Why it took 25 years to change the name of King Stefan's Banquet Hall (Ep. 529)

The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Leisure, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.8 • 979 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Len Testa and Jim Hill dig into one of the strangest goofs in Disney history—how the restaurant inside Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom was originally named after the wrong king, and why it took over two decades (and a flood of guest complaints) to finally correct it. Also in this episode: The King Stefan Banquet Hall Backstory – Why Imagineering picked the wrong king in the first place—and how nobody caught it before opening day. Dave Smith and John Hench’s Awkward Phone Call – The archivist and the Imagineer have a polite, slightly painful conversation about medieval royalty. The 25th Anniversary Castle Cake Fallout – Why complaints about the Pepto-Bismol pink castle pushed Disney to rethink the restaurant’s name. How Cinderella’s Royal Table Was Finally Born – And how it became one of the most popular (and profitable) restaurants in all of Walt Disney World. Listener Questions and More – Updates on Disney and Universal surveys, Lightning Lane changes, and Epic Universe tips. It’s a story of castles, kings, and the longest game of "whoops" in Disney Parks history. SHOW NOTES Support Our Sponsors DVC Resale Market Thinking about joining the 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	Welcome back to another edition of the Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill. It's me, Len Testa, and this is our show for the week of Shmurs Day, April 28th, 2025. On the show today, news, including Disney's changes to Lightning Lane. Plus, what if living with the land was scary? Then in our main segment, it's the anniversary of Cinderella's Royal Table, and Jim Hill
0:22.4	tells us how it came to be. Let's get started by bringing in the man who says that some of
0:26.0	you never had the Bible's lessons on compassion beaten into you by nuns, and it shows. It's
0:32.1	Mr. Jim Hill. Jim has it going. It's going well, Len.
0:44.1	And by the way, my father, the late great Frank Hill, didn't try to instill some religious teachings on his four sons, but sadly, given it at that time anyway, my brothers and
0:49.0	I were in training to become the next four horsemen of the apocalypse.
0:52.3	Exactly.
0:53.6	By the way, Len, believe it or not, I was in line to become the next four horsemen of the apocalypse. Exactly. By the way,
0:54.5	Dylan, believe it or not, I was in line to become the next famine.
0:58.4	But sadly, too much.
0:59.6	After-school snacking killed that dream.
1:02.2	Anyway.
1:02.9	So close.
1:03.5	So close.
1:04.4	So close.
1:05.4	Anyway, after my brothers and I disrupted one too many Sunday services,
1:10.2	the Union Congregational Church in beautiful downtown Mayored, Massachusetts, and I disrupted one too many Sunday services, the Union Congregational Church
1:11.8	in beautiful downtown Maynard, Massachusetts.
1:14.8	And I'm not saying these two events are connected, Len, but given the Union Congregational
1:20.2	Church actually closed its doors back in 2017, and since become a cultural center,
1:25.2	you know, just coincidence.
1:26.9	They're saying, you know what?
	...

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