About
About Jim Hill Media
Jim Hill Media is a collection of entertainment writers, bloggers, podcasters, and theme park historians – documenting news and stories involving the Walt Disney Company, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Universal Studios and the world of collectibles.
Entertainment writer and theme park historian Jim Hill is the head of the media network that bears his name.
Jim Hill
Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers — many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works.
In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.”
Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.
Len Testa
Len is the co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, and The Unofficial Guide to British Theme Parks. He also is a contributor to the Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas.
Len is responsible for these things called “Touring Plans” that were the result of his graduate thesis, and he is the lead researcher for TouringPlans.com and book content.
Most of his time is spent trying to keep up with the team. And when he’s not doing that, he’s one of the co-hosts of the Disney Dish podcast.
Drew Taylor
Drew Taylor is a film journalist. He is associate editor at Collider and has written for Vulture, Vanity Fair, SYFY Wire, and The Playlist. He also wrote The Art of Onward, which gives an inside look at the making of the 2020 Pixar film. The book is available to purchase here. He also co-hosts a weekly podcast about animation called Fine Tooning, which is available on all podcast platforms.
Brian Gaughan
Brian Gaughan is our pop culture enthusiast with the experience of working in film, writing animation, and attending San Diego Comic Con for more than 45 years. 30 of those years at Comic Con included hanging out with artist William Stout in Bill’s booth. Brian is familiar with most things geek and co-host of Looking at Lucas Film Podcast.
Eric Hersey
Eric Hersey is a theme park “nerd” who represents the die-hard fandoms that are often found in the theme park community. Eric’s fandom started in 2014 when first introduced to “The Disney Dish Podcast”. Since, Eric has researched Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and now Universal Studios. He currently acts as the web manager for Jim Hill Media and the Patreon project for [Disney Unpacked].
Lauren Hersey
Lauren works in Corporate Communications at a leading national media company, with a background in TV, marketing, and advertising.
She’s deeply passionate about marketing and media, a passion matched only by her love for Disney, Personal Development, and Shopping. At Jim Hill Media, Lauren plays a key role in marketing initiatives and co-hosts the Disney Consumer Products podcast and web show “I Want That Too” with Jim Hill.
Michelle Valladolid
Michelle Valladolid, known as The Fabulous Disney Babe, has been a lifelong Disney and theme park enthusiast. Her passion began with childhood visits to Disneyland and continued with a transformative visit to EPCOT Center in 1987. She has been deeply involved in the Disney fan community, co-founding clubs, participating in Disney media, and teaching a unique course on theme park history. Michelle has contributed to various Disney-related online platforms and publications. She now hosts the Pink Monorail podcast with her daughter Alice and husband Noe, revisiting and expanding on her popular “Manufacturing the Magic” class.
Jim Shull
Jim Shull is a retired Imagineer with 33 years at the Disney Company. He served as the Executive Creative Director for attractions like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Mickey’s Toontown. Jim is also a co-host of ‘Disney Unpacked,’ a video podcast with Jim Hill and Len Testa, offering unique insights with never-before-seen footage, animations, and untold stories from an Imagineer’s perspective.
