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Once upon a time, if you wanted to get away from the crowds at the Magic Kingdom , you hopped on a bus and then headed over to the Lake Buena Vista Village. Where – if you could find a seat by the window – you could then kick back a cocktail or two at Cap’n Jacks Oyster Bar and watch...

Throughout the country, people are looking forward to Labor Day. Trying to fit in the very last few moments of summer, including one last barbecue, one last dip in the pool, and those final few moments of joy, before the summer season disappears and the Fall grind of work and school arrive. But over...

This year, there are lots of places around the country where you can go to see Fourth of July fireworks. The bank of the Charles River in Boston, South Street Seaport in NYC as well as the National Mall in my hometown of Washington DC. But what if you’re one of those “too much ain’t enough” types and...

Hey, gang Jim Hill here. My apologies for JHM going dark for three days last week. But between my Mom going in for gall bladder surgery on Monday and my Dad winding up in the emergency room with heart palpitations on Friday (Not to mention that brownout in New Jersey as well as the 60 MPH windstorm in...

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...

Remember those proposed Liberty Square bridge repairs that I wrote about last month? Well, Magic Kingdom management has finally decided to go ahead with this construction project. Which is why they filed the necessary permits last Tuesday. "So what happens now?," you ask. "Given the huge number of people...

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 ...

Have you heard about these Disney Princess & Pirates of the Caribbean -themed Happy Meals that McDonald's is selling now through April 10th? Given that this is the first time that Mickey Mouse & Mickey Dee have joined forces since these two mega-corporations decided to end their 10-year, $100...

Today's lesson: Sometimes our Disney fan obsessions do pay off. When EPCOT Center opened in 1982, Steve Hansen was already an accomplished puppeteer and performer, working as the PuppetMan in World Showcase. Someone as talented & versatile as Steve was bound to go far in the Walt Disney world. In...

As you enter SeaWorld Orlando , it's really hard to miss the thing. Photo by Robert Bish That enormous construction wall that's been erected around the front of this theme park. Photo by Robert Bish Not to mention the rumble of heavy equipment, as that behind-the-scenes construction team clears brush...

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...

Do you remember how -- at the very start of " Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest " -- the crew of the Black Pearl had spent months at seas without doing "… a speck of honest pirating"? Which is why they then asked Capt. Jack Sparrow when all this extra effort was going to translate into some...

It was supposed to be one of the more authentic touches found in the Liberty Square section of WDW 's Magic Kingdom . A recreation of Concord Bridge ... Copyright 1969 Walt Disney Productions. All Rights Reserved ... AKA the Old North Bridge. Where -- on the morning of April 19, 1775 -- 300 to 400 colonials...

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...

Was your darling daughter one of those tweens who helped make that " Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both World Concert " film such a smash this past weekend? If she just can't get enough of Ms. Montana, then you may want to schedule a trip to Disney's Hollywood Studios in the not-so-distant...

Well, the first field test of the Walt Disney World Resort 's new " Magic Connection " system was completed late last week. And -- to be honest -- things didn't go quite as well as WDI R & D had hoped they would. Don't get me wrong, folks. The problem wasn't with the technology. From what I hear...

For almost 18 years now, " Earthquake -- The Big One " had been entertaining guests at Universal Studios Florida . But as 2008 approached, the folks at Universal Creative felt that they needed to shake things up. Completely reimagine this still-popular-but-obviously-aging theme park attraction. So the...

Imagine that -- as you walked through a Disney theme park -- you could carry with you a wireless device that would: Tell you in real time what the current wait time at your favorite attraction was Also let you know whether there were any FastPasses left for that particular attraction And when these FastPasses...

Thinking about spending New Year's Eve at a Disney theme park? Then stop thinking and start moving. Trust me, folks. December 31st is not a day to dawdle, particularly if you plan on spending New Year's Eve inside of a Disney theme park. The key to having a fun time at this guaranteed-to-be-crowded event...

Okay. It's time to talk turkey. As in: Is it really a smart idea to try & spend Thanksgiving Day at a Disney theme park? Well, if we were talking about Disneyland … Then I'd have to say "No." I was actually at the Happiest Place on Earth last year on Turkey Day. And the tens of thousands of people...