Getting Personal with Tom and Eric - The WDW News Today Podcast: Episode 17 

If you are a fan of the channel, it’s an interesting topic to see how the roads people took in life lead them to where they are

This was my favorite episode of the podcast so far!

Tom's parents sound awesome...it's great they have supported his endeavors over the years. :)

Eric, YUT!!!♥️💛 🤣@ Feral kids. No truer words have been spoken about our generation and I love it.

Tom, I just wanted to say I'm so happy that you are happy and I'm so thankful that you are taking care of your mental health. You were, without a doubt, my favorite content creator and I wish you nothing but success and happiness in the future

The ride vehicle claim people make is hilarious. That would make a great WDWNT skit if you haven’t done it 😂

This was so fun to hear more personal stories and the beginnings of the company. I started watching WDWNT several years before the pamdemic. I saw a group of "Disney Nerds" talking and I thought what are they doing??? And Ive been watching ever since 😊. Love to hear more behind the scenes about staff and projects.

I just love listening to you guys gab. It is refreshing to know you a little better. Thanks

Congratulations Tom and crew! Our family has loved WDWNT for years. Thank you for all your hard work. You deserve all your success and more! 💜💛🎉

That bird went to biergarten! You guys both crack me up! 🤣🤣🤣

That’s what I like about Tom. He brings the NY pov to this Disney fandom

Your podcast is my favorite show. Everything your channel makes is fantastic - especially the regular news and news tonight - these personal long form discussions really make your personality and expertise pop

Renting out Carousel of Progress would be EPIC!

Like what Tom talked about, I go to Disney World as an adult since I missed out on a lot in my childhood. Truly the happiest place on earth ❤

Loved you in Adams video ❣️😂 nice of you to mention him. Watch you both 😊

That’s too funny guys……❤ Adam The Woo 2!! Tom, Eric & Adam…. 3 of my favorite guys!!! Go WDWNT!!!

Love this episode! Knowing more about you helps us know why you like what you do in the parks

tom is a legendary legend

Darn my Friday night plans. This was a fun one! I’ll never forget the GMR event! I was telling Tom’s parents how much I love him and his dad was just beaming! 😅

A Great Episode! I am a 60-year-old attorney in Colorado who always envisioned retiring to Orlando and working at the Reedy Creed Improvement District. So much for that dream. I have become a big fan over the past few years and really appreciate hearing the history of your company. The Great Movie Ride story brought a tear to my eye. Heading down for 4 days at the end of February with my Incredi-Pass. Hope to run into Tom, Eric, or one of the team while running around the parks! Thanks for what you do. You help me enjoy Disney from afar!

Great show. You two are naturals together. Too many areas that hit, good stuff. Background from childhood onwards is great. Thank You for sharing. Try it again!👍🏼

Love this. Tom you are inspirational developing this business. Thank you both for sharing your journeys.

Great show guys! I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about you guys!

1:33:30 My first show watching WDWNT was right before Thanksgiving 2019. That lockdown WDWNT-live period was so weird but those shows got my family and I through a lot.

Tom, what you said about having kids/not having kids/your parents has given me a whole new level of respect and admiration for you and all you do ❤

Hey Tom and Eric! Really enjoying the podcast. Never miss it! Just finished watching the Festival of the Arts 2024 review and couldn’t help but agree that you both were channeling the spirit of Waldorf and Statler. lol This episode was great! Incredible how much we all can have in common. I’m a 44 yr old latchkey feral kid from the Bronx. Also went to catholic school, Saint Mary elementary and then Saint Catherine Academy. Much like Eric I visited Disneyland first when I was very young and then Disney World in 1989. Even back in 89 Epcot Center was my favorite and still holds true today. A sincere thanks to the whole WDWNT team for all that you do and keeping us fans up to date with all things Disney. 🤘🏼

We love an ATW plug

This was fantastic podcast! I will always be grateful for WDWNT for saving me during covid. I had a new job secured but didn’t start for 4 months, I had temporarily moved in with my Mom, in a town I had never lived in, and had nothing to do. I did take up painting, WDWNT was my human connection lifeline. I was mostly a lurker but it kept me going! Thank you!

My first visit in 1976. Remember Space Mountain had the 2-person bench seat...no separation....and the penny flipping movie machines. The ticket books

RIP the Great Movie Ride. Runaway railway doesn't even make sense in that building!

I really enjoyed this episode. A fair number of my friends and family are Disney fans and have worked for The Mouse, so I've been watching your shows to understand them a bit more. Thanks for talking about the behind-the-scenes stuff and business. Very helpful.

Give us a part two of this.

We absolutely loved today’s podcast! We adore you Tom and we really like your stunt double Eric! You have always told it like it is. Your honesty is why we trust your opinions and reviews. The Holiday girls moved to WDW because you, Adam and a few others showed us what life is really like living near and enjoying Disney. Looking forward to running into you again soon! WDWNT is the best source for Disney info! Keep up the great work!

@16:40 My 92 year old paternal grandmother, to this day, follows the idea that being left handed is a mark of the devil and tried to make me right handed but my mom wouldn't hear it 🤣 Also, Adam totally left the whole thing in between you and Pete. It was hilarious.

Catchy topic- let’s have a listen. Welcome back to the round table, Eric!

Great podcast. Awesome to hear about your lives before WDWNT. Makes me like you all even more than I do now. Cheers:)

My first time at Disney World was a long drive into the middle of nowhere where there was a sign that said this is where Disney World is going to be built.

Great show boys! One thing you missed that I would like to know is why and when you both fell in love with the Disney Company? Especially Tom since it has now become his life’s work.

Thanks for this unplugged Podcast. You all have had, very interesting lives. Please, continue to bring us the full story on Disney & world Disney views. Have fun!

Eric and Tom, you both do a great job always. Please don’t listen to any of the negativity that’s out there. It’s not worth your energy.

It has taken me over 25 years to develop a management style that works for my employees and for my company.

This was my favorite show of the podcast so far!

Took a lot of guts and faiith Tom. Keep it up.

this podcast is one of the best things in the company tbh! it’s been very enjoyable to hear more about Disney and lore, stories, personal moments! please keep it going

Cool episode. Going back to the roots of the show, love it. I really don’t understand why, honest reporting is frowned upon. Many of the things I’ve seen here (and on other Disney podcasts) has been very valuable and confirming information. Some of things my family has seen and/or witnessed first hand were then confirmed by the WDW News Today podcast. I would also rather have the actual news than a fluff story. It could be that I too am from NY, like Tom…I don’t know. We have been going to Walt Disney World for quite some time though. My wife and I first visited back in 1976 (separately, with our own families) and neither of us has gone again until our honeymoon in 1991. That began a renewed relationship with the “Most Magical Place on Earth” and we started going every year up until 1994, took a break for one year and returned in 1996. We then started a family and bought a house, next trip was in 1999. We went every year from 1999 through 2005 (some years twice in the same year). In 2005 we moved to Orlando and visited the parks on nearly a daily basis. We had to move back to NY in 2006 (federal jobs were frozen and couldn’t complete the transfer without a position) and didn’t return to Disney until 2009. We went twice in 2010 and 2012, with annual trips every year until 2015. Another trip in 2017 and then nothing until 2023. The parks have changed so much that the recent trip was a one park trip (just DHS to see Galaxy’s Edge). It’s still our favorite vacation destination, but not the same place we fell in love with.

Appreciate the honesty

I definitely thought y’all were the same age!!! That’s hilarious.

The Bird works for Chapek and Disney in 2021

I really loved this episode of the podcast!! This is such a great show and that's awful how mean people can be! But I think that it just shows what a great show it is on how "passionate" people can become about such trivial topics. 😂 Love you guys!! Can't wait for more episodes

I agree that folks like the anecdotes, like the story of the Great Movie Ride event. I really miss the ride and I have tried the Runaway Railroad, which is not even a poor second, more like a poor 20th.

Hi Tom & Eric, Thank You for one of the best shows learning the full background from the both of You, Brings back so many emotional memories for me dating back to 1976 GradNight at MK, getting my 3 season pass, You Both are so amazing, can’t wait for more!

Another great episode, this podcast has become one of my favourites and a must listen every week, keep up the great work.

This was really insightful. Learning about both their backgrounds was great. Building the WDWNT brand from scratch is something to truly be proud of. Are there bumps in the road along the way? Of course. Nothing is easy.

Been hoping for an episode like this.

Adam knows where to get the best Disney stuff! WDWNT is simply the best. He's hilarious too

Cool to hear your stories. Keep hanging in there, boys. You've made it this far. May you make it way further than your humble beginnings. 👍🏾 Tom's story of how "The Great Movie Ride" opened his eyes to classic movies gave me perspective. Having first seen the ride in my early 40's (my first Disneyland experience was as a small child in the early '60s - the Tommowland '67 generation), the ride did do much for me outside of the ride system. But the way Tom told the story, I could feel the love. I have to realize that my love of "Adventures Thru Inner Space" may not be someone else's cup of tea. So, there's that. 🙂 So, so cool that you were able to rent out the ride and share with others one last time. What a community you've created! Oh yeah, I've also appreciated Tom's honest reviews and takes on things. Glad to be subscribed to the channel.👏🏾 With all the nostalgic talk, I must now go to rewatch some Hoot & Chief videos. It's been a while.

Bets episode! Loved it! Please do another!

Cheers to all of us with the private catholic elementary schools and uniforms!!!! 😂😂😂

Love this episode. Always interesting to know something about people.

I would love to hear about what went into all of the events over the years. Ive attended many and loved them all. Some behind the scenes stuff and how you pulled them off.

It was a blast getting to know more about you two and the history of things! Part 2 please!

I appreciate your hard work and dedication to something some of us dream about doing. Visiting Disney with my family truly makes us happy . Thank you

The fact that WDWNT can be compared to Disney and Famous People and fight for what you believe is amazing

Adam and Justin are the best!

LOVE THIS!!! Hate has no place in factual news reporting or Disney. Thank you for all you do, it does make my park life informed and wwaaayyy easier. With Gratitude, another feral latchkey kid enjoying her second childhood; while my adult children judge the hell out me!! 😂😂😂🤦‍♀️

This was a great episode. We need a part 2 for this one. I enjoy hearing the stories like the Great Movie Ride rent out.

Loved it!

please do more of these, it was really great to hear your stories!

I really enjoyed hearing this personal stuff, thanks for sharing. As someone who’s been listening to the podcast since the days when it was just your hobby, I’m endlessly curious about the story of how it turned into a business and what the day to day experience of running it is like. I’d love to hear more of that story if you were up for a part 2.

Fantastic episode. I could listen to you guys talk forever. It is comforting to hear your take on your team. I have folks who work very well with me and some who think I’m a monster. Maybe I’m NOT the problem! Tom, you didn’t consider CUNY? I taught there between 1996 - 2001.

This was one of the best episodes ever. Thanks

I really can't believe Tom is in his 30's .... Eric looks 15 years younger than him, lolol. I always thought, easy 55 years old. The Woo is the best!! I may agree 99.9% of the time with Eric and not Tom but it was nice to know the history of WDW.

I loved the "Great Movie Ride" and being substantially older than you Tom, I knew all the movies , many of which I watched with my mother. I do have the shirt memorizing the closure. 😢

Best park candy plug yet

Loving this episode hearing about you guys! But I gotta say, I work at CVS. 😅 I'm sorry you didn't have a good time. 😢 Also, I enjoy the register as well. I feel very in my element with it.

Tom and Eric I have got to tell you I absolutely love this vlog! ❤ I have always been a fan but now I’m a bigger fan. Keep up the good work!

Another great podcast. Look forward to it every week

Enjoyed this show.

I'm re-watching this podcast, and it's so interesting to hear your back stories. Thank you both for your honesty and integrity.

I think that this was my favorite yet!

Another great podcast episode. Thanks for doing these! ❤

Loved the podcast. Keep up the great work!

My first Disney trip was to Disneyland but I was like 1 or 2. I have no memory of it but we have pictures. I grew up going to Disney World annually since 1996 and when I went to Disneyland in 2013 I wasn’t really impressed. It’s been a decade now so maybe we’ll give it another go.

Don't feel bad, those same birds pooped on me too

I think the program you referred to with your Dad going to another family for the summer is called fresh air kids or something similar. My aunt and Uncle used to have kids from the city come live with them upstate for summers.

Enjoyed the episode as always and look forward to them every week!

I so remember those nuns with their rulers. And they did make everyone right with their right hand.

Absolutely loved this! Gave us a real insight into our favourite Disney channel. Ignore the detractors! What you do is really appreciated and your honesty is refreshing in these unusual times. We would love to see you guys in real life just to tell you to your face how much we love what you do! For us in the U.K we are experiencing dark and unsettling times and this channel helps us forget these real life issues

As a relatively new watcher, I just love learning about the background of WDWNT and I appreciate you keeping it so real. Thank you both for putting yourselves out there!

Welcome back, Eric. You will be a great addition to the WDWNT family.

Love some @AdamtheWoo

1:22:27 yes, Colleen has told us all about it lol

This was a spectacular insight into the backstory of WDWNT. A wonderful episode to see the People that bring this organization together. Would absolutely love more!

This was a pretty awesome episode. For a company that reports on Disney history and behind the scenes, it's nice to hear the behind the scenes and history of WDWNT. Looking forward to the next one!

Eric's UPS story hit close to home. I was hired by them back in October to be a driver helper. They said they would call me when they had work. They never called. They actually just officially let go of me today.

Tom & comp ... please do your podcasts/shows for the new Epic Universe when it opens! Your delivery, news, and reviews are awesome & Universal needs your type show for us to follow😎 USEANews!!!

My favourite episode so far ❤

I would love to see a podcast collab with Adam the woo

Some people are so stupid! You all do a great job.

I LOOK LIKE THIS 😂