Recent Articles

• Just how spectacular was WDW's Bicentennial spectacular? In this week's Why For column, Jim Hill looks back to July of 1976. To be specific, all of the advance preparation that WDW officials put into that resort's Bicentennial fireworks display... 07-17-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  5 Comments Filed under: January, Jeff Lange, JeffLangeDVD, theme park guest, Epcot, parade, parades, visually stunning , Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, ...MORE TAGS

• In just one week, the Con is on ! Jim Hill reviews the programming for Comic-Con 2008 and then points out some panels & signings that Disneyana fans should probably seek out while they're down in San Diego... 07-16-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  2 Comments Filed under: "Bolt", Disney / Pixar, Disney Channel, "Prince of Persia", "Up", "The Little Mermaid -- Ariel's Beginning", TV, TV show, Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, ...MORE TAGS

• How "One Little Spark" nearly fried the Dreamfinder It's Christmas in July as Ron Schneider recalls the shocking experience that he had back in December of 1982 while shooting a sequence for "Walt Disney World's Very Merry Christmas Parade" special... 07-15-2008, 9:00 PM by Ron Schneider  |  4 Comments Filed under: Jacob's ladder, Ron Schneider , theme park, theme park attraction , Disney, Disney Company, Ed Sullivan, educational program, electrical charge , electrical spark , ...MORE TAGS

• Look for Mickey to get Shanghai-ed in September Jim Hill shares what he knows about Disney's theme park for Mainland China. Which should be officially announced this Fall... 07-14-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  20 Comments Filed under: Disney / Pixar, theme park, shows, Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, 2012, Hong Kong Disneyland, WDI, attraction, attractions, ...MORE TAGS

• Still can't find Nemo? Then try looking inside of your room the next time you stay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort Jim Hill shares some shots of these newly rethemed rooms, which now feature characters from that 2003 Pixar Animation Studios release... 07-13-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  12 Comments Filed under: Disney / Pixar, Nemo, "Toy Story", "WALL-E" , "Finding Nemo", "The Incredibles", Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, The Walt Disney World Resort, theme park, ...MORE TAGS

• Tune Thursday : Looking back at the development of Broadway's "Lion King" Jim Hill chats with Derek Smith, the actor who's now playing Scar in this Tony Award-winning musical. But whose ties to this show actually go all the way back to the costume & mask tests that Julie Taymor did in her workshop... 07-10-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  1 Comments Filed under: Tony Award, Tony Award winner, "The Green Bird", musical, New Amsterdam Theatre, New York, New York City, "The Lion King", "The Madness of King Scar", 1997, ...MORE TAGS

• Watch out, Toontown ! Here come the Tappet Brothers Are TV viewers really ready for a toon tune-up show? Jim Hill shares what he knows about PBS's newest series, "As the Wrench Turns"... 07-08-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  8 Comments Filed under: "Cars", Tom Sito, animated feature, animated series , animation, sitcom , TV, TV show, Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, ...MORE TAGS

• The Once and Future Strikes : Hollywood Labor Relations 101 Not quite sure what to make of what's going out west right now? Let JHM guest writer John Wayne walk you through LA's latest labor action... 07-07-2008, 9:00 PM by John Wayne  |  14 Comments Filed under: union representatives , unions , Unit Production Managers, Universal, JHM, SAG, Disney, MPAA, network , New Media, ...MORE TAGS

• Monday Mouse Watch : The Winter of Disney's Discontent With late 2008 / early 2009 projected to be an extremely challenging time for the WDW resort, Mouse House managers are already getting aggressive about cost containment. Jim Hill details some of the changes that are now being made around property... 07-06-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  24 Comments Filed under: Magic Kingdom, Disney's Boardwalk Inn, Disney's Contemporary Resort, The Magic Kingdom, Pleasure Island, WDW, Downtown Disney, Disney World, Liberty Tree Tavern , Adventurers Club, ...MORE TAGS

• Thrills & spills add a real edge to "Celebrity Circus" Thinking breaking into show business sounds tough? Shelly Smith takes you to the set of this new reality series. Where even just rehearsing can result in a broken wrist, some burns or a few fractured ribs... 07-01-2008, 9:00 PM by Shelly Smith  |  12 Comments Filed under: "Celebrity Circus" , Universal, Jason Acuna , JHM , Joey Fantone , Saran Wrap, Disney, "The Bachelorette" , "The Brady Bunch" , NBC, ...MORE TAGS

• Tune Tuesday : "Hello, WALL-E! Well, Hello, WALL-E ..." Forget about Pixar's latest production. Jim Hill talks about the many other ways that Jerry Herman's Tony Award-winning musical has popped up at the Mouse House... 06-30-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  20 Comments Filed under: "Before the Parade Passes By" , introduction, James Bond, Jerry Herman, robot, Rotten Tomatoes, Tony Award, Tony Award winner, Tony Award-winner , Tony Baxter , ...MORE TAGS

• Monday Mouse Watch : Why Pleasure Island has to close Jim Hill talks about the real reason WDW's night club complex is shuttering. Which is Mickey's desire to create a seamless Guest experience for all those shopping & dining at Downtown Disney... 06-29-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  54 Comments Filed under: night club, night club complex, night clubs, guest, The Walt Disney World Resort, the West Side, Pleasure Island, WDW, attraction, Downtown Disney, ...MORE TAGS

• What's in store for the Disney Stores With nearly a hundred of these shops closing around the country this week, Jim Hill looks to the future of this troubled retail chain. To be specific, Disney Consumer Products' plans to make the Disney Stores seems special & unique again... 06-26-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  25 Comments Filed under: "Back to the Future" , unique , units , Rockford IL, today's marketplace , Toronto, Disney Consumer Products, Naples FL, New York State, Macy’s, ...MORE TAGS

• Toon Tuesday : Getting a head with Blaine Gibson Disney Legend Floyd Norman pays tribute to a master animator & sculptor. Who -- due to his soft-spoken nature -- often doesn't get the attention that he deserves... 06-23-2008, 9:00 PM by Floyd Norman  |  6 Comments Filed under: "101 Dalmatians", job, Roger, Santa Barbara , theme park, top animators, Disney animator , Disney Blu-Ray , Disney Legend, "The Hall of Presidents" , ...MORE TAGS

• Monday Mouse Watch : Inside "The American Idol Experience" Jim Hill shares what he's heard about this new DHS attraction. In particular how WDW Guests will make their way through the "American Idol" audition process... 06-22-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  25 Comments Filed under: "American Idol" , "American Idol" TV show, "Block Party Bash" , interactive entertainment , January, round of auditions, theme park attraction, theme park guest, tourist , Disney Guests, ...MORE TAGS

• Stage version of "Mary Poppins" draws a lot of its inspiration from ... Well, drawings Jim Hill looks back at the development of this Disney / Cameron Mackintosh production. Which is not just based on the 1964 film, but also draws its inspiration from P.L. Travers' stories and Mary Shepard's illustrations... 06-19-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  6 Comments Filed under: "A Spoonful of Sugar" , "Anything Can Happen If You Let It", "Bad Wednesday" , Robertson Ay, Royal Doulton , Ruth Gottschall, title role, Tony Award, "Practically Perfect" , Mrs Corry , ...MORE TAGS

• When it comes to the retail world, Speed Racer whomps WALL-E Jim Hill shares an interesting tidbit about Pixar's latest picture. To be specific, how difficult it was for Disney Consumer Products to convince toy manufacturers to produce "WALL-E" -related merchandise this year... 06-17-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  26 Comments Filed under: "Cars", Disney / Pixar, Disney Consumer Products, "Toy Story", "WALL-E" , Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, "Speed Racer" , merch, merchandise , ...MORE TAGS

• "Because if we get hit by a train, we're going to die and we're going to hell" Ron Schneider offers some tips about how a daddy & daughter can really make the most of their day at a Disney theme park... 06-15-2008, 9:00 PM by Ron Schneider  |  7 Comments Filed under: "Blast to the Past" , JHM, Jim Hill , roller coaster , Ron Schneider , theme park, theme park attraction , Tomorrowland, Tonto, Disney, ...MORE TAGS

• Brownouts cause temporary news blackout Jim Hill checks in from the 2008 Licensing Show. Where NYC's recent heat wave has made it extremely difficult to post any new articles on JHM... 06-09-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  8 Comments Filed under: Jacob Javits Center, New York City, 2008, 2008 Licensing Show, NYC, Big Apple , blackout, brownout, hotel

• "Kung Fu Panda" 's opening weekend grosses really kicked butt ... but here comes "WALL-E" Jim Hill shares what he's heard about this new Andrew Stanton film. Which looks ready to reverse the domestic box office trends that tripped up Pixar's last three pictures... 06-08-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  21 Comments Filed under: "10, "Cars", Disney / Pixar, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story", "WALL-E" , "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", "Finding Nemo", "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both World Concert" , ...MORE TAGS

• Will pirates soon be returning to Treasure ... er ... Discovery Island? In this week's Why For, Jim Hill talks about the history of Treasure / Discovery Island. More importantly, how WDW Entertainment and Food & Beverage are allegedly thinking of using the "Pirates of the Caribbean" characters to help get this place re-opened... 06-05-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  14 Comments Filed under: "Blackbeard's Ghost" , interactive, interactive gaming , January, rum , rum drinks , Tom Sawyer Island, enclosure, "Treasure Island", 1950, ...MORE TAGS

• Toon Thursday: "Kung Fu Panda" is one fun summer flick Jim Hill reviews this new DreamWorks Animation release, which opens in theaters nationwide tomorrow... 06-04-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  22 Comments Filed under: Valley of Peace, Jack Black , Jade Palace , James Baxter, James Baxter Animation, rope bridge, run-for-the-curtain, third act , throwing stars , Tigress, ...MORE TAGS

• "High School Musical 5 & 6" ?! "Beauty & the Beast" headed back to Broadway ?! Jim Hill shares some of the domain names that the Walt Disney Company has recently registered. Including a new year-long promotion for 2009 that looks & sounds an awful lot like 2003's "Magical Gatherings" campaign... 06-02-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  22 Comments Filed under: "Aida", "Annie" , "Beauty & the Beast", Jay Rasulo, Jemma McKenzie-Brown, theme park tickets, Disney Channel, Disney Channel Original, Disney franchise, musical, ...MORE TAGS

• Monday Mouse Watch : Disney World's new grim grinning gracious ghosts Forget about fright. Now it's all about being polite. Or so says Jim Hill as he talks about the new spiel that cast members are expected to recite whenever they work at this Magic Kingdom attraction... 06-01-2008, 9:00 PM by Jim Hill  |  14 Comments Filed under: Jeff Lange, JeffLangeDVD, JHM, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, maid, "Grim Grinning Ghosts", grim grinning ghosts, grim grinning gracious ghosts, gruesome gags , ...MORE TAGS

• Looking back on the Disney-MGM Studio Backlot project -- Part 4 JHM guest writer Todd James Pierce concludes his 4-part series about the 40-acre entertainment district that the Walt Disney Company once wanted to build in Burbank by revealing why this project went off the rails... 05-30-2008, 9:00 PM by Todd James Pierce  |  7 Comments Filed under: Universal City , Universal City-Florida, Universal Studios , Universal Studios – Florida, Universal theme park , Disney, "The Great Movie Ride" , Eisner , environmental impact , City Manager , ...MORE TAGS