The Fireworks Villains Win, Plus the Final Mad Dash to Open EPCOT (Ep. 569)

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Leisure, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Jim and Len unpack a packed Disney Dish that starts with theme park news and surveys before taking a deep dive into the frantic, sleep-deprived final months of EPCOT Center construction. Along the way, they translate Disney survey-speak, speculate on where Pokémon could land at Universal, and stumble onto what might be the most diabolically smart fireworks idea Disney has never tried. NEWS • Disney’s guest surveys decoded - What EPCOT and resort questions really reveal about future cuts, changes, and monetization • Animal Kingdom and Disneyland food updates - Harambe Market speeds up its opening while Napa Rose returns with a $188 price tag • Pokemon at Universal - Why Springfield, Lost Continent, or Epic Universe are all in play • Cruise line discounts and CityWalk rethink - What Universal and Disney Cruise Line data gathering tells us about demand • A subtle Josh D’Amaro change - Could a missing voice hint at bigger leadership news? FEATURE • Inside EPCOT’s construction crunch - From 4,000 workers to 10,000 almost overnight • Why most builders had no idea what they were building - And how Disney fixed that problem • The overnight concrete pours and brutal schedules - 75 straight days on the job in Florida heat • How worker preview days helped push EPCOT across the finish line For this episode’s full show notes, click here. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com FOLLOW • Facebook: JimHillMediaNews • Instagram: JimHillMedia • TikTok: JimHillMedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR • Be Our Guest Vacations - beourguestvacations.com • DVC Rental Store - dvcrentalstore.com • DVC Resale Market - dvcresalemarket.com • Unlocked Magic - unlockedmagic.com 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	This is your latest project.
0:02.0	It's heavy with information, data and exactly 36 pages of waffle.
0:09.0	But with Acrobat Studio, you can create a PDF space,
0:13.0	an AI-powered workspace that turns documents into summaries and insights
0:17.0	and even generates reports or presentations out of it.
0:24.7	So you can cut through the waffle, work smarter, and save time.
0:26.6	Do that with Acrobat.
0:29.7	Learn more and try it out on adobe.com.
0:34.0	Welcome back to another edition of the Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill.
0:34.9	It's me, Len Testa.
0:38.2	And this is our show for the week of Shmursday, February 2nd, 2026. On the show today, news. In surveys, we translate some Disney terminology for you.
0:45.2	And listener questions, the greatest fireworks idea since gunpowder. Then in our main segment,
0:51.1	Jim continues the story of what Epcot construction was like in the hectic months before it opened.
0:56.5	Let's get started by bringing in the man who asks how his car's check engine light knows when he's finally got a little bit of money in the bank.
1:03.8	It's Mr. Jim Hill. Jim, how's he going?
1:05.3	It's going well, Lemon. I'm so glad you bring this topic up because, well, Nancy and I have a 2024 Super Roadback, and we largely bought
1:14.7	this car because it's a four-wheel drive and good road clearance, which is
1:18.0	crucial this time of year, especially we have to get up and down the driveway on
1:22.2	days when our plow guy is like, yeah, no, you're on, you're on.
1:25.9	But anyway, in the middle of the dashboard, there is this 11-inch touchscreen.
1:31.2	And I've got to tell you, for weeks now, it's been constantly telling me how far away I am from our local Rite Aid.
1:39.3	And never mind, Len, this door closed in July of 2025, or that I didn't really ever go to Rite Aid all that often. I'll just, I'll be in the car, I'll be driving, and then I'll look over at the thing, and it's like, and the car's like, hey, Jim, remember that Rite Aid Milford? It's only 2.3 miles from here. It's a three-minute drive.
	...

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.