How Disneyland Found Its Footing: The Growing Pains of 1955-1959 (Ep. 73)
Opening Disneyland was only the beginning of Walt Disney's problems. Len Testa and Jim Hill continue their Disneyland history series with the park's first growing pains, from its frantic 1955 debut through the ambitious expansion of 1959. Along the way, they explore the television deals, unlikely...
How Disney’s Value Resorts Changed Walt Disney World Hotels (Ep. 72)
Disney’s Value Resorts were created for reasons that went far beyond offering guests a cheaper place to sleep. Jim Hill and Len Testa trace the history of Walt Disney World lodging, from Michael Eisner’s ambitious Disney Decade plans and the financial fallout from Euro Disney to the creation of t...
How Walt Disney Built Disneyland: The Origins of the Happiest Place on Earth (Ep. 71)
Disneyland did not begin with a castle, a monorail, or even a piece of land in Anaheim. Jim Hill and Len Testa trace the origins of Disneyland from Walt Disney’s financial struggles after Snow White, through World War II, television, and his early plans for a small “Mickey Mouse Park” near the Di...
The History of runDisney and the Walt Disney World Marathon (Ep. 70)
This episode is built around the history of runDisney and the Walt Disney World Marathon, tracing how Disney transformed a January hotel-occupancy strategy into one of the company’s most successful destination sporting events. Jim Hill explains how the first Walt Disney World Marathon came togeth...
When the Grand Californian’s Soundproofing Worked Too Well (Ep. 605)
Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack Disney’s latest price increases, from annual passes and tickets to the quick-service meals taking a bigger bite out of vacation budgets. They also check out Monstropolis menu reveals, holiday ride soundtracks, and a Bluey survey that may hint at Animal Kingdom’s plan...
When the Grand Californian’s Soundproofing Worked Too Well (Ep. 605)
Len Testa and Jim Hill unpack Disney’s latest price increases, from annual passes and tickets to the quick-service meals taking a bigger bite out of vacation budgets. They also check out Monstropolis menu reveals, holiday ride soundtracks, and a Bluey survey that may hint at Animal Kingdom’s plan...
Woody Woodpecker, Walter Lantz, and the Last Man Standing in Animation (Ep. 378)
Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take a trip through animation history as they explore the life and legacy of Walter Lantz, the creator of Woody Woodpecker. Following Drew's visit to Lantz's historic Toluca Lake home, Jim traces the animator's unlikely career, from inheriting Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to b...
Woody Woodpecker, Walter Lantz, and the Last Man Standing in Animation (Ep. 378)
Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take a trip through animation history as they explore the life and legacy of Walter Lantz, the creator of Woody Woodpecker. Following Drew's visit to Lantz's historic Toluca Lake home, Jim traces the animator's unlikely career, from inheriting Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to b...
Blade, Superman Lives, and the Comic Book Movies That Never Were (Ep. 28)
Jim Hill and Dan Graney open the case files on comic book movies that never made it to theaters, from Mahershala Ali’s Blade to Nicolas Cage’s Superman Lives. Their new recurring feature explores the creative clashes, production delays, and unlikely detours behind some of Hollywood’s most intrigu...
Blade, Superman Lives, and the Comic Book Movies That Never Were (Ep. 28)
Jim Hill and Dan Graney open the case files on comic book movies that never made it to theaters, from Mahershala Ali’s Blade to Nicolas Cage’s Superman Lives. Their new recurring feature explores the creative clashes, production delays, and unlikely detours behind some of Hollywood’s most intrigu...
