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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." I.E. Mickey's ability to use every single division of the company to cross promote...

Just a quick note before we get started here today. I want to take a moment to thank all of you nice people who've sent me notes over the past 10 days, saying me how much you've been enjoying my "Light Magic" series. In particular, I want to acknowledge an e-mail that I just received from Vicki T. of...

Okay. I know. Today, we were supposed to get into all the behind-the-scenes stuff. All the technical problems that "Light Magic" had prior to its disastrous May 1997 debut. I was to explain why exactly the "streetacular" was in such rough shape when it was first performed for Disneyland's Annual Passholders...

Perhaps longtime Disneyland attractions supervisor Bruce Kimbrell was the one who said it best. While serving as the master of ceremonies at last year's "Flashback" (A cast-member-only talent show that Disneyland staffers hold annually to raise moneys for Orange County's "Make-a-Wish" Foundation), Bruce...

To hear the Disneyland Entertainment staff tell the story, it was all Tinker Bell's fault. You see, ever since Peter Pan's pal made her small screen debut on the very first broadcast of the "Disneyland" TV show, people have been associating this spritely little sprite with the Anaheim theme park. Which...

Walt Disney was desperate. Here it was, early 1955. Walt had pumped every penny he had into building "The Happiest Place on Earth" out amongst the orange groves of Anaheim. When he suddenly realized: "There's no place for them to stay." Who's "them?" Disneyland's customers. AKA the guests. All those...

OUR STORY SO FAR: Way back in 1955, Walt Disney made a rash decision. In order to get a hotel built next to his Anaheim theme park, Walt gave TV producer Jack Wrather a 99-year lease as well as exclusive use of the Disney name (should Wrather decide to build any more hotels in Southern California). It...

February 8, 2001 marks the end of Disneyland as we know it. Why? Because on that date, Disney's California Adventure (DCA) is finally supposed to open. Once this brand new theme park -- one of the key elements in a $1.4 billion expansion of the Disneyland Resort -- throws open its gates, life in Anaheim...

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...

So when did the bad buzz on "Light Magic" really begin to spread? Obviously, Disneyland's technical staff - the people who'd been putting in 18-hour days for weeks now, trying to get those "rolling stages" ready for their May 13th debut - must have told their family members that "Light Magic" was an...

OUR STORY SO FAR: 75 years of films, TV shows and videos have taught us that all Disney stories end happily, right? Well, not this time, kiddies. After five years of hard work and planning, Marc Davis watched as his dream project - "Western River Expedition," an audio animatronic extravaganza that could...

The following is a heavily edited (and somewhat revamped) version of a series of articles that I wrote for LaughingPlace.com back in July 2001. If you'd like to read the full-blown, four part version of this story, visit the Jim Hill archive at LaughingPlace.com . Where you'll find the original stories...

OUR STORY SO FAR: If you've read Parts 1 through 6, you've already have a pretty good understanding of the history of "Western River Expedition." At least from the Marc Davis point of view. So there's no need for me to do yet another recap. But please be aware that Imagineering is a highly collaborative...

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...

OUR STORY SO FAR: Roy Disney personally okayed development of "Western River Expedition (WRE)," a massive new attraction for WDW's Magic Kingdom. Marc Davis - the Imagineer who dreamed up the original concept for the ride - wanted "WRE" to be the most ambitious theme park ride Walt Disney Productions...

One of the more fun parts of doing a column like this is that nice people -- like yourselves -- will come forward with weird bits of information that I didn't have access to. Their mission: to help fill in the blanks on parts of the story that I may have inadvertently missed out on. Recently, a number...

There's always one of them at every party. The wet blanket. That loud mouthed jerk who spoils everyone's fun by revealing how a trick was done. The smart ass who takes the wind out of your sails by deliberately sharing something that was supposed to be secret. Well, this week, kids, I'm that smart ass...

I spend weeks writing articles about Disney theme parks that haven't opened yet. Months researching attractions that never made it off the drawing board. A lifetime collecting never-before-revealed stories about Disney animated features. None of that matters anymore. After the ton of mail I received...

OUR STORY SO FAR: Marc Davis was tired. Tired of the excuses he kept getting as to why "Western River Expedition" (WRE) wasn't getting built. Tired of having his other new attraction ideas never make it off the drawing board. Most of all, Marc was tired of repeating himself. So - when Davis was asked...

Before you hit the trail, check out a few more stories about the greatest attraction that never was ! A NOTE TO READERS: You know, you'd think - after eight long, drawn out chapters - you people would have had enough of "Western River Expedition." (I know *I* have.) But - judging by all the notes that...