Welcome to Jim Hill Media - Entertainment News : Theme Parks Movies Television
Join
Sign in
Jim Hill Media
Search Options
Search Everything
Search Editor In Chief
Home
HOME
ARTICLES
PODCASTS
CONTEST
CONTACT US
ABOUT
More ...
Home
»
Editor In Chief
»
Jim Hill
»
January, 2001
January, 2001
Subscribe via RSS
Email Blog Author
RSS for Posts
OK
2009
2010
2011
ABC
animated feature
animation
attraction
book
Disney
Disney Channel
Disney World
Disneyland
DVD / Video
Epcot
Imagineering
John Lasseter
movies
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios
theme park
Walt Disney
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney World
WDW
Blog - Monthly Archive List
Archives
May 2020
(1)
April 2018
(1)
March 2018
(1)
February 2018
(1)
January 2018
(2)
December 2017
(3)
November 2017
(2)
October 2017
(6)
September 2017
(6)
August 2017
(1)
July 2017
(11)
June 2017
(7)
May 2017
(5)
April 2017
(12)
March 2017
(8)
February 2017
(8)
January 2017
(5)
December 2016
(8)
November 2016
(9)
October 2016
(3)
September 2016
(6)
August 2016
(3)
July 2016
(5)
June 2016
(4)
May 2016
(3)
April 2016
(3)
March 2016
(1)
February 2016
(4)
January 2016
(1)
December 2015
(4)
November 2015
(3)
October 2015
(5)
September 2015
(5)
August 2015
(4)
July 2015
(3)
June 2015
(8)
May 2015
(6)
April 2015
(4)
March 2015
(5)
February 2015
(5)
January 2015
(2)
December 2014
(10)
November 2014
(10)
October 2014
(11)
September 2014
(11)
August 2014
(12)
July 2014
(9)
June 2014
(6)
May 2014
(12)
April 2014
(13)
March 2014
(13)
February 2014
(10)
January 2014
(10)
December 2013
(9)
November 2013
(13)
October 2013
(14)
September 2013
(13)
August 2013
(9)
July 2013
(11)
June 2013
(14)
May 2013
(8)
April 2013
(12)
March 2013
(16)
February 2013
(11)
January 2013
(11)
December 2012
(8)
November 2012
(15)
October 2012
(13)
September 2012
(11)
August 2012
(12)
July 2012
(10)
June 2012
(12)
May 2012
(13)
April 2012
(14)
March 2012
(9)
February 2012
(13)
January 2012
(16)
December 2011
(18)
November 2011
(18)
October 2011
(16)
September 2011
(15)
August 2011
(17)
July 2011
(18)
June 2011
(17)
May 2011
(15)
April 2011
(18)
March 2011
(16)
February 2011
(15)
January 2011
(19)
December 2010
(20)
November 2010
(15)
October 2010
(16)
September 2010
(19)
August 2010
(20)
July 2010
(18)
June 2010
(16)
May 2010
(16)
April 2010
(17)
March 2010
(16)
February 2010
(18)
January 2010
(15)
December 2009
(22)
November 2009
(18)
October 2009
(15)
September 2009
(18)
August 2009
(18)
July 2009
(18)
June 2009
(6)
May 2009
(14)
April 2009
(14)
March 2009
(17)
February 2009
(5)
January 2009
(16)
December 2008
(12)
November 2008
(16)
October 2008
(19)
September 2008
(14)
August 2008
(13)
July 2008
(14)
June 2008
(11)
May 2008
(14)
April 2008
(10)
March 2008
(13)
February 2008
(14)
January 2008
(18)
December 2007
(13)
November 2007
(16)
October 2007
(18)
September 2007
(18)
August 2007
(21)
July 2007
(21)
June 2007
(17)
May 2007
(19)
April 2007
(20)
March 2007
(20)
February 2007
(18)
January 2007
(10)
December 2006
(40)
November 2006
(27)
October 2006
(15)
September 2006
(17)
August 2006
(21)
July 2006
(10)
June 2006
(15)
May 2006
(19)
April 2006
(16)
March 2006
(21)
February 2006
(17)
January 2006
(12)
December 2005
(14)
November 2005
(20)
October 2005
(12)
September 2005
(14)
August 2005
(18)
July 2005
(15)
June 2005
(18)
May 2005
(28)
April 2005
(20)
March 2005
(20)
February 2005
(14)
January 2005
(18)
December 2004
(14)
November 2004
(17)
October 2004
(11)
September 2004
(19)
August 2004
(23)
July 2004
(10)
June 2004
(24)
May 2004
(22)
April 2004
(28)
March 2004
(28)
February 2004
(28)
January 2004
(23)
December 2003
(17)
November 2003
(9)
October 2003
(22)
September 2003
(16)
August 2003
(15)
July 2003
(11)
June 2003
(7)
May 2003
(12)
April 2003
(14)
March 2003
(10)
February 2003
(11)
January 2003
(24)
December 2002
(15)
November 2002
(7)
October 2002
(13)
September 2002
(13)
August 2002
(6)
January 2002
(2)
December 2001
(1)
January 2001
(41)
December 2000
(3)
Jim Hill
Jim's musings on the history of and rumors about movies, TV shows, books and theme parks including Disneyland, Walt Disney World. Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.
RSS for Posts
Subscribe via RSS
Sort by:
Most Recent
|
Most Views
|
Most Comments
Excerpt View
|
Full Post View
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 1
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
1
Comments
On Saturday May 20th, 1,400 Disneyland fans will gather in New Orleans Square to take part in the special ticketed "Celebrating the Pirates of the Caribbean" event. These folks will have paid $85 apiece for the privilege of paying tribute to what many call the greatest theme park ride ever created. As part of the evening's festivities, these guests can attend a panel discussion featuring many of the folks who helped create this legendary attraction. These Imagineers are sure to reveal many never...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 2
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: Master Imagineer Marc Davis was hoping to build on the lessons WED had learned while creating Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean." But - for a while there in 1967 - it looked like the Imagineers wouldn't get the chance to build any new attractions, as Roy O. Disney toyed with the idea of selling the company off to the Westinghouse Corporation. Eventually, Roy came to his senses and declared that Walt Disney Productions was not for sale. He also announced that the company *WOULD...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 4
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: In 1969, Master Imagineer Marc Davis convinced Roy Disney and WED head Richard Irvine to take on the most ambitious theme park attraction Walt Disney Productions would ever attempt to produce. "Western River Expedition" - a comical journey through the old West - would have made use of every trick Imagineering had in its book. The ride would feature dozens of audio animatronic figures as well as eye-popping special effects. To top it all off, "WRE" would be housed in the largest...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 5
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: Roy Disney personally okayed development of "Western River Expedition (WRE)," a massive new attraction for WDW's Magic Kingdom. Marc Davis - the Imagineer who dreamed up the original concept for the ride - wanted "WRE" to be the most ambitious theme park ride Walt Disney Productions had ever built. Those lucky enough to have seen Marc's concept drawings and / or view the model of the show say that this water based audio- animatronic extravaganza would have truly set the standard...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 6
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: If you've read Parts 1 through 6, you've already have a pretty good understanding of the history of "Western River Expedition." At least from the Marc Davis point of view. So there's no need for me to do yet another recap. But please be aware that Imagineering is a highly collaborative place. People of all ages - from all walks of life - work there. And these folks don't always get along. Imagineers often have disagreements about how certain theme park attractions should be constructed...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 7
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: 75 years of films, TV shows and videos have taught us that all Disney stories end happily, right? Well, not this time, kiddies. After five years of hard work and planning, Marc Davis watched as his dream project - "Western River Expedition," an audio animatronic extravaganza that could have been the best thing WED ever did - slowly fell from favor. But what could Marc do? Times had changed. Where once Disney theme park guests had gone gaga over elaborately themed attractions like...
Jim Hill
Superstar Limo: What Went Wrong?
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Given that it's been over two years since this DCA attraction was last open to the public, many people have forgotten how horrible Superstar Limo was. More importantly, why this Hollywood Pictures Backlot ride wound up being so bad. In a revamped version of a July 2001 LaughingPlace.com series, Jim reveals all the embarrassing details....
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 8
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
OUR STORY SO FAR: Marc Davis was tired. Tired of the excuses he kept getting as to why "Western River Expedition" (WRE) wasn't getting built. Tired of having his other new attraction ideas never make it off the drawing board. Most of all, Marc was tired of repeating himself. So - when Davis was asked to do yet another version of Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction for Tokyo Disneyland - Marc decided it was time to pack it in. So Davis retired from Walt Disney Productions in 1978, preferring...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 9
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Before you hit the trail, check out a few more stories about the greatest attraction that never was ! A NOTE TO READERS: You know, you'd think - after eight long, drawn out chapters - you people would have had enough of "Western River Expedition." (I know *I* have.) But - judging by all the notes that keep turning up in my mailbox - you folks still have a lot of questions about this proposed WDW attraction. So - before we officially say "adios" to Thunder Mesa - I'm going to try to tie up a few loose...
Jim Hill
Why "Western River" Went South -- Part 10
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
I spend weeks writing articles about Disney theme parks that haven't opened yet. Months researching attractions that never made it off the drawing board. A lifetime collecting never-before-revealed stories about Disney animated features. None of that matters anymore. After the ton of mail I received last week from you folks, I now know what turns on DIG readers. Grabs your attention. Sends chills racing up your spines. Not stories about corner cutting or staff in-fighting. Not items about soon-to...
Jim Hill
An Elephant's Tale
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
They say "an elephant never forgets." Well, neither does Jim Hill. In this classic from the archive, he fills you in on the bizarre fate of Big Red, that enormous fake pachyderm who used to play such a crucial part in the "Kilimanjaro Safaris" ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. ...
Jim Hill
Tale of a Dragon
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
As Jim recovers from the inagural run of the JimHillMedia Walt Disney World tours, we dip into the deep fires of hell ... okay, the archives ... for this classic piece. Did the discovery of photos of nasty looking knights really give Disneyana fans a true sneak peek of Animal Kingdom's future? Or did it just reveal a forgotten piece of the park's past? Jim Hill peels back the armor to give us the real inside scoop. ...
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 1
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
In the first installment of this series, Jim Hill exposes Disneyland management's genuinely odd attitude when it comes to discussing this ill-fated streetacular. He also reveals some of the other ideas that Disneyland's Entertainment staff supposedly toyed with as possible replacements for the "Main Street Electrical Parade." ...
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 2
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
In the second installment of this series, Jim Hill talks about the weird role that Tinker Bell & a miniature helicopter played in the development of "Light Magic." He also discusses how Michael Eisner's interest in "Riverdance" may have accidentally helped nudge this troubled MSEP replacement project even further off track....
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 3
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
As Jim Hill continues his "Light Magic" saga, he takes a moment to explain the Disneyland Entertainment Office's side of the story. Why they did what they did. How "Tinker Bell's Light Magic"'s somewhat strange storyline ended up the way that it did....
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 4
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
As Jim Hill rolls out Chapter 4 of this continuing series, he gets to the real meat of the matter: How technical snafus and mis-leading PR pretty much tripped up this "streetacular" before "Light Magic" even had its world premiere....
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 5
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Before Jim Hill gets started on the story of the "Light Magic" ill-fated annual passholders party, he reveals which well intentioned divisions of the Disneyland Resort, while trying to be supportive of the "streetacular", actually sent the show to its doom. ...
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 6
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Jim Hill finally gets around to discussing what actually happened during the "Light Magic" ill-fated annual passholders premiere party. He also reveals certain elements that Disneyland's Entertainment staff dropped from the "streetacular" at the last minute. Weird little things that might actually have saved the show....
Jim Hill
Remembering "Light Magic" -- Part 7
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
It's crunch time for "Light Magic"'s production team. Jim Hill walks you through the "streetacular"'s final week of previews and rehearsals as the bad news begins to spread about Disneyland's new street show....
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Introduction
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Find out all about Disney's California Adventure's origins, the wheeling and dealing it took to get the park off the ground, the struggles, the setbacks... as well as the problems that potentially lie ahead for the project in this article series classic from Jim Hill....
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Part 1
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Find out all about Disney's California Adventure's origins, the wheeling and dealing it took to get the park off the ground, the struggles, the setbacks... as well as the problems that potentially lie ahead for the project in this article series classic from Jim Hill....
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Part 2
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
In Part 2 of this fan favorite from the JimHillMedia.com archives, learn how the Walt Disney Company pitted the cities of Long Beach and Anaheim against one another in the race to see which community would serve as home to the corporation's next Southern Californian theme park....
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Part 3
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
In Part 3 of this fan favorite from the JimHillMedia.com archives, learn about the greatest stateside theme park that the Walt Disney Company never built: Westcot. ...
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Part 4
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
In Part 4 of this fan favorite from the JimHillMedia.com archives, learn what happened when Mickey's Orange County neighbors got hot under the collar about the Disneyland Resort's expansion plans....
Jim Hill
California Misadventure -- Part 5
Posted
12-31-2000
by
Jim Hill
0
Comments
Here's another present to slip under the tree: the final installment of Jim's April 2000 MousePlanet classic. Read it for yourself and decide how many of Hill's predictions came true....
Page 1 of 2 (41 items)
1
2