The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

The Disney Dish Podcast with Jim Hill and Len Testa Dive into the fascinating world of Disney with theme park historian Jim Hill and Len Testa as they uncover the stories behind the magic. From breaking news and in-depth analyses to quirky historical tidbits and behind-the-scenes secrets, The Disney Dish offers a unique blend of humor, expertise, and insider knowledge. Whether you're a die-hard Disney fan, a theme park aficionado, or just curious about the history and future of Disney parks and resorts, this podcast has something for everyone. What to Expect: Breaking Disney News: Stay up to date on the latest happenings at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney's global parks. Historical Deep Dives: Learn how classic attractions were created, the stories behind Disney's biggest decisions, and the Imagineering ingenuity that brought it all to life. Listener Q&A: Get answers to your burning questions about the parks, attractions, and Disney culture. Exclusive Insights: Gain access to insider details and stories you won’t find anywhere else. Fun & Humor: Enjoy the wit and camaraderie of two Disney enthusiasts who know how to make even the most technical details entertaining. With decades of combined experience and an unmatched passion for all things Disney, Jim and Len guide you through the parks, the stories, and the magic in a way only they can. Your journey to the happiest podcast on earth starts here. Subscribe today!

Episodes

October 26, 2026 • 47 mins
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 Disne...
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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 attr...
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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 ...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into Disney’s newly released Monstropolis concept art, Lakeshore Lodge details, a new Kilimanjaro Safaris patent, and some revealing Disney vacation-planning surveys. They also tackle listener questions about Haunted Mansion plumbing, Fantasmic crowds, pricing psychology, and the upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie set at Walt Disney World. Then Jim begins the story of Disney Vacation Club’s lon...
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Disney surveys are asking increasingly pointed questions about discounts, trip costs, and what actually gets guests to book, while Disneyland history takes center stage with the story of Walt Disney’s never-built Lilliputian Land. Len Testa and Jim Hill also cover changes at Expedition Everest, Haunted Mansion construction, Oogie Boogie Bash availability, and rumors about Darkmoor’s next attraction at Epic Universe. The...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill cover the latest Walt Disney World news, from a Toy Story 5 overlay at Hollywood Studios and shifting timelines for Tropical Americas to Disney’s experiments with themed cruises and DVC owner surveys. They also answer listener questions about Moana’s missing ride presence, Coral Reef surprises, and annual pass payment plans for out-of-state DVC members. Then Jim digs into the surprising history of...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill are back with Disney news, listener questions, and the conclusion of Jim’s history of Disney family suites. They check out the latest Walt Disney World updates, from Magic of Disney Animation previews and EPCOT festival dates to Jollywood Nights demand and new vacation discounts. Then Jim traces how a stalled Pop Century expansion, the success of Nickelodeon Family Suites, and Disney’s experiments...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into the latest Disney parks news before tracing how Epcot’s humble festival food booths evolved into permanent Global Marketplaces with open kitchens. TouringPlans researchers Amy Schinner and Christina Harrison join the show to talk Food & Wine, while Disney surveys hint at possible themed cruises, Halloween party strategy, and how much guests trust Disney’s planning tools. Plus, listene...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into the long road that eventually led Disney to build Art of Animation Resort, from an abandoned Toontown-inspired family suites hotel near the Contemporary to the unfinished half of Pop Century. Along the way, they explore how the success of Nickelodeon’s family-suite hotel caught Disney’s attention, why Bob Iger brought Steve Jobs into the evaluation process, and how Finding Nemo, Cars, The...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack a packed slate of D23 parks announcements, from Disneyland’s newly promised Tomorrowland overhaul to major additions coming to Walt Disney World. They dig into Tropical Americas, Piston Peak, Villains Land, Monstropolis, Figment and Dreamfinder’s return to EPCOT, and Disney’s surprising promise to finally address Expedition Everest’s Yeti. Then Jim looks back at the history of D...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill are on the ground in Anaheim for D23, where they dig into the week's Disney news before exploring how Anaheim evolved from vineyards and citrus groves into the home of Disneyland. Along the way, they examine a Disney patent that could create the illusion of elevation changes on future attractions, a proposed Spaceship Earth television series, and Bob Chapek's upcoming book. Then Jim traces the fascinating his...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into Disney’s latest theme park attendance numbers, new Lakeshore Lodge concept art, Disneyland’s possible return to an old favorite, and some surprisingly revealing guest surveys. Listener questions cover everything from GLP-1 drugs and Disney dining to the possible return of Tables in Wonderland and new retail ideas for Disney Springs. Then Jim begins the history of Disney’s family sui...
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Jim Hill and guest co-host Drew Taylor explore the newly updated version of “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including fresh dialogue designed to make the show’s storyline easier to follow. They also examine the water-pressure failure that temporarily disrupted operations across Disneyland and Anaheim, along with Disney’s long history of conserving and recycling water inside its...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill examine a revealing new Disney survey asking whether guests trust DisneyWorld.com, whether the site acts in their best interest, and whether it should be considered the definitive source for vacation planning. They also discuss Disney’s questions about Epic Universe, softer attendance and dining demand, and the growing complexity of planning a theme park vacation. Then Jim continues the history of Imagi...
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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 rel...
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Disneyland’s bargain evening tickets disappear, Universal Orlando rolls out an unusually affordable Florida resident pass, and Epic Universe lights up the night with Celestial Goodnight. Len and Jim also examine revealing Disney and Universal guest surveys, a fog-screen patent that may be connected to Tropical Americas, and some wonderfully strange theme park history. Then Jim continues the story of Disney’s Living Char...
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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&...
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Len Testa and Jim Hill start with snow shovels, snapping turtles, and New Hampshire’s ongoing audition for “America’s Australia,” then move into a packed Disney Dish. This week, they cover Disney’s holiday party calendar, the Grand Floridian gingerbread house retirement, tightening resort-access rules, the BoardWalk’s new Hurley Burley lounge, Disneyland’s Celebrate Soulfully Yardfest, and ...
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This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill cover a packed Disney Dish news lineup, from Disney’s “virtual reservations” patent to new Disney Springs transportation checks, rare two-day ticket discounts, and Disneyland Autopia’s electric future. They also dig into listener questions about steak pricing, Jersey Week crowds, and whether Disney’s new AI trip-planning tools could reshape vacation booking. Then Jim t...
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Jim Hill and Len Testa start with Monstropolis, Disney park capacity, Universal patents, and the sort of tequila event that makes you check whether your Epcot admission is included. Then Jim looks back at Disneyland’s very first Grad Nite, held on June 15, 1961, when 8,500 well-dressed seniors were locked inside the park until 4:30 a.m. Along the way, they cover Life magazine’s lost photo spread, chaperone lounges, forb...
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