From Zootopia to the Matterhorn: Disney’s Big Swings and Small Details (Ep. 557)

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Leisure, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Len Testa and Jim Hill continue No Negative November with a look at Zootopia’s new 4D adventure, listener trip-planning wisdom, and the surprising book that inspired Disneyland’s first mountain. NEWS Zootopia: Better Zoo-gether debuts at Animal Kingdom — The Tree of Life theater gets a major refresh with a new story, water gags, and a charming Benjamin Clawhauser animatronic. Holiday highlights return — Tree of Life Awakenings now plays nightly thanks to early sunsets, and the beloved Merry Menagerie puppet experience returns November 14. Storytime with Santa Deadpool — A holiday twist hits Avengers Campus, complete with meta Christmas jokes and Greek Orthodox canon accuracy. Listener questions answered — From the best Bay Lake Tower villas for New Year’s Eve fireworks to whether it’s time for Tables in Wonderland to return. Disney’s shrinking parades — Why the Festival of Fantasy looks lighter on dancers and floats—and how Disney’s still managing two parades a day at Magic Kingdom. FEATURE The Making of the Matterhorn — Jim shares the wild story of how a 1950s family film led Walt Disney to send a postcard from Switzerland that simply said: “Build this.” How Banner in the Sky and Third Man on the Mountain inspired Walt’s alpine obsession. Why the Matterhorn nearly became a luge-style attraction (yes, really). The creative legacy of director Ken Annakin, whose films also led to Swiss Family Treehouse and Sleeping Beauty Castle. Full show notes available here: Show Notes HostsJim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.comLen Testa — BlueSky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.com Support the Show Love what we do? Support The Disney Dish on Patreon for exclusive bonus shows and early access: patreon.com/jimhillmedia Follow Us Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews | YouTube: @jimhillmedia | TikTok: @jimhillmedia Produced by Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agency Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Unlocked Magic, powered by DVC Rental Store. Save up to 10% on Disney park and event tickets, including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights — only at unlockedmagic.com. 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, Lan Testa, and this is our show for the week of Shmurs Day, November 10th, 2025. On the show today, in news, we review Zootopia, Better Zugether, and lots of listener questions around trip planning. Then in our main segment, Jim tells us how Disney built its first mountain, the Matterhorn. Let's get started by bringing in the man who says,
0:23.0	people who use the wrong words should have the humidity to admit it.
0:26.6	Please welcome Mr. Jim Hill.
0:27.6	Jim, has it going?
0:28.2	Okay, okay, Lynn.
0:29.5	I will admit to our Disney dish listeners that I, by the way,
0:33.6	I consider a very extinguished audience.
0:36.3	Sometimes I misspeak myself.
0:38.9	You know, did I say a word or a phrase that's close to what I meant to say? But is it exactly
0:43.7	correct? But that is something we should all perspire to. Isn't it getting the words right?
0:49.8	By the way, Lan, I stole those last two jokes from Norm Crosby, the Master of Malaproops.
0:55.8	Born in Boston, 1927.
0:58.7	We lost him five years ago, this week, actually, at 93.
1:03.8	And the very best Norm Crosby joke, Len, I know you love this, is like, when you go to court,
1:10.7	you are putting your
1:11.4	fate in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty. Exactly.
1:18.9	Even worse, people who might want to be there.
1:21.5	Oh, yeah. Yes. I love those free lunches. There we go.
1:25.9	Oh, fantastic. Fantastic.
1:29.3	All right, Jim, let's do a quick shout out to subscribers.
1:33.5	Thanks to everyone who subscribes to the show over at patreon.com slash Gmail media,
1:40.5	including Bob Boyd, Carol Cantwell, Chris Heisel, Chris Jefferson, Chris Payne, and Craig Groff Folsom.
	...

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