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• Let George Do It: One-time WDW busboy becomes Disneyland’s newest president

  Jim Hill looks back over this Park & Resorts vet's 38-year-long career with the Company. In particular why George Kalogridis was chosen to help guide the Disneyland Resort through its upcoming transitional period Read More... Posted Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: Disney, Downtown Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Disney's California Adventure, The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Disney Parks & Resorts, Disneyland Hotel, Walt Disney Studios, cast members, cast member, 1971, 1976, 2009, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, pin, 2012, 2010, Rich Ross , pins, 1988, millennium celebration, opportunity, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Park, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, DLP, Ed Grier, regional theme park, Al Weiss, George Kalogridis, busboy, senior management, senior management position, UCF, Contemporary Resort Hotel, Disney Wonder, University of Central Florida, training issues, adversity, Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadershio Strategies from a Life at Disney, transition period, transitional period, Winter Olympics, Nagano, Olympic pins, IBM, Coca-Cola, Happiest Place on Earth, Resort Operations, maintenance, general manager, 15th anniversary, Sunshine Plaza, Anaheim property, Grand Flo, development team, Disney's World of Color, gay

• Gary Vaynerchuk wants you to think outside of the box wine

  Jim Hill reports in from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Where the “King of Social Media” held court this past Friday Read More... Posted Monday, September 28, 2009 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Orlando, World Showcase, Brazil, Mickey Mouse, Hollywood, 2009, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, international, Variety, November, Food & Beverage , Green, Red, marketplace, Walt Disney World Resort, rock star, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival, International Food and Wine Festival, Food and Wine Festival, wine seminar, education, entertainment, Gary Vaynerchuk, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, sheep butt, socks, Odyssey, Odyssey restaurant, vintage, vintages, WDW visitor, King of Social Media, mantra, You gotta try new things, chianti, Chianti Classico, Shiraz, Green Point Reserve, Green Point Reserve Shiraz, Satori Di Verona, wine world, wine, Napa, Washington State, Walla Walla, reds, white, whites, vintner, vintners, authentic experience, Misha, WDW visitors, food, drink, U.S., Pinot, varieties, webcast, The Thunder Show, confidence, box wine, cuisine, international marketplaces, marketplaces, Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, foodie, 14th annual International Food & Wine Festival

• "The Art of the Walt Disney World Resort" is worth going out of your way for

  Jim Hill reviews Jeff Kurtti & Bruce Gordon’s latest book. Which features some spectacular sketches & concept paintings for WDW rides and resorts that were never built Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:00 AM | 14 Comments Filed under: book, A Christmas Carol, Imagineering, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, The Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A., Jeff Kurtti, Bruce Gordon, Disney Editions, WDI, WDW, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, hotel, resort, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, attractions, shows, rides, UK, Euro Disney, Charles Dickens, art of book, concept painting, artwork, sketches

• Why the bloom is never off the rose at Epcot's International Flower & Garden Festival

  Jim Hill chats with Eric Darden, horticultural manager for this WDW annual event. Who reveals what goes on after-hours so that Guests will always see beautiful bedding plants whenever they attend this 75-day-long festival Read More... Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Walt Disney World, Epcot, WDW, theme park visitor, 2009, The Walt Disney World Resort, 2006, Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, theme parks

• Seldom-seen concept art a highlight of "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland"

  Jim Hill checks out the latest volume in Alex Wright's "Imagineering Field Guide" series and finds that this 128-page paperback does an excellent job of summing up the history & the appeal of the Happiest Place on Earth Read More... Posted Wednesday, November 12, 2008 12:00 AM | 5 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Imagineering, Disneyland, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, The Magic Kingdom, Disney Editions, Herb Ryman, John Hench, Disneyana, WDI, it's a small world, WDW, Imagineer, Fantasyland, 2008, 2009, The Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyana fans, 1955, Imagineers, April , hippo

• "Creating Magic" reveals how the modern Magic Kingdom really operates

  Jim Hill reviews Lee Cockerell's new book, which recounts the many lessons that this Disney vet learned while he was the Executive Vice President in charge of Operations at the WDW Resort Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, parade, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Tinker Bell, The Walt Disney Company, The Magic Kingdom, Euro Disneyland, Cinderella, 9/11, Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination, The Animated Man : A Life of Walt Disney, Neal Gabler, Michael Barrier, WDW, cast members, cast member, David Koenig, Realityland: True-Life Adventures of Walt Disney World, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, September, guest, guests, Disney Publicity , publicity, 2006, pins, 1994, Lee Cockerell, Trapper Keeper, Charlie Ridgeway, Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent, MMO, modern Mouse House, Doubleday, Grant's tomb, Alice Marriott, millennium celebration, Euro Disney, Publicity Department

• WDW officials knew that '09 was going to be a real challenge

  Jim Hill talks about the cost containment procedures that Mouse House managers put in place over the past nine months, as they prepared for the current economic downturn Read More... Posted Friday, October 10, 2008 12:00 AM | 8 Comments Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, The Magic Kingdom, character dining, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDW, promotional campaign, 2008, 2009, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, September, Pleasure Island, Rock n Roll Beach Club, reservations , February , WDW officials , Liberty Tree Tavern , January, WDW executives, PI, What Will You Celebrate, Wall Street, economic downturn, Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, bookings, Fantasmic, Garden Grill

• 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 Read More... Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Why For, parade, fireworks, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, promotion, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort, World Showcase, World Showcase Lagoon, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Seven Seas Lagoon, WDW, cast members, Jeff Lange, cast member, hotel, 1974, Crowne Plaza, 1976, theme park guest, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, show, staging, WDWCelebrations , fireworks extravaganza , parades, fireworks display, water , lagoon show, water pageant, lagoon , sound check, soft opening, January, audience, water skiing, JeffLangeDVD, visually stunning

• Monday Mouse Watch : It's lights out for DAK's "Rivers of Light" parade, while Beastly Kingdomme makes a character-based comeback

  Jim Hill brings you the latest news on Disney's Animal Kingdom. Including how WDW has been meeting with DAK curators to see who'd be willing to go take care of the animals that will soon be on display over at Disney's Night Kingdom Read More... Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 12:00 AM | 36 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, parade, attraction, Imagineering, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Dinosaur, The Magic Kingdom, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDI, it's a small world, the boys: the sherman brothers' story, WDW, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, Beastly Kingdomme, DAK, Finding Nemo -- The Musical, Rivers of Light, Dan Haskett, theme park visitor, theme park guest, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, theme park fans, attractions, rides, ride, show, theme park attraction, Animal Kingdom , WDWCelebrations , A Wild Decade, Pleasure Island, night club, Disney's Night Kingdom, DNK, Imagineers, Steve Davison, It's Tough to Be a Bug, Japanese Lantern Parade, ROL, Pocahontas and her Forest Friends, Festival of the Lion King, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Camp Minnie-Mickey, character greeting area, Quest for the Unicorn, Dragon's Tower, horticulture, nighttime parade, after-hours extravaganza, character-friendly addition, pathway, night clubs, parades, Disney characters, Disney brand

• Do-it-yourself Epcot celebration leads to new fan-based business

  Jim Hill reveals how "Celebration 25" led to the creation of "WDWCelebrations." Which will be presenting "A Wild Decade" at Disney's Animal Kingdom this April in honor of that theme park's 10th anniversary Read More... Posted Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: Disney, Imagineering, Disneyland, Epcot, promotion, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Orlando, Innoventions, Marty Sklar, The Walt Disney Company, Epcot Center, concept art, 2719 Hyperion, WDI, Central Florida, the boys: the sherman brothers' story, WDW, Imagineer, Year of a Million Dreams, DAK, Figment, Nathan Rose, MagicalMountain, WDWMagic, tourists, promotional campaign, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, 2007, merch, Disneyana fans, Disney World vacation, Disneyana community , Deb Wills , AllEars.net , Brad Rex, 25th anniversary , The Happiest Celebration on Earth, 50th anniversary , Central Florida resort , Walt & El Grupo, Waking Sleeping Beauty, tourist , Jenn Waitt , discussion boards , Celebration 25, Adam Roth, Jason Diffendal , get-together , Disney webmasters , John Corigliano , Mouse Times, Lou Mongello , Disney World Trivia , Jeff Pepper , day-long event, history walk , dessert party, rededication ceremony, temporary exhibit , props, models , MC , history talks, Fountain of Nations , Mouse Gear, limited edition , merchandise , commemorative , Figment plush , merchandise location , Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Animal Kingdom , WDWCelebrations , fan-based , signature event , commemorative event, Flashdance, A Wild Decade, guest speaker, registrants , Magical Mountain, The Epcot Thing

• The Russians are coming !! The Russians are coming !! ... to Epcot ?!

  Jim Hill shares the news that's been leaking out of Glendale since just before Christmas. Which is that the Mouse has recently revived its plans to add a Russia pavilion to Epcot's World Showcase Read More... Posted Tuesday, January 08, 2008 12:00 AM | 37 Comments Filed under: Disney, attraction, Imagineering, Michael Eisner, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Epcot Center, World Showcase, World Showcase Lagoon, television, Soviet Union, Russia, Imagineer, Disneyland Hotel, The Walt Disney World Resort, ride, show

• "Not a creature was stirring ...," not even the guy who writes all of those stories about the Mouse

  Jim Hill explains why JHM has been content-free for the past week. He also passes along some news about the Harwick family's holiday as well as promoting some upcoming stories for the site Read More... Posted Thursday, December 27, 2007 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Epcot, WDW, Steve Martin, cast members, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, The Jerk , record snowfall, snow, New England, New Hampshire, deer, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, the holidays, Elizabeth Harwick, Harwick family, the Harwick family, Lily Tomlin, snowdrifts, Betty White, New York Times, The New York Times

• Wanna make the holidays a bit more magical for one deserving family?

  Jim Hill's putting the word out to WDW cast members as well as JHM readers. He needs your help to make Christmas merrier for Elizabeth Harwick and her two daughters Read More... Posted Monday, December 17, 2007 12:00 AM | 5 Comments Filed under: theme park, Pixar, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Ratatouille, Brad Bird, Pixar Animation Studios, Epcot Center, Spaceship Earth, WDW, movie, The Walt Disney World Resort