Chiffon Dior: Well hello there Kevin and Matthew! I’m so excited to be talking with two of my favorite Disney podcasters! Before we get started, please keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times and take small children by the hand.
Kevin Quigley: Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas!
Matthew Parrish: Thank you for inviting us!
C: The pleasure is all mine! So we are of course talking about the Thirty20Eight Podcast. Where did you come up with the name for that?
M: So the Thirty20Eight is pretty unique. It’s a physical, figurative, and spiritual destination. The 3028 is actually the address of a home Walt Disney lived in in Kansas City. He lived there throwing papers before the war and then later settled back there as an early cartoonist in Kansas City. Behind the physical address of 3028 Belafontaine in Kansas City is a detached garage where Walt worked on the Alice in Wonderland comedies, featuring Virginia Davis. Without this work, the Disney brand would probably not have become the success it is today. 3028 represents hard, creative work and friendship…the fruition of it.
K: We’ve been asked about the name a lot on social media, and we’ve always been a little cagey about it. But Matt summed it up perfectly: as a good chunk of our work on the show is history-focused, we wanted to name ourselves something that had the history baked in, along with the ideals that Walt himself brought to the company.
C: There are numerous Disney podcasts out there, most of them named with much less subtle Disney references than your name. Did it give you pause using a name like Thirty20Eight that some people might not recognize as Disney content right off hand?
M: *Laughs* Well, originally the Thirty20Eight was a segment on my original Disney podcast, Wedway Radio. My co-host Nate was taking a hiatus from the show and I invited Kevin on to discuss Disney news. Kevin wanted to discuss Disney history too so we created a little segment for that and then spun off the show. I wanted Kevin to have ownership of his work, so we partnered on a new show.
K: Oh wow, yes. It’s something we have thought about a lot. We don’t have the word “Disney” in our name, so it makes it a little more difficult to find us. Also the alphanumeric of it sometimes throws people. We’ve tried to streamline that a few times – 3028 – but social media doesn’t like all numbers. But for me, I love the name. It means we have to work a little harder for people to hear us, so we put a lot of effort into making that search worth it.
M: In retrospect, I don’t know if we thought about the show being a hit and the name meaning much to most people. I will say, it has certainly presented a fair share of challenges to promote but I also think the name really flows and it’s sort of unique – just like our friendship and our content.
K: Exactly!
C: So let’s talk about you both for a moment. You have a unique and fun dynamic on your show. How exactly does a straight husband and father living in the Ozarks of Missouri wind up doing a Disney podcast doing a podcast with a married gay guy from Boston? It’s like the reboot of The Odd Couple we didn’t know we needed!
K: Matt, did we meet on Twitter? I can’t remember!
M: I can’t either! When we launched Wedway Radio, the cool thing to do was write blogs with Disney content. Kevin was one of the first bloggers for the site. It was all short lived, but I always found this Kevin guy interesting. I loved that his twitter handle was @kevidently and mine was @schmadvertising. They are both portmanteaus!
K: I was a fan of Matt and Nate’s show, and they were relaunching their blog that went along with the WEDWay Radio podcast. Either they asked me to write a column, or I asked them. All the columns were named after Disney lands, and because the newest one was Buena Vista Street, that’s what I wanted my column to be named.The blog didn’t last long. Then Matt was inviting people from the Disney community onto the adjunct show called WEDWay Now!, and he asked me on once. And then again. And then again. And it turned out that even though we had radically different backgrounds, we had a lot of the same ideals and histories. Basically, we decided we liked recording together and when WEDWay Radio was going through a hiatus of sorts, Matt asked me to come along. I will say, though, I had worries about “being gay” on the show. I asked Matt before we recorded if I could talk about my husband, etc. Coming out, as everyone knows, is a daily thing. This was going to be a family show, and I didn’t know what that meant to Matt. Immediately – IMMEDIATELY – he said, “If anyone doesn’t want to listen to this show because you’re gay, we don’t need them as a listener.”

C: Way to go Matt!
K: Best. Ally.
M: I went to college in Tampa, Florida and “moved” to (spent a sad month in) Newport Beach, California, so I have always loved outsiders. Coastal people. Kevin had all of the fun personality missing from the Ozarks. I love it here. It had a lot of neat midwestern history. But Kevin was a guy who came from a cool place. Kind of blue collar like KC but then also modern and historical. I dunno. It was a fun relationship because we are not similar but we are super similar too. We both love Raisin Bran and laundry.

K: We LOVE Raisin Bran!
C: I would have assumed you bonded over Horizons like everyone else, not Raisin Bran honestly. But Raisin Bran…underrated.
K: Oh my God, Horizons! That DOES really apply!
M: I have always been a friend to people who need friends or friends with people who just need allies. And I think authentically. The kids who read a lot or were too good at math to be social or didn’t comb their hair before school – I loved to talk to them and make them laugh. Everyone needs a friend. I don’t care what your background is or what their nationality or ethnicity or identity is – I’m probably going to like you and we’re probably going to get along great. Kevin has been a great friend and our relationship is so much more than the show. Our bond is easy. We don’t always agree but I don’t think we hold it against each other.
K: The fact that we seem to share ideals and ideas and a lot of the outsider-y feel got us really far, even beyond the Disney stuff. And the fact that Disney isn’t our sole focus. I think that if that’s all we talked about offline, we’d get bored. Plus, we’ve only ever had one major disagreement.
M: *Laughs*
K: It was about Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
M: He loooooves to bring this up!
K: I, like a good person, loved the movie and wanted only to discuss it with my good friend Matt. And then Matt basically took a truncheon filled with The Last Jedi hate and beat me with it.
C: The other thing that I enjoy about you both is that you came to Disney differently. Matt, you’re a lot like myself, having gone to Disney early and often it seems. In fact the first time my family went, it was pre-Orlando International Airport. I am dating myself but facts are facts. Meanwhile, Kevin, you only became a big Disney fan within, the last decade or so?
K: 2007! So close. The first time I went to Disney World, the wand was still on Spaceship Earth. Basically, and I’ve told this story before, I saw the film Robin Hood, and I wanted a Robin Hood hat. My friend TC told me they sold them at Disney World, and my friends Brad and Kay, who lived in Saint Cloud, had been wanting to bring me down for a visit for a really long time. So I went in search of a hat. P.S. Disney no longer makes Robin Hood Hats. But I fell in love with it day one. Brad and Kay basically left me there and told me they would pick me up when the park closed at midnight. I was blown away by the lights and sounds and everything. It took me a little while longer to become an entrenched fan, but my first visit really solidified stuff for me.

M: Yeah. This certainly presents its challenges from time to time. I’m don’t consider myself a holier than now person when it comes to Disney, but sometimes I’m protective of attractions or areas at Disney that have gone away to make way for new. I think that’s probably natural when you’ve been going to disney since 1981 and podcasting about Disney for eleven years. I like Kevin’s perspectives though. He’s logical about change.
C: Well they always like to say Walt said the park would never be complete. I’m still salty about them closing Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in WDW though.
K: Well, sometimes. I tend to go wildly the other way. Especially on social media, where I will sometimes defend the closing of a ride so vehemently that even I don’t like my stance. But it’s true; generally, when Disney closes stuff, it’s because it’s no longer fulfilling its original purpose … and that no one’s riding it.
M: *Laughs* I was there the week it closed. I don’t think it’s the attractions I miss as much as the times I spent experiencing them with family or friends. Those are the challenges that longtime Disney fans face. Those attractions, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are part of my childhood and my coming of age. It’s tough to say goodbye to that.
C: The Disney fandom went through though this recently with the closure of The Great Movie Ride and the new, just-opened Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Rail. I know neither of you have gotten to ride it yet, but did you support that change?
K: And I’m finally experiencing stuff like that. The Great Movie ride, for example. Heimlich’s Choo-Choo Train. Stuff I really liked that’s now either going away or becoming something else.
M: And yet – I have this thrilling Seven Dwarfs Mine Train to experience with my son who is making his childhood memories with me, now. So how can I be upset about any of it? We were there the summer Disney-MGM Studios opened. Star Tours wasn’t even open yet. The Great Movie Ride was something we could do as a family, together. When I went to college, I studied film. So yeah – I still feel that change was unnecessary. I stand by that.
K: I actually did. I liked Great Movie Ride a lot, but even in the few years I’d been seeing it, it felt a little shopworn. The Busby Berkeley dancers stopped spinning, and the spiel was so rote and out of date, it was actually kind of cringe to listen to. I welcomed a family ride, with new tech and Mickey Mouse in it, very much. I think it’s what the park needed for its signature attraction. And of course I’ve already booked a weekend trip for next month to go down and ride it. Different strokes, Matt!

C: Have you both gotten a chance to experience Galaxy’s Edge yet?
K: Oh yes! Randomly, I was on my honeymoon with my husband when it opened in Disneyland, so we got to go to the opening of the land. Then I was randomly in Walt Disney World when Rise of the Resistance opened. Blew me away.

C: They say nothing is more romantic for honeymoons than Blackspire Outpost!
M: Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is next level theming and design. I now can’t imagine the parks without it. Somehow they brilliant fit that into Disneyland. Studios HAD to have a land like this. I’m ecstatic it exists.
K: There have been some arguments about how Galaxy’s Edge doesn’t fit in to the conception of Disney parks. I heard recently that it’s because you’re joining a story midway through and you need outside information to fill in the story for you. But that’s like ALL of Fantasyland too.
M: I’m still telling everyone about Pandora. Few people understand my interests better than Ridley Scott and James Cameron. Their ability to create new worlds is something I cherish daily.
K: I fully agree. I love Pandora way, way more than I ever thought i would.
M: What’s incredible about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is its ability to combine new with familiar. To take parts of our world and make it into a new world. It’s genius.
C: There is a massive amount of construction going on at Disney Parks all over the world. What upcoming attraction has you the most excited?
K: Hmmm. Is it weird if it’s Journey of Water with Moana? I’m also very much looking forward to the redo of Spaceship Earth. Fixing the track, updating the narration, giving the trip down something more dynamic to look at. Plus, I think the concept of the “story light” is going to be part of the attraction, AND part of New Epcot as a whole, so it’ll be an element that transcends just one ride or experience
M: I’m most excited for the expansion of the France Pavilion. I wasn’t sure if World Showcase would ever get a new, non-overlay attraction, and I think we can all agree an E-ticket in France is fantastic. It’s arguably the best pavilion with the most iconic film and now it gets an attraction that checks all of the boxes.
K: Anyone Can Cook, Matt! Yeah, and I’ve ridden the Ratatouille ride in Paris and the ride videos don’t give you a sense of the smells and sights and scope of that attraction.
M: Yes. I couldn’t be more excited.
C: Of all of the much rumored attractions that never got built over the years, what is the one you both wish you got to experience the most?
K: Oh boy. Can we say all of WESTCot Center?
C: Permission granted.

M: That’s a really tough one. I think a People Mover attraction in Future World is something we all need and needed.
K: Oh wow, I’d LOVE a People Mover in Epcot! Honestly though, it might be the Rhine River Cruise in the Germany pavilion. Like Matt said, World Showcase is severely lacking in E-ticket rides. A boat cruise that focused on edutainment (EPCOT’s original concept of combining education and entertainment), history, and geography might have been the coolest. And maybe they can still do something back there, even with the Intellectual Property-mania. Isn’t Snow White German? You could do something with her along a river.
M: Those two story Communicore buildings and a connection to the monorail hub with a separate look at the monolithic and grandiose Future World pavilions would’ve been incredible. I also agree with Kevin. I still think there’s a future with a boat ride in Germany. There’s so many concepts and ideas Imagineering has had over the years that it’s tough to choose. I’m pretty simple though. I don’t need a lot to be happy. A light boat cruise or an elevated look at a beautiful place would be terrific.
K: I would have loved the boat ride around the Gold Spaceship Earth in WESTCot though.
C: Any thoughts on Disney+ so far? What else would you like to see on there?
K: I blasted through The Mandalorian and loved it. I want more shows of that caliber. Knowing that all those Marvel shows are coming is very exciting. I’m particularly looking forward to She-Hulk and WandaVision. As for what I’d like more of? Maybe some more PG-13 content. I’d love a new Indiana Jones show.
M: Yes on Indiana Jones! Like all early streaming services, it needs original content but so far so good. Togo? My whole family cried. Mandalorian? More please. Imagineering story? Absolutely. Bring on more classic Disney channel content. More Disney vault content.
K: Yes, more deep-dive documentaries! Basically, I want to see content like our show on there.
C: I want SO much more Imagineering Story that I almost need an intervention.
K: RIGHT!?!?!?!?!?
C: One Day at Disney deserves many more episodes too, just maybe not one based on Bob Chapek’s second day at work where the Jungle Cruise boat sank. But more importantly, we have reached the most dangerous point in the interview, the LIGHTNING ROUND!
K: Fire away!
C: Favorite Disney Character?
K: Robin Hood
M: Jaq, a friend and a helper. Or Bernard Mouse, lots of swagger.
C: Favorite on site hotel?
M: Wilderness Lodge.
K: Boardwalk.
C: Favorite place to dine?
K: Brown Derby or Le Cellier.
M: Hmmmm, Brown Derby or Tiffins.
C: Favorite Park?
K: EPCOT.
M: Disneyland.
K: Or Tokyo Disney Sea. I’ve been to Tokyo.
C: Did you ever mention that before Kevin?
M: You should mention that on the show.
K: I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that
C: Favorite attraction?
K: Spaceship Earth.
M: This is like choosing between my children. Living with the Land.
C: Favorite Nighttime Event? (Shows, Fireworks, Parade)
M: Disneyland’s Fantasmic. Previously Illuminations:Reflections of Earth.
K: Main Street Electrical Parade.
M: I just saw it again. It was so great. I really, really like Happily Ever After and the Star Wars fireworks shows. Both give me the feels.
C: Favorite Disney snack?
M: M&M covered Mickey head Rice Krispy treat. Or cookie ice cream sandwich at sleepy hollow. Or beignets at French Quarter. Give me all the snacks!!
K: Wait oh damn ummmmm, Main Street popcorn!

M: Roastie Toasty spun!
K: WAIT! NO! The mochi in Tokyo!
C: So basically, all the snacks?
M: We are snack monsters.
K: Yes please. Snack all the time. We love snacks so much.
M: I literally wake up and eat snacks in the night. Last night I ate Rolos.
C: Thing you miss the most that no longer exists at WDW?
M: The Fiesta Fun Center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, their 24 hour game room and snack bar. More snacks!
K: Does Horizons count if I never rode it?
M: For reals? I miss The Living Seas’ preshow film and Cranium Command.
C: The deluge!
M: Where else can you learn about chemosynthesis?
C: Frozen Ever After or Maelstrom?
M: If that dang queue wasn’t so damn awesome! Fine. I’ll say it. Frozen Ever After.
C: You’re very brave.
M: Begrudgingly
K: Frozen Ever After, because I love queues more than attractions, honestly.
M: We are in total agreement.
C: Favorite Thirty20Eight Episode?
M: Ooooooh! Kevin, which episodes did we cry during?
K: Oh shit we just cried during the last one. I think Alpinism might be my favorite. That’s when it clicked.
M: It’s also my favorite. You know why it’s so good? I edited and published it from a Disney resort, the only show I’ve ever edited at Disney in eleven years.
C: Episode you want to do that the other wants no part of?
M: IP-ology.
K: Caffeineology
M: *Laughs* No way! I totally want to do that. Kevin can’t think of one because I like everything.
C: How about an entire Beverly episode?

M: *Laughs*
K: Once in a while we’ll try to figure out the smallest possible subject to do a show about.
M: That’s my favorite.
K: I think our peak is weather vanes.
M: Or Disney dollars.
C: Well congratulations gentlemen! You have survived the LIGHTNING ROUND!
M: Whew!
C: One of the things I enjoy most about your podcast is that you manage to walk the line between loving Disney and not being able to be objective about it. There are some Disney vloggers and podcasters who almost seem like they hate Disney and some who almost seem like they’ve become paid infomercials for the company. How do you manage to keep that balanced tone of enjoying Disney without seeming like shills on your podcast?
K: I think it goes back to us having so many other interests. And also because we’re not just Disney friends. We have a bunch of other interests, which allows us to be slightly objective but still passionate about Disney. And we love talking to each other. Plus the fact that history is such a part of the show, It scratches our research itch. So we’re relaying a lot of facts rather than covering every new thing or every bad thing.
M: Great question. First of all, I’m from the Show Me State. We’re naturally skeptical here. Beyond that, I think context is important. I’ve been teaching ethics for twelve years, so I live in the grey. It’s about the why for me. If Disney makes a move to please shareholders rather than guests, I have to be real about it. If Disney raises prices without providing incentives, I will state it. I think it’s easy to detach from Disney because I don’t have any ownership of it. None of it is mine. Disney is a choice for me. I don’t have to participate in it. Dis-Twitter is a great example. I don’t engage…ever. Disney is fun. If something isn’t fun, I’m comfortable saying so. Kevin is an independent person; he isn’t beholden to me or my opinion either. If he wants to like something or not like it, I will never judge him. If Disney isn’t a good escape for you, IT’S time for a new hobby. If you can’t pay your bills because you give Disney all of your money and you can’t be critical when they make a mistake, time for a new hobby. I don’t want to get too spiritual about this, but on some level this show is a shining example of what happens when you open your heart and find the good in the world. Kevin is gay. I am straight. That has never been a thing we needed to resolve or reconcile. We accept each other like brothers and friends. We found each other when we both needed a friend as we were both going through different things. We lean on each other when we need to and are honest with each other when we have to be. To me, this is the optimal vision of how the world should be.
C: How did you decide that “History and Listory” would be your niche?
K: That’s all Matt. I’ll tell you though, I loved Disney on my first trip, but I became a fanatic when my buddy JoeZer showed me that MartinsVid of Horizons. It’s a company with such history.
M: Kevin’s right, too. We have so many interests away from Disney. I like 90s rap and media criticism and theory. I love films and old television. Disney is another thing that I’ve researched and have fun with. I happen to enjoy it a lot. It brings me great joy. History and Listory? It just happened. I can’t explain it. There was no market research. Nate and I did a 100th episode of the Wedway NOW show and we did a list of 100 Disney things. And I thought, we could do this with anything. And now we do.But I have Kevin to thank. He keeps me driven (sometimes overdriven) to keep editing and researching and adding and planning. Sometimes the show is like its own organism and we’re along for the ride.
C: Speaking of outside interests, that sounds like the perfect segue to promote the things you do besides Disney for dollars that don’t have pictures of Mickey Mouse, a smug looking Simba or Chicken Little on them.
M: *Laughs* Well, my wife started a soy based, non-carcinogenic candle company about five years ago. Now we make theme park and resort inspired scents that smell just like your favorite vacation spots. We have eleven to choose from at marcelinesquare.com.
K: Oh! Yes! I’m a writer of books and a designer of graphics. My newest book is a collection of short stories called Damage and Dread. And I am a freelance graphic designer with an emphasis on logos and banners. I love creating and working with people to get the exact image they want. (Click here for more info)
C: Thank you so much guys! I really do love your podcast and wish you both continued success but before we wrap this up and go out for churros and Dole Whips, do you have any words of wisdom to leave the WERRRK. com universe with?
K: We have a mission to spread joy, happiness, and knowledge into a world that needs all those things. We’re a couple of guys who love Disney and each other, and all we want is for our listeners to be as happy with our show as we are.
M: I can’t say it better than that. It started as a show about Disney listory and history and news, and I think over time it became something more important. Reflecting back on it now, the positive engagement is really what motivates us. People write to us and explain how our episodes bring them closer to their own memories or families. Sometimes the show gets someone through a bad day or some bad news. And we’ve always made it our mission to unite people through laughter and love.
