The Disney Decision That Cost Them Steven Spielberg (Ep. 103)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Tv & Film, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey unpack the surprising behind-the-scenes fallout that pushed Steven Spielberg away from Disney and deeper into Universal’s orbit, while also covering major changes coming to Universal Orlando. Plus, the duo explores the lost Casper dark ride that almost became Universal’s answer to Haunted Mansion. NEWS • Universal may finally be testing Epic Universe’s long-rumored “open hub” concept for convention guests visiting Celestial Park • Mythos Restaurant at Islands of Adventure is officially set to close in 2027 as Lost Continent transformation plans move forward • Rumors intensify that the Mystic Fountain may soon disappear from Islands of Adventure • Hot Dog Hall of Fame at CityWalk is reportedly closing, with Joey Fatone’s restaurant concept expected to take over the space • Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show delivers an emotional final performance before its temporary closure and refresh • Universal and UCF launch a new themed entertainment leadership program focused on training the next generation of park creatives • New details emerge about Shrek’s role inside Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas as Shrek 5 merchandise plans begin surfacing FEATURE • The untold story of how Steven Spielberg’s relationship with Disney soured after Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy • Why Universal’s early theme park struggles pushed Spielberg to become more deeply involved with Universal Studios Florida • The fascinating history of the canceled Casper dark ride that nearly became Universal’s version of Haunted Mansion • How Men in Black: Alien Attack ultimately replaced the planned Casper attraction HOSTS • Jim Hill X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia Instagram: @JimHillMedia Website: jimhillmedia.com • Eric Hersey X/Twitter: @erichersey Instagram: @erichersey Website: strongmindedagency.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 UnlockedMagic.com If you’re planning a trip to Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World, be sure to visit Unlocked Magic and save today: https://unlockedmagic.com/?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=epicjhm 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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0:54.1	Welcome back to the epic universal podcast.
0:56.9	I'm entertainment writer Jim Hill,
0:58.7	and this is the podcast.
1:00.6	We'll be covered the latest universal news, rumors, and history.
1:04.7	And as always, I'm joined by Eric Hersey.
1:07.8	And how are you this evening, Eric?
1:09.8	Hey, Jim, I don't even think I told you this yet.
1:11.6	This is breaking just like this episode. Jim, we have booked ourselves a night at the Grand Helios
1:17.3	and we're heading back to Epic in June for a day. Lauren was talking about this. Now, are you taking
1:23.0	advantage of that crazy price for the Helios? We sure are. We talked about it jokingly that on the last episode, like, oh, you don't really necessarily book your trip around one great rate. But yeah, we did. We decided that like, hey, if we're going to be able to a chance to stay at the helios, I think we got it for like $219 or something like that. So we are going to see what it's like. And the best part for me is I'm going to do the water ride, the, what is that, the one in the Isle of Burke, because I hate getting wet, but we'll go and we'll do the water ride. And then I'll just go right back, change, and come back. It's beautiful. Oh's, oh, wow. Okay.
	...

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