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 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

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

Len and Jim follow the money, the zoning maps, and at least one imaginary contractor from 79 A.D. to figure out where new Magic Kingdom hotels might go—and whether you’ll one day be able to literally sleep inside Villains Land. Then Jim digs into one of Disneyland’s strangest early attractions: a fully gold-plated “Bathroom of Tomorrow” that proves Walt Disney could, in fact, make plumbing both educational and slightly terrifying. Along the way: after-2pm tickets, summer crowd tea leaves, and why your next Disney vacation might come with a side of afternoon thunderstorms and existential ride downtime. NEWS • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin soft-opens at Magic Kingdom with updated gameplay and improved interactivity • Walt Disney World introduces new after-2pm summer tickets with lower per-hour cost—but higher exposure to Florida’s daily thunderstorm roulette • Summer 2026 discounts (tickets + hotels) hint at softer-than-expected demand and rising travel costs impacting attendance • Deposition reveals Disney explored building one or two hotels near Magic Kingdom—raising big questions about location, zoning, and long-term expansion • Universal quietly moves forward with demolition at Islands of Adventure’s Lost Continent as speculation swirls (Zelda, anyone?) FEATURE • The real story behind Disneyland’s Bathroom of Tomorrow (1956–1960), designed by industrial legend Henry Dreyfuss • Why everything in the exhibit was gold-plated—and why diamonds were, regrettably, ruled out • How Walt Disney’s practical, farm-raised approach to plumbing influenced early park design (and yes, restroom priorities) • The clash between Dreyfuss’s elegant bathroom design and Monsanto’s… “efficient” House of the Future facilities • How Disney parks later became a real-world testing lab for product design—including a Polaroid camera shaped by guests fumbling with popcorn-greased fingers For this episode’s full shownotes click here. View transcript here. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | 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 Unlocked Magic. Get discounted Walt Disney World theme park tickets—often below Disney’s direct pricing—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

Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack a newly discovered Disney patent that may hint at the ride system for Piston Peak, along with updates from Disneyland construction, Disney Cruise Line, and Epic Universe. They also dig into recent survey data revealing how Disney is tracking guest spending and behavior. Then, in the first installment of a new series, Jim explores how Bear in the Big Blue House became a key piece in Disney’s long pursuit of the Muppets and how that history connects directly to Bluey today. NEWS • A newly surfaced Disney patent suggests a possible trackless, free-range ride system for Piston Peak, featuring dynamic terrain elements like logs and geysers • Cast Member previews begin for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin update at Walt Disney World • Disneyland construction continues on the Coco attraction and new parking infrastructure near Harbor Boulevard • Anaheim Transportation Network shutdown could impact 22,000 daily riders, with Garden Grove launching replacement shuttle service • Disney Cruise Line announces the Disney Believe, with speculation about Galveston becoming a future home port FEATURE • The origin story of Bear in the Big Blue House and how it became a breakout hit for Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney block • How Disney used its partnership with the Jim Henson Company to strategically position itself for a future Muppets acquisition • The surprising role of Sesame Street ownership in derailing Disney’s early attempts to buy Henson • Why Disney once considered acquiring Bear in the Big Blue House alone instead of the full Muppets library Show Notes for this episode can be found here. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | 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 The Disney Dish is sponsored by Unlock Magic. Save on Walt Disney World tickets with exclusive discounts 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