Dis & Hers is a Disney podcast where real conversations from the Disney community meet honest opinions.
This show is not about ride strategies, Lightning Lane tutorials, or park basics. Instead, Eric and Lauren focus on the culture around Disney - what fans are debating online, what’s trending on Reddit, TikTok, and X, and the questions people keep asking but rarely get straight answers to.
Using real-time online conversations, search behavior, and firsthand experience, Dis & Hers explores the bigger picture behind Disney decisions and fan reactions - sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, and always keeping it honest.
Are Disney Annual Passholders Still Worth It? (Ep. 37)
Bob Chapek’s new book has reopened one of Disney Parks’ trickiest debates: just how valuable are annual passholders? Lauren and Eric break down the math behind Disneyland Magic Keys and Walt Disney World annual passes, including Disney’s latest price increases, break-even points, crowding concerns, and the difference between loyal locals and once-in-a-lifetime vacationers. They also examine whether Disney risks alienating its biggest fans by focusing too heavily on per-visit spending.
NEWS
• Walt Disney World raises annual pass prices for the fourth consecutive October, including another increase for the top-tier Incredi-Pass.
• Disneyland leaves Magic Key prices unchanged while increasing select ticket and Lightning Lane prices.
• Bob Chapek’s new book revisits Disney’s concerns over annual passholders, park capacity, and per-guest spending.
• Chapek says some Disneyland annual passholders once visited as many as 200 days per year.
• Disney’s past comments about a more “favorable guest and ticket mix” raise new questions about how the company values passholders.
• Lauren and Eric compare Disneyland and Walt Disney World annual pass economics, including how many visits it takes to break even.
• Disneyland’s regional audience helps explain why annual passholders can have a much larger effect on crowding and capacity.
• The hosts debate whether frequent passholders may still generate more annual revenue than higher-spending vacation guests.
• Annual passholders also serve as unofficial Disney marketers, sharing park experiences and helping fuel interest among friends and family.
HOSTS
• Lauren Hersey - X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2 | Instagram: @lauren_hersey_
• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Eric Hersey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 Oct 2026
When Disney Theming Goes Minimalist (Ep. 36)
Disney built its reputation on immersive environments, elaborate backstories, and spaces where even the smallest details help tell a story. This week, Lauren and Eric look at the newly remodeled Disney Wonders store at Disneyland Paris and ask whether Disney's push toward modern minimalism is stripping away some of the personality fans expect. From the richly themed Disney Stores of the 1990s to Animal Kingdom Lodge, Cars Land, World Showcase, and Pandora, they explore what makes great theming work and why people notice immediately when it is missing. Plus, they consider whether changing tastes, operating costs, and the next generation of shoppers could eventually push themed retail back in the opposite direction.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Disneyland Paris replaces a heavily themed 1990s-era Disney Store with the more minimalist Disney Wonders boutique.
• Lauren and Eric ask why modern Disney retail spaces increasingly resemble contemporary malls rather than immersive Disney environments.
• A look back at the maximalist theming of classic Disney Stores, restaurants, and entertainment destinations from the 1990s.
• Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, Port Orleans, and other resorts show how detailed storytelling can transform a space.
• Pandora, Cars Land, Liberty Square, World Showcase, and even Universal's Harry Potter lands demonstrate what happens when designers fully commit to a theme.
HOSTS
• Lauren Hersey - X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2 | Instagram: @lauren_hersey_
• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | Website: strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Sept 2026
Disney Parks Are Rethinking How You Wait in Line (Ep. 35)
Disney is changing how guests spend - and skip - their time in line. Lauren and Eric look at the retirement of the Disney Play Parks app, what could happen to interactive experiences like Galaxy’s Edge and DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, and the many ways families keep themselves occupied while waiting for attractions. Then they head to Animal Kingdom, where Expedition Everest has ended its longtime single rider option, raising questions about whether Disney is beginning to rethink single rider lines across Walt Disney World.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The Disney Play Parks app officially retired on September 16, ending years of interactive games, trivia, and in-park experiences.
• Lauren and Eric explore what the shutdown could mean for Galaxy’s Edge activities, Soarin’ trivia, DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, and future MagicBand+ integration.
• From Heads Up! and Hidden Mickeys to editing vacation photos, they look at the many ways guests keep themselves occupied in Disney attraction queues.
• Expedition Everest has discontinued its single rider line as Disney tests a different loading process designed to improve standby efficiency.
• Could staffing, queue design, loading efficiency, and Lightning Lane strategy lead Disney to rethink single rider lines at attractions across Walt Disney World?
HOSTS
• Lauren Hersey - X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2 | Instagram: @lauren_hersey_
• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
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