Villains, Funhouses, and the Alice Ride That Was Almost Too Dangerous to Build (Ep. 528)

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Leisure, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.8 • 979 Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Len Testa, Jim Hill, and Imagineer Jim Shull dig into the wild, weird, and wonderfully unsafe history of Disney’s unbuilt Alice in Wonderland walkthrough attraction—complete with collapsing stairs, spinning barrels, and push-bag trees. Also in this episode: Disneyland’s Funhouse That Never Was – Concept art and site plans reveal a walkthrough filled with rotating platforms, disorienting ramps, and a healthy disregard for OSHA. Why Alice’s Walkthrough Got the Axe – Was it the cost, the chaos, or the fact that guests might leave with concussions and playing cards in their pockets? Alice’s Maze Lives On – How elements of the walkthrough survived in Paris and Shanghai—hedges, live-action inspiration, and all. Buzz Lightyear’s Costume Was a Health Risk – The original walk-around suit nearly wrecked cast members’ backs and required Disney to cover chiropractor visits. Everest and the Yeti (Still Broken) – Jim Shull gives the latest on Disco Yeti, ride longevity, and why any real fix won’t happen until Expedition Everest hits its track expiration date. Universal’s Deep Survey Dive – A guest poll so long and personal it should’ve come with a HIPAA notice. From fantasy to funhouse nightmares, and from Buzz to barrel rolls, this week’s show explores the wildest ideas Disney never built—and the things they probably shouldn't have. SHOW NOTES Support Our Sponsors DVC Resale Market Thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club or selling your contract? DVC Resale Market is the leader in the secondary market, with over 70,000 satisfied DVC members. Their expert team of 21 former DVC Cast Members brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to every transaction, making buying or selling DVC simple and stress-free. Learn More DVC Rental Store Dreaming of deluxe Disney accommodations at a fraction of the cost? The DVC Rental Store connects guests with incredible savings on Disney Vacation Club resorts. Whether you’re a DVC member looking to rent your points or a guest looking to stay in style, the DVC Rental Store offers a seamless process for both. Don’t forget—they also offer exciting point swaps for unforgettable experiences like cruises and adventures! Learn More Be Our Guest Vacations Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress. Learn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Drawn to Life, the groundbreaking live stage show at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida,
0:04.9	has been dazzling visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort for more than three years now.
0:09.8	This family-friendly extravaganza, which really has to be seen to be believed,
0:14.0	seamlessly blends pieces of classic Disney animation with mind-blowing live acrobatics.
0:19.2	Drawn to Life is presented Wednesday through Sunday on the west side of Disney Springs.
0:23.3	This shopping, dining, and entertainment complex is open to anyone visiting Central Florida, and parking is free.
0:29.2	Again, that's Drawn to Life, live on stage at Disney Springs in Orlando.
0:34.6	Welcome back to another edition of the Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill.
0:38.3	It's me, Lantessa, and this is our show for the week of Shmursday, April 21st, 2025.
0:43.7	On the show today, news, listener questions, and a new universal survey with so many psychological questions, it should come with a copay.
0:52.3	Then in our main segment, Jim and special guest, Jim Scholl, give us the history of Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland attraction. Let's get started by bringing in the man who says biologists are just a bunch of cells that talk about other cells. It's Mr. Jim Hill. Jim, how's it going?
1:06.9	It's going well, Len, and And take a moment to appreciate the cell.
1:14.8	First discovered by Robert Hook back in 1665.
1:29.1	Mr. Hook took a super thin slice of cork, put it under microscope, and noticed all of these box-like structures, which to Hook's way of thinking looked an awful lot like those teeny tiny rooms that monks stay in when they're studying and worshiping at a monastery.
1:31.7	By the way, these two types of cells actually have a lot more in common than you might realize,
1:37.0	Lenn.
1:37.1	If you can get your hand on a really good microscope and then peer down through the cell's plasma membrane into the cytoplasm, you'll
1:46.0	sometimes see floating in the background this teeny tiny, itty-bitty red rectangle, and that,
1:52.9	my friend, is the world's smallest Gideon Bible.
1:59.2	Not entirely sure how Gideon International, that same organization that puts religious
2:05.0	literature in hotels and prisons and hospital. I'm not sure how they pull it off.
2:10.5	Maybe we now know what became of that probe vehicle that they used to use in Body Wars.
	...

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