The Animation Courtyard Has a Florida-Sized Footnote (Ep. 102)

About this episode

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey discuss Disney's latest merchandise experiences and the legacy of the Florida animation team.

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey dig into Disney’s latest wave of merch-driven experiences, from a London pop-up built around Disney UU collectibles to Trader Sam’s 15th anniversary tiki mug celebration. They also track the growing Toy Story 5 promotional push, including Papa John’s Pizza Planet packaging, movie theater collectibles, and Grogu’s new blue Nilla Nummies. Then Jim turns to Disney’s newly reimagined Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios and asks whether Disney will properly honor the Florida animation team that helped create Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, and more. NEWS • Disney tests another ticketed-style merch experience with a Disney UU collectible pop-up in London. • Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar celebrates 15 years with a new anniversary mug and expanded food offerings. • Papa John’s rolls out Pizza Planet boxes and Toy Story 5 personal pan pizzas tied to the film’s release. • AMC, Cinemark, and Regal prepare exclusive Toy Story 5 popcorn buckets, cups, blankets, and collectible tie-ins. • Grogu gets his own blue Nilla Nummies cookies as Mandalorian and Grogu merch keeps expanding. FEATURE • Jim looks at the newly opened Animation Courtyard at Disney’s…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Hill

Guest: Lauren Hersey

Topics covered

• Disney merchandise
• Toy Story 5
• Animation Courtyard
• Disney history
• Florida animation team

Keywords

• Disney
• merchandise
• Toy Story 5
• Animation Courtyard
• Florida animation team
• Trader Sam's
• Papa John's
• Grogu

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disney, Papa John’s, AMC, Cinemark, Regal

Products: Nilla Nummies

Books & works: Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear

Places: London, Hollywood Studios

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
• Park Hoppers vs. Lightning Lane: The Disneyland Dilemma (Ep. 20) · June 3, 2026 · 21 min
• Toy Story 5 Brings Jessie Full Circle (Ep. 361) · June 2, 2026 · 44 min