The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill and Len Testa share Walt Disney World road and dining updates, a runDisney survey, and listener questions before taking a ride through the early history of Disneyland’s Skyway. Jim explains how Walt acquired a used aerial ropeway and what happened when its manufacturer saw it operating in Anaheim. NEWS New roundabouts near the Grand Floridian and the World Drive North project. The Grand Floridian Cafe reopens with new menu items. Universal’s Earl the Squirrel heads to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A runDisney survey and listener questions. FEATURE How a tight expansion budget led Walt Disney to buy used attractions for Disneyland. The European origins of the Skyway and its 1956 opening. The manufacturer’s concerns about the original installation and the changes that followed. How the Skyway’s early buckets evolved and what Jim and Len will explore next. For this episode’s full show notes, click here. HOSTS Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com FOLLOW Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes at patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR The Disney Dish news is sponsored by Be Our Guest Vacations, from our friends at DVC Rental Store. 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

Jim Hill and Len Testa kick off No Negative November with an expanded airport luggage service at Walt Disney World, fresh theme park attendance estimates, and a nighttime visit to Epic Universe. Listener questions cover park shade, a dream Food & Wine Festival tour, and Mickey Mouse's public-domain era. Then Jim traces the Disney Wilderness Preserve from cattle ranch to conservation success story, explaining how saving Florida wetlands also helped Disney World keep building. NEWS Airport luggage transfers expand to Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. Universal discusses Epic Universe's capacity and ride reliability, while Jim and Len share their after-dark impressions. The 2025 theme park attendance estimates put Epic Universe's opening year into context. Listener questions explore more trees in the parks and a possible VIP Food & Wine Festival experience. Mickey Mouse's approaching centennial sparks a discussion of public-domain characters and animation history. FEATURE The Celebration-era controversy behind Disney's purchase of Walker Ranch and the creation of the Wilderness Preserve. How wetlands mitigation connects conservation efforts with development at Walt Disney World. The long restoration of former cattle land and the red-cockaded woodpeckers that helped reshape EPCOT's plans. How airport expansion, later land purchases, and a growing conservation corridor fit into the preserve's story. For this episode’s full show notes, click here.View transcript here. HOSTS Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com FOLLOW Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR The Disney Dish news is sponsored by Be Our Guest Vacations, from our friends at DVC Rental Store. Visit Be Our Guest Vacations for help planning your 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/ Jim Hill and Len Testa trace the Disney Wilderness Preserve's surprising development history, plus Epic Universe attendance and Disney World luggage service news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill look back at Halloween Hysteria, the Magic Kingdom’s 1979 party that brought the Police to the park. Jim traces Disney’s early Halloween celebrations before following Sting from that concert to the troubled production of Kingdom of the Sun. Plus, new resort room-request options, a Hollywood Studios survey with a confusing sense of direction, and a listener’s successful return with 1986 Disney tickets. NEWS • Disney updates My Disney Experience room requests, including new preferences and an early-check-in option that can override them. • Coronado Springs gets convention-center concept art, while Jim shares a memorable example of the resort’s service. • A Hollywood Studios survey asks about the park’s “east side,” prompting a look at its layout and possible future expansion. • Listeners weigh in on Disney Cruise Line survey pressure and share how decades-old park tickets found a new use. • Could Universal’s Shrek plans include a dark ride, and when will Skull Island’s Kong animatronic return? FEATURE • From Disneyland’s Parade of Pumpkins to free Haunted Mansion rides, Disney’s earliest Halloween events looked very different. • How the Magic Kingdom’s World Series of Entertainment brought Dr. Hook, Sea Level, and the Police to Halloween Hysteria. • Why Disney recruited Sting for Kingdom of the Sun, and how the project changed on its way to becoming The Emperor’s New Groove. • Jim discusses The Sweatbox and its unusually candid look at a Disney animated film in transition. HOSTS • Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social - Instagram: @len.testa - touringplans.com • Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR The Disney Dish news is sponsored by Be Our Guest Vacations, from our friends at DVC Rental Store. Plan a fall Orlando getaway with Be Our Guest Vacations. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill wrap up their Disneyland DVC history with a look at how Aulani’s ambitious price tag shaped the hotel projects that followed. Jim connects Disney’s Hawaiian resort to an unbuilt New Hampshire lodge, a canceled Disneyland luxury hotel, and the eventual Discovery Tower. They also discuss new playground plans, Disneyland ticket increases, and what Disney’s surveys might reveal about future attractions. Listener ideas offer fresh possibilities for EPCOT dining and a House of Mouse restaurant. NEWS • New playground plans at Hollywood Studios raise a practical question: what can younger children do while the rest of the family rides?• Len compares Disneyland’s latest ticket increases with Walt Disney World’s and asks whether Southern California is reaching a price ceiling.• The hosts discuss Pokémon possibilities at Universal, Disney Imagination’s planned debut in Japan, and a time-travel television tangent.• Disney Cruise Line survey pressure and an Avatar question prompt a discussion about how guest feedback influences decisions.• Listener proposals pair EPCOT dining with Lightning Lane perks and imagine a House of Mouse makeover for Hollywood Studios dining. FEATURE • The Grand Californian expansion brings Disney Vacation Club to the West Coast, setting the stage for a much bigger Hawaiian investment.• Jim explains how Aulani’s costs affected other resort ambitions, including Disney’s proposed White Mountain Lodge in New Hampshire.• A planned Disneyland luxury hotel runs into sightline concerns and an Anaheim tax-rebate dispute before its cancellation.• The story concludes with the smaller Disneyland Hotel DVC tower, its mix of accommodations, and construction through the pandemic. For this episode’s full show notes, click here.HOSTS • Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews• YouTube: @jimhillmedia• TikTok: @jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR Leave the holiday decorating to Disney and enjoy the lights from Main Street. Our friends at Be Our Guest Vacations can help plan your Walt Disney World holiday trip. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Len Testa and Jim Hill trace Aulani’s impact on Disneyland’s hotel plans, plus park playgrounds, ticket prices, and Disney guest surveys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack Disney’s latest price increases, from annual passes and tickets to the quick-service meals taking a bigger bite out of vacation budgets. They also check out Monstropolis menu reveals, holiday ride soundtracks, and a Bluey survey that may hint at Animal Kingdom’s plans for next summer. Then Jim continues the history of Disneyland’s DVC resorts with the Grand Californian, the architect who once worked in its parking lot, and the soundproofing that solved one problem only to create another. NEWS• Disney’s annual-pass and ticket increases tell a different story from the sharper jumps in quick-service food prices.• Monstropolis previews eyeball fish cakes, ramen, and the mysterious Blort soda.• Holiday music is coming to Guardians of the Galaxy, Alien Swirling Saucers, and the Muppets’ ‘Obligatory Holiday Overlay.’• A Bluey guest survey prompts a discussion of Animal Kingdom’s summer 2027 entertainment plans.• Len shares a report from Universal Nights at Epic Universe, including short waits and included snacks. FEATURE• Jim remembers architect Peter Dominick, whose Disney resorts include Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Grand Californian.• The unbuilt Cypress Point Lodge helps explain the site and history of Wilderness Lodge.• Building the Grand Californian meant balancing park views, Downtown Disney, the monorail, and resort amenities.• Coaster screams led to extra soundproofing for the Grand Californian’s villas, followed by an inventive solution for guests who could see World of Color but couldn’t hear it. For this episode’s full show notes, click here.View transcript 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/ SUPPORTSupport the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSORPlanning a Walt Disney World vacation? Get started with Be Our Guest Vacations. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Jim and Len explore the Grand Californian’s design challenges, its DVC villas, and Disney’s latest price increases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices