The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor cover a busy week in animation and theme park news, including: Drew’s full report from FanFest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, including Back to the Future Hill Valley experiences, new anime tie-ins, and what could be coming to the East Coast. King of the Hill revival update – A new panel announced for the ATX TV Festival, with co-cr...

This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into one of the strangest goofs in Disney history—how the restaurant inside Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom was originally named after the wrong king, and why it took over two decades (and a flood of guest complaints) to finally correct it. Also in this episode: The King Stefan Banquet Hall Backstory – Why Imagineering picked the wrong king in the first pla...

In the sixteenth installment of this educational series, Shelly & Noe Valladolid continued their look back at the history of themed entertainment. This time around, they focus on some of the innovations Walt Disney helped introduce with his family fun park.  Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: How far back in history do automatons go? Who was the first creator to use pneumatics Wh...

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey share Eric’s full first impressions after visiting Epic Universe—just 27 days before its grand opening. From ride reviews to immersive lands, they explore how Universal’s newest park lives up to the hype. Plus, they discuss Annual Passholder perks, new cosplay merch, and Universal’s latest theme park innovations. Eric shares his thoughts after previewing Epic Universe for...

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey sit down with actor and author Colin Egglesfield (All My Children, Something Borrowed) to revisit one of Disney’s most passionate fan events: Super Soap Weekend. Colin shares what it was like to meet thousands of soap fans at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, parade through the park with Goofy, and be part of the event’s final years. They also discuss Colin’s time on All My Ch...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down with filmmakers Eric Kimelton, Christopher Ninness, and Scott Seibold to talk about the making of Not Just a Goof, the heartfelt new Disney+ documentary celebrating the 30th anniversary of A Goofy Movie. They discuss lost footage, creative challenges, pop culture legacy, and their unexpected journey from fans to contributors in Goo...

Len Testa, Jim Hill, and Imagineer Jim Shull dig into the wild, weird, and wonderfully unsafe history of Disney’s unbuilt Alice in Wonderland walkthrough attraction—complete with collapsing stairs, spinning barrels, and push-bag trees. Also in this episode: Disneyland’s Funhouse That Never Was – Concept art and site plans reveal a walkthrough filled with rotating platforms, disorienting ramps, and...

Brian Gaughan & Jim Hill start this week’s show by talking up Season Two of “Andor.” They then closely examine the “Star Wars” -related panels & programming at this year’s WonderCon. For this episode, listeners will learn about: Which Cole Porter song features the line “ … what a swell party this is” How many films based-on-Stephen-King-stories films will Mark Hamill be appearing in this year Who...

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey take a closer look at Hop, Illumination’s forgotten holiday hopeful, and why Easter has never quite found its Elf or Home Alone. From Universal’s big swings to nostalgic flops, they explore what makes holiday movies stick - and why the Easter Bunny keeps missing the mark. •      Why Hop had all the ingredients for success… but still faded into obscurity •      A look back...

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey hop into the season with stories of springtime mishaps, Disney merch drops, and a full breakdown of the difference between spoilers and Easter eggs (the movie kind, not the chocolate kind). The infamous Disneyland orchid drop of the 1950s and other early Easter entertainment ideas A look at this year’s Easter basket-ready merch, from plush Stitch bunnies to adorable Ewok...

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by offering birthday greetings to a modern animation master. They then welcome Neil O’Brien, author of “After Disney,” to discuss what it was like to work on the Burbank Lot back in the Late 1970s / Early 1980s Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: When did “BOOP: The Musical” do its out-of-town try-out in Chicago How long after Char...

 Len Testa & Jim Hill are joined this week by veteran Imagineer Jim Shull for a super-sized edition of this podcast. As these three first recap Len’s recent visit to Orlando’s newest theme park and then discuss what recent stock market fluctuations might mean for Disney’s previously announced plans for its Florida Resort Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: Which “Isle of Berk” att...

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey break down the biggest stories in the Universal Parks universe, including new details on Epic Universe’s Annual Passholder preview days and Universal’s officially announced theme park in the UK. Plus, they wrap up their deep dive into Universal Studios Hollywood’s 1960s Mardi Gras de Mexico and explore what these early events meant for the future of theme park entertainmen...

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey celebrate the 30th anniversary of A Goofy Movie with new Loungefly backpacks, wild Powerline-themed hats, and a deep dive into the film’s fan-favorite status. Then, they break down some of Disney’s latest merch trends - including crossbody water bottle holders, park-inspired baseball jerseys, and popcorn bucket Christmas ornaments… in April. Plus, Jim shares the fascinat...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor break down the biggest stories shaking up the animation world, including: The explosive box office debut of A Minecraft Movie – Surpassing expectations with $157 million, becoming the biggest opening ever for a video game adaptation. Disney pauses its live-action Tangled remake – After Snow White’s underperformance, the studio rethinks its...

This week, Jim Hill is joined by special guest Ruben Bolling, the award-winning cartoonist behind Tom the Dancing Bug, while Len Testa is off cruising with a buffet (hopefully). From sweaty Brer Bear suits to Buzz Lightyear’s chiropractor bills, Jim and Ruben explore the history—and hazards—of Disney character costumes. Plus, they dive into the future of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, the leg...

In this episode of The Epic Universal Podcast, Jim Hill and Eric Hersey take a wild detour into Universal’s 1960s event history—when guests could watch a ceremonial Aztec princess sacrifice as part of the “Mardi Gras to Mexico” celebration. Yes, really. They also dive into the latest Universal news and rumors leading up to Epic Universe’s debut. Universal’s new Epic Universe Portal Tour and how it...

In this episode of I Want That Too, Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey explore the colorful world of theme park merchandise—from Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival to Universal’s Epic Universe rollout—and spotlight a pastel plush lineup that’s taking over Japan (and maybe your shelf next). Figment’s Flattening at Flower & Garden – Lauren shares her thoughts on Disney’s 3D-printed topiaries, the orange spiri...

In this milestone 300th episode, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into the biggest animation stories of the week, including: GKIDS’ 4K re-release of Princess Mononoke – How this Studio Ghibli classic led the box office in per-screen average nearly three decades after its debut. Disney’s Snow White struggles at the box office – What the 66% second-week drop means for the future of live-action remakes....

This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill take you back to a time when Hollywood Studios had no Sunset Boulevard and how a red car, a Rocketeer supper club, and Roger Rabbit rides nearly changed everything. Plus, Universal’s first Epic Universe guest survey raises big questions about whether there’s enough to do on opening day. Sunset Boulevard: The Original Plan – A deep dive into the never-built red car...

In this episode of The Epic Universal Podcast, Jim Hill and Eric Hersey uncover the surprising 1960s Hollywood event that helped inspire Universal Studios’ Mardi Gras celebrations today. Plus, they unpack the latest rumors, leaks, and hotel openings as Epic Universe edges closer to launch. • Mardi Gras Origins: How Universal’s “Fiesta Mexicana” and “Mardi Gras de Mexico” laid the groundwork for to...

In this episode of I Want That Too, Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey go full collector mode with stories of forgotten plush, rare merch, and the unexpected international success of one very determined Disney bear. The Return of Duffy – From Tokyo-exclusive meet-and-greets to his spot in Disneyland’s new cavalcade, Disney is going all in (again) on Duffy and his friends. The Secret Origin of the Disney B...

In this episode of Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor, Jim Hill and Drew dive deep into the latest news and developments in the world of animation: Snow White’s Slow Start – Disney’s live-action remake stumbles at the box office, and Drew shares his take after seeing the film. Coco 2 Announced (and Unannounced) – A sequel to Pixar’s Coco is confirmed by Bob Iger... and then quietly walked back. The Eli...

This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill are joined by DVC expert Paul Krieger to finally wrap up the long-running series on Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge—now Lakeshore Lodge. They explore how this project evolved from concept to construction, what’s next for the Fort Wilderness area, and how Disney Vacation Club is changing the way it builds and brands new resorts. Reflections Becomes Lakeshore L...

In this episode of Looking at Lucasfilm, Jim Hill and Brian Gaughan explore the wild intersections of Star Wars history, theme park updates, and forgotten Lucasfilm curiosities: A closer look at Disney’s abandoned 1979 sci-fi project “Snow Star,” a reimagined Snow White set in space. New budget details and storytelling ambitions behind The Mandalorian & Grogu film, debuting May 22, 2026—alongside...