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Join Jim Hill and co-hosts Len Testa, Drew Taylor, Brian Gaughan, Eric Hersey, and Lauren Hersey as they talk about the multi-faceted Walt Disney Company - including Pixar, Lucasfilm and Disney Studios - as well as Universal Studios and the world of collectibles.
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5 minutes or less about your favorite or soon-to-be Snacks from around the world!
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Stephanie had not heard about Veronica Mars until the show had already been canceled. Friends began telling stories about how fans had hired a plane to fly a banner over the CW offices that said “Renew Veronica Mars” and about their campaign where fans sent well over 10,000 “Mars Bars” to the CW network executives. These stories certainly peaked Stephanie’s interest and she began watching the show from the beginning. She was hooked. It was not until the 2013 Kickstarter Campaign where the sh ...
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Simpsons Renewed Through Season 40, Thunderbolts Tops the Box Office, and Disney’s Broadway Plans (Ep. 305)
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46:54
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In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor explore a wide range of animation and entertainment industry news, including: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad each get renewed for four more seasons—an unprecedented move ensuring job security and a pipeline of adult animation through the end of the decade. Marvel’s…
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How Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Almost Changed New Fantasyland (Ep. 530)
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58:38
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Jim reveals Disney World’s scrapped plan to retheme the Mad Tea Party with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland—a move that would’ve introduced clever nods to the film like “Drink Me” and “Eat Me” food stands and tied directly into Pixie Hollow. Len adds context with stories about Fantasyland’s expansion, while the duo discusses why Haunted Mansion Hol…
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Epic Universe Ticket Drama, TapuTapu Retires, and Triceratops Encounter Origins (Ep. 49)
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Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into the recent uproar over Epic Universe preview ticket availability—and why Universal quietly opened the gates to everyone. Then they dive into the surprising retirement of Volcano Bay’s TapuTapu system and the fascinating history behind the short-lived Triceratops Encounter at Islands of Adventure. Epic Universe prev…
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The Secret World of Property Control and the History Behind Gertie the Dinosaur (Ep. 45)
56:59
56:59
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Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey return with a jam-packed episode that blends Disney shopping secrets and animation history. Lauren shares her behind-the-scenes visit to Disney’s elusive Property Control store, a cast member-exclusive outlet full of discounted resort furniture, rare park merch, and even frozen food. Hear what she found, what she bought, …
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FanFest at Universal Hollywood, King of the Hill Returns, and Animation Highlights from Annécy (Ep. 304)
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49:55
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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 p…
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Why it took 25 years to change the name of King Stefan's Banquet Hall (Ep. 529)
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48:58
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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 I…
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Manufacturing the Magic: Early Automatons & Animatronics
48:59
48:59
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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 g…
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Epic Universe First Impressions: Experiencing Battle at the Ministry & Monsters Unchained (Ep. 48)
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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 share…
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Colin Egglesfield on Super Soap Weekend, Surviving Cancer, and Soap Star Fame at Disney (Ep. 44)
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52:07
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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 …
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Not Just a Goof: Celebrating A Goofy Movie with the Filmmakers Behind the Disney+ Documentary (Ep. 303)
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1:02:01
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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 u…
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Villains, Funhouses, and the Alice Ride That Was Almost Too Dangerous to Build (Ep. 528)
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1:07:25
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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 fille…
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Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga” dazzles at Disneyland (Ep 105 )
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1:02:49
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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 fil…
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Hop and the Hunt for a Holiday Classic: Why Easter Movies Never Stick (Ep. 47)
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57:29
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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 s…
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The Story of Frozen Orchids on Main Street & Easter Eggs - in Disney Classics (Ep. 43)
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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…
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How long was “Black Cauldron” actually in the works at Disney (Ep 302)
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52:40
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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 …
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Tariff concerns and a peek at Epic Universe (Ep 527)
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1:50:20
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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, lis…
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Epic Universe Annual Passholder Details and Universal’s UK Theme Park Plans (Ep. 46)
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56:01
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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 even…
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The Rise and Fall of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It! (Ep. 42)
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51:22
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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 …
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Minecraft Breaks Records, Disney Pauses Tangled, and Animation Takes Over CinemaCon (Ep. 301)
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52:25
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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 …
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Fiberglass Heads and Forbidden Mountains (Ep. 526)
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1:13:36
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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 fut…
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Aztec Dancers, Mariachis, Tequila, and Ceremonial Sacrifices?! (Ep. 45)
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1:01:51
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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. Un…
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Epic Universe Merch, Figment’s Flattening, and Duffy’s Cherry Blossom Comeback (Ep. 41)
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57:01
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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 …
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Princess Mononoke Returns, The Critic Revival Buzz, and What’s Next for Looney Tunes (Ep. 300)
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51:57
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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 …
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The Red Car That Never Was: Sunset Boulevard’s Lost History and Epic Universe’s Survey (Ep. 525)
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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 Origin…
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From Mariachi to Mardi Gras: The Forgotten Festival That Shaped Universal (Ep. 44)
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57:23
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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…
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