Hotels on Top of Attractions, Muppets at 60 MPH, and the Return of Deluxe Dining (Ep. 580)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Tv & Film

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Len Testa and Jim Hill sprint through a packed week of Disney and Universal news, from Rock 'n' Roller Coaster's Muppets makeover to the return of Walt Disney World's deluxe dining plan. Along the way, they dig into Universal's new day-of Express offering, answer listener questions about everything from BioReconstruct to Main Street nostalgia, and somehow still find room for pistachio-based trauma. In the main segment, Jim continues the fascinating story of Disney's ambitious "Live the Dream" concept for Disneyland's second gate, including the idea of building hotels directly on top of attractions. NEWS • Disney has officially brought back the deluxe dining plan for 2027, adding a higher-end option as the company looks for new ways to fill table-service restaurants. • Rock 'n' Roller Coaster reopens on May 26, 2026, with the Electric Mayhem taking over the ride and a set list that mixes classic rock with a few curveballs. • Celebrity cameos for the reimagined coaster include Awkwafina, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Wayne Brady, Travis Barker, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Trejo, Darren Criss, and Weird Al Yankovic. • A rumor out of Adventureland suggests that completing A Pirate's Adventure may once again unlock a Lightning Lane for Pirates of the Caribbean. • Universal Orlando has launched Universal Express Now, a smartphone-based, day-of skip-the-line option that sounds a bit like Lightning Lane's less patient cousin. FEATURE • Jim continues the history of Disneyland's "Live the Dream" project, a bold expansion concept tied to the resort's long-discussed second park. • This chapter explores Disney's growing realization that hotels were a license to print money, especially after the company began operating its own resorts. • The episode also connects that thinking to Anaheim's old "Disney cone" zoning rules, which helped protect Disneyland's sightlines from looming high-rises. • Most intriguingly, Jim tees up the wildest part of the story: a version of Disneyland's future where hotels would have been built directly above attractions. For this episode's show notes click here. HOSTS • Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.com • Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.com FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR • Today's episode is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com, with discounted theme park tickets for Disney's newest and reopening attractions. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ 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 Tasta,
0:04.8	and this is our show for the week of Shmurs Day, April 20th, 2026. On the show today,
0:09.9	rock and roller coasters opening date and set list. The deluxe dining plan returns and Universal
0:15.2	Express News, plus listener questions. Then in our main segment, Jim continues the history
0:19.8	of Disney's Live the Dream Project for Disneyland's second themeark with hotels built on top of attractions.
0:26.2	Let's get started by bringing in the man who asks why scientists settled on the word
0:30.3	invertebrate when non-spionary was right there. It's Mr. Jim Hill. Jim has he going.
0:34.7	It's going well, Len, and Spinerary makes me think of spine, which makes me think of walking upright, which, by the way,
0:41.0	we as a species have only supposedly been doing for six or seven million years.
0:46.8	And, you know, the way it was explained to me that this really became important to people
0:52.2	about the same time that they began putting candy in the checkout aisle at, you know, at stores.
0:58.5	Suddenly, standing upright meant that you'd see a wider set of options.
1:02.5	I'm with you, yeah.
1:03.2	That's exactly.
1:04.0	And speaking of which, when exactly did Dubai chocolate?
1:09.2	You know, I mean, a year ago, this was nowhere. I asked more than this question. Like, my first question was, well, what is it? Yeah, yeah. And apparently it's chocolate mixed with other things like pistachio. I'm like, okay, fine, but that's a movement. That's a thing? Like, we call that Cadbury where I come from. Okay, whatever. Yeah, I mean, it just said, you know,
1:28.6	the notion that I now encounter it everywhere I go, and it's like, Glenn, I don't know if I
1:34.9	necessarily need this much pistachio in my life, you know? I mean, I'd gotten along pretty well,
1:40.3	like an occasional muffin, you know, but now it's like 24-7, have you had your pistachios today? It's a lot. And Laurel and I have commented on it as well. Have you tried the chocolate? I have. And? Well, you know, it's kind of like somebody took a chocolate bar and a handful of lawn clippings. It's herbaceous. It's vegetal. Is that what you're saying? There we go! There we go. All right. Well, thank you for the report. I think I'll pass on this. Okay. A very smart move on your part. All right, Jim, let's do a quick shout out to our subscribers. Thanks to everyone who subscribes to the show over at patreon.com slash jimhael media,
2:18.2	including Christine Jones, Kevin Horn, Andy Winecke, Greg Daley, Nate Yelton, and Holly Tarren.
2:23.9	Jim, this is Disney's culinary team coming up with themed jelly beans.
2:28.0	For Disney's new Villainsland, the first batch of test flavors includes Maleficent,
	...

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