• VacationScares 244: Disney’s MNSSHP & Oogie Boogie Bash, plus Wild Adventures & Stone Mountain Halloween Events
    Oct 9 2025

    In Episode 244 of the VacationScares Podcast, Taxidermied Tom welcomes Decapitated Dave and Cadaver Kris from Adventures By D for a glowing good time! They kick things off with Wild Adventures Great Pumpkin LumiNights and Stone Mountain Park’s Pumpkin Festival before diving into Tom’s coast-to-coast Disney Halloween trip report.

    Tom recounts his visits to both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom and Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure—then puts them head-to-head in a Halloween showdown. Which Disney party wins: East Coast nostalgia or West Coast villainy?

    🕷️ Watch Adventures By D on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventuresByD

    🛒 Get your Rip Ride Rockit shirts: https://amzn.to/4kMk06e

    🎃 Visit: https://vacationeerspodcast.com

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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • VTPM243: Paddlefish, Stardust Racers, Glenwood Caverns, and New Coasters News, plus Fort Wilderness & Clearwater Beach Trips
    Oct 1 2025

    In Episode 243 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom covers a wild mix of theme park news and personal adventures.

    News highlights include:

    • The bizarre scuba-style robbery at Disney Springs’ Paddlefish
    • A tragic death and lawsuits tied to Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers
    • Glenwood Caverns’ $205M “nuclear verdict” over the Haunted Mine Drop
    • Major new attractions: SeaWorld Orlando’s SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, Legoland’s Galacticoaster, Six Flags Over Texas’ record-breaking Tormenta Rampaging Run, Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition, and Universal’s Jurassic Park River Adventure refurb
    • Sesame Place San Diego shifting to seasonal ops

    Plus, Tom shares trip reports:

    • Camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness (tent mishaps, golf cart fun, and eating big at Trail’s End)
    • Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort (cabana rental, resort fee perks, rainy weekend, and Pier 60 livestream during the Verizon outage)

    And don’t miss what’s really included in those resort fees — from yoga to bottled water.

    🛒 Get your Rip Ride Rockit shirts: RIP Ride Rockit Tee | Graveyard Rip Ride Rockit Tee

    So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • VacationScares 242: HHN Stay & Scream, LEGOLAND Brick or Treat & Scream-A-Geddon
    Sep 24 2025

    In Episode 242 of the VacationeersScares Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon Self (@pastorJonSelf) for a jam-packed Halloween recap. Tom dives into his latest experiences at Halloween Horror Nights, including Stay & Scream, food booths, and shows like Nightmare Fuel and Haunt-O-Phonic. He also shares his impressions of Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park with its unique interactive houses, Zombie Paintball, and standout interactive haunts. They also head to LEGOLAND Florida’s Brick or Treat, complete with trick-or-treating, meet & greets, and the Monster Skytacular drone show—plus the big announcement of the new Galacticoaster family indoor coaster opening in 2026.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • VTPM241: Disney Updates, Golden Ticket Awards, Beak & Barrel at Magic Kingdom & EPCOT Food & Wine Pitfalls
    Sep 15 2025

    In Episode 241 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon Self to cover the latest theme park news and more. They break down all the big updates from Disney Parks, including Cinderella Castle’s return to its classic colors, the new Tron: Ares overlay, and the long-awaited Carousel of Progress update. They also go over closures coming to Animal Kingdom, including Dinosaur’s official end date.

    The panel reviews the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, where Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe dominated, Volcano Bay finally toppled Schlitterbahn’s 26-year reign, and Carowinds’ Fury 325 and Knoebels’ Phoenix kept their winning streaks alive.

    Beyond the news, Tom shares his experience dining at the Beak & Barrel Tavern at Magic Kingdom, while Jon dishes on EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival, including the items you might want to avoid this year.

    🛒 Get your Rip Ride Rockit shirts: RIP Ride Rockit Tee | Graveyard Rip Ride Rockit Tee

    So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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    56 mins
  • VacationScares 240: Howl-O-Scream’s at SeaWorld Orlando & Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
    Sep 11 2025

    In the continuing VacationScares saga, Tom and Jon discuss their opening weekend visits to both SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream.

    🛒 Merch:

    • Rip Ride Rockit Tee

    • Scaredy Cat Halloween Shirt

    • Graveyard Rip Ride Rockit Tee

    • I Came for the Boos (Disney)

    Follow & Support:

    • Facebook: Vacationeers Theme Parks and More

    • Twitter: @VacationeerTom | @pastorJonSelf

    • Instagram: @vacationeerspodcast

    So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • VacationScares 239: HHN 2025 Premium Scream Night & Opening Weekend | Demon Horses = Great House!
    Sep 7 2025

    The first VacationScares episode of the 2025 season is here! Tom is joined by Kris and Dave from the Adventures by D YouTube channel, along with Jon Self, to break down everything from Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2025.

    We start with Premium Scream Night—Tom gives his unfiltered opinion on whether it lived up to last year’s high bar. Then Dave and Kris share their opening weekend experience, including using Express Pass and Stay & Scream, while Jon adds his own perspective on this year’s event.

    Finally, we dig into the house rankings, comparing notes on what worked, what disappointed, and which houses absolutely terrified us.

    🎬 Watch our HHN Premium Scream Night vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxKmfJgjev8

    📖 Read the full blog: https://vacationeerspodcast.com/2025/09/01/did-hhn-premium-scream-night-2025-live-up-to-the-hype/

    🎥 Check out Adventures by D: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventuresbyD

    🛒 Merch:

    • Rip Ride Rockit Tee
    • Scaredy Cat Halloween Shirt
    • Graveyard Rip Ride Rockit Tee
    • I Came for the Boos (Disney)


    Follow & Support:

    • Facebook: Vacationeers Theme Parks and More
    • Twitter: @VacationeerTom | @pastorJonSelf
    • Instagram: @vacationeerspodcast


    So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • VTPM238: Jock Lindsey’s Halloween Hangar Bar, City Works & Wine Bar George at Disney Springs and Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom
    Sep 1 2025

    In Episode 238 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon Self (@pastorJonSelf) dive into a packed slate of theme park news and trip reports. Disney announces a glowing Rainbow Caverns scene for Big Thunder Mountain, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! opens November 7 at Animal Kingdom, and World Princess Week brings concerts, treats, and merch galore. SeaWorld San Diego reopens Journey to Atlantis, Howl-O-Sprint 5K returns to Orlando this October, and Shark Encounter is set for a 2026 refresh. Universal’s Epic Universe adds Harry Potter and Donkey Kong rides to Express Pass. Plus, Tom recaps Disney Springs dining, Rainforest Café, and even a night out with Nate Bargatze.

    🛒 Get your Vacationeers gear:

    • Rip Ride Rockit Tee
    • Graveyard Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Tee
    • Scaredy Cat Halloween Shirt
    • I Came for the Boos (Disney)


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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • VTPM237: Halloween Hype Lists, Our 2025 Halloween Season Game Plan & The Latest News
    Aug 15 2025

    In Episode 237 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon Self dive headfirst into spooky season with a packed show. We break down the latest theme park news and debut our brand-new “news” bumper!

    This week’s news lineup includes:

    • Busch Gardens Tampa’s mid-meal Dragon Fire Grill closure
    • Six Flags introducing haunted house upcharges for Halloween events
    • United Parks Q2 earnings & how Epic Universe is boosting Orlando tourism
    • Six Flags cutting 2026 capital spending & the uncertain future of the Snoopy license
    • Disney’s Q3 earnings with a massive jump in theme park income
    • Disney Destiny cruise ship float-out and Magic Kingdom’s new Beak and Barrel pirate pub

    Then, we unveil our SeaWorld Orlando & Busch Gardens Tampa Howl-O-Scream hype lists along with our Halloween Horror Nights hype list for 2025. Finally, we share our full “Halloween” season schedules—covering all the events we’ll be attending this spooky season!

    👕 Support the show:

    Rip Ride Rockit Tee #1 – https://amzn.to/4kMk06e

    Rip Ride Rockit Tee #2 – https://amzn.to/4kMk06e

    Scaredy Cat Tee – https://amzn.to/4kMk06e

    🎃 New! Check out our VacationScares page for all our Halloween coverage:

    https://vacationeerspodcast.com/vacationscares

    🔗 Follow us:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VacationeerTom

    Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vacationeertom

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vacationeerspodcast/

    So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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    1 hr and 14 mins