Len Testa and Jim Hill break down a busy week in theme park news, from Bluey crowd control at Animal Kingdom to Universal’s possible drone-show ambitions. Len also crunches the numbers on the best days to visit Magic Kingdom, because nothing says vacation like 22 million wait times and a spreadsheet with emotional damage. Then Jim digs into Disneyland’s opening-day ticket scandal and why Walt Disney may have had very good reasons to sour on Western Publishing.

NEWS

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom prepares for Bluey with a virtual queue and some serious toddler-capacity math.

• Len explains why Sundays may be your best Magic Kingdom bet from January through July, while party season flips the calendar.

• Disneyland’s Autopia goes electric in 2027, raising questions about batteries, car design, and Tomorrowland’s long-overdue tune-up.

• Universal Orlando surveys guests about pets, which may hint at Secret Life of Pets possibilities in Florida.

• A new Universal patent features an onboard animated figure, possibly a frog, possibly a nightmare with wheels.

FEATURE

• Jim revisits Disneyland’s chaotic 1955 opening day and the mysterious flood of “legitimate” invitations.

• The story points toward Western Publishing, one of Disneyland’s earliest investors and official printers.

• Walt’s later decision to buy out Western may have had more behind it than simple business strategy.

• Also discussed: C.V. Wood, Black Sunday, Bob Gurr, Richard Nixon, and why the Secret Service probably hated the monorail.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia, Instagram: @JimHillMedia, Website: jimhillmedia.com

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social, Instagram: @len.testa, Website: touringplans.com

FOLLOW

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SUPPORT

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

The Disney Dish is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com, from the team at DVC Rental Store. Visit UnlockedMagic.com for great deals on Disney theme park admission.

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