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• Toon Thursday: Disney hits the reset button on Winnie the Pooh

  Jim Hill talks about that new hand-drawn feature that Walt Disney Animation Studios currently has in development. Which will be done in the style of the "Pooh" featurettes of the 1960s & 1970s Read More... Posted Thursday, October 15, 2009 12:00 AM | 8 Comments Filed under: Disney, theater, Pixar, Disney Consumer Products, CG, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Playhouse Disney, Disney Legend, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions, WDAS, featurette, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Las Vegas, 1977, D23, 2009, October, 1970s , TV show, 1966 , 1968, hand-drawn animation, home premiere, 2011, theatrical release, Meet the Robinsons, characters , 1960s, Development , chapter, relaunch, Licensing International Expo, DCP , source material , television show , The Princess and the Frog, D23 EXPO, hand-drawn, featurettes, TV series, animated film, reset button, hand-drawn feature, Steve Anderson, story supervisor, Don Hall, Winnie the Pooh, animation fans, old school, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, A. A. Milne, Japanese Bunraku puppeteering, technique, Japanese, storybook, stuffed animal, Bunraku, stuffed animals, Christopher Robin, The Book of Pooh, CG animated, watercolor, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, watercolor backgrounds, Hundred Acre Woods, whimsical, contemporary audiences, Darby, commercialized, Buster, feature-length project, Winnie the Pooh franchise, silly old bear, hand-drawn film, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, style, tone, Burny Mattinson, David Benedictus, Return to the Hundred Acre Woods, Dutton Juvenile, Dutton, original source material, The House at Pooh Corner, Eeyore, Expotition, North Pole, cutsie-pooh, cutsie-poo, expo, reset, Pooh products, juvenile, Winnie the Pooh movie, Pooh featurette, Pooh featurettes, theaters

• Wine & dine & run for your lives! Mickey may be getting into the blood-sucking business

  Jim Hill reviews some of the domain names that The Walt Disney Company recently registered. Several of which suggest that the Mouse House now has a vampire project in the works Read More... Posted Monday, October 12, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Disney Channel, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Robert Zemeckis, Columbus Day, ImageMoversDigital, film, Mouse, Disney World, Mouse House, October, TV show, theme park attraction, Mickey, books, 2011, domain name , domain names, trio, Disney XD, Walt Disney World Resort, Hyperion, Disney's Fishhooks, Fish Hooks, Fishhooks, Disney's Fish Hooks, new worlds, Disneyland Marathon, WDW Marathon, Yellow Submarine, marathon, marathons, Adrian Phoenix, Rush of Wings, In the Blood, Disney World Marathon, vampire, wine dine and run, vampire rock star, Dante Baptiste, rock star, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival, International Food and Wine Festival, Heather Wallace, special agent, FBI, Food and Wine Festival, Charlie Fletcher, Disney Fishhooks, Disney Fish Hooks, Stoneheart, Stoneheart trilogy, Cheetah Chug, Ironhand, Summit Entertainment, Twilight, Silvertongue, ImageMovers, Race for the Taste, blood-sucking, 10K, 3K, The Maker's Song, endurance event, endurance events, book series, young adult fantasy, fish, pet store, Twilight saga, The Twilight Saga

• “Shrek the Musical” piles on the promotions, gets ready to launch its national tour in July of 2010

  Jim Hill discusses the many things that DreamWorks Theatricals & Neal Productions have done recently in an effort to make their show stand out from the crowd on Broadway Read More... Posted Friday, October 02, 2009 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: DreamWorks, Broadway, musical, Chicago, NYC, Christmas, D23, Broadway musical, 2008, 2009, September, October, 2001, Donkey, Shrek, Shrek the Halls, Fiona, Pinocchio, dragon, Christopher Sieber , Lord Farquaad , Johnny and the Sprites , John Tartaglia , December , November, August, 2010, May, January, national tour, special event, DreamWorks Theatricals, Shrek the Musical, I Know It's Today, Brian D'Arcy James, Broadway Theatre, D23 EXPO, SHREKtember, SHREKtoberfest, Monkees, I'm a Believer, Hannah Beatt, Laura Laureano, Sutton Foster, Fairytale Creatures, talkback, talkback session, talkback sessions, giveaways, Daniel Breaker, Festival of Ogre-sized Fun, standby, understudy, Ben Crawford, Build A Wall, Manhattan Theatre Club, Sameul J Friedman Theatre, Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies, At This Performance, understudy concert, Broadway in Chicago, general public, dragon puppet, little wooden boy

• Tube Thursday: "Castle" fans storm SoHo's Apple Store

  Jim Hill reports in from NYC. Where Nathan Fillion recently made an appearance to help promote the second season on this ABC series Read More... Posted Thursday, October 01, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: book, TV, ABC, Fox, ABC Studios, New York City, Hollywood, hotel, DVD, 2008, 2009, September, October, TV show, feature film , 2005, Apple Store, New York, Barnes & Noble, 2002, One Life to Live, Barnes and Noble, TV series, Nathan Fillion, Castle, Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Heat Wave, tie-in, Hyperion, Serenity, Firefly, iTunes, Emmys, first season, Nova Scotia, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Mal, Joss Whedon, Serenity sequel, feature film project, never say never, Dollhouse, The Grove, Farmers Market, The Grove at Farmers Market, novel, romantic dramedy, dramedy, shooting schedule

• Toon Tuesday: “Phineas & Ferb” serve up a September to remember

  With the show’s official soundtrack soon to be released to stores as well as a special two-part episode about to air, this Emmy-nominated Disney XD & Disney Channel animated series is in for one amazing month Read More... Posted Tuesday, September 01, 2009 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: Disney, Disney Channel, Labor Day, 2008, 2009, September, October, Emmy-nominated, animated series , SpongeBob SquarePants, Summer, Back to the Future , Comic-Con , Comic-Con International, Disney XD, Phineas, Ferb, Phineas and Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Docter Doofenshmirtz, Dan Povenmire, P & F, Candace, Phineas & Ferb, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Jeff Marsh, Perry the Platypus, Agent P, Phineas & Ferb's Cliptastic Countdown, Major Monogram, Top 10, soundtrack, Phineas & Ferb soundtrack, Dear Vikings, The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein , Short-Format Animated Programs, Special Class, two-part episode, two-parter, Time Machine 2 Quantum Boogaloo, step-brother, step-brothers, future Candace, Tri-state area, summer vacation

• "Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" features seldom-seen artwork

  Jim Hill reviews Disney Press' newest picture book. Which is illustrated with some of the inspirational paintings that illustrator Gustaf Tenggren created for the Studio's first-ever feature-length animated cartoon Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 26, 2009 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Walt Disney, Disney Press, Peter Pan, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney's Cinderella, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, concept art, Cynthia Rylant, Animation Research Library, ARL, 2719 Hyperion, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Blu-ray, 2009, October, animated feature, Pinocchio, picture book, Disney Studios , 1936, 1950, conceptual paintings, conceptual painting, Snow White, Ridley Pearson, Disney Book Group, Dave Barry, Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, Walt Disney's Peter Pan, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Gustaf Tenggren, 1953, diamond edition

• What gloom & doom? It's still "Happy Poly Days" over at Disney's Polynesian Resort

  Tired of all the bad news coming out of Orlando these days? Jim Hill uses Jeff Lange's photographs as an excuse to write about WDW's most popular hotel Read More... Posted Friday, December 05, 2008 12:00 AM | 5 Comments Filed under: Disney, resorts, Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Seven Seas Lagoon, Central Florida, WDW, Jeff Lange, 1971, hotel, resort, tourists, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, October, guest, guests, tourist , hotels, Lake Buena Vista , occupancy rate , January, pool, JeffLangeDVD, gingerbread , occupancy rates, retail entertainment complex, ocean, dog, Walt Disney World Resort, wave machine, Santa Paws, DTD, dogs, Disney's Beach Club Resort, carousel, gingerbread carousel, merry go round, merry-go-round

• "The Art of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" details how DreamWorks Animation's latest came together

  Jim Hill reviews Jerry Beck's new book, which takes a look at the artistic development at both "Madagascar" movies Read More... Posted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: animation, book, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Glendale, Jerry Beck, 2008, October, behind-the-scenes stories , animated feature, feature film , coffee table book, 2005, animated features, Insight Editions, lion, African savanna, design team, director , Development , Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, behind-the-scenes , hippo, art of books, DW, art of book, feature-length cartoon, animation historian, artistic development, technological development, DWA, Little Golden Books, Henri Rousseau, stylization, Melman, Gloria, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Disney Photo Library, directors, Ben Stiller, Africa, artistic choices, storytelling, giraffe, zebra, Marty

• A special "May the (Stephen) Schwartz Be With You" edition of Why For

  Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, he talks about "Enchanted" 's score evolves over the course of that motion picture, where Stephen drew his inspiration for "Out There" as well as talking up an event that's being held at Woodbury University this coming Monday night Read More... Posted Friday, October 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, music, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Beauty and the Beast, Alan Menken, Kevin Lima, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, James Baxter, James Baxter Animation, Stephen Schwartz, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Paris, Kiss the Girl, ASIFA-Hollywood, panel discussion, stage version, ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, 2008, October, animated feature, 2007, Happy Working Song, So Close, That's How You Know , animators , Mulan, Belle, Warner Bros. , 2010, Don Hahn , stage, Woodbury University, Pocahontas, Broadway-bound, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Disney Music , Carol de Giere, Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked, Enchanted, The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age, Craig Lucas, James Lapine, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Out There, Quasimodo, Hunchback, Mike Belzer, Nik Ranieri, Fletcher Jones Foundation Library, Fletcher Jones, Ever After, Ever

• Universal Studios Hollywood freshens up for the Fall

  During a recent trip to Southern California, Jim dropped by USH and discovered that lots of changes have been made to both the Upper & Lower Lot Read More... Posted Friday, September 12, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: movies, musical, Universal Studios, Visual Effects, attraction, Brad Bird, Labor Day, Lucille Ball, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Halloween Horror Nights, Southern California, Audio Animatronics, Steven Spielberg, movie, 1974, Universal, tourists, studio theme park, 1976, 2008, 2009, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, October, animated feature, attractions, shows, rides, ride, show, 2005, 1975, soundstage , November, 1955, blueprints , 2006, March, June , interactive, 1986, screenplay, Summer, attendance levels, Universal Studios Hollywood , USH, Upper Lot , Lower Lot , The Simpsons Ride, slow season, theme parks, special event, special events, park, newish, guest experience, fire, New York Street, King Kong , tram , ride-thru attraction , Bob Gurr , Tram Tour, remake, original, 1933, Peter Jackson, V-Rex, ride designer, ride designers , battle sequence , Naomi Watts , animatronic , replacement, Collapsing Bridge, studio insiders , Lucy: A Tribute, exhibit, Lucy, walk-through attraction , The Universal Experience, archives , poster , Carl Laemmle, Universal City, 1915 , Robert A Mattey , blockbuster, Jaws, Curious George, 1999, maquette , Imagine Entertainment , Nickelodeon Blast Zone, The Adventures of Curious George, kiddie play area, cartoon series, PBS Kids, full-length animated feature, Creature from the Black Lagoon -- The Musical, press release , storyline , horror film , stagecraft, choreography, source material , Little Shop of Horrors, Spring , Autumn , Fall, Castle Theatre, Fear Factor Live, audience participation, Universal City Plaza, The Simpsons, Simpsons

• Monday Mouse Watch: Let the West Side Waltz begin

  Jim Hill brings you an update on what may be in the works for the westernmost portion of Downtown Disney. With the Virgin Megastore possibly exiting this dining, retail & entertainment district to then make room for an ESPN Zone Read More... Posted Monday, February 25, 2008 12:05 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Imagineering, Bob Iger, Downtown Disney, Orlando, The Walt Disney Company, Tokyo Disney Resort, Oriental Land Company, Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts, Oahu, Disney Parks & Resorts, Steve Jobs, WDW, Imagineer, 5th Avenue, Disney World, October, Disneyana fans, Mickey, Screamscape, the Cheesecake Factory , Cheesecake Factory, DisneyQuest , indoor interactive theme park, DQ , Lake Buena Vista , WDW Food & Beverage, Food & Beverage , corporate agenda , the West Side, retail dining and entertainment complex, Chairman, Location-based entertainments , oceanfront resort , urban entertainment centers , Singapore, board of directors , LBE , UBC, triage situation , triage, La Nouba , Virgin Megastore Orlando, Virgin Megastore, Virgin, the Mouse , Cirque du Soleil , parent company, renewal, Downtown Disney location, Imagineers, ESPN Zone , the World , WDW vacations, The Oriental Land Company, Oriental Land Co Ltd, showroom, Montreal, Cirque, July , 1996 , piece of the pie, Apple, Apple Store, star crossed lovers

• Tune Tuesday: Get ready for the stage version of "High School Musical 2"

  Jim Hill shares all sorts of tidbits from the Disney Theatrical side of the fence. Including the tour schedule for both the North American & UK version of "Mary Poppins" as well as "The Little Mermaid" CD release celebration Read More... Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, theater, Broadway, High School Musical, ABC, Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Theatrical, High School Musical 2, The Walt Disney Company, High School Musical 3, High School Musical franchise, New York City, Washington D.C., Australia, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, LA, Broadway musical, stage version, Disney Channel Original, 2009, October, Cameron Mackintosh , Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids , autographs, co-production, stage show

• Night Kingdom to reimagine the Disney-theme-park-going experience

  Jim Hill shares what he knows about WDW's 5th theme park. Which will be an after-hours venue that will offer guests the chance to have all sorts of once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on adventures Read More... Posted Friday, February 15, 2008 12:00 AM | 95 Comments Filed under: Disney, theater, theme park, convention, resorts, Walt Disney World, Disney Theatrical, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Walt Disney World Dolphin hotel, WDW, cast members, Operations, cast member, hotel, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, resort, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, October, guest, guests, rides, ride, show, on property, vacation package, eatery, SeaWorld Orlando, Pleasure Island, The Adventurers Club, Adventurers Club, night club, 2011, Disney's Night Kingdom, 5th theme park, Busch Gardens Africa, focus group, focus groups , preview video , SeaWorld's Discovery Cove, niche park , J B Kaufman, DNK, High School Musical: East Meets West , 2000, 4000 , Indiana Jones , zipline , crocodiles, hand-feeding , hippopotamus, traditional theme park , night vision goggles , lions , lion, hyenas , hyena, spelunking, bats , bat, rock climbing, African savanna, South American , penguins, horticultural , Typhoon Lagoon , eateries, stage show , Broadway talent, capacity , operation , blueprints , hotels, Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin, on-property , admission , gourmet meal , non-alcoholic beverages , non-alcoholic beverage, admission fee , newest theme park , vacation packages, convention groups, convention group, weeks, week, months, month, advance reservations, advance reservation, reservations , reservation, annual shareholders meeting , shareholders meeting , Albuquerque , annual press event, press event, Villain themed , Villains themed , coasters, coaster, natural environment , once-in-a-lifetime , Disney's Boardwalk Inn

• The story that Walt didn't want you to hear

  Before hitting the road for Orlando, Jim Hill shares an excerpt from a long forgotten Reader's Digest feature condensation: Richard Collier's "Wish Upon a Star: The Magical Kingdoms of Walt Disney" Read More... Posted Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:00 AM | 13 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Disneyland, Epcot, Orlando, SeaWorld, Tom Sawyer Island, Spaceship Earth, Main Street U.S.A., The Haunted Mansion, Tutto Italia Ristorante, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Universal Orlando, 1971, JHM, Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando Resort, October, television program, Main Street USA, construction site, New Hampshire, camera, pictures, Tuesday , publishing schedule, website , weekend , Orlando Fun Tickets, webmasters, webmaster, Aquatica, Yak & Yeti , hit-and-run trip, hit-and-run, Richard Collier, Wish Upon a Star: The Magical Kingdoms of Walt Disney, The Breakfast Club, issue, Reader's Digest, 1955, Tennessee, leukemia, ergonomics, landscaping , train, Disneyland Railroad , locomotive , coal car , track, skyline, will-o'-the-wisp, Rainbow Caverns, Tom Sawyer's Island, enchantment, childhood, Van France , train ride, worksite, picture, publicity, celebrities, celebrity, charity , charity event , cameras, private

• Jerry Beck to be honored at this year's Annie Awards

  Jim Hill pays tribute to this noted author & historian, who will receive the June Foray Award next week for the positive impact that he's had on the animation industry Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:00 AM | 5 Comments Filed under: animation, book, DreamWorks, CG, DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, television, Jerry Seinfeld, ASIFA-Hollywood, animated character, Jerry Beck, The Hanna-Barbera Treasury, October, comedian , animated feature, 2007, feature film , Chronicle Books, cartoons, coffee table book, hardcover, animated short, short, animated features, animators , books, article, articles, magazine article, magazine articles , Cartoon Brew , Amid Amidi , writer , historian , animation community, animation industry, June Foray award, June Foray, spotlight , November, Insight Editions, Saturday morning cartoons , Saturday morning cartoon, HB, Hanna-Barbera, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, model sheets, model sheet, comic book, comic books , tchotchke , high profile project, movers , shakers , jaded, animation fan, Viacom International, Viacom, DK Adult, DK, Nickelodeon Studios, animated series , SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!, process , production phases, ironic , detail , character , show business , household name, Hollywood history, library, James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, hardest working man in show business , store shelves, 20th, 25th , The Art of Bee Movie , production history , CG feature, feature films, shorts, gaming, UCLA, Royce Hall , 35th , Annie Awards