HAVE A SAFE
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND


   

  


Monday May 27, 2013
No News Updates Today
Memorial Day

Sunday May 26, 2013
No News Updates Today

Saturday May 25, 2013
No News Updates Today
Monstrous All-Nighter
Need Sleep

Friday May 24, 2013
No News Updates Today
Monstrous All-Nighter

Thursday May 23, 2013
No News Updates Today

Wednesday May 22, 2013
Mickey Mouse and Friends Onstage for ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland
How Disney and Threadless Built a 200K-Person Design Team
Disney’s Aireal: A tactile feedback device to enhance the gaming experience
Disney Resort Icons Inspire New Merchandise Arriving This Summer at Disney Parks

Mickey Mouse and Friends Onstage for ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland

DisneyParks Blog - It’s almost here! We’re just a few days away from the premiere of “Mickey and the Magical Map” in the newly refurbished Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland park. Mickey Mouse and his friends have been rehearsing their ears off (see what I did?), and we’ve got the first photos of the star of the show along with some of his friends onstage.



In these first shots, Mickey Mouse and King Louie pose on the Fantasyland Theatre stage with the Mapmakers.

Here we see Mickey Mouse interacting with a giant-sized Yen Sid, thanks to the sorcerer’s magical map.

Pocahontas leads Mulan and Rapunzel, along with Flynn Rider, in one of the show’s musical numbers.

King Louie joins the Mapmakers in a new take on “I Wanna be Like You” from “The Jungle Book.”

“Mickey and the Magical Map” opens this Saturday, May 25, at Disneyland park – so join us at the Fantasyland Theatre for a journey to imagination with Mickey Mouse, King Louie and more of your Disney friends.

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How Disney and Threadless Built a 200K-Person Design Team

WIRED - Designers love creating homages to their favorite Disney characters (e.g., turning the iconic princesses into zombies and hipsters), but if they ever tried to sell those designs they would be faced with a foe scarier than Cruella de Vil — Disney’s legal department.

The crowdsourced T-shirt manufacturer Threadless is trying to help both parties by hosting a series of contests that allows their army of 220,000 talented community members to create shirt designs using Disney’s treasure trove of IP, but get formal recognition and cash for their efforts.

Threadless started sponsoring these competitions just three years ago and have since held contests for Disney brands like Iron Man and The Muppets as well as non-Disney characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Monsters U., Pixar’s newest release, is the latest project to get this treatment, and the winners of the competition were announced last week. The competition yielded 487 designs that earned 247,730 votes, leading to 16 Monsters U. t-shirt designs in production (to go with 40 Threadless Iron Man contest design shirts, among others).

It’s a win-win scenario. Media brands get access to an outsourced creative department of almost a quarter million artists spread over the globe, as well as exposure to the Threadless community, who provide feedback and a sense of what’s hip. Artists get to combine their love of superheroes and Jackson Pollock and get paid for it. Over the last 13 years, Threadless has paid out $7,120,000 to their community of designers, though the grand prize winner of this competition only pocketed $2,500.

These competitions also help make Disney’s characters, usually reserved for the preschool set, relevant with young urbanites who have a touch of nostalgia and plenty of disposable income. “Adult male products sell best on Threadless, but a lot of the licensed product makes a strong showing in the toddler and baby categories as well,” says Wilson Fong, the Vice President of Partnerships/Business Development at Threadless. “Design submissions can be cute, funny, ironic, edgy, beautiful, intricate, simplistic, or anything in between, so there’s something for every fan of a given property.”

Despite the positives, there is a delicate balance to be struck. Disney has become synonymous with family friendly entertainment, but Threadless is known to produce shirts featuring fornicating unicorns and a surprising amount of zombies. “Brands evolve and weave in and out of trends,” Says Fong. “By connecting to Threadless’s massive global artist community, Disney can encourage artists to come up with creative interpretations of beloved characters that are culturally relevant, fresh, and never before thought of.” says Fong. To keep things from getting out of hand, editorial discretion is applied — this Monsters U. inspired design is a clear reference to psychedelic poster art from the 60′s, but a more overt drug reference would be banned.

In addition to accessing new design talent, crowdsourcing is also an emerging marketing channel. Instead of relying on a highly centralized team of “Imagineers” and marketers, Disney ends up getting a legion of designers to spread their designs through social media profiles and through the Threadless network. “When our designers post a design on their social pages asking followers to vote, it builds amazing organic connections with partner brands,” says Fong.

So far these designs have only been sold on Threadless.com, but Fong is excited about seeing the designs at traditional retailers, and with a little luck, maybe the next winner’s design will win a trip to DisneyWorld.

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Disney’s Aireal: A tactile feedback device to enhance the gaming experience

ExtremeTech - Motion and gesture control, the Kinect and PS Eye, and the Oculus Rift have all joined forces to create a tech industry capable of a new level of immersion. Despite the sophistication of new inputs and displays, the industry is still lagging behind in one area of immersion: feel. With a new device, Disney Research aims to add tactile feedback to our gaming experiences with something that’s much more than another vibrating controller.

Called Aireal — the pun, and a name that sounds very similar to that of one of Disney’s most prized characters, is not lost on us — the device creates tactile feedback in what is being referred to as the “free air.” Every Disney theme park has attractions that are shows instead of rides. A large portion of these shows are “interactive,” but in the way where it interacts with you while you passively sit there and get poked, blasted, and hit by things — like tubs of confetti, streams of water, or even a little prod that sticks your lower back to simulate a bee sting.

Some of these attractions employ the use of blasts of air — not just directly to your body, but used to create certain sensations. During one point in the 3D Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in Epcot, the show simulates mice breaking loose and running throughout the auditorium. In order to simulate the sensation of a pack of escaped mice, air is pumped through a little plastic tube causing it to wildly flail and mimic the sensation of mice tails brushing your legs. Though simple, Disney has been in the business of creating tactile sensation with simple air rigs for quite some time.

Aireal dispenses with the thin tube being pumped full of air, but ultimately provides a similar sensation — air targeted to pinpoint locations, creating the sensation of feel at those locations.

Aireal will appear at SIGGRAPH 2013, along with the other projects seen in the above video. We also see a quick demonstration of someone using Kinect to knock digital soccer balls away from what seemed to be a simulated goal — as each ball flies at the goalie, air is blasted from Disney Research’s device in the direction it is flying. The device can not only track the user with the help of Kinect, but shoots out the air in a vortex, which is a shape that is able to travel longer distances (than other air-blast shapes) and keep the majority of its force throughout its travel.

Currently, the most sophisticated kind of physical feedback available to the average consumer is a rumbling controller. There have been attempts at something more dynamic in the past, such as the Aura Interactor — basically a backpack with speakers in it that rumbled your back in tune with a video game’s sound effects — but none quite caught on. At fancy arcades that have a virtual reality rig or two, you might find sleeves or gloves that poke or lightly shock the user in tune with whatever action is happening in-game, but those devices generally aren’t sitting on store shelves. Aireal aims not only to bring more sophisticated physical feedback to the living room, but dispense with having to put on specialized clothing.

One thing I’d like to see as the product develops is how forceful the vortex of air will actually be. The vortex losing force over distance isn’t the only factor Disney Research needs to take into account, as thickness of clothing should mitigate the force of impact. If it’s cold and you’re wearing a sweater over a t-shirt, will you even notice the blast? Will Aireal be a strictly shirtless affair, making it the ultimate college party game device?

Unfortunately, there are no details as to whether or not Aireal will hit the market, but Disney Research says the device is not only scalable, but inexpensive, which are certainly two qualities a technology should have before being designed for consumers.

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Disney Resort Icons Inspire New Merchandise Arriving This Summer at Disney Parks

DisneyParks Blog - I love staying at a Disney Resort hotel. I’ve stayed at nearly all of them in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. The first Disney hotel my family stayed at was Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in summer 1992. There is something magical about staying at a Disney Resort (I love that blast of cool air when entering a hotel lobby). My favorite place is Disney’s Polynesian Resort as I like pretending I’m on a tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific (and they have a Dole Whip machine!). New merchandise featuring a few favorite Disney Resort hotels is arriving this summer. I recently gave you a sneak preview of these new items in an article about summer merchandise. This time, I caught up with Disney Design Group artist Tim Whalen who created the artwork for this new resort logo program.

“We wanted a different point of view from the character artwork we introduced in spring 2012,” explained Tim. “Some time has passed since we had non-character resort themed merchandise for some of our most popular hotels. For this new program, I chose symbols or architectural details that represented each resort. In a way, the details are like characters that guests may immediately recognize when staying at those specific hotels.”

Those iconic details include a lighthouse representing Disney’s Old Key West Resort, a turtle for Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, a beach chair for Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and racing horses for Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Tim told me that he added a Hidden Mickey to each of the designs.

The completed artwork was then applied to a variety of new items including apparel, drinkware, magnets, key chains and window decals.

I asked Tim about his favorite design.

“I think I like the clean look of the design for Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort,” answered Tim. “I have stayed at the resort in South Carolina. It’s such a relaxing place to get away from it all.”

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Tuesday May 21, 2013
Disney’s ESPN Trims Fewer Than 400 Jobs Amid Companywide Cuts
Disney Cruise Line fails to promptly report molestation of 11-year-old girl in port
Marvel's Avengers Assemble on Disney XD
Disney Teaches Its Animatronics Not to Be Classless Brutes
Disney pulls "Jessie" episode that makes fun of gluten-free child

Disney’s ESPN Trims Fewer Than 400 Jobs Amid Companywide Cuts

Bloomberg - Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s ESPN sports television division fired several hundred workers today as part of a companywide cost-cutting effort.

The firings number fewer than 400 and include unfilled positions, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be named. ESPN, based in Bristol, Connecticut, announced the cuts in an e-mailed statement.

“We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs,” ESPN said in the statement. “While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive.”

The cuts amount to less than 6 percent of ESPN’s 7,000 employees worldwide. Disney, the world’s largest entertainment company, eliminated 150 jobs from its film studio in April and shut down video-game development in Austin, Texas, and at the recently acquired Lucasfilm Ltd., as part of broad efficiency effort this year. The company said May 7 that fiscal second-quarter profit rose 32 percent to $1.51 billion.

The cuts were previously reported by the sports news website Deadspin.com.

Disney, based in Burbank, California, fell 0.2 percent to $66.02 as of 12:31 p.m. in New York. The stock had risen 33 percent this year as of yesterday.

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Disney Cruise Line fails to promptly report molestation of 11-year-old girl in port

Local 6 - More than two hours before the Disney Dream left port here last August, a Disney Cruise Line crewmember was captured on ship surveillance video molesting an 11-year-old girl in an elevator – a crime Disney Cruise Line said it believes it must by law report immediately.

But a Local 6 investigation reveals the incident was not reported until the next day, long after the ship had slipped out of port, enabling the 33-year-old suspect to evade investigation and prosecution by Florida authorities.

Disney Cruise Line at first claimed last week it did report the crime while the ship was still in port on Aug. 5. Then, after being told by Local 6 and Port Canaveral police that was not true, the cruise line changed its account.

Company officials then claimed employees did not know until the next day that a crime was committed. All they knew on Aug. 5, they claim, was that the child was made to feel “uncomfortable,” according to statements by the cruise line to both Local 6 and the Port Canaveral police.

But, based on surveillance video and a confidential Disney Cruise Line security incident report obtained by Local 6, that also appears to be false.

The report reveals cruise line security began its investigation of the molestation – which it called an “inappropriate sexual act” -- at 3:22 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5.

The child promptly told security the man had repeatedly grabbed her breast through her clothes and forcibly kissed her on the mouth as he cornered her in an elevator on the Disney Dream.

She “began to cry,” the report stated, as she relayed how the crew member “went like this,” grabbing her breast, and “then went like this,” demonstrating a second groping before “he kiss me here and he put mouth on my mouth.”

Such an attack, even through clothing, is under Florida law a lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, a felony punishable by 25 years to life in prison.

Port Canaveral police chief Joseph Hellebrand said his department can investigate and refer for prosecution such crimes on ships. Anything that occurs within 1,000 feet of its shoreline, as this incident did with the Dream tied to dock, is at least in part port jurisdiction, Hellebrand said.

But Port Canaveral police were prevented from investigating because Disney Cruise Line, or DCL, did not report the crime immediately, as Hellebrand said they should.

Had DCL done so, the chief said, “We would have sent an officer aboard the ship, we would have notified the (on-call) detective, we would have interviewed the family, the victim, the suspect,” and, if warranted, arrested the dining room server.

Disney Cruise Line’s actions prevented that from happening, though a DCL spokeswoman told Local 6 Monday it “took proper action” in handling the case.

Again, they claim they did not know a crime occurred until after the ship left port.

But the company’s own confidential incident report provides more evidence that is not true.

Eight minutes after the molestation -- and two hours before the ship departed -- the victim and her grandmother emerged from the elevator at 3:03 p.m. and headed toward the guest services counter, where they reported the incident. Security was contacted and initiated the investigation at 3:22 p.m., followed promptly by the child relaying the criminal allegations to a cruise security officer.

At 3:57 p.m., the 11-year-old from Brazil led the officer to the spot where she encountered the suspect and “appeared to be uncomfortable when she walked me to the elevator where (the crew member) touched and kissed her,” the officer wrote in her report.

The security officer then retrieved and reviewed the video of the elevator lobby outside the car where the attack occurred and confirmed the actions of a uniformed crew member were consistent with the 11-year-old’s retelling of the story.

At 4:48 p.m., the video was shown to a dining manager, who identified the suspect by name and position, a dining room server from India.

At 5:02 p.m., the Disney Dream left its berth at Port Canaveral, as if nothing criminal had occurred.

The suspect continued to roam the ship until 7:50 p.m., when he was called to the security office and, under questioning, denied molesting the girl, according to the DCL report. He was then “removed from the floor” and, apparently, kept from encountering children.

After another unsuccessful attempt to get him to confess on Aug. 6, he was questioned after the ship arrived in Nassau on Aug. 7 by Bahamian authorities, who assumed jurisdiction of the investigation because the Disney Dream is flagged in the Bahamas.

In a statement to Bahamas Police, the suspect, Milton Braganza, finally admitted “I touched her on her right breast with my left hand.”

But by then – two days into a five-day Disney cruise – the victim’s grandmother had decided she did not want the crime investigated. DCL would not say if it refunded any or all of the family’s cruise expenses.

Had Florida law enforcement immediately been informed of the potential life felony and found probable cause, Hellebrand said the suspect would have been arrested, regardless of a victim’s grandmother’s wishes.

But the rules are different in the Bahamas.

The suspect was removed from the ship and taken to an airport, where Disney arranged for his passage back to India, his home country. The company said it paid his expenses, honoring a standard contract provision to cover transportation costs of employees returned to their home nations.

Federal law generally requires cruise lines to report certain crimes to the FBI “as soon as possible.” Sexual contact with a minor, even touching of breasts through clothes, is one of those crimes. But there are exceptions to the law when neither the suspect nor victim is a U.S. citizen, or when the ship is in state waters. It appears both exceptions applied in this case.

There are also often overlapping jurisdictional issues in cruise crimes, depending on the nationalities of the parties involved, the location of the ship, the ports its departs from and arrives at, and the country whose flag it sails under.

The Disney Dream is flagged in the Bahamas, so that county can assert jurisdiction even when the ship is in an American port, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. But so can federal and state or local authorities – again, depending on the circumstances.

Regardless of the law, DCL said last week its policy is to report all crimes as soon as possible to various authorities, including port police.

When DCL did notify Port Canaveral police of the crime, on Aug. 6, chief Hellebrand said the department assigned a detective to meet the ship when it returned on Friday Aug. 10, assuming the victim and suspect would be made available.

But Disney Cruise Line and Bahamian authorities had other plans.

“We would want to investigate that crime because it occurred here, regardless of whether somebody else took over that investigation,” Hellebrand said.

Asked if he would have given the suspect a ride to the airport and put him on a plane to India, the chief replied, “No. We would not have.”

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Marvel's Avengers Assemble on Disney XD

TV Line - If the Cineplex left you wanting more Iron Man, if the teasey trailer for ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. series whet your appetite anew for Captain America, Hulk and Thor, rest assured there will be many ways to tune into the new Disney XD series Marvel’s Avengers Assemble — and TVLine has a first look at the smashing action.

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble — which features Iron Man (voiced by Heroes‘ Adrian Pasdar), Thor (Ultimate Spider-Man‘s Travis Willingham), Captain America (Wreck-It Ralph’s Roger Craig Smith), Hulk (The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes‘ Fred Tatasciore), Hawkeye (Ultimate Spider-Man‘s Troy Baker), Black Widow (videogame vet Laura Bailey) and newcomer Falcon (Transformers: Animated‘s Bumper Robinson) — will first get a one-hour preview on Sunday, May 26 at 11 am ET, on Marvel Universe on Disney XD. (In “The Avengers Protocol: Part 1,” when Captain America is apparently destroyed by Red Skull, Iron Man tries to reunite the Avengers to avenge his friend; in Part 2, M.O.D.O.K. and Red Skull steal Tony Stark’s armor, forcing the team to galvanize and stop the dastardly duo from destroying New York City.

Concurrent with the May 26 preview, TVLine has learned that DisneyXD.com/Marvel will launch “Avengers Tower Assault,” a side-scrolling game in which players take on the role of Hawkeye to help the Avengers defend Stark Tower. Then on Monday, May 27, the “Avengers Protocol” episodes become available on iTunes.

On Friday, June 28, during Disney Channel’s Jessie, there will be a two-minute preview of the Marvel’s Avengers Assemble premiere episode, “Ghost of a Chance,” in which Falcon stands alone to save his new comrades after they fall victim to body-swapping Space Phantoms. (Also at this time, WATCH Disney XD viewers can watch the series premiere in full.)

Then, on Sunday, July 7 at 11 am, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble officially premieres, while a second companion game is launched at DisneyXD.com/Marvel.

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Disney Teaches Its Animatronics Not to Be Classless Brutes

Gizmodo - In an effort to make how robots move and interact with humans feel less awkward and uncomfortable, Disney Research, working with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, are developing a more natural approach to the problem by thoroughly studying how humans interact.

In fact, using motion capture suits, the study was taken one step further. The goal of this particular research was to improve how a robot gives, or takes something from a human. So the researchers recorded two humans going through the motions of passing an object between them, and this was then compiled into a database that a robot can use to recognize when it's being given something, and automatically reach out to receive it without delay.

There's still quite a bit of finessing needed to make the actual handoff seem far more lifelike, but in addition to making the animatronic inhabitants at the Disney parks a little less creepy, the research promises to improve how our future robot maids and butlers interact with us.

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Disney pulls "Jessie" episode that makes fun of gluten-free child

CBS - Outrage by some parents over what they deem derogatory statements about children who need gluten-free diets that were made on the Disney Channel show "Jessie" has led the company to pull the episode off the air.

"To our viewers, we received your feedback about tonight's 'Jessie' episode which some of you accessed early on Video-on-Demand," Disney said in a statement on its official Facebook page. "We are removing this particular episode from our regular programming schedule and will re-evaluate its references to gluten restrictions in the character's diet. Please accept our apologies for the upset this episode caused you and your family. We value your feedback and thank you for watching Disney Channel."

The "Jessie" episode, called "Quitting Cold Koala," revolved around a teen nanny who was tasked with taking care of a child named Stuart, who needs a gluten-free diet. Several jokes are made about his condition, including the main character Jessie pointing out that Stuart had a five-page list of his dietary requirements.

"You call me sweetie again, and you'll be eating some gluten-free knuckles," one character says to Stuart after he gets her a gift.

Another gag has a child throwing pancakes at Stuart as he screams "gluten!" and wipes his face.

"He makes me look macho," another child who sees the incident, says.

Some viewers who have been personally affected by celiac disease, which requires patients to be treated with a gluten-free diet, were outraged about the show's glibness towards the disorder.

"There were tears in my daughter's eyes, and my son's fist was clenched (when they were watching the episode)," Amy Raslevich told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Raslevich is the mother of two children with celiac disease, which is a digestive disease that causes damage to the small intestine and stops the body from absorbing nutrients from food.

People with celiac disease can't eat gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. When people with the disorder eat the protein, their immune system destroys tiny protrusions lining the small intestine called villi, which allow nutrients to be taken from food. Without villi, people become malnourished no matter how much food they eat.

A July 2012 study estimates that 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but only 1.4 million people may not even know about it.

  • Gluten-free diets not always necessary, study suggests
  • Modern wheat a "perfect, chronic poison," doctor says

Gluten-free diets are necessary for people with celiac disease, but they have also become a fad diet for some. About 1.6 million Americans are on a gluten-free diet, whether they need to be or not. People who do not need to avoid gluten may develop deficits in fiber, folate, niacin and zinc by keeping the strict diet.

"The first year (after diagnosis) was literally like a death," Raslevich said. "That's the best way for me to describe it. They went through all of the stages of grief. There's nothing else that they can do, and they aren't going to outgrow it. It was tough, and it still is."

Raslevich started an online petition on Change.org to ask the Disney Channel to stop airing "Quitting Cold Koala"and to stop using gluten-intolerance as a way to harass children with a disability. Several bloggers also explained their disgust, and a thread on the website Reddit was started on the issue.

"Their condition is real, and their feelings are real," Raslevich wrote on the petition. "They are ostracized for a condition for which they did not ask, and because of which they will spend their entire lives having to make exceptions and special requests, all to keep them healthy and safe. They will often feel excluded or different, because they have to be to avoid serious illness. Yet Disney gave children permission, and an example, to further isolate my children and others like them because of their medical conditions."

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Monday May 20, 2013
'Star Wars' to bring 'Rebels' to new animated Disney TV series
How to talk like Yoda on Talk Like Yoda Day
Scotland, the Newest Marketplace for 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
Disney researchers develop fast, economical method for high-definition video compositing
FYI: What You Need to Know for Monstrous Summer All-Nighter at Disneyland Resort
Production On Disney's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA Remake Pushed To 2014

'Star Wars' to bring 'Rebels' to new animated Disney TV series

Reuters - "Star Wars Rebels," based on George Lucas' multibillion dollar film franchise, will be set in the two decades between the events of the third and fourth films, where the Empire becomes a dominant force in the galaxy, Disney said.

"I think 'Star Wars Rebels' will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about 'Star Wars,'" Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said in a statement.

The animated series, which will premiere on the Disney Channel and shown across Disney XD channels around the world, will come before a new "Star Wars" film in 2015.

"Star Wars: Episode VII," to be directed by J.J. Abrams, is the first of three new "Star Wars" films announced by Disney in October 2012, when it purchased George Lucas' Lucasfilm company for $4.05 billion.

"Star Wars" has become a cultural phenomenon since the first film was released in 1977, making characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader, and phrases like "May the force be with you" part of popular culture.

Anticipation is building among the vast "Star Wars" community for the new film, which will be filmed in Britain. The six-film franchise has grossed more than $4.4 billion at the worldwide box office.

The Disney Channel, Disney XD and Lucasfilm are units of the Walt Disney Co.

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How to talk like Yoda on Talk Like Yoda Day

Orlando Sentinel - Talk Like Yoda Day, Tuesday is.

In Orlando, it seems like there's always a reason to celebrate the "Star Wars" films. Right now, we're in between sessions of Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Last summer, Celebration VI, a convention of all things Star Wars was the Orange County Convention Center. And the purchase of Lucasfilm by Walt Disney Co. last year will probably only intensify the local feelings for the franchise, hmmmmmmm?

So, talk like yoda, the little green Jedi who appeared in five of the six original films, you should, on May 21. It's the anniversary of the release of "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back," the first time mere mortals saw Yoda, yes?

Here are a few tips to get your Yoda on. It is hard not. (Some analysts say he has object-subject-verb issues. Judge him by his syntax, do you?)

Put the subject and verb at the end of a sentence. "Subject and verb at the end of a sentence, you should put."

Go oddly negative. "It's a small world, not, it is?"

Tack on a hmmmmm. "It's a small world, not, it is, hmmmmm?"

Add a yes at the end of a question. "Talk Like Yoda Day is a lot like Talk Like a Pirate Day … yes?"

Higher and higher. Pitching your voice up a notch and using Valley Girl inflection at the end helps.

In the movies, Yoda was voiced by puppeteer Frank Oz, who is also the man behind Muppets such as Cookie Monster, Miss Piggy and Grover. He has a voice role in the upcoming Disney-Pixar "Monsters University." (The synergy, you feel, yes?)

But wait, there's more. Actor Warwick Davis, who walked for Yoda in some scenes of "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" will be at Star Wars Weekend for the next two weekends, and Tom Kane, who voices Yoda for the animated TV series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," will be here June 7-9.

Impress them with your Yoda-speak, you will?

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Scotland, the Newest Marketplace for 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

DisneyParks Blog - Our team of chefs and beverage experts are cranking up fast for the 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, with food, wine, beers and cocktails taking center stage around the World Showcase Promenade and all across Walt Disney World Resort.

Look for classic Scottish dishes that are still in the development phase, but the cocktail of choice will be a Rusty Nail, a popular Scotch whisky martini that is simply Scotch and Drambuie. Scotland is just one of more than 25 ethnic and specialized marketplaces – and we’re happy that Brazil returns this year, a crowd favorite that was missing in 2012.

Hawaii is back with the fab pork slider, as well as the vegan Terra Marketplace that debuted last year.

Favorite celeb chefs are back. Look for Jamie Deen, Robert Irvine, Gale Gand, Art Smith, Buddy Valastro, Bryan Voltaggio, Warren Brown and others to make appearances at special events and on stage in the Festival Center. Wine tastings, mixology seminars, cheese seminars, live entertainment and the engaging Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog give guests of all ages plenty to see and do. More than 270 chefs and culinary stars from the U.S. will be there.

The 46-day festival runs September 27-November 11. You can start making reservations in August at 407-WDW-FEST (date to be announced soon)! Keep an eye on epcotfoodfestival.com for updates.

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Disney researchers develop fast, economical method for high-definition video compositing

EurekAlert - Video compositing to create special effects, replace backgrounds or combine multiple takes of an actor's performance is an integral, but highly labor-intensive, part of modern film making. Researchers at Disney Research, Zürich, however, have found an innovative way to create these composite videos that is simple, fast, and easy to use.

Rather than perform a painstaking segmentation of elements that are to be added or subtracted from a video, the Disney system, called DuctTake, uses computer algorithms to find a spatiotemporal "seam" through the video frame that enables two or more videos to be joined together.

These seams can be highly irregular, following the contours of people, furniture and other objects that are common in each take of the scene. Because it can only combine scenes that have overlapping content, DuctTake isn't useful for combining arbitrary video clips. But it works like a charm when combining multiple takes of the same shot.

The Disney Research, Zürich researchers showed the technique can be used across a wide range of video composites. For example, it can combine the best performances by actors from several different takes into a single seamless output, reducing the number of on-set takes that are required to be filmed. Furthermore, the same technique can be used to make a cut seamless, allowing the first half of one take to be combined into a second take. In another case, the researchers eliminated unwanted cars from a street scene by offsetting the vehicle with empty street imagery from the same video take. Hard-to-shoot scenes involving animals, they demonstrated, become a bit easier when an animal trainer can be easily removed from the shot, or other actors can be added at the moment of time when the animal does the right thing.

"The most delicate component is alignment," said Oliver Wang, post doctoral researcher at Disney Research, Zürich. "But given properly aligned views, we can almost always generate good composites with minimal work."

The findings by Wang and his Disney Research, Zürich team of Jan Rüegg, Aljoscha Smolic and Markus Gross were presented at Eurographics 2013, the European Association for Computer Graphics conference. More information and a video demonstration is available online at http://www.disneyresearch.com/project/ducttake/.

Most video compositing is accomplished now by the digital equivalent of "cut-and-paste." Rotoscoping is the process by which elements can be added by drawing segmentation outlines. Chroma-keying, familiar to viewers of TV weathercasts in which news announcers appear to stand in front of large, animated maps, separates actors from backgrounds based on color hues; it's cheap and robust, but restricts filming to studio environments, and can require challenging color balancing in post-production.

"Our approach solves a simpler problem," Gross acknowledged, "but as a result it is robust, fast to compute and easy for artists to use, enabling compositing techniques to be used on lower budget shots and productions."

A DuctTake user can combine two videos by making a few quick brush strokes to indicate which parts of the video to keep in each take. An algorithm developed by the Disney Research, Zürich team then computes an optimal seam and merges the two videos together.

DuctTake also includes a number of tools necessary to create a composite that looks realistic, such as adjusting the seam between frames to compensate for camera movement or content movement. Other tools adjust for differences in brightness, contrast and hue between takes, blend images along seams that are visible in a common background, and increase the blurriness in some video to match blurring that occurs in the video with which it is being combined.

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FYI: What You Need to Know for Monstrous Summer All-Nighter at Disneyland Resort

DisneyParks Blog - We’re gearing up for some “monstrous” fun on May 24, when both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks (in addition to Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort) will stay open from 6 a.m. on Friday, May 24, until 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2013. If you’re planning to visit the Disneyland Resort during this special event, I’ve got some important information you should know.

Park Hours and Attraction Information

  • Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks will open at 6 a.m. on Friday, May 24, and select attractions, entertainment and services will remain open until 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, with the following exceptions:
    • Cars Land, Paradise Pier, Pacific Wharf and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will be available exclusively to Grad Nite guests from as early as 10:15 p.m. (May 24) until 3:30 a.m. (May 25).
    • Radiator Springs Racers will be available to Disney California Adventure park guests from 9 a.m. – 10:15 p.m. on May 24. FASTPASS Service distribution will begin at 6 a.m. for this attraction.
    • “a bug’s land” will be available to Disney California Adventure park guests from 6 a.m. – 10:15 p.m. on May 24.
    • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for refurbishment.
    • Other attractions may close early due to maintenance or other reasons. Please check the Entertainment Times Guide on the day of the event for a more complete listing of scheduled closures.

Queue Instructions for Park Opening on May 24

  • The early arrival queue will open to guests on Disneyland Resort property at 10 p.m. on May 23. Cast members will be available in the Disneyland Resort Esplanade to direct guests to queue location upon arrival.
  • Parking will initially be available in the Anaheim GardenWalk parking area with overflow parking at the Pumbaa Parking Lot, if necessary, and standard parking rates will apply. Please be aware that no shuttle service will be offered from the Anaheim GardenWalk or Pumbaa Parking areas prior to 8 a.m. on May 24.
  • All guests in line will be able to temporarily leave the line to use the restroom, purchase food or beverages, and return or retrieve items from their vehicles/hotel rooms.
  • Portions of the early arrival queue will be located beyond the guest screening checkpoints, beyond which certain items will not be permitted. Be sure to check the list of prohibited items. Exceptions will be made for items such as large blankets and pillows, but all items must be able to be stored in a locker prior to entering either park. No tents, inflatable mattresses, coolers or heating equipment will be permitted in the queue.
  • Restrooms will be available to guests in the queue, and ticket purchases will be available beginning at 3:05 a.m. the morning of May 24.
  • Disneyland Resort Hotel guests who wish to enter either park at 6 a.m. on May 24 will be directed to the main queue in the Central Esplanade. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel gate into Disney California Adventure park will open to Disneyland Resort Hotel guests at 7 a.m. on May 24.

Annual Passholder Information

  • SoCal Select Annual Passports will not be valid for admission on May 24.
  • SoCal or Deluxe Annual Passports will be valid for admission during the entire 24-hour period.
  • Annual Passholders and their guests who carpool to the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter at the Disneyland Resort can receive a special button, while supplies last. Here are the details:
    • There must be at least three (3) people in the vehicle and at least one (1) person must be a valid Annual Passholder. Valid Passport must be presented upon entry to the participating parking area. Photo ID may be required.
    • One (1) button will be given to each person who is legally seated in the qualifying vehicle. Supplies are limited and are not guaranteed.
    • Buttons will be available at the Mickey & Friends, Pumbaa, Simba, Toy Story, and Anaheim Convention Center parking areas. Buttons will not be available at the Anaheim GardenWalk parking location.
    • This special offer will be available from 5 a.m. on May 24 to 6 a.m. on May 25, or while supplies last.
    • More information can be found at: disneyland.com/apmagic

Stay Connected

  • Be sure to follow @Disneyland, @DisneylandToday and @DCAToday on Twitter to stay connected and receive the latest updates during your visit to the Disneyland Resort. We will also have live updates throughout the day here.

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Production On Disney's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA Remake Pushed To 2014

ComicBookMovie -Those who have been looking forward to Disney's remake of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea will be disappointed to hear the following news. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the David Fincher-directed adaptation of the excellent Jules Verne novel will no longer begin production this summer in Sydney, Australia. Instead, the film is said to be "on the backburner" and that filming won't start until next year. The reason for this delay is casting issues following frequent Fincher collaborator Brad Pitt's passing on the role of Ned Land. Channing Tatum has since come up as a rumored contender for the film (presumably as Land), but we haven't heard anything since. If all goes according to plan, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea could now be released sometime in 2015 or 2016.

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Sunday May 19, 2013
No News Updates Today

Saturday May 18, 2013
No News Updates Today

Friday May 17, 2013
No News Updates Today

Thursday May 16, 2013
No News Updates Today

Wednesday May 15, 2013
No News Updates Today

Tuesday May 14, 2013
No News Updates Today

Monday May 13, 2013
Disney’s ABC to Launch Live Streaming
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Promo
Disney princess' sexy makeover blasted by 'Brave' creator
Barbara Walters: Disney boss salutes her 'singular' success
Here's What it Would Look Like if Disney Princesses Went to the Prom
Rubber Duck Race Benefits Charity at Disneyland

Disney’s ABC to Launch Live Streaming

Fox - Walt Disney’s (DIS) ABC is set to become the first broadcast network to provide live online streaming of its shows.

Disney said live streaming, both online and on a corresponding WATCH ABC mobile app, will be available to viewers of ABC’s New York and Philadelphia networks from May 14 until the end of June. WATCH ABC will then go live for all networks by the end of the summer.

On July 1, the WATCH ABC service will only be open to subscribers of cable, satellite and other television subscription services that have agreements with ABC to allow live streaming for the New York and Philadelphia networks.

Later in the summer, Disney plans to allow authenticated subscribers in the Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, Calif., markets to access live streaming.

Disney also came to an agreement with Hearst Television, which owns 13 ABC affiliates such as Boston, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The two companies said WATCH ABC will be made available for those networks “in the coming months.”

The app will initially be available for the Amazon.com (AMZN) Kindle Fire and Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and iPad devices, while Samsung Galaxy tablets will be added later this summer.

Online and mobile users will have access to on-demand programs in addition to live shows.

Competing networks may soon follow Disney, which already has similar offerings such as WATCH ESPN and WATCH Disney Channel, as viewers increasingly turn to the Web and mobile devices to watch TV programs.

CBS (CBS) in April made an investment in Syncbak, a company that provides online streaming capabilities for local television stations.

Shares of Disney were down 9 cents at $67.11 in early morning trading Monday.

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Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Promo

ABC - ABC has released the first promo for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

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Disney princess' sexy makeover blasted by 'Brave' creator

Mercury News - Marin filmmaker Brenda Chapman, who won an Oscar for writing and co-directing the animated feature "Brave," blasted Disney's sexy makeover of her movie's feisty heroine, Merida, as "a blatantly sexist marketing move based on money."

Chapman, a Mill Valley resident, modeled the headstrong Merida on her 13-year-old daughter, Emma, creating her as a role model for little girls.

In an email to the Independent Journal on Saturday, she said she has given Bob Iger, president of Walt Disney International, "a piece of my mind" for the entertainment giant's decision to glamorize the tomboy character she envisioned.

"There is an irresponsibility to this decision that is appalling for women and young girls," she said, writing from Chile, where she has been on business. "Disney marketing and the powers that be that allow them to do such things should be ashamed of themselves."

Disney crowned Merida its 11th princess on Saturday, but ignited a firestorm of protest with a corporate makeover of Chapman's original rendering of the character, giving her a Barbie doll waist, sultry eyes and transforming her wild red locks into glamorous flowing tresses. The new image takes away Merida's trusty bow and arrow, a symbol of her strength and independence, and turns her from a girl to a young woman dressed in an off-the-shoulder version of the provocative, glitzy gown she hated in the movie.

"I think it's atrocious what they have done to Merida,"

Chapman fumed. "When little girls say they like it because it's more sparkly, that's all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy 'come hither' look and the skinny aspect of the new version. It's horrible! Merida was created to break that mold -- to give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model, something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance."

Chapman, the first woman to win an Academy Award for an animated feature, said she has added her name to a petition with more than 50,000 signatures that has gone viral on the female empowerment website "A Mighty Girl," joining other mothers outraged by Disney's sexualization of her headstrong young Scottish heroine, an expert archer with a head of wild, curly red hair and a mind of her own.

Signers variously described the new Merida as "vapid," "arm candy," "unrealistic" and "vacant looking."

In an official statement to Yahoo! Shine, a Disney spokesperson said, "Merida exemplifies what it means to be a Disney Princess through being brave, passionate, and confident and she remains the same strong and determined Merida from the movie whose inner qualities have inspired moms and daughters around the world."

Chapman begs to differ. In basing Merida on her teenage daughter, then a student at Mill Valley Middle School, she said she wanted the movie to be "a contemporary fairy tale" that resonates with today's working mothers and daughters. Her character's image as a different kind of princess turned out to be hugely successful, grossing more than $550 million, winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe and the Bafta Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

"They have been handed an opportunity on a silver platter to give their consumers something of more substance and quality -- THAT WILL STILL SELL -- and they have a total disregard for it in the name of their narrow minded view of what will make money," Chapman wrote. "I forget that Disney's goal is to make money without concern for integrity. Silly me."

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Barbara Walters: Disney boss salutes her 'singular' success

Orlando Sentinel - Barbara Walters says her retirement next summer is her decision, and she is "perfectly healthy."

The pioneering newswoman, who is 83, played highlights of her career on Monday's edition of "The View." Then she said: "It has been an absolutely joyful, rewarding, challenging, fascinating and occasionally bumpy ride. I wouldn’t change a thing."

Walters seemed stunned to realize that she has been on television for more than 50 years, from "Today" to ABC's evening news to "20/20," specials and "The View." After she retires, she said she will continue to produce "The View" and return for what she called "special occasions."

Robert Iger, chairman of the Walt Disney Co., was in the audience for the announcement. Disney owns ABC.

Iger recalled that he and Walters first met in 1976, when he was a production assistant and he delivered something to her dressing room.

"From then on, you called me Jim. My name is Bob," he said.

Walters noted that Iger will retire in 2015 and asked what they would do. He suggested they go on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

Then Iger briefly took over the conversation. "If I can say one thing," he started. "I run the company. I guess I can."

He applauded Walters' "singular" success in television and said that no one has come close to the volume, breadth and quality of her work.

"Thank you, Jim," Walters replied with a comedian's skill.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a surprise guest on "The View" and called Walters his idol.

But Walters resisted getting swept up in the emotion. "I'm not gone yet. I still have another year to go," she said.

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Here's What it Would Look Like if Disney Princesses Went to the Prom

Artist Kathyrn Hudson imagines what it would be like if some of your favorite Disney characters went to the high school dance.



Belle and The Beast are the most adorable; Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog are the best looking and most romantic; Alice has the coolest dress; and Snow White — with seven dates — is the most scandalous.

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Rubber Duck Race Benefits Charity at Disneyland

DisneyParks Blog - Hundreds of rubber ducks raced around the world for a cause at the 5th annual “it’s a small world” duck race! Cast members sponsored and decorated the ducks to raise more than $1,800 for Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire before Disneyland park opened for the day.

The cast fundraiser carries forward the attraction’s legacy of supporting children, dating back to the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair when it was created in honor of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

While cast members waited anxiously to see which rubber duck would race through “it’s a small world” fastest, we sent along our camera to capture the journey and winners!

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Sunday May 12, 2013
No News Updates Today

Saturday May 11, 2013
No News Updates Today

Friday May 10, 2013
No News Updates Today

Thursday May 9, 2013
No News Updates Today

Wednesday May 8, 2013
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue Opens at Tokyo Disneyland
Theme parks, ESPN ad sales drive Disney profit growth
Star Wars Weekends Guests
Disney withdraws trademark filing for 'Dia de los Muertos'
Why More CEOs Should Follow Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Lead
runDisney Reveals Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Bling
Disney Fantasy: Near-drowning of Chase Lykken 'tragic accident,' police say
Disney, EA strike deal on 'Star Wars' video games

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue Opens at Tokyo Disneyland

DisneyParks Blog - This week, The Force is indeed strong at Tokyo Disneyland with the opening of the updated Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. The attraction had been closed for more than a year while Imagineers were busy adding new stories and adventures. Like the attractions at Disneyland park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests now have the opportunity to experience more than 50 different story combinations and experience these adventures in dazzling 3D.

The biggest changes between the U.S. and Tokyo attractions are in the queue areas themselves. In the Droid Room of the Tokyo Disneyland attraction, if you look carefully, you may discover a reference to a classic Disney Parks attraction. Any guesses as to what this attraction pays homage to?

I’d also like to share a video from our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering, who updated the Tokyo Disneyland Star Tours attraction, so you can see what other changes they made to the Arrival Hall – a room we don’t have in either Anaheim or Orlando.

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Theme parks, ESPN ad sales drive Disney profit growth

USA Today - Walt Disney said Tuesday its quarterly profit soared 32% on improving movie studio finances, higher advertising rates at ESPN and longer stays at its theme park resorts.

The Burbank, Calif.-based media giant said Tuesday its net income for the fiscal second quarter rose 32% from a year ago to $1.51 billion as customer demand grew for nearly all of its various business lines.

Earnings per share for the quarter were 83 cents for the three months ending March 30 vs. 63 cents in the year-ago period. Its adjusted earnings per share of 79 cents — up 36%, excluding special items — beat Wall Street expectations of 77 cents, according to Thomson Reuters.

Revenue for the quarter rose 10% to $10.55 billion.

"Our results reflect our successful strategy, the strength of our brands and the value of our high-quality creative content," CEO Robert Iger said in a statement.

All of Disney's operating units, except Interactive, reported year-over-year profit gains. But the Interactive unit, which runs gaming and digital properties, did see its operating loss narrow 23% to $54 million on revenue of $194 million. Disney said Monday that it has agreed to develop new Star Wars video games with Electronic Arts.

Disney's theme parks and resorts unit reported the biggest profit growth. With tourists staying more nights at its Disney resorts and the addition of the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, which launched in March 2012, the unit's profit rose 73% to $383 million. A jump in prices for food and drinks and entrance tickets also pushed average guest spending higher, resulting in a 14% increase in the unit's revenue to $3.3 billion.

Disney's cable and broadcast networks — including ABC and ESPN — remain its largest revenue generators. The unit's earnings were up 8% to $1.86 billion, as revenue rose 6% to $4.96 billion.

Advertising-rate increases at ESPN helped offset a 40% drop in the operating income of its broadcasting business, which includes ABC. Higher prime-time programming costs and a drop in advertising revenue at ABC contributed to the decline.

Disney's movie studio business returned to profitability on the strong performance of recently released movies Oz the Great and Powerful and Wreck-it Ralph.

The studio's tidings of good fortune could continue into the current quarter. Iron Man 3, from Disney's Marvel Studios, grossed $174.1 million in the U.S. in its first weekend of release. The movie, starring Robert Downey Jr., has brought in $678.9 million worldwide in just 10 days, according to Hollywood.com.

Last year's big-name release — John Carter, a sci-fi movie set on Mars — lost $200 million and cost then-studio chief Rich Ross his job.

"The Disney machine is churning out the benefits which come from courageous capital investments in the difficult stretch from 2008 to 2011," William Smead, CEO of Smead Capital Management, a shareholder in Seattle, told Bloomberg News

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Star Wars Weekends Guests

DisneyParks Blog - Here’s a list of scheduled celebrities for this year’s Force-filled fan fest:

Weekend I (May 17–19)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Weekend II (May 24-26)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Jim Cummings (voice of Hondo Ohnaka – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Weekend III (May 31 – June 2)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Weekend IV(June 7-9)
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca – Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Tom Kane (voice of Yoda – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Also new this year is a photo opportunity with a “life-size” rancor. The giant beast, which was Jabba the Hutt’s prized pet in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, will be on display during the event. The handcrafted replica is 17 feet long and weighs more than 700 pounds. The reptomammal sculpture is well-traveled — it’s a popular piece at Star Wars events around the globe and will make its way to our park for Star Wars Weekends.

A trio of specialty “one-man shows” will be presented this year, giving guests a peek into the on- and off-screen worlds of three Star Wars celebrities — James Arnold Taylor, Ray Park and Warwick Davis.

  • “Obi-Wan & Beyond” (each event day) stars James Arnold Taylor. James takes audiences on a journey into his wonderful world of voice acting.
  • “Visit to the Maul” (Weekends I and II) features Ray Park. Guests can see a demonstration of amazing martial arts skills by the actor who portrayed Darth Maul on the silver screen.
  • “An Ewok’s Tale – my short story” (Weekends II and III) stars Warwick Davis. Guests get a unique look into the fascinating world of this Star Wars legend.

As you plan your visit to Star Wars Weekends, be aware that many of the behind-the-scenes shows reach capacity quickly, so arrive early. Also, you’ll want to arrive early to the park if you would like to get a celebrity autograph.

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Disney withdraws trademark filing for 'Dia de los Muertos'

LA Times - If the dead could speak, they probably wouldn't have been heard over the burst of virtual shouting and howling Walt Disney Co. drew for attempting to trademark "Dia de los Muertos" -- a bid it has since dropped.

The company filed 10 applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “Dia de los Muertos,” including applications pertaining to toys, cereals and jewelry. The May 1 filings came in anticipation of an untitled movie about the Mexican holiday, known in English as Day of the Dead.

“As we have previously announced, Disney-Pixar is developing an animated feature inspired by the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos,” a studio spokesperson said in a statement.

“Disney’s trademark filing was intended to protect any potential title for our film and related activities. It has since been determined that the title of the film will change and therefore we are withdrawing our trademark filing.”

The centuries-old holiday, with roots in indigenous Aztec culture, honors the dead by building altars, decorating gravesites and holding processions. The Day of the Dead is not just observed in Mexico, but other parts of Latin America, Europe and the United States.

A petition to stop Walt Disney Co. from trademarking “Dia de los Muertos” went up on change.org Tuesday, a day after the news reported the filings. As of Wednesday morning it had 19,500 signatures.

“Our spiritual traditions are for everyone, not for companies like Walt Disney to trademark and exploit,” wrote Grace Sesma, the petition’s creator. “I am deeply offended and dismayed that a family-oriented company like Walt Disney would seek to own the rights to something that is the rightful heritage of the people of Mexico.”

“This is a sacred tradition. It's NOT FOR SALE,” wrote Consuelo Alba, of Watsonville, Calif.

The trademark application was "odd" to Evonne Gallardo, executive director of the Boyle Heights art center Self Help Graphics. The center puts on one of the largest Day of the Dead celebrations in Los Angeles and has been sponsored by the Walt Disney Co.

"The right thing to do is not to attempt to trademark a cultural and spiritual celebration," Gallardo said. "I have yet to see a trademark on Christmas or Hanukkah."

It's not the first time Walt Disney Co. drew criticism for a trademark application. In 2011 it withdrew its application to trademark "Seal Team 6," the name of the military unit that tracked and killed Osama bin Laden. Less than a week after the Navy SEAL team's successful mission, Disney moved to patent with plans to produce toys and entertainment.

After the Navy filed its own trademark claim, Disney bailed out.

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Why More CEOs Should Follow Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Lead

Yahoo - The world has given corporate chiefs plenty of excuses to stay cautious and focus inward over the past several years – and most CEOs have used these excuses as permission to do just that.

Most corporate leaders have only held their jobs in times of threat and turmoil, from credit meltdown to severe global recession to sovereign-debt crises and radical technological change.

As a result, despite stock prices and profit margins at record highs, CEOs as a group have become conditioned to play defense. They have hoarded cash, using it mostly to buy back shares or increase dividends, while generally shunning bold investments or expansionary deal making. 

Bob Iger also faced an onslaught of worldwide economic tumult and wrenching technological threats to his business since taking over as CEO of Walt Disney Co. (DIS) in late 2005.

Yet instead of treading gingerly, Iger has aggressively spent to expand Disney parks, launched a cruise line and spent heavily and opportunistically to purchase three of the most distinctive entertainment franchises ever created: Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars.

Meantime, Iger (who sits on Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) board) has been a media industry leader in adapting to new digital-distribution approaches for Disney content, while pragmatically managing the secular decline in its ABC broadcasting business.

There is a good deal of irony in Iger’s expansionary tenure at Disney. When he succeeded Michael Eisner, the polarizing Hollywood character, he was considered a safe “Mr. Inside” who was a competent operator and an unobjectionable personality.

Yet Iger quickly refocused the company on its core “franchise” brands, those identifiably, quintessentially Disney-ish properties that resonate with customers and can be leveraged across multiple product platforms. And when one-of-a-kind intellectual properties became available, Iger had the resolve and risk appetite to buy them, rather than agonizing over whether they would have pleased Uncle Walt.

He bought Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006, gaining unmatched creative resources as well as the close counsel of Pixar founder Steve Jobs (whose estate is Disney’s single largest shareholder). He followed it in 2009 with the $4 billion Marvel deal. By last year, Iger had clearly made Disney the preferred home for Star Wars, once creator George Lucas was ready to cash out. (Lucas agreed to sell his Lucasfilm empire to Disney for $4 billion last November).

With Pixar and Marvel, critics were quick to call the acquisitions expensive and risky, with unclear financial payoffs that would require many future hit movies. Yet Pixar and Marvel have paid off by most any measure, most recently with last weekend’s monster opening for Marvel’s Iron Man 3.

Meantime, with ESPN’s cable-fee machine humming along, Iger gave the network a free hand to invade the rest of the TV dial with new channels and spend aggressively for sports-programming rights. He led a controversial but ultimately successful renovation and expansion of the once-disappointing California Adventure theme park, launched cruise lines to further capture family loyalties and is overseeing the development of the five-year, 1,000-acre, $4 billion Shanghai Disneyland.

Under Iger, Disney’s per-share dividend has nearly quadrupled and the company has bought back some $3 billion a year or more in stock in recent years. Disney's profitable core media and theme-park operations earn enough cash to allow Iger to invest for the future and share cash with investors.

And none of this has made Iger immune from criticism or stumbles. There was a botched appointment of studio chief, the expensive John Carter movie debacle, complaints at times about the subpar profitability of the parks, some lousy network-TV programming and dry spells in Disney Channel show development. Yet none of it has deterred Iger from strengthening the brands and investing in new ones when opportunities arise. The market approves: Since Iger took over, Disney shares are up 180%, versus about 40% for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

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runDisney Reveals Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Bling

DisneyParks Blog - “So why do you run?” That is the question most often asked to runners by non-runners. “Why do you get up before dawn, oftentimes in miserable weather, to go do something that quite frankly does not look enjoyable?” 

This is a question that is not lost on runners. In fact one of my favorite running shirts has emblazoned across the back, “My Sport is Your Sport’s Punishment” – a not so gentle nod to the bevy of coaches who have ever uttered the phrase “Gimme a lap!”

So why do we run? There are as many reasons as runners – “So I can eat what I want,” “To stay in shape,” “To clear my mind” – but there is one reason that seems to rise to the top among all our runDisney runners…”we run for the bling!” You see, there is nothing so rewarding as finishing a race and having a volunteer drape a beautifully crafted Disney medal around your neck. For that moment you feel as though you are an Olympian, and regardless of what place you’ve finished, you have earned that gold.

So with that said, I am pleased to reveal our latest entries into the pantheon of runDisney race medals: The 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon, Disneyland 10K, Disneyland Family Fun Run 5K and the Dumbo Double Dare medals, all beautifully designed to say, “Here’s why I run.”

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Disney Fantasy: Near-drowning of Chase Lykken 'tragic accident,' police say

Orlando Sentinel - Chris Dastou was playing with his children in a swimming pool on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship when he felt something brush against his feet.

Assuming it was his 6-year-old son, Dastou hooked a foot around the little body and lifted it out of the 5-foot-3-inch-deep water.

To his shock and horror, Dastou found himself cradling a limp, 4-year-old stranger.
He carried Chase Lykken to the side of the Donald family pool and laid the boy on his back. The child's skin was blue, waxy and pale. He wasn't breathing.

"I started screaming for help, and everybody rushed over and grabbed him and started to help out," recalled Dastou, 35, manager of a car dealership near Atlanta.
Immediately, dozens of passengers clustered around Chase, a Minnesota boy who suffered severe brain damage when he nearly drowned March 30 on the ship docked at Port Canaveral, a police report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday shows.

Chase Christopher Lykken was deprived of oxygen for up to six minutes, Port Canaveral police determined.

He was on life support at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando before being transferred last month to Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, a St. Paul hospital for kids with disabilities. His prognosis is "most likely poor," a doctor for a child-protection team in Orlando concluded.

"Chase is described as being in a vegetative state," the doctor wrote April 9 in a report submitted to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Investigators concluded Chase was inadequately supervised, but there was no criminal intent, police said. They called the incident a "tragic accident."

Police could not determine how Chase slipped away and landed in the pool. An 8-year-old South Carolina girl told investigators she saw Chase and another boy wrestle near the pool and fall in, but neither video nor other witnesses corroborated her account.

Ship video shows the Lykken (pronounced LICK-un) family on the Mickey pool deck at 3:04 p.m. Seven minutes later, parents Christopher and Lisa Lykken appear to be looking for someone, the report states.

At 3:12 p.m., Chase was pulled from the Donald pool, where signs warn passengers that no lifeguard is on duty. The pools are next to each other, a Disney spokeswoman said.

The parents told officers they lost sight of Chase but assumed he was at the pool with his 9-year-old brother, Tanner, and 7-year-old sister, Ava. Lisa Lykken, 43, looked for Chase in the Mickey and Donald pools, then heard Tanner yell and saw someone performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Chase, according to the report.

Chase's parents, who live in Prior Lake, about 25 miles south of Minneapolis, have not granted media interviews. They keep friends, family and well-wishers apprised in painstaking detail on a Facebook page dedicated to Chase and on caringbridge.org.

There, readers can see Chase in happier times: on the first day of preschool; catching a fish; posing with his siblings and mugging for the camera, his arms aloft and fists clenched.

Despite the odds, the family hopes for a miracle and expresses gratitude for the smallest signs of progress. Many of the posts end with, "God is good."

The Lykkens have the support of nearly 6,700 people who had liked the Facebook page by Tuesday. Many said they pray for his recovery. Some have adopted the red, white and blue Captain America shield logo as their profile picture to show solidarity with the blond, brown-eyed boy who loved to dress as the comic-book superhero.

A red, $5 "CHASE'S WARRIORS" bracelet to raise money for his care was so popular that the initial shipment sold out.

The medical news is grim, however. Chase is breathing on his own but is being fed through a tube, according to posts. The areas of his brain that control motor skills, basic functions such as heart and respiratory rates, temperature, the sleep-wake cycle and eyesight were damaged.

"It's just a very sad situation," said Dastou, the man who pulled Chase from the water. "It was unbelievable what happened. Nobody would think anything like that would happen."

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Disney, EA strike deal on 'Star Wars' video games

USA Today - Never underestimate the power of the Force.

Disney has announced a multi-year deal with Electronic Arts that grants the video game publisher rights to develop and publish video games based on the classic science-fiction franchise Star Wars. Financial terms were not disclosed.

EA would have rights to develop Star Wars titles for a "core gaming audience" across all interactive platforms, says a joint statement from both companies. Disney would retain the right to create certain games for mobile, social, tablet and online.

"Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," says Frank Gibeau, president of EA Labels, in a statement.

Gibeau says studios DICE (Battlefield), Visceral Games (Dead Space) and BioWare (Mass Effect) will all develop Star Wars titles. BioWare already has experience with the Star Wars universe through massively multiplayer online titles such as Knights of the Old Republic and The Old Republic.

"The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay," says Gibeau.

The announcement comes one month after Disney shut down longtime studio LucasArts in favor of a licensing model involving Star Wars and other properties.

Several projects, including the action title Star Wars 1313, had been halted, according to a LucasFilm representative.

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Tuesday May 7, 2013
No News Updates Today

Monday May 6, 2013
‘Iron Man 3′ Vanquishes Doubts Over Disney’s Marvel Buy
‘Iron Man 3’ Delivers $175 Million Hit to Start Disney’s Summer
Disney Pushes To New Highs As Investors Weigh "Iron Man 3" And Q2 Earnings
Igerwatch ends with fireworks, 'Star Wars' jokes, no news
Star Wars – D-Tech Me Experience Returns to Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Studiocanal, Disney to Release ‘Hundred-Year-Old Man’

‘Iron Man 3′ Vanquishes Doubts Over Disney’s Marvel Buy

Yahoo - When Chief Executive Robert Iger opens the Walt Disney Co. (DIS) post-earnings conference call to questions late Tuesday, he won’t be asked again to justify the $4 billion he spent in 2009 to acquire Marvel Entertainment. Or, at least, he shouldn’t be.

The skyscraping $175 million domestic box-office take for the opening weekend of "Iron Man 3" was exceeded only by the previous Disney-Marvel release "The Avengers," which went on to collect $1.5 billion in ticket sales globally.

The latest "Iron Man" installment had already pulled in as much overseas as it is estimated to have grossed in its initial North American weekend in theaters. At its current trajectory, the latest Robert Downey Jr.-Gwyneth Paltrow save-the-world-through-cool-technology movie should reach $1 billion in global box office.

"Iron Man 3" is the final Marvel-inspired film covered under a pre-existing distribution agreement with Viacom Inc.’s (VIAB) Paramount Pictures – an arrangement that Iger wanted to get past urgently enough that he agreed to pay Paramount a guaranteed fee in 2010 for "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" so Disney could take control of both films’ marketing.

A big payday

Paramount was in line to earn 8% of worldwide gross for distributing "The Avengers"' and 9% for "Iron Man 3." Disney agreed to buy Paramount out of the deal for $115 million, which was cast as an advance on those distribution fees, with Paramount earning its full 8% and 9% fee if box-office sales exceed threshold levels. If "Iron Man 3" does end up earning $1 billion, Paramount will get $90 million in total, or $32.5 million more than the minimum guarantee implied in the buyout deal, by one analyst's estimate.

Disney is only too happy to pay this fee, because it means "Iron Man 3" is a larger-than-anticipated blockbuster and it gives the company a head start in embedding Marvel into its distribution platform. This also hands Disney full marketing control and potential cost synergies with other releases.

Given the runaway success of the "Iron Man" franchise – based on what was once considered a marginal comic-book hero – it’s remarkable that Iger took a bit of heat from Wall Street for the price he paid for Marvel.

Because "Spider-Man" is spoken-for under a long-term deal with Sony Corp.'s (SNE) Sony Pictures, analysts were unsure Marvel promised enough bankable characters around which to base years-long slates of movies and their attendant merchandise tie-ins. "The Avengers" and "Iron Man" have silenced the doubters. On the way are another "Thor" picture and "The Avengers 2," which will belong entirely to Disney.

Farwell to the "boy problem"

The Marvel deal – along with last year’s $4 billion acquisition of Star Wars creator Lucasfilm and the endurance of the "Cars" franchise – has also put to rest what used to be considered Disney’s “boy problem.” The enormous success beginning in the 1990s of Disney’s Princesses line of characters, along with Disney Channel hits such as “Hannah Montana,” left the company’s business skewed in the direction of young girls.

Iger, who is set to retire as CEO in 2015, leaves the entertainment divisions far more balanced by customer gender, while its cable business all but owns male eyeballs through its ESPN networks.

All this, of course, is well understood by the market, and Disney faces a relatively high bar to clear when reporting its fiscal second-quarter results. The Wall Street consensus for per-share earnings is 77 cents a share, up from 75 cents forecast for the quarter at the start of the year. Estimize.com, which crowd-sources estimates from buy-side professionals and other investors, and has tended to be more accurate than sell-side consensus, is showing an 80-cent expectation.

Disney shares, meantime, are at an all-time high. And at above 18-times anticipated 2013 profits, shares are valued at a premium to Disney's Big Media peers, which themselves trade at rich multiples of earnings after years of market outperformance. Disney is probably the highest-quality media giant based on its cable-business mix and the irreproducible nature of its character set.

Along with peers such as Time Warner Inc. (TWX), Disney is proving the value of proprietary content, showing an ability to get paid for it in a digital world and pursuing the disciplined use of capital. All this is now taken for granted by investors, who on Tuesday will no doubt grasp for insights about ESPN ad-pricing and revenue recognition rates; the fate of streaming-service Hulu.com (partly owned by Disney); and the outlook for turning around the video-game business.

Even if they won’t grill Iger on the prudence of the Marvel deal, investors will certainly need to hear some details on Disney’s next act in order for the stock to keep working.

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‘Iron Man 3’ Delivers $175 Million Hit to Start Disney’s Summer

Bloomberg - “Iron Man 3” burst into theaters with $175.3 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, giving Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s Marvel division its second straight mega-hit to start a summer movie season.

The opening-weekend haul for the superhero film starring Robert Downey Jr. was the second-biggest of all time, behind “Marvel’s The Avengers” in May 2012, the company said yesterday in a statement. With $504.8 million in international receipts, “Iron Man 3” has collected $680.1 million worldwide in 12 days of release, more than either earlier “Iron Man” generated in its entire theater run.

The performance highlights Disney’s multi-film, multi-prong strategy for Marvel, acquired in December 2009 for $4.2 billion, according to David Hollis, executive vice president for motion picture distribution. He credited earlier Marvel pictures that paved the way with fans, characters interwoven among movies and the marketing muscle that Burbank, California-based Disney, the world’s largest entertainment company, brings with its theme parks, TV networks and retail stores.

“It was a very deliberate strategy how they created the unique overlaps and intertwined the characters,” Hollis said in a telephone interview. “The response has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

Disney’s approach has led moviegoers to consider “Iron Man 3” as a sequel to “The Avengers,” last May’s superhero ensemble that took in $1.51 billion at the global box office, rather than as a follow-up to “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2,” according to Phil Contrino, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com.

Armored Suit

In the film, the ingenuity and confidence of Downey’s billionaire industrialist character, Tony Stark, are tested after a surprise attack destroys his laboratory and the armored suits he uses to fight villains. Ben Kingsley stars as The Mandarin, an embittered genius who gains access to advanced technologies. Don Cheadle returns as Stark’s friend, James Rhodes, and Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role as Pepper Potts.

The success of “Iron Man 3” should carry over to “Thor: The Dark World,” set for release in November, and the next “Avengers,” Hollis said. He said the “branded tent-pole” film strategy limits Disney’s theatrical risk by focusing on pictures the audience is familiar with, and provides content for Disney’s other divisions.

“Momentum begets momentum,” Hollis said. “They’re all tied together and they all will be higher.”

In addition to “Thor” and the planned 2015 sequel to “The Avengers,” Disney’s Marvel slate includes an April 2014 “Captain America” sequel, and “Ant-Man” in 2015according to Box Office Mojo.

Summer Prospects

The strong debut for “Iron Man 3” also gives a lift to Hollywood at the start of summer, after an 11 percent decline in domestic ticket sales and attendance so far this year.

“If you can start off in May with a gigantic film like this, you’ve got tens of millions of people exposed to trailers and other materials for ‘‘World War Z,’’ ‘‘After Earth’’ and so on,” said Gitesh Pandya, chief executive officer of Boxofficeguru.com. “It’s a very positive indicator that we’re going to have a very strong summer season.’

More than 20 films are projected to gross $100 million or more domestically this summer, up from 12 a year earlier, according to Bloomberg Industries research.

The lineup includes a new ‘‘Star Trek” from Viacom Inc. (VIAB)’s Paramount Pictures, “Man of Steel” and a third “Hangover” from Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s Warner Bros., and “The Wolverine,” part of the “X-Men” series from News Corp.’s Fox.

International Receipts

Pandya, who had expected “Iron Man 3” to sell $165 million in tickets this past weekend, is now forecasting that the movie will gross more than $400 million in North America and $1.3 billion worldwide, based on the opening and favorable word of mouth. That would put it in the top five of all time, according to Box Office Mojo rankings.

The movie, shot partially in China, is on pace to do slightly better than “The Avengers” outside of North America, according to Hollis. The opening day set records in 10 countries, including Russia and in China, where Disney and partner DMG Entertainment released a tailored version with more footage with well-known local stars.

Some 55 percent of domestic “Iron Man 3” theatergoers were over 25 years old and the single-biggest group of attendees was couples, according to Hollis. Family attendance, at 27 percent, exceeded that of “The Avengers” 24 percent, indicating the picture had a broad appeal, he said.

Showings at theaters that use Imax Corp. (IMX)’s large-screen technology have grossed almost $30 million worldwide, according to Hollywood.com Box-Office. Optimism for the film lifted stocks of Disney and exhibitors last week.

Theater Spat

Imax, based in Mississauga, Ontario, rose 1.2 percent to $27.82 on May 3 in New York. Regal Entertainment Group (RGC), the largest U.S. theater operator, slipped 0.1 percent to $18.72 after climbing 3.5 percent on May 2. Disney advanced 1.4 percent to $64.80, an all-time (DIS) high.

Expectations for “Iron Man 3” were strong enough that Disney used its debut to seek a bigger share of the revenue from its movies, prompting a public showdown that ended just a week before the opening. Hollis declined to discuss details of the negotiations.

“The magnitude of a gross like this is extraordinary for everyone’s bottom line,” Hollis said.

Disney Chairman and CEO Robert Iger has spent more than $15 billion since 2006, purchasing animation studio Pixar, comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment, and Lucasfilm Ltd., home of “Star Wars.”

The company has reduced the number of movies it releases to concentrate on well-known pictures from those labels or familiar content such as July’s “The Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp.

Disney Slate

The approach gives Disney the chance to become the first studio to generate more than $2 billion in annual domestic ticket receipts in 2015, said Paul Sweeney, director of North American Research at Bloomberg Industries, citing “Star Wars” and multiple Marvel films. The company will also have a Pixar movie, “Finding Dory,” and a “Pirates of the Caribbean,” based on Box Office Mojo’s list of upcoming releases.

“Historically, Disney’s live action business has been a laggard,” Sweeney said. “They chose to fix it via acquisition. I think we are really going to see the fruits of this strategy in 2015.”

Weekend revenue for the top 12 films fell to $216.4 million from $249.7 million a year earlier, Hollywood.com said. Attendance is down 11 percent year to date.

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Disney Pushes To New Highs As Investors Weigh "Iron Man 3" And Q2 Earnings

Forbes - The halls in the House of Mouse, at this point, must be paved in gold. Walt Disney DIS +0.63% shares shot to still higher highs this morning, after a blockbuster opening weekend for the company’s Iron Man 3 and anticipation for quarterly figures due tomorrow.

Iron Man 3 reached truly heroic heights at this weekend’s box office, taking in a whopping $175.3 million. The film scored the second-largest opening weekend ever, behind only Disney’s other mega-profitable comic-book movie: last year’s The Avengers, which took in $207.4 million during its first weekend.

The house that Walt built is truly a fully occupied structure these days. There’s the cash-rich cable business of ABC and ESPN, the theme parks and the namesake movie studio. In the film unit, Disney has plans to release traditional vehicles–Planes, coming in August, is seen as a potential contender to the hugely popular Cars franchise–and to keep the folks in spandex busy too. Disney dubbed the next slate of superhero features as Phase 2, with plans for Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers 2, Ant-Man and possibly more.

As Phase 1 (Thor, Captain America, Iron Man 1 and 2, The Avengers) proved, these films produce a meaningful result on the company’s bottom-line. After The Avengers hit theaters last summer, Disney’s studio business booked $313 million in fiscal-third-quarter profit, compared to just $49 million a year earlier. (Avengers wound up grossing more than $600 million.) Company-wide profit increased 22.5% to $1.84 billion, beating Wall Street‘s forecast for $1.69 billion.

For now, investors are focused on second-quarter results, which, unfortunately for shareholders, will not be buoyed by any great film. Analysts still expect the company to grow earnings by 22.5% to $1.4 billion. Revenue is seen rising 9% to $10.5 billion.

Shares of Disney increased 0.7% to $65.28 in pre-market trading. The stock’s lengthy, lofty run–the stock nearly doubled in three years– has indeed pushed up its multiple. Shares fetch 18.9 times forward estimated earnings of $3.45 a share. This a none-too-light premium over media peers like Time Warner TWX +0.71% (16.4 times), CBS -0.11% (14.9) and Viacom (14.3).

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Igerwatch ends with fireworks, 'Star Wars' jokes, no news

Orlando Sentinel - The Disney rumor mill was moving at hyperspeed Saturday. The story, which got a big push from Twitter, purported that Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger and Lucasfilm mastermind George Lucas would appear Saturday evening at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park to make an unspecified announcement.

OK, that could make sense on some levels because Disney World had designed Saturday as one of its Limited Time Magic promotions at the Studios, a day saluting "Star Wars" in keeping with the growing trend spawned from this Jedi-inspired pun: May the Fourth Be With You. Among the events planned were special, end-of-night fireworks. The rumor had Iger and Lucas speaking before the pyrotechnics. It was a perfect storm of Disney and "Star Wars" enthusiasts.

Cue the speculation about the topic: Star Wars Land at DHS? Casting of the Episode VII movie? Changes for the upcoming Star Wars Weekends at the Studios? Along with the hopes came Twitter jokes involving Jar Jar Banks, Starbucks, Avatarland and Duffy the Disney Bear. Eventually, #igerwatch became a top trending topic on Twitter.

And then what happened? Fireworks. They lit up the sky but (spoiler alert, spoiler alert) there was no Iger announcement. If he was there, he didn't address the masses.

After reality set in, most fans took it well. "It was a trap!" remarked several wags. That's how 2013 rumors roll, I guess.

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Star Wars – D-Tech Me Experience Returns to Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

DisneyParks Blog - I’m excited to share that the Star Wars – D-Tech Me experience will be returning for Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year. The experience will be located inside Darth’s Mall, the highly themed merchandise destination located in the courtyard adjacent to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. You may recall we first introduced the Carbon-Freeze Me experience last year during Star Wars Weekends. We also introduced the experience at Celebration VI, the ultimate Star Wars fan event that was held last August in Orlando, Florida.

This year, we are bringing back the popular “cast yourself in Carbonite” option that was inspired by a scene from Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. We are also delighted to offer a new option featuring the elite soldiers of the Galactic Empire, the Stormtroopers.

The 10-minute experience uses the world’s highest-resolution, single-shot 3D face scanner created by our Imagineering scientists with Disney Research labs. That captured image is later sent to a high resolution 3D printer to create the figurine. The completed figurine will arrive within 7-8 weeks after the experience if shipping domestically (it takes a little longer if shipping internationally). Guests will also receive either a Carbon-Freeze Me light-up band or a collector button depending upon which option they choose.

The Star Wars – D-Tech Me experience is $99.95, plus shipping and applicable sales tax.

To book your experience, please call 407-WDW-TECH (407-939-8324) to ask about availability. We will only offer the experience during Star Wars Weekends 2013 (May 17 – 19, May 24 – 26, May 31 – June 2, and June 7 – 9).

Please note: Separate theme park admission required for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. No discounts apply unless otherwise noted. Guests must be at least three (3) years of age to participate. A valid accepted credit card number is required at time of booking. No-shows or in the event a reservation is cancelled within 48 hours of scheduled experience will result in such credit card being charged a $25 cancellation fee. The experience, due to its personalized nature, is non-refundable and not eligible for an exchange. Children must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age or older during the entire experience. Certain restrictions may apply. All prices, components and information are subject to change without notice.

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Studiocanal, Disney to Release ‘Hundred-Year-Old Man’

Variety - European powerhouse Studiocanal is joining forces with Disney Nordic to roll out the bigscreen adaptation of Jonas Jonasson’s bestseller “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.”

Disney Nordic will release the pic across Scandinavia Dec. 25, while TeleMunchen will distribute it in Germany and Austria, and Wild Bunch in Benelux.

Meanwhile, Studiocanal will roll out the pic in France, U.K. and Australia, and will rep it in international market, kicking off sales at Cannes.

Swedish up-and-comer Felix Herngren, creator of hit comedy skein “Solsidan,” has assembled a cast of Swedish thesps, including Robert Gustafsson, Mia Skaringer and Johan Rheborg, and English thesp Alan Ford.

Described as “quirky and utterly unique” by Studiocanal, pic turns on a healthy 100-year-old man, Allan Karlsson, who escapes his nursing home to embark on an unplanned journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash and some unpleasant criminals.

“The book is already establishing itself as a major brand around the world. For us as theatrical distributors, we think we have a winner based on what we saw so far of the powerful film adaptation the producers and our partners at Disney will be delivering at the end of the year,” said Harold Van Lier, exec VP international distribution at Studiocanal. “It is an incredibly cinematic story that is very warm and filled with feel-good humor. It will undoubtedly be one of the major films coming out of Scandinavia at the end of this year.”

Added Patrick Nebout, producer at Nice FLX Pictures, “It’s a saga with a universal theme, a big heart and a sense of humor that travels perfectly, moving millions of readers all over the world.”

The book has been published in more than 35 countries and sold more than 5 million copies.

Pic is produced by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer, Nebout, Herngren and Malte Forssell for Nice FLX Pictures.

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Sunday May 5, 2013
No News Updates Today