trip that the sidewalk went from Blizzard Beach here. We thought it only went to the McDonald's.

 

So, Scooter’s bucket list was either to take a Uber or a Lyft or a car share to the McDonald's and walk here or take a bus to the All-Star Movies, apparently, which is the furthest one out, and then take a Uber or Lyft from the McDonald's. There’s also…it’s just really interesting. I don't know where we are on the map, right? But one side of us are the resorts. On the other side I think is probably one of the big roads, but between us and the big roads is a thing. But the maturity of the trees and the vegetation here, especially when you're looking at newer parks like Volcano Bay…a unbelievable park. But you say when you're in these Disney parks, the water parks…well, all are unbelievably themed. But you say, huh, what is it about these Disney parks, even…?

 

‘Cause their rides are just not on…they're just not even comparable, I would say, to the Volcano Bay attractions. But the maturity of the vegetation is the X factor, I believe, and again, here…and probably even compared to the newer…what do you call it? What do you call those things, Scooter? The newer value resorts…I mean, we weren't walking on this style of path 'cause they don’t have it that we know about, but they…I don't know. This is just nice, and we're getting thirsty at the right time, maybe hungry. Scooter’s not sure. So, what we're gonna do here is we'll keep walking ‘til we get into the turn-in for the parking lot, and then we’ll stop recording while we go inside the lobby. Here’s a question, Scooter; is the Star…the All-Star Resort…so, is each portico a giant star, do you know? Are you not sure?

 

You don’t know. Okay. Oh wow, you can…look at that view, Scooter. There’s a giant, wooden soldier. So, you have stayed here. Have you stayed at all three of these at least once? Probably, but not sure. Okay. Okay, so you and your daughter stayed at  All-Star Music on your first father-daughter trip that you still tear up when you think about; okay. Then on a family trip, you remember staying at, you think, Sports, and then another family trip you think Movies, maybe, but you're not sure. So, probably been a while. Is that a splash pad? Is that a saucer or a splash pad over there, Scooter? But wow, we're at the end of this property here, and this is exciting stuff, isn't it, Scooter? He’s nodding. I mean, I think just these trees, this lushness…and the fact that we got a sidewalk here almost all to ourselves.

 

Scooter, how many miles do you think we’ve walked? A couple, at least, huh? You could walk…I guess, is that your next bucket list? Scooter laughed. I got him to laugh, everybody, and smile, 'cause I read his mind that his next bucket list for sure will be walking from All-Star Movies to Coronado Springs. Now, he may not even record it. But Scooter, then you could record that, and then…since I recorded this. So, down the road…it can't be today, though, because we're gonna try to actually record one more episode. Scooter’s gonna try to record one more episode depending on timing and also this wind and the business. But you could always maybe record that another day. Yeah, but this is our day, right? This was our work day, scheduled work day.

 

Last night unfortunately will…Scooter was wondering, huh, could that have been a bonus episode or a not-bonus episode? Ends up, it has to be a bonus episode. So, what do you think, Scooter? We’ll go into this resort here. So, this is All-Star Movies. The first movie thing we're seeing is from Toy Story, and it’s a bucket of toy soldiers to play with. So, they have Toy Story, in 9 and 10, Fantasia, 5 and 8…and Love Bug, 6 and 7. So, that’s pretty cool. These giant things, these are what the All-Star Resorts are known for when they first opened up. So, yeah, this was a big deal for your family, Scooter, because so many people…like, this gave you a place to stay that was even more affordable, right? This was kinda built with your…a family like yours in mind.

 

Okay, so, we're gonna only record the video here when we're looking at the thing, Scooter said, because otherwise…yeah, people are just trying to…thing. But yeah, so, we're at Building 7. Oh, so the giant icons cover the stairwells. I kinda forgot that. Interesting. So, Scooter, what do you think…how much do you think we’ll record? We’ll check the time. Okay, we're gonna check the time when we get to the food court. Okay, fair enough, I say. What time of day do you think it is, Scooter? No idea. Wow, so, we're at a edge of a…oh, it’s 1:19. Scooter thought it was after 2:00. So, it is lunchtime. That’s good. Okay, so we're on the edge of the All-Star Movies Resort, everybody, and it’s Toy Story-themed, so there’s a lot of toys on the roof. There’s clouds and film strips on each tier.

 

This is a four…three-story building, and it is turnover time. Not turnover for food time. Okay, we're at Building 9 and 10. Oh, there’s a Woody sheriff button along the clouds. Oh wow, Scooter, there’s a courtyard play area here, and…yeah, so, we’ll look at that, huh? Alrighty. We can record that while there’s people doing it. Oh, there’s a giant Buzz there. Oh, we can do it right here, though. Oh, wow, look at the size of that Woody. This would be fun for kids. Oh, it’s not a play area, though this is with these things. There’s the door to Andy’s room, Lil Bo Peep…oh, and then a giant Buzz Lightyear. Wow, he’s humungous, Scooter. To infinity and beyond, Buzz. Okay, and then there’s wooden blocks that say Buzz. So, this is kinda like the Cars thing, huh? Okay.

 

Now we're headed into…oh, Scooter, this, I think, is the food court already. We came right back. So, we could…there’s one of the cars from the remote-control car. I don't remember the name from the thing. There’s a giant chess and checker set. This is a nice…and again, because of the maturity of the…oh, and there’s a playground. Let’s loop by the playground, Scooter, and then loop to the thing just so we can…I can…oh wow, there’s really a…this is really like a forest…I mean, boardwalk. I mean, these trees are so mature. So, this is just a playland and that’s it. There’s no…I thought there might have been a throughpath. I’m sorry, Scooter. But…alright, so, yeah, but there’s a whole playground. Alright, so, we’ll be back. We're gonna eat something, okay, everybody?

 

Hi everybody, this is Ray, and yeah, we're leaving the…what do you call it? The…we're on the back side of the All-Star Movies Resort. We're gonna walk at least to the Music, and we're seeing some giant clap boards or whatever they're called; Disney’s Bananas, Daisy, Camera 6, and…6, 1980. So, yeah, we're in behind now the parking lot behind the resort, and we can actually use this 'cause it’s nice and quiet, huh, Scooter? Wow. Oh, there’s hearts on…oh, 'cause Herbie the Love Bug…okay. So, yeah, we're on the back side. We're in-between Music and Movies, and we’ll just stick back here. I guess maybe we’ll go through between all three of them on this back side, though we probably will head to the front side.

 

Scooter does want to recreate one private memory which is somewhere back here where him and his daughter parked their car, dropped the stuff off at their room, and then headed for a surprise trip to Epcot Center when they return…after they returned their rental car at the Hotel B, one of the highlights of his life, he says, because he surprised his daughter. It was their first father-daughter trip. Scooter was a sober gentleman, so he knew he could be present for his daughter the whole time and they could just enjoy their time together. Okay, so there’s a pretty big parking lot between these two resorts, a pretty large gap. You can hear my soda cup jangling. But so, they parked on the exact opposite side that we're on, I think. Right, Scooter? That’s what you suspect?

 

But also, in this…what seems to be the Jazz section, you…you do believe you were in the Jazz section as well? Probably. Alright. Do you think we could record some of this? It looks pretty empty. Oh, there’s a large group of people. Okay, well, this is a pretty good camera shot, though, here. Again, another thing we're taken by is the maturity of…when you talk about advantages Disney has, you don’t think about mature plants, but they give…they do offer this huge advantage. So, Scooter, this is almost a little bit like New Orleans style, except there’s a Newsies poster, a Beauty and the Beast…maybe this is the Broadway section. So, this is Broadway. But yeah, so, we're gonna walk…I guess maybe we're walking down Broadway. Oh yeah, 57th Street and Broadway. Scooter, this looks like a little forest path here. Can we take this?

 

I think it just goes to another…to Broadway 7. I think this goes to the parking lot there. So, we’re in Country Fair, which is the Country Music section, and there was some area music we encountered in Broadway. Luckily we're not encountering any of it there. They do have these Adirondak chairs here that are…Scooter, you still…you had the podcast when you went on that trip, but you didn’t…you weren't really recording anything on-location. But that’s just the air conditioning for the pool making that noise. But this…so, this is a pool you and your daughter swam at, huh? Now, you're not big at swimming. You were wanting to nap, huh? Okay, well, you don’t get everything you wish for. Do you think this is a quiet pool or a…? It’s a piano pool. So, you think they have an…? Oh, there’s Ariel.

 

Oh, so it’s shaped like a piano. But do you think there’s another pool that has more…? So, there’s not really anything going on here, though. Do you think they have a noisy pool? Probably. Okay, this must be the 1950s section or the Rock and Roll section. So, they have a Country section, Broadway, some sort of…there’s records, there’s giant amps and guitars. We want to get to the Jazz section just for Scooter’s memory’s sake so he can kinda figure out where him and his daughter may have stayed. Oh, this is…yeah, the Rock Inn, they call it. It has giant jukeboxes, 1950’s style. You know who would like to stay here, or maybe they're staying there now, would be David Lynch. He could stay in that section. I could…I mean, especially now, he’d probably be…this place is…Disney is such a strange place. He might like it a lot.

 

Okay, so there’s a lot of pool noise there, and that’s probably your parking lot over there behind the Jazz section. The Jazz building’s here, Building #2. Scooter said if we're in…oh, there’s a fountain, Scooter. So, this is probably your building, right? So, you stayed in the Jazz Inn, maybe in one of these…second or third floor, you think? Behind the drums. That’s the centerpiece for the two buildings. Okay, so, Scooter says…yeah. Oh, they're showing movies by the pool. They have a lot of activities. Arcade tournament; I wonder if you have to pay for that. Arts and crafts on the pool deck at 3:30; that’s also nice. Okay, so we're out of the Jazz music section, and we’re pretty close to this parking lot where Scooter and his daughter first parked here on the edge of the Jazz buildings and got their stuff out, and then found the room.

 

I’m sure Scooter was moving at an incredibly high rate of intensity and his daughter’s like, yo, dad, can you cool it down a little? But this is where I’m gonna leave you, and then I’m gonna record the beginning of this episode, believe it or not, here. So, it’s been lovely walking with you, and now we checked something off of Scooter’s bucket list, but now we get to put something back on. I think that’s the Calypso section, Scooter, over there? Probably, huh. See, this is where you parked, huh? ‘Cause this is the Jazz section. Yeah, so…interesting, interesting stuff, Scooter. So, you kinda remember running around here even though it was about ten years ago. No, twelve…it might have been…oh no, it’s probably…you don’t know. But, alright, everybody, that’s enough from me. Goodnight. Thanks for listening, and I’ll talk to you soon. I’ll be in your ears soon. Goodnight from Ray and Scooter.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)

On Location / Ray

 

Ice Cube History

https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/blog/2018/03/19/a-brief-history-of-ice

https://www.thoughtco.com/making-ice-cubes-1992002

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/why-ice-cubes-are-popular-in-america-history-freezer-frozen-tv-dinners-article

 

Disney World All Star Resorts

https://www.wdw-magazine.com/all-star-movies-resort-opens/?srsltid=AfmBOooTdMXLvmi4GHsSDsmKgoKtoBDrlrVdOJ-Hk_PswTv69h3VvYUC

https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/disneys-all-star-music-resort/

https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/disneys-all-star-sports-resort/

 

Water Slides

https://www.funcrewusa.com/resources/history-of-water-slides/

https://bouncinbins.com/phoenix/party-rental-tips/the-amazing-history-of-inflatable-water-slides/

https://jurasikparkinn.com/blogs/high-speed-water-slides-from-beginnings-to-a-global-phenomenon/

 

Blizzard Beach

https://www.wdw-magazine.com/today-in-disney-history-1995-blizzard-beach-opened-at-disney-world/?srsltid=AfmBOoqLQ5M8Ijc1gBSBqHSX2xPH2x5BSdde72DwitY8SmIX8FgwtLzo

https://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/2010/08/legend-of-blizzard-beach.html

https://allears.net/2022/12/18/the-history-of-disney-worlds-least-popular-parks/

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Time for a walking episode

A relaxing scroll on a sidewalk

This walk exceeded my sleepy expectations

 

PLUGS

Sleep With Me Plus; Sleep Phones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods

 

INTRO

Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company

Those are some nice bird sounds, huh?

I’ll repeat myself and so will Ray

We’re not here to be perfect

I don’t normally record intros on location

I want you to flourish

Your expectations are legitimate

If you discover you don’t like the show, that’s okay

sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou

Elevated Background Noise

The Humming of Air Conditioners

I’m here to be your borefriend

No pressure to listen

Explaining the show structure

We count on you for support

 

STORY

Ray is here

A little bit of child yelling to start off

We’re pretty close to a mini golf course but we’ll walk away from it

Walking from Blizzard Beach and Winter Summerland to the All Star Resorts

A sidewalk within the confines of Walt Disney World

Okay, I’m gonna take a second to find the sidewalk

Winter Summerland Golf Course

One of the few sidewalks within the Disney property

We’re already standing on unexplored territory

Holy cow, there’s other people on the sidewalk!

Hearing some mechanical noises

Some backstory on Ray

We had a plan that did not work out

This is almost wilderness here

The wind is picking up

And traffic noises

We took a car share to our hotel

A little piece of wild country behind the water park

Right now, Disney is trying different promotions to keep people happy

One promotion is free admission to the Blizzard Beach waterpark the day you check in

It was packed today

We had to take 2 buses to get there

Scooter didn’t want to go, but I insisted

Wow, there’s even a crosswalk!

Okay, we just went into McDonald’s

It was a Reverse TARDIS

Much smaller on the inside

We’ve lost our sense of direction

Okay, we can’t go that way…

Crossing the street and heading towards All Star Resorts

We almost got lunch at McDonald’s

At least McDonald’s is predictable

We walked the water park

Even the lazy river did not look very lazy at all

We’re in unprecedented territory now!

Walking through three resorts

Let’s guess how many sodas Scooter will drink

All Star Sports, All Star Movies, All Star Music, in any order

Let’s see what we’re dealing with

Even in WDW, drivers don’t stop for pedestrians

We walked the entire loop of Blizzard Beach

Scooter doesn’t like being in water with a lot of people in it

This Blizzard Beach lodge looks like a ski lodge

Describing the architecture

Walk slower, don’t talk slower

This might be the best time to walk these resorts

Scooter’s watch no longer works

The Backside of Waterparks

Explaining Disney’s Waterparks

A mountainous area built up with slides

Blizzard Beach has “melting snow”

I think Typhoon Lagoon has more water slides

1980s / 1990s Style Water Slides

Are you as surprised as I am that Movies is in the middle?

How lucky are we to be walking this right now?

Maybe Pillow Pet ended up around here

Holy cow, the lushness at Blizzard Beach was breathtaking

I think the squeal of the buses is a nice sound

Let’s talk lushness

Scooter has a sensitivity to certain airborne things

They’re using smells to cover up certain dampnesses

And it was in our room

Wow, this walk is much longer than anticipated

Scooter, what will you do now that this walk is off your bucket list?

The maturity of the trees and vegetation is astounding, especially at the newer parks

Disney far excels in regards to vegetation maturity

The Newer Value Resorts

We’re getting thirsty (and maybe hungry) at the right time

Is each portico in All Star Resorts shaped like a star? I don’t know

There’s a giant wooden soldier

Scooter thinks he’s stayed at all these resorts

Scooter tears up thinking about staying here on his first Father Daughter Trip

We’re at the end of this property

Scooter’s next bucket list will be walking from All Star Music to Coronado Springs

The first movie thing we’re seeing is from Toy Story

A bucket of toy soldiers

This resort was a big deal for your family

A more affordable resort for families

I forgot that the giant icons cover the stairwells

On the edge of All Star Movies now

Clouds and Film Strips in the sky

Building 9 and 10 now

Woody Sheriff Button

A giant Buzz there

Look at the size of that Woody!

Humongous Buzz Lightyear

I guess this kind of like the Cars thing

Oh, we’re back at the food court already

This is really like a forest boardwalk

Okay, we’ll be back after we eat something

The backside of All Star Movies

Some giant clapboards

Walking to All Star Music

Oh, those hearts are for Herbie the Love Bug

Scooter wants to recreate a prized, core memory

One of the highlights of his life

His first trip as a sober gentleman with his daughter

You can hear my sodacup jangling

This is a pretty good camera shot here

You normally don’t think of mature plants as an advantage

This must be the Broadway section

In the country music section

Some Adirondack chairs here

Some AC machines in the background

I bet David Lynch would like to stay here at the Rock Inn

Oh, there’s a fountain here

Scooter stayed near here once

Movies and activities by the pool

Ok, we’re out of the jazz music section

Pretty close to where Scooter and his daughter parked all those years ago

This is where I’ll leave you

Goodnight

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1385

Title: Walk to All Stars with Ray | On Location

Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; Sleep Phones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods

Notable Language:

• The Humming of Air Conditioners
• Reverse TARDIS
• The Backside of Waterparks
• 1980s / 1990s Style Water Slides
• Lushness
• Maturity of Vegetation
• The Newer Value Resorts
• Woody Sheriff Button

 

Notable Culture:

• • All Star Music and All Star Sports / All Star Resort
  • sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
  • Blizzard Beach
  • Winter Summerland

• Doctor Who

• • McDonald’s
  • Toy Story

• Fantasia

• The Love Bug

• Cars

• Newsies!

• David Lynch
• The Rock Inn

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company
• Those are some nice bird sounds, huh?
• I’ll repeat myself and so will Ray
• We’re not here to be perfect
• I don’t normally record intros on location
• I want you to flourish
• Your expectations are legitimate
• If you discover you don’t like the show, that’s okay
• sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
• Elevated Background Noise
• The Humming of Air Conditioners
• I’m here to be your borefriend
• No pressure to listen
• Explaining the show structure
• We count on you for support
• Ray is here
• A little bit of child yelling to start off
• We’re pretty close to a mini golf course but we’ll walk away from it
• Walking from Blizzard Beach and Winter Summerland to the All Star Resorts
• A sidewalk within the confines of Walt Disney World
• Okay, I’m gonna take a second to find the sidewalk
• Winter Summerland Golf Course
• One of the few sidewalks within the Disney property
• We’re already standing on unexplored territory
• Holy cow, there’s other people on the sidewalk!
• Hearing some mechanical noises
• Some backstory on Ray
• We had a plan that did not work out
• This is almost wilderness here
• The wind is picking up
• And traffic noises
• We took a car share to our hotel
• A little piece of wild country behind the water park
• Right now, Disney is trying different promotions to keep people happy
• One promotion is free admission to the Blizzard Beach waterpark the day you check in
• It was packed today
• We had to take 2 buses to get there
• Scooter didn’t want to go, but I insisted
• Wow, there’s even a crosswalk!
• Okay, we just went into McDonald’s
• It was a Reverse TARDIS
• Much smaller on the inside
• We’ve lost our sense of direction
• Okay, we can’t go that way…
• Crossing the street and heading towards All Star Resorts
• We almost got lunch at McDonald’s
• At least McDonald’s is predictable
• We walked the water park
• Even the lazy river did not look very lazy at all
• We’re in unprecedented territory now!
• Walking through three resorts
• Let’s guess how many sodas Scooter will drink
• All Star Sports, All Star Movies, All Star Music, in any order
• Let’s see what we’re dealing with
• Even in WDW, drivers don’t stop for pedestrians
• We walked the entire loop of Blizzard Beach
• Scooter doesn’t like being in water with a lot of people in it
• This Blizzard Beach lodge looks like a ski lodge
• Describing the architecture
• Walk slower, don’t talk slower
• This might be the best time to walk these resorts
• Scooter’s watch no longer works
• The Backside of Waterparks
• Explaining Disney’s Waterparks
• A mountainous area built up with slides
• Blizzard Beach has “melting snow”
• I think Typhoon Lagoon has more water slides
• 1980s / 1990s Style Water Slides
• Are you as surprised as I am that Movies is in the middle?
• How lucky are we to be walking this right now?
• Maybe Pillow Pet ended up around here
• Holy cow, the lushness at Blizzard Beach was breathtaking
• I think the squeal of the buses is a nice sound
• Let’s talk lushness
• Scooter has a sensitivity to certain airborne things
• They’re using smells to cover up certain dampnesses
• And it was in our room
• Wow, this walk is much longer than anticipated
• Scooter, what will you do now that this walk is off your bucket list?
• The maturity of the trees and vegetation is astounding, especially at the newer parks
• Disney far excels in regards to vegetation maturity
• The Newer Value Resorts
• We’re getting thirsty (and maybe hungry) at the right time
• Is each portico in All Star Resorts shaped like a star? I don’t know
• There’s a giant wooden soldier
• Scooter thinks he’s stayed at all these resorts
• Scooter tears up thinking about staying here on his first Father Daughter Trip
• We’re at the end of this property
• Scooter’s next bucket list will be walking from All Star Music to Coronado Springs
• The first movie thing we’re seeing is from Toy Story
• A bucket of toy soldiers
• This resort was a big deal for your family
• A more affordable resort for families
• I forgot that the giant icons cover the stairwells
• On the edge of All Star Movies now
• Clouds and Film Strips in the sky
• Building 9 and 10 now
• Woody Sheriff Button
• A giant Buzz there
• Look at the size of that Woody!
• Humongous Buzz Lightyear
• I guess this kind of like the Cars thing
• Oh, we’re back at the food court already
• This is really like a forest boardwalk
• Okay, we’ll be back after we eat something
• The backside of All Star Movies
• Some giant clapboards
• Walking to All Star Music
• Oh, those hearts are for Herbie the Love Bug
• Scooter wants to recreate a prized, core memory
• One of the highlights of his life
• His first trip as a sober gentleman with his daughter
• You can hear my sodacup jangling
• This is a pretty good camera shot here
• You normally don’t think of mature plants as an advantage
• This must be the Broadway section
• In the country music section
• Some Adirondack chairs here
• Some AC machines in the background
• I bet David Lynch would like to stay here at the Rock Inn
• Oh, there’s a fountain here
• Scooter stayed near here once
• Movies and activities by the pool
• Ok, we’re out of the jazz music section
• Pretty close to where Scooter and his daughter parked all those years ago
• This is where I’ll leave you
• Goodnight