Jim Hill

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Jim Hill

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NFFC Disney World Holiday Extravaganza places the emphasis on in-park fun

Jim Hill chats with Anita Schaengold, Special Events Chairperson for the NFFC-Disneyana Fan Club about this year’s programming changes. Which will leave more time to explore & enjoy WDW’s theme parks Read More...

Posted Friday, November 27, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments

Filed under: Disney, theme park, convention, attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Anaheim, Orlando, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Wilderness Lodge, The Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, The Haunted Mansion, Disneyana, WDW, Christmas, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, National Fantasy Fan Club, Disneyana Enthusiasts, 2009, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, attractions, shows, rides, ride, show, holiday season , Disneyana community , operational issues, theme parks, The Princess and the Frog, Disneyana fan, holiday, Tomorrowland, Walt Disney World Resort, holidays, Disney's Beach Club Resort, Operational

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 : 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, 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, goldfish, judges, Actors' Equity, Simon Cowell, finalist, Dream Ticket , guaranteed reservation, regional audition , Club Penguin, jump the line, hopefuls, round of auditions, age limit , ineligible, Disney Legal , Peter Barsocchini, 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

Mist Direction or How DAK Operations just slipped Joe Rohde a Mickey

Jim Hill talks about "Expedition Everest" 's faltering effects. More importantly, WDW's long-standing tradition of bamboozling senior Disney officials whenever they come on property Read More...

Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2008 12:00 AM | 20 Comments

Filed under: Disney, theme park, Pixar, Walt Disney, attraction, John Lasseter, Michael Eisner, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Dick Nunis, Joe Rohde, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, The Jungle Cruise, Expedition Everest : Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Disney Legend, The Magic Kingdom, Disney Parks & Resorts, WDI, the boys: the sherman brothers' story, WDW, Expedition Everest, DAK, Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Operations, Disney World, Disney / Pixar, effects, guests, attractions, shows, rides, ride, show, theme park attraction, Food Service, Chairman, Liberty Tree Tavern

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 | 8 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, key franchises, lagoon , diecast car, 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, stunt director, 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

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

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, promotional gimmick , Chief Executive , Blaine Gibson , George W Bush, Monica Lewinsky , scandal , Robin Williams, dignity , roll call , speech, THOP, Gettysburg Address, The Gettysburg Address , Great Moments with Mr Lincoln, redo, revamp, recycling , Great Oaks Entertainment, 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

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 | 96 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 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