The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into Disney’s newly released Monstropolis concept art, Lakeshore Lodge details, a new Kilimanjaro Safaris patent, and some revealing Disney vacation-planning surveys. They also tackle listener questions about Haunted Mansion plumbing, Fantasmic crowds, pricing psychology, and the upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie set at Walt Disney World. Then Jim begins the story of Disney Vacation Club’s long road to Disneyland, including abandoned plans for resorts in Colorado, Times Square, and Newport Beach - and why Disneyland’s Discovery Tower might hint at the future of Tomorrowland.

NEWS• New Monstropolis concept art offers a closer look at the Globe Theater, Harryhausen’s, and what may be a new 3D Monsters, Inc. attraction.• Disney reveals additional Lakeshore Lodge artwork, including its expansive lobby and the colorful Branch and Bush Lounge.• Disneyland tests a grab-and-go approach at Rancho del Zocalo.• New Disney surveys may reveal how guest preferences could shape AI-powered vacation planning.• A Disney patent explores notifying guests when animals are especially active on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

FEATURE• Jim traces Disney Vacation Club from Old Key West to the company’s early plans for resorts far beyond Walt Disney World.• Disney once considered major DVC properties in Colorado, Times Square, and Newport Beach before changing course in the 1990s.• The disappointing early response to Vero Beach and Hilton Head helped push Disney toward adding more vacation-club inventory at its theme park resorts.• Could Disneyland Hotel’s Discovery Tower be a clue to a future “Discoveryland” reimagining of Tomorrowland?

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/

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

PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSORPlanning a Walt Disney World vacation? Get started with BeOurGuestVacations.com.

Jim and Len explore new Disney parks developments before tracing the surprising, decades-long path that finally brought Disney Vacation Club to Disneyland.

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

Disney surveys are asking increasingly pointed questions about discounts, trip costs, and what actually gets guests to book, while Disneyland history takes center stage with the story of Walt Disney’s never-built Lilliputian Land. Len Testa and Jim Hill also cover changes at Expedition Everest, Haunted Mansion construction, Oogie Boogie Bash availability, and rumors about Darkmoor’s next attraction at Epic Universe. Then Jim traces how Walt’s fascination with miniatures, model trains, and mechanical figures helped shape an unrealized Disneyland land - and eventually Storybook Land.

NEWS

• New Disney surveys dig into whether resort discounts actually persuade guests to book, stay longer, or change hotels.

• Expedition Everest replaces its single rider line with an odds-and-evens loading system designed to improve capacity.

• Walt Disney Imagineering files a Haunted Mansion construction permit as work prepares the area for future Magic Kingdom expansion.

• Oogie Boogie Bash tickets remain available at Disneyland while Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sells out at Walt Disney World.

• Rumors point toward a Bride of Frankenstein indoor coaster as a possible future expansion for Darkmoor at Epic Universe.

FEATURE

• Jim explores Walt Disney’s original plans for Lilliputian Land, a miniature world once envisioned between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

• Walt’s backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad and his fascination with miniature Americana helped inspire the proposed land.

• Project Little Man revealed the technical challenges of building tiny mechanical performers and helped push Disney toward full-sized Audio-Animatronics.

• One piece of the Lilliputian Land concept survived, evolving from the opening-day Canal Boats of the World into Disneyland’s Storybook Land Canal Boats.

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

Planning your next Disney vacation? Visit BeOurGuestVacations.com to get started.

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 cover the latest Walt Disney World news, from a Toy Story 5 overlay at Hollywood Studios and shifting timelines for Tropical Americas to Disney’s experiments with themed cruises and DVC owner surveys. They also answer listener questions about Moana’s missing ride presence, Coral Reef surprises, and annual pass payment plans for out-of-state DVC members. Then Jim digs into the surprising history of the Walt Disney Transportation Company, when Disney seriously considered selling PeopleMover technology to airports, shopping centers, and planned communities around the world.

NEWS

• Alien Swirling Saucers gets a Toy Story 5-inspired overlay, complete with new music.

• The Magic of Disney Animation settles into limited daytime hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

• Disney quietly removes the 2027 date from its Tropical Americas project page as major domestic attraction openings appear to shift toward 2028.

• Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show remains closed, with work expected to accelerate after Halloween Horror Nights.

• New DVC and Disney Cruise Line surveys explore member finances, contract sales, and just how deeply guests want themed cruises to go.

FEATURE

• Jim traces the origins of the Walt Disney Transportation Company and Disney’s effort to commercialize its theme park transportation technology.

• The Magic Kingdom’s PeopleMover was envisioned as a working showroom for potential clients building airports, shopping centers, and communities.

• Disney once planned an extensive transportation network linking the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village with nearby development.

• Houston Intercontinental Airport became the rare real-world customer, installing a Disney-designed PeopleMover system that has operated for decades.

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. Whether your team is already struggling through football season or you simply need a Walt Disney World getaway to look forward to, Be Our Guest Vacations can help plan the trip.

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 back with Disney news, listener questions, and the conclusion of Jim’s history of Disney family suites. They check out the latest Walt Disney World updates, from Magic of Disney Animation previews and EPCOT festival dates to Jollywood Nights demand and new vacation discounts. Then Jim traces how a stalled Pop Century expansion, the success of Nickelodeon Family Suites, and Disney’s experiments at All-Star Music ultimately led to Art of Animation. Plus, the guys look at Disney Cruise Line’s intriguing adults-only survey and wonder what an expanded Skyliner network might have looked like.

NEWS

• Magic of Disney Animation previews reveal Olaf Draws, Off the Page, Once Upon a Studio Theater, and the colorful Drawn to Wonderland play area.

• EPCOT sets dates for Festival of the Arts and Flower & Garden while Coral Reef prepares to reopen ahead of the holiday season.

• Strong Jollywood Nights sales could point toward an even larger role for the after-hours event in future holiday seasons.

• Universal Orlando rolls out an aggressive Florida resident ticket offer covering Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe.

• Disney Cruise Line surveys guests about adults-only sailings, while dozens of upcoming cruises receive special offers and discounted fares.

FEATURE

• Jim finishes the story of Disney’s family suites, beginning with Pop Century’s ambitious original plans and the unfinished Legendary Years section.

• The surprising success of Nickelodeon Family Suites helped convince Disney that larger family accommodations could be a major draw.

• All-Star Music became Disney’s testing ground before the company transformed Pop Century’s abandoned expansion into Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

• Jim explains how Art of Animation’s opening was strategically paired with New Fantasyland - and how the Skyliner later transformed the appeal of Disney’s value and moderate resorts.

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

The Disney Dish News is sponsored by BeOurGuestVacations.com. If the back-to-school rush has already worn you out, the team can help you plan some much-needed rest and relaxation at Walt Disney World.

Our friends at DVCRentalStore.com can also help you explore Disney Vacation Club rental options for your next stay.

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 the latest Disney parks news before tracing how Epcot’s humble festival food booths evolved into permanent Global Marketplaces with open kitchens. TouringPlans researchers Amy Schinner and Christina Harrison join the show to talk Food & Wine, while Disney surveys hint at possible themed cruises, Halloween party strategy, and how much guests trust Disney’s planning tools. Plus, listener questions cover Tomorrowland, attraction relocations, parking garages, underwater pool music, and one extremely ambitious Carousel of Progress Halloween overlay.

NEWS

• Lakeshore Lodge gets a July 1, 2027 opening date, while Tiana’s Bayou Adventure prepares for its first major refurbishment.

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is set for an extensive refurbishment, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is preparing to close at Disney Springs.

• Disneyland breaks ground on its new eastern parking and transportation hub as Universal prepares to open Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift.

• Disney Cruise Line is returning to New York in 2027, while a new survey tests guest interest in themed Disney cruises.

• Amy Schinner and Christina Harrison join Len and Jim for a look at this year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

FEATURE

• Jim traces the roots of EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival back to the Walt Disney World Village Wine Festival and its move to EPCOT in 1996.

• The California Grill’s successful open-kitchen concept helped inspire a new approach to festival food booths around World Showcase.

• Permanent gas, electrical, and water connections transformed temporary booths into the more elaborate Global Marketplace locations guests know today.

• With EPCOT operating festivals through much of the year, Disney continues converting temporary food locations into permanent festival infrastructure.

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

GUEST

• Amy Schinner - TouringPlans researcher

• Christina Harrison - TouringPlans researcher

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @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 from our friends at DVCRentalStore.com. Whether you’re planning Disney or Universal, Be Our Guest Vacations can help make the trip easier for the whole family.

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