Interesting news and rumors are always reported out of Jim Hill Media!

Whether you love him or hate him, it's interesting stuff.

Toon Tuesday: Here's to the real survivors

Disney Legend Floyd Norman pays tribute to all those animation veterans who have hung in there through the tough times...(read more)

Say "Nighty-night" to Night Kingdom and "Jambo" to Disney's Jungle Trek

Jim Hill shares the latest info on WDW's proposed niche park. Which the Imagineers have recently renamed & revamped...(read more)

Interesting article, but as always it will be interesting to see what really comes to life.

He does have some cool stuff, but his articles are very hit or miss, yet I still visit the site daily.

Toon Tuesday : A tribute to Ollie Johnston

JHM contributor Todd James Pierce looks back on last week's event at the El Capitan theatre. Where the cream of the animation industry came together to remember this Disney Legend (read more)

Pixar once again opens its doors for the Cartoon Art Museum's annual benefit

Ever dream of going over the WALL-E in Emeryville? The crew at the Cartoon Art Museum can make your dream come true ...(read more)

Preview audiences praise Disney World's new American Idol attraction
Jim Hill shares what he's heard from WDW Cast Members who attended tech rehearsals for this new DHS attraction. Who say that -- despite some obvious flaws -- The American Idol Experience is already a surprisingly solid show

So what's the word on Disney's Hollywood Studios' soon-to-be-opened attraction, The American Idol Experience (which just completed three days of tech rehearsals)?

Well, I know that this news will probably shock Disneyana fans (Many of whom groused long & loud last year when they learned that a theme park version of this Fox reality series was headed for the Walt Disney World Resort). But according to Cast Members who attended preview performances for this new Hollywood Studios attraction earlier this week, The American Idol Experience is already a surprisingly solid show. More importantly, once AIE's cast & crew gets a few more performances under their belt, this sleek & slick interactive entertainment should prove to be extremely popular with WDW visitors.

Mind you, in order to really appreciate what it is that makes this new DHS attraction so special, it helps to be familiar with the TV version of "American Idol." And Cast Members who attended AIE previews earlier this week who were also fans of the "American Idol" television program just went on & on about the amazing job that the Imagineers had done here. How WDI had faithfully recreated not only AI's look but had also found a way to capture the energy & excitement that one feels while attending an actual taping of this wildly popular Fox program.

Of course, some of that feeling comes from getting the details right. And starting with The American Idol Experience's pre-show area, the Imagineers do everything they can to quickly suck WDW Guests into the world of this Fox reality series. Which is why Ryan Seacrest -- the actual host of the "American Idol" television program -- also serves as the host of AIE's pre-show. And as folks wait to enter the old Superstar Television Theater, Ryan -- via overhead monitors in the pre-show area -- explains the rules that govern the theme park version of "American Idol."

And while this is going on, AIE's warm-up act (along with a camera crew) is working his way through the crowd in the queue. Looking for people who'd be willing to appear in brief video segments which will then be digitally inserted into The American Idol Experience show that this audience is about to attend. Where these WDW visitors will then be seen shouting encouragements like "We love you, (performer's name here)!" to the Guests who'll be singing at that particular AIE performance.

Once this is done, the audience is then allowed to enter the old Superstar Television Theater. Which -- to borrow a catchphrase from another reality TV series -- has received a pretty extreme make-over. From its state-of-the-art lighting & sound system to this attraction's sleek hi-tech set (which perfectly captures the look of the AI TV show), this 1013-seat house is now a dazzling new venue for performers.

After the audience is seated, the warm-up guy now demonstrates how the AIE voting keypad works. But again aping the look & feel of the actual "American Idol" TV show, this performer doesn't do this demo from the safety of the stage. Oh, no. With camera crew in tow, he wades out into the auditorium. Where (while this live footage plays on AIE's two Jumbtron screens) the warm-up guy comically walks one Guest through how to properly operate this keypad.



Last year's "American Idol" winner David Cook confers
with a WDI producer as one of the videos for The
American Idol Experience's pre-show is shot.
Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved

The warm-up guy then introduces The American Idol Experience's MC. And just like with a real-life TV show, they ask the audience to be please be quiet as they count down to the start of taping. And then ...

Well, this is where this new DHS attraction gets somewhat problematic. You see, as long as AIE's Casting Directors have done their jobs and screened that day's pool of would-be performers for people who can actually sing ... You've got the makings of a very entertaining show. If -- on the other hand -- only tone-deaf tourists have auditioned for the performance of The American Idol Experience that you've chosen to attend ... Well, it's then up to those Comedy Warehouse & Adventurers Club vets who are playing this show's three judges & MC to try & make AIE seem like fun.

And as of this week's tech rehearsals for The American Idol Experience, these performers were still struggling to strike just the right balance between what Simon, Paula, Randy & Ryan might say on the real "American Idol" TV show and ... Well ... What you can actually get away with saying to people who've paid to get into a family-friendly theme park like Disney's Hollywood Studios.

That's where The American Idol Experience remains a work-in-progress. As AIE's performers & creative team struggle to get a handle on this part of the show. Delivering on Guests expectations as to what a theme park version of AI should be like. While -- at the same time -- not saying anything too edgy or offensive to the Guests who've agreed to perform at this new DHS attraction.

As of late Tuesday afternoon (when AIE held its first tech rehearsal for that attraction's finale / results show), it was obvious that those Comedy Warehouse & Adventurers Club vets who were playing the judges were still working off of the quips that had been scripted for them in advance by WDI. Which is why many of the comments that they made to the show's contestants that afternoon lacked spontaneity. Or -- at the very least -- seemed far too scripted.

But this issue ... It's something that the cast will be able to work out as they get more performances under their belt. More importantly, as they learn to gauge what AIE audiences like and don't like.

As for the tech side of this new DHS attraction ... Again, WDW Cast Members who attended previews earlier this week were impressed with how polished & professional The American Idol Experience already seems to be. They marveled at how -- when one performer stood on stage and began singing "Part of Your World" -- the guys in the booth (just as they would have done on a real TV show) first shifted the lighting on the set to a cool blue-green and then projected bubbles on a screen behind that performer.

And just like they do on the real "American Idol" TV program, the WDW Entertainment vets who were working at AIE that day attempted to squeeze every last bit of drama & tension out of revealing who won that day's Dream Ticket. Which is why this finale / results show -- which is only supposed to last 45 minutes -- wound up running for almost an hour.


Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved

But all was forgiven once that day's winner was revealed and -- just as it does for every season finale for the "American Idol" TV show -- confetti rained down on the stage as spotlights racked the hall.

All in all, The American Idol Experience is already a pretty slick piece of entertainment. A show that's sure to entertain DHS visitors (provided -- of course -- that they're already somewhat familiar with the "American Idol" TV show).

Speaking of which ... If you're really a diehard fan of this Fox reality show, then you owe it to yourself to go through the AIE audition process. Otherwise you won't get to see the backstage portion of this new DHS attraction. Where -- you'll discover -- the Imagineers also labored to recreate the backstage areas that viewers get to see while watching the "American Idol" television program.

As for you folks who are not AI fans ... Well. the American Idol Experience may not be something that you'll actually enjoy experiencing. But -- then again -- how will you know unless you give this show a try the next time you visit Disney's Hollywood Studios.

You see, that's the real beauty of The American Idol Experience. This new DHS attraction will present six shows a day (plus a finale / results show). And because of the talent level / number of Guests who audition for AIE changes each day, every single show will be different.

Know this, though: Those of you who are thinking of auditioning for The American Idol Experience during its soft opening phase need to be aware that no Dream Tickets (which will then allow its owner to go to the front of the line at any nationwide audition for the "American Idol" television show) will be awarded until after this new DHS attraction finally & officially opens to the public on February 14th.

Anyway ... That's a brief overview of what The American Idol Experience was like as it completed its technical rehearsal phase and then moved into soft opening mode. Please be aware that -- in the weeks ahead -- certain elements of this new DHS show as they were described in today's article are sure to change. As the Imagineers and AIE's cast continue to make adjustments to this still-evolving-but-already-rather-entertaining work-in-progress.

Your thoughts?

Source: http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hi...ttraction.aspx

Jim Hill shares what he knows about the Sunshine Plaza redo. How this affectionate recreation of 1920s LA will also allow Disney to double the amount of retail space found towards the front of this troubled theme park...(read more)

I just wanted to say "thanks" to you guys for this thread and others like it. There's such an avalanche of Disney stuff to read out there - it's nice to have a place to go where the best of the best is presented and I don't have to slog through on my own. Thanks so much for all the work you guys have done to bring us quality Disney-related content. You guys rock!

Thanks Tink!

We're trying to get the info out there and be the "source" of the news and rumors out there!

As we continue to grow (LOTS of stuff coming up in the near future!) we'll have even more info and interactive ways of communicating!

I was beaten to the punch on this one. I second the kudos given for creating this thread. I like how I can click on the links for Jim's latest entries. I do not visit his site regularly, but I listen to the Magical Definition podcast and I enjoy his contributions to that show.