June 8, 2025

Why Disney’s New Lounge Smells Like Crab Cakes (and Kodak Regrets) (Ep. 535)

Why Disney’s New Lounge Smells Like Crab Cakes (and Kodak Regrets) (Ep. 535)

Len Testa reviews Epcot’s swanky new GEO82 Lounge—crab cakes, price tags, and time limits included—while Jim Hill breaks down the surprisingly tangled history of film companies at Disney Parks. Plus, thoughts on the reimagined Rivers of America concept art, Disney trains going backwards, and how one bear-loving park ranger is making a comeback. The show ends with Part 2 of the wild saga behind Journey into Imagination’s 2002 reopening, featuring a side of Art Linkletter, Henry Fonda, and bitter corporate rivalries.

  • First thoughts on Disney’s new Piston Peak National Park concept art

  • The EPCOT GEO82 Lounge: gorgeous views, high prices, strict timers

  • Disney trains to run in reverse—literally

  • Why a DVC rental checkbox could be tied to speculative booking issues

  • The forgotten film war: Kodak, Polaroid, and the $10M that didn’t pay off

  • How Art Linkletter turned a favor into Disneyland’s most profitable deal

Whether you’re craving peanut brittle from a charcuterie plate or just here for vintage theme park trivia, this episode has you covered.

SHOW NOTES

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