He pushed the envelope at his own firm, developing new gadgets to help in the making of his movies. He had a passion for the future, promoting ideas through places like his Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla. And he often engaged with engineers from other companies, such as Ford Motor Co. and General Electric Co., particularly as he developed exhibits for the New York World's Fair of 1964.

The geeky side of Disney is one of the elements that will be on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco when it opens in October.

Museum organizers — particularly Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and his grandson and namesake, Walter E. Disney Miller — gave the press a preview today, showing off the state-of-the-art $110-million facility in San Francisco's Presidio National Park.

The museum itself makes heavy use of modern processing power, from admissions to displays. To keep tight control of the number of visitors, the museum will sell tickets on the Web for specific times. One could just show up and buy a ticket, "but I wouldn't recommend it," executive director Richard Benefield said.

Inside, what Benefield called "every kind of monitor known to man" will be on the walls. And curators have taken advantage of 19 hours of recordings of Disney's voice to provide a guided tour through his life — his childhood, his early work as a bankrupt cartoonist in Kansas City, Mo., and his most notable achievements, including the creation of Mickey Mouse, "Snow White" and "Fantasia" and his television and theme park operations.

Also on view will be a two-story multiplane camera that Disney used for such effects as rooftop shots in "Pinocchio" and an optical printer used to blend real-life characters with animation in "Mary Poppins."

Although the museum is not formally affiliated with Walt Disney Co., the company has provided many artifacts and may even provide some technical expertise. After all, its Pixar animation unit is based right across the bay in Emeryville, and a Disney executive told Benefield that the company is stepping up volunteer efforts by employees.

The company even offered to help the museum teach animation classes, Benefield said.

The wispy voice caused me to review the Michaels I knew. I was stymied until the voice asked, "Did you write a book about Walt Disney?"

I admitted I had authored "Walt Disney, An American Original." I also recognized the voice by now — Michael Jackson — remembering he had a passion for all things Disney.

"I'd like to talk to you about Walt," he said urgently, and I agreed. The date was set for the following evening at his family compound in the San Fernando Valley community of Encino, which is just a few blocks from my house.

I arrived at the property and announced myself to a receptionist on the other end of an intercom. A massive gate opened slowly and I drove down a narrow passageway and stopped in front of a building containing offices. I looked around and thought I saw a tall tree nearby. I looked again; it was a real-life giraffe.

An assistant said Jackson would be ready soon, and I spent 20 minutes inspecting a wall full of Jackson photographs with Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley and other celebrities.

Finally, Michael was ready. I was introduced to him in an elaborate dining room and then followed him upstairs to the library, which featured a life-sized studio portrait of Walt Disney.

"Do you mind if I record our talk?" he asked.

"Not if you don't use it commercially," I replied.

He started by asking a few questions and I explained how I approached an interview with Walt. When he ran out of queries, I provided some memories of Walt.

Toward the end of the conversation, Michael hesitantly asked whether Walt ever used a certain expletive. Without thinking, I replied I had never heard him utter it.

The interview was over and Michael escorted me to the photographs I had already perused.

He was busy in the mid-1980s and I didn't expect to see him again. Yet a few months later he called. "Hello Bob, this is Michael," he said. "Do you think Hazel George is still alive?"

I said I didn't know but would find out. George was Disney's longtime nurse who also exchanged studio gossip with him. I found out that Hazel was retired yet still living near the Disney lot in Burbank.

"I'd love to talk to her," Jackson said. "Can you arrange it?"

I did, and a few days later, Jackson picked me up at my house in his chauffeured limo and I directed the driver to Hazel's bungalow.

Hazel had aged since I interviewed her for the biography and I found that I would have to prompt her. I had recorded the stories she once gave me and had brought the tapes along, so I played them back and let her deliver the punchlines.

Jackson was fascinated but scarcely said a word. When we finished, Hazel said to Jackson, "Come back and see me, and don't bring him." She meant me.

A few months passed and then another call: "Hello Bob, this is Michael."

He wanted to know more about Walt Disney and wanted me to join him at a San Fernando Valley recording studio. I arrived on time and waited an hour until he finished a session. We sat down in an office and he again asked questions about Walt, most of which he had asked in our first visit.

He also asked again whether Walt had ever used a certain expletive. This time I remembered that he had on at least one occasion and I proceeded to explain the humorous circumstance.

"Oh," he said.

"Birthdays are the one occasion that we all share every year," notes Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "We thought a free birthday ticket would be the icing on the cake as we extend this new 'celebration vacation' trend to Disney Parks. . . . Sharing a milestone at Disney connects families, friends and generations." In addition to birthdays, Disney offers packages and suggested activities for people celebrating everything from anniversaries, honeymoons, weddings and proposals to reunions and personal triumphs.

A highlight of the Disney World food scene is the recent announcement that celeb chef Cat Cora will be opening a Mediterranean-style family restaurant at Disney's Boardwalk Resort. Cora was the first female Iron Chef on the show of the same name.

American Idol is still one of the most popular television shows on the air, so it's no surprise that its creators have partnered with the folks who run the world's most popular theme park. The result is an attraction called The American Idol Experience.

Guests 14 years of age and older can audition for one of several singing slots on the day they visit. (Go early if you want to secure one of the audition spots.) Audience members vote for their favorite singers and the best of the day appear for a finale evening show at the attraction, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The shows take place in a 1,000-seat theatre with a set that is reminiscent of the real American Idol stage and includes a confetti-filled moment for the day's top singer.

Beginning August 2009, the relationship will bring a broad range of Disney Institute content to Learning Tree Education Centers in Atlanta; Reston, Va.; Rockville, Md.; Alexandria, Va.; Chicago; and New York City. A variety of course topics and formats will be offered, enabling individuals and intact work teams to select content that is ideally suited to meet their organizations' needs.

"Disney Institute and Learning Tree are great complements to one another, and these new programs will deliver innovative Disney content into these exceptional education centers," said Jeff James, vice president for Disney Institute. "Both organizations share a commitment to providing outstanding service, which ensures that the learning experience will be as powerful as the program content."

Nick Schacht, CEO and President of Learning Tree International, said, "Disney Institute brings an entirely new kind of professional development experience to Learning Tree customers. Participants in Disney Institute courses will learn business practices that have been proven through decades of successful application at Disney. Furthermore, they can begin using these same practices immediately in their own organizations. This real-life approach is a wonderful addition to our portfolio of hands-on training courses and another example of the innovative content that Learning Tree provides worldwide.

In addition to hosting the Disney Institute programs, Learning Tree will support the relationship with its world-renowned sales, marketing and customer service capabilities. Learning Tree clients will also have access to special Disney Institute Web casts, which highlight core topics from the Disney's Approach Series. As with all Disney Institute programs, the Web casts showcase innovative ways to drive business results and top-box satisfaction levels.

Regardless of the topic or format they select, participants will get an insider's look at proven Disney best practices that are easily adaptable to their own organizations. Content is delivered in engaging style by Disney leaders whose experience and professional backgrounds bring added dimension and richness to the program experience.

Disney Media Ad Sales Group Executive-V.P. Tricia Wilber, said: "This is interesting because it's the travel category which doesn't typically target kids. In this environment kids are certainly becoming more important in the decision making process."

Best Western is launching a marketing campaign involving Jonas, the Disney original series which features the boyband in a show similar to The Monkeys. Alongside its national TV campaign the hotel chain is also launching a program called "Rock the Road Summer 09," which kicked off this week, part of that involves 15 billboard messages on Jonas on Disney Channel and other shows on Disney XD. Disney Channel does not carry spot advertising but does carry sponsorship.

The Best Western deal also encompasses ABC Kids, Disney Online and Disney Mobile, the mobile app for Disney online. According to a Disney press release, for the week of June 15-21, Jonas was the number one program in the time period for kids aged 6-11 years, with a 5.4 rating and 1.3 million viewers, and was also number one in tweens aged 9-14, the show attracted a 4.5 rating and 1.1 million viewers.

Separately, Choice Hotels which operates Comfort Inns, is the sponsor of Demi Lovato's concert tour. Lovato appears in Disney Channel's Sonny with A Chance, Camp Rock and upcoming movie Princess Protection Program. The deal spans Disney Online, Radio Disney and other properties.

Which is why we urge you to please extend this program into 2010. You've extended campaigns like this before. (The "Year of a Million Dreams" was supposed to end in 2007, and you took it through 2008.)

Sure, we're cautiously optimistic that the worst of the recession will be over by next year. But we also know that a lot families will continue to struggle. During hardship, every little bit of sunshine helps. Walt knew that better than anyone.

So we hope you'll extend the free-admission-on-your-birthday promotion to next year. Because there's a little bit of Peter Pan in all of us!

Trailers were shown from Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture animated feature "A Christmas Carol," set for November release, and next summer's Pixar sequel "Toy Story 3." But glimpses of Tim Burton's live action-and-motion capture fantasy "Alice in Wonderland" were limited to production stills, while May opener "Prince of Persia" from Jerry Bruckheimer was teased in a sizzle reel, and a early visual-effects shot was used to whet exhibs' appetite for Disney's as-yet-unslotted remake of "Tron."

Disney international distribution president Anthony Marcoly noted that Disney has agreed to distribute pics for Steven Spielberg's newly private DreamWorks, aiming to add to Disney's own recently downsized release slate.

"There will be fewer films, but you can count on them being bigger and better than ever," Marcoly said. "And you can expect four to six DreamWorks films per year, starting in 2010-2011."

After its 75-minute slate promo, Disney screened in its entirety the 3D family feature "Up." The Pixar-animated pic already has produced $255 million in worldwide boxoffice, including $23 million from its fledgling international campaign.

Execs noted the "Up" tallies feature an estimated $36 million in extra coin from exhibs' marking up ticket prices in 3D venues. "Up" is playing in a mix of 2D and 3D venues, due to an insufficient installed base of 3D auditoriums.

Those attending the "Up" screening were asked to wear both 3D glasses and audio headsets, lending an especially high-tech appearance to the audience. Disney used the headsets to offer the film in several language versions, with the special gear needed even for the English track.

Most films screened here are offered only in English.

Meanwhile, various 3D vendors have been seeking a bit of the promo spotlight at Cinema Expo, where the fledgling technology has been a hot topic of discussion.

Masterimage touted its participation in the Disney presentation. On Tuesday, RealD helped Fox screen 3D clips from James Cameron's upcoming "Avatar."

For those unaware, much of the land for what would become Walt Disney World was purchased in secret. Unhappy with the developments that were taking place literally across the street from his Disneyland park, Walt wanted to gain more control over the guest experience when building his next park, which he decided to build in Central Florida. As a result, Disney purchased adjoining lots of land, both large and small, under the names of dummy corporations and through individuals in an effort to keep the project secret and keep others from being able to purchase land close to the property on which the park was to be built.

All told, the company purchased 43 square miles of land. In October of 1965, the truth about the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel, and a press event scheduled for November. At the event, Walt laid out his plans for the property, including Disney World and EPCOT -- not the park, but the community, concepts of which would be integrated in the Celebration development many years later. Unfortunately, Walt died on December 15, 1966; his brother Roy O. Disney took over construction and completed the first phase of the project, which he renamed "Walt Disney World," after his late brother.

"We are already present in 42 cities through both bookstores and modern retail lifestyle outlets and we plan to penetrate deeper into the country by adding another 25 cities to our list," Parragon Publishing India Managing Director Vineet Sharma told PTI.     

Parragon, which will soon complete its third year of operation in the country, has tied up with Walt Disney under a licensing arrangement.     

"In the last three-four months, Disney titles have done quite well. We will be bringing out around 100 more titles of Disney in 2009-10," Sharma said.     
The company is looking for more such licensing agreements with Indian and international brands.     

"We believe that licensed books has a great potential and two years down the line it will contribute about 25 per cent to our business," he said, adding that the company is venturing into bilingual books this year.

"The bilingual segment will be mostly for educational products, work and activity books," Sharma added.     

There are several clues the proposal was staged:

-The would-be groom is obviously a professional performer.

-The area the crowd is giving up is too perfectly shaped.

-No crowd is that polite, not even at the Happiest Over-Your-Credit-Card-Limit Maker on Earth.

-Harbor Boulevard hobos break into song unprovoked. Prickily heated tourists do not.

-The dance folks just happen to break into was obviously choreographed.

-The lighting appears to have been hauled in from the set of a Disney Channel tween sit-com.

-MousePlaneteers identified many "spectators" as members of Disneyland's entertainment department.

-Rooftop cameras were used to capture wide-angle shots.

-The street-level camera crew is visible at different points in the video.

-Wireless microphones worn by participants are exposed.

But, as MousePlanet so astutely points out, the video may have had an unintended side effect: "A cast member tells us that the resort has seen a recent increase in the number of people who call the Guest Relations and Fairy Tale Weddings departments to inquire about staging their own proposal at Disneyland, but, as MousePlanet reader 'MrZombie' discovered when he called, the options are limited."

In other words, don't except to be offered use of roof cams, wireless mics and the chorus line from the Aladdin stage show.

Meanwhile, if the idea was to turn video viewers on to summer programming, the reaction to "Disneyland Musical Marriage Proposal" was mixed on YouTube. Some select comments:

"Fake and staged." -SupremeEffort

"So fake it is not even fun watching." -Rastamut

"This dude is not straight, and you're nuts if you think this was real." -lixthatsit

"And they did the whole thing all over again the next day." -Yulyu89

"They lived happily ever after . . . until John fucked the ticket girl at admissions." -landyl

Disneyland has that effect: Disorienting, in a jolly sort of way. Three of us were exhausted at the end of a long and happy day trying all the big rides, but our girls, though deep into teenage life, insisted we climb up the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and look around.

At 14 and nearly 17, the girls are nostalgic already for one of their childhood favorite Disney movies. At about ages 7 and 10, they would replay "Swiss Family Robinson" on a snowy afternoon, squealing at the pirates and giggling over the ridiculous animal race.

And the tree house did indeed turn out to be magical that humid June day in Japan, with its carefully crafted re-creation of the family's ingenious survival strategies. We climbed up and up with our 5-year-old boy, admiring the hammocks and the salvaged ship furniture and the hardworking water wheel. The girls vowed to show their little brother the movie upon return to the States.

Then another moment of serendipity guaranteed "Swiss" would be this week's movie recommendation: Oblivious to what we'd been talking about, my dad sent me a beautiful copy of the "Swiss Family Robinson" novel that my late grandmother had given me when I was 14. He was emptying shelves, had found her inscription and wanted to pass it on.

The spirit of exhilarating adventure that's not really dangerous permeates the Disney version of "Swiss," as it did so many of the studio's family movies in the 1960s. Since then things have gotten smarter, but also gloomier, and kids often long for the simple silliness of castaways outwitting buccaneers. Leave it to the words of Robert Cushman Murphy in the introduction to my grandmother's gift copy:

The Disney Keys to Excellence program, offered through the college's Center for Executive Education, is a one-day workshop designed to teach participants business practices and philosophies that have helped Disney become a success.

"This information is not available in textbooks or videos," said Donald Berlin, director of program development for Solution Infusion, a logistics and management company. "It's real insider information and very affordable."

Berlin said the program covers a wide range of information that will be valuable to those either in mid-level management or those at the CEO level.

Participants will attend four learning sessions that will provide valuable insight into Walt Disney's four cornerstones of business: leadership, management, customer service and loyalty.

Berlin said his company arranged for the program to visit UT because of the business school's reputation for excellence.

"Disney's philosophy is complementary to the programs taught through the Center for Executive Education," said Beth Maples, the program's coordinator. "(The Center) saw this as an excellent opportunity to be a part of a program that could bring Disney's world-class vision to Knoxville."

Maples said programs like the Disney workshop, as well as the Professional MBA lunchtime lecture series, are important to the college's outreach efforts and provide professional expertise in the areas of leadership and operation excellence.

"We have high expectations for its success, which normally draws over 250 attendees per session," Maples said.

Employees recruited this week can sign contracts for the summer, Halloween or Christmas as well as open-ended contracts from September 2009.

Jean Noel Thiollier, director of employment and remuneration at Disneyland Paris, said: "Disneyland Paris is a unique and diverse company where 14,000 professionals from more than 100 nations work in a single site. To reinforce our activity we are constantly seeking new talents in more than 500 vocations.

"Working at Disneyland Paris is a chance to gain professional experience in an international environment, learn and grow."

MarketWatch - British Sky Broadcasting (UK:BSY 444.50) (BSY 29.23) saw its shares climb 4.1% in a broadly flat London equity market on Tuesday afternoon.

BSkyB is 39% held by News Corp., which also owns MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.

The gains for BSkyB followed news that Walt Disney's (DIS 22.86) ESPN sports-television network has acquired the U.K. broadcasting rights to some of England's Premier League soccer games.

ESPN will acquire the rights to broadcast 46 soccer matches for the 2009/2010 season for 100 million pounds ($163.5 million) and the rights to 23 matches per season up to 2012/2013 for 150 million pounds ($245.2 million), noted analysts at Jefferies International.

The rights were acquired from Setanta Sports, the struggling broadcaster which recently failed to meet a payment deadline for the rights.

BSkyB paid 1.62 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) in February for its rights packages, which run to 2013. It has the right to broadcast 92 games in the coming season and 115 games in seasons after that.

"Bears will argue ESPN is a stronger financial competitor than Setanta, which is true. But ESPN is also a rational competitor - an important difference in Sky's favor," noted analysts at Deutsche Bank.

They believe that ESPN won't bid for what they can't monetize. Setanta did, they argued, which put upward pressure on rights costs.

Meanwhile analysts at Jefferies International said there are other positives for Sky from ESPN's rights acquisition.

"The re-auctioning of the rights posed potential risks to Sky, notably the threat of a free-to-air broadcaster such as the BBC acquiring the rights and hence devaluing Sky's pay proposition," they said.

Similarly, if Sky decided to buy the rights, then there was the possibility of an earnings-per-share downgrade, they noted.

"Hence we see this as a positive outcome and note also that BSkyB will retail ESPN as an a la carte option, unlike Setanta which sold its channels using its own call center and billing system," they added.

BSkyB derives the bulk of its revenue from its satellite television service.

Deutsche Bank analysts said that this part of the deal means that Sky will be able to control pricing, with ESPN taking a margin.

"Come 2013, there is a risk that ESPN changes its model to one less dependent on Sky distribution. But it hasn't done it anywhere else. And given the U.K. market structure, it wouldn't be the obvious place to start," the analysts added.

Citigroup analysts added: "In opting for a lower risk wholesale model, ESPN is in competition with BSkyB only for rights going forward, and not in building a subscriber base."

On that magical, starlit, pleasantly disorienting plunge, with my son holding my hand, I had my Disneyland moment: the thrill of a great ride shared with an ecstatic child.

At its worst, Disneyland with kids, like any amusement park, can be hot, crowded and tantrum-inducing. At its best, on a quiet, January weekday when there are virtually no lineups for any ride, including Space Mountain, and the weather is California-cool, it's a great place to experience that famed Disney magic.

Having been many years earlier without children, back in the days before FastPasses, Finding Nemo and California Adventure (the sister park next-door), Disneyland was a different experience with kids. But in many ways, it was more fun to see the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of its target audience.

This time around, I missed the Indiana Jones ride because my younger son refused to get on. When we talked him into trying the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, assuring him it wasn't really scary, he was terrified and spent most of the time alternately covering his eyes and whimpering.

But without kids, I likely wouldn't have tried Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, at least not seven or eight times. I wouldn't have seen my young pirate-phobe transform bravely into a Jedi Knight battling Darth Maul. And I might very well not have ridden Space Mountain, my new favourite Disneyland ride, though it's been around for more than 20 years. On my first visit, when I was wowed by Indiana Jones Adventure, Space Mountain must have been down for repairs, or I was too chicken to ride it -- I can't recall which.

With one thrill-seeking child and one thrill-averse, we split up for some of the time to satisfy each child's individual tastes. But because the park is more about the Disney "experience" than death-defying rides, there were enough special-effects-laden attractions to appeal to us all.

California Adventure, the smaller, newer Disney theme park next door to Disneyland, has the token big roller coaster (California Screamin'), a terrifying drop ride (Tower of Terror) and a few of the aforementioned, not-to-be missed experience rides such as Soarin' Over California (a hang-glider simulator) and Toy Story Mania (a new, 3-D, midway-game ride/experience) to make it worth a visit too.

It's that Disney experience and the impressive effects on many rides, such as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, that keep people coming back. For the hardcore adrenaline junkie, there's always Six Flags.

The best guide to the park we found, particularly for the rides, was The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland by Bob Sehlinger. Skip over the beginning bits that offer militaristically precise park itineraries and a few ridiculous suggestions, such buying a wardrobe of matching T-shirts and shorts for the whole family so no one gets lost. Instead, go right to the detailed ride descriptions, which are a huge help in deciding what your kids might like. Many of the rides are configured so they can't really be seen from the queuing areas, making it hard to judge on the fly whether they're dark/scary/bumpy/loud or otherwise freakout-inducing for your child.

If you rent a car or drive, the parking setup at Disneyland is worthy of being called the Happiest Place on Earth. With the three-day, park-hopper passes we bought in advance, it was free. Smiling, endlessly efficient Disney staff showed us where to park, where to board the shuttle and then drove us to the park gate. Efficient shuttle buses also run from almost every hotel to the park.

If you want to avoid the crowds, aim to go mid-week and avoid school breaks. It really does make a huge difference when the lineup for each ride is measured in minutes instead of hours. Be sure to avoid U.S. holidays, too -- we arrived right after the reported madness of the Martin Luther King Day long weekend -- and find out when the huge conventions are going on in Anaheim, so you can miss their attendant crowds.

For hotels, we found a great deal on priceline.com, which lets you bid on hotel room rates in various cities. You can specify the general location (in Anaheim, near the park) and the star rating of the hotel, then put in an offer. The only catch is that if a hotel meets your criteria, you must take it and pay for the room in advance. Still, we got a nice, three-star hotel room for $50 US a night.

The oft-heard recommendations to bring your own food to the park should be heeded, even if it's just a backpack with water bottles and snacks to tide everyone over between rides. Food in the park is expensive, mediocre, and on busy days, can take a long time to get.

Still, the most remarkable thing about Disneyland is how, well, remarkable most of it remains. It is unfailingly spotless and well-maintained, the older attractions have managed to keep their appeal while enough new and impressive rides have been added to keep it feeling fresh.

HERE WERE SOME OF OUR FAMILY'S FAVOURITE RIDES:

- Space Mountain

- Indiana Jones Adventure

- Splash Mountain

- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

- Peter Pan's Flight (for younger kids)

- Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (for everyone)

- Jedi Training Academy (a show in which kids chosen from the audience are invited to participate in Jedi training for your family's Star Wars fans)

AND AT CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:

- California Screamin' and Tower of Terror (for the adrenaline junkies)

The series, which premiered in January, starred Swayze as Charles Barker, a rogue undercover FBI agent teamed up with rookie Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel). The series was filmed on location in Chicago.

Reviews for the series were mixed and its audience averaged 1.3 million viewers through the 13 episodes, which concluded their run in April.

But Swayze was unstinting in a rough-and-tumble performance that he maintained while battling pancreatic cancer. His illness had no discernible effect on his gritty portrayal.

A&E President Bob DeBitetto called the performance "an inspiration to us all."

DeBitetto said the series "has truly been a labor of love for everyone," but added that "after careful deliberation we have reluctantly decided not to attempt a second season."

Known for such films as "Ghost" and "Dirty Dancing," the 56-year-old Swayze went public with his diagnosis in 2008.

A memoir by him and Lisa Niemi, his wife of more 30 years, is scheduled for publication in the fall. The book is expected to offer an intimate account of his childhood, career and marriage, as well as his fight against the cancer.

The second season will have 25 episodes - but the group also is making the equivalent of a twenty-sixth episode, a series of short stories about a puppet cast member, Where Is Warehouse Mouse? They premiere July 18.

"They feature the mouse," Scott "Smitty" Smith, a guitarist and New Orleans firefighter (on leave), explained. "Warehouse Mouse, not Mickey."

"They're very kind of Buster Keatonish," Mover Scott Durbin said. "It's like the silent movie where everything has to be conveyed. Kevin Carlson, the puppeteer, is just a really brilliant, brilliant fellow."

The Movers were in New York City last Monday (June 8), for Live With Regis and Kelly and performing a 45-minute concert for kids at Sirius XM Satellite Radio headquarters. They spoke with The Wire after the radio gig, which will air on the Kids Place Live channel.

Imagination Movers, on Disney Channel, has connected with viewers, with 19% more average viewers (1.15 million vs. 969,000) in the 9:30 a.m. weekday slot compared with a year ago, according to the channel. The week of June 1, it averaged 1.5 million viewers, its best mark in five months and up 69% from its first full week (in September 2008).

The Movers say they get recognized more now - even at Patsy's restaurant in Greenwich Village - and "we're still at the stage where [that's] awesome," drummer Rich Collins said.

"It's an extreme honor," he said. "We're just goofy guys and dads from New Orleans and we had this dream to make a funny show that our kids would like, that was smart and funny and was really rocking. And we are so fortunate to have made it through Hurricane Katrina and all these other obstacles that would be in the way of any project like this. Now we are here playing in New York City, our show is on in 40 countries and we've got CDs and DVDs in stores nationwide."

"It's such a one-in-a-million shot, from where we were to here, that I don't think there's a day goes by that we take it for granted," Mover Dave Poche added.

The group famously was scouted by Playhouse Disney programming executive Nancy Kanter at the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where they played the Kids Tent. Disney signed the Movers to do a show that's essentially a concept the foursome developed themselves in 2003. "Idea emergencies" come up and the guys, in the Idea Warehouse, work out solutions and sing songs, tell stories and clown around.

When the Movers played the Jazz Fest this past April, they were on the Acura Stage, where Bon Jovi and Dave Matthews Band played. The Movers were on at 11:30 a.m. "Now we're lobbying to get later and later in the day," Durbin joked. "We're regular guys but we also are very ambitious and have a lot of dreams and desires. We think big. We want to close the Acura Stage now."

The group's next CD drops widely on July 7 and a 40-city concert tour is being scheduled for the fall. Future goals include an international tour - especially Australia, home base of Playhouse Disney's The Wiggles, a troupe the Movers say "blazed the trail" - and a movie.

Set to take place in Anaheim, Calif., the festival will run June 28 - July 5. Competitions, clinics and sing-along showcases are to be part of the melodious schedule of events.

The Dapper Dans barbershop quartet has been a Disneyland staple since 1959. This year marks the 50th anniversary of their entry into show business made possible by the nostalgic elements inside the Southern California theme park.

Since their inception, the singing bunch cloned themselves into equally successful Dapper Dans quartets. The groups now perform at Disney's satellite dreamparks around the globe.

In tune with the convention's international flavor, Dapper Dans of many cultural stripes will be on hand to congratulate the influential quartet. In special tribute, the contemporary follow-up group Anaheim Dappers will perform for evening's grand finale.

The moms-and-kids-focused monthly will be known as Disney FamilyFun, after its parent company, as of the August issue. The company's magazine publishing division is also changing its name, to Disney FamilyFun Group, all in an effort to make the most of combined brand power of Disney and the 2.1 million-circulation FamilyFun. The magazine will also try to broaden its appeal by adding a new section for preschoolers, "Fun for Little Ones." Another new section in the magazine, "Disney Fun" will extend the Disney tie-in with special offers and content from Disney.

"After joining the company last summer, I did a really thorough analysis of our assets and opportunities, and it just made a lot of sense to leverage the brand of our parent company, Disney, which is so popular and has incredible equity in the family marketplace," said Aparna Pande, VP and general manager of the Disney FamilyFun Group. "I certainly hope that being Disney branded will entice more people to try and experience the magazine, and I think they'll love it because the Disney brand is very powerful in that way."

The Disney logo will now be embedded on all of FamilyFun's consumer marketing efforts. Pande noted that the Disney branding will also make integrated advertising programs with other Disney brands more seamless.

FamilyFun brand extensions, including family cookbooks and special interest publications are slated to roll out later in the year, starting with a magazine focused on Halloween.

Disney FamilyFun Group will also grow its custom publishing division, which soft-launched with the magazine Disney En Familia — a custom project for Disney's multicultural marketing group — last year. Disney En Familia is a full-sized magazine that is direct mailed to 350,000 Hispanic families in the US.

As the central character of the hit animated movie of the same name, the pooch is one of the box-office stars of the year.

But Disney experts have revealed the digital 3D character only came to life thanks to a long family tree of cartoon dogs.

Bolt supervising animator Doug Bennett and his team spent months searching the Disney archives to find the right look and inspiration for Bolt, a little white dog, voiced by John Travolta, who thinks he is a superhero.

They trawled through early Mickey Mouse films to see how the first Pluto, and other animated canines, came to life at the hands of cartoon guruWalt Disney.

They also looked at how the studio had portrayed dogs in films such as Bambi, Lady And The Tramp and 101 Dalmatians.

And according to Disney historian and author Brian Sibley, Bolt, which is released today on DVD, is just the latest example of the huge part that dogs have played in the studio's success.

In fact, they're the most important animal in the history of animated movies.

Even though the film company's most famous characters are a mouse and a duck,Walt was a massive fan of dogs and kept a small pack of pedigree chows, for which he and wife Lillian cared lovingly all their lives.

Walt made sure there was a dog playing an important role in the first Mickey Mouse film, Plane Crazy, in 1928.

He also introduced Mickey's pals Pluto and Goofy and went on to make them central characters in his casting menagerie.

Brian said: "Dogs have always been hugely important to the success of Disney films down the years.

"It's not surprising, considering how important they are to lots of people, and how fond of dogsWalt Disney was.

"There are lots of stories about howWalt brought dogs into the films. For example, if you look at the opening scene of Lady And The Tramp, where the husband gives his wife a big hat-box with a puppy inside, that is exactly howWalt gave his wife one oftheir chows.

"Lady is based on a cocker spaniel belonging to one of his main animators, Joe Grant.

"Walt definitely had a real soft spot for dogs and, even if they are not the lead characters in most of the films, they were always around.

"There are probably more dogs in Disney films than any other animals.

"One of the reasons they are so popular in animated films, more so than cats, for example, is that you have so many different breeds and types of dogs that you instantly have very different looking characters.

"It's a bit like character actors. "You look at Lady And The Tramp in the pound and there are all different kinds of dogs representing different characters."

The first Disney dog was an unnamed dachshund in Plane Crazy, the first animation ever made, although it was released after the historic Steamboat Willie.

In the film, wannabe pilot Mickey Mouse builds a plane and uses a dachshund as the propellor after twisting the poor beast up like an elastic band.

Later, in The Picnic, we see Minnie Mouse introducing a pet dog who, although called Rover, is identical to Pluto.

And in Chain Gang, a fugitive Mickey is pursued by a Pluto-like bloodhound.

Then in the Mickey adventure Moose Hunt, in 1931, Pluto himself is introduced, and he became a regular fixture, with Goofy, originally called Dippy Dawg, appearing three years later.

Brian said: "The first feature role for dogs was in Bambi, with the hounds chasing Bambi and the fawn.

"It's quite a scary scene, and the Bolt animators watched this scene especially to get the motion of the animals right.

"In 1955, the classic film with dogs came out - Lady And The Tramp. This is similar to Bolt in which, unlike many Disney films, the dogs only speak to each other and only ever bark in the company of humans.

"It's the suspension of disbelief.

"This was very important, as it was the first animated film made in Cinemascope, or widescreen.

"And with the singer Peggy Lee, who voiced the pekinese Peg and sang the song He's A Tramp, it had the first star voice in an animated film.

"Then in 1961, 101 Dalmatians was also revolutionary, using a new Xerox animation process.

"So if you look at the way dogs have been involved in Disney movies, their films have always been milestones for the studio, from Plane Crazy right up to Bolt in digital 3D."

In the years after 101 Dalmatians, Disney films featuring dogs included the Oliver Twist adaptation Oliver & Company, while there were four-legged friends in The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas.

And current animation artist Doug Bennett emphasised they were just as important to Disney films now as ever.

Bolt, which made almost $300million worldwide when it was released in the spring, was the first Disney animation made in digital 3D, using similar computer animation techniques to Pixar films such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo, but with the added 3Daspect.

With star voices, including John Travolta and teen actress Miley Cyrus, the movie has been one of the biggest hits of the year.

LikeWalt and his animators before them, Doug and his Hollywood team tried to be as authentic as possible in their animation of their newest dog hero.

Doug revealed they had brought lots of dogs into the studios to observe their movements and expressions. And to make sure they carried on Disney's proud tradition, they also studied the classics to get things perfect.

"We absolutely looked at films from the past, as they are such classics and such incredible movies," said Doug.

"There were some sequences in Bolt where we just couldn't get it right at first.

"There was just something intangible missing, not the right expressions or performance.

"So we studied films like Lady And The Tramp, which is perfect, and there is so much there to learn from that we managed to get it done right.

"We took lots of little things - and it was putting all the subtleties together that made it work - and that was a great help.

"We brought in lots of dogs, especially performing dogs, which there are a lot of out here in Los Angeles. And as Bolt is an acting dog in the film, it helped us to see how those behaved. There is a lot of pressure animating dogs.

"Not only do they have a lot of personality, but so many people have dogs at home, and will be familiar with how they move and act, that you have to get it right and make them believable."

So having been responsible for one of the biggest doggie hits in years, and recently studying the classic canine cartoons, what does Doug think is the best of the breed? "Definitely Lady And The Tramp," he said. "That is such a beautiful movie.

"101 Dalmatians is a close second, but you can't beat Lady And The Tramp."

A group of more than 50 children, all members of Spin Dance and Fitness, had been invited to perform at the French theme park in August.

The youngsters, aged between four and 18, were tirelessly fundraising for the planned trip.

Supermarkets

But heartless thieves broke into the studio on the Longmile Road just two weeks ago and stole more than €5,000 worth of coins, which had just been collected during a bag-packing effort in local supermarkets.

Office manager Annette Redmond said that the children, who were near to their fundraising target, were understandably upset when they found out.

"It has knocked the stuffing out of them," she said. "It has taken the heart out of the fundraising. Some parents are afraid to say that their children will be able to go. Having to tell the kids was terrible. The parents were annoyed -- devastated but understanding."

The burglars broke in through the roof after cutting the telephone lines outside the premises. They brought equipment to cut locks, rip off roof tiles and stash the stolen goods.

They took €5,260, but the manager said that it was pure misfortune that so much was stolen, because the club owners regularly lodge any cash.

"The coins were just too heavy and we were in the process of getting them to the bank," Annette said.