Len Testa and Jim Hill look at Disney’s latest surveys, hotel rumors, and Halloween Horror Nights announcements—then plunge into the second half of their deep-dive on Pirates of the Caribbean. This time, Jim reveals how Disney navigated a real-life guest frenzy over Captain Jack Sparrow, the surprisingly expensive costume drama that followed, and the face character chaos that nearly derailed New Orleans Square. Plus, early plans for a pirates-themed restaurant, and how Dead Man’s Chest almost broke the box office and the parks.

Why a cleared canal near Magic Kingdom might be future hotel space

Christmas party dates, Festival of the Holidays updates, and DJ Dance Pants

How Disneyland kept guests from mobbing Jack Sparrow face characters

The $60,000 costume that sparked a parade of cease and desist letters

A scrapped pirates dining experience that had Jack eating off your plate

Also: Warner Bros. surveys some Vegas-worthy IP ideas, Morrissey or Horror Night house?, and why Robin Williams’ mime days live on in Disney animation trivia.

SHOW NOTES

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Len Testa and Jim Hill tackle a packed show, from new Eat to the Beat concert acts and Test Track Lightning Lane changes to a survey that hints at Disney bundling sports vacations with ESPN and Adventures by Disney. Then in the main segment, Jim unpacks the wild story behind the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise—including how one clever Imagineer added a cursed treasure twist to the ride years before it hit the big screen, and why Michael Eisner insisted on a subtitle that technically made no sense.

New Eat to the Beat lineup adds Bowling for Soup, Jordin Sparks, and The Beach Boys

Disney files plans for the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster building—yes, it’s a real land

ESPN and ABD surveys tease premium sports-based vacation packages

What really happened to Pixar’s Elio, and how politics may have changed the movie

Behind the scenes of Curse of the Black Pearl: casting, rewrites, and a fake curse

Plus, Len pitches a villains-themed restaurant where customer service is intentionally bad, and Jim explains why Tower of Terror on TV paved the way for Jack Sparrow in theaters.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa and Jim Hill cover the latest Disney news, including a major update to the dining reservation system, a rerouted parade to improve park flow, and the latest tweaks at Epic Universe. Then, Jim dives into the real story of how Epcot’s CommuniCore was shut down and transformed into Innoventions—Disney’s answer to a park in crisis. With budgets tight and tech aging fast, Michael Eisner turned to Las Vegas for inspiration, resulting in a CES-style exhibit hall packed with rotating sponsors, interactive demos, and a built-in refresh cycle.

Disney’s new patent could make Haunted Mansion feel spookier

A smarter parade route helps clear Main Street faster

Why Tron still isn’t available during Early Entry

Epic Universe’s early admission strategy evolves again

The creation, success, and legacy of Innoventions

It’s a look at how Disney reimagined the future—and managed to sell it to sponsors one booth at a time.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa and Jim Hill look at recent updates across Walt Disney World and Epic Universe, including a new water play area in Animal Kingdom, a July reopening for Test Track, and a revealing Disney Cruise Line survey. Then in the main segment, Jim takes us back 30 years to the wild creation of Disneyland’s Videopolis—a teen dance club built in just 100 days that introduced churros, challenged norms, and (almost) ran over some tourists.

New Indiana Jones-themed play area replaces Animal Kingdom’s Boneyard

Test Track reopens July 22—why we still don’t know what’s inside

Epic Universe adds stage permits and steampunk restaurant progress

A Disney Cruise Line survey that might explain recent price drops

The teen problem Disney had to solve—and how Videopolis became the answer

Churros, breakdancing, and Michael Eisner’s MTV-fueled moonshot

Videopolis wasn’t just a dance floor—it was a cultural reset, a churro revolution, and a crash course in fast-tracking theme park design.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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DVC Rental Store

Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Be Our Guest Vacations

Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa and Jim Hill break down the newest Monstropolis concept art and speculate on Disney’s next big land grab near Blizzard Beach. They also examine Disneyland’s expansion strategy, a Coco boat ride, and why the Avatar land plans are quietly devouring backstage space. Then, in part three of the Journey Into Imagination saga, Jim reveals how Figment almost got replaced by Michael Jordan—and how one flubbed line at an NBC upfront helped create The Golden Girls.

Updated Monstropolis plans hint at a larger land—and a suspiciously vacant cast parking lot

Could a new DVC resort be rising near Blizzard Beach? Western Way roadwork says yes

Disneyland's expansion plan: Coco, Avatar, and the final frontier of backstage space

The doomed celebrity era of Imagineering, featuring Cheers-inspired Tiki Room and Wallace & Gromit

Journey Into Imagination 3.0: how a triage effort (and stored figment AAs) saved the ride

The DVC lounge dilemma: why redoing Imagination may need a bit more imagination

Big plans, big ideas, and one very unfortunate cheese room.

⁠SHOW NOTES⁠

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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DVC Rental Store

Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Be Our Guest Vacations

Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa reviews Epcot’s swanky new GEO82 Lounge—crab cakes, price tags, and time limits included—while Jim Hill breaks down the surprisingly tangled history of film companies at Disney Parks. Plus, thoughts on the reimagined Rivers of America concept art, Disney trains going backwards, and how one bear-loving park ranger is making a comeback. The show ends with Part 2 of the wild saga behind Journey into Imagination’s 2002 reopening, featuring a side of Art Linkletter, Henry Fonda, and bitter corporate rivalries.

First thoughts on Disney’s new Piston Peak National Park concept art

The EPCOT GEO82 Lounge: gorgeous views, high prices, strict timers

Disney trains to run in reverse—literally

Why a DVC rental checkbox could be tied to speculative booking issues

The forgotten film war: Kodak, Polaroid, and the $10M that didn’t pay off

How Art Linkletter turned a favor into Disneyland’s most profitable deal

Whether you’re craving peanut brittle from a charcuterie plate or just here for vintage theme park trivia, this episode has you covered.

⁠SHOW NOTES⁠

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Be Our Guest Vacations

Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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This week, Len Testa reveals how to take on Universal’s Epic Universe without shelling out for an Express Pass—and still live to tell the tale. Meanwhile, Jim Hill looks back at how long Disney & Kodak worked together and how that relationship then led to EPCOT's "Journey into Imagination pavilion. 

Epic Universe Touring Plan – Why you definitely want to return Universal's newest theme park later in the day

Film Fight -- How Disney worked out a truce between Kodak & Polaroid back in the 1970s, so that both brands of films could then be sold inside of their theme parks

Parade Reservations – Why -- if you're an Annual Passholder -- you're going to need to plan ahead if you want to see "Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away" this Summer

Rent-a-Park –  Why the Magic Kingdom & Disney's Hollywood Studios aren't available for private parties during certain times of the year

Someday My Prints Will Come -- Which Disney Park icon is one of the most photographed structures in the world

Touring tips, stories about Walt as a grandfather, plus talk of garlic presses —it’s another packed episode of the Disney Dish.

SHOW NOTES

Full URL: https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2025-06-02_Show.pdf

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

Learn More

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill reveal how Disney’s “temporary” structures - from party tents to prefab domes - have a habit of overstaying their welcome. What starts as a stopgap often becomes a staple, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the strange evolution from Mickey’s Birthdayland to Toontown.

Mickey’s Birthdayland - The 18-month quick fix that morphed into a 20-year land.

Festival of the Lion King - The show that squatted in a space meant for dragons... and thrived.

Magic Kingdom Strategy - How early entry and Lightning Lane stacking can knock out every headliner by noon.

Disney’s Indoor Parks - From DisneyQuest to Abu Dhabi, a look at the past and future of enclosed theme parks.

It’s a celebration of Disney’s most beloved “temporary” projects - and the ones that just refused to leave.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa and Jim Hill break down the surprisingly intense history of Epcot’s Mission: Space—from launch-day astronauts and jetpack stunts to the guest experience that made this ride one of Disney’s most regretted one-and-dones.

The Grand Opening – Jetpacks, Walter Cronkite, Buzz Aldrin, and a fireworks display that nearly gave journalists flashbacks.

What Went Wrong – Mission: Space didn’t just thrill—it made people sick, killed plants, and gave Epcot’s custodial team nightmares.

The Shrubbery Crisis – Yes, protein spills killed the landscaping.

Fixing the Fail – How Disney added trash cans, benches, cold air, and a non-spinning version of the ride (that’s actually better).

Ride Longevity – Why guests rarely re-ride, and how Mission: Space quietly became the least essential thrill ride at Walt Disney World.

What Comes Next – With depreciation schedules catching up, is it finally time to replace it? And what’s the likelihood of a Figment/Inside Out combo attraction next door?

A fascinating look at how cutting-edge ambition can spin a little too hard—and what happens when the recovery benches outnumber the ride’s fans.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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DVC Rental Store

Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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Len Testa and Jim Hill dive deep into the infamous debut of Light Magic, Disneyland’s ill-fated replacement for the Main Street Electrical Parade. What was promised as a “street-tacular” became a technical and creative misfire that left tens of thousands of annual passholders asking for refunds - and left behind glitter that haunted ride systems for months.

The Unraveling of Light Magic – A show so complex it couldn’t complete a dress rehearsal before its paid debut

Pixies, Pajamas, and Panic – Why cast members wore half-masks, threw conductive Mylar into the crowd, and unintentionally triggered attraction breakdowns across the park

Mass Refunds and Retail Regret – The merch worked better than the parade, and fans weren’t quiet about it

Disneyland’s Damage Control – How marketing spin, rewrites, and show tweaks couldn’t save it

Legacy of the Street-Tacular – From shelved alien parades to Tinkerbell merchandising, what came out of this high-profile flameout

It’s a hilarious, jaw-dropping look at one of Disney’s most legendary live entertainment flops—where the only thing that worked on opening night was the jacket.

SHOW NOTES

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Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free.

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Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures!

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Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress.

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