The Great Movie Ride, Carthay Circle, and the Cheesecake That Stole the Show (Ep. 574)

Jim Hill and Len Testa discuss Villains Land expansion permits, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster’s refurbishment timeline, and how negotiations over the Chinese Theatre helped shape Disney’s use of Carthay Circle as a park icon. Plus, listener questions, MuppetVision’s future on Apple Vision Pro, and a standout cheesecake discovery at Walt Disney World. 

NEWS

• Updated permits show Villains Land attractions expanding, with both the dark ride and coaster buildings increasing in size.

• Infrastructure work for Piston Peak and Villains Land is currently scheduled to be completed by December 2027.

• Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has closed for refurbishment, with a possible Memorial Day reopening target.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s refurbishment permit has been extended through August 31, 2026.

• Brian Henson says MuppetVision 3D is coming to Apple Vision Pro with selectable viewing seats.

• Len shares a rave review of the brulée Basque cheesecake at Bourbon Steak in the Walt Disney World Dolphin.

FEATURE

• Jim continues the history of The Great Movie Ride and Disney’s negotiations with theater owner Tedd Mann.

• The story explains why Disney insisted on calling the building simply the Chinese Theatre.

• Jim also details how the Carthay Circle Theatre eventually became the icon of Disney California Adventure.

• Early plans for the building included a ride, stage show, film attraction, and museum before it became a restaurant.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: https://www.instagram.com/JimHillMedia | X: https://twitter.com/JimHillMedia | Website: https://JimHillMedia.com

• Len Testa - IG: https://www.instagram.com/len.testa | Website: https://touringplans.com

FOLLOW

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SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

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