Best Kingdom University Network Podcasts (2025)

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The Orlando Theme Park That Made Jaws 3D Possible (Ep. 64) 52:16

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5h ago52:16

52:16

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with a jam-packed episode of the Epic Universal Podcast, starting with a surprising WWE–Disney streaming deal and ending with a behind-the-scenes look at the wild production of Jaws 3D. From scare zones to SeaWorld, this week’s show has it all. WWE’s $1.625 billion ESPN+ deal and what it means for fans and streaming …

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Jim Hill’s Big Break and his Untold Origin Story (Ep. 60) 47:26

2h ago47:26

47:26

Jim and Lauren serve up a feast of Disney news, collectibles, and one unforgettable personal tale. Recap of Disney’s quarterly earnings call, including streaming’s first profitable quarter Details on Hulu’s full integration into Disney+ by 2026 and the shift away from subscriber count reporting Hidden perks for Disney+ subscribers, including a free…

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From Dog Stars to “Fixed” and What’s Next for The Bad Guys (Ep. 319) 44:41

1d ago44:41

44:41

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with another jam-packed episode of Fine Tooning, covering everything from Sirius the Dog Star to the latest in animated film and TV news. This week’s stories span box office winners, Netflix premieres, and the challenges of recasting beloved characters. • The history of the “Dog Days of Summer” and why Sirius is more…

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Disney’s Big Earnings Surprises and the Pirate Makeover of Magic Kingdom (Ep. 544) 45:32

2d ago45:32

45:32

Len Testa and Jim Hill break down Disney’s latest earnings call, including park attendance trends, hotel occupancy shifts, and how Epic Universe may be quietly impacting Orlando tourism. They also review a fascinating new Disney Cruise Line survey that tests potential discounts and onboard perks — plus what those offers could mean for future sailin…

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Disney’s Big Earnings Surprises and the Pirate Makeover of Magic Kingdom (Ep. 544) 45:32

2d ago45:32

45:32

Len Testa and Jim Hill break down Disney’s latest earnings call, including park attendance trends, hotel occupancy shifts, and how Epic Universe may be quietly impacting Orlando tourism. They also review a fascinating new Disney Cruise Line survey that tests potential discounts and onboard perks, as well as what those offers could mean for future s…

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Charting the Future of Epic Universe with Parklore’s Brian Krosnick (Ep. 63) 1:08:48

5d ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with a packed episode of the Epic Universal Podcast featuring news from Universal Orlando, Hollywood, and Las Vegas - plus a deep-dive interview with Brian Krosnick, the creative force behind Parklore. First, the guys pay tribute to Rip Ride Rockit as its closure looms, reminisce about secret soundtracks, and preview…

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How Walt Disney Turned Orange Juice and Peanut Butter into Theme Parks (Ep. 59) 58:14

6d ago58:14

58:14

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey trace the surprising origins of Disney’s licensing empire - back to a time when Walt needed just $300 to keep the studio running. From the Alice Comedies to Donald Duck orange juice and Peter Pan peanut butter, this episode explores how early merchandise deals weren’t just about profit - they were survival. Jim unpacks ho…

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How “The Simpsons” Took Over America (with Author Alan Siegel) (Ep. 318) 59:13

8d ago59:13

59:13

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down with Alan Siegel from The Ringer to discuss his new book Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television and America Forever. Together, they revisit how Matt Groening’s crude interstitials on The Tracey Ullman Show evolved into a cultural juggernaut, what nearly derailed the series b…

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From Disney Food Blog to Bookstore Shelves: AJ Wolfe’s Disney Adults (Ep. 543) 48:36

9d ago48:36

48:36

While Len Testa enjoys a well-earned week off, Jim Hill is joined by special guest AJ Wolfe of the Disney Food Blog to talk about her new book Disney Adults: Exploring and Falling in Love with a Magical Subculture. But first, Jim shares updates from around Walt Disney World, including real demolition progress for the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster, the…

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From Disney Food Blog to Bookstore Shelves: AJ Wolfe’s Disney Adults (Ep. 543) 48:36

10d ago48:36

48:36

While Len Testa enjoys a well-earned week off, Jim Hill is joined by special guest AJ Wolfe of the Disney Food Blog to talk about her new book Disney Adults: Exploring and Falling in Love with a Magical Subculture. But first, Jim shares updates from around Walt Disney World, including real demolition progress for the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster, the…

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Sarah E. K. Smith, "Trading on Art: Cultural Diplomacy and Free Trade in North America" (UBC Press, 2025) 35:00

11d ago35:00

35:00

hat is the relationship between culture and trade? In Trading on Art: Cultural Diplomacy and Free Trade in North America Sarah E. K. Smith, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University and the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Art, Culture and Global Relations, examines the history of cultural relatio…

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Manufacturing the Magic: Drawing up plans for Disneyland 24:14

12d ago24:14

24:14

In the 19th installment of this educational series, Shelly & Noe Valladolid talk about what happened in September of 1953 prior to Roy O. Disney’s fateful flight out to NYC. They also talk about how the material that Walt’s brother showed to executives at CBS, NBC & ABC to sell them on Disneyland was created. Throughout this episode, listeners will…

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Epic Universe at Capacity: What Changes When the Park Sells Out? (Ep. 62) 1:03:47

13d ago1:03:47

1:03:47

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return from a summer packed with parks, previews, and one sold-out Friday at Epic Universe. In this episode, the duo reflects on the dramatic changes between their April preview visit and a mid-July return - sharing firsthand insight on crowd flow, character absences, ride downtime, and that sweltering Florida heat. From WW…

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Nine Parks, Five Hotels, and a Whole Lotta Merch (Ep. 58) 45:48

15d ago45:48

45:48

Lauren returns from an epic summer road trip across nine parks and five hotels, with stories (and shopping bags) in tow. She and Jim break down: The best-kept secret for scoring free Disney water park access How the new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom stacks up (and where to sit) What it’s really like inside Disney’s exclusive Property Control st…

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Chris Sanders Returns for Lilo & Stitch 2 After Billion-Dollar Success (Ep. 317) 43:03

16d ago43:03

43:03

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor wrap up July with box office milestones, Comic-Con exclusives, and some major animation developments: Chris Sanders returns to write Lilo & Stitch 2 – After the billion-dollar success of the live-action film, Disney is moving forward with a sequel, with Sanders bringing fresh ideas from the …

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Disney Starlight gets off to a strong start at WDW’s Magic Kingdom (Ep. 542) 1:08:16

18d ago1:08:16

1:08:16

Len Testa & Jim Hill start this week’s episode by taking a close look at the recently announced plans to revamp the Animation Courtyard area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They then continue their interview with Don Hahn & Chris Merritt, the authors of “The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland” For this episode,…

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: Disney Starlight gets off to a strong start at WDW’s Magic Kingdom (Ep 542) 1:08:16

18d ago1:08:16

1:08:16

Len Testa & Jim Hill start this week’s episode by taking a close look at the recently announced plans to revamp the Animation Courtyard area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They then continue their interview with Don Hahn & Chris Merritt, the authors of “The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland” For this episode,…

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When Jaws 3 Almost Became a National Lampoon Movie (Ep. 61) 53:50

20d ago53:50

53:50

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with the latest from Universal Parks and the unbelievable story of how Jaws 3 nearly became a full-blown comedy. From Spielberg’s pivot to Close Encounters to the moment Universal almost partnered with National Lampoon, this episode unpacks the sequel that nearly torpedoed the franchise before it began. This week’s h…

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When Bugs Bunny Snuck Into a Disneyland Board Game (Ep. 57) 41:51

22d ago41:51

41:51

In this packed episode of I Want That Too, Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey tackle everything from the ZOMBIES 4 merch drought to the 52-item Haunted Mansion collection and the bittersweet farewell line for Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur ride. But the real surprise? A 1950s Disneyland board game that may have smuggled in Bugs Bunny. Plus, Jim dives into the e…

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Get ready for a very animated San Diego Comic-Con (Ep. 316) 55:24

24d ago55:24

55:24

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s episode by discussing “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” that new show at Disneyland Park in Anaheim. examineThey then look at how Paramount Pictures’ new “Smurfs” film performed at the domestic box office. For this episode, listeners will learn about: Who did Chris Buck & Kevin Lima originally want to voice Ta…

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Epic Universe wants to know when exactly you plan on visiting (Ep. 541) 1:01:30

24d ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Len Testa & Jim Hill welcome Don Hahn & Chris Merrit, the authors of “The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland.” This show kicks off a two-part interview that reveals how Walt’s family fun park first came to be. For this episode, listeners will learn about: Who bought the very first admission to Disneyland Park …

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Epic Universe wants to know when exactly you plan on visiting (Ep 541) 1:01:30

25d ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Len Testa & Jim Hill welcome Don Hahn & Chris Merrit, the authors of “The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland.” This show kicks off a two-part interview that reveals how Walt’s family fun park first came to be. For this episode, listeners will learn about: Who bought the very first admission to Disneyland Park …

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Michael John Witgen, "Seeing Red: Indigenous Land, American Expansion, and the Political Economy of Plunder in North America" (UNC Press, 2021) 59:32

24d ago59:32

59:32

Against long odds, the Anishinaabeg resisted removal, retaining much of their land in the Old Northwest—what’s now Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Their success rested partly on their roles as sellers of natural resources and buyers of trade goods, which made them key players in the political economy of plunder that drove white settlement and U…

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The Studio, the Sequel, and the Great White That Ate the Budget (Ep. 60) 44:13

28d ago44:13

44:13

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with a jam-packed episode that swings from Halloween Horror Nights updates to the troubled legacy of Jaws 2. First, they unpack the latest HHN announcements, including the debut of the Terrifier haunted house and the moody new scare zone, Origins of Horror. Eric finally learns the difference between houses and zones …

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From TV Screens to Main Street: Walt’s Media Master Plan (Ep. 56) 44:35

29d ago44:35

44:35

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey are back with a full dose of Disney merch, from the long-awaited debut of the Starlight Dream the Night Away parade to a viral collector toy that's creeping its way into the parks. Lauren breaks down everything she’s learned about La Boo Boos (and their knockoff cousins), while Jim connects the dots between Disney’s 1950s…

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Rebecca George, Radical Radicance Founder 51:58

28d ago51:58

51:58

Rebecca George is the founder of Radical Radiance® - a podcast community where listeners are equipped to blend what they love with the Jesus who makes them shine. She is a podcaster, speaker, and author whose greatest joy in life is discipling others to pursue their passions in a way that builds the Kingdom. In her free time, you can find her runni…

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SpongeBob Returns with Flying Dutchman and a Star-Studded Teaser (Ep. 315) 43:22

1M ago43:22

43:22

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into a wide-ranging conversation about box office trends, Comic-Con reveals, and the growing debate around casting A-list celebrities in animated films. Highlights include: Paramount debuts the first teaser for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants – Mark Hamill joins as the Flying…

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The Jack Sparrow Problem Disney Didn’t See Coming (Ep. 540) 54:04

1M ago54:04

54:04

Len Testa and Jim Hill look at Disney’s latest surveys, hotel rumors, and Halloween Horror Nights announcements—then plunge into the second half of their deep-dive on Pirates of the Caribbean. This time, Jim reveals how Disney navigated a real-life guest frenzy over Captain Jack Sparrow, the surprisingly expensive costume drama that followed, and t…

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The Jack Sparrow Problem Disney Didn’t See Coming (Ep. 540) 54:04

1M ago54:04

54:04

Len Testa and Jim Hill look at Disney’s latest surveys, hotel rumors, and Halloween Horror Nights announcements—then plunge into the second half of their deep-dive on Pirates of the Caribbean. This time, Jim reveals how Disney navigated a real-life guest frenzy over Captain Jack Sparrow, the surprisingly expensive costume drama that followed, and t…