The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

This week, Jim and Len unpack a packed Disney Dish that starts with theme park news and surveys before taking a deep dive into the frantic, sleep-deprived final months of EPCOT Center construction. Along the way, they translate Disney survey-speak, speculate on where Pokémon could land at Universal, and stumble onto what might be the most diabolically smart fireworks idea Disney has never tried.

NEWS
• Disney’s guest surveys decoded - What EPCOT and resort questions really reveal about future cuts, changes, and monetization
• Animal Kingdom and Disneyland food updates - Harambe Market speeds up its opening while Napa Rose returns with a $188 price tag
• Pokemon at Universal - Why Springfield, Lost Continent, or Epic Universe are all in play
• Cruise line discounts and CityWalk rethink - What Universal and Disney Cruise Line data gathering tells us about demand
• A subtle Josh D’Amaro change - Could a missing voice hint at bigger leadership news?

FEATURE
• Inside EPCOT’s construction crunch - From 4,000 workers to 10,000 almost overnight
• Why most builders had no idea what they were building - And how Disney fixed that problem
• The overnight concrete pours and brutal schedules - 75 straight days on the job in Florida heat
• How worker preview days helped push EPCOT across the finish line

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

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
• Be Our Guest Vacations - beourguestvacations.com
• DVC Rental Store - dvcrentalstore.com
• DVC Resale Market - dvcresalemarket.com
• Unlocked Magic - unlockedmagic.com

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.

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

This week on the Disney Dish Podcast, Jim Hill and Len Testa cover a wide range of park news before diving headfirst into one of the most intense construction stories Disney has ever lived through. From Haunted Mansion permits and Animal Kingdom surveys to Hallmark cameras rolling at Walt Disney World, the first half sets the stage for a jaw-dropping look at how EPCOT was nearly derailed before it ever opened. Then Jim walks through the chaotic final year of EPCOT construction, when Disney threw manpower, money, and sanity at the calendar to make an October 1 deadline happen.

NEWS
• New construction permits near the Haunted Mansion spark speculation about queue changes and future guest flow into Villains Land
• Universal confirms a Fast & Furious spinning coaster will replace Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Disney surveys reveal how much a re-themed attraction like Zootopia Better Zoo-Gether actually drives intent to visit
• Animal Kingdom questions hint at how Disney expects families to split up as thrill rides expand
• A Hallmark holiday movie films on location at Walt Disney World, including a surprise Jodi Benson cameo

FEATURE
• Inside EPCOT’s final year of construction, when the project ballooned to 10,000 workers on site
• How endangered woodpeckers, sinkholes, and shifting plans pushed EPCOT dangerously behind schedule
• Why Disney was forced to spend billions to meet a non-negotiable opening date
• Stories from the worksite that explain why veterans still describe it as chaotic, dangerous, and unforgettable

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

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by DVC Resale Market - get expert help buying or selling Disney Vacation Club points at DVCResaleMarket.com.
Also sponsored by DVC Rental Store - save on your next Disney vacation by renting points at DVCRentalStore.com.
Planning your next trip? Let Be Our Guest Vacations handle the details at BeOurGuestVacations.com.
And by Unlocked Magic, offering concierge-level Disney planning services at UnlockedMagic.com.

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

This week on Disney Dish, Jim Hill and Len Testa dig into a deceptively simple question with big implications for trip planning: when exactly did “summer vacation” stop being peak season at Walt Disney World? Using years of hotel pricing data as a proxy for crowd demand, Len walks through what the numbers say - and the results may surprise longtime fans. Then Jim takes listeners on a deep historical tour of one of the parks’ most quietly beloved traditions, the Sword in the Stone ceremony, tracing its evolution across Disney parks worldwide.

NEWS
• Why Disney hotel pricing data suggests summer is no longer peak season at Walt Disney World
• A breakdown of how demand has shifted from summer to fall travel, especially October
• Updates on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishments and new cave effects
• Casting and timing details for the upcoming Bluey experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge timeline expansion, adding characters from across all Star Wars eras

FEATURE
• The full history of the Sword in the Stone ceremony, from Disneyland in 1983 to parks around the globe
• Why Imagineers were obsessed with The Sword in the Stone long before the ceremony debuted
• How budget cuts slowly transformed a full-scale show into today’s simpler experience
• The true story of the guest who actually pulled the sword completely out of the stone

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

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
This episode of Disney Dish is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com, powered by our friends at DVC Rental Store. Save $50 or more per person on select multi-day Walt Disney World tickets and take the stress out of planning your next vacation. Visit UnlockedMagic.com for details.

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

This week on Disney Dish, Jim Hill is joined by mind reader and showman Chris Cox, who steps in for Len Testa and immediately finds himself in the middle of some very Disney-sized mishaps. From a runaway Indiana Jones boulder at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the surprisingly fragile roof of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the conversation explores what happens when iconic park moments go just a little too far. Along the way, Jim and Chris dig into forgotten ceremonies, cutback entertainment, and the Imagineering decisions that quietly shaped Disneyland over the decades.

NEWS
• A 400-pound boulder goes off track during a performance of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and what that means for show safety going forward
• The temporary removal of the iconic boulder scene and why Disney is famously cautious after incidents like this
• The Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk cuts back to a three-night schedule and what that signals about nightlife at the resort
• Listener mail on working New Year’s Eve at Disney parks and why January 1 might secretly be the best day to visit

FEATURE
• The long and surprisingly complicated history of the Sword in the Stone ceremony and how it really worked behind the scenes
• How Imagineer Kim Irvine subtly transformed Sleeping Beauty Castle over four decades without sparking guest outrage
• Why holiday overlays and anniversary bling eventually caused serious structural damage to the castle roof
• The 60th anniversary decorations that led to a six-figure repair and a full castle roof replacement

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Chris Cox - IG: @magiccox | X: @bigcox | Website: magiccox.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

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

Welcome to the first Disney Dish of the new year, where Jim Hill and Len Testa kick things off with news, listener questions, and a deep dive into Disney history and tech. This week, a newly published Disney patent sparks speculation about how the upcoming Encanto attraction may work, while Jim launches into a fascinating (and surprisingly hands-on) story about how Disney maintains, repairs, and periodically reinvents its iconic theme park castles. Along the way, there are transportation woes, glittering greenhouses, and more than a few once-in-a-lifetime Disney moments.

NEWS
• Disney reveals Buddy, a new helper character coming to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin when it reopens in 2026
• A newly filed Disney patent hints at holographic characters, with strong evidence pointing toward use in the upcoming Encanto ride
• Imagineering files a new construction permit for the Haunted Mansion, likely focused on interior work
• Updates on Glittering Greenhouses at EPCOT and extended holiday decorations at Disneyland
• Changes to Disneyland perks, including the end of Early Entry and the rollout of a new California resident ticket deal

FEATURE
• Why Disney castles require constant repainting, roof repairs, and drainage fixes
• The overlooked engineering challenges of maintaining structures built for 1950s deadlines, not 21st-century weather
• How Imagineer Kim Irvine spent decades refining Sleeping Beauty Castle’s look, color palette, and functionality
• The surprising amount of artistry that goes into making castle “bricks” look authentically imperfect

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

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com. Planning a Walt Disney World getaway? Our friends at Unlocked Magic offer discounted theme park tickets, including savings of $50 or more per person on four-day tickets. Learn more at UnlockedMagic.com.

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