How Saving Wetlands Helped Disney World Keep Growing (Ep. 608)

About this episode

Jim Hill and Len Testa kick off No Negative November with an expanded airport luggage service at Walt Disney World, fresh theme park attendance estimates, and a nighttime visit to Epic Universe. Listener questions cover park shade, a dream Food & Wine Festival tour, and Mickey Mouse's public-domain era. Then Jim traces the Disney Wilderness Preserve from cattle ranch to conservation success story, explaining how saving Florida wetlands also helped Disney World keep building. NEWS Airport luggage transfers expand to Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. Universal discusses Epic Universe's capacity and ride reliability, while Jim and Len share their after-dark impressions. The 2025 theme park attendance estimates put Epic Universe's opening year into context. Listener questions explore more trees in the parks and a possible VIP Food & Wine Festival experience. Mickey Mouse's approaching centennial sparks a discussion of public-domain characters and animation history. FEATURE The Celebration-era controversy behind Disney's purchase of Walker Ranch and the creation of the Wilderness Preserve. How wetlands mitigation connect