About this episode

Len Testa and Jim Hill discuss recent news from Disney parks and delve into the history of Pixar Place and Luxo Jr.

Len Testa and Jim Hill start this week’s Disney Dish with news from Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, and the wider entertainment industry before digging into listener questions and recent theme park patent applications. They discuss Typhoon Lagoon’s upcoming maintenance closure, Disneyland’s unusual evening ticket offer, the new pirate-to-skeleton effect in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Universal’s long-awaited Hellraiser Halloween Horror Nights house. Then Jim continues his history of Disney’s Living Character Initiative with a look at Pixar Place, Toy Story Mania, and the short-lived Luxo Jr. figure that hopped into Hollywood Studios history. NEWS • Typhoon Lagoon is scheduled to close for annual maintenance on September 9, 2026, leaving Blizzard Beach as Walt Disney World’s open water park. • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sees another sold-out date, with Len and Jim looking at why early weekend parties disappear quickly. • Level99 opens at Disney Springs, prompting a discussion about interactive play spaces, Disney Quest, and why Disney IP is not part of the experience. • Disneyland introduces a $59 evening ticket for select summer nights, suggesting…

People in this episode

Hosts: Len Testa, Jim Hill

Topics covered

• Disney news
• theme parks
• entertainment industry
• listener questions
• Disney history
• Halloween events

Keywords

• Disney
• theme parks
• Pixar
• Halloween
• entertainment news
• Luxo Jr.
• Disneyland
• Universal Orlando
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, Disney Springs, Disney

Books & works: Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story Mania, Luxo Jr.

Places: Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Southern California

More episodes of The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

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• How Finding Nemo Taught Disney Characters to Talk (Ep. 592) · July 13, 2026 · 60 min
• When Gingerbread Houses Move Out and Dinosaurs Move In (Ep. 590) · June 29, 2026 · 57 min
• Lucky the Dinosaur, Allegedly (Ep. 589) · June 22, 2026 · 58 min
• The Night Disneyland Locked In 8,500 High School Seniors (Ep. 588) · June 15, 2026 · 1h 5m

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