Inside IAAPA 2025: Big Rides, Bold Tech, and the Industry’s Next Moves (Ep. 559)

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Leisure, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 November 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Len Testa, Jim Hill, and veteran Imagineer Jim Shull hit the IAAPA Expo show floor in Orlando, exploring the newest ride systems, vendor innovations, and behind-the-scenes stories fueling the future of themed entertainment. NEWS A look at how IAAPA blends professional showcase, industry reunion, and pop-up amusement park—complete with traffic, parking challenges, and surprises at every booth. Zamperla’s full-size demo of its new interactive “flap-to-fly” ride, where sensors track arm movements to lift riders higher. The stacked-track, heart-shaped family coaster concept designed to fit high-capacity thrills into a tiny footprint. Mack Rides’ water-coaster hybrid for Dollywood: a tracked boat that transitions between basins, rapids, and coaster moments. The debut of brand-new industry tech, including an AI park-operations platform launched just two weeks earlier—so new the vendor couldn’t answer most questions yet. Why Imagineers were quietly examining faux-fossil rockwork in a small booth—possible clues to future projects. A vendor’s dramatic countdown-clock presentation that fell apart when no one realized the microphone was dead. The team’s ongoing quest for pickle-flavored cotton candy and other baffling IAAPA food innovations. Len’s impromptu pitch to Doppelmayr about Universal’s transportation RFQ—and the unexpectedly enthusiastic response. Why IAAPA acts as “old home week” for themed entertainment pros, with surprise run-ins, backstage conversations, and stories that won’t be public for years. Full show notes available here: Show Notes Hosts Len Testa — BlueSky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.comJim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.comJim Shull (Veteran Imagineer) — X/Twitter: @JimShull | YouTube: @jimhshull | Website: jimhshull.com Patreon Support the Disney Dish and get exclusive content, early episodes, and behind-the-scenes stories. Join us at:https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ Follow Us Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia Producer Credits Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agencyhttps://strongmindedagency.com Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Unlocked Magic, from the team at DVC Rental Store — offering discounted Disney theme park tickets, including special events. Save on your next trip with Unlocked Magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:27.7	slash setup welcome back to another edition of the Disney dish podcast with Jim Hill
0:33.2	it's me Lan Testa and we are live at the IA Convention in Orlando, Florida, here in mid-November.
0:40.8	I'm joined by Mr. Jim Scholl.
0:43.1	Jim has it gone?
0:43.8	I'm going to challenge that idea that we're here live.
0:46.5	We just stepped off from our first circuit of the show floor, and my dogs are screaming.
0:53.4	I wore sneakers today, along my, with my business, uh, casual attire to,
0:58.8	uh, to save my feet.
1:00.5	We're also here with, uh, Mr. Chimhill, Jim has it gone.
1:02.5	It's going well, but, uh, these gentlemen are correct.
1:05.3	I mean, Iyappa is both a delight and an ordeal.
1:09.9	I mean, just driving in today, dealing with the traffic,
1:13.1	kind of finding parking. It was like going to a Disney theme park. There's something to see every 10
1:17.8	feet. And then the parking was a challenge. The thing that I love, though, and this is sort of my
1:23.0	experience, it's different from you guys, and for our listeners, being with Jim and Jim in IAPA is like being in a world where there are no non-disclosure agreements.
1:34.3	Like I'm walking with Jim and I have to remind Jim Hill, like, Jim, you're not supposed to know this person. You can't be asking about their family or the Thanksgiving plans because I'm standing with their assistant saying Jim Hill has never met this person before in their entire life. He just stalks them on Facebook. We're thinking about getting his medication changed. And Jim's over there like, oh, yeah, the twins coming up from school, you go to the parents' lake house? And then Jim Scholl, every 10 minutes, somebody's like,
2:01.7	oh, I worked with you on this project, let me tell you about what we're doing.
	...

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