October, 2006

Featured ContentEditor In Chief

How Busch Gardens Williamsburg made InvadR, this theme park’s first-ever wooden roller coaster, seem like it had always been part of the terrain

Jim Hill

05-22-2017

by Jim Hill

It's sometimes been said that a person can't see the forest for the trees. Or the forest THROUGH the trees. But as Larry Giles - Busch Gardens'...

With the help of ELLE Magazine & fashion designer Zac Posen, cartoon icon Betty Boop receives a modern-age makeover

Jim Hill

05-10-2017

by Jim Hill

According to the folks at Phrase Finder , when one is said to be " ... putting on the dog, " that then means that they are " ... dressing...
Did the original version of "Star Tours" predict how the Star Wars Saga would play out in "The Force Awakens" & "The Last Jedi" ?

Jim Hill

05-05-2017

by Jim Hill

The original version of Star Tours (which - because the initial iteration of this thrill ride opened at Disneyland Park back on January 9, 1987 - is celebrating...
Pixar's "Road to the Races" tour allows event attendees to get an up-close look at how "Cars 3" characters were designed

Jim Hill

05-04-2017

by Jim Hill

This past weekend, thousands of " Cars " fans made their way to Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park in Somerville, MA. Eager to get a peek at Pixar...

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Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Remembering "Runaway Brain"

Posted 10-31-2006

by Jim Hill
- 36 Comments
Looking for a little Halloween-themed fun? Jim Hill shares some image captures from an Academy Award-nominated short which shows Mickey Mouse's more monstrous side...
Jim Hill

"High School Musical on Tour" to finally hit the road on November 30th

Posted 10-25-2006

by Jim Hill
- 29 Comments
Jim Hill shares what he knows about Disney's latest attempt to cash in on the "High School Musical" phenomenon. Which involves sending the cast of this incredibly popular TV movie on the road to perform live in 40 different arenas around the country...
Jim Hill

"Disney Dossiers" showcases some seldom-seen art from the studio's animation research library

Posted 10-25-2006

by Jim Hill
- 7 Comments
Jim Hill reviews Jeff Kurtti's latest project for Disney Editions. Which is a breezy but fun look at some of the treasures that WDFA has stashed away in its ARL...
Jim Hill

Tune Tuesday: "Sister Act" musical signals the start of a major Menken resurgence

Posted 10-23-2006

by Jim Hill
- 12 Comments
As a new Alan Menken musical gets ready for its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse tonight, Jim Hill looks back on the career of this award-winning composer as well as giving JHM readers a sneak preview of Alan's next few projects...
Jim Hill

Monday Mouse Watch: The Operations side of the Disney theme park equation

Posted 10-22-2006

by Jim Hill
- 37 Comments
Given all the talk that there's been lately about possible changes at the Disneyland Resort, Jim Hill decides to give the Ops staff of those two theme parks a chance to speak their mind. Offer up their opinions about the proposed changes to Tom Sawyer Island, the addition of the "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage" ride to Disneyland's ride line-up as well as the planned revamping of DCA's Sunshine Plaza...
Jim Hill

A special which-witch-is-which edition of Why For

Posted 10-19-2006

by Jim Hill
- 26 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about Walt Disney's connection to MGM's "The Wizard of Oz," reveals who almost wound up playing Eglantine Price in "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" as well as offering an update on Monday's "Harry Potter and the Letter of Intent" story ...
Jim Hill

How long did it take to write the definitive Walt Disney biography? Would you believe seven years?!

Posted 10-18-2006

by Jim Hill
- 7 Comments
Jim Hill talks with Neal Gabler, author of "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination." Who describes in great detail what it took to actually to make this epic book happen ...
Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Disney/Pixar tightens its belt while DreamWorks Animation stays the course

Posted 10-16-2006

by Jim Hill
- 30 Comments
As Hollywood starts to deal with the long-term ramifications of the CG glut, three of the top animation studios make plans for the future. Jim Hill now reports on how Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks are each handling this crisis...
Jim Hill

Monday Mouse Watch: Harry Potter and the Letter of Intent

Posted 10-15-2006

by Jim Hill
- 38 Comments
Were you wondering what Bob Iger's going to do during his second year as Disney's new CEO? How he's ever going to top that $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios? Jim Hill has some news that's sure to intrigue all of you HP & LOTR fans out there...
Jim Hill

A special what-might-have-been version of Why For

Posted 10-12-2006

by Jim Hill
- 18 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about the walk-through version of the Haunted Mansion, the concept art that's on display at the Disneyland Hotel as well as sharing some photos of Epcot's proposed Mount Fuji attraction...
Jim Hill

"The Gremlins: The Lost Walt Disney Production" finally finds its way back into bookstores

Posted 10-11-2006

by Jim Hill
- 15 Comments
Jim Hill reviews Dark Horse's reprint of a 1943 Roald Dahl book, which reveals the storyline of an animated feature that Walt Disney almost made during World war II
...
Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Recycling, Disney Feature Animation-style

Posted 10-09-2006

by Jim Hill
- 38 Comments
As word comes out of Burbank that Chris Sanders' new film may soon be undergoing a title change, Jim Hill talks about how Disney Feature Animation regularly tries to recycle characters and concepts...
Jim Hill

A special "No nudes is good news" edition of Why For

Posted 10-05-2006

by Jim Hill
- 19 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about how Disney Consumer Products tries to influence the films that the studio makes, why you weren't able to spy any naughty bits in "Mulan" 's skinny dipping scene as well as where exactly in "Chicken Little" do Disney animators make fun of "Herbie - Fully Loaded"...
Jim Hill

Toon Thursday: Animation vet helped create this past weekend's top grossing film AND this week's best selling DVD

Posted 10-04-2006

by Jim Hill
- 20 Comments
Jim Hill talks with Roger Allers about his two most recent assignments: Directing "The Little Match Girl" for Disney Feature Animation as well as co-directing "Open Season" for Sony Pictures Animation...
Jim Hill

Buena Vista Home Entertainment starts to get out of the unnecessary sequel business

Posted 10-03-2006

by Jim Hill
- 40 Comments
Jim Hill talks about some of the trailers that you'll find attached to the Platinum Edition DVD of "The Little Mermaid." More importantly, the movies that the Mouse won't be making. Now that John Lasseter is calling the shots at WDFA...