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!
426
Episode 126 - When Harrods Almost Came to Disne...
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Disney wanted to build malls as part of its Downtown Disney strategies. In order to get elite, anchor stores like Harrods into Florida, Disney supposedly offered them a two-for-one deal that involved Florida and ...
19 min
427
Episode 125 - The Master Plan for Disney Seas C...
Jim talks about how Imagineer Kim Murphy's aquarium-centered career at SeaWorld and Epcot's The Seas leads to the ideas for another of Disney's nautical-themed second gates for California - Disney Seas.
20 min
428
Episode 124 - When Disneyland's Second Gate was...
Jim tells the story of how back in the early 1990's, when Disneyland was looking to expand, it considered the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor as part of its expansion plans.
33 min
429
Episode 123 - Disney World stories we'll tell i...
Every spring, Jim and Len get together to talk about the mini-stories that go into the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It's how the podcast got started, in fact. This show is our actual conversation about what's going in to the 2018 edition.
31 min
430
Episode 122 - The First Second Gate (Chronologi...
Back in 1990, Disneyland was ready to invest in a second theme park in Anaheim. It wasn't the first time, though, that the Disney corportation looked to expand its footprint in California. In fact, Walt had an ambitious plan way back in 1962. Here's that story.
30 min
431
Episode 121 - Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs...
Jim and Len recorded this show a couple of days before the Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs news hit last week. Also Jim talks about why Disney just bought the other half of Disneyland Paris.
34 min
432
Episode 120 - Epcot's Festival of the (mostly c...
Len visits Epcot's newest seasonal fling, the Festival of the Arts. Jim explains how Caribbean Beach's new DVC buildings might look, and we talk rumors of Evening Extra Magic Hours' demise at the Studios.
33 min
433
Episode 119 - Rockettes and Restaurants
In our main two segments, Jim talks about the time Michael Eisner picked a fight with Radio City's Rockettes, and lost. Len talks about the best restaurants in Walt Disney World as voted on by you.
38 min
434
Episode 118 - Jim Wraps Up the History of O Can...
23 min
435
Bonus Episode #2 - Discovery Bay, Hawaii
26 min
436
Bonus Episode - Jim and Len review Rogue One **...
Jim and Len review Rogue One **with spoilers**
19 min
437
Episode 117 - Len gets to see Rivers of Light a...
Hear Len's review of Rivers of Light's Castmember Preview performances, and the new drone show over at Disney Springs. Spoiler alert: Jim was right months ago when he said that creative issues were just as much a part of Rivers of Light's delays as were technical problems.
31 min
438
Episode 116 - The Muppets Restaurant That Never...
This is part of our Unbuilt Disney series, with additional shows at DisneyDish.bandcamp.com
34 min
439
Episode 115 - Why For? The Headless Horseman, P...
Listen to Part 1 of the story here: https://disneydish.bandcamp.com/track/why-for-the-headless-horseman
36 min
440
Disney Dish Episode 114 - Jim talks about Disne...
Jim talks about Disney's 1980's plans to develop Long Beach Harbor next to Disneyland
26 min
441
Episode 113 - Previewing our upcoming Unbuilt D...
There'll be more, including a long-lost Jimmy Hoffa memo, at the event.
16 min
442
Disney Dish Episode 112 - Disney Hurricane Afte...
Len makes an unusual request at Victoria and Albert's, which causes the manager to stop by the table.
45 min
443
Episode 111 - History of the O Canada! film, pa...
Jim finishes the history of the O Canada! film at Canada's pavilion at Epcot. Also a bit about the potential DVC at Caribbean Beach Resort.
23 min
444
Episode 110 - History of the O Canada! film, pa...
Jim gives the history of the O Canada! film at Canada's pavilion at Epcot. This part of the story starts with Walt himself trying to find his father's family home in Canada, and we end this show at the fabulous Expo '67 fair in Montreal.
26 min
445
Episode 109 - History of the Disneyland Hotel, ...
24 min
446
Episode 108: Disney News: Earnings, Park Attend...
We'll release the first August show soon. Time is an illusion.
21 min
447
Episode 107: The Lost Episode of Chronological ...
It's interesting to go back and see how Disney was thinking the same thing, for Coronado Springs.
20 min
448
Episode 106b: Disney's Summer 2016 Media Previe...
Here's the building in Trondheim, Norway, from which the Royal Sommerhus design was created: tinyurl.com/zdq7sk3
33 min
449
Episode 106a: Disney's Summer 2016 Media Previe...
Here's the building in Trondheim, Norway, from which the Royal Sommerhus design was created: tinyurl.com/zdq7sk3
19 min
450
Episode 105: The history of Fort Wilderness
We also talk about the opening of Skull Island at IOA, and Frozen at Epcot
43 min