Eisner Unfiltered, Disney’s AI Investment, Savannah Bananas & $449 Lightning Lanes (Ep. 5)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Tv & Film

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Michael Eisner returns to the Disney spotlight in a surprisingly candid, long-form interview that has fans buzzing. Lauren and Eric break down Eisner’s comments on park pricing, Bob Chapek, AI, and the future of Disney leadership - plus what it means in today’s theme park landscape. Then, the Savannah Bananas bring Banana Ball back to Disneyland, and Lightning Lane Premier Pass sells out for seven straight days at Walt Disney World. Is Disney’s most expensive skip-the-line option here to stay? HIGHLIGHTS Michael Eisner sits down with Graham Bensinger for his most in-depth Disney interview in years, sharing candid thoughts on leadership transitions, pricing, and the modern company. Eisner describes the Chapek era as “a marriage made in hell” while praising Bob Iger’s succession and leadership instincts. Disney confirms a $1 billion AI investment and partnership with OpenAI, with plans to explore internal tools, advertising analytics, and controlled character licensing for AI-generated content. Lightning Lane Premier Pass sells out for seven consecutive days at Magic Kingdom during Presidents Day week, with prices reaching up to $449 per person plus tax. The Savannah Bananas return to Disneyland on March 26, bringing Banana Ball energy, cavalcades, and castle-front performances to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The Bananas’ fan-first model, viral growth, and MLB stadium sellouts make them a natural marketing match for Disney’s experiential brand strategy. For this episode’s full show notes, ⁠click here⁠. HOSTS Eric Hersey – X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erichersey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erichersey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Lauren Hersey – X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@laurenhersey2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lauren_hersey_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW – DIS & HERS Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DisAndHers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@disandhers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@disandhers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dis and Hers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dis & Hers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW – JIM HILL MEDIA Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMediaNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited & Produced by Eric Hersey – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strong Minded Agency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The Premier League is exciting.
0:04.0	It's exhilarating.
0:08.0	And sometimes it's...
0:11.0	So when you need something to help you ride the highest and loads of all that action,
0:17.0	grab a Coke to keep you in the game.
0:20.0	Time to refresh.
0:21.8	Time for a Coke.
0:23.8	Coca-Cola, official partner of the Premier League.
0:45.9	Welcome to Diz and Hears, the show about what's happening in the Disney community from his, hers, and your perspective.
0:46.7	I'm Lauren.
0:54.2	And I'm Eric, and on the show today, Michael Eisner just gave his most candid interview in decades, and he did not hold back.
0:57.5	Disney is making billion-dollar AI moves.
1:02.7	The Savannah bananas are bringing banana ball back to Disneyland for one high-energy day,
1:07.7	and Lightning Lane Premier Pass is selling out during one of the busiest weeks of the year.
1:10.0	The question is, would you pay for it? That and more on the show today,
1:13.9	but I think, Lauren, you and I are both excited about this first story. Yes, I mean, like,
1:19.5	if you're a Michael Eisner fan, like Eric and I are, this is the stuff that makes your heart
1:24.6	go pitter-patter. So here recently, Michael Eisner sat down with
1:29.5	Graham Benzinger on the in-depth with Graham Benzinger show. And we were watching it on YouTube.
1:37.1	And the way we even stumbled upon it was kind of funny because, you know, Eric and I are searching,
1:42.0	I'd say monthly or like anything to, Michael Eisner, right? Well, monthly is a little hardcore, but no, it's in our safe search. A lot of times I'll just type in Michael Eisner, especially, you know, early on maybe years ago. Because we just wanted to watch a bunch of his stuff. And we always stumble upon, like, some of the documentaries that talk about some of his stuff.
2:01.5	What was the one we were just recently watching?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jim Hill Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.