Annette Funicello , long-time Disney and Beach Party star, passed away on Monday April 8 at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, CA, at the age of 70. She died peacefully from complications due to Multiple Sclerosis, a disease she battled for over 25 years. Beloved by television viewers in the 50s for her stint on Disney's original The Mickey Mouse Club, and by film buffs for her numerous roles in a series of popular teen-oriented movies in the 60s, Funicello became a pop culture icon. Copyright...

In 1979 George Lucas decided to create the Graphics Group as part of the computer division within Lucasfilm . In 1986, Steve Jobs paid Lucas $5 million and renamed the newly independent company Pixar . Twenty-five years have passed, and as of last Friday, " Toy Story 3 " has earned $920 million worldwide, making this the top-grossing animated movie ever . Pixar has had an amazing track record. It has produced 11 hit films in a row that have earned over $5.7 billion over the past 15 years...

Jim Hill reviews this new romantic comedy from Touchstone Pictures. Which – in spite of Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds’ herculean efforts – can’t quite overcome its underwritten script...

Jim Hill talks up this once-in-a-lifetime event. Where John Lasseter will play host to Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science ...

Jim Hill checks in from the convention center at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Where the Disney Channel just announced its expansion plans for this hit preschool series...

Most men in their late 50s start to slow down a little bit. But -- then again -- most men aren't Penn Jillette. Best known as the taller, louder half of that eccentric pair of performers (who -- now through September -- will regularly be presenting their acclaimed magic act in the appropriately named Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas ), Jillette has been a very busy guy these past few months. How so? Well, just in the past year, this 57 year-old has: starred...

Let's be honest here. Every night in Las Vegas is kind of like Halloween. Don't believe me? Then take a stroll up the Strip some evening. And I guarantee you that you'll encounter some interesting-looking characters who are then dressed in some pretty far-out-looking outfits. But if you're headed to Vegas over the next week or so, you'll undoubtedly be looking for a little Las Vegas Halloween fun. The only question then is ... Well, how ghoulish do you want to go? Anthony Crivello...

When you think of it in fairytale terms, a trip to Las Vegas can really like something straight out of "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights." I mean, think about it: You do cross the burning sands (Especially if you're driving in from LA. Which means that you're taking I-15 straight across Death Valley.) And then - in the middle of the desert - you can find this fabled city which is filled with castles & turrets & magic. And when I say "magic," I'm not talking...

JHM guest writer E. J. White and his family tried to eat their way through two entire theme parks as they sampled the Universal Orlando Resort's new pay-one-price-and-then-dine-all-day program. Was it worth the weight? ...

Earlier this week, JHM guest writer Richard Murphy stumbled upon a very sad moment at the "Happiest Place on Earth" : The final performance of the Dapper Dans...

Dawn Bachers of Orlando Fun Tickets talks up recent improvements to WDW’s retail, dining & entertainment district. Which includes an exciting new performer who just joined the cast of La Nouba...

There are a couple of things that you just have to do while you're in Las Vegas. Drive the Strip and gawk at all the lights Hit a buffet Catch a Cirque du Soleil® show Copyright 2010 Cirque du Soleil. All rights reserved But which of the Cirque shows should you see while you're in town? To be honest, that's kind of a tough question to answer. For " Mystere ," " O ," "Ka," " Zumanity ," " Love ," " Criss Angel Believe " and...

Given that the kids are now back in school and/or just about to go back to school I thought that I'd start this week's column with a math question. How long does it take to fill those 12 huge funnel-shaped tanks that power Typhoon Lagoon's 2.75 million gallon wave pool? Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved And the answer is ... well, that depends on whether you want 5-foot waves (which are ideal for body surfing) or 8-foot waves (which then allows Walt Disney World to...

Dawn Bachers of Orlando Fun Tickets walks you through all of the exciting after-dark offerings that the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot will be serving up now through August 14th...

Epic Mickey 2 the Power of Two (EM2) is out now on multiple consoles including the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii and Wii U. The game deserves special consideration for readers of JHM because it is layered with several generations worth of material from the Disney Archives, theme parks and film library. The world of Epic Mickey, or "Wasteland" is so saturated with history that it could catch trivia specialists flat-footed. Warren Spector, lifelong Disney fan and creator of the game had said...

We're just two weeks out now from the frights that can be found at the 2011 edition of Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights . And while other sites may go on & on about all the scares that await you inside of those eight great new haunted houses that are being built as we speak for this year's event, I'd like to focus instead on the six scare zones that will be featured at HHN 21. To my way of thinking, those scare zones are the real reason that Universal Orlando's...

Here in the States, it's kind of a tradition that - whenever Father's Day rolls around - we invariably gift Dad with a tie. Which - as far as Father's Day presents go - is nice & safe & boring. This year, why don't you try giving Dad a different sort of tie? Not the fabric kind, mind you. But the sort of tie where things are just too close to call. Where it'll then be difficult for your Father to make his final choice. And if you're looking for a city which offers...

For most people, a trip to Las Vegas is a chance to step away from their everyday lives for a little while. A chance to go someplace exciting. Where the lights are bright and the music's loud and there's lots & lots of people. Where you just feed off of all of that energy & excitement. But the downside of this scenario is - if you're spending an entire week in Vegas - by around Day 3, you start to get sensory overload. Which is why it sometimes makes sense to step away from the...

So what's your favorite aspect of summer? Me personally, I enjoy those extra hours of daylight that you usually get in June, July and August. Which then makes it that much easier to cram an extra hour or two of fun into a summer night. And speaking of fun summer nights, both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have recently rolled out special Summer Nights promotions. Which - through extended operating hours, brand-new shows & extra entertainment opportunities - now allow Guests...

How exactly do you become a Blue Man ? One of those mute musicians who appear in that mind-blowing stage show which is presented nightly in New York, Orlando, Boston, Chicago as well as at the Venetian Hotel, Resort & Casino in Las Vegas . Well, the Blue Man Casting team spends months traveling the globe every year searching for just the right people to play these parts. You see, a Blue Man has a very distinct look (i.e. each performer must have an athletic build and be between 5' 10"...

This Saturday, it's Lucky No. 7 for the Wynn. Seven years ago on April 28, 2005, this $2.7 billion dollar mega-resort opened at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue. And the town has never really been the same. Copyright Wynn Resort Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved Of course, there are some old timers who still miss the Desert Inn, that hotel & casino which previously occupied this spot along the Strip. But when you consider the state-of-the-art facility Steve Wynn built in...

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary ... Copyright Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved If you experience this year's edition of Halloween Horror Nights at the Universal Orlando Resort, you'll definitely feel a bit weak and weary as you wander towards the exits around the stroke of midnight. Not because you'll have been pouring over some "... quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore." But rather because you'll have just spent an evening...

Jim Hill chats with Bryan Ono, President of eFX Inc. about the premiere Disney Gallery Collection item that they’ll be previewing at this year’s Comic-Con International ...

Jim Hill chats with Don Hahn, the director of this terrific new documentary which takes a detailed look at all the personalities & projects that shaped Walt Disney Animation Studios from 1984 to 1994...

Jim Hill talks about Disney Legend Freddy Moore. Who Electric Tiki Design is about to honor with the release of a limited edition statue that then recreates one of his more iconic “Girls”...