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What's in a name? Well, as Universal learned the hard way back in 1998, when it decided to rename its recently expanded resort " '>Universal Studios Escape " and thus confused hundreds of thousands of tourists ... Sometimes picking the wrong name for your theme park and/or resort can prove to be disastrous...

It has not been a fun week for Disneyana fans who enjoy putting on the feed bag. First came word out of Anaheim that because some portly passengers have been causing "The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed" (i.e. Disneyland 's " it's a small world " attraction) to regularly run aground, the Imagineers...

Picking up where we left off yesterday ... Audio is obviously an important component of the Haunted Mansion . Yet how many times have you been on this Magic Kingdom favorite and had your ride-thru ruined because the attraction's soundtrack was playing intermittently? Where one moment you'd hear Paul...

Now that the Walt Disney Company has grown comfortable with the idea of allowing outside firms to operate eateries inside of its theme parks (Witness the Tutto Italia Ristorante that the Patina Group just opened in the exact same space that Epcot 's L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante used to occupy...

Kathy T. writes in to say: In honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of Epcot , I was wondering if you could share some stories about how that theme park actually came into being. Well, one part of the Epcot Center story that has (in my opinion, anyway) been woefully under-reported was all the wheeling...

When people usually talk about what happened on 9/11, the focus (for obvious reasons) is on New York City, Washington D.C. and that field just outside of Shanksville, PA. But -- that said -- it's also important to remember what happened immediately after those four planes crashed. That sudden surge...

Mike P. wrote in yesterday to say: I loved last week's "Why For " about all the pavilions and attractions that were planned for Epcot and Disney World but ultimately never built. But what about Disneyland ? Do you have any information about rides, shows and attractions that were proposed for the Disney...

This is one of these stories that I'm sure is going to depress a certain portion of JHM readers. Mostly because it gives a glimpse of what might have been at Walt Disney World . Particularly if Ron Miller had remained in power at the Mouse House. Anyway ... The following is a transcript of an article...

Roger A. writes in to ask: Jim, Bravo on your two recent articles on the Disney-MGM name change . After hearing the news, I was thrilled to find your very-informative articles on the subject. One thing you mentioned really intrigued me, and begs for more info: "We'll have to wait 'til "Disney's Hollywood...

Were you surprised by the rather generic-sounding new name that the Walt Disney Company saddled Disney-MGM with last week? Well, you weren't the only one. Many of the Mouse House managers that I spoke with over this past weekend were really taken aback by the studio theme park's new moniker. As one Disney...

First up, Michael R. writes in to ask: I was wondering if there was any specific reason why there has not been a release of the " Disney-MGM Studios " version of (the " Imagineering Field Guide ") series? They've released books for the other three parks and I understand now they're working on the CA...

Earlier this week, Jill T. wrote in to say: According to today's Los Angeles Times , the Walt Disney Company and SunCal have failed to reach a compromise on that big housing project. So now we're back to Disney pushing the Anaheim City Council to get this zoning issue put on the November ballot. What...

Notice anything unusual about those bundles of nerves that you see up there on the "Body Wars" sign? Photo courtesy of Jeff Lange Does anything (or should I say any one ) look familiar? Photo courtesy of Jeff Lange Yep. That's Mickey Mouse. Right in the center of the above photo. Directly above the blue...

If you've been reading JHM for a while now, you already know that I'm a very big fan of Didier Ghez 's "Walt's People" books . So -- that said -- is it really all that big a surprise that I enjoyed reading " Volume 5 " of this ongoing series. Mind you, at 443 pages in length, this paperback is the heftiest...

By now, you've probably heard that the Wand that's stood next to Spaceship Earth for the past eight years is being dismantled. Which many Disneyana fans have chosen to take as a sign that Walt Disney World has finally turned a corner. That -- from here on in -- the Mouse will concentrate on delivering...

You all know about Epcot, right? That futuristic city that Walt Disney hoped to build? Copyright Bonaventure Press That's the real reason that Walt bought all of that swampland in Central Florida in the early 1960s, you know. Not because the Old Mousetro really felt the need to build Disneyland East...

What can you say about the "Imagineering Field Guide" series? It started out strong with the " Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World " guide back in 2005 and then got better last year with the " Epcot at Walt Disney World " guide. And now? " The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt...

Earlier this week, Perry T. sent me the following e-mail : Jim, Are you as sick as I am about how the Imagineers keep forcing characters into older attractions at the Disney theme parks? Just in the past six months, we've had that new " Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor " show replace the Magic Kingdom 's old...

Mike C. writes in to say: Jim ... I have been reading your articles for over a year and enjoying the information that your provide. I have recently listened to your appearances on the Magical Definition podcast with Nathan Rose and Tim Devine. I must admit you are the best part of that podcast. Have...

You know, when people usually talk about what happened on 9/11, the focus (for obvious reasons) is on New York City, Washington D.C. and that field just outside of Shanksville, PA. But -- that said -- it's also important to remember what happened immediately after those four planes crashed. That...