Hey everyone, I’m Mike, she’s Sophie, that’s Brenda, and he’s Grogu, and we’re On the Road with Mickey! This is episode 259 and this week our feature topic is March Madness – Epcot! This week we are taking a fun look at #MarchMadness and applying it to Walt Disney World! Last week we covered the Magic Kingdom, today we’re looking at Epcot, and we’ll do that Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom as well! Then we’ll have our final four at the end! Here’s what we talked about:

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• Cheddar from the Big Cheese:
  
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  • Brenda: This past Friday, March 28, National Geographic’s Disney Treasure Documentary premiered on Disney+ and Hulu. This behind the scenes look at how the ship came together sounds really interesting! Mike, do you plan on watching it?
    
  • Mike: Calling all Space Rangers! Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is going to be getting some updates! Handheld blasters, a brand new scene, and new ride vehicles! This means that the ride will close in August and reopen sometime next year.
    
  • Sophie: In the YouTube Channel by Walt Disney Imagineering, they have a new episode in the “We Call It Imagineering” series – this one is called Let’s Ride and they are interviewing Imagineers that were instrumental in some of the iconic Disney attractions. Check it out here in the YouTube link we’ve got in the show notes: We Call It Imagineering | Let’s Ride
    
  • Bonus Cheddar courtesy of Brenda: May 27, 2025 – The Little Mermaid, a Musical Adventure opens at Hollywood Studios and Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After stage show premiere!
    
  
  
  
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• Feature Topic: March Madness – Epcot!
  
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  • For the next five weeks, we are going to be going through the March Madness of Walt Disney World. The best part of this – the winners are selected by you, the listeners! This week, we’re looking at Epcot!
    
  • First Round Matchups:
    
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    • 1)Guardians of the Galaxy vs. 8)Journey into Imagination with Figment
      
    • 2)Frozen Ever After vs. 7)Spaceship Earth
      
    • 3)Soarin’ Around the World vs. 6)Mission: SPACE
      
    • 4)Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure vs. 5)Living with the Land
      
    
    
    
  • First Round Results:
    
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    • Guardians of the Galaxy 25, Journey into Imagination with Figment 4
      
    • UPSET: Spaceship Earth 18, Frozen Ever After 9
      
    • SKUNK: Soarin’ Around the World 23, Mission: SPACE 0
      
    • OH SO CLOSE: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure 14, Living with the Land 13
      
    
    
    
  • Final Four Matchups:
    
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    • 1)Guardians of the Galaxy vs. 7)Spaceship Earth
      
    • 3)Soarin’ Around the World vs. 4)Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
      
    
    
    
  • Final Four Results:
    
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    • Guardians of the Galaxy 27, Spaceship Earth 6
      
    • Soarin’ Around the World 22, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure 10
      
    
    
    
  • The Finals:
    
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    • 1)Guardians of the Galaxy vs. 3)Soarin’ Around the World
      
    
    
    
  • AND THE WINNER IS:
    
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    •  Guardians of the Galaxy won with 23 votes to 13 for Soarin’ Around the World!
      
    
    
    
  • I did some research: Soarin’ opened at Walt Disney World on May 5, 2005 – for a ride that is approaching 20 years old, you’ve got to give it some props. It’s got some staying power!
    
  
  
  
• This Day in Disney History for 3/31/2025:
  
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  • 1927: The Birth of Matsuo Yokoyama in Tokyo, Japan.
    
  
  
  
• Stump the Soph!
  
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  • Gabby Gabby from Toy Story 4
    
  
  
  
• A little bit of Walt
  
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  • In honor of the beginning of the 2025 Baseball Season, I thought we’d hear what Walt had to say about baseball.
    
  • “Baseball is a great teacher of an important secret of living: the giving and taking in the group, the development of qualities and behavior that will stand us in good stead through life pursuits both personal and professional.” – Walt Disney
    
  
  
  
• Coming next week: March Madness – Hollywood Studios!
  

As always, thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun talking Disney, and I’m glad you are enjoying it as well! Remember, you can reach us in many ways — by email to info@ontheroadwithmickey.com. You can also talk to us on our Facebook Page, On the Road with Mickey or in our On the Road with Mickey Group. Feel free to join us! Have a great week, and we’ll be back to talk with you again next week!