Epic Universal Podcast

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

What’s Going On With King Kong at Islands of Adventure? (Ep. 120)

#50 trending · Places & Travel

Jim and Eric dig into a busy week of Universal news, from unexpected trouble with the King Kong animatronic at Islands of Adventure to fresh signs of expansion behind Dar

Sep 18
41 min

Abbott and Costello Meet Universal History (Ep. 119)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey start with the latest Universal news, including a new Wicked live-to-film concert tour, Epic Universe performance commentary from Comcast, Rock t

Sep 11
49 min

Universal’s Star Trek Adventure Beams Back Into the Spotlight (Ep. 118)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey unpack a packed week of Universal news before celebrating Star Trek’s 60th anniversary with a look back at Universal’s surprising history with th

Sep 4
43 min

Tim Curry’s Legendary Transformation in Ridley Scott’s Legend (Ep. 117)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey round up the latest Universal news, including Halloween Horror Nights rehearsals, Hamikuma’s arrival in Orlando, Dufftoberfest in Springfield, an

Aug 28
43 min

Stranger Things Comes Full Circle at Halloween Horror Nights (Ep. 116)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey trace the unlikely journey of Stranger Things from the Duffer Brothers' rejected pitch to one of Netflix's defining franchises - and a recurring

Aug 21
56 min

How Universal’s Prop Plaza Turned a Lunch Stop Into Theme Park History (Ep. 115)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into the latest Universal news before tracing the surprisingly humble origins of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Prop Plaza. They cover Art the

Aug 14
40 min

How Hard Rock Became Part of Universal Orlando’s DNA (Ep. 114)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey catch up on the latest Universal news, from Halloween Horror Nights announcements in Hollywood to some changes underway at Universal Studios Flor

Aug 7
49 min

Inside Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition (Ep. 113)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey take listeners inside Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, an interactive look at how Universal Creative d

Jul 31
58 min

Fast & Furious - Supercharged: The Party Bus Pulls Into the Garage (Ep. 112)

Universal Orlando is putting Fast & Furious - Supercharged in park, and Jim Hill and Eric Hersey revisit how the troubled attraction made the jump from the Universal Stud

Jul 24
53 min

By the Power of Grayskull, He-Man Storms Universal History (Ep. 111)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey cover the latest Universal Orlando Resort news before digging into a surprisingly rich piece of Universal Studios Hollywood history: He-Man and t

Jul 17
1 h 15 min

From Backdraft to The Grinch, Ron Howard Comes Home to Universal (Ep. 110)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey cover a busy week of Universal news, from Epic Universe’s long-awaited Celestial Goodnight fireworks debut to Universal Fan Fest Nights coming to

Jul 10
57 min

The Great Comcast-NBCUniversal Split and What It Means for Universal Parks (Ep. 109)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey break down Comcast’s planned split from NBCUniversal and Sky, and what that could mean for Universal’s theme park business. They look at how a st

Jul 4
50 min

From Rainforest Cafe to Hot Dog Hall of Fame with Steven Schussler (Ep. 108)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into a very Oz-heavy opening, from new Wicked-adjacent publishing news to the limited reopening dates for North Carolina’s Land of Oz. Then t

Jun 26
55 min

Stranger Things and The Goblins of Hopkinsville (Ep. 107)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with a packed Epic Universal Podcast covering the newest Halloween Horror Nights reveal, fresh Epic Universe developments, and more chatte

Jun 19
1 h 03 min

Everything Keeps Catching Fire: Universal’s Backlot Blazes (Ep. 106)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey cover a busy Universal news week, from Universal Kids Resort pricing and seasonal operations to new rotating experiences planned for Universal Ho

Jun 5
57 min

The Canadian Simulator Ride That Changed Theme Parks Forever (Ep. 105)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey break down the first major Halloween Horror Nights announcement for 2026, dig into Universal’s quiet decision to remove Hagrid’s from Express Pas

May 29
49 min

How The Wiz Changed Michael Jackson’s Career Forever (Ep. 104)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dive into the surprising Universal Pictures history behind Michael Jackson’s breakout acting role in The Wiz, exploring how the 1978 musical help

May 22
53 min

The Disney Decision That Cost Them Steven Spielberg (Ep. 103)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey unpack the surprising behind-the-scenes fallout that pushed Steven Spielberg away from Disney and deeper into Universal’s orbit, while also cover

May 15
52 min

Casper and the Universal Walkthrough That Almost Became a Ride (Ep. 102)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into the surprising legacy of 1995’s Casper, from its groundbreaking CGI effects to the Universal Studios attraction that almost happened. Th

May 8
48 min

FanFest 2026 Hits Hollywood While Epic Universe Gets a Reality Check with Chris Cox (Ep. 101)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey break down Universal’s ambitious FanFest 2026 event at Universal Studios Hollywood, from interactive Scooby-Doo mysteries to One Piece stunt show

May 1
1 h 08 min

Chart trend

Position in the Places & Travel chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#99#196JunJulAugSep

#78

all-time peak

days in the top 100 since Apr 2025

Chart positions

Where Epic Universal Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 20, 2026).

#161 ▲ 28 Places & Travel US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Eric’s enthusiasm is infectious! This is a must listen for amusement park fans!

The good sport · Nov 2024

I’ll admit I enjoy ALL of Jim’s shows and that includes this show. Jim stories, insights and background info make for an entertaining deep dive into the theme park down the world from the house of mouse. Justin rounds out the show with his past experience working at Universal. Keep me coming guys!

Timd1234 · Feb 2019

This episode was truly a masterpiece built on perfection . Eric’s somewhat ideal voice and Jim’s mind blowing information really gave life to this podcast where so many other podcasts lacked. Please continue this amazing team up to create more high quality podcasting for the masses. Great job!!!!

SonOfMomWithIdealVoice · Nov 2024

Love the show! You guys are fun to listen to and keep the show moving along at a great pace. If you’re looking for ideas, I would love to hear the complete history of monster Café that used to be at Universal Studios Orlando. I am hoping that it will be resurrected from the dead and placed over in the new epic universe, monsters area. Keep up the great work and look forward to hearing more and more about the new park when it’s getting ready to open.love the show!

Renfred · Jun 2024

...unfortunately, Dustin holds this podcast back. All of the cohosts on the Jim Hill Network have a great and easy-to-listen to rapport with Jim. Dustin, however, seems awkward and uneasy on the podcast. To top it off, he doesn’t seem like an expert with any inside knowledge, unlike Jim’s other co-hosts. I may be wrong, but you get the idea that you could plug almost anyone else on this show with Jim if they did enough internet research. No inside sources or information are necessary. Definitely the weakest show on the network.

Wgdirector · Nov 2019

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.