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You only get one chance to make a first impression. Which is why Walt Disney World's initial roll-out / in-park testing of the MagicBands component of MyMagic+ -- which was supposed to begin being offered to Guests staying at Disney's Boardwalk Resort next month -- has quietly been pushed back...

Have you been following that "Believe in Fantasy" thing that the Disney Parks Blog has been doing over on Tumblr ? If not, you may want to head on over there now and get in on the fun. You see, Gary Buchanan & Co. are using the bread crumb technique when it comes to promoting that flying...

I have to admit that I'm kind of a sucker for all of these castle shows that Disney has begun doing in the Magic Kingdom . Whether it's draping this iconic structure with over 200,000 lights to turn it into a wintery wonder for the "Cinderella's Holiday Wish / Castle Dream Lights"...

It's been a very interesting week to be in Orlando. What with IAAPA 's Attractions Expo currently being loaded into the Orange County Convention Center . Photo by Jim Hill Out in the parking lot, all manner of sample amusement park rides are still being assembled. Photo by Jim Hill While inside...

So how close are we to the official launch of Fast Pass+ at the Walt Disney World Resort ? "We're getting close," Bob Iger admitted yesterday as part of The Walt Disney Company's fourth quarter and full earnings webcast. This was the first time that Disney's Chairman & CEO has...

The moon was shining bright this past Saturday night ... Photo by Jim Hill ... as more than 10,000 runners lined up at the toll plaza for Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park ... Photo by Jim Hill ... eager to take part in the inaugural run of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler race. Mind...

Being green typically isn't all that fun. It usually means going without (i.e. reusing your bath towels during a hotel stay) or having to do something that can sometimes be kind of gross (EX: washing out pet food cans so that they can be placed in the recycle bin). But what if I were to tell you...

You have undoubtedly already heard all of the news coming out of last week's big blogger event at Walt Disney World . With all sorts of Web-based tastemakers getting treated to construction site tours of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland expansion area as well as Disney's Art of Animation Resort...

Mark Hickson writes: Thanks Jim for the great article. I have shared it with my readers via facebook. Please stay on top of the NextGen story for all of us! Mahalo, Mark Hickson Will do. In fact, let me share something that a certain Godfather fan pass was nice enough to pass along to me. Which is the...

Over the past week, there's been a lot of talk on Disney-related discussion boards about the policy change that the Walt Disney World Resort now has in the works when it comes to FASTPASS return times . To be specific: Starting on March 7th, Guests who arrive 5 minutes ahead of their ride reservation...

January used to be the start of the slow season at the stateside Disney Parks. How so? So slow that - immediately after New Year's Day -- Disneyland Park wouldn't even open on Mondays & Tuesdays. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved Which -- as far as the maintenance crew...

Wow. Has it really been 15+ years since Beth Dunlop wrote " Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture " ? Obviously Disney's world has gotten a whole lot bigger since 1996. Which is why I think it's terrific that Disney Editions recently decided to revisit Dunlop's book....

I know, I know. It's the holidays. So hearing people go "Ho-Ho-Ho" this time of year isn't all that unusual. But that steady wave of laughter which has been rolling out of the ABC Sound Studio at Disney's Hollywood Studios since this past Sunday, that IS kind of unusual. Especially...

It's the joke that senior members of Mouse House management have never found to be all that funny. That it now costs so much to vacation at the WDW Resort they should probably change the name of the place to Wallet Disney World. (L to R) Larry Silverstein, president and CEO of Silverstein Properties;...

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...

And how was your weekend? Nancy and mine was going great there for a while. On Saturday, we were getting ready to celebrate her ... er ... 29 th - yeah, that's it - 29 th birthday when a freak October Nor'Easter came through and dropped two feet of snow on us. We did okay through most of Saturday...

It's once again Food & Wine time at the Walt Disney World Resort . Photo by Angela Ragno Now in its 16 th year, Epcot 's International Food & Wine Festival is in full swing. For the next five weeks, foodies will eagerly be eating their way around World Showcase, sampling cuisine from...

What with covering the opening of this year's International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot on Friday, attending Disney World 's 40 th anniversary celebration at The Magic Kingdom on Saturday as well as recording three brand-new "Unofficial Guide Disney Dish with Jim Hill" iTunes...

Since The Walt Disney Resort has long been associated with fairy tales, I'd like to borrow a turn-of-phrase from "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" to describe Saturday's 40 th anniversary celebration at the Magic Kingdom . It wasn't too long. It wasn't too short. It was just...

So you're on the phone with your travel agent. And you're in the process of planning out your family's next Walt Disney World vacation. And because your kids really love to swim, you're then asking this agent about the various themed pools that can be found around the Resort. Which is...