The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into the long road that eventually led Disney to build Art of Animation Resort, from an abandoned Toontown-inspired family suites hotel near the Contemporary to the unfinished half of Pop Century. Along the way, they explore how the success of Nickelodeon’s family-suite hotel caught Disney’s attention, why Bob Iger brought Steve Jobs into the evaluation process, and how Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid became the resort’s defining themes. Plus, Len and Jim discuss Lakeshore Lodge, Disney’s latest premium credit card survey, potential Epic Universe annual pass perks, and listener questions about fireworks, cruise ports, Star Tours, and monorail capacity.

NEWS

• Disney reveals new Lakeshore Lodge room categories ahead of its July 1, 2027 opening.

• A Disney credit card survey tests premium perks including Lightning Lane access, resort benefits, complimentary park tickets, and club-level access.

• Universal Orlando surveys guests about Epic Universe annual passes, reservations, Express benefits, parking, and Halloween Horror Nights perks.

• Epcot adjusts opening hours for select RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend dates.

• Universal Orlando debuts the new Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir show for Halloween Horror Nights.

FEATURE

• Disney once considered a highly exclusive Toontown-inspired family suites hotel beside the Contemporary Resort.

• The financial troubles surrounding Disneyland Paris helped derail Disney’s early family-suite plans.

• The success of Nickelodeon’s all-suite Orlando hotel convinced Disney there was significant demand for larger themed accommodations.

• Disney transformed the long-abandoned Legendary Years section of Pop Century into Art of Animation Resort.

• Bob Iger invited Steve Jobs to review prototype Art of Animation rooms before Disney committed to the project.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Disney Dish news is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com, helping guests plan their next Disney vacation.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack a packed slate of D23 parks announcements, from Disneyland’s newly promised Tomorrowland overhaul to major additions coming to Walt Disney World. They dig into Tropical Americas, Piston Peak, Villains Land, Monstropolis, Figment and Dreamfinder’s return to EPCOT, and Disney’s surprising promise to finally address Expedition Everest’s Yeti. Then Jim looks back at the history of Disney-MGM Studios’ Ewok Village, its connection to Star Tours, and the unusual road that brought George Lucas’ galaxy to a Hollywood-themed park.

NEWS

• Disneyland plans a Tomorrowland overhaul inspired by the land’s original sense of hope and optimism.

• Disney California Adventure’s Pandora project moves behind Tomorrowland while Avengers Infinity Defense, Stark Flight Lab, and the Coco attraction continue taking shape.

• Walt Disney World reveals new details for Tropical Americas, Piston Peak National Park, Villains Land, and the phased opening of Monstropolis.

• Dreamfinder and Figment are headed back to EPCOT in a still-mysterious new “flight of fancy” into Imagination.

• Disney says Expedition Everest’s long-static Yeti will finally be addressed, though exactly what “fixing” the figure means remains to be seen.

FEATURE

• Jim traces the 1989 opening of the Ewok Village at Disney-MGM Studios, months before Florida’s Star Tours began carrying guests to Endor.

• Learn why Florida’s Star Tours wound up at the Studios instead of Tomorrowland and how Disney tried to make George Lucas part of the park’s identity.

• The story explores George Lucas’ inspirations for the Ewoks, the abandoned Wookiee plans for Return of the Jedi, and Disney’s enthusiasm for the franchise’s most marketable forest dwellers.

• Plus, Jim revisits unrealized ideas including a Sci-Fi Channel UFO headquarters and the Roger Rabbit-themed Toontown Transit simulator.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com
• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Disney Dish News is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com, from our friends at DVCRentalStore.com.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill are on the ground in Anaheim for D23, where they dig into the week's Disney news before exploring how Anaheim evolved from vineyards and citrus groves into the home of Disneyland. Along the way, they examine a Disney patent that could create the illusion of elevation changes on future attractions, a proposed Spaceship Earth television series, and Bob Chapek's upcoming book. Then Jim traces the fascinating history of the Anaheim Packing House and the agricultural economy that helped make Walt Disney's land purchase possible.

NEWS

• A newly published Disney patent could make riders feel as though they're climbing or dropping while their ride vehicle remains on a flat surface.

• Could the technology be destined for the upcoming Encanto attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom?

• Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is already selling out select dates at both ends of the 2026 event calendar.

• Another infrastructure problem hits Disney's Wilderness Lodge, this time involving water service at Boulder Ridge.

• Disney is developing a Spaceship Earth-inspired television project built around teenagers, time travel, and a threat to Earth's future.

• Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek prepares to tell his side of the story in his upcoming book, Behind the Castle Walls.

FEATURE

• Jim traces Anaheim's beginnings to 50 German families who established a thriving wine-growing community in the 1850s.

• Root rot pushed the region from vineyards toward orange groves and walnut farms, helping reshape Anaheim's agricultural economy.

• Railroad expansion turned the Anaheim Packing District into a major hub for shipping fresh California produce across the country.

• Falling agricultural land values helped Harrison "Buzz" Price identify Anaheim as the ideal location for Walt Disney's new family park.

• Disneyland's arrival accelerated Anaheim's transformation from an agricultural community into a tourism destination.

• The historic Anaheim Packing House survived redevelopment pressure and reopened in 2014 as a modern food hall that preserves a piece of the city's past.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here. (Coming Soon)

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Disney Dish News is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is underway, and Be Our Guest Vacations can help you plan a Walt Disney World trip filled with Halloween fun, costumes, and plenty of candy.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into Disney’s latest theme park attendance numbers, new Lakeshore Lodge concept art, Disneyland’s possible return to an old favorite, and some surprisingly revealing guest surveys. Listener questions cover everything from GLP-1 drugs and Disney dining to the possible return of Tables in Wonderland and new retail ideas for Disney Springs. Then Jim begins the history of Disney’s family suites by tracing how global events repeatedly reshaped Walt Disney World hotel plans, culminating in the stalled second half of Disney’s Pop Century Resort after 9/11.

NEWS

• Walt Disney World reports a 3% increase in domestic theme park attendance during Disney’s fiscal third quarter.

• Disney adds a new preshow to Zootopia: Better Zoogether to help guests follow the attraction’s story.

• New Lakeshore Lodge concept art reveals the resort lobby, Moon Glade restaurant, Bay Lake Provisions, and other dining spaces.

• Disneyland rumors suggest the Main Street Electrical Parade could once again return in 2027.

• Universal announces Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness and Killer Klowns from Outer Space for Halloween Horror Nights.

FEATURE

• Jim looks back at Disney hotel projects that were dramatically altered by world events, including the proposed Asian Resort at Seven Seas Lagoon.

• The COVID-19 pandemic upends Disney’s ambitious plans for EPCOT and Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration.

• Disney begins developing Pop Century as another massive value resort near the Wide World of Sports complex.

• After 9/11 sends tourism and hotel occupancy plunging, Disney halts work on Pop Century and leaves the unfinished Legendary Years buildings standing for nearly a decade.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social - Instagram: @len.testa - touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Disney Dish News is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com. Plan your Walt Disney World vacation, including a trip to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, with the team at Be Our Guest Vacations.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Hill and guest co-host Drew Taylor explore the newly updated version of “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including fresh dialogue designed to make the show’s storyline easier to follow. They also examine the water-pressure failure that temporarily disrupted operations across Disneyland and Anaheim, along with Disney’s long history of conserving and recycling water inside its parks. Then Jim completes his history of “Turtle Talk with Crush,” tracing the interactive show from EPCOT and Disney California Adventure to cruise ships and children’s hospitals.

NEWS

• “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” receives new introductory dialogue from Mayor Winddancer.

• Judy Hopps’ closing lines are revised to clarify Dawn Bellwether’s role in disrupting Zootopia Day.

• The changes may help prepare the attraction for a possible future home at Disney California Adventure.

• A citywide water-pressure drop temporarily closes Disneyland restaurants and restrooms.

• Universal Studios Hollywood begins soft-opening “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.”

FEATURE

• “Turtle Talk with Crush” evolves from an unrealized Columbia-based attraction into a global Disney favorite.

• The interactive show expands from EPCOT and Disney California Adventure to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Disney Cruise Line.

• Disney adapts Crush’s conversations for cruise-ship dining rooms and smaller audiences.

• A Children’s Hospital of Orange County installation gives young patients a more intimate opportunity to interact with Crush.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X/Twitter: @DrewTailored - Instagram: @drewtailored - drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

The Disney Dish news is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com. Their vacation-planning team can help make your next Walt Disney World trip a little more magical.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices