The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

When Disneyland's big bet on Country Bear Jamboree falls short of expectations, Disney execs explore how to draw people back into this remote section of the park. Ideas included a stand-up Mark Twain show, a flume ride with shooting, moonshining bears, and a vampire-themed Halloween overlay for Country Bears itself. Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA. And yeah, Len messed up the order of this and the Frontierland episode.

Opened in the middle of America's fascination with all things western, Disneyland's Frontierland's attractions included everything from coonskin caps to fake gunfights in the "streets." As the space age dawned, however, Frontierland became less popular. Jim talks about the ideas Disney proposed to bring back the crowds, including everything from a "Top of the World" lounge to how Big Thunder Mountain got built, and what kind of expectations Disney has for the upcoming "Oz The Great and Powerful" film.Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA.

Hear how Pirates of the Caribbean was influenced by the 1964 World's Fair, why the Haunted Mansion is half funny, half scary, and how the Rivers of America ended up with two ships. Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA.

Hear how Disneyland got built, including never-used props for the Jungle Cruise, the concept of "plussing" and the low-tech trickery that Disney employees used on Walt while the Adventureland attractions were being built. Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA.

From why there are guns on Main Street to abandoned plans for a speakeasy, to the "Site of Future Sites," Main Street USA has had an interesting life. Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA.

This is one of Len's favorite episodes. Join Jim as he recounts what really inspired Walt to build Disneyland, from visiting Universal Studios through a full-scale mock-up of Gepetto's workshop. Recorded live at Disneyland. Presented by AAA.

Come with Jim and Len as they recount Disney's attempts to boost attendance at DCA, from live shows which lasted only a few weeks, through Little Mermaid, to the opening of Cars Land in 2012. Recorded live at Disney California Adventure. Presented by AAA.

Walk back through time inside DCA as Jim recalls how DCA got built, from how the lands were designed to how the specific attractions got built. Was Grizzly River Rapids originally designed as a Lewis and Clark attraction? What was the first long-range plan for Soarin'? And what kind of drugs were they on when they considered the idea of "Califia?" Recorded live at Disney California Adventure. Presented by AAA.

Go west, young people, and join Jim and Len as they walk through the history and construction of Disney's California Adventure and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. Recorded live at the Disneyland Resort. Presented by AAA.

Slap on your sunscreen and walk with Jim and Len through the evolution of Disney's water parks, from Fort Wilderness to Disney's short-lived Polynesian wave pool, to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Recorded live at each location. Presented by AAA.

Recorded live at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, walk with Jim and Len through the Wilderness Lodge lobby and explore the native artifacts before heading outside to the beach and Wilderness Lodge Villas. Presented by AAA.

Recorded on location at Fort Wilderness, Jim tells how Disney got the idea for this campground and how Fort Wilderness ultimately got built. Hear how the Hoop Dee Doo dinner show came to be, the original idea for River Country, and how Fort Wilderness inspired the Wilderness Lodge. Presented by AAA.

Jim talks about the possibility of moving the Studios' hat icon, dining at the Studios, the possibility of bringing Lord of the Rings to the Studios, and more.

Jim and Len discuss warthog spotting, Avatarland, and the politics of pandas at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Jim talks about the future of the ill-fated Habit Heroes at Innoventions; Figment's impact to Epcot merch; we give love to Agent P's World Showcase Adventure, and much more.