100 Episodes In, Still Sneaking Into Universal (Ep. 100)

About this episode

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey celebrate their 100th episode with listener reviews and insights into Universal's latest developments.

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey celebrate their 100th episode of the Epic Universal Podcast with listener reviews, a surprise surprisingly heartfelt message from the Broadway cast of Wicked, and a look at the latest developments at Epic Universe. They break down how new facial recognition technology may shape guest flow, explore what annual passes could mean for crowd levels, and recap Universal’s recent CinemaCon reveals. Then Jim delivers a standout story tracing how Walt Disney’s early, unauthorized visits to Universal Studios helped inspire the creation of Disneyland. NEWS• Epic Universe confirms facial recognition will be used to manage land capacity• Ongoing speculation about annual passes and attendance strategy for Epic Universe• Universal previews upcoming films at CinemaCon including Disclosure Day and The Odyssey• Universal Orlando Resort rolls out special Mother’s Day dining experiences FEATURE• The origin story of Herbie Ryman’s iconic Disneyland concept artwork• Walt Disney’s early ambitions as a live-action filmmaker in Hollywood• How Walt secretly explored Universal’s backlot using a fake business card• The influence of Universal Studios’ layout on Disneyland’s design…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jim Hill, Eric Hersey

Topics covered

• Universal Studios
• Disneyland history
• facial recognition technology
• annual passes
• CinemaCon reveals
• Walt Disney
• Epic Universe

Keywords

• Epic Universe
• facial recognition
• annual passes
• CinemaCon
• Walt Disney
• Disneyland
• Universal Studios

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wicked, Epic Universe, Universal Studios, Universal Orlando Resort

Books & works: Disneyland

More episodes of The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

• The Worst Theme Park Clickbait (Ep. 21) · June 11, 2026 · 30 min
• You’ve Got a Land in Me: Toy Story’s Theme Park Journey (Ep. 587) · June 8, 2026 · 1h 19m
• Everything Keeps Catching Fire: Universal’s Backlot Blazes (Ep. 106) · June 5, 2026 · 58 min
• Carousel of Progress Gets an Update as Fans Chase Real Disney Experiences (Ep. 20) · June 4, 2026 · 32 min
• The Animation Courtyard Has a Florida-Sized Footnote (Ep. 102) · June 4, 2026 · 51 min
• Park Hoppers vs. Lightning Lane: The Disneyland Dilemma (Ep. 20) · June 3, 2026 · 21 min