Rephonic
Artwork for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

Theron Skees
Experience Design
Disney
Artificial Intelligence
Universal Studios
Storytelling
Animation and Theme Entertainment History
University Of Central Florida
Education
The Experience Economy
World Experience Organization
Design Thinking
Triple Diamond
Transformation
Themed Experience Industry
Walt Disney Imagineering
Themed Entertainment
Experience Economy
Disney Springs
MGM Resorts International
Walt Disney World

"The League of Extraordinary Storytellers" is a podcast that celebrates the visionaries, innovators, and orchestrators from the themed experience industry. Hosted by Theron Skees, creative leader and author of Creating Memorable Worlds, the podcast features video interviews with leaders from every discipline—designers, engineers, writers, technicians, and more—who come together to dream and build ... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes17Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsDesign

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

Latest Episodes

In this episode of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers, I speak with Dave Hoffman, former Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Development Executive with a 35-year career in themed entertainment.

Dave shares insights on experience design, storytel... more

In this episode of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers, Theron Skees speaks with Lyndsey Archer, former Walt Disney Imagineering designer and Founder of Studio Archer.

Lyndsey shares how experience design creates emotional connection, how art a... more

In this episode of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers, Theron Skees speaks with Jason McManus, Principal and Executive Creative Director at TAIT and former Walt Disney Imagineering creative leader.

Jason shares how experience design creates em... more

Season 2 opens with experience design pioneer Pigalle Tavakkoli.

From immersive theatre to global education and consulting, Pigalle shares how experiences move beyond spectacle to create internal transformation—shifting how people feel, think, and a... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Dave Hoffman
Retired Imagineering veteran, former art director and project leader
Walt Disney Imagineering
Episode: Episode 17 - Dave Hoffman
Lyndsey Archer
Interior designer, founder of Studio Archer, former Disney Imagineering collaborator
Studio Archer
Episode: Episode 16 - Lyndsey Archer
Jason McManus
Principal and Executive Creative Director at TAIT
TAIT
Episode: Episode 15 - Jason McManus
Pigalle Tavakkoli
Author, speaker, and founder of The School of Experience Design
Episode: Episode 14- Pigalle Tavakkoli
James Wallman
Founder and CEO of the World Experience Organization
World Experience Organization
Episode: Episode 13: James Wallman
Tony Mancini
Consultant and former Disney retail development executive (WDI, Parks & Resorts)
ThinkTank Retail Hospitality Group (and former Disney/MGM Resorts)
Episode: Episode 12: Tony Mancini
Joe Pine
Co-author of The Experience Economy; founder of Strategic Horizons
Strategic Horizons
Episode: Episode 11: Joe Pine
Peter Weishar
Educator and pioneer of themed entertainment curricula
University of Central Florida (UCF)
Episode: Episode 10: Peter Weishar
Mk Haley
Educator and former Imagineering veteran transitioning to university teaching
UT (University of Texas) / Former Disney Imagineering
Episode: Episode 9: Mk Haley

Host

Theron Skees
Host of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 15 ratings
  • Fantastic

    I’d suggest giving this podcast a listen if you’re in the themed experience industry or just starting out. Theron is a treasure trove of information, and the guests are fantastic. They’re all so open about their experiences and insights, making this podcast a fantastic resource.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alan Ingram Design
    United States20 days ago

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#5
United Arab Emirates/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#143
Austria/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#183
United Arab Emirates/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 11: Joe Pine
Q: Could you give us a bit of an update in thinking on the creation of story-driven physical destinations like that?
Experiences are not just about entertainment; they are about how time is spent across touchpoints, and you align all channels to a central theme so that every interaction reinforces the story and maximizes the climactic arc of the experience.
Episode 8: Jason Surrell
Q: How do you view the role of AI and real-time rendering tools in the creative process, and how should teams deploy them?
AI is described as a tool to boost ideation and assist concept artists rather than replace human creativity. It should be used in early ideation phases, with human writers and designers producing the final outputs. The discussion warns against letting technology drive decisions, stressing that the spark of human imagination remains essential.
Episode 8: Jason Surrell
Q: How do you keep the central story front and center on large, expensive projects while navigating production constraints and changing teams?
The guest discusses writing as the anchor for both practice and alignment, the need for a shared vision between writers and producers, and maintaining a narrative through compromises. He emphasizes the value of trust, collaboration, and keeping the core idea intact despite cost-saving pivots, with examples drawn from projects like Disney Springs and cross-cultural adaptations in international parks.
Episode 12: Tony Mancini
Q: What advice would you give to someone pitching to C-suite executives about guest-centric storytelling?
Know the executive you're speaking with, understand their hot buttons, and be prepared to answer honestly if you don't have an answer yet. Build credibility through listening, facilitation, and a clear agenda with next steps.
Episode 12: Tony Mancini
Q: How do you balance creative ambition with budget and schedule in large-scale, multi-discipline projects?
By front-loading design, keeping all disciplines in one room, and holding everyone accountable at each checkpoint, you ensure the design intent translates into a feasible, budget-conscious plan that can be operated after delivery.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

What is The League of Extraordinary Storytellers about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show spotlights leaders and practitioners shaping themed experiences, from design and storytelling to operations, education, and leadership. Across episodes, guests recount long careers at major studios and venues, discuss how cross-disciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and cultural nuance drive successful, guest-centric experiences, and explore how emerging technologies like AI and XR influence design education and practice. Listeners can expect practical insights on managing large, multi-country teams, balancing creative ambition with budget and schedule realities, and translating complex visions into memorable, real-world experiences. A notable throughline is the emphasis on people, collaboration, and optimistic storytelling as th... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The League of Extraordinary Storytellers and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The League of Extraordinary Storytellers get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The League of Extraordinary Storytellers have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The League of Extraordinary Storytellers has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The League of Extraordinary Storytellers:

1. WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic!
2. Creating Disney Magic

How many episodes of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers are there?

The League of Extraordinary Storytellers launched a year ago and published 17 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The League of Extraordinary Storytellers. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The League of Extraordinary Storytellers?

Recent guests on The League of Extraordinary Storytellers include:

1. Dave Hoffman
2. Lyndsey Archer
3. Jason McManus
4. Pigalle Tavakkoli
5. James Wallman
6. Tony Mancini
7. Joe Pine
8. Peter Weishar

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days