Welcome To The RADP Web Page

2022 UPDATE

With the changes to ride access made in recent years - Genie and Genie+ sprcifically - it's now impossible to make a workable schedule showing where our group will be and at what time. So we've been forced to eleminate the schedule entirely. You are still welcome to join us in the parks. Just post a message on the RADP Facebook page and we'll get back to you as soon as we can to tell you where and when to meet up.

December weekend dates we are there are listed a bit further down on this page. Our park days are as follows:

Friday = Epcot
Saturday = Animal Kingdom
Sunday = Magic Kingdom
Monday = Hollywood Studios

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What is RADP?
Those Disney fans among you probably already know. RADP is an acronym for a usenet newsgroup named rec.arts.disney.parks -- a Disney parks enthusiast newsgroup where folks all around the world share tips, stories and general information regarding the Disney park experience. It can be accessed through many ISP's list of newsgroups or you can read it using your web browser at Google groups. RADPer Rodney Grill has written an thorough step by step tutorial on accessing RADP through Usenet. See our "How to Access RADP via Usenet" page.

Why do RADPers meet?
We get together at least once a year to put a face to that poster/friend we met on newsgroup. New and renewed acquaintances abound every year. Fast friendships have been formed by many. There have even been a few "love connections", although those are rare. The only thing you must have is a love of Disney and desire to have good times with folks of a similar mind set.

Where do RADPers meet?
The first RADP meet occurred at Walt Disney World in December 1996 with about 20 folks (mostly from the Orlando area) and now has grown to include more than 300 of our newsgroup friends and family from all over the world! Folks come as far away as the United Kingdom, Norway, Japan, Canada, and as close as San Francisco, New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, New Hampshire and Tampa. There is no membership requirement.

When are the RADP meets held?
The dates are usually set for 2-3 years ahead of time so people can have time to make vacation plans. We try to avoid dates that fall during the Thanksgiving travel period and dates that are blocked out to certain annual passes. Currently, the next RADP meets are set for:

RADP 27: December 2-5, 2022
RADP 28: December 8-11, 2023

How can I take part in RADP meet?
All you have to do is plan a Walt Disney World vacation during the time period we will be holding our meets. Just post a message on the RADP Facebook page and we'll get back to you as soon as we can to tell you where and when to meet up. Every year we attract lots of solo travellers, married couples and families to our meets. You can attend as many or as few meets as you wish.

What about info on the early RADP meets?
Information on the early years of our meets is archived on AllEars.net courtesy of Deb Wills and can be viewed there.

Need to get a RADP button?
Leslie Jones started out making and selling RADP buttons to raise funds for one of her daughter's activities and she continues to do so today. She'll make you up your very own RADP button complete with your name or anything you want displayed on it up to 15 characters including spaces. Full details and sample are on our RADP pins page.

RADP IS NOW ON FACEBOOK! It's not quite the same as the newsgroup but many of your old RADP favorites are members of this Facebook group. Posts here are completely separate from the actual newsgoup. The Facebook RADP page can be reached at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_74116003433 It is open to everyone.






  Randy

IN MEMORIAM

May 2008

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Randy Berbaum, a great RADPer, Disney lover and friend, who hailed from Champaign, Illinois. He will be missed often by his many Disney friends accrued in over a decade of posting to rec.arts.disney.parks.

Randy leaves us a lifetime of memories from the little more than a decade that we knew him. There was Fort Wilderness tent camper Randy, Pirate Cruise Captain Randy, toy monorail architect and honorary driver Randy, RADP Big Meet and Greet Photographer Randy, walkie-talkie Randy who always brought up the rear of the ride queues to keep our groups together while communicating with the front of the line via his walkie talkie, RADP meet host Randy who always hosted the Sunday Morning breakfast meet at Trail's End and was the first to step up to host or cohost any other meet that needed to be covered, Mini golf Randy who would always offer to drive anyone wanting to play that needed a ride.

Randy was often the voice of reason who had the patience of a saint. He would always listen to both sides of an issue, take some time to digest what was said, and then offer his usual even-tempered response to the situation. No one ever recalls seeing anything ever fluster him to the point of anger. His well thought out answers even managed to change more than one opinion.

He was a man who was usually very shy at home but he was always willing to approach a new RADPer at a meet and offer an introduction and some conversation. These people weren't strangers to him, they were friends he hadn't met yet. He wore his RADP button proudly. He read RADP every day. He always took the time to answer every RADP planning question that was asked, even if it was the 1,000 time he'd answered it. It didn't matter whether the question required factual information or opinion. Randy eagerly offered both.

Besides all things Disney, his interests included photography, computers and trains of all kinds.

On a personal note, I am oh so glad that I had the opportunity to meet, know and love Randy. It was an opportunity that I wish many, many more RADPers could have been afforded. He was a great guy. He made me smile and laugh often and much. I feel that I am a better person for knowing him. I was proud to call him my friend for so many years. - Jack Marshall




Kenny at Yacht Club 2009

December 2013

On December 29, 2013 dear friend and RADPer Kenny Cottrell left us for his eternal home. Kenny was known as "Keeper of the Kingdom Knowledge" due to his thirst for finding out as much as he could about Walt Disney World. He spent nearly every weekend - and many weekdays - traveling to the parks from his home in Central Florida.

In 2008, Kenny realized his lifelong dream to become a cast member at Disney. He was hired for attractions (Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom) before moving on to Resorts (Disney's Yacht & Beach Club and Disney's Carribean Beach Resort). He sang in the choir for many Disney events including Epcot's Candlelight Processional multiple times and Disney's Encore! Cast Performing Arts group.

Many people knew Kenny for nearly 20 years having first interacted with him on the RADP newsgroup around 1995. Back then, there were no web sites to look up information on. People posted their questions and/or experiences on the newsgroup to share information and Disney World. Kenny was always among the first people to respond to most of the questions.

Two things that stood out about Kenny: he was always happy and you never heard a bad word about him. He will be sorely missed by all of his friends from all walks of life.





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