I am excited to bring to you an interview with NDD#275 & NDD#278, better know as Bob Coller and Tim Scott, the hosts of ResortLoop.com podcast. These two put together an “off the cuff” and fun Disney podcast that you must add to your podcast subscriptions. Today, the Head Loopers give me an opportunity to join Looper Nation and be a part of their Disney Driven Life to share with you.
1. How has a Disney Driven Life led you to where you are now?
Tim – Most people know Bob and I work with each other and even before the podcast we would have long drawn out conversations sometimes for days. At home we have some of the recipe books and would make a dish from one of the restaurants, Bob – not together; The Shepherd’s Pie from The Rose & Crown was a favorite. When I would work out my basement I would have a different Disney radio station playing. These are the things that get us from trip to trip.
Bob – Have been a Disney fan all of my life, grew up watching Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Once I had kids that was the clincher. We have been going to the parks each year for the past 15-16 years. Decorations are throughout the house. My bathroom is all Disney; my car has Disney stuff stuck all over it. “It is a lifestyle.”
2. How did you get started in podcasting?
Bob – Tim was very heavily involved in listening to different Disney radio programs and podcasts and got me involved in that. He would ask have you listened to this? One day Tim came to me and asked if I wanted to do a podcast. We went back and forth every day it seemed. Then about two months later Tim called and said are we ready to go? I am going to call you.
Tim – Are you sure you want to do this? I am going to buy the equipment if you are really going to do this and he said he wanted to do it.
Bob – One day we Skyped each other and bam there it was.
Tim – We did one test call and then recorded the next day.
3. Would you suggest or not suggest for others to start their own podcast?
Tim – Yeah give it whirl!
Bob – Absolutely! It’s a lot of fun. Tim and I have a distinct advantage since we have known each other for 15 years and our banter is pretty much the same when we are not in front of the microphones.
4. Congratulations, recently the ResortLoop.com podcast entered the top 10 of all PLACES & TRAVEL Podcasts on iTunes. What were your expectations or goals when you started the Resort Loop podcast? Do you have new goals?
Bob – Our expectations at the beginning were to have some fun and see what happens. It has been a fantastic ride for us. I know for me we are going to have a mini meet coming up and Tim is thinking about when he can do one. I think our next step is to meet the Looper Nation.
Tim – We always said if we did nothing else we would at least have fun doing what we were doing. We never saw the Loopers coming. The group named themselves, the Loopers, and Bob has proliferated the Looper term all over.
5. How do Loopers find details on your upcoming Looper meet?
Bob – I’m treating this a lot like a flash mob almost, there might be a dance. I want it to be kind of spontaneous. Follow me on twitter @resortloopbob and I am going to leak out information the closer we get. I will put out the exact time once we are there but it will definitely happen on June 15th.
6. What technology has positively affected your Disney World experience the most?
Tim – Planning has become so much more involved with the internet and phone apps. I know I can check line times up here in Ohio and we are not going to be there anytime soon. My concern is I have not been in the parks since the Disney Experience thing has been going on. My fear is that I will be looking at my phone while I am standing in the Pirates of the Caribbean queue, which I like a lot, and miss things.
Bob – The technology has pushed us to look down as much as we are looking up and that is one of the things true Disney fans say, “You gotta look up and look around.”
7. Do you like the new FP+ system and would you make any changes to the new system? If so what would they be?
Tim – I would like the FP system go to a situation where you get an extra FP if you are staying at a Disney resort and then tier up based on your resort level.
Bob – Tim and I have talked about this a lot, the whole FP+ thing quite a bit. FP+ is in flux its constantly changing and I think if any Disney fans are unhappy be patient improvements will be made. Some changes have already occurred after feedback from annual pass holders. I think it is a little bit difficult for the older folks who are going down that aren’t tech savvy. I know planning for the trip coming up in June has to occur so far in advance. If you want to get into any place, if you want the right FP, if you want the right dining reservation, and that’s kinda not the way I tour. I like to wing it, like our show.
8. What is the best advice you can give adult visitors to Disney World that they may not consider when traveling without children?
Tim – Try a different hotel then you would if you don’t have children with you. Try a more upscale restaurant, Shula’s Steakhouse or EPCOT’s Monsieur Paul.
Bob – That’s an easy one. Disney World has a lot of kids. Don’t forget there are a lot of kids at Disney World. You hear complaints that kids are acting up and this kid is doing this, and I agree kids need to be well behaved but they are kids and their attention spans are not as long as adults. So if you want a stress free environment maybe Adventures by Disney is for you.
9. What are 2-3 hard to spot pitfalls that are critical to avoid when traveling to Disney World?
Tim – 1) However you get to Disney make sure you get there rested. If you get there exhausted you are never going to catch up. 2) Not staying an extra day. If you are able, after day 4 or 5 adding a day is only a few extra bucks.
Bob – 1) Try and see everything in the 5 or 6 days that they are there. You are dealing with 46 square miles or park, it is impossible to see it all. 2) Thinking you can do it cheap. You cannot do Disney cheap and all that does is add to your frustration level; cause your going Oh my I cannot believe we spent $28 on two cheeseburgers and fries.
10. What has been the biggest blooper or awkward moment during the recording of your podcast?
Tim – Usually we leave all of those moments at the end of our podcast. There was one episode when the abbreviation CSR was thrown out and I could not remember what the abbreviation was for and I was just lost on that.
Bob – We don’t put this in all the time but almost always Tim is not sure what the episode number is. There was one episode where Tim said the incorrect episode number three times in a row.
11. Favorite Disney Hero/Villain conflict? Why?
Tim – I went non-animated, Snowball Express. The protagonist, Dean Jones, you root for him to be your hero no matter what film he is in and the antagonist, Keenan Wynn, who is a better antagonist than him. Then there is Bob he is the ResortLoop.com villain.
Bob – Treasure Planet, the interaction between Jim Hawkins and John Silver the pirate. That movie is one of the most beautifully done movies that Disney did back in the early days of digital animation mixing with the hand drawn stuff. I like how Jim Hawkins was a troubled teen that kind of got it together thanks to the villain. Who turns out to be a nice guy even though he is still a villain at the end.
12. What is your most memorable experience while visiting Disney World?
Tim – On my honeymoon, my wife and I were staying at the Contemporary. They realized we were honeymooners and upgraded us to the concierge level with a view of the Magic Kingdom. The other time we were in the Monster Inc. Laugh Floor and they told the joke to my daughter “What do they charge a Pirate to get his ear pierced? A buccaneer!” She just goes “I don’t get it” and the little character just blinks his eyes and everyone laughs. Then my son was waiting on the Main St. Electrical parade when a cast member who was talking to us started juggling and my son said he could juggle. So my son started juggling whatever he had and the cast member announced “look here this guy is going to entertain us.”
Bob – All of them! Every time you go to Disney it is something fun and new. It is almost like saying which is your favorite kid. There was one special moment, we ate at 1900 Park Fare and my daughter was sitting at the little TV and here comes Marry Poppins who sits down with her. There was just my daughter and Mary Poppins watching cartoons. The other one that I have is with my son. We traveled right after a hurricane and the parks were empty. When we went to see the Toy Story characters no one was there. He was able to interact with Woody, Buzz, and Jessie all by himself without waiting in line. Both were very big moments.
13. Finally, where can those who have not heard the Resort Loop podcast find you guys?
- ResortLoop.com
- Facebook.com/ResortLoop
- Twitter: @ResortLoop, @ResortLoopTim, @ResortLoopBob
- Instagram: @ResortLoopBob
- Voicemail: (414) WDW-LOOP
I am a proud husband and father of three, 2 girls & 1 boy. Disney enthusiast since first trip to WDW in 1986. I love finding new ways to pass the Disney craze on to my children and learning new and fun Disney facts. My favorite Disney World memory is the first time I let my son drive a Tomorrowland Speedway car – nonstop laughter from the both of us!
