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Francis T. sent me this e-mail yesterday: I know that you mostly write about Disney. But my eight year old has recently discovered the Dreamworks animation movies and is now completely obsessed with Shrek . We're headed to Orlando next month. So I was wondering if you had any recommendations about...

How tall is Walt Disney World 's Space Mountain ? Seems like a relatively straight forward question, don't you think? But the way that Company officials have answered that question has changed greatly over the past 37 years. By that I mean: If you were to ask a spokesperson who works for the...

My apologies, folks. I know that JHM has been extremely light on content this past week or so. But I have been traveling. Dear Lord, have I been traveling. I wonder how many Frequent Flyer miles The Dreamfinder racked up while he was flying this contraption around EPCOT Center's Kodak pavilion? Copyright...

Earlier this week (Monday, to be exact), Bond from Upstate dropped a line to ask: Hi Jim, Long time fan... just wondering with "The Avengers" making a kajillion dollars and receiving near universal love, is Disney ready to go all in with a high profile Marvel area? With Universal Hollywood...

It's one of those must-do aspects of a Walt Disney World vacation. Especially if you've got young kids. Character dining . That pricey breakfast, lunch or dinner which is periodically interrupted as Disney characters come by your table, pose for pictures and sign autographs. Copyright Disney...

"You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen ..." Well, if you're a Disney history buff, then you must already know about Walt's land searches of the early 1950s. As Disney tried to find just the right spot in Southern California for his family fun park . Likewise if you're...

Earlier this Fall, Disneyana fans could be heard all around the Web griping about the Company's plans for Walt Disney World 's 40 th anniversary. Or lack thereof. "I don't get it," (or words to that effect) was the constant refrain that you saw online. "Why isn't Disney...

TikiTerry writes in to say: I've really been enjoying all of these Disney World history stories that you've been sharing with JHM readers lately. So I was wondering if you could maybe talk about the Polynesian Resort 's wave machine. How long did it work? Where was it located? Why did Disney...

Epcot Enthusiast wrote in this week to say: I saw a Tweet today that said that you and Len Testa were touring Future World and World Showcase recording stories for a new " Unofficial Guide Disney Dish with Jim Hill" podcast. Epcot is my very favorite WDW theme park. Could you please share some...

If you've visited Walt Disney World recently, I bet that you got to see some of the fun 40 th anniversary items that the Resort's shops currently have in stock. And as we get closer to October 1 st (i.e. WDW's official opening date), I'd imagine that we'll see even more 40 th anniversary...

Have you heard about this survey that's been making the rounds? The one that asks people who've previously attended performances of La Nouba (i.e. that Cirque du Soleil show that's been entertaining WDW visitors on Downtown Disney 's West Side since December of 1998) about a possible...

Hey, gang. My apologies if JHM seems to have been running at half speed for the past 10 days or so. But after spending October 8 - 10 th in the Big Apple covering New York Comic Con , I came down with a bad case of Convention Crud. Which is the Pop Culture equivalent of Kennel Cough. Anyway, what with...

At this past weekend's Destination D event, Tim O'Day - as part of his "Disneyland: The Happiest Place in Pop Culture" presentation - screened a clip from " A Hole in the Head ." Which was this 1959 Frank Sinatra film, where Ol' Blue Eyes played Tony Manetta. Who was the...

You remember Michael Eisner , right? That infamous micro-manager who was in charge of The Walt Disney Company during an unprecedented period of growth. When - within one twenty year period -- the Mouse House moved from being this film & theme park company that was worth $1.8 billion to becoming a...

" Toy Story 3 ," you've just crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office . How are you going to celebrate? "I'm going to Disney On Ice ." Or - rather - Pixar's latest hit is about to become an ice show. Which will actually have its world premiere tomorrow afternoon...

Ask any performer who ever got to see Wally Boag during their formative years. Who sat in the audience at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon and then watched as this master comedian - day in & day out - wowed the crowds at Disneyland . And they'll pretty much admit (just as Steve Martin did in his 2007...

First up, Mark K. writes to ask about WDW ’s Night Kingdom / Jungle Trek project: There was considerable talk several years back about a potential 5th park opening but I have heard no mention of it recently. Did the recession and the decision to remake fantasy land doom this project? Dear Mark K. – There...

It’s long been said that – if you build a better mouse trap – the world will beat a path to your door. Well, as the folks in charge of D23 have learned, if you give Disneyana fans an exciting new way to celebrate the Company that (as Walt Disney once so famously said) was “ … started by a mouse,” an...

You’re familiar with the phrase “wine, women and song,” right? Well, did you know that there’s actually an element of math involved with this particular phrase? As in: If you drink a little too much wine, you might wind up owing a woman a song? According to Robert Jess Roth , the original director of...

Last Monday afternoon, I got pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol. It was all my fault. I was out on State Road 429. I was rushing to get back to property so that Nancy and I could do a little shopping at Downtown Disney before we then headed out for the airport. And six miles north of Western Way...