"I hope that we don't lose sight of one thing. That it all started with a mouse." -- Walt Disney And given that Mickey is basically the well-spring from which all good things flow at The Walt Disney Company ... well, it's kind of appropriate that -- on Disney's Glendale Campus -- there's this very cool Mickey-inspired fountain. Photo by Noe Valladolid "And what exactly were you & Noe doing on Disney's Glendale Campus?," you ask. This past Friday was Mickey...

Disney Infinity was the star of the Disney Interactive booth at E3 last week. Photo by Noe Valladolid People stood in two-plus hour-long lines to have a t-shirt, jersey tee or hoodie made with their choice of Disney Infinity character mash-ups: Photo by Noe Valladolid Mike Wazowski with Mr. Incredible Evil Emperor Zurg with Vanellope Von Schweetz Captain Jack Sparrow in Cinderella's coach, which has monster truck Photo by Noe Valladolid Davy Jones atop a rainbow bus Tonto surfing with Stitch...

We've gotten a lot of very nice e-mails over the past few days in response to JHM's E3 2013 coverage . With most of these notes expressed the exact same sentiment over & over again (i.e. "Boy, that all looks really, really cool. I wish that I could get access to a super fun event like that"). Well, as it turns out, you can. You see, even though this year's E3 officially vacated the Los Angeles Convention Center back on Friday morning, there are a few off-site satellite exhibits...

On the final day of E3 2013 , I flew on into that huge pavilion which Nintendo had set up inside of the Los Angeles Convention Center . Where I then had a chance to chat with Corey Valencia from Disney Interactive about the upcoming Planes game . Which will be based on that new animated feature which Walt Disney Pictures will be releasing to theaters on August 6th of this year. --> Copyright Disney - Nintendo. All rights reserved According to Corey, "Disney's Planes" is actually...

Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store is going to the dogs. And the cats. In honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the November 1988 release of " Oliver and Company ," this Hollywood Boulevard hotspot (which is located right off of the lobby of the El Capitan Theatre ) is now offering a special commemorative animation cel setup that S/R Labs created which then pays tribute to this Walt Disney Animation Studios production. Copyright Disney - S/R Labs. All rights reserved "Given...

Okay. Let me say -- right from the get-go -- that I know that this story is going to be kind of annoying. And I apologize in advance for that. But I'm not presently at liberty to share a lot of what I know about this presented-by- Walt Disney-Animation-Studios short. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved But below, this is a shot of the audience at the Annecy Animation Festival in France that was lucky enough to get to see the world debut of Mickey Mouse in "Get A Horse...

Fans Invited to Meet the Stars of " Teen Beach Movie," "Shake It Up," "Jessie," "Phineas and Ferb," Marvel Universe, "Gravity Falls," "Good Luck Charlie," "A.N.T. Farm," "Kickin' It," "Dog With A Blog," "Lab Rats," "Crash & Bernstein" and "Wander Over Yonder" -- Musical Performances by Bridgit Mendler and R5 featuring Ross Lynch, plus " Teen Beach Movie" 'Surf...

So what can gamers expected from Disney Castle of Illusion when it finally hits store shelves later this year? Photo by Shelly Valladolid Omar Woodley from SEGA took time yesterday to show us the remastered, re-imagined version of this classic Genesis title. According to Omar, the collaboration between Sega and Disney started about two years ago. "It's a re-imagined version." Omar explains. "There's quite a bit of the old game there, but also new stuff." SEGA's Omar...

Cambridge, MA-based company Harmonix is trying to capture the spirit of Walt Disney's 1940 masterpiece, " Fantasia " by inserting the gamer into the story of The Sorcerer's Apprentice . Photo by Shelly Valladolid Harmonix, whose past hits include Rock Band and Guitar Hero , spent over two-and-a-half years developing this game. Which will launch exclusively on the XBOX 360 and the XBOX One next year. Fantasia: Music Evolved is not completely finished, so we saw an advanced, but not...

New England's Largest Water Park Just Got Bigger Six Flags New England adds Bonzai Pipelines to Hurricane Harbor AGAWAM, Mass. - June 12, 2013 - Six Flags New England is launching its exciting new waterslide complex Bonzai Pipelines on June 13, 2013. The six-story tower is part of an expanded area inside New England's largest water park, Hurricane Harbor. With 33 waterslides, pools, and attractions, Hurricane Harbor houses 3 million gallons of water and offers water thrills for every member...

Individuals and Organizations Who Stand for Justice in Their Communities To Be Honored at Local Screenings BURBANK, CALIF. (June 12, 2013) - In support of Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger," releasing in U.S. theaters on July 3, Disney announced today the kick-off of "The Lone Ranger Ride for Justice," to celebrate inspiring local heroes and organizations who stand for justice, integrity and righteousness in their communities. Fans can nominate their courageous...

Jody R. tossed me a note over this past weekend, praising last Tuesday's "Building Tall" story , saying that ... ... it's articles like this that keep me coming back to Jim Hill Media, that keep me listening to that podcast you do with Len Testa . Your ability to continually uncover pieces of information about the Disney Company that I had never heard before. Thanks for your kind words, Jody. But to be honest, I'm not the only one out there who's doing this sort of stuff...

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS TO PRESENT " BROADWAY AND BEYOND" A MUSICAL JOURNEY INTO DISNEY'S HISTORY ON BROADWAY AND BEYOND BURBANK , Calif. - June 11, 2013 - D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is thrilled to announce a special theatrical performance, Broadway and Beyond . Thomas Schumacher , president and producer, Disney Theatrical Productions will host a musical journey into Disney's history on Broadway and beyond at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event . The performance...

I swear to God this story is true. Let me set the scene first: It's Friday, June 7th. And thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea , it's a cold, very wet day out here in the woods of New Hampshire. Photo by Nancy Stadler Anyway, via Skype, I'm doing a podcast with the guys who run Dis After Dark . And we're all talking about Springfield at Universal Studios Florida . How we've all seen the pictures online that were taken earlier this week inside of Moe's and Krusty Burger. And how...

There are a lot of reasons to tune in to the Disney Channel on Friday, June 7th. Chief among these being that there's a brand-new episode of " Phineas and Ferb " premiering on at 9 p.m. ET / PT. Of course, as exciting as it's going to be to hear improv comedy master Wayne Brady do a guest spot on this acclaimed animated series (Wayne will be voicing the Danville City Hall guide disrupts Candace's lunchtime date with Jeremy in the "Where's Pinky?" portion of tomorrow...

Hey, guys! Check out this cool poster for Walt Disney Animation Studios , "Get A Horse!" Just so you know, this never-before-seen short is making its world debut at the Annecy Animation Festival in Annecy, France. And to quote the WDAS press release that I received earlier this morning, "Get A Horse!" stars ... ... the one and only Mickey Mouse and featuring Walt Disney himself as the voice of the iconic character. This black-and-white, hand-drawn short follows Mickey, his favorite...

Since sinkholes are back in the news again in Central Florida , Hungry Howie was inspired to drop me a line earlier today to ask about the sinkhole that almost swallowed EPCOT Center back during the construction of that theme park: For years now, I've been hearing stories about EPCOT's sinkhole. Where exactly was this thing located? Is it still there? Was Disney able to stabilize this thing or is it someday going to swallow that theme park? To get a definitive answer to your question, I grabbed...

$14,000 Donated To Make-A-Wish® International CELEBRATION, Fla. (June 6, 2013) - Thousands of Disney Cruise Line guests and crew members recently volunteered their time on all four ships to take part in the first "AquaDucky Derby" rubber duck races in the ships' pools and famous water coasters to raise nearly $14,000 for Make-A-Wish International. The events saluted the 30th anniversary of the Disney VoluntEARS program, which provides opportunities for Disney cast and crew members...

Comic-Con International is pleased to announce that because of returned/cancelled badges we will once again be able to offer those badges for resale. This year we have also reduced the allotment of reserved badges for certain departments. Comic-Con has decided to add these badges to the resale for our attendees. We currently have several thousand single day badges available for resale, only 3,100 of which are Saturday badges. 4-Day badges are sold out. Due to the very limited number of badges available...

Disney Interactive is excited to announce the newest play set for Disney Infinity, The Lone Ranger . Disney Infinity is an all-new video game initiative starring the beloved characters from Walt Disney and Pixar Studios' most popular franchises. Players can place real-world toy versions of their favorite Disney characters onto a device called the Infinity Base and transport them into the virtual game worlds of Monsters University, the Incredibles, Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Lone Ranger...

Eighteen All-New Kids Suites Feature Despicable Me Theming -- Including Missile-Shaped Beds and Minion Characters ORLANDO, Fla . (June 4, 2013) - Universal Orlando's new Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction has quickly become one of the resort's most popular guest entertainment experiences - and now guests can experience the world of Despicable Me in newly-renovated kids suites debuting this fall at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. Copyright Universal Studios All rights...

New Springfield Eateries Now Open at Universal Orlando Resort JUST OPENED : Moe's Tavern, Krusty Burger and more iconic Springfield eateries are now open at Universal Studios Florida - allowing guests to enjoy some of the famed food and beverage offerings from the record-annihilating animated television series, The Simpsons . For the first time ever, guests can visit some of the iconic eateries located on Springfield's Fast Food Boulevard, including Krusty Burger, Moe's Tavern and more...

It's Texas Hold 'em time among Southern California's top tier tourist attractions. Disneyland Park kicked off the latest round of theme park poker earlier this year when it opened Fantasy Faire (a mini-land which celebrates the Disney Princesses ) as well as by premiering its new " Mickey and the Magical Map " stage show. Then Knott's Berry Farm upped the ante by expanding its Boardwalk area with three new rides in addition to unveiling its newly enhanced Timber Mountain...

So how did yesterday's media event at Knott's Berry Farm go? Well, that kind of depends on whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. Are you the type of person who sees the glass half-empty or half-full? Or -- in this particular case -- the Timber Mountain Log Ride flume as half-empty or half-full? Tell you what: Let's start off by talking about the portion of Thursday's event that went off without a hitch. And that was the official opening of the newly expanded version of this...

You want to know Where The Wild Things Are? Check out The Walt Disney Family Museum at The Presidio of San Francisco between now until July 7. The WDFMuseum recently unveiled a traveling exhibit honoring author and illustrator Maurice Sendak on the 50th anniversary of the publication of " Where The Wild Things Are ." Sendak's beloved book revolutionized children's literature in its depiction of Max, a realistic, moody young boy with a fierce imagination. In the story, filled with...

Silver Dollar City's New Coaster Creates International Stir (Branson, MO 5/30/2013) Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, a top vacation destination for families, launches its summer season with one of the world's top rides as its centerpiece. One of the hottest thrill rides among the new ride offerings worldwide is the park's new $10 million coaster Outlaw Run, a record-breaking wood coaster that has gathered national and international news coverage since its spring opening. The interest...

"First Contact" Clip - Get a glimpse of Mike & Sulley’s first morning as members of the Oozma Kappa brotherhood. "ROR Material" Clip - Sulley's capture of the Archie, the rival school's mascot, just might be enough to make him worthy of joining the leading fraternity on campus: Roar Omega Roar. "OK Initiation" Clip - Oozma Kappa's sacred initiation ritual gets an unexpected interruption as the members try to welcome Mike & Sulley to their brotherhood...

The most recent DC Universe Animated Original movie , "Superman Unbound " , is not the best release by Warner Bros. Animation . The production quality is up to par with previous releases. "Unbound" has solid animation, memorable action sequences and a good story. However the film was lacking. Copyright 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved The movie was based on the story arc " Superman: Braniac " which was an attempt to understand the classic villain...

After great success during her tenure as chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Family Museum -- in building attendance, increasing the profile of the Museum in the community, recruiting key staff, developing exhibition and public engagement programs and a five year strategic plan -- Gabriella Calicchio has resigned her position to explore other professional opportunities. "I am leaving the Walt Disney Family Museum after a period of strong growth and strengthening the infrastructure of...

© 2013 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved. © 2013 Hasbro. © 2013 DW Studios L.L.C. and Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved. Licensed by Hasbro. Optimus Prime is ready for battle - towering above the entrance to Universal Orlando Resort's highly-anticipated, blockbuster attraction, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride - 3D. The addition of the authentically-sized leader of the Autobots Thursday morning, May 30, 2013 is one of the finishing touches to the attraction...

Like MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity Follow Monsters University on Twitter : http://twitter.com/monstersu Tweet the official hashtag: #MonstersU Visit the website: http://www.Disney.com/MonstersU

Burbank, Calif. (May 30, 2013) Principal photography has begun on Walt Disney Pictures' "Million Dollar Arm," starring Jon Hamm. Directed by Craig Gillespie ("Lars and the Real Girl," "Fright Night"), the film is produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, through their Mayhem Pictures, and Joe Roth, under his Roth Films banner, with Palak Patel and Kevin Halloran serving as executive producers. Tom McCarthy ("Win Win," "The Visitor") wrote the screenplay...

WORLD PREMIERE CELEBRATION FOR DISNEY'S "THE LONE RANGER" TO BENEFIT THE AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND STAR-STUDDED EVENT TO BE HELD AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK ON JUNE 22 BURBANK, Calif. (May 29, 2013) - Walt Disney Studios Chairman, Alan Horn, announced today that ticket sales from the highly anticipated World Premiere of Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger" will benefit the American Indian College Fund. The event will take place on Saturday, June...

D23 EXPO DREAM STORE AND SILENT AUCTION RETURN TO THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS AND UNIQUE COLLECTIBLES Special logo apparel, product debuts, artist signings, and a new silent auction will highlight the Ultimate Disney Event for Fans and Families August 9-11 BURBANK and ANAHEIM , Calif. - May 30, 2013 - Bursting with D23 Expo-themed official merchandise and other specialty items from Disney Theme Park Merchandise, the D23 Expo Dream Store returns with something magical for Disney...

Just can't wait to see Disney "Planes ," that new animated feature which is set in the world above " Cars " ? Well, what if I were to tell that there was a way to get close to one of the characters featured in this new Walt Disney Pictures release well ahead of its August 9th release date? "And how exactly would I do that?," you ask. By heading out to one of the 11 airfields around the United States & Canada where a life-sized replica of Dusty Crophopper (i.e...

Seeing as Jim has already covered what the Disneyland Resort version of the Monstrous Summer! All Nighter was like, I thought that I'd share Angela Ragno & myself's experience at the WDW version of this 24 hour-long party . Photo by Nancy Stadler In the spirit of full disclosure here, I guess I should mention that we did not in fact spend a full 24 hours inside the Magic Kingdom. Given that I was actually down in Central Florida to cover the grand opening of SeaWorld Orlando 's new...

Facebook Follow Us Blog Videos Email SeaWorld ® Orlando's all-new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin™ is now open Be transported to an icy world like you've never seen before. Experience the majestic grandeur of the South Pole and see it through the penguins' eyes on an exhilarating, first-of-its-kind family ride. Then, step out and explore their colony in an expanse that envelops you in cool extremes: bringing you above and below their icy world . Are you ready? Discover Antarctica...

You'd think -- on the heels of last year's One More Disney Day event (which was when thousands of Disneyland fans spent a lot of Leap Day 2012 stuck in this miles-long traffic jam out on the 5) -- that the Disneyland Resort would then shy away from the idea of staging any more events that would keep one or both of its Southern California theme parks open for 24 hours straight. But that's not how the Mouse works. To hear Jon Storbeck (i.e. the Vice President of Disneyland Park ) talk,...

My apologies for being off the air here for a couple of days here. But I've been out in Southern California on a business trip from JimHillMedia and the Huffington Post . Going to the sorts of places that Disney fans just dream about getting into and seeing things that ... Well, I can't talk about. Not yet, anyway. But in the weeks & months ahead, boy, will I have some truly cool stories to share. But -- for now (mostly because I'm headed out the door shortly for a roundtable session...

Kingdom Hearts is the lovechild between Square Enix and Disney , with lots and lots of hair gel. It follows the adventures of a teen named Sora, and those who are impacted by him. Sora, the wielder of a special sword named a 'Keyblade,' travels from world to world to fight evil and right wrongs while finding his friends he was separated from. These worlds often house Disney characters, each world acting as universe for a film. For instance, an Alice in Wonderland world has all the characters...

Avast, me hearties ! Walking the plank off the television screen and into an arena near you, look for some popular Disney Junior characters to make a stop in your hometown. Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Sofia the First will be hitting the road starting this summer as Feld Entertainment announces it will stage a live production based on the top performing Disney Junior cable television programs. Feld, famous for Disney On Ice and Disney Live! extravaganzas, along with its Ringling Brothers and...

Woo Hoo! Springfield, hometown to America's favorite animated family, The Simpsons, comes to life at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. Copyright Fox / Universal Orlando. All rights reserved The expansive, new area within Universal Studios will be anchored by the mega-attraction, The Simpsons Ride, and will allow guests to enter the world of The Simpsons like never before. It will be the only place in the world where guests can walk the streets of Springfield. It will include a brand-new outdoor...

For one night only, two of the world’s most celebrated songwriters and composers will take to the stage for “Richard M. Sherman and Alan Menken: The Disney Songbook.” The concert will take place at the D23 Expo 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center in the D23 Expo Arena on Saturday, August 10. Together Sherman and Menken have won a combined 10 Academy Awards for their work with Disney, and have composed music and songs for more than three dozen Disney feature films, over two dozen...

So what's the drink of choice in Monstropolis these days? Milk, of course. And if the college-aged versions of James P. Sullivan & Mike Wazowski are to be believed, milk doesn't just do the human body good. It also does wonders for a growing monster. Giving Sulley a thicker coat of fur and -- in Mike's case -- stronger nails on his hands & his feet. Copyright California Milk Processor Board / Pixar. All rights reserved Mind you, these stars of Pixar 's first-ever prequel,...

From above the world of "Cars" comes "Disney's Planes," an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty's not exactly built for racing-and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty's courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights...

Members Will Have Online Access to Vast Array of Exclusive Disney Content Disney to Celebrate Expansion With New Free D23 Membership Level BURBANK, Calif. - May 16, 2013 - On June 17, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club , will launch a massive reimagining of its D23.com website, opening up the wonderful worlds of Disney like never before to its members. The site will provide access to newly digitized content that delves deeply into The Walt Disney Company's vault of material, past and present,...

It wasn't a phone call that Roger Deakins had ever expected to receive. This acclaimed English cinematographer -- best known for his Oscar-nominated work for the Coen brothers and Sam Mendes -- had strictly been working the live-action side of the street. But when Pixar Animation Studios reached out in 2005 and asked him to come consult on a project that they then had in development, Deakins had to admit that he was intrigued. Cinematographer Roger Deakins "They were just getting started...

The entire cast of the animated smash RIO returns in RIO 2, and they are joined by a new flock of top actors and musical talents. Rich with grandeur, character, color and music, RIO 2 finds Jewel (Anne Hathaway), Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and their three kids leaving their domesticated life in that magical city for a journey to the Amazon. They encounter a menagerie of characters who are born to be wild, voiced by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Oscar/Emmy/Tony-winner Rita Moreno, Grammy winner Bruno Mars...

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel's feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange and the unknown around the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson's team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and...

"Discover a new world with Epic the Movie by Blue Sky Studios , a brand-new 3D animated film from the people who brought you Ice Age ." That's the message that the folks who work in promotions at 20th Century Fox have been hammering home for the past few weeks. As they try & make sure that as many would-be moviegoers as possible know that this new Chris Wedge movie will soon be opening in theaters. On Friday, May 24th, to be precise. Copyright FOX and its related entities. All rights...