Is Pixar Pal-A-Round a World Class Attraction? (with Samantha Souza) • FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT

[@thesamanthasouza]

Thanks so much for having me, fellas!

[@fyapod]

It was an honor to have you Pal-A-Round with us!!

[@feliciteacup]

dory saying "you're so lucky" for having kids is even more fucked up when you think about the fact that her best friend marlin lost [almost] all his kids in a terrible tragedy

[@regina_filange2.0]

Samantha was fun, articulate and ready to tackle Ryan's biases lol Hope she had fun!

[@SaltyInMotion]

Few things bring me greater joy than watching grown men freak out on those swinging gondolas.

[@soyjeffe__]

The ride sucks

[@m1ssb0ba]

I LOVE the swinging gondolas! They surprise everyone (good or bad) when they first try it!😂

[@sarahsheldon668]

Byron’s “for the birds” idea was actually super inspired. It’s SUCH a good idea, I couldn’t believe yall made fun of him for it!

[@kaightashbury]

I feel like if they had the ride open during World of Color, you would actually get drenched and getting water-boarded in a cage sounds like a nightmare.

[@laurabowles]

I think this is definitely the reason why it doesn't run during the show. You would definitely get soaked.

[@gamerd16]

Since Samantha is wearing a Marvel (spirit jersey?), I would be very happy to see her come back to talk Web Slingers 🕸

[@jeskuo]

If they’re almost doing Casey Jr, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree isn’t too far off

[@josephsilva345]

Mater nation we ride!

[@danalexander6049]

This was one of the funniest episodes yet. I've never been on this ride, because I've only been to California Adventure once, and at that time, they had already removed the "HomeGoods Sun" and were getting ready to put Mickey Mouse on the Ferris Wheel.

[@mitumanaa]

I rode this in the California Adventure 1.0 era, as Samantha said, that time we went with my family, my mom's friend and her family. When the ride started to go up my mom started to get super nervous (she sometimes can get vertigo) and when she starts laughing it's like that nervous laughing, and she made her friend's kid also to get nervous and he started to get scared, but my mom couldn't stop laughing, her laugh just got louder and louder, and she started to cry because she couldn't stop, so the little kid also started crying but because he got scared of my mom, and the ride was just getting to the top. I think it was the ride that I've felt it lasted an eternity. We've never ridden it again but we remember it fondly. Great times, thanks for the episode

[@shannonmarie3355]

Happy Tuesday FYA-holes!!

[@evelynjaime9238]

I LOVE how hard Samantha loves and pushed for this ride!! Another amazing ep from you guys, thank you guys for making the perfect content for us Disney/amusement park lovers!

[@mochabean5692]

Samantha is a great guest! Bring her back

[@thesamanthasouza]

🥰🥰🥰

[@mochabean5692]

@@thesamanthasouza You fit the vibe of this podcast so well! Knowledgeable and funny. Would love to see you become a recurring guest, perhaps returning to talk about some of the rides in Vegas and Jumpin’ Jellyfish (which is a fun little ride) Also you look stunning! 😅

[@susanthrush9714]

Thought I recognized her! Saw her in at the magic mike show 😁❤️ she’s fantastic!!

[@thesamanthasouza]

Thank you so much!

[@EverythingHyrum]

The one time I rode this, my boyfriend and I sat across from a group of three strangers and it was one of the most fun rides I've ever been on just for the social aspect. I love meeting random people in funny situations like that.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

And then you can make enemies with strangers for moving the cars too much. Or maybe you get those special folks who help you move the car with their weight. Friends forever!

[@AstralHiGH]

I'm good on meeting you wokie

[@imaginationstationyt6948]

Needed a good distraction right about now. And I do love the Sun Wheel/Fun Wheel/Pal Around. If there ever was a World Class Ferris Wheel. It is right here. Lol

[@imaginationstationyt6948]

This was a great episode. And I'd almost want to float an idea by. What if there was a Virtual Queue or some paid option to where you could watch World of Color from the Swinging Carriages uptop and when the show is over you can start your second full ride around. I'd pay good money for that at least once I think.

[@sierra-nicoledebinion]

The swingers jokes omg😂

[@Tea_and_Arsenic]

Honestly, I kind of struggle with the episodes where the guest is attending remotely, but this one was awesome; Samantha was a really great guest!

[@fictionphilia]

I refuse to go on the swinging version, I cannnnnottttt 💀

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

You should at least once!

[@soyjeffe__]

@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 no, no they should not

[@feistyy]

Man, I really need to buy myself a RIDES! shirt

[@DaBoweh]

I'm an east coaster, so only ever visited dl once... which happened to be DCA's opening year. I never got to ride the ferris wheel, because the line at the time was like 90 minutes long, just due to how attraction-starved the park was, and my parents (understandably) shut it down, giving me the 'we have ferris wheel at home' line. As a park head decades later, the one thing I missed out on from that disneyland trip was that I'd never gotten that overhead view of DCA from the wheel. So when you say, there's no way anyone is going to DCA for this ride, there absolutely is a way. If I ever got the chance to return to california there's no way in hell I'd miss the ride for a second time.

[@SarahCalvert-w1i]

Love seeing another woman in entertainment ❤

[@SarasAbstractExpressions]

The ferris wheel of terror 😂

[@brianscotpatterson2101]

It ain't called Mickey's Death Wheel for nothin'!

[@alices7018]

Say what you will about the death wheel, but I walked away from my disneyland trip with one of my favorite memories being watching my friend lose her mind on the swinging gondola so that’s a 5.0 on Yelp from me

[@faithstanley2879]

I have a very special memory of riding this at 10 years old with my grandparents sitting next to me, all of us squealing in fear and excitement and the whole family laughing along. Holds a special place in my heart, but certainly not world class ❤😂

[@haleywebster4173]

there is an infamous video of my sister when she was probably 7 on the swinging one and she still cries when she sees it because of the trauma

[@jomarieflores782]

Samantha is in my top 3 of guest and tbh we planned our trip around this. It was a must ride. We were so happy and excited when we got off.

[@Chingleton]

Hahaha my god Samantha did such a good job justifying everything as to why it is a world class attraction. 👏👏👏 was grinning from ear to ear watching and listening to this ep hahahaha

[@beckymccarthy7016]

I would argue that the average person would wait the 60 minutes for this ride because I don't think the average person going to these parks comes multiple times in their life. I think they're going to wait (I would, as I've never been to the west coast). It seems world class to me because of its history!

[@Delundon]

10:57-11:30 I need a cigarette.

[@AuthorCertifiedGoof]

You could make a movie about this ride. Dory went in it and something terrible happened which prevented her from every having kids: she was so freaked out by the moving gondola that she jumped up, hit her head on the roof, then hit the floor and damaged her reproductive system. And now she’s a bitter fish who forgets from time to time that she can no longer have kids and when she remembers, she feels the need to sarcastically commend those who are able to have kids.

[@Ditchweed420]

First time I rode this was with my sister and some couple we were paired with. The couple was calmly sat there while my sister and I were screaming TERRIFIED swearing we would never go on it again lolz. Now I’ve been on it many times since and have learned to appreciate it. It’s quite thrilling and I would say the scariest ride at Disneyland.

[@Slimkati3]

We did ride it at night once, in October! It was light when we got in line but dark by the time we got on. It was SO COOL. My first time on the swinging gondola and I loved it. No one else I was with did 😅

[@hmcraig86]

I loved this ride. Had yesterday off so double featured this and PodWatcher. Needed the escape today.

[@Delundon]

1:00:08 - That's how I interpreted it. That Dory is being sarcastic and saying, "You're so lucky! You're about to go through hell now with those kids as they beg to get off! Hehe!" I don't think Disney meant to be insensitive towards those who can't have kids. And by that logic, what about aunts and uncles taking their nieces/nephews or godparents taking their godchildren or older siblings taking their younger siblings, etc.? It's not meant to be a shot at infertility. I truly think it's just an innocent joke. Don't other rides say something to the effect of "Watch your little ones?" Also, didn't Nemo lose all of his siblings in the opening scene? I don't think they were referring to that either but yeah.

[@mochabean5692]

I do have a sense of nostalgia for this ride. Back when it was the Sun Wheel it was one of my favorite rides as a kid. Went on the non-swinging version of course and loved the views of the park. Finally went on the swinging version as Mickey’s Fun Wheel around 2013, loved it!

[@abee948]

One of the mysteries of my life is why I ever road the swinging cars a second time

[@bret_with1t]

28:55 FYI... the High Roller was the biggest when it opened, but was surpassed by the one in Dubai - 820 feet. (it was SBNO for a while but reopened last month)

[@victoriadarling9000]

When I tell you this was the saving grace I needed this morning 😭😭😭

[@littlecr3atur3]

I think the boys got it wrong, Samantha made some very good arguments at the end and I think she's right

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

17:30 I liked the Mexican design of the Sun Wheel. It was classic.

[@cvaneyken]

This ride is unparalleled in its ability to seem super tame and boring from the ground and actually scare the living daylights out of you.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

12:00 The ghost of Gustave Eiffel is going to haunt you now! 🇫🇷

[@abby_dandy]

29:05 I used to work for the High Roller in Vegas! Not sure about today, but when it opened they were insistent it wasn’t a “Ferris” wheel but an “observation” wheel. But cool to know it’s the tallest still at 550 ft!!

[@gamerd16]

53:53 I've had the same issues, unfortunately. It's really hard to plan it right. I don't think Freshbaked has done it yet, but I know he has tried several times

[@nickdisney3233]

(I rode the OG Mickey ferris wheel) I am not afraid of roller coasters but ferris wheels scare the living crap out of me. What i remember from this ride was taking up my mum's dare to ride the gandola of death and me screaming as my mum took videos of me while cackling. I've never seen her so cheeky LOL

[@Thebusridesme]

I have know idea of this ride. But I’m into it! X

[@goobergobbler2934]

I just watched an 1:37 minute pod about a fucking Ferris wheel. Keep up the lord's work boys!

[@feistyy]

Also, I'm gonna need a "I Got Pounded at Pixar Pier and All I Got Was This Shirt" shirt

[@fyapod]

Lmao - Ryan

[@tegriffi]

I absolutely love your show! I listen and watch. Every episode and podcast. But if I may, i think the rubric needs some tweaking, fellas! Or at least some better definitions. For example: I think the ‘average tourist’ test should be a fictional husky couple from somewhere in the Midwest with 2-3 kids aged 6-11. Include lodgings, passports, flights, all that. What are the chances of getting everyone on the ride? Is it everybody’s ‘must ride’?

[@ashleypalmer-ot2cs]

has there ever been a time the average tourist test didn't pass

[@tegriffi]

Thank you, that was the point I was trying to make. Rise of the resistance was the reason for the question and they still passed it, right? How silly!

[@ashleypalmer-ot2cs]

@ yes!! I think they at least need to tweak it to be more specific because you could argue any ride passes this test

[@sandy_shark]

My mom and I did it once in 2016, it was so terrifying it is still an inside joke.

[@lbjcb5]

I rode this when it was the sunwheel, and the distance this sucker swung totally surprised me. I was gripping the walls and laughing so hard. It was great!

[@lifekeepsflowing]

I’ve only flown once back in 2019 when I went to California and I went to Disneyland. I had no issue flying there and enjoyed it. On the last night of the trip we were at Disney California Adventure and we rode this ride with the swinging crates. I had a big panic attack and thought all was fine when I left Disney that night. The next day when I flew back home I had the worst flight anxiety!! Definitely would never ride in those swinging crates again😅

[@toddjones1480]

Some very surprising reactions here. My mom was completely unfazed by the swinging gondola and she's the family 'fraidy cat. She was legitimately TRAUMATIZED by Expedition Everest and flatly refused to ever ride Splash Mountain.

[@BackstageKingdom]

I adore Samantha 😍

[@thesamanthasouza]

Thank you! Adore you right back!

[@BackstageKingdom]

@@thesamanthasouza I hope one day I'll be able to chat with you on my own channel! (Once I start making stuff for it again)

[@toadsicle1200]

As a European who hasn’t been to DCA, I am amazed the ferris wheel is called ‘Pixar pal around’.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

I never rode it with that theme. I don’t think I like that theme. The Sun Wheel was nice.

[@MaikoRules]

Ryan's a human Shaq-ulator

[@fyapod]

An honor - Ryan

[@mochabean5692]

Tower of Terror and Maliboomer coexisted for 6 years! 2004-2010. Maliboomer also briefly running alongside World of Color for a few months in 2010 is one of those weird Disney Parks facts I love

[@HisRedCoat]

Non-swinger here. Not exactly out of defiance, but I love this ride as a relaxing pallet cleanser after Guardians. Swinging gondolas give me zipper vibes. Maybe someday I'll swing for the thrill of it, though lol

[@Yadiyadah]

I rode this for the first time about three years ago and I loved it! I love scary or thrilling rides so Im clearly biased. But my partner and I rode it with a random dad and his 10ish year old daughter and they had a blast, and we all laughed the whole way through! I’m not going to lie, I did have moments of thinking “this might go flying off any moment” 😂

[@genappithy]

The lighting package is attached to the the wheel. Some of the patterns in the lighting package are designed with an up/down-left/right orientation. If the ride is operating when those moments happen the pattern would be off axis Also the wheel is 150ft in diameter and the wheel stands 150ft above the water. But Farris wheel structure is sunk 10ft below the waterline. So the structure is 160ft tall

[@NL4realzx]

My first time on this ride was actually at night! It was gradnite :) The views were pitch black lol

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

When I went on Mickey's Death Wheel on a stationary gondola it was fine. then I tried a swinging gondola. My main thought was "So THIS is how I die"

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

But what a way to go!

[@Andrewboi29]

I need an episode everyday

[@MamieBelle775]

Myself and other family members rode this our first visit and didn’t realize how crazy it is, unfortunately we’re all really short and this truly felt like we were going to die since most of us were too short to brace really well. But we all had to keep saying wheee to keep the 5 year old with us from freaking out. 😂 We’ve also had several rides where one or more of our group has gotten free clothing because of blood or other body fluids dropping from the gondolas above us.

[@presidentsalazar]

Fun episode. On the Hollywood question, I think an argument for the Mickey version exists but not the Pixar one. Mickey Mouse cartoons can be so simple with no need for other IP to crossover. One of the most popular ones is essentially "We tried to play music but it was windy." Goofy is operating a normal ferris wheel and does a Goofy thing. Donald gets mad. Things look perilous. Then Mickey stumbles into a solution and our normal ferris wheel is transformed into a ferris wheel with swinging gondolas. Mickey and Minnie ride and watch the sunset while Donald continues to berate Goofy. The end.

[@ashleypalmer-ot2cs]

42:33

[@HisRedCoat]

Dory saying "you're so lucky" is authentic to her mannerisms. She's easily distracted and says whatever pops into her brain. She said something positive about kids to parents at a theme park where kids are. That's reasonable and fits her character. If she said "if you don't have kids, get on that!", then that'd be triggering. But you can't just use that word to mean, could potentially make someone sad.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

“Greener Pastures”…such gallows humor.

[@n.xthalie]

1:23:31 is frying me

[@DestinyStellaNox]

I'm wondering if they don't run it during world of colour for safety reasons, it needs to be dark and you would need to have the loading area and the cabins lit for safety reasons which would then distract and impact the show.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

I rode it often as the Sun Wheel and loved it. $129 a year…yup I remember that or the 2 for 1 deal for very cheap! I love moving the cars…my friends didn’t! 😂

[@TorrenceKellis]

I'm pretty sure the pal around doesn't clear the danger zone for the lasers used in world of color. I know that was part of the issue with incredicaoster but the most recent version of the show they adjusted the lasers so the coaster clears it

[@AuthorCertifiedGoof]

Paramount owns the rights to it, but Cloverfield ended with that scene of the couple on the (I think?) Wonder Wheel on Coney Island, where eagle eyed viewers see the monster splashing into the water. That’s my pitch for the AR Goggle theme on Pixar Pal Around.

[@jovyochoa4497]

I've only ever been on the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island and I can fairly say my life flashed before my eyes the whole ride....not sure if I loved or hated it

[@steampoweredratt]

Extremely surprised they didn't mention Elias Disney during the history section

[@Beekma649]

It is my phone background 😂

[@davidjameshahn1240]

I'm sorry, i really have to argue against the one trick pony pass. This entire episode exists because of the swinging. You take that away that feature, i don't think this episode exists. 😂

[@soyjeffe__]

My wife, 1 year old, and I visited from Maryland during oogie boogie bash. So we had no idea what to expect seeing as our 1 year old was tall enough ride, we got on and it was one of the most traumatic experiences we’ve ever been on in Disney. Even the random group of people who got on with us hated it. It was their first time as well and they said that it was the worst ride they had been on that day. We couldn’t wait to get off. That swinging motion should be illegal, my kid shat himself.

[@ashleypalmer-ot2cs]

31:30

[@kendrapain6500]

Happy Tuesday!

[@TwoBitAnimation]

Just to up the motion sickness, they need to add horizontal rotation at the same time, as if the whole thing is on a lazy suzan.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

Am I the only one who found the swinging cars relaxing? I like it when they move. I find it really fun. Maybe it is because I look at the horizon. I want to see the view.

[@chericrabbypelley]

I love rollercoasters. Velocicoaster was an A+. But I refuse to ride those swinging gondolas. I was in line to do it once, and literally had a panic attack right before and ran out of the line. I have ridden the non-moving ones once back when it was the sun wheel. I think Ryan explained the scary part well---it feels wrong to me, like the whole thing is breaking apart. I find it beautiful though!

[@aaurilio23]

Where my fellow Swingers at 👋

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

Some people can handle swinging, some cannot! 😂

[@kellythrush2419]

Oh man the swing scared my ass the first time

[@jojogray5265]

candy corn did not deserve to catch that stray 38:34

[@viradechtis]

She's so pretty, she's burning my eyes like the sun🌞 I can barely look at her haha.

[@thesamanthasouza]

ok you just made my whole life... 🤟

[@danieIIemydear]

I've never been on the swinging gondalas because despite all the different people I've been to Disneyland with no one will ride it with me :( I always bring it up and immediately get shut down.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

This rides calls to me. 👍

[@gamerd16]

"Pixar Pounder" I like Mickey's Death Wheel better 😅

[@evanboucher1746]

Iron Gwaziiiiiii

[@MynahGtz]

I will not accept this candy corn slander 38:38

[@alaynat4757]

Is there a height requirement for the swinging version ??? Holy crap 💀

[@soulslikefan6760]

Phrasing...by god the Phrasing

[@manbearpig900]

13:43 Not a smart man, but he DID end up being the first human death caught on film.

[@mikeiseastman]

No way I'd wait 60 minutes to ride Soarin, Incredicoaster, or Mission BO. The only DCA ride I'd wait 60 for is RSR or Midway Mania. Every other DCA ride fails that test. My only Armchair Imagineering idea is finding a way to load the gondolas elsewhere and have them attach to the wheel to avoid the slow loading/unloading rotation.

[@KhurtKhave669]

I can't believe the swinging ones pass safety regulations with no seatbelts, handles, or restraint methods of any kind. I took my kids on it when they were little and spent the entire time holding them to keep them from sliding off the seats and across the gondola. Not fkn safe at all!!!