エピソード

  • The $7 Million 3D Gamble That Saved Opening Day at EPCOT (Ep. 564)

    The $7 Million 3D Gamble That Saved Opening Day at EPCOT (Ep. 564)
    2025/12/29
    Jim and Len kick off the final Disney Dish of the year with holiday crowds, sold-out Lightning Lane Premier Passes, and one last lap through Jollywood Nights before pivoting into surveys, listener questions, and some unexpectedly nerdy math. Along the way, they remember a beloved Imagineer, dig into why Disney asks the survey questions it does, and break down the best times to roll the dice on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind if you are chasing that perfect song. Then Jim takes everyone deep into EPCOT history with the strange, expensive, and surprisingly high-stakes story of Magic Journeys, the 3D film that quietly kept opening day from turning into a full-blown disaster. NEWS • Lightning Lane Premier Pass prices hit record highs and still sell out across Walt Disney World during the holiday rush • Jollywood Nights sticks the landing in its later years and may now be Disney World’s most popular hard-ticket holiday event • A remembrance of legendary Imagineer Eddie Sato, including unrealized Mission Space concepts and behind-the-scenes stories • Animal Kingdom survey questions raise eyebrows about shaded seating and what Disney might really be testing FEATURE • How Kodak sponsorships, lost 3D filmmaking knowledge, and a $7 million budget led to Magic Journeys • Why Magic Journeys was one of the only EPCOT opening-day attractions that actually worked as planned • Murray Lerner, improvisation, and the near-panic inside Imagineering as the film fell behind schedule • The experimental reach-and-flinch moments that made Magic Journeys unforgettable and unrepeatable For this episode’s full show notes, click here. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Len Testa - IG: @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 This episode is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com. Start planning your 2026 Disney and Universal vacations with exclusive ticket discounts, including savings of $50 or more per person on four-day Walt Disney World tickets. Tickets link directly to your My Disney Experience account, fast and easy. Visit UnlockedMagic.com to save big. 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
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    49 分
  • Permits, Surveys, and Big Moves as Universal’s Next Era Points to Saudi Arabia (Ep. 83)

    Permits, Surveys, and Big Moves as Universal’s Next Era Points to Saudi Arabia (Ep. 83)
    2025/12/26
    This holiday week episode of the Epic Universal Podcast was recorded on Christmas Eve, which means Jim and Eric are juggling last minute shopping, customer service horror stories, and a surprisingly full slate of Universal news. From attractions closing sooner than expected to permits hinting at big changes in Islands of Adventure, this show looks both at what is ending and what might be coming next. They also zoom way out, from Epic Universe’s nighttime ambitions to the possibility of Universal’s next global park landing in a very hot climate. NEWS • The Horror Make-Up Show at Universal Studios Florida is officially closing January 4, with speculation swirling about what kind of reimagined experience might replace it. • New permits tied to Intamin suggest real movement in the Lost Continent area at Islands of Adventure, fueling renewed talk of a possible Legend of Zelda attraction. • Universal files trademarks for Celestial Goodnight, pointing strongly toward a nighttime spectacular at Epic Universe. • Ongoing guest surveys hint that a FanFest-style separately ticketed event could be headed to Universal Orlando, featuring IPs like Lord of the Rings, Pokémon, Godzilla, and K-Pop Demon Hunters. • Universal is reviewing bids for a long-term transportation system connecting Epic Universe with the original Universal Orlando campus. FEATURE • A Wall Street Journal report revives talk of a Universal Studios park in Saudi Arabia, likely financed by the Saudi government through a licensing deal. • How this potential project echoes past international ventures like Dubailand, including what went wrong and what Universal may have learned. • Why indoor, climate-controlled parks are the only viable model for the region and how this mirrors Disney’s recent Middle East strategy. • What all of this says about Universal’s future, from regional parks like Universal Kids Resort to massive international expansions. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Eric Hersey - IG: @erichersey | X: @erichersey 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 Be Our Guest Vacations, a platinum-level earmarked travel agency specializing in Universal and Disney destinations. Get started on your next adventure at BeOurGuestVacations.com and let them know the Epic Universal Podcast sent you. 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
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    51 分
  • How a Jim Henson Christmas Special Helped Point Pixar Toward Toy Story (Ep. 79)

    How a Jim Henson Christmas Special Helped Point Pixar Toward Toy Story (Ep. 79)
    2025/12/25
    It’s a Christmas Day edition of I Want That Too, and Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey wrap up the year with a festive mix of Disney merch news, pop culture crossovers, and a deep dive into Jim Henson’s long love affair with holiday specials. Along the way, the conversation connects some surprising dots between a largely forgotten Henson TV special and the early creative struggles that eventually led Pixar to Toy Story. NEWS • The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta closes out its Festive Features exhibit showcasing rare Jim Henson holiday puppets • Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens early to handle crowds eager to see Taylor Swift Eras Tour costumes • A new Disney Store Princess shirt sparks Swiftie speculation thanks to its lyric-inspired design • Disney Store holiday merchandise drops to 50 percent off before Christmas, shifting end-of-year shopping strategies FEATURE • Why Jim Henson repeatedly turned to holiday specials as creative and financial anchors • How A Christmas Toy reunited the Fraggle Rock team after the series ended • The long-running fan theory connecting A Christmas Toy, Pixar’s Tin Toy, and Toy Story • How Pixar’s abandoned holiday special pitch ultimately became a theatrical classic HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Lauren Hersey - IG: @lauren_hersey_ | X: @laurenhersey2 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 brought to you by UnlockedMagic.com, from the same trusted team behind DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market. If a Disney or Universal trip is anywhere on your wish list, UnlockedMagic offers great ticket deals handled by experts who know Disney travel inside and out. Visit 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
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    53 分
  • Marvel’s Leakiest Christmas Yet and Why Steve Rogers’ Baby Changes Everything (Ep. 7)

    Marvel’s Leakiest Christmas Yet and Why Steve Rogers’ Baby Changes Everything (Ep. 7)
    2025/12/24
    Jim Hill and Dan Graney ring in the holidays with a Marvel conversation that somehow involves hacked PayPal accounts, cardboard Star Wars memories, and one of the strangest trailer rollouts in studio history. As Marvel’s Doomsday marketing quietly unravels through shaky theater footage and strategically ignored leaks, the guys dig into what’s really going on behind the scenes - and why this controlled chaos may actually be the plan. Along the way, they unpack the emotional and narrative risks of bringing Steve Rogers back into the MCU, especially now that he’s apparently a dad. NEWS • Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday teaser rollout goes sideways as multiple theater-only trailers leak online • Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers quietly returns - with a baby - raising major Endgame continuity questions • Marvel reportedly plans a rotating, four-week Doomsday teaser strategy tied to Avatar: Fire and Ash • Sony clamps down fast on a leaked Spider-Man: Brand New Day teaser while Marvel lets its leaks breathe FEATURE • Why revisiting Steve Rogers’ Endgame ending is both risky and emotionally loaded • How kids, legacy, and family may define the stakes of Doomsday and Secret Wars • A wild theory: Is Steve Rogers immune to Doctor Strange’s Spider-Man memory spell? • When leaks stop being accidents and start becoming the marketing strategy HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Dan Graney - YouTube: The Hubbubbery | Website: thehubbubbery.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 brought to you by Unlocked Magic, where you can score real discounts on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets - sometimes up to 12 percent off. Run by the same team behind the DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market, Unlocked Magic makes planning your next trip to Central Florida easier and more affordable. Tell them Jim and Dan sent you. 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
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    49 分
  • How “The Small One” Became a Very Big Problem for Disney (Ep. 338)

    How “The Small One” Became a Very Big Problem for Disney (Ep. 338)
    2025/12/23
    With Drew Taylor sidelined by a nasty case of the Christmas crud, Jim Hill flies solo for this end-of-year edition of Fine Tooning. After a bit of seasonal vamping, Jim dives into animation news before kicking off the first half of a deep-dive holiday history lesson. This week’s episode sets the stage for a story that begins with a modest Disney featurette and ends up triggering one of the biggest upheavals in the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation. NEWS • Avatar: Fire & Ash dominates the global box office with a massive $345 million opening weekend. • Angel Studios’ David surprises with a strong $22 million domestic debut, outperforming several major animated releases. • Zootopia 2 continues its historic run, crossing $1.27 billion worldwide and exceeding the original film by more than $200 million. • The Academy reveals its Best Animated Short shortlist, with notable inclusions and at least one eyebrow-raising omission. • Adult Swim renews Haha, You Clowns for two additional seasons after an initially underestimated debut. FEATURE • The origins of Disney’s 1978 animated featurette The Small One and why the studio once believed it would become a perennial holiday classic. • How Charles Tazewell’s mid-20th-century holiday stories caught Disney’s attention and lingered in development for nearly 15 years. • Behind-the-scenes tensions at Walt Disney Feature Animation in the late 1970s, including the controversial decision to hand directing duties to Don Bluth. • Why this seemingly small production planted the seeds for a massive creative and personnel shakeup soon to come. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Drew Taylor - IG: @DrewTailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work 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 Unlocked Magic helps you save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets, sometimes up to 12 percent off. Plan ahead for your 2026 Central Florida trip by picking your dates, grabbing your tickets, and letting the savings add up 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
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    36 分
  • Disney Destiny’s “Meet-and-Play” Feels Very Starcruiser-ish (Ep. 563)

    Disney Destiny’s “Meet-and-Play” Feels Very Starcruiser-ish (Ep. 563)
    2025/12/22
    Sam from Sam’s Disney Diary joins Len and Jim to spill the (highly theatrical) tea on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Destiny - where character “meet-and-greets” have evolved into full-on, semi-improvised encounters that can follow you across the voyage. Then Jim heads back to where Disney’s in-park 3D film history really begins, from the 1950s 3D Jamboree at Disneyland to the studio’s eternal talent for repurposing anything that is not nailed down. NEWS • Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour costumes will stay on display at Walt Disney Presents: One Man’s Dream through January 23, 2026 • Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith plays its final riff on March 1, 2026 - with a “summer” reopen that is, as always, Disney-flexible • The Muppet Show special with Sabrina Carpenter hits Disney+ on February 4 - and may be a stealth pilot for a bigger revival • The Boathouse at Disney Springs lands as one of America’s top-grossing independent restaurants - fueled by sheer, glorious volume • A reported FTC allegation about Pepsi + Walmart “pricing power” takes an extra twist once Len connects the dots to Disney’s current CFO talk about dynamic pricing FEATURE • Sam breaks down how Disney Destiny’s characters run “meet-and-play” moments - Pirates pub invites, Cruella’s improv songwriting, and other “be here later” surprises • The ship’s hero-vs-villain throughline (hello, Loki) and why it feels like Disney quietly recycled some Galactic Starcruiser know-how • The Haunted Mansion parlor sticks around - now with an in-app AR hunt to round up “escaped” ghosts • Jim rewinds to Disney’s earliest 3D experiments, including Disneyland’s 1956-era 3D Jamboree and the studio’s short-lived 1950s 3D flirtation 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 GUEST • Sam Marraccini - IG: @samsdisneydaily | X: @SamsDisneyDiary | Website: SamsDisneyDiary.com Sam's Disney Diary+2X (formerly Twitter)+2 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 - visit UnlockedMagic.com for special discounts on Disney theme park tickets for 2026. 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
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Manufacturing the Magic: Project Florida gets underway

    Manufacturing the Magic: Project Florida gets underway
    2025/12/20
    In the 28th installment of this educational series, Shelly & Noe Valladolid turn their attention to the Sunshine State. Which is where Walt, after an extensive land search, decides to build the East Coast version of Disneyland in the 1960s Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: What are some of the shell company names that Disney used while purchasing pieces of property outside of Orlando How did a plucky news maven figure out what Walt was up to in Central Florida Why did Walt lie about Project Florida What were the very first pieces of infrastructure that Walt Disney Productions built down there in those swamps off of I-4 What exactly was the Reedy Creek Improvement District Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 分
  • The Day Boris Karloff Walked Into the Commissary and Changed Hollywood (Ep. 82)

    The Day Boris Karloff Walked Into the Commissary and Changed Hollywood (Ep. 82)
    2025/12/19
    Jim and Eric kick off this week’s show with a very on-brand travel mishap from Jim’s latest Hallmark-fueled road trip, then pivot back to the stuff you came for - Universal news, theme park weirdness, and one surprisingly deep dive into how Frankenstein’s Monster became the pop culture template we all still recognize today. Along the way: Epic Universe breadcrumbs, a Vegas horror venue that might be scarier for its empty queue than its monsters, and why Boris Karloff’s dentures deserve their own credit line. NEWS • Universal’s proposed UK theme park clears another hurdle, with the project advancing in the approvals process and still targeting a 2031 opening • Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas adds a holiday horror overlay, but reports suggest the venue can feel eerily empty even during a supposedly busy week • A new “Galactic Expo” mural lands inside the Men in Black Alien Attack gift shop, packed with sci-fi Easter eggs • A new Men in Black film is reportedly in development - and Jim has thoughts on what that could mean for the long-running attraction • Universal’s latest “Whatever Makes You Happy” merch drop leans hard into 1980s nostalgia, mashing up brands that make Eric do a double-take FEATURE • Why Universal rushed Frankenstein (1931) into production after Dracula hit big - and how it helped the studio dig out of debt • The behind-the-scenes moment when director James Whale spots Boris Karloff in the commissary and decides his face has “startling possibilities” • The unglamorous reality of monster-making: punishing makeup sessions, 65 pounds of costume, and the physical toll that followed Karloff for years • The lost-but-legendary Technicolor Frankenstein footage from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that fans have been hunting for decades HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Eric Hersey - IG: @erichersey | X: @erichersey 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 Be Our Guest Vacations - plan your next adventure with a platinum-level, earmarked travel agency offering concierge service for Universal Orlando, Universal Hollywood, Disney parks, cruises, and more. Get started at beourguestvacations.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
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    55 分