Danielle…live from Disney’s California Adventure Park!

Summary

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Pod Meets World: Danielle…Live from Disney’s California Adventure Park!

Episode: December 5, 2025 | Host: Danielle Fishel | Guest: Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)

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Overview

This lively episode of Pod Meets World is a festive and heartfelt visit to Disneyland’s California Adventure Park, where host Danielle Fishel—best known as Topanga from Boy Meets World—broadcasts live amidst the holiday sparkle. The episode blends Danielle’s personal updates, excitement for the Dancing with the Stars live tour, and a warm, insightful interview with Disneyland Ambassador, Jada. Together, they explore the traditions, magic, and intricate details of Disney’s 2025 holiday celebrations.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Danielle’s Career Update and Dancing with the Stars Tour

Timestamps: 03:05–10:01

• Danielle shares her excitement and nerves about joining the Dancing with the Stars national live tour after her recent competition on the show.
  • She will co-host and perform in 28 tour shows, including double-show days.
  • Show kicks off January 22 in Akron, Ohio, with rehearsals starting sooner.
  • She’s proud to end at Radio City Music Hall, noting:

    “I cannot believe that I'm now enough of a dancer that I'll be able to say I did two shows at Radio City Music Hall. It's pretty awesome.”
    (07:11)

• Family considerations: Danielle discusses the logistics—and emotions—of being away from her young children for the longest time yet.
  • Her husband Jensen and the kids will join her for part of the tour, making it a family road trip.
  • Playfully jokes about working hard enough to get "abs like Alex Earl" but joking about loving Oreos too much for that.
• Anticipates fun off-day activities at tour stops, including:
  • Sopranos tour in New Jersey with Andy Richter & Alex Earl
  • Visiting the Museum of World Treasures in Wichita, KS
  • Catching livestock shows in Texas
  • Taking a photo with Denver’s iconic Big Blue Bear.

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2. Conversation with Jada—Disneyland Ambassador

Timestamps: 14:03–26:30

Becoming a Disneyland Ambassador

• Jada describes her journey to ambassador:

  “We went through several rounds of interviews. We spent a week shadowing our predecessors, all just to kind of prepare us to make sure that…we could represent the cast well.”
  (14:56)

• She and counterpart Raul represent 36,000 cast members, acting as “messengers of the joy, the magic of Disney into the community.” (14:26)

70th Anniversary & Holiday Traditions

• Reflection on Disneyland’s 70th year—how much has changed, yet how core traditions and the “magic” endure.
  • Danielle:

    “It’s crazy to me how many things have changed over the 70 years, and yet how many amazing things have stayed the same.”
    (15:37)

  • Jada:

    “That magic…has never gone anywhere…you feel the magic in everything that you do.”
    (15:58)

Highlighting 2025 Holiday Events

• Christmas Fantasy Parade (celebrating its 30th year):

  “It is the most whimsical thing…It’s one of my favorite shows, and I’m just so glad that it’s back again this year.”
  (17:05)

• Disney Viva Navidad Street Party (through Jan. 7): Features folklórico dancers, mariachi, cultural cuisine and décor.
• Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle:

  “A magical snowfall drifts down every single night…where 80,000 shimmering lights transform the castle into a snowy, sparkling wonder.”
  (18:41)

  • Jada:

    “It seems simple…But it’s this beautiful moment when the lights are on the castle…there’s snowfall on Main street, usa. Who would think it’d be snowing in Disneyland? Not me. But we make it happen because that’s what happens. You know, holidays are about magic.”
    (18:58)

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3. Tasting Disney’s Holiday Treats

Timestamps: 19:53–22:33

• Danielle and Jada sample festival specialties:

  • Café de Olla Cold Brew:
    Danielle:

    “It’s got a little bit of…an horchata vibe…like some cinnamon. And then this [macaron] is extremely sweet…So decadent, right?”
    (21:15)

  • Mickey-Shaped Pretzel: A classic favorite—“right amount of salt”, with a cheddar dip.
  • Sticky Toffee Macaron: Limited-time holiday treat;
    Danielle:

    “It’s so cute on the inside…you have like little caramel bits.”
    (22:01)

• Jada explains the intensive process and the myriad teams behind the park’s food and décor, emphasizing authenticity and attention to detail:

  “There are people all around who not only ideate, but make sure that we are being authentic to, especially when we're speaking to culture…It matters.”
  (22:49)

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4. Personal Disney Memories & Parks Around the World

Timestamps: 23:28–26:30

• Both Danielle and Jada reflect on growing up in Southern California, sharing family memories and how Disney has felt like “home.”
• Danielle reminisces about watching Disneyland fireworks from her grandfather’s lawn in Anaheim:

  “We used to go over My grandfather's house, have dinner as a family, and then go out on the front lawn and watch the Disneyland fireworks.”
  (24:52)

• Jada highlights the special sense of working at the only resort Walt Disney personally walked and how the company’s sense of family and joy attracts passionate cast members.
• Excitement about visiting other Disney parks worldwide—Tokyo, Paris, and working closely with global ambassador teams.

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5. Disney Holiday Merchandise & Planning Your Visit

Timestamps: 30:14–31:53

• Danielle and Jada discuss the vast range of holiday merch available throughout Disneyland Resort and Downtown Disney District through January 7th.
• Danielle jokes about sneaking home merchandise without her kids knowing—and how easy it is to buy into the magic.
• Planning tips:
  • Download the Disneyland app for day planning.
  • Check Disneyland.com for holiday events and information.
  • Jada:

    “Anywhere that you can be in the resort, you can find holiday merch…deck yourselves from head to toe with all the whimsy and beautiful colors.”
    (30:44)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On dancing and family:
  Danielle:

  “In order to get to that, I will have to be apart from my kids for a couple of weeks…The longest I’ve ever been away from my children has been five days. And now I'm gonna have two weeks…But then I hope the fact that they get to join me on an epic once in a lifetime adventure…it's probably a small consolation, but.”
  (05:57)

• On Disneyland’s holiday transformation:
  Danielle:

  “If you’ve never been during the holidays, it really does completely transform…and it feels…If you're trying to get into the spirit, maybe this year has been a little difficult for you and you're trying to get into the holiday spirit, nothing will kickstart it quite like Disneyland at this time of year.”
  (31:53)

• An invitation to experience the magic:
  Jada:

  “That’s what the holidays are about, you know. Sharing food together, making memories. That’s what you can do right here at Disneyland Resort. All across the resort.”
  (22:25)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:05 – Danielle’s Dancing with the Stars tour announcement, family logistics
• 07:11 – Reflections on performing at Radio City Music Hall
• 14:03 – Conversation with Disney Ambassador begins
• 15:18 – History and 70th anniversary of Disneyland
• 16:58 – Highlighting 2025 Christmas shows
• 19:53 – Tasting holiday food and drinks
• 24:41 – Personal Disneyland family stories
• 30:14 – Discussion of holiday merchandise
• 31:53 – How to plan your trip and closing thoughts

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Tone & Takeaways

This episode radiates joy, nostalgia, and a deep appreciation for the traditions and evolving wonder of Disneyland—especially during the holidays. Danielle’s friendly, enthusiastic voice pairs beautifully with Jada’s warmth and Disney expertise, serving up a satisfying blend of holiday tips, Disney lore, personal anecdotes, and laugh-out-loud moments—all live from the happiest place on earth.

Perfect for:

• Disney fans planning a holiday visit
• ’90s TV and Boy Meets World enthusiasts
• Families looking for festive inspiration
• Anyone needing a dose of holiday cheer and magic

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[End of summary]

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Malcolm Gladwell]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Hello and welcome to what will briefly continue to be Danielle with, but soon transform into my newest show, Teen Beat with Danielle Fishel. I am your host, TV director, podcaster mother of two and winner of Calabasas High School's 1999 Best Hair Superlative. And I have the high school yearbook to prove it. But to most of the planet, I am formerly Topanga Lawrence on the 90s family sitcom Boy Meets World and a recent Competitor on the 34th season of Dancing with the Star. And today I am joining you live from Disneyland's California Adventure on location, talking into a microphone near the vehicular paradise that is known as Cars Land. Although I was eliminated eighth on Dancing with the Stars, my career as a professional dancer continues as I will now be hitting the road in my own Lightning McQueen of sorts of as part of the show's national live tour, which kicks off January 22nd in Akron, Ohio. And I thought while I'm here in the happiest place on earth, we could get into my excitement not only about being able to co host the tour, but about dancing in the show and for the idea of traveling to cities all around, well, at least one part of the country. So I'm very excited that I was asked to be a part of the tour. As I mentioned, it kicks off in January 22, but I begin significantly earlier than that with rehearsals. We have not had our official kickoff conversation yet where I get to have a say in what dances I do, how many dances I do, what the co hosting responsibilities are. But if you've gotten to know me at all over the last several years of Pod Meets World and over the last three months of Danielle with, you know, I like to be booked and busy. And so my plan is to tell them that I want to host as much as they will let me and to dance as much as they will let me. I basically want to come home from tour with abs like Alex Earl, since I did not develop them while doing the show. I. I saw her recent post where she said dancing for five hours a day for three months will do it. And I wanted to be like, well, I did that, but I have no abs. They're there. I think I just maybe ate some more Oreos than she did. I am doing 28 dancing with the Stars tour shows now. That does not mean 28 cities. It just means 28 shows because, believe it or not, quite a few of them have a matinee and then another show that night. So it'd be like doing two Dancing with the Stars live episodes in one day, which I have never done before. I have no idea how that's gonna go. I'm not sure how my body is gonna handle it, but, you know, Me, I'm gonna fully throw myself into it because I'm super excited about this experience. Now I'm a little nervous. We do have a plan for how Jensen and the kids are gonna come out and join us. They're gonna join me for about a week and they're coming for some of the dates that are a little closer together. So we're gonna have our own sp and we're gonna road trip as a family for part of this time. In order to get to that, I will have to be apart from my kids for a couple of weeks, which is significantly longer than I've ever been away from them. The longest I've ever been away from my children has been five days. And now I'm gonna have two weeks. Not sure how that's gonna go. I'm going to miss them terribly and they are going to miss me terribly. But then I hope the fact that they get to join me on an epic once in a lifetime adventure of road tripping and in a sprinter van and then staying at hotels and seeing me perform, it's probably a small consolation, but.

It'S a once in a lifetime experience for me and a once in a lifetime experience for them. So I'm hoping it's going to be fun and worth it. I end, I conclude my tour dates in New York at Radio City Music Hall. If you would have ever said to me, oh, what do you think the odds are that you're going to perform at Radio City Music Hall? I I would have no idea what you're talking about. Perform doing what? I cannot believe that I'm now enough of a dancer that I'll be able to say I did two shows at Radio City Music Hall. It's pretty awesome. I'm excited about that. And Jensen's really looking forward to it too. So that's going to be so fun. You might be wondering, what am I planning on doing at all these different locations during what will be inevitably a very small amount of time off? But I'm going to be joined by Andy Richter and Alex Earl in New Jersey. So I'm going to try to get them to join me on the so on the Sopranos location tour. I think that might be really fun. We can see the Bada Bing.

You know, different, the pork store, various spots from the opening credits. Why not do that? I am going to then be returning in April for Sugar Land and Irving, Texas. Maybe I'll have time to catch a rodeo while I'm there. I have no idea. They have some great livestock shows in Texas, maybe I'll do that. And then there's Wichita, Kansas, 100%. You will catch me at the Museum of World Treasures. It has Egyptian mummies and a T. Rex skeleton. So who has ever passed up the opportunity to see a T. Rex skeleton? And then finally, I will conclude those little runs of shows in April in Denver, Colorado. I'm going to take a picture in front of the big blue bear. It's a 40 foot tall sculpture of a blue bear that appears to be looking into the Colorado Convention Center. And I'm really excited about having Alex and Andy with me in New Jersey. I think that's going to be super fun. I also actually, I'm just realizing as I'm saying this that I need to send Dylan my dates as well, because I know Dylan has some dates he's coming to, but as of right now, none of our dates overlap and we're going to try to rectify that. So we're going to try to have some overlapping days so that I can be with my bud Dylan as well. I'm going to be on a bus with Danny and Pasha. I have just forced myself into their family and will be sharing their bus also with Pasha's mom and of course their darling daughter Nikita. So that's my plan. I'm so excited. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm looking forward to meeting all of you on the road as well.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Hello.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Hello.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Smart Talks with IBM. I recently sat down with IBM's chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, and I asked him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business? My one advice to them, pick areas you can scale. Don't pick the shiny little toys on the side. For example, if anybody has more than 10% of what they had for customer service 10 years ago, they're already five years behind. If anybody is not using AI to make their developers who write software 30% more productive today with the goal of being 70% more productive. Yeah. Wow. So we are not asking our clients to be the first experiment on it. We say you can leverage what we did. We are happy to bring out all our learnings, including what needs to change in the process. Because the biggest change is not technology. It's getting people to accept that there's a different way to do things. To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Commercial Announcer]

Stay cozy, stay home and save big online during Lowe's December deal drops. Because honestly, why go anywhere when the deals come to you. Check this out. Lowes is going to give you two free select tools from dewalt, Craftsman or Cobalt when you buy a select battery or combo kit. Yep, two tools free. It's basically a holiday miracle. Plus rewards members get free standard shipping all month long. Yet another reason not to leave your couch. Kick back, click around. Let the savings roll in. Shop new December deal drops on Lowes.com every week this month fresh deals, cozy vibes, zero effort hear that?

[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

It's holiday cheer arriving at Ulta Beauty with gifts for everyone on your list. Treat them to fan favorite gift sets from Charlotte Tilbury and Peach and Lily. Go all out with timeless fragrances from ysl, Ariana Grande and Carolina Herrera. And you can never go wrong with an Ulta Beauty gift card. Head to Ulta Beauty for gifts that make the holidays brighter and even more beautiful. Ulta Beauty gifting happens here.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Malcolm Gladwell]

It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Fossil Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Foreign.

We have a wonderful conversation to have with a Disney rep here. Like to invite you out here. How you doing Jada?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Of course, I'm so good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Come sit down please. Jada is looking so gorgeous in her gold sequin ears and Your beautiful earrings that are snowflakes.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Tell me about this.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Oh, this pin?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Tell me about this pin you have.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

So I am a Disney ambassador of Disneyland Resort. Myself and my counterpart, Raul Aquino Rojas, we've represented the 36,000 cast members here at the resort for the past two years. We've acted as their spokesperson, an emissary of goodwill, which is a fancy way of saying we're the messengers of the joy, the magic of Disney into the community. It's been an honor. So.

[Fossil Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

So that was bestowed upon you two years ago.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Two years ago.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you have to apply for that position?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

You can say that. I definitely.

[Danielle Fishel]

What was the process of becoming the ambassador?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It was quite an extensive one. It's a pretty high honor to have the title. So we went through several rounds of interviews. We spent a week shadowing our predecessors, all just to kind of prepare us to make sure that, you know, we were grounded people and that we could represent the cast well. And it's been so awesome to just speak on their behalf and share the good news about things like the 70s celebration, now holidays here. It's been. It's been awesome. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

The 70th celebration. For part of my time on Dancing with the Stars were Disney Night. We came out and talked a lot about the 70th celebration. I learned about how many of the rides were here on opening day and how much things have changed and yet.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

And you looked adorable, by the way. I saw it so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

You saw that cute little home.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah.

[Fossil Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's crazy to me how many things have changed over the 70 years, and yet how many amazing things have stayed the same.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's true.

[Danielle Fishel]

Most specifically, that magic that Disneyland always provides, that has never gone anywhere. And if anything, with the expansion. And now here we are in California Adventure Park.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Has just expanded and just grown.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's true. It's true. And you said it. You used the perfect word, magic. That is the center of what we've been doing for the past 70 years. It's part of the story that we're telling right now during the holidays. You feel the magic in everything that you do. Like, you walk in, you see the lights, you see the decor, you watch the shows, like a Christmas fantasy parade, and you just feel that sense of magic that we've been creating and just giving to our guests for the past 70 years. And I think this year, especially the fact that we get to celebrate the holiday season during the 70th celebration, it really means a lot, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally agree. It also is Such a nice thing to walk into the park and what's going on in the outside world just completely shuts off.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's true.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were just focused on your friends, your family, the things you're doing when you're inside the park. Like you mentioned, the beautiful lights. It's really incredible. So, I mean, you guys offer some of the best holiday shows during the holiday season. And so to prove that I am good at transitions, we are going to talk about the 2025 Christmas shows, including Believe in Holiday Magic, the fireworks.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love a good firework show.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

The Christmas Fantasy Parade.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can you talk to me about the Fantasy Parade?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I absolutely can. So have you seen a Christmas Fantasy Parade recently?

[Danielle Fishel]

Not. Not recently. That's okay.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Well, you know, we've talked about tradition. The Christmas Fantasy Parade. It's been around for a while. We're celebrating 30 years of that parade, actually. And it is the most whimsical thing. It. It comes down by. It's a small world holiday all the way down Main street, usa. It's filled with your favorite, you know, traditional people that you like to see, like Santa, of course, you might see Mickey and Minnie. There are some awesome people. The dancing. It is that classic tune that everybody loves to hear as you're coming down Main street, usa. It's one of my favorite shows, and I'm just so glad that it's back again this year.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. There's also the Disney Viva Navidad street party, which is happening through January 7th.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

That's right. The entire celebration of holidays is happening now through January 7th.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that it's going a little. It's not like the second it's over.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah, no, no, no. We want to make sure we have the magic as long as we can. So right now we're recording this in the center of our Disney California Adventure Park. And that show takes place here in this park over towards Paradise Gardens. And it is a beautiful celebration of culture. You have floricorgo dancers, you have mariachi. There's so much happening even in that area. You can indulge more in the festivities of Navidad with food and just for decor. It's amazing. And it's definitely one of my favorite. The holiday season here in Disney California Adventure. It's all about the festival of Holidays. And so that's one of the offerings that we get to bring to our guests.

[Danielle Fishel]

How long has that been going on? How many years have you been.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I don't know that. I know off the top of my head, I started working here in 2017. And we've been celebrating definitely since then. And so it's really special that it's still going crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

A magical snowfall drifts down every single night during wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty's winter castle, where 80,000 shimmering lights transform the castle into a snowy, sparkling wonder. How special is that?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Now, this, Danielle, is probably one of my favorite parts about the holiday season. It's such a. It seems simple. I mean, it's not simple. There's many cast members that make sure that something like this happens. That's so magical. But it's this beautiful moment when the lights are on the castle. You said 80,000 lights on the castle. They all light up. And then there's snowfall on Main street, usa. Who would think it'd be snowing in Disneyland? Not me. But we make it happen because that's what happens. You know, holidays are about magic. Exactly. So you can see that happen as it lights up the night. And it's kind of just one of those indications that the holidays are here. We're ready to start the season. And for me, somehow, every time I come at night, I walk in right at the right time, and it's happening. And it's just like the best way to start your night. You grab a hot chocolate, get a gingerbread, and it's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hearing you say that is making me right now. I just really want. Yeah, a hot chocolate.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

We'll make that happen. Let's see what we ask.

[Danielle Fishel]

I do see that we have some treats here.

[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

This must be very specific holiday treats. Can we talk about these?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yes. So you talked about hot chocolate on this. This tray here to your left. This is the Cafe de Olla cold brew that is part of the Festival of Holiday celebration. So Festival of Holidays is not just. Yeah, there you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Put it on my lap.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Right. There you go. You're nice. There we go. But. Well, actually, you might like what's in there. I'll tell you. But. So the. The cold brew here, the Cafe de Olla, is part of Festival of Holidays. We have marketplaces all across Disney California Adventure park where you can have different food items that celebrate different cultures. Like Navidad. We have Kwanzaa, we have Hanukkah. There's different. A lot of holidays that we celebrate with. Festival holidays. That's one of the treats you can indulge in. And then. Yeah, take it. It's so awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know what it is, but I'm not gonna miss out.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

No, it's. It's Delicious. The punish. And then in the bag is. We heard one of your favorite things to get at Disneyland is the Mickey shaped pretzel. So, of course, a classic. Seven years of magic. And the Mickey shaped pretzels, still a favorite. And then over to the left. Oh, so sorry. Yeah. That is the sticky toffee macaron. So that's also part of one of our holiday offerings. It's amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, you need the microphone. I can't. I can't just eat Tara, right?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so good on the side of my mouth and I don't even care.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

This indulge was incredible. Isn't it? So good. First of all, my favorite.

[Danielle Fishel]

The drink is really yummy. It's like, it's got a little bit of like a little bit of an horchata vibe.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yes. Yeah, exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like some cinnamon. And then this is extremely sweet. And it counteracts.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

So decadent, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, it counteracts the little.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

Of the beverage. So well. And then I'm gonna eat some of my favorite pretzels.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I feel really lucky that my office is here at the resort. So every so often I'll pop out and grab the coffee, though. Yeah, it's really good.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

This is good.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Oh, right. A classic. The Mickey. The Mickey pretzel. Dipping it in the cheddar. Is it like. You remember that. That classic taste, right?

[Fossil Advertiser]

That salt.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's the right amount of salt too. I'm gonna go back to that in a second. Tell me what this one was again.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

So that's the sticky toffee macaron. That's another holiday offering that we have.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sticky limited time macaroni. Oh, my God. How cute it is.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's so cute on the inside. You have like little caramel bits in the. It's so good. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

All right, well, I'm diving in. Jada, this one's for you. Shall we? Cheers.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

We should. Let me see here.

[Danielle Fishel]

I've never had one of these, so this feels. This feels like.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It'S delicious, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It's so good.

It's so creamy. That's what the holidays are about, you know, Sharing food together, making memories. That's what you can do right here at Disneyland Resort. All across the resort.

[Danielle Fishel]

The amount of detail that goes into every single aspect of the. Of what you guys do here. Yeah. Who is in charge of picking the decor for these or deciding what food items make it into the holiday menu?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

That's a great question. So we have 36,000 customers at the resort, so there's many teams who help create these items. There are people all around who not only ideate, but make sure that we are being authentic to, especially when we're speaking to culture, things like that. So there's a lot of different teams that come together. I think what's special about, like you said here at Disneyland, we really want to make sure the detail is. It matters. Right. So even the fact that, like, this balances out, that you have that little. That little thing on top, that the salt is just right, that we have the decor on the food, it doesn't just taste good, it looks good. It's really awesome. So, I mean, getting to be an ambassador representing all the cast members, I think that's what's special. I'm glad we get to highlight those folks who create the things.

[Danielle Fishel]

One of the things I've always loved about being a one of the family members of Disney over the years is that everyone I've ever met who has worked at a park, who's ever been a cast member, everyone talks about what a wonderful place it is to work. Even when they're completely off the record, everyone always says, I've really. I enjoy working here. It's a great place to be. Do you bring. Is your family here? Do they live in California? Do you get to bring your family to the park?

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Do they have a.

[Danielle Fishel]

A night for. Just like.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

So I grew up in Southern California, so I feel really lucky that it feels like Disneyland's been in my backyard. Me, too. I spent many years, like, when I was in middle school, I was in show choir, so I would come and perform. They invite students to perform.

[Danielle Fishel]

Fun.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

And then I. You can relate to this. You started working for the Walt Disney or the company at a young age, and I started working here when I was 18, so it was very. It just felt like kismet. And now that I'm an adult and I get to bring my family to, you know, experience. Experience the magic during the holiday season year round. It really is just so special. Like, my dad tells me all the time, like, he's like, this is this. You were made for this. Like, this is crazy. So I love that we get to, you know, include them in so many of the festivities. That's what, you know, it's. It's family.

[Danielle Fishel]

We have so many things in common, Jada.

[Fossil Advertiser]

Because I also.

[Danielle Fishel]

I grew up in your Belinda.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

You did? Oh, my gosh.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you're. My grandfather lived in Anaheim, and we could watch the fireworks from his front lawn.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So we used to go over My grandfather's house, have dinner as a family, and then go out on the front lawn and watch the Disneyland fireworks. We also got to go many, you know, a couple times a year. It was. My parents really wanted it. It was before the days of season passes. So it was always a very special occasion to get to come to Disneyland. But I have felt like Disneyland is just a part of Disneyland, and the Disney Company has been a part of my life since I was a child.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah. And isn't it cool? Because for us, like, this is our home park. Right. We grew up around this. This specific park, Disneyland Resort, but this is where it started. This is the only park in the world where Walt walked. And so now that we have experiences all across the world, that's so special, and we got to experience this one. So, like, that's the coolest thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is very special. I don't know. You said that when I first met you that you were a fan. I don't know if you have seen the very famous Boy Meets World episode where we went to Disney World.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

A few here and there. And I did. I did. I did watch it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Have you been to Disney World?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I have. I've been excited. Couple times. This role is so cool because we have a global ambassador team all across the world. So I've gotten to go and partner with my counterparts over at Walt Disney World. We helped open up Tiana's Bayou Adventure over on that coast before we brought it here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wonderful.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

And, yeah, it's. It's awesome. Like, it's. Like I said, it's crazy that this was the only, you know, thing that I saw growing up was Disneyland Resort. And to see something like that, to see what it can become, how experiences just can expand and invite so many more people into it, into the space, is really cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I now have a goal of going to all the different. Disneyland.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or all the different Disney resorts. I want to go to Tokyo.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I just want to go to Paris. Did you know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Was that your first time?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

It was. It was. It was.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have you been to Paris?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I haven't yet. Okay, we'll go. We'll plan.

[Danielle Fishel]

I would love that. You and I.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're your families.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Perfect.

[Commercial Announcer]

Great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. All right, let's do that for sure.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Hello.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Hello.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Smart Talks with IBM. I recently sat down with IBM's chairman and CEO, Arvind Krishna, and I asked him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business? My one advice to them, pick areas you can scale. Don't pick the shiny little toys on the side. For example, if anybody has more than 10% of what they had for customer service 10 years ago, they're already five years behind. If anybody is not using AI to make their developers who write software 30% more productive today with the goal of being 70% more productive. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

So we are not asking our clients to be the first experiment on it. We say you can leverage what we did. We're happy to bring out all our learnings, including what needs to change in the process. Because the biggest change is not technology. It's getting people to accept that there's a different way to do things. To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

And Doug Here we have the Limu Imu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Cut the camera, they see us.

[Danielle Fishel]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com.

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[Fossil Advertiser]

Fossil this holiday season. As a proud sponsor of Jingle Ball, Fossil has unforgettable gifts for everyone on your list, including a limited edition watch collection with Nick Jonas plus statement jewelry, giftable leather goods and of course, timeless watches. From elegant Raquel for her to rugged Machine for him, there's nothing like a Fossil watch and there's a style for everybody and a personal touch. Customize their gift with free engraving and embossing. Shop it all now@ fossil.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ooh I want to talk about holiday merch.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm wearing adorable ears. You've got your gorgeous gold ears.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

I do. You even have the lights, too. I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

You guys give me these lights, which are amazing. I'm gonna have to hide them before I go home. Otherwise my children are gonna be like, where have you been? I would never tell them I came to Disneyland without them. What do you mean? No, not me.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Where. Where is there. Are there. Is there holiday merch in all of the stores on property or is there specific places to go get the best holiday merch?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

There are definitely many locations across the resort where you can find great merch, and sometimes it's great curated to the specific land that you're in. But for a limited time, holiday merch is available all throughout the resort now through January 7th. That includes not just Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park, but even in the Downtown Disney district. We have many new locations that are opened up over on those. Those areas too. So really, anywhere that you can be in the resort, you can find holiday merch, but you can deck yourselves from head to toe with all the whimsy and the beautiful colors. It matches, really kind of the essence of that you see when you walk into the resort. So, yeah, I definitely recommend you can just probably tell your kids you went to the dentist and they'll believe you. Yeah, exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right. They're only six and four.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Still. Still easy to fool.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Where can people go to find out more about how they can visit Disneyland or make their own trip or maybe even buying merch? Where can they go?

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Yeah, So I absolutely recommend you can first download the Disneyland app so you can help plan your day, make sure you know what there is to come. But aside from that, definitely check out Disneyland.com so you can see all that the holidays have to offer here at the Disneyland Resort. Like we said, the holidays are here right now through January 7th, so we just can't wait to see all here.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm absolutely amazed every time I'm here during the holidays at how different the park feels. You may think, oh, well, I've been to Disneyland. I don't need to go during that. If you've never been during the holidays, it really does completely transform. And it feels. If you're trying to get into the spirit, maybe this year has been a little difficult for you and you're trying to get into the holiday spirit, nothing will kickstart it quite like Disneyland at this time of year. So I highly recommend you go check it out. Jada, thank you so much for talking to us and sharing your joy. I can totally understand why you are an ambassador. Thank you for all of the cast members. You're a perfect representation of what everyone would hope to be. So thank you, Jada.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

That means a lot. Thank you so much, Danielle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nice talking to you.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Nice talking to you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Danielle with the Stars Produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel Executive Producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman Executive in Charge of Production Danielle Romo Producer, Editor and Engineer Tara Sudbaksh Theme song by Justin Segal Follow us on Instagram at daniellewithstars and vote for me.

Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap.

[Fossil Advertiser]

You're almost at the finish line.

[Danielle Fishel]

But first.

There the last one.

[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Enterprise leaders are revolutionizing their marketing operations with AWS AI. This proven technology turns resource intensive advertising processes into intelligent autonomous systems that deliver real time optimization on a global scale. Amazon's own transformation journey shows the true power of enterprise AI innovation. And now your organization can tap into the same technology that drives Amazon's advertising success. AWS AI where advertising meets Intelligence Discover the Amazon ad [e-mail] AI our story.

[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

Look Santa, the kids left you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pepperidge Farm Cookies. Milano Mint Chocolate so rich. Chessman Butter Cookies so buttery. And Linza Raspberry A holiday classic. These are Fancy Santa. Fancy Santa. Fancy Santa.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

Designer cologne Spritz Me Vintage timepiece Classy.

[Danielle Fishel]

O' clock Gold chain with diamonds. Now that's fancy. Pepperidge Farm Cookies Fancy a taste.

[Jada (Disneyland Ambassador)]

JBL Wireless Earbuds are for those who are the first to try something unique. The first wireless earbuds on the market with a touchscreen case which allows you to control your audio without reaching for your phone. They also have a touchscreen smart charging case for one touch control. I love being able to touch my buds and control the volume with a built in wireless transmitter that lets you plug and play with any device you want. JBL Wireless Earbuds connects you to all your favorite music, movies and games. JBL Wireless Earbuds Grab a [e-mail] this.

[Ulta Beauty Advertiser]

Is an iHeart podcast.

[Commercial Announcer]

Guaranteed human.