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!

Places & Travel
Leisure
Society & Culture
376
Episode 166: Animal Kingdom Visit + On-site Per...
Jim and Len talk about whether Disney Springs hotels will continue to have on-site perks like FastPass+ in 2019.
26 min
377
Episode 165: New Evidence of Lightsabers in Gal...
Jim and Len review a new patent Disney has filed that is the latest evidence they're working on augmented reality lightsabers for Galaxy's Edge.
30 min
378
Episode 164: New Fort Wilderness DVC and Epcot ...
Jim and Len talk about new construction projects at Fort Wilderness and Epcot's parking lot, rumored to be new hotels.
25 min
379
Episode 163: Unbuilt Epcot Thames River Ride an...
Jim and Len walk through a detailed set of sketches for a huge, unbuilt River Thames ride in the UK at Epcot.
26 min
380
Episode 161: Epcot Visit and Galaxy's Edge Tech...
Epcot Visit and Galaxy's Edge Tech News
25 min
381
Episode 162: Strategery! The Projects Disney an...
Disney and Universal have big theme park plans all ready to go. Jim says each is holding off on those until the other company holds a major event. We're likely to hear more about Harry Potter soon though.
23 min
382
Episode 160: New Epcot Concept Surfaces at Auction
Len and Jim start talking about previously unseen Epcot concept art from Harper Goff and others, up for auction at iCollector.com.
23 min
383
Disney Dish Episode 159: More Skyliner and Park...
More Skyliner and Park News, Plus DCA Wrap-Up
47 min
384
Episode 158: "Oh God - We Never Thought of This...
Jim hears Disney may have just realized that Epcot's International Gateway won't be big enough to hold Skyliner crowds when Epcot's new attractions open in 2019.
16 min
385
Episode 157: WDW Property Developments and Disn...
In our main segment, Jim tells how Disney really wanted to find the wreck of the Titanic steamship as part of its building of The Seas pavilion.
25 min
386
Episode 156: Len's Menu Rants, Galaxy's Edge Te...
In other news, Jim updates us on self-driving cars at Walt Disney World.
24 min
387
Episode 155: Do Disney's Summer Hotel Discounts...
Also, Len and Jim take a listener question about Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at Disney Springs.
13 min
388
Episode 154: Pirates of the Scare-ibbean(?) and...
It's a small, extra Dish of Jim and Len as we talk about the new Pirates of the Caribbean auction scene, and discuss what the newly-announced D23 schedule might mean for the opening of Galaxy's Edge.
18 min
389
Episode 153: Indiana Jones and Star Wars in Dis...
Jim continues the story of how Disney ended up getting George Lucas and Steve Speilberg to create rides for Disney's theme parks (Part 3 of 3)
31 min
390
Episode 152: Indiana Jones and Star Wars in Dis...
Jim continues the story of how Disney ended up getting George Lucas and Steve Speilberg to create rides for Disney's theme parks (Part 2 of 3)
32 min
391
Episode 151: Indiana Jones and Star Wars in Dis...
Jim details the personal history of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' involvement in Disney's theme parks. It all starts with Disney not being able to produce a hit movie for general audiences for almost 20 years. Along the way, Jim provides insider stories about the making of Tron, The Black Cauldron, and Star Wars. (Part 1 of 3)
24 min
392
Episode 149: Marvel in Disneyland Paris and Wha...
Disney recently announced a huge expansion for Disneyland Paris, including Marvel, Star Wars, and other new rides. Jim looks at what this means for domestic parks, especially Disneyland.
49 min
393
Episode 148: Who Thought 'Minnie Mouse Madonna'...
In the late 1980's, at the height of MTV's cultural relevance, Disney decided to make Minnie Mouse into a pop star along the lines of Madonna. (We're not making this up.)
35 min
394
Episode 147: Chronological Disneyland and Is Th...
In other news, Jim and Len talk about Paid FASTPASS at WDW and toiletries change-out at Pop Century
29 min
395
Episode 146: The Be Our Guest Restaurant
News items include monorail doors, potential refurbs at Disney Springs Rainforest Cafe, and some un-implemented fantastic ideas for water effects at the parks.
43 min
396
Episode 145: The Finale of SpectroMagic's Histo...
Jim completes the history of the SpectroMagic parade.
36 min
397
Episode 144: 2017 In Review
In what turns out to be a much longer episode than expected, Jim and Len walk through what happened in Disney theme parks in 2017.
55 min
398
Episode 143: Part 2 of the History of the Spect...
In part 2 of this show, Jim ALMOST FINISHES the history of the SpectroMagic parade.
42 min
399
Episode 142: History of the SpectroMagic Parade...
Jim gives the history of the SpectroMagic parade by starting out with an explanation of *why* Disney needed a nighttime parade to begin with, and what they tried to begin with.
28 min
400
(Updated) Episode 141: How Disney's Theme Park ...
We talk with musicologist (and Disney parks fan) Dr. Gregory Camp about how Disney chooses music to convey mood and theme inside its theme parks. We've added music to the re-release of this episode, so you can hear what we're talking about.
44 min