Disney’s New CEO and the Time Universal Forced Disney to Build Dinosaurs (Ep. 570)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Tv & Film, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A major leadership change headlines this week’s Disney Dish, as Disney officially names Josh D’Amaro its next CEO. Len and Jim break down what this move really means for the company, why Dana Walden’s new role matters just as much, and how this leadership shuffle could shape the future of Disney parks, entertainment, and creative decision-making. After a news-heavy first half, Jim then steps back in time to explain how Universal’s Jurassic Park strategy once forced Disney to rethink Animal Kingdom from the ground up. NEWS• Josh D’Amaro is named Disney’s next CEO, officially replacing Bob Iger• Dana Walden remains with the company as president and chief creative officer, easing industry concerns• Disney Parks earnings show strong spending but hint at softer attendance trends• New permits reveal expanded ferry capacity at the Magic Kingdom ahead of major land expansions• Disneyland-area bus service faces cancellation, raising guest transportation concerns FEATURE• How Universal’s Jurassic Park success pressured Disney in the 1990s• Why DinoLand USA moved ahead of Beastly Kingdom in Animal Kingdom’s original plans• How Disney used dinosaurs to counter Universal’s Islands of Adventure before it opened• Why the Indiana Jones ride system became the foundation for Dinosaur the Ride For this episode’s full show notes, click here. HOSTS• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Len Testa - Instagram: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com FOLLOW• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR The Disney Dish Podcast is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com from our friends at DVC Rental Store. If you’re looking for discounted Disney theme park tickets that can help boost your vacation budget, visit UnlockedMagic.com and start planning your next fairy tale adventure. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to another edition of the Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill. It's me, Len Testa.
0:04.9	And this is our show for the week of Shmursday, February 9th, 2026. On the show today, so much news,
0:11.2	plus listener questions and surveys. Then in our main segment, Jim takes a look back at the
0:16.0	role Universal Studios played in Dinosaur, The Ride, getting built at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
0:21.9	Let's get started by bringing in the man who's going to stand outside a fancy restaurant on Valentine's Day and yell,
0:27.0	well, you moved on pretty quick to random couples going inside.
0:30.6	It's Mr. Jim Hilt. Jim has it gone.
0:31.8	It's going well, Len.
0:32.9	But I wanted to take a moment here to pop the hood on the actual Saint Valentine, the really
0:38.8	frugal guy behind all those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.
0:42.6	And full name, Len, was Valentine of Tierney, clergyman in the third century, who ministered
0:50.7	to persecuted Christians, which unfortunately brought him to the attention of officials high up in the Roman Empire, which is why he wound up being martyred.
1:01.3	Jump ahead to the 8th century. This is when Valentine of Tierney gets elevated to sainthood.
1:07.9	And by the way, this is when the feast of St. Valentine gets started,
1:11.8	Glenn, a feast,
1:12.8	an actual feast. That explains the dinner component of dating, yeah, yeah, yeah. It does, but if you think about how many of us are, you know, we don't get the dinner. We get, what, if we're lucky, a box of Whitman's and a card. Back in the 8th century, full day of feasting.
1:28.5	It's like, we need to bring this back. a box of Whitman's in a card. Back in the 8th century, full day of feasting.
1:28.4	It's like, we need to bring this back.
1:31.4	To be fair, Jim, it did take 500 years for that feast to come around, so we've got some time.
1:36.1	All right, you're not wrong.
1:37.6	Okay, by the way, worth noting here, St. Valentine is not just the patron saint of love. He's also, you're going to enjoy this, Lynn. He's the patron saint of love.
1:44.6	He's also, you're going to enjoy this, Lynn.
	...

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