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You honestly have to wonder what's worse: Having disaster strike you unexpectedly, or knowing full well that you're marching to your doom. Disneyland's Entertainment staff didn't really have a choice in the matter. By the middle of March 1997, they already knew that "Light Magic" was in serious trouble...

Just a quick note before we get started here today. I want to take a moment to thank all of you nice people for being so patient with this series. The computer problems that Nancy and I have been having lately have made it extremely difficult for the revamped version of this series to move forward in...

There's this myth about the Walt Disney Company (one that the Mouse itself likes to promote) that no other corporation can ever beat the Mouse when it comes to cross promotion. Disney likes to call this practice "synergy": Mickey's ability to use every single division of the company to cross promote...

Back when he was actually funny, Woody Allen used to do this great little throwaway bit in his stand-up act. If I'm remembering correctly, the gag went something like: "My parents used to tell me that -- if I was ever approached by a strange man in a fast car who was offering me candy -- that I should...

You know, as a writer, it's kind of frustrating. You stay away from the Internet for approximately a month (Sorry about that, gang) and all you hear about is this bad, very bad and even worse news about your "laughing place" (AKA the Walt Disney Company). I mean, think about it. Just over the past month...

Hey, folks! Jim Hill here. You know, I was lucky enough to actually be out in Southern California in late November / early December a few years back. Which is how I was able to attend one of these "Magical Holiday Faire" events on the Disney lot. That's how I know that today's JHM guest columnist --...

Hi gang! Miss me? My sincerest apologies for being off the air for so long here, kids. But first there was last week's lightning fast trip down to Walt Disney World (and back) to get through. Which - sadly - didn't leave a whole lot of time to visit with all of my favorite folks in Central Florida. ...

So how did you folks spend the Columbus Day weekend? Me? I spent 10 hours in front of the tube on Sunday watching the USA Network's "Monk-a-thon," 6 hours yesterday watching the Kim Possible "Villain-a-thon" on the Disney Channel. Which is why my butt is now sofa-shaped. Why did...

I know this will bug a lot of you Disney die-hards out there, but it still has to be said: I think that the folks who run Universal Studios Florida have a hell of a lot more class than the boobs who run WDW's Magic Kingdom. "And why exactly is that, Jim?" I hear you asking. Well, Sunday before last,...

Hey there hi there ho there gang, So, who actually shed a tear whilst reading Jim's amazing description of the Toon area planned for Disney-MGM? That whimsical Sunset Boulevard with its trolley line leading to the "Maroon Studios" area? The "Roller Coaster Rabbit" coaster? The ToonTown trolley simulator...

Katie from Milford, MA. writes: Jim! Did you see that "Disney's Imagineers" special that ran on the Travel Channel last month? I was particularly struck by that "autonomous walking platform" that they showed in the final minutes of the program. As they showed that huge robot lurching about, the show...

Chapter 1: Falling in France Just ask the bellhops who work at Disney-MGM Studio theme park. They'll tell you all about the weird questions that guests ask them about this amazing attraction. "Is this really a ride?" "Can I go up partway, but get out before the final drop?" and (my personal favorite...

Okay. We've already talked in detail about WDI's extra cool plans for turning WDW's tired old Tomorrowland into a dazzling Discoveryland. So why didn't this charming Magic Kingdom revamp ever make it off the drawing board? Two words. Euro Disney. Ask any senior Disney Company official about how the resort...

Beth from Elmira, NY writes: Jim - I just wanted to drop you a quick note to welcome you back to the Web. I also wanted to mention how much I enjoyed the first installment of your "Tower Tales" series over at Tower-of-Terror.com. I find it just fascinating that WDI once planned to recreate Nemo's secret...

Mark September 25th on your calendar, kids. Why? Because that's the date of the next Vivendi Universal board meeting. A day that could have a truly significant impact on the theme park world. How so? Well, on that date, Vivendi's new chairman, Jean-Rene Fourtou, is expected to unveil his plans to dig...

90 years ago, this was the center of the amusement park universe. Home to no less than three world class wonderlands that were filled with what were then state-of-the-art rides and attractions. Today, the only word that accurately describes New York's Coney Island area is sad. The bare steel skeleton...

OUR STORY SO FAR: Master Imagineer Marc Davis was hoping to build on the lessons WED had learned while creating Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean." But - for a while there in 1967 - it looked like the Imagineers wouldn't get the chance to build any new attractions, as Roy O. Disney toyed with the...

OUR STORY SO FAR: In 1969, Master Imagineer Marc Davis convinced Roy Disney and WED head Richard Irvine to take on the most ambitious theme park attraction Walt Disney Productions would ever attempt to produce. "Western River Expedition" - a comical journey through the old West - would have made use...

On September 1st, Tokyo Disneyland gets one honey of a new ride. "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" doesn't sound like the sort of attraction that would significantly push the envelope when it comes to theme park ride design. But don't let the cutesy pooh name throw you, folks. This new Fantasyland...

On Saturday May 20th, 1,400 Disneyland fans will gather in New Orleans Square to take part in the special ticketed "Celebrating the Pirates of the Caribbean" event. These folks will have paid $85 apiece for the privilege of paying tribute to what many call the greatest theme park ride ever created. As...