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• Woo Hoo ! "The Simpsons Ride" officially opens at Universal Studios Florida

  JHM was there yesterday as the bright yellow ribbon was cut and celebrities, dignitaries & guests all surged in experience this brand-new attraction Read More... Posted Friday, May 16, 2008 12:00 AM | 8 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Universal Studios, attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, Imagineering, "The Simpsons", Orlando, Universal Orlando, WDI, Florida, WDW, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park River Adventure, "Jurassic Park River Adventure", theme park attraction, President, Universal Studios Florida , Lisa Simpson, Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Universal Creative Studio, Universal Creative, "The Simpsons Ride", Krusty the Clown, Krustyland, Mike West, Buddy Dyer, Joey Fatone, Mayor, *NSYNC, God's Waiting Room, Bill Davis, Gracie Films, "Pirates of the Caribbean", blue hairs, AARP, Universal Orlando guests, opening ceremony, Krusty clone, live orchestra, school children, chief operating officer, confetti, walkaround characters, walkaround character, ribbon, cut the ribbon

• Arrrr you ready for an all-Pirates edition of Why For?

  There's plenty of POTC-related info to be found in this week's column. Including the current status of "Pirates 4," news on Disney's "Legends of the Brethren Court" book series as well as a review of that I-Drive favorite, the Pirate's Dinner Adventure Read More... Posted Friday, May 09, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: Disney, Universal Studios, fireworks, Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski, Walt Disney Pictures, Magic Kingdom, Disney Press, The Walt Disney Company, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", character dining, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Disney Parks & Resorts, AA figure, hard ticket event, The Walt Disney World Resort, "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party", "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party", Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, 2007, "The Lone Ranger", Captain Jack Sparrow, "Pirates of the Caribbean 4", "Pirates 4", Pirates 4, 1996 , 2006, Pirate & Princess Party, "Pirate & Princess Party" , "Disney's Pirate & Princess Party" , Disney franchise, "Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade" , hard ticket , "Mickey's Pirate & Princess Party", "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, CG version , lagoon show, Halloween hard ticket event , "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise , "Pirates of the Caribbean Online" , MMOG, massively-multiplayer online game, "Pirates" book series , "Legends of the Brethren Court", Development , Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio , "Prince of Persia", Tortuga restaurant, AA figures, "Enchanted Adventures Parade" , return on investment, Liberty Square bridge, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort , "Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold" , 3-D helmet, Caribbean, Jolly Roger, I-4 , Gasparilla Extravaganza, Gasparilla season , Tampa Bay, Piratechnics, Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa, Southwest Airlines Gasparilla Pirate Fest , Gasparilla, Southwest Airlines, Gasparilla experience, Pirate's Dinner Adventure, International Drive, acrobats , Freedom Festival, Sebastian the Black, scurvy crew , Princess Anita, audience, Dubai, swordplay, stunts, I-Drive , "Magic, "Music, Music & Mayhem", Magic and Mayhem"

• 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

• 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" , Feature Condensation , issue, Reader's Digest, 1955, Tennessee, 11-year-old , leukemia, Central Plaza , landscaping , train, Disneyland Railroad , locomotive , coal car , track, skyline, will-o'-the-wisp, Rainbow Caverns, Tom Sawyer's Island, "Snow White" , enchantment, childhood, Van France , train ride, worksite, picture, publicity, celebrities, celebrity, charity , charity event , cameras, private

• Remembering Suzanne Pleshette (1937 - 2008)

  Jim Hill looks back on the Disney-related portion of this Emmy nominated actress's career as well as commenting on the role that smoking may have played in her untimely demise Read More... Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: Disney, TV, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, ABC, Disneyland, Walt Disney Productions, television, Burbank, film, movie, TV show, Disneyana fans, condolences, Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette , Emily Hartley, Bob Hartley , "The Bob Newhart Show" , Dean Jones, 1966 , "The Ugly Dachshund" , 1968, "Blackbeard's Ghost" , 1975, "The Shaggy DA" , Roddy McDowell , 1967, "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" , "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" , English language version, Hayao Miyazaki, "Spirited Away" , Tony Curtis , "40 Pounds of Trouble" , 1962 , Norman Jewison , Damon Runyon, "Little Miss Marker" , St. Joseph's Hospital , studio , Roy O Disney , Peter Ustinov , Disney lot, James Garner, Laura Hennessy , 2002 - 2005 , ABC sitcom, sitcom , "8 Simple Rules'', smoker, lung cancer, smoking-related illnesses , Emmy-nominated

• Monday Mouse Watch: Will MGM's upcoming name change really allow the Universal Orlando Resort to nudge Disney out of the spotlight?

  Jim Hill shares what he's heard about Universal's bold new plan to reposition that Central Florida Resort. He also offers up additional information about that after-hours Halloween party that's now in the works for Disney's Hollywood Studios. And would you believe "Holidays at Hogwarts" ? Read More... Posted Monday, November 19, 2007 12:00 AM | 36 Comments Filed under: theme park, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Disney's Hollywood Studios, The Magic Kingdom, television, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando, Central Florida, Florida, WDW, Walt Disney Studios, Steven Spielberg, California, Christmas, Universal, 1998, Universal Studios Escape, Disney-MGM Studios, studio theme park, Disney's Orlando Studios, Disney-Pixar Studios, 1976, "Jaws", Universal Studios Orlando, 2008, The Blockbuster Capital of the World, The Feature Attraction, theme park visitor, theme park guest, "The Hulk", "Jurassic Park", "Harry Potter" films, "Harry Potter" books, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter", Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, 2009, TV commercials, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Holidays at Hogwarts", The Great Hall, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "The Nightmare Before Christmas", The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Walt Disney World Resort, Halloween, "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party", "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party", "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror", 5th Dimension, The 5th Dimension, The Weasley family, Weasley family, "Halloween at Hogwarts", Halloween at Hogwarts, Alfred E Newman, what me worry, Toy Story Mania, "Toy Story Mania", Toy Story Midway Mania, "Toy Story Midway Mania", me worry?, What, me worry?", "What

• Why For did the Mouse really rename MGM "Disney's Hollywood Studios" ?

  Did Disney's desire to finally create an after-hours event that would rival Universal's Halloween Horror Nights actually play a part in the renaming of Disney-MGM Studios? Jim Hill shares what he's heard from Mouse House insiders Read More... Posted Friday, October 12, 2007 12:00 AM | 19 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Why For, Universal Studios, Imagineering, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Hollywood , The Magic Kingdom, Tutto Italia Ristorante, Patina Group, L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante, Disney's Horrorwood Studios, Disney's Hollyday Studios, Google Earth, Henry Selick, "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas", Glow in the Dark Parade, Haunted Halloween, Halloween Horror Nights, Hong Kong Disneyland, Universal Orlando, Al's Toy Barn, Backlot Theater, The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure, Muppet Movie Ride, The Boneyard, Pixar Place, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDW Entertainment, Halloweentown, Generation Gap Bridge, Hourglass Lake, Florida tourism, 9/11, The Legendary Years, The Classic Years, Disney's Pop Century Resort, value resorts, family suites, Disney's All Star Music Resort, Jazz Inn building, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, Tim Burton, WDI, Glendale, The Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

• Monday Mouse Watch : Will the Lone Ranger ride again for Walt Disney Pictures in 2010 ?

  Never mind about this year's summer blockbusters. Jim Hill's already looking three years down the road to when Mickey (with the help of several key members of the "Pirates" creative team) will reportedly be releasing a $100-million-plus Western that will feature the Masked Man and his faithful Indian companion Read More... Posted Monday, May 28, 2007 12:00 AM | 29 Comments Filed under: Disney, movies, theme park, Universal Studios, Imagineering, Disney Consumer Products, Jerry Bruckheimer, Walt Disney Pictures

• Monday MouseWatch : WDI hopes that its "Living Character Initiative" will make up for losing "Harry Potter" as well as Kuka's robotic arm technology

  It's been a bruising couple of months for the Imagineers. What with Universal Studios acquiring the theme park rights to J.K. Rowling's characters as well as gaining exclusive use of a technology that the guys in Glendale already had plans for. But Jim Hill details how WDI hopes to bounce back with a little help from Pixar Read More... Posted Monday, April 16, 2007 12:00 AM | 80 Comments Filed under: Disney, theme park, Pixar, Universal Studios, attraction, Imagineering