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Let's be honest here. Every night in Las Vegas is kind of like Halloween. Don't believe me? Then take a stroll up the Strip some evening. And I guarantee you that you'll encounter some interesting-looking characters who are then dressed in some pretty far-out-looking outfits. But if you're...

There's kind of a perception out there that - once the holiday season wraps up in Southern California - that the Disneyland Resort isn't much as fun to visit as it used to be back in October , November and December. Which is kind of understandable. Right now, anyway. Given that Disney California...

Tomorrow's Epiphany AKA Little Christmas . Which means - for you procrastinators out there - that it's finally time to take down your Xmas decorations and then pack them away for yet another holiday season. That's what Disneyland staffers are doing inside of The Haunted Mansion right now...

What's the weirdest place you ever got a job offer? Because I bet John Tartaglia has you beat. Let me set the scene for you. It's September of 2009. And the star of " Johnny and the Sprites " - having a fun few days exploring & experiencing the inaugural D23 Expo - was over at Disneyland...

With only 20 days now 'til Christmas, theme parks around the country are really getting serious about the holiday season. Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved At the Park that started it all, this past Friday, JHM's Shelly Valladolid got...

Hey, did I ever tell you my favorite grace-under-pressure story? It happened just recently. And not to me, thank God. But - rather - to poor Rupert Grint , the talented young actor who's played Ron Weasley in all of the "Harry Potter" movies to date. Photo by Jim Hill Now let me take a...

As you walk through Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom these days and encounter all of those construction fences for the Fantasyland expansion project it's kind of hard to imagine what this part of the theme park will look like in just a few years. But me? I can't help but look at the attractions...

Given that the kids are now back in school and/or just about to go back to school I thought that I'd start this week's column with a math question. How long does it take to fill those 12 huge funnel-shaped tanks that power Typhoon Lagoon's 2.75 million gallon wave pool? Copyright Disney Enterprises...

Southern California is an incredibly competitive market. Especially when it comes to themed entertainment. So what with the Disneyland Resort rolling out its new World of Color nighttime water spectacular this past June and Mickey's Soundsational Parade & DCA 's " The Little Mermaid...

It's the last week of July here in Central Florida. So - what a surprise - it's hot outside. If you're looking to beat the heat during your next Orlando vacation, might I suggest that you employ a little psychology? As in: It might seem cooler outside if you deliberately went to part of a...

By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the huge crowds that turned up on Friday . The line that stretched all the way back into CityWalk . Which was full of Harry Potter fans determined to be among the first to visit IOA ’s Wizarding World . Photo by Jim Hill Mind you, one of the main reasons that these...

“Mommy and Daddy, take my hand, Take me out to Freedomland ” I know, I know. That radio jingle may not be familiar to all you Disneyland and Walt Disney World fans. But for kids who grew up in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in the early 1960s, that was the sweet siren song of “The Disneyland of...

My apologies if this week's Monday Mouse Watch is somewhat on the short side. But I just got back from Southern California. And since I'm flying down to Florida tomorrow morning to start covering the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I really don't have time to write a full-blown...

Okay. Last week, JHM reviewed a new hardcover that would be the perfect graduation present for any artists and animators that are on your gift list. This time around, I'd like to talk up a book that would be a great selection for any would-be Imagineers you may have in your extended family. And that...

Whether it’s with relatively big projects (EX: That $300-million-plus expansion of Fantasyland that’s currently underway at the Magic Kingdom) or with somewhat smaller changes (EX: The Imagineers pulling “Bo Peep’s Baaa-loon Pop” out of DHS’s Toy Story Mania! attraction so that they could then replace...

By now, you’ve no doubt seen those online videos that made many a theme park fan go gaga. Where a few lucky Guests – as they were making a stop at Mickey’s House at Disneyland earlier this week – suddenly found themselves face-to-face with a NextGen walkaround character. A Mickey Mouse who not only addressed...

Good God. Are we really already be up to Volume 9 in the “Walt’s People” series? I can recall when Disney Historian Didier Ghez initially proposed these books (which – if I’m remembering correctly – was sometime back during the Pleistocene Epoch) that would collect & then reprint the very best Mouse...

Let’s say that you had this great idea for a theme park ride. So you write your idea down and then ship it off to The Walt Disney World Resort . Care to guess what happens once your new ride proposal arrives in Orlando? As soon as the cast member who works in Guest Relations (they’re the department at...

Maybe you’ve heard about this coupon that Cast Members have been handing out at WDW ’s Magic Kingdom ? The one that gets Guests 20% off on all food that they purchase at Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, Pinocchio Village Haus and Tomorrowland Terrace...

I'm sure -- by now -- you've seen photographs of those colorful construction fences that ring " The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure " work site. Photo by Angela Ragno Just as I'm sure that -- by now -- you've seen a concept painting or two of what the exterior of this currently-under-construction...