The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

This week’s Disney Dish mixes a packed Walt Disney World news round-up with a deeply nostalgic trip through one of Disney-MGM Studios’ most beloved lost attractions. Jim and Len break down a wave of reopening dates, new discount strategy, annual passholder survey oddities, and a fresh round of listener questions before returning to Jim’s ongoing history of The Great Movie Ride. The main story this time shifts backstage, focusing on the cast members, timing, choreography, and split-second performance work that made the attraction feel so alive. It is part park operations deep dive, part oral history, and pure Disney nerd catnip.

NEWS

• Walt Disney World rolls out a cluster of reopening dates, including Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin on April 8, Soarin’ Around America and Bluey at Animal Kingdom on May 26, plus more returning offerings later this summer.

• Disney also unveils new summer and fall offers, including free dining and a 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket, signaling a coordinated push to fill rooms after the spring reopening window.

• Universal Studios Hollywood begins ride cycling Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, offering a first look at the drifting ride vehicle tech expected to influence the Orlando version.

• Disney names Thomas Mazloum chairman of Disney Experiences, setting off a broader leadership reshuffle across Disneyland, Parks International, and Consumer Products.

• A new annual passholder survey raises eyebrows by spotlighting Zootopia-themed offerings at Animal Kingdom, fueling more speculation about where Disney may lean with that IP in the future.

FEATURE

• Jim continues the history of The Great Movie Ride by focusing on the cast members who brought the attraction to life, from auditioning tour guides to the performers who earned the right to play the gangster and bank robber.

• The episode explores the ride’s hidden operational complexity, including synchronized tram timing, live performance beats, emergency exits, and the backstage choreography required to make two different versions of the attraction work at once.

• Jim also shares stories about effects changes, guest complaints, on-the-job mishaps, and the strong sense of community that kept former cast members emotionally attached to the attraction long after its 2017 closure.

• The result is a vivid look at why The Great Movie Ride was not just a ride system and a script, but a live performance machine that depended on timing, talent, and nerves.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

View transcript here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com

• Len Testa - Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews

• Instagram: JimHillMedia

• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

Our friends at Unlocked Magic have discounted theme park tickets starting at just one day of admission, with prices better than Disney’s. Get your Walt Disney World tickets now and see all the new and returning offerings opening soon.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
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Jim Hill and Len Testa discuss Villains Land expansion permits, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster’s refurbishment timeline, and how negotiations over the Chinese Theatre helped shape Disney’s use of Carthay Circle as a park icon. Plus, listener questions, MuppetVision’s future on Apple Vision Pro, and a standout cheesecake discovery at Walt Disney World. 

NEWS

• Updated permits show Villains Land attractions expanding, with both the dark ride and coaster buildings increasing in size.

• Infrastructure work for Piston Peak and Villains Land is currently scheduled to be completed by December 2027.

• Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has closed for refurbishment, with a possible Memorial Day reopening target.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s refurbishment permit has been extended through August 31, 2026.

• Brian Henson says MuppetVision 3D is coming to Apple Vision Pro with selectable viewing seats.

• Len shares a rave review of the brulée Basque cheesecake at Bourbon Steak in the Walt Disney World Dolphin.

FEATURE

• Jim continues the history of The Great Movie Ride and Disney’s negotiations with theater owner Tedd Mann.

• The story explains why Disney insisted on calling the building simply the Chinese Theatre.

• Jim also details how the Carthay Circle Theatre eventually became the icon of Disney California Adventure.

• Early plans for the building included a ride, stage show, film attraction, and museum before it became a restaurant.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: https://www.instagram.com/JimHillMedia | X: https://twitter.com/JimHillMedia | Website: https://JimHillMedia.com

• Len Testa - IG: https://www.instagram.com/len.testa | Website: https://touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JimHillMedia• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@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 our friends at Unlocked Magic. Looking for discounted Walt Disney World theme park tickets - including hard-to-find 1- and 2-day options? Head to unlockedmagic.com to find deals that can beat Disney’s direct pricing.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jim and Len explore how the most famous movie palace in Hollywood became the centerpiece of Disney’s Hollywood Studios… and somehow never its official icon. Along the way, Olaf teaches drawing lessons (to himself), Millennium Falcon gets a name that even Disney couldn’t commit to, Butterbeer achieves new levels of sugar density, Disneyland Paris flirts with character hotel makeovers, and Disney Cruise Line tries to figure out exactly how much of a discount it takes to get you off the couch.

NEWS

• Olaf hosts a new drawing experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including a wonderfully meta segment where Olaf learns to draw Olaf.

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run briefly adds “A New Mission” to its name before Disney quietly rethinks the branding.

• Universal’s Butterbeer Season returns with waffles, cream puffs, and what your cardiologist calls “concerns.”

• Joe Rohde releases “Floating Mountains,” blending travel stories and creative philosophy.

• Disneyland Paris surveys suggest Newport Bay Club rooms may soon feature aquatic Disney IP overlays.

• A Disney Cruise Line survey reveals how many clicks it takes before 30 percent off starts sounding persuasive.

FEATURE

The History of The Great Movie Ride – Part 2

• Why the Chinese Theatre replica sits in icon position but never officially became the park’s symbol.

• How Sid Grauman turned an earthquake, a tent, and a projector into a Hollywood empire.

• Walt Disney’s long affection for the Chinese Theatre, from Flowers and Trees to the Mary Poppins premiere.

• The subtle design tweaks that made Florida’s version taller, shinier, and occasionally slippery.

• How The Great Movie Ride building carried more history than most guests ever realized.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.⁠

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. Save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets at prices better than gate rates by visiting UnlockedMagic.com.

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

Len reports on a behind-the-scenes rethink of Magic Kingdom’s upcoming Villains Land, with Imagineering now under pressure to deliver not just “like” but “love.” The guys also touch on Epic Universe’s revenue strategy, Universal’s aggressive 2026 ticket bundles, and what a Mayan archaeology conference might reveal about the future of Indiana Jones at Animal Kingdom.

NEWS• Magic Kingdom reverses the second Disney Starlight parade route to ease Main Street exits.• Universal debuts a 6- or 7-day ticket with Epic Universe access and a $300 hotel dining credit.• Epic Universe updates Early Park Admission again, adding Battle at the Ministry and more Dragon experiences.• Universal taps The Boring Company for a potential next-gen transportation system.• “Project Atlas” is believed to be Shanghai Disneyland’s second gate.• Villains Land concepts revisited post-holidays, with Imagineering asked to go bigger and bolder.• The indoor dark ride is now positioned as the long-term Lightning Lane Single Pass anchor.• Restaurant design shaped by fixed-price dining and per-cap revenue goals.• Mayan mythology themes - bats, jaguars, owls - surface at an archaeology conference tied to Indy research.

FEATURE• The 1992 debut of Disney’s Hotel New York at Euro Disneyland and Michael Eisner’s “architecture patron” era.• How architect Michael Graves’ postmodern, Art Deco-inspired design celebrated early 20th-century Manhattan.• Why the 561-room hotel closed in 2019 for a full reinvention into Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel.• Inside the 2021 reopening: 350+ Marvel artworks, exclusive commissioned pieces, and Tony Stark’s wall of armor.• The new coffee table book, Disney Hotel New York: The Complete Art Collection, and why it finally makes every piece viewable.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.com

FOLLOW• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia

PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSORThe Disney Dish is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com from our friends at DVCRentalStore.com. Save on Walt Disney World theme park tickets - often below Disney’s direct pricing - and get expert help planning your next trip. Visit UnlockedMagic.com to start planning today.

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 and Len dig into multimodal transportation news, Epic Universe’s shifting early entry lineup, and a possible successor to Josh D’Amaro before launching a new series on the history of The Great Movie Ride - including how a live performer in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion helped inspire one of Disney-MGM Studios’ most ambitious opening-day attractions.

NEWS
• Universal selects The Boring Company to develop a resort-wide transportation system connecting parks and hotels
• Epic Universe quietly reshuffles early park admission offerings mid-month
• Natasha Rafalski emerges as a potential future leader of Disney Experiences
• Garden Rocks concert lineup shifts major acts to Friday through Monday dates
• Walt Disney World files permits tied to updates at Carousel of Progress

FEATURE
• How a live “Knight” performer inside Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1985 influenced Michael Eisner
• The Main Street Cinema’s Phantom of the Opera stunt and its connection to Universal Studios’ early tram tour
• The risks and guest reactions that ended the Haunted Mansion live-performer experiment
• The origins of The Great Movie Ride’s ambitious blend of live actors and animatronics

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. Save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets at UnlockedMagic.com.

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