The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network features weekly shows hosted by Jim Hill and his collaborators. The lineup includes The Disney Dish with Len Testa, Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor, Epic Universal Podcast with Eric Hersey, I Want That Too with Lauren Hersey, Marvel Us Disney with Dan Graney, The Case For with Chris Cox, and more. Each series offers industry reporting, history, analysis, and insider stories spanning Disney, Universal, animation, film, streaming, and themed entertainment. With over 25 years of online storytelling and thousands of hours of content, the network delivers trusted, in-depth coverage for fans, enthusiasts, and industry professionals.
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Données mises à jour le 10/11/2026
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Disneyland’s Skyway: The Used Ride That Took Guests Above the Park (Ep. 609)
Épisode 609
lundi 9 novembre 2026 • Durée 38:42
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
How Universal’s Studio Tour Became a Theme Park (Ep. 127)
Épisode 127
vendredi 6 novembre 2026 • Durée 49:27
Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into the latest theme park attendance figures and what they could mean for Epic Universe and Universal’s other parks. They discuss construction around Universal Orlando and Hollywood, and how Comcast is responding to a softer quarter. Then Jim traces the story of MCA, Lou Wasserman and the decisions that turned a working studio tour into a major tourist attraction.
NEWS
What the latest attendance report says about Epic Universe and Universal’s parks.
Comcast’s financial outlook and the challenges facing its theme park business.
Construction and possible changes at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Hollywood.
WWE’s upcoming events at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
FEATURE
How MCA and Lou Wasserman reshaped Universal and expanded its studio tour.
The connection between a story from McHale’s Navy and the Universal backlot.
Why Wasserman’s plans included a visitor attraction alongside a working movie studio.
HOSTS
Jim Hill – @JimHillMedia | https://jimhillmedia.comEric Hersey – @erichersey | https://strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
Facebook: @JimHillMediaNewsYouTube: @jimhillmediaTikTok: @jimhillmedia
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey – https://strongmindedagency.com
SPONSOR
Planning a Universal Orlando Resort vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations offers free, personalized help with hotels, theme park tickets and more. Visit https://beourguestvacations.com/?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=epicjhm and mention the Epic Universal Podcast.
Interested in sponsoring a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network? Visit https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disney’s Battle of the Books and a Very Pooh Christmas (Ep. 124)
Épisode 124
jeudi 5 novembre 2026 • Durée 44:13
Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey compare books revisiting Disney leadership and look at Disney merchandise headed for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They discuss how a listing for Disney running shoes helped uncover a theft investigation, and share holiday finds from Winnie the Pooh. Jim also traces the making of A Day for Eeyore and why animator Ron Clements asked to have his name removed from its credits.
NEWS
• Bob Iger’s upcoming memoir joins books by Bob Chapek and Robbie Whelan examining Disney leadership.
• A listing for Disney-themed Brooks shoes draws attention to an investigation into stolen merchandise.
• Sorcerer Mickey joins the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with Disney merchandise celebrating the occasion.
• A new Roo joins the original Winnie the Pooh toys on display at the New York Public Library.
FEATURE
• Jim follows Disney’s Winnie the Pooh featurettes from the Honey Tree to A Day for Eeyore.
• Why an outside studio animated A Day for Eeyore, and why Ron Clements asked to be removed from its credits.
• How a request for a new merchandise character helped bring Lumpy the Heffalump to the screen.
HOSTS
• Jim Hill - X/Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com
• Lauren Hersey - X: @laurenhersey2 | Instagram: @lauren_hersey_
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
• Patreon: Patreon.com/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 can help plan a Disney or Universal vacation, find deals and handle the details at no additional cost.
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
Disney Park Pet Peeves: Please Don’t Recite the Pre-Show (Ep. 41)
Épisode 41
jeudi 5 novembre 2026 • Durée 30:50
Lauren and Eric Hersey tackle the Disney guest habits that can turn a great attraction into an exercise in patience. A discussion of crowd control and pre-show changes at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind leads to a bigger debate about line cutting, amateur comedians, and fans who insist on reciting the Ghost Host’s entire spiel. They also compare the pre-shows worth watching and ask whether a few alternate scripts could keep repeat visitors engaged. Plus, where’s the line between capturing a vacation memory and blocking everyone else’s view?
HIGHLIGHTS
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind queue tests and the pre-show edit aimed at cutting off shouted jokes.
From Runaway Railway to Rise of the Resistance, which Disney pre-shows still hold up on repeat visits?
Haunted Mansion recitations and loud ride conversations: when participation becomes a distraction.
Flash photography, phones held overhead, and the struggle to see fireworks behind someone’s shoulders.
Respecting Cast Members and fellow guests without turning every park visit into a rules debate.
HOSTS
Lauren Hersey: Instagram @lauren_hersey_ | X @laurenhersey2
Eric Hersey: Instagram @erichersey | X @erichersey | Strong Minded Agency
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 and produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency
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
Soundstaged: Ep. 1 - How WCW's Biggest Crisis Led to Walt Disney World
mercredi 4 novembre 2026 • Durée 24:40
In the summer of 1996, WCW brought the chaos of the New World Order to Walt Disney World, complete with backstage brawls, baseball bats, and a visit from the Orlando police. But how did professional wrestling end up inside Disney-MGM Studios in the first place? In the debut episode of Soundstaged, Eric Hersey traces the rise of Vince McMahon's WWF, the collapse of wrestling's territorial system, and the financial struggles that nearly brought World Championship Wrestling to its knees. From Ted Turner's acquisition of WCW to Eric Bischoff's bold plan to reinvent its television production, this is the story of how a struggling wrestling company began its unlikely journey to the Most Magical Place on Earth.
HIGHLIGHTS
• WCW Invades Disney: Revisit the infamous 1996 New World Order backstage attack at Disney-MGM Studios featuring Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Savage.• The Death of Wrestling's Territories: How Vince McMahon transformed the WWF into a national entertainment powerhouse and left regional wrestling promotions struggling to survive.• The Fall of Jim Crockett Promotions: Ric Flair, Starrcade 1987, and the financial disaster that helped bring one of wrestling's most influential companies to the brink of bankruptcy.• Ted Turner Buys WCW: Why the media mogul purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988 and how years of executive turnover threatened the company's future.• Eric Bischoff's Big Idea: How a former wrestling announcer proposed a radical change in WCW's television production that would eventually lead the company toward Central Florida's theme parks.
HOSTS• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | Website: https://strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews• YouTube: @jimhillmedia• TikTok: @jimhillmedia• Website: https://www.jimhillmedia.com
SUPPORTSupport the show and access the complete Soundstaged series, bonus episodes, and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITSWritten and Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIESIf 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
Sleeping In at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom: What Does It Cost? (Ep. 31)
Épisode 31
mercredi 4 novembre 2026 • Durée 30:50
Can sleeping in actually cost you more time at Walt Disney World? Chris Cox and Len Testa finish their rope-drop debate with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, while Jim Hill presides over the proceedings. Len’s touring-plan data reveals how skipping just 30 minutes of early entry can add 90 minutes of waiting at Hollywood Studios. At Animal Kingdom, the case gets more complicated as shorter operating hours compete with the pleasure of slowing down and exploring.
HIGHLIGHTS
Why a 9 a.m. Hollywood Studios arrival sends you to Red Carpet Dreams first, and what later arrivals may have to sacrifice.
When wait times finally ease for Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
How ride downtime makes a late start riskier, even when avoiding the morning rush sounds appealing.
The Animal Kingdom trails, wildlife, and hidden Oasis bridge you might miss while racing toward Pandora.
Why saving Flight of Passage for last can help late arrivals, and when sleeping in means cutting experiences.
HOSTS
Chris Cox - X/Twitter: @bigcox | Instagram: @magiccox | https://magiccox.com
Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | https://touringplans.com
Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia | https://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 Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Chris Cox, Len Testa, and Jim Hill weigh extra sleep against longer lines, missed shows, and a slower-paced Animal Kingdom visit.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disney’s Unmade Don Quixote and the Brizzi Brothers’ Next Chapter (Ep. 381)
Épisode 381
mardi 3 novembre 2026 • Durée 49:24
Jim Hill and Drew Taylor revisit Disney’s unmade Don Quixote and the ambitious animation projects that slipped away as the studio grew more cautious. A graphic novel by the Brizzi brothers offers a new reason to explore their extraordinary visual storytelling. They also discuss Wildwood’s PG-13 rating, Jim’s visit to The Magic of Disney Animation, and the latest animation books and Pikmin shorts.
NEWS
Wildwood and the double standard facing PG-13 animation.
Drew’s Cat in the Hat panel and his enthusiasm for its animation and score.
The Magic of Disney Animation’s Once Upon a Studio touches and a nod to My Peoples.
Animation books, from The Owl House to Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn.
Patrick Stewart and Eric Bauza’s voice work, plus Nintendo’s charming Pikmin shorts.
FEATURE
How the Brizzi brothers’ work on Hunchback and Fantasia 2000 led to an ambitious Don Quixote proposal.
Why Disney’s changing priorities left bold projects unmade, and how a graphic novel brings the brothers’ storytelling back into view.
HOSTS
Jim Hill: Instagram @JimHillMedia | X @JimHillMedia | JimHillMedia.com
Drew Taylor: Instagram @drewtailored | X @DrewTailored | DrewTaylor.work
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 - Strong Minded Agency
SPONSOR
Be Our Guest Vacations offers free planning services for Disney and Universal vacations, including help with hotels, park admission, and dining reservations.
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
How Saving Wetlands Helped Disney World Keep Growing (Ep. 608)
Épisode 608
lundi 2 novembre 2026 • Durée 48:25
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
The Invisible Man's Hollywood History Comes Out of Hiding (Ep. 126)
Épisode 126
vendredi 30 octobre 2026 • Durée 56:49
Jim Hill is back from Universal Orlando with firsthand reports from Wicked's Oztacular celebration at CityWalk and the after-hours Epic Universe Nights event. He and Eric Hersey discuss surprisingly short ride wait times, the magic of seeing Dark Universe after dark, and Earl the Squirrel's big Thanksgiving Day Parade debut. Then, inspired by a memorable encounter in Darkmoor, Jim pulls back the curtain on Universal's 1933 classic The Invisible Man, exploring director James Whale's complicated Hollywood career, Claude Rains' unforgettable performance, and the ingenious special effects that helped launch a monster movie franchise.
NEWS
Wicked's Oztacular takes over Universal CityWalk with Glinda and Elphaba meet-and-greets, LEGO displays, and a few confusing signs.
Epic Universe Nights delivers nighttime access, remarkably short attraction waits, complimentary snacks, and a spectacular Celestial Goodnight fountain show.
Universal introduces Florida resident single-day Epic Universe tickets, with some surprising differences in pricing and availability compared to annual passholder offers.
Earl the Squirrel prepares for his balloon debut in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before heading to Universal Studios Florida for the holidays.
Jim checks out CityWalk's new Fat One's and Five Guys locations while Eric previews their new eight-part Patreon series exploring professional wrestling and theme park history.
FEATURE
A nighttime encounter with the Invisible Man in Dark Universe leads to a look back at Universal's groundbreaking 1933 horror classic.
How director James Whale went from Frankenstein and The Old Dark House to casting Claude Rains in The Invisible Man.
The practical effects, elaborate camera tricks, and painstaking frame-by-frame work that made an invisible character believable nearly a century ago.
How Universal reinvented the Invisible Man through sequels, comedies, wartime adventures, and Abbott and Costello crossovers.
HOSTS
Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia | https://jimhillmedia.com
Eric Hersey - X/Twitter and Instagram: @erichersey | https://strongmindedagency.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 Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
SPONSOR
Planning a Universal Orlando Resort vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations can help take the guesswork out of your getaway. Their travel professionals work with you one-on-one to find the right hotel, theme park tickets, and extras to fit your budget, priorities, and travel style. Visit BeOurGuestVacations.com and mention that the Epic Universal Podcast sent you.
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
What Really Counts as a Disney Halloween Movie? (Ep. 40)
Épisode 40
jeudi 29 octobre 2026 • Durée 32:01
Is Coco really a Halloween movie? Does Return to Oz belong on your spooky-season watchlist? Eric and Lauren Hersey debate what makes a Disney Halloween classic, revisit the wonderfully weird Ernest Scared Stupid, and explore why movies like Hocus Pocus arrived in theaters months before October. Plus, they uncover the fascinating story of how Jim Hill and his writing partner nearly brought their own Haunted Mansion movie to life at Disney, not once, but twice.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Coco sparks a Halloween debate, raising questions about the differences between Día de los Muertos and traditional Halloween celebrations.• Return to Oz, Casper, and Hocus Pocus challenge the idea that Halloween movies need October release dates.• From Halloweentown to Maleficent, Eric and Lauren question which Disney movies really deserve a spot on the Halloween watchlist.• Ernest Scared Stupid gets a family rewatch, complete with surprising details about its elaborate animatronic troll costumes and Nashville filming locations.• Jim Hill's unproduced Haunted Mansion screenplay resurfaces, revealing how Disney considered bringing his story to the screen twice during the 1990s.
HOSTS
• Lauren Hersey - Instagram: @lauren_hersey_ | X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2• Eric Hersey - Instagram/X: @erichersey | https://strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews• YouTube: @jimhillmedia• TikTok: @jimhillmedia• Website: https://www.jimhillmedia.com
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
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
