A Much Needed Dose of Joy: Exploring Disneyland with Dr Hoby
A Weekend of Pure Joy: Disneyland, Dave Matthews & Disney Snacks Through New Eyes
Excerpt: After two surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo, and a heartbreaking loss, Nikki Lamberti headed to Southern California with her best friends for a whirlwind weekend of Dave Matthews and Disneyland magic — and the result is one of the most joyful episodes of Sip with Nikki yet.
In Dedication to Joy
This episode is a little different. Before we get to the turkey legs and pickle dogs and Ferris wheel popcorn, there's something worth acknowledging: this one was made under the weight of a very big year.
Host Nikki Lamberti has been quietly battling breast cancer since December — two surgeries, 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and now on the home stretch of 20 rounds of radiation. And in the middle of all of it, her father was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Nikki lost him just before recording this episode.
Her dad's legacy, she says, was joy. He was the kind of man who would look around a room full of his family gathered together and simply say, "This is nice." That quiet, profound appreciation for the moment — that's what this episode is dedicated to.
So Nikki did what any self-described Joy Junkie would do: she booked a last-minute flight to Los Angeles, grabbed her dear friends Dr. Hoby and Justin, and squeezed every drop of magic out of a whirlwind weekend.
The Dream Team: Nikki, Hoby & Justin Hit LA
If you're a regular Sip with Nikki listener, the names Dr. Hoby and Justin are very familiar. For new listeners: Dr. Hoby was born without sight and has made it his life's work guiding people in the full sensory experience of food, beverage, and the world around them. His Instagram videos — biting into fresh fruit, explaining why you should put salt in your coffee, experiencing the world through taste, smell, touch, and sound — have gone absolutely viral this year.
The three of them flew down to LA for a Dave Matthews Band concert (somewhere around concert number 100 for Hoby, number 50 for Nikki — no big deal). And because Nikki's brain works the way it does: if we're already in LA... Disneyland is right there.
Using her Disney Vacation Club points, she booked a room at the Villas at the Disneyland Hotel, and the trio spent a full Saturday and Sunday exploring both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure.
Experiencing Disney Without Sight: A Different Kind of Magic
One of the most beautiful threads woven through this episode is hearing Dr. Hoby describe the parks through senses most of us take for granted.
Standing outside It's a Small World, Hoby described the ride as a layered sensory journey — the smell of an old building from the 1950s as you enter the tunnel, the subtle shift in humidity as the scenes moved from Asia to Africa, and the burst of strong floral notes when the boat drifted near the Hawaii section. And of course, that song. Playing in every language, with animals clicking and clacking and singing geese in Northern Europe hitting a slightly different tone.
"I'm just having so much fun here," Hoby said.
Nikki was reminded, as she always is in Hoby's company, to close her eyes and try to experience the Disney magic the way he does — through sound, smell, and the feel of the pavement changing underfoot.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — More Complex Than a SpaceX Rocket
Hoby was nervous about Rise of the Resistance. The drop. The unknown. But he did it — and loved it.
He described the experience in a way that perfectly captures what makes the ride extraordinary: the pre-show that sets the scene, the "people mover that didn't really move" but somehow felt like it was moving both optically and physically, and then the carts — all moving independently of one another, forward, backward, on a full 360-degree axis.
Nikki had learned in a Disney info session that Rise of the Resistance contains more technological components than a SpaceX rocket. Hoby's response: "That is insane."
His verdict after the drop? Motion was great. Would absolutely do it again.
The Iconic Disney Turkey Leg: A Full Sensory Review
No Disneyland visit is complete without a turkey leg, and Hoby had never had one. What followed was one of the most delightful food moments in recent Sip with Nikki history.
Standing in front of the castle, Justin filmed while Hoby held what he described as something "the size of my head" — over a pound of slow-smoked, brined turkey that smells somewhere between bacon and ham.
His tasting notes:
Aroma: A little like a hot dog, a little like bacon, hints of ham
Texture: Juicy dark meat with beautifully crispy, briny skin
Flavor: Smoky, sweet brine with savory salty notes — reminiscent of Thanksgiving
Overall: "A true Disney icon. Try yourself a turkey leg next time you're here."
Nikki's wine pairing recommendation? Pinot Noir — or a Zinfandel to complement the smokiness. The three of them agreed it was addictive in the best way, salty and savory like the world's most impressive piece of beef jerky.
The Pickle Dog: Downtown Disney's Wildest Snack
From the turkey leg to something completely different: the Pickle Corn Dog from Blue Ribbon in Downtown Disney.
The concept: a hot dog stuffed inside a hollowed-out pickle, battered in cornmeal, panko crusted, deep fried, and served with a side of peanut butter.
Yes, peanut butter.
Hoby's flavor breakdown without the dip: sweet corn batter, salty crunchy pickle, classic hot dog inside. His verdict? "It actually works really well together. It's like a hot dog with dill relish."
Then came the peanut butter. And everything changed.
Rather than mellowing the flavors, the peanut butter brightened them — making the dill more herbal, the hot dog smokier, adding a nuttiness that elevated the whole thing into something unexpectedly great. Nikki likened it to the same magic that makes peanut butter and jelly, or peanut butter and banana, such iconic combinations.
Justin's more skeptical take: he'd prefer the corn dog on its own with a cold, crunchy pickle on the side. Totally valid.
Nikki's wine pairing: Champagne, no question. Tight bubbles, palate cleanser, a Blanc de Blancs from Schramsberg or even a Prosecco. Hoby added a crisp, unoaked, stainless-steel-fermented Chardonnay to the list — the kind with green apple notes and no butter. Speaking of butter...
Popcorn, Diacetyl & A Man Named Ron Buttery
High above the park on the Pixar Pal-A-Round Ferris Wheel in California Adventure, Nikki produced a box of theme park popcorn — because of course she did — and what followed was one of the best impromptu food-science conversations the podcast has ever heard.
The buttery smell of popcorn, Hoby explained, comes from a compound called diacetyl — the same aromatic compound produced during malolactic fermentation in wine. When Chardonnay goes through that process, lactobacillus bacteria convert sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, and as a byproduct, produce diacetyl. That's where the buttery character in a big oaked Chardonnay comes from. And if you want a non-buttery Chardonnay, you want one that hasn't gone through malo.
The cherry on top: the pioneering researcher on diacetyl in wine was a food chemist named Ron Buttery. Nikki's response: "What? You're making that up."
He wasn't.
Meanwhile, from the top of the Ferris wheel, Nikki could see Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, Galaxy's Edge, and the Grand Californian — a bird's eye view that also made clear just how landlocked Disneyland is compared to the 50-square-mile sprawl of Walt Disney World.
The Weekend Highlight Reel
Before heading to lunch at Din Tai Fung (Hoby's favorite, known for their soup dumplings — "bite in and it just squishes"), the group reflected on the weekend's highlights:
A spontaneous late-night trip back into the park to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure — twice — getting completely soaked and closing the park down at 12:15am
Rise of the Resistance with the drop that Hoby was nervous about and ended up loving
Dinner with dear friends Jeff and Patrick, who came to meet them in the area
And of course, the Dave Matthews concert that started it all
"This solidified the fact that we are really, really good travel buddies," Hoby said. "We had so much joy."
A Note on Joy:
At the start of this episode, Nikki talked about her dad and his legacy. He didn't make grand gestures. He just looked around at the people he loved and said, "This is nice."
That's what this weekend was. Turkey legs in front of the castle. Popcorn on a Ferris wheel. Getting soaked on a log ride at midnight. Talking about butter chemistry 150 feet in the air.
This is nice.
Support the Podcast & Sip Some Wine
If this episode brought you some joy and you'd like to support Nikki and the podcast, there's a link in the show notes to leave a tip or donation.
And if you want to sip well while you listen, check out Sollevato Wines at sollevatowines.com — use code PODLISTENER for 10% off. Current releases include a 2022 Sangiovese and a Fortunado Red Blend, with 2023s coming soon — including a first-ever Grenache with a special pink label, with proceeds benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
If you'd like to hear more from Dr. Hoby, scroll back through the Sip with Nikki catalog — there are at least four other episodes featuring him, and his name is always in the title. And if you're not already following him on Instagram, pause right now and go find @DrHoby. You'll thank us.