The Knight in the Haunted Mansion to The Great Movie Ride Origins (Ep. 571)

Jim and Len dig into multimodal transportation news, Epic Universe’s shifting early entry lineup, and a possible successor to Josh D’Amaro before launching a new series on the history of The Great Movie Ride - including how a live performer in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion helped inspire one of Disney-MGM Studios’ most ambitious opening-day attractions.

NEWS
• Universal selects The Boring Company to develop a resort-wide transportation system connecting parks and hotels
• Epic Universe quietly reshuffles early park admission offerings mid-month
• Natasha Rafalski emerges as a potential future leader of Disney Experiences
• Garden Rocks concert lineup shifts major acts to Friday through Monday dates
• Walt Disney World files permits tied to updates at Carousel of Progress

FEATURE
• How a live “Knight” performer inside Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1985 influenced Michael Eisner
• The Main Street Cinema’s Phantom of the Opera stunt and its connection to Universal Studios’ early tram tour
• The risks and guest reactions that ended the Haunted Mansion live-performer experiment
• The origins of The Great Movie Ride’s ambitious blend of live actors and animatronics

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

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Website: TouringPlans.com

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. Save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets at UnlockedMagic.com.

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