Journey To The Magic

Actor Ruth ‘Merryweather’ Madeley’s first holiday abroad was to Disneyland® Paris. And since that magical family trip many moons ago, she’s flown a little further to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida over and over again. Tune in and you’ll hear all about Ruth’s out-of-control Disney Pin collection, where to get the most indulgent of coffees in the Disney Parks – it sounds dreamy – and why Disney calories don’t count, which is handy during the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. As a wheelchair user, Ruth discusses the added stresses she faces when travelling and how the Guest Services at Walt Disney World take all these stresses away. It’s the perfect destination for wheelchair users. Her top tip – make the most of the Disability Access Service Pass!

This episode Gi is joined by journalist, broadcaster and soon-to-be-MBE Kate Garraway. Congratulations, Kate! At the time of recording, Kate was patiently waiting for her invite to Buckingham Palace. But that’s not the only royal residence she will have visited this year – as she recently returned from seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle, and its scary dragon, at Disneyland® Paris. Kate cherishes the magical escapism Disneyland Paris has blessed her and her family with over the years, with Peter Pan’s Flight being a particularly happy thought. Yet there’s something new and super from their most recent visit that she can’t stop thinking about. Tune in to find out what it is! Kate’s top tip – never go anywhere without a cagoule. And get someone else to plan your holiday for you. We can’t disagree with that!

Giovanna kicks off series three chatting all things Disney with TV personality, vlogger and Tower of Terror-lover Amy Hart. Has there ever been a podcast guest who almost knows more about Walt Disney World Resort in Florida than Gi does? Amy certainly comes close, having been eight times with her family plus oodles of flying visits whenever she used to stop over in Orlando while working as cabin crew. As ex cabin crew, Amy has plenty of handy tips for long haul flights with kids. But it’s her Disney Park smarts that are really worth tuning in for, like how to get priority seating for her favourite show, Fantasmic, where to stand for all the parades and why the Disney Genie service really is a game-changer. As for Amy’s Dream Disney Day – she’s been planning it for 15 years! And she’s invited Gi along too. Lucky Gi!

We have a threequel! Welcome back to Journey to the Magic, the official Walt Disney Travel Company podcast hosted by Giovanna Fletcher. Filled with stars, it’s about all the things that make Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disney Cruise Line oh so magical. Tune in to series three and you’ll hear Amy Hart, Kate Garraway, Ruth Madeley, Frankie Bridge, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Romesh Ranganathan sharing their most magical memories, funny stories and family traditions from their Disney holidays. Once again, Giovanna will ask each guest to use the power of “Blink Travel” to plan their Dream Disney Day. And our resident Disney expert, Jamie, will share magical tips on how to make your Disney holiday wishes come true.

Ahoy there, sailors! Giovanna Fletcher is back for a very special episode recorded on our newest cruise ship – the Disney Wish. She even took her husband, Tom Fletcher, and sister-in-law, Carrie Hope Fletcher, along for the ride!   Now as you all know, the Fletchers are huge Disney fans, but they’ve never been on a cruise, let alone a Disney Cruise! So tune in and you’ll hear all about how they made magical memories at sea for the first time. How lucky are they that it was all on board the Disney Wish! As this is a very special episode, we thought you’d love to see the magic as well as hear about it, therefore we’ve filmed it too. So prepare to catch Tom and Gi longing to be young enough to play in the youth spaces at Disney’s Oceaneer Club, enjoying our private island in the Bahamas, Disney Castaway Cay, and running our famous 5K. You’ll even witness the wonder of them being two of the first people to ride AquaMouse – our first attraction at sea. Make sure you stay tuned in until the very end for the ultimate Lightning McQueen quick-fire round with our resident Disney expert, Elkie, and the chance to win your very own dream Disney Cruise Line holiday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wishing for an episode filled with the most magical moments from series 2? Well, you’re in luck, because Giovanna the podcast genie has made this wish come true. Buckle up and brace yourself for a dazzling journey powered on heartfelt stories, magical memories and lots and lots of laughs with Vogue Williams, Janette Manrara, Stephanie Beatriz, Alesha Dixon, Ronan Keating and Rob Beckett. Who knows, with each guest conjuring up their Dream Disney Day and sharing their top tips, you may even feel inspired to start planning your next big Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland® Paris or Disney Cruise Line adventure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian, TV host, actor and podcaster Rob Beckett has been lucky enough to travel all around the world with his mate Romesh. Yet his most cherished holiday moments have been with his wife and two little girls at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland® Paris. Sorry, Romesh. Tune in and you’ll hear all about how Rob, who doesn’t like big drops, and his fellow Walt Disney World ‘Boardwalkies’ took things slowly until they hopped on a Toy Story attraction he’d happily ride 15 times. Find out how a long-awaited appearance by the ‘fab five’ provided a magical Disneyland® Paris moment for his girls. And discover a Dream Disney Day with our first ever teleportation request to see some drones. Oh, and his top tips give our very own Elkie a run for her money – wait until you hear how he managed to watch both Walt Disney World nighttime spectaculars at the same time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Superstar singer and TV and radio presenter Ronan Keating’s first visit to a Disney® Park was something special – he and his Boyzone bandmates opened Space Mountain at Disneyland® Paris in 1995! Since then, he’s travelled all over the world and seen all sorts of wonderful things. But his most magical moment was seeing his son first meet Goofy at Tokyo Disney Resort®. Tune in to hear where MARVEL-mad Ronan can’t wait to stay next and his top tip for travelling with children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She knows how to sing, she knows how to dance and she knows when something has talent, so when Alesha Dixon says she loves the shows and parades at the Disney® Parks, they must be good. But which ones are her favourites? For Alesha, the faster the rollercoaster the better. She’s tried many during her trips to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Paris and Disneyland Resort in California. Yet she’s still to fly a banshee in Avatar Flight of Passage, despite Avatar being her favourite film. Come on Alesha, sort it out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor and singer Stephanie Beatriz’s dream job came true when she was asked to voice Mirabel for Disney’s Encanto. Yes, we have Mirabel on the podcast! A fan of the magic since the golden age of Disney animation, Stephanie has set foot in Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort – and has a plethora of Disney ornaments to prove it. In this episode, you’ll hear all about Stephanie’s Disney adventures, including a recent visit to Disneyland Paris where she and her husband introduced their baby girl to many of its attractions and Stephanie even conjured up a little bit of magic for one lucky family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professional dancer, choreographer and TV presenter Janette Manrara is a mahoosive Disney fan. Yep, even bigger than Tom Fletcher! How can this be? Well, Janette grew up a mere 253 miles (ish) from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (lucky!) and thinks she’s been there a whopping 42 times. This also means she really knows her magic. So much so, she once whizzed her husband around all four Theme Parks and both Water Parks in just three days – without a map. So prepare for a true Disney superfan’s insight into the magic and what is probably this podcast’s most ambitious and in-depth Dream Disney Day yet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giovanna kicks off series two chatting magic with television presenter, podcaster, Disney thrill-seeker, and planning and packing expert Vogue Williams.   Vogue grew up totally obsessed with Beauty and the Beast. So much so, she ended up marrying a real-life Gaston (sorry, Spencer, Vogue’s words, not ours!). Their first ‘holidate’ was to Disneyland® Paris. And they can’t wait to go back this year for the 30th Anniversary, as many goes as possible on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™, and the look on their kids’ faces when they first set eyes on Sleeping Beauty Castle.   Make sure you’re all ears, because Vogue has a genius tip for long flights with little ones.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Official Walt Disney Travel Company Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may know Emma as the face of The Voice, but to Giovanna, she’s her best friend and Disney Parks travel buddy. Their families have shared many magical moments exploring the Parks together. And they can’t wait to go back, all squeeze into a photo in front of Cinderella Castle (thank you, Memory Maker) and eat funnel cake for lunch every single day!    Emma’s a bit of a thrill-seeker who likes to take the day as it comes. Which isn’t for everyone, including Giovanna! So if you love to plan your day ahead, stay tuned as Disney expert Elkie takes you through her top tips at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of the series, our attention turns to The World’s Most Magical Celebration – the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. And who better to wow Giovanna with all the exciting things planned for this 18-month extravaganza than our resident Disney insider Elkie and star guest Dave Coombs, who is Director of Public Relations for Walt Disney World Resort.  Oh, and as they’re all massive Star Wars™ fans, you’ll learn about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser–an out-of-this-world two-night immersive adventure touching down in Walt Disney World Resort in spring 2022.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A true triple threat, musician, actor and dancer Aston Merrygold got his first taste of stardom as a seven-year-old Guest at, yes, you guessed it, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Since that unforgettable day on stage during Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Aston has been back many times – especially at Halloween and to eat as many turkey legs as possible.  Yet despite his many visits, Aston hasn’t had the chance to take his two little boys to any of the Disney® Parks. So to help make sure their first Disney adventure goes as smoothly as one of Aston’s dance moves, resident Disney expert Elkie has some top tips for trips with young children.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lovable TV presenter Alison Hammond is the only one of our podcast guests to have visited Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line. She therefore has a whole host of magical memories to share, from being an honorary princess at Disneyland Paris, to sailing in the Med and the Caribbean aboard Disney Cruise Line and squeezing almost every last drop of orange juice out of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida!    Alison definitely knows her magic more than most, but our very own Disney expert, Elkie, thinks she might still like to learn about the amazing new features coming to the My Disney Experience App. Stay tuned until the end to find out more…  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ll struggle to meet a bigger Disney fan than Giovanna’s husband, musician, singer, songwriter, composer, author and Disney pin collector Tom Fletcher. He first visited Walt Disney World Resort in Florida when he was five and has been back many, many times since – a lot of them with Giovanna! So he has loads of magical stories and tips to share, including how he finally managed to earn a Galactic Hero sticker on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More magic to your ears! Giovanna Fletcher is back with another round-up of best bits from series 1, featuring resident expert and Disney Insider! Elkie is on hand to share her top tips and expert advice for your Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disney Cruise Line holidays, all inspired by our celebrity guests’ dream Disney days. So whether you’re looking for restaurant recommendations, handy apps and services, or how to get a high score on Toy Story Mania, this episode is packed full of helpful ideas on how to get the most out of your Disney holiday! That’s a wrap for series 1! Series 2, coming in 2022 ✨ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV legend Davina McCall didn’t watch her first Disney film until she was 35. Now she has a Disney-themed Christmas tree every year and a lanyard filled with Disney pins to remind her of her many Walt Disney World Resort in Florida adventures. In this episode, Davina touches on how a Disney holiday can mean so much to so many people, and reveals which Star Wars™ Character gave her the best hug ever. While on holiday, Davina always makes time for a 5k run in the morning. So with this in mind, resident Disney expert Elkie shows us how easy it is to keep fit and eat healthily at Walt Disney World.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All ears for more magic? Giovanna Fletcher is giving you an extra sprinkling of pixie dust with a round-up of some best bits from series 1! It’s a rollercoaster of laughter, tears and magical memories as Tom Fletcher, Emma Willis, Aston Merrygold, Davina McCall and Alison Hammond share their dream Disney days. From Gi and Tom’s trips with the in-laws, to Davina’s longest-ever hug with Chewbacca and Alison’s hilarious TV memories, you’re sure to start reminiscing about (and planning!) your own Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Paris and Disney Cruise Line holiday. Make sure you stay tuned ‘til the end for the ultimate Lightning McQueen quick-fire round! That’s a wrap for series 1! Series 2, coming in 2022 ✨ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Official Walt Disney Travel Company Podcast