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Hey, gang! Jim Hill again. Just finishing up a pretty busy week here at the site. As you might have noticed, I've been hammering out brand new stories for JHM every day this week. And -- to be honest -- I'm kind of wiped right now. So -- rather than go with the usual format for "Why For" -- which (as...

First, an apology. You know, in yesterday's review of Carlene Thie's "Disneyland Under Construction" books, I'm afraid that I may have come down a bit too hard on Ms. Thie. Or -- at the very least -- criticized things that I didn't really know about. For example: In yesterday's...

Hey, gang! Jim Hill here. Nancy and I are just days away from wrapping up our latest trip to Southern California. And what a jam-packed jaunt it's been. In 12 short days, we've traveled from Anaheim to San Diego to Hollywood to Emeryville to San Francisco to Fresno to Sequoia National Park -- collecting...

Greetings from United Flight No. 1225. Seat 15F, to be precise. I'm in the process of winging my way west for 12 days of work and fun. Nancy's asleep in the seat next to me. Resting up for a trip filled with visits to animation schools. Not to mention two weekends full of schmoozing with ABC soap stars...

First, an apology: In the introduction that I wrote to Jim Korkis' debut column this past Tuesday, I mentioned that Jim had written several books. Among them "Cartoon Confidential," "Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars," "How to Create Animation," and "The Animation Art Buyer's Guide." What I neglected...

Ben B. writes in to ask: Jim, This is from (this week's "DizBiz" column): "By the way, there's an interesting story about how the Partners statue came to be in the center of the Hub at Disneyland. There isn't time to tell it here. Let's just say it has to do with one of Imagineering's better ideas for...

Greetings from the road, kids. This particular "Why For" is coming at you from deep inside a somewhat rundown Quality Inn in Woodbridge, VA. Nancy and I are currently en route to Orlando, where -- later this weekend -- we'll be holding the beta test for JHM's Disney World tours. (Wish us luck.) As I...

First of all, let me apologize for the delay in getting up this week's "Why For" column. But it's been another one of those weeks out here in the woods of New Hampshire. What's gone wrong this time? Well, the big main computer here at the house -- our Compaq Presario -- went Ker-FLOOM! on Monday. And...

First a quick thanks to all those kind souls who took part in last month's beta tests for the JHM Disneyland and DCA tours. Given that no one got injured (except possibly me, the moron New Englander who forgot to put on some sun screen and/or wear a hat ... the idiot who ended up with a Class-6 sun burn...

Greetings from Seat 21A - United Flight 211. Currently cruising at 28,000 feet. As I mentioned at the tail end of yesterday's column, I'm currently en route to Southern California. Winging my way west so that I can be on hand when my darling daughter, Alice, turns the big 1-0 minus 1. I won't lie to...

John S. writes in to ask: Dear Jim, I have just recently come across your web site and have found it very entertaining and informative. Here is my question: After visiting Tokyo Disneyland, I became very excited to find that they were going to install a Pooh ride at Disneyland. I found out a few months...

First, Noel Aronson writes to ask: Hello: It's a little belated, but let me add to the list of people congratulating you on getting your own web site. The only problem is -- whenever I lose track of whatever site you happen to (be) writing for / on -- I always manage to find your new home just as...

First up is Miss Bebe Gunn, who writes to ask: Dear Jim - I really enjoyed the story you did earlier this week about Walt Disney and Richard Nixon's friendship ("You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like ... Richard Nixon?!"). But -- based on what veteran EPCOT Center cast members have told...

BigbyWolf235 writes to ask: Dear Jim, Perhaps you can help settle a Disney Urban Legend for me. It seems since the beginning of films there have always been strange rumors as to things that were stuck in the backgrounds of scenes. In THE WIZARD OF OZ there was always the rumor of the Munchkin hanging...

Horace H. of Windsor Locks, CT. writes to ask: Jim, I really enjoyed that story you did a few weeks back about those WDW guest relations staffers who walk around the theme parks with clipboards, soliciting opinions from guests. Personally, I think it would have been really cool to get to see all that...

First of all, let me offer up an apology for this latest "Why For" being delayed. But some personal stuff came up toward the middle of last week which took priority over updating the site. "What sort of personal stuff?" you ask. Well, I had to go into work with Nancy and help her pack up her office....

In response to this week's "Oh-ho, the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' ... again" story, Close2Glenn wrote to say: Dear Jim, I really enjoyed yesterday's story about "The Music Man." But -- in your article -- you neglected to mention two other musicals that Disney recently produced for television: "Geppetto...

First off, Lampwick333 writes Dear Jim: Love your new web page. Particularly when you write about Walt Disney Feature Animation and tell us about animated features that had production problems, scenes that got cut, etc. So I was wondering. Do you have any similar stories about Disney Television Animation...

Hey, Gang! My apologies for not having anything new up on the site for the past two days. But Nancy and I arrived back home from Georgia late on New Year's Eve only to find two feet of heavy, wet snow waiting for us. Then -- just as soon as we got the house dug out from under all of that crud -- another...

StinkyCat writes to say: Jim: Congratulations! You actually got one right! Judging by the story that CBSMarketwatch just did as well as that report that Reuters just ran, it looks like the Walt Disney Company really is making one more run at the Jim Henson Company. So - Oh great Swami Jim - since you...