About this episode

This episode discusses Disneyland's ticket pricing, dining trends at Walt Disney World, and the history of Turtle Talk with Crush amidst Disney and Pixar's evolving relationship.

Disneyland’s sold-out evening tickets, Walt Disney World dining trends, and a possible Space Mountain overhaul lead off this week’s Disney Dish. Len and Jim also answer listener questions about Cars Road Trip and Victoria & Albert’s before returning to the history of Imagineering’s Living Character Initiative. In the main feature, Jim explains how Turtle Talk with Crush emerged amid the deteriorating relationship between Michael Eisner, Steve Jobs, and Pixar. NEWS • Why Disneyland’s $59 evening tickets may owe their existence to Bluey and stroller traffic. • What the Coral Reef Restaurant’s move to seasonal operations could reveal about Lightning Lane spending and declining demand for table-service dining. • How a major Space Mountain refurbishment could improve reliability, capacity, and Tomorrowland operations. • Universal Studios Florida moves up the closing date for Fast & Furious - Supercharged. • Could Universal retain The Simpsons, or might Back to the Future eventually replace Springfield? FEATURE • How Finding Nemo became Pixar’s biggest hit despite Michael Eisner’s doubts about the film. • Why Steve Jobs held Cars back as leverage during Disney and Pixar’s contract…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Hill

Guest: Len

Topics covered

• Disneyland ticket pricing
• Walt Disney World dining trends
• Space Mountain refurbishment
• Imagineering history
• Pixar and Disney relationship

Keywords

• Disneyland
• Walt Disney World
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Pixar
• Space Mountain
• dining trends
• Imagineering
• Finding Nemo
• Cars

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Pixar, Universal Studios Florida, Circle 7 Animation

Books & works: Finding Nemo, Cars, Turtle Talk with Crush, Stitch’s Great Escape

Places: Tomorrowland

More episodes of The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

• How Finding Nemo Taught Disney Characters to Talk (Ep. 592) · July 13, 2026 · 60 min
• Luxo Jr. Takes a Rain Check at Pixar Place (Ep. 591) · July 6, 2026 · 59 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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