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• 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 Read More... Posted Monday, June 30, 2008 12:00 AM | 54 Comments Filed under: attraction, Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World, WDW, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, guest, Pleasure Island, Adventurers Club, night club complex, night club, Disney Village Marketplace, the West Side, night clubs

• 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 Read More... Posted Monday, June 23, 2008 12:00 AM | 25 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, attraction, Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, FastPass, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDI, WDW, Operations, theme park guest, 2009, The Walt Disney World Resort, "Toy Story Mania", TV show, show, backstage, theme park attraction, WDW guests, December , tourist , high profile project, capacity , once-in-a-lifetime , "Festival of the Lion King", performers, Kinks, January, singing, "The American Idol Experience" , DHS, Disney Guests, interactive entertainment , "American Idol" , closed-door sessions , "Superstar Television", "Doug Live !" , crowd-pleaser, onstage, audition, auditions, audition process , recording booth , solo, video screen , initial screening , pre-recorded instrumental track, a cappella, pre-recorded music, live instruments, perform live , talent pool , finalists, preliminary shows , finale, Grand Finale, judges, Actors' Equity, "Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue" , Simon Cowell, finalist, Dream Ticket , guaranteed reservation, regional audition , "American Idol" TV show, jump the line, hopefuls, round of auditions, age limit , ineligible, Disney Legal , 19 Entertainment, production company , operational issues, behind-the-scenes , vocal coach , hair , make-up , make the cut , Ops staff , simulcast, Jumbotron, Hollywood Boulevard, "High School Musical 2: School's Out!" , pep rally , "Block Party Bash" , working the bugs out , talent-free singer , WDW executives

• "Is there something you want to tell me, Roy?"

  As he tours Cypress Gardens, Jim Hill examines the Walt Disney Company's ties to "Florida's first theme park" Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:00 AM | 12 Comments Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney, attraction, Walt Disney Productions, The Walt Disney Company, Bay Lake, Florida tourism, Central Florida, Florida, WDW, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, attractions, shows, rides, ride, show, Disney World vacation, Roy O Disney , WDW vacations, Dick Pope, Julie Pope, Cypress Gardens, 1948, 1936, Florida's first theme park, Polk County, Lake Eloise, Disneyland East, Project Florida, wooden coaster, sunshine, Sunshine State, Raz Island, Florida heritage, Panama City, Miracle Strip Amusement Park, cypress swamp, botanical garden, water skiing, Starliner, roller coaster, Edna Disney, parking lot, belles, Southern Belles, Southern Belle, topiary, topiaries, grandparent, grandparents, botanical gardens

• Hard Rock ain't your Daddy's theme park

  JHM just got a sneak peek at Myrtle Beach's newest attraction. Which offered some pretty unique challenges to the Hard Rock's design team Read More... Posted Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: theme park, Universal Studios, fireworks, attraction, Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Universal Orlando, WDW, Operations, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, show building, JHM, tourists, Universal Studios Orlando, theme park visitor, theme park guest, Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, hard ticket event, The Walt Disney World Resort, Halloween, theme park fans, attractions, rides, ride, show, theme park attraction, concert , SeaWorld Orlando, design team, hard ticket , June , Shamu Rocks , Universal Studios Florida , Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, rock 'n' roll , Hard Rock Park, media , roller soaker, "Slippery When Wet" , The Kinks, Kinks, "Maximum RPM" , ferris wheel, Myrtle Beach, Fantasy Lagoon , Fantasy Harbor , South Carolina, Waccamaw Factory Shoppes, hardcore music fans, Hard Rock , height restrictions , flight path , Myrtle Beach International Airport , HRP , FAA , FAA regulations, push the envelope , breaking the rules , "Led Zepplin : The Ride" , thrill ride, aircraft , looping coaster , inversions, lagoon show, nighttime water pageant, water pageant, Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody" , dancing fountains, fountains, lasers, laser light, laser, low level fireworks, lagoon , Myrtle Beach community, Halloween hard ticket event , horror mazes , horror maze, maze, horror, rock legends , rock legend, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie , Marilyn Manson, sound check, soft opening, grand opening , concert performance, the Eagles , Eagles , the Moody Blues, Moody Blues, whimsical touches , whimsical touch, air guitar, signature attraction, signature attractions, snuff, queue, "Nights in White Satin: The Trip" , holographic glasses , black light, black light paint, stone cold sober, drugged, drugs , drugged out of your gourd

• Why the Imagineers are still tinker(toy)ing with "Toy Story Mania"

  Jim Hill brings you an update on this new DHS attraction. Which is still experiencing a few minor hiccups as it gets ready for next month's grand opening Read More... Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2008 12:00 AM | 24 Comments Filed under: Disney, Pixar, attraction, Imagineering, John Lasseter, Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, WDI, WDW, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, "Toy Story Mania", Disney / Pixar, ride, Imagineers

• Will the Liberty Square bridge repairs lead to an abridged version of Disney's "Dreams Come True" parade ?

  Jim Hill brings you the latest news on this Magic Kingdom construction project. Which could result in a pretty intriguing parade route at that theme park for a few weeks this summer Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:00 AM | 18 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, parade, fireworks, attraction, Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Orlando, The Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Disney Parks & Resorts, Central Florida, WDW, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, resort, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, Halloween, "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party", Frontierland, Main Street USA, attractions, Disney World vacation, customers, on property, on-property , July , construction, August, "Pirate & Princess Party" , "Disney's Pirate & Princess Party" , fireworks extravaganza , hard ticket , after-hours event, "Mickey's Pirate & Princess Party", June , parades

• 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", 10th anniversary, 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

• Does WDI plan on gagging our next Commander-in-Chief as part of the 2009 redo of WDW's "Hall of Presidents" ?

  Jim Hill shares what he's heard about the upcoming revamp of this Magic Kingdom attraction. To be specific, how the Imagineers are looking to shave a few minutes off of the running time of this 36-year-old Liberty Square show Read More... Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:00 AM | 50 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, attraction, Imagineering, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Anaheim, The Magic Kingdom, Audio Animatronic, Bill Clinton, The President of the United States, WDI, WDW, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, Liberty Square, wheelchair accessible, AA figure, Audio Animatronics, handicap access, 2009, The Walt Disney World Resort, 2001, show, theme park attraction, WDW guests, Imagineers, July , handicap-accessible, wheelchair-friendly, wheelchair, presidential primaries, presidential primary, primaries, primary, President, Commander-in-Chief, "The Hall of Presidents", promotional gimmick , Chief Executive , Blaine Gibson , George W Bush, Monica Lewinsky , scandal , approval rating , dignity , roll call , speech, "THOP" , THOP, Gettysburg Address, The Gettysburg Address , "Great Moments with Mr Lincoln", redo, revamp, recycling , back east, electric convenience vehicle , ECV, ECV - friendly, improvements , doorway , turnstile , "The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management" , Iago, Uh-Oa, Zzzs , bran muffin

• Disney testing new ways to slow down FastPass counterfeiters

  Jim Hill talks about the plan that Disney Parks & Resorts has in the works to catch folks who are using bogus "Attraction Re-entry" tickets that they've purchased off of eBay. Which will involve scanning each individual FastPass for authenticity before the Mouse then allows that guest to enter a particular ride, show or attraction Read More... Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 12:00 AM | 34 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, attraction, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, The Jungle Cruise, Anaheim, The Walt Disney Company, FastPass, The Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Resort, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDW, cast members, cast member, Disneyana Enthusiasts, Mouse, theme park visitor, theme park guest, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, ticket sales, theme park fans, attractions, shows, rides, ride, show, theme park attraction, admission , admission fee

• 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

• What a doll ! Remembering Joyce Carlson (1923 - 2008)

  Jim Hill pays tribute to this Disney Legend, who passed away this past Tuesday following a long bout with cancer Read More... Posted Friday, January 04, 2008 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, attraction, Imagineering, WED, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Marc Davis, Anaheim, "Peter Pan", Disney Legend, The Walt Disney Company, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, John Hench, "Cinderella", Mary Blair, "Sleeping Beauty", Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDI, "it's a small world", WDW, Imagineer, Fantasyland, Walt Disney Studios, LaughingPlace, The Walt Disney World Resort, animated feature, ride, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, theme park attraction, Joyce Carlson, 1964 New York World Fair, New York World's Fair, retired, compliment, legacy, humble, concept phase, design phase, coloring, project development, detailed model, dimensional figure, Jim Korkis, 2003, "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress", "America Sings", "The Haunted Mansion", doll, condolences, Hospice of the Comforter, Altamonte Springs, obituary