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Blog Post: NFFC Disney World Holiday Extravaganza places the emphasis on in-park fun

Jim Hill

I don’t know how many of you got to see Jason Garcia ’s great story about the Space Mountain redo at WDW ’s Magic Kingdom (It was featured on the Orlando Sentinel ’s new Daily Disney blog . Which is well worth adding to your Favorites list, by the way). Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved Anywho …...

on27 Nov 2009
Blog Post: Mist Direction or How DAK Operations just slipped Joe Rohde a Mickey

Jim Hill

Folks who visited Disney's Animal Kingdom late last month got something of a treat. In that -- for a while there, anyway -- most of " Expedition Everest " 's effects were actually working. The scenic mist that's supposed to drift off of Forbidden Mountain top actually did that. The fog bank that your...

on26 May 2008
Blog Post: Monday Mouse Watch : It's lights out for DAK's "Rivers of Light" parade, while Beastly Kingdomme makes a character-based comeback

Jim Hill

For Disney's Animal Kingdom fans ... It's one of those bad news / good news kind of day. The bad news is ... Plans for DAK's long-in-development nighttime parade -- "Rivers of Lights" -- have been tabled. Not because Animal Kingdom management lost confidence in Steve Davison's original concept. But ...

on23 Mar 2008
Blog Post: Does WDI plan on gagging our next Commander-in-Chief as part of the 2009 redo of WDW's "Hall of Presidents" ?

Jim Hill

While some of us are obsessing about the impact that today's primaries may have on the upcoming presidential race ... The Imagineers are already looking ahead. Nine months ahead, to be exact. To that period immediately after the U.S. has selected its next Commander-in-Chief. Which means that it will...

on3 Mar 2008
Blog Post: Disney testing new ways to slow down FastPass counterfeiters

Jim Hill

The next time you use as a FastPass at a Disney theme park, pay close attention to what the cast member does once you walk up to that FastPass Return entrance. After you hand over your ticket, do they quickly run their finger along the top of that FastPass before then allowing you to enter that ride...

on20 Feb 2008
Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 4

Jim Hill

Picking up where we left off ... By now, I'm sure that you've all heard about the neat effect that's just been installed in Walt Disney World 's version of the The Haunted Mansion . Where Madam Leota's head now magically floats above the table, calling " ... in the spirits, wherever they're at." Of course...

on24 Oct 2007
Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 3

Jim Hill

Picking up where we left off on Tuesday ... I know that this is going to sound a bit bizarre. Particularly given that -- back in 1955 -- Walt Disney built an entire theme park for just $17 million . But $30 million doesn't go as far as you might think these days. Which is why WDI really had to pick...

on23 Oct 2007
Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 2

Jim Hill

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...

on22 Oct 2007
Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 1

Jim Hill

Plussing . It's a practice at the Disney theme parks that reportedly dates back to the late 1950s. When Walt -- while he was visiting Disneyland one weekend -- supposedly overheard a mother tell her child: "We don't have to go on the Jungle Cruise again. We saw that ride the last time we visited this...

on21 Oct 2007
Blog Post: "The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak" will be a tiptop addition to any Disneyana fan's library

Jim Hill

Given that the Disney theme parks are now home to a plethora of peaks (i.e. The Matterhorn , Space Mountain , Big Thunder Mountain , Splash Mountain , Mt. Mayday , Summit Plummit , Grizzly Peak , Mt. Prometheus and Forbidden Mountain ), it may seem somewhat bizarre to hear that there was actually a time...

on18 Sep 2007
Blog Post: What was it like to be at Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World six years ago today?

Jim Hill

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...

on10 Sep 2007
Blog Post: Another Kingdom That Never Came: Disneyland expansion plans circa 1976

Jim Hill

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...

on6 Sep 2007

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Blog Post: NFFC Disney World Holiday Extravaganza places the emphasis on in-park fun

Blog Post: Mist Direction or How DAK Operations just slipped Joe Rohde a Mickey

Blog Post: Monday Mouse Watch : It's lights out for DAK's "Rivers of Light" parade, while Beastly Kingdomme makes a character-based comeback

Blog Post: Does WDI plan on gagging our next Commander-in-Chief as part of the 2009 redo of WDW's "Hall of Presidents" ?

Blog Post: Disney testing new ways to slow down FastPass counterfeiters

Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 4

Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 3

Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 2

Blog Post: WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 1

Blog Post: "The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak" will be a tiptop addition to any Disneyana fan's library

Blog Post: What was it like to be at Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World six years ago today?

Blog Post: Another Kingdom That Never Came: Disneyland expansion plans circa 1976