Best Disney Podcast Recommendations to Listen to While You Can't Experience the Magic

Disney is closed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the Disney spirit through the right EarBuds podcasts recommendations.

Podcasts can take you anywhere. Even during a global pandemic, the right podcast recommendations can take you from the inside of your house (that you’ve been sitting in for three months) to a magical mountain surrounded by rainbows and butterflies. Or to a 17th century debate between friends on which axe is better for chopping down maple trees. Or to the boardroom where the concept for the iPhone was created and fleshed out. Really and truly, you can go anywhere with the right podcast earbuds in your ears and podcast audio playing on your phone.

Here at EarBuds Podcast Collective, we send a weekly email that contains a theme and five podcast episodes on that theme (sign up for the podcast newsletter here) — and each week is curated by a different person. We love when curators pitch us on hyper-specific themes, especially when they relate to a certain time or a topical event. Anyone can curate a list and because of that, the line to curate is pretty long. But when we receive a very fun and topical idea, we want to get right on it and publish it! That’s what inspired this list. Jeffrey DePaoli loves Disney. So much so, in fact, that he hosts the Disney-inspired Dizney Coast to Coast podcast.

Here’s what Dizney CTC is all about:

“Dizney Coast to Coast” is an entertaining and informative podcast all about anything and everything related to The Walt Disney Company. Consider this your warning: listeners of DCTC have been known to temporarily leave their reality while they dream of their next (or first) Disney vacation. DCTC is hosted by Jeff DePaoli, an avid Disney fan who spends far too much time in the parks and being consumed by Disney products. He suffers from O.C.D. (Obsessive Compulsive Disney), but has learned to use this disorder for your benefit by spreading his knowledge through the podcast. Come along for the ride and listen to passionate conversations celebrating (and sometimes questioning) Disney theme parks, movies, theatricals and so much more on the ultimate unofficial Disney fan podcast.

We wanted to put out Jeffrey’s list of podcast recommendations as a special blog post because we know that many people are stuck inside, socially distancing and isolating themselves during COVID-19. Since the Disney parks are closed, Jeffrey thinks these podcasts will bring you some joy and remind you of the magic that you have experienced (or will experience) at a Disney park around the world.

This list was curated for EarBuds Podcast Collective by Jeffrey DePaoli:

You probably never thought you would see a day when every Disney Park in the world would be closed for business for an extended period of time. But that’s the reality we find ourselves living in right now. Things are slowly reopening, but both the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks as well as the Disneyland Resort parks will take a while before they get back to the "normal" we once knew.

For now you can keep the Disney Parks magic alive through podcasts. Listening to Disney themed podcasts all year long is always enjoyable, but these days, focusing your listening on theme park-centric episodes can help keep the parks alive and bring back memories of the happier times we once spent in them.

Below is a list of podcast episodes from “Dizney Coast to Coast podcast,” “The Back Side of Water podcast,” “Attraction Checklist podcast,” “We Like Theme Parks podcast,” and “Unlocking the Magic” podcasts, focusing on Disney Parks and attractions.

Enjoy! I hope they help bring a bit of the magic back into your life while awaiting the park re-openings.

(Before you jump into the recommendations — need some EarBuds? We got you with our favorite earbuds).

Disney Podcast Recommendations:

Podcast: Dizney Coast to Coast

Episode: An interview with Disney Legend Bob Gurr

Description: Bob Gurr is a Disney Legend who worked directly with Walt Disney as he was developing the original Disney theme park, Disneyland. Listen as Bob tells stories about how he got the job to design the vehicles for Main Street U.S.A., Autopia, Matterhorn Bobsleds, The Haunted Mansion and more. Bob is a Disney legend and you do not want to miss this podcast episode.

Podcast: The Back Side of Water

Episode: Mickey’s Toontown

Description: Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland Park has a very unique history and backstory that you most likely haven’t heard before. Listen as the story is told of how this land came about and some concepts that never came to fruition.

Podcast: Attraction Checklist

Episode: Festival of the Lion King

Description: Festival of the Lion King is a stage show that has been part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the very beginning. What was meant to be a temporary production has grown in popularity and has even been moved into a more permanent theatre. Listen as the show is discussed and audio from the live show is shared.

Podcast: We Like Theme Parks

Episode: Top Disney Rides with a 10 Minute Wait or Less

Description: Everybody knows about the big, popular rides like Space Mountain, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Indiana Jones Adventure, and so many more. But there are a plethora of Disney rides with short waits that are just as enjoyable. Listen as some favorites are counted down. This is your “how to hack your way to the best and most efficient day at Disney” guide.

Podcast: Unlocking the Magic

Episode: Top 5 Attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Description: Disney’s Animal Kingdom may be the newest theme park in Walt Disney World, but it has some of the greatest attractions available. Listen as a top five list of can’t-miss attractions are shared by some truly Disney-obsessed podcasters.

Now that you’ve got these episodes queued up on your favorite podcast app, it’s time to listen! If you need a new, fun pair of podcast earbuds, we put together a list of our favorites.

We hope this podcast recommendation list gave you a chance to think back fondly on your Disney memories. Though we may be stuck inside now, not able to gather in large groups, we are grateful for the work that podcasters have done (and continue to do ) to create entertaining and educational content that keeps us connected to the things and people we love. Soon, we’ll be back at Disney!

Did this list inspire you? Do you want to curate a list of podcast recommendations? You can sign up to curate for EarBuds here.