If you have been reading this blog for a long time you know I am both a friend and a fan of Lou Mongello. What Lou does for the Disney community just by being himself and sharing his passion is inspiring. Lou’s WDW Radio podcast is the best Disney podcast available. His Walt Disney World Trivia books are fun and enlightening. His live Meet of the Month meets and his online meets unite Disney-philes from all over the world. His work with Celebrations Magazine is phenomenal too! Today, I want to talk to you about his Audio Guides to Walt Disney World.
Recently Lou published guides #4 and 5, Liberty Square and Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Lou’s Audio Guides are filled with stories and details that you don’t find in any guide book. Listening to Lou’s guides you learn about the architecture and the story behind the story to the buildings, rides and attractions. The Audio Guides are perfect for the Disney fanatic who thinks they know everything there is to know-because they too will learn some thing. It is also perfect for someone who has yet to make it to the park but has always dreamed of going. Lou’s vivid descriptions enable the listener to picture the park in their mind’s eye and enjoy a mini-vacation-no matter where they are when they listen.
Liberty Square
The Liberty Square Audio Guide takes time to explain why there is this corner of the Magic Kingdom dedicated to American history. You will also learn how the story flows from Fantasyland into Liberty Square and why the buildings are built where they are and in the different colonial era styles. Unfortunately many of us don’t slow down and really take in the beauty and the history of Liberty Square…and we should-the details are amazing.
After listening to the Liberty Square Audio Guide I was inspired to spend some time there last week and snap a few pictures of the Liberty Tree and some buildings.
Mickey’s Toon Town Fair Audio Guide was not scheduled to be the next guide released but when Walt Disney World announced that Toon Town would be demolished to make way for the expansion of Fantasyland, Lou knew his production schedule would have to be changed. He worked diligently so that he could release the guide while Toon Town is still open and I’m glad he did. I listened to this guide on my drive to the Magic Kingdom last week and it inspired me to take some time and enjoy Toon Town before it is gone for good. On the Audio Guide Lou explains the history of the area now know as Mickey’s Toon Town Fair. It has very temporary beginnings as Mickey’s Birthdayland and then became Mickey’s Starland before becoming Mickey’s Toon Town Faire. I hope to go back one more time, with my iPod in tow so that I can wander this special land, where Mickey Mouse and his friends vacation, while listening to Lou weave the story behind the one place you can be guaranteed to meet Mickey Mouse.
In case I don’t get the opportunity to go back again, I took a lot of pictures last week, I hope you enjoy them.
You can purchase any of Lou Mongello’s Audio Guides to Walt Disney World from Lou’s website. They are available on CD for $8.99 or as a Digital Download for $6.99. They would make unique Christmas gifts for the Disney lover in your family.
Disclosure: I received a free digital download of each of these Audio Guides for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.
Thank you for reviewing the Guides, Cindy, and glad you enjoyed them! Hope that they helped you appreciate these lands even more, discover some new details and secrets, and maybe even find an overlooked experience.
As always, I appreciate your friendship and support, and hope to see you and your family in Walt Disney World again soon!!
– Lou
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