The family said the water pressure was too strong. Instead of pushing a raft forward, the victim claims she was flipped upside down and rolled down the water slide.

"It's designed to push a raft through. If you can imagine a human being pushed through with a lot of presser and speed. It was a traumatic experience and she got banged up," said the girl's mother, RC Frias.

"The guys said, 'This doesn't happen a lot. It might be the water pressure was too high so we'll lower the water pressure and shut down the ride,'" Tempesst said.

"It's a nice gesture, but obviously several thousand dollars of medical bills are more than two free tickets," said attorney Rick Martindale.

Additionally, Disney Online traffic combined with Disney’s strong line-up of Family targeted sites, including Disney Family.com, reached 29.6 million unique visitors in March 2008.

Traffic growth at Disney Online was driven by a variety of popular content offerings including virtual worlds such as Club Penguin and Pirates of the Caribbean Online, the “Dreams Come True Sweepstakes” promotion with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and the launch of Disney Channel’s new animated series “Phineas and Ferb,” which drove particularly high levels of video viewing on Disney.com.

“We’re really firing on all cylinders at this point with Disney.com, and our audience is responding in record levels,” stated Paul Yanover, executive vice president of the Walt Disney Internet Group and head of Disney Online. “Our focus continues to be delivering an array of online entertainment – through games, video and communities – all built around Disney’s unmatched line-up of popular characters and franchises.”

Audiences have also positively responded to Disney.com around the world, with record breaking traffic in both the United Kingdom and Japan markets following the recent international, localized rollouts of the new Disney.com. Disney’s mobile Web site has also seen a strong rise in traffic, increasing 128 percent since it launched in late 2007.

About Disney Online

Disney Online (www.Disney.com), a division of the Walt Disney Internet Group, produces the number one kids' entertainment and family community destination on the World Wide Web. Launched in 1996, Disney.com is the online gateway to all of the company's Disney-branded entertainment initiatives, providing comprehensive access to, and information about Disney movies, travel, television, games, mobile, music, shopping and live events. Disney.com also features Disney XD, a highly interactive broadband experience, that lets Disney.com guests create their own customized online channel with games, videos, music, and chat - all of which can be enjoyed simultaneously in an immersive environment.

In addition, Disney Online develops and publishes a range of online products and services including Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney's Toontown Online, Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, Disney Game Downloads, Disney Game Kingdom Online, Disney Connection and Hot Shot Business.

Here's a look at the celebrity guests which include Star Wars cast members from the entire saga. Please check back here for future updates to the guest list as it may be subject to change.

The celebrity host for each weekend will be Warwick Davis. Davis was only 11 years old when he played the Ewok hero Wicket in Return of the Jedi. In Episode I, he played multiple roles, including that of Anakin's young friend Wald.
June 6-8 -- Jeremy Bulloch & Daniel Logan

The Fetts return! Jeremy Bulloch is known best for his role as the legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He also made a brief cameo as Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith. Daniel Logan played the young Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones, as well as all the 10-year old clones on Kamino.

June 13-15 -- Peter Mayhew & David Prowse

Two fan favorites share the stage: Peter Mayhew is no stranger to Star Wars Weekends. The towering Mayhew played the loyal Wookiee Chewbacca in the original trilogy, and revisited the role in Revenge of the Sith. David Prowse is another imposing presence -- he filled out Darth Vader's awesome form in the original trilogy, playing the man behind the mask.

June 20-22 -- Amy Allen & Matthew Wood

Amy Allen played the role of the striking Jedi Knight Aayla Secura in Episode II and III. Also there that weekend will be Episode III's Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood, the voice of the evil General Grievous in that movie as well as the upcoming animated series, The Clone Wars.

June 27-29 -- Dave Filoni

The creative force behind the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, Dave Filoni is the Supervising Director of The Clone Wars animated feature and series, as well as a die-hard Star Wars fan himself. What does the future hold in store for Star Wars? He'll be there to offer an inside look. Joining him this weekend... well, that's yet to be determined. Check back soon once the guest roster is finalized.

The company typically reports strong annual earnings growth, but analysts say that might change in 2008.

Cowen and Co. analyst Dough Creutz said in a note to investors on Friday that Disney's parks and resorts are the business segments most exposed to a weak economy.

"In the event of an economic slowdown, particularly one that is driven by lower consumer spending, we would expect that larger purchases and luxuries, such as expensive family vacations, would be impacted," he wrote.

Also, drops in the consumer confidence index _ which has reached all-time lows recently _ are tied with drops in park attendance, Creutz said.

He said he expects year-over-year declines in sales and earnings before interest, taxes and amortization. He rates the company "Neutral."

Lehman Brothers analyst Anthony DiClemente was more positive, however.

"We believe risk to the second half of 2008 and 2009 theme parks operating income is mostly priced into Disney shares," he wrote on Friday.

He said that parks are a small part of Disney's operating income and added that a weaker dollar could boost international park visits.

Also, theme parks are diversified with cruise lines, a vacation club and non-U.S. parks, DiClemente said.

He kept his 'Equal weight' rating on the stock.

Around the time you became CEO, there was a widely held view that Disney's brand had become dated. When did this issue first hit your radar?

It was in Michael's later tenure that we realized we had some brand issues. There were some speed bumps, so to speak, creatively. There was a perception that there was too much Disney product in the marketplace. And by the way, the combination of lack of quality and too much product is really deadly. And there was a sense that our audience was young and that Disney products couldn't be of interest to older kids. The other thing was that the brand was more tied to the Disney heritage than it was to relevance and innovation.

One of your messages is there's now a "Disney difference" that sets it apart from other media companies - and that difference is your ability to take franchises like "Hannah Montana," which was launched on TV, and move them across different platforms, like the recent "Hannah Montana 3-D" concert film.

This is a company that does not revolve around a movie studio; we have multiple creative engines. "High School Musical" is probably one of the best recent examples. I was in Hong Kong recently, and I pulled into a parking lot and there were 150 cast members there rehearsing for a performance that we're now showing five times a day at Hong Kong Disneyland. We have versions of "High School Musical" under way in India, Russia, and other markets.

Certainly you have plenty of that synergy in the marketing sense also.

If you asked [Walt Disney Pictures head] Dick Cook the single most important way for him to market a movie - it's on the Disney Channel. Interestingly enough, we don't take commercials on the Disney Channel, but there is an exclusive sponsor, and it's Disney.

Let's stick with "High School Musical," because after two highly successful cable movies, it's being made into a feature film. How is a decision like that made, and are there sore feelings from the Disney Channel folks?

You do want what I'll call some business chauvinism - you want people to believe in their businesses and fight for them. But you want to understand in the end that the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Now, there's always politics in companies. But the walls between the businesses are much thinner and much lower than they used to be.

One of the decisions you made was to change the approach to managing these big franchises.

That was the result of a belief that these great character franchises were all brands unto themselves. But nobody was really managing those brands, and decisions were being made in a vacuum. So if we determine that "Toy Story" is a real franchise for the company, then "Toy Story" should get made. Now, you still have to have a great story and great execution - and in the absence of that, you shouldn't make it. And not everything has to be a franchise. I was recently asked whether "Ratatouille" was a franchise. I said no: "Ratatouille" is an extremely good animated film and will be a classic unto itself, but it is not a franchise. You are not going to see "Ratatouille" attractions in parks. When you look at "Toy Story," we're making our third film, we're opening two Toy Story Mania attractions at parks this summer, we have a very strong consumer products line, we have a "Toy Story" musical opening on the cruise line, we have a game in development - that's a franchise.

How does it work?

We get together about every six weeks with the heads of the Disney business units. Sometimes we'll even focus on a market - say, what's going on in Japan with Pooh? We've also created financial metrics to track them against each franchise so we can see what's going on financially. If we see a trend that is worrisome - or the opposite - we bring it up at this meeting. We also have creative champions for all of these franchises. Even though "High School Musical" is being made for the studio, the creative champions are the Disney Channel folks Rich Ross and Gary Marsh - and they're working very closely with the studio people. Similarly, the studio is the arbiter of taste when it comes to "Pirates," Pixar is the arbiter for "Toy Story" and "Cars," and so on.

Are Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh still the company's largest franchises?

Yes.

So who at Disney owns those franchises?

I do. It sounds funny, but I'm the steward of the Mickey brand, which in a way is the steward of the Disney brand. We're actually having an interesting discussion about Mickey. I'm not the only voice. John Lasseter from Pixar has taken a real interest.

Mickey does seem overly nostalgic.

If you read about Walt and his history with Mickey, he struggled with the same stuff in the 1930s - that Mickey had become too sanitized. You're talking about an unbelievable franchise in the billions of dollars for a character that is 80 years old. But we'd like to grow it.

One competitor said to me that by putting less emphasis on animation you are diminishing the company's core brand strength and legacy.

There's no question that animation is a great wavemaker for the company. We believe we have a very vibrant creative engine there, mostly driven by Pixar, and we hope that Disney Animation will once again experience glory days too. We believe we're on the right track. But you raise something interesting that I deal with a lot. When you deal with a company that has a great legacy, you deal with decisions and conflicts that arise from the clash of heritage versus innovation versus relevance. I'm a big believer in respect for heritage, but I'm also a big believer in the need to innovate and the need to balance that respect for heritage with a need to be relevant.

The film "Enchanted" - which integrated but also parodied some Disney cartoon characters - is an example of that.

A very good example of that. It's interesting as it relates to Mickey. I love classic Mickey, but to kids today, classic Mickey is meaningless. They want modern Mickey, but what is that? If you just keep it in the past, it typically doesn't survive the present.

You recently produced your first feature film in China, "The Magic Gourd," for that market, and you have your first Indian production, "Roadside Romeo," set for release. Is it still a surprise or disappointment that after all your efforts to expand the Disney brand and business globally, the international unit still generates only 20-odd percent of your overall revenue?

The initial goal was to be bigger, but we made a big mistake: We made a lot more money in the U.S. ESPN grew more than we expected, ABC turned around, and Walt Disney World recovered from 2001. The growth internationally has probably been bigger off a lower base, but unfortunately - or fortunately - the businesses in the U.S. did better proportionately. We're also shifting our look at the world a lot. People have been misled by that access to new markets to think that there is a homogeneous, one-world culture. We've discovered that pride in local culture and demand to own it is much greater than we had previously thought.

An interesting thing about your efforts to revitalize the Disney brands is that you turned to an outside company, Pixar - and, it seems, largely left it alone.

A major priority when we did the deal was to protect their culture. But we also wanted to give Pixar a much broader canvas to paint on. Before we did the deal, we had gotten to the point when there was tension in the relationship, and it was almost impossible to accomplish what we wanted. Now that we're one company, it's much easier. I just played an alpha [test] version of the "Cars" virtual online world. I would say that if we had not done the deal, "Cars" would have been the last movie that we made with Pixar, and we couldn't have created this virtual world. And even if we had, we wouldn't have had John Lasseter sitting at the table with our Internet guys developing it.

What's your relationship with Steve Jobs, who as a result of the Pixar deal is on Disney's board and your largest shareholder? There was an initial reaction that somehow he was going to take over.

We talk about once a week on average, sometimes just to say hello, sometimes to ask his advice. We don't have to agree on everything, but the value of that advice to the company is enormous. And I am lucky to have access to a lot of Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) product. Yes, I was one of the first kids on my block to have the MacBook Air. People are aware that Steve tends to be opinionated, which is misconstrued as being bad - I actually think it's a good thing because it provides perspective. We've always embraced technology, but thanks to Steve we've done even more. A lot of media companies see technology as more foe than friend. I want the opposite at this company.

Since becoming CEO you've done one big deal, Pixar, and some smaller, including virtual world Club Penguin and a stake in Indian broadcaster UTV. Do you think the time for big media deals is over?

I don't rule out something large, but it doesn't mean something is looming. Nothing is. We kick tires, big and little. It's something Steve and I have talked about a lot fairly recently, including Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) - not post-Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) but pre-Microsoft. We make decisions based on whether something is a good fit for the company. [At press time Time Warner's (TWX, Fortune 500) AOL and Yahoo were in talks about combining their Internet operations; News Corp. and Microsoft, meanwhile, were considering a joint bid for Yahoo. Time Warner is Fortune's parent company.]

Why was Yahoo not a good fit?

It's an interesting business but expensive for us, and I don't know that we necessarily brought anything to the table in terms of management expertise. We're trying to stay away from what I'll call distribution. You can argue whether that's distribution or content - it's probably a little of both.

Over the past five years - April 11, 2003, to April 10, 2008 - Disney is up 77%, versus 56% for the S&P 500. For the past year - April 11, 2007, to April 10, 2008 - Disney is down nearly 12%, versus a drop of 6% for the S&P. Some of it is analysts wondering if you can keep up the hits. But it also seems as though Disney is facing a double whammy: the technology issues facing media companies, plus the fear that the theme-park business will be hurt by the economy. Does the Disney difference shield it from those issues?

"With his appreciation for our brand and the value Radio Disney brings to its audience, plus over a decade of experience in radio, Ernie is the best choice for this new role and I am pleased to recognize his contribution to our success," said VP/Programming Ray De La Garza.

Starting Friday, April 11 and running through May 5, Disney's California Food and Wine Festival will feature a wide variety of culinary events. Some are complimentary with theme park admission to Disney's California Adventure park, such as the celebrity culinary demonstrations at the Pacific Wharf. Also at that location, the daily Taste of California Marketplace will offer participants those tasty Lobster Lollipops (as well as Wild Mushroom Risotto or California White Cheddar Soup).

Other events require advance reservations and an additional fee. There are Winemaker Dinners at Steakhouse 55 on Friday nights and Festival Wine Receptions on Friday and Saturday nights on the lower patio of the Golden Vine Winery ($55 per person).

But for those interested in learning about wine, Michael Jordan offers top-notch "Taste Wine Like an Expert" sessions from 1 to 3 p.m.April 20 and 27 and May 4.Jordan is sommelier and general manager at Napa Rose restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel and oversees an intensive wine-education program at the resort.

Last fall, he passed the exams in London and earned the title of master sommelier, the highest distinction awarded by the International Court of Master Sommeliers and one awarded to only 167 people worldwide – only 96 of them in North America.

Part of the exam involves blind tastings in which several wines must be identified by grape varietal, vintage and country (or region or appellation). With the thousands of wines out there, it's a mystery how anyone could accomplish such a feat.

But Jordan breaks the process down for his students on a dandy worksheet called the deductive tasting format. The process is fun and brings in the senses, requiring careful visual examination and a detective-like nose and palate. There's a lot of laughter along the way, and of course, delectable wine. His festival wine classes will include four blind tastings.

According to the site:
“Walt Disney Pictures [said] that there is no truth to these rumors,” said the site. “What we do know so far is that Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) is expected to start shooting Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time soon at Pinewood Studios in the UK and in Morocco as well. Jerry Bruckheimer instead is producing the film, which the studio is targeting for a June 19, 2009 release.”

So until anything is denied or confirmed, we all need to settle down and hope and pray to every legitimate and imagined all encompassing powers that surround us that Zac Efron will not be in the movie - and if he is, that his character will die a slow painful death during the first three minutes of the film. Plus, who knows, Orlando may actually still be in the movie but be playing a different role.

An expert on the tourism sector, economist Steve Morse of the University of Tennessee, suggests that timing is the key here. Since the rebate monies will be flowing at the same time as Americans start to plan and go on their vacations, Morse believes that economic activities related to enjoying time off will see a tangible boost. In fact, he further states that vacations are something that people might not necessarily deny themselves, even in times of recession. He points out that people might tend to take on a bit of debt to fund vacations since they see it as a "right of life," as he puts it.

I see the logic, especially the "right of life" issue. Not only are vacations important to everyone, but they are sort of comparable to toys at Christmas -- know how they say that people won't stop giving toys to their children even during hard times? Well, vacations are like toys for adults (and if the adults have children, as many do, then vacations are like toys for adults and children). And adults will not cease gifting themselves during the summertime.

So, which companies will benefit from this concept, assuming it proves itself to be accurate? Well, I'll go with the easy one first -- Disney (NYSE: DIS). But I'd also have to believe that retailers such as Target (NYSE: TGT), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) will also be indirectly affected in a positive way.

If people use the rebates to get out on the road or fly to find some fun in the sun, they most likely will be in the mood to spend some bucks at stores like these in the vicinity of their destination of choice even once the checks are gone -- if there's one thing people like to do, it's buy things while on holiday. Maybe Junior will be treated to a new Nintendo DS card from GameStop (NYSE: GME) to celebrate his vacation -- that sort of thing.

This line of thinking intersects with Morse's findings that the 2001 rebates saw recipients spending beyond what they got from the government . In this way, rebate checks might act like gift cards, and we all know the stimulative effect of gift cards (yep, when I receive one, I oftentimes might spend more than what's loaded on it).

In making the announcement, Ms. Engstrom said, "Anna lives up to her reputation as a talented executive with an ability to work effectively across our business and we're fortunate to have her experience and insights in this critical post as our Group enters a new phase of growth in the Asia Pacific region."

Mr. Gilby added, "Anna brings extensive regional experience and outstanding commercial, operational and financial acumen to Disney's compelling TV content portfolio, enabling further rapid growth across Asia Pacific.  I'm delighted that Anna has accepted this exciting new role."

In her new role, she adds business operations, financial management and planning for Disney Channels, Playhouse Disney channels, Toon Disney/Jetix and other wholly owned channels, on cable and satellite platforms in the region.  Working closely with the General Managers of Disney Channels across Asia Pacific, she will also oversee the development and financial management of new business initiatives that support the Company's strategic goals including the production of local original long-form and short-form content.

Ms Woo will continue to be responsible for all business operations and finance matters for Disney-ABC International Television, Asia Pacific, which distributes television and film content developed by The Walt Disney Company through Walt Disney Studios, ABC Television Network, ABC Studios, Disney Channel and Disney ABC Cable Networks to all platforms, including terrestrial, cable/satellite, telco and IPTV, and across technologies such as PPV, DTT, VOD, broadband and mobile.

She will continue to serve as the finance advisor for negotiations of long term deals with key platform partners in the region and to oversee the financial management of the Company's equity interest in television channels, including board participation.

Ms. Woo has been with The Walt Disney Company for 13 years and has held several finance management roles of increasing responsibility. She was most recently Vice President, Finance and Operations, Disney-ABC International Television, Asia Pacific.

Walt Disney Studios opened the film in 683 3-D venues Friday and established an industry record, not only for Super Bowl weekend, but for a Digital 3-D film opening with a per-screen average of more than $42,000.

Initially, the movie was set to run for a week, however Disney has decided to just let it run.

"Audience reaction for the Disney Digital 3-D presentation of 'Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert' has been so overwhelming that we've decided to extend the film's theatrical run," Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, said in a statement.

The licensing of library titles including Toy Story 2, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor is the first of its kind in Germany and also includes a transactional video agreement for current titles Ratatouille and Enchanted; and the staples as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy.

The deal covers the licensing of features, live-action series, animated series and made-for-television movies for CTC's television network.

The CTC network will be able to broadcast Disney's movies, such as the second and third "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, "Cars" and "There Will Be Blood."

The deal also covers Disney's cartoons, such as "Ducktales" and "Kim Possible," and live-action television, such as "Hannah Montana."

According to a release, CTC is the fourth-most watched broadcaster in Russia. It has 350 affiliate stations, including 19 owned-and-operated stations.

Are they gone? Good.

Fellow adults, we’re going to spend some time talking about Walt Disney World for grown-ups.

There are people, and you know who you are, who only come to Disney World hauling kids with them. Nothing wrong with that. I’ve done Disney with kids and lived. So has Larry Mayer.

Mayer is a Chicago businessman with the look of a guy who might remember the words to “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.” He was here a few weeks ago enjoying Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a lady of his generation — and without a tyke in tow.

“The first time I went to Disneyland, I told people it’s better for grown-ups than it is for kids,” Mayer said. “Disneyland and, more, Disney World are just wonderful. We marvel at what went into this ...”

Then Mayer and his companion, Donna Broder, watched a magnificent tiger splash playfully in the moat of an absolutely convincing but totally fake Indian temple ruin. They were entranced, and they were right to be. Now, kids might recognize the tiger as “a tiger,” even if it didn’t bounce like Tigger. The temple part and its astonishing degree of spot-on detail — that, folks, is for us.

So are the margaritas at Epcot’s Mexican pavilion, the songs at Pleasure Island’s Irish pub and Rod Serling’s remarkable (especially for a dead guy) guest shot at Disney Hollywood’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

And so is the pan-roasted foie gras with mostarda di Cremona at Victoria & Albert’s — a restaurant where small children, who wouldn’t know foie gras from mashed bananas, are no longer allowed, period. Before we begin, though, we must address an obvious problem: What, for the purposes of this article, is a grown-up? For that definition, we quote Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who was of course referring to something else: “I know it when I see it.”

Here we go.

Epcot

Everyone knows about the country pavilions. If you squint a little, you can almost talk yourself into thinking you actually are in Marrakech — unless of course you’ve actually been there, in which case you know it’s way too orderly. And so it is with almost all the international stops in Epcot.

Exceptions to the unrealism: The market space that’s part of the China Pavilion is an absolute ringer for some of the country’s traditional tourist-centric “friendship” stores; the same pavilion’s exhibit of the Terra Cotta Army, though scaled down, is astonishingly accurate; the same pavilion’s acrobats are just like (and, of course, probably are) Shanghai’s; and the pub part of the Rose & Crown in the United Kingdom Pavilion is perfect. All of which, except maybe the acrobats, will bore children, also perfect.

And the Paris and Venice mock-ups aren’t bad. If you squint.

Back to our theme. Kids won’t go for this — too many strange foods — but it’s possible for grownups to eat and/or drink their way around the world without leaving the World Showcase or waiting for a table. (This probably qualifies, by the way, as a Stupid Grown-Up Trick.)

Within a couple of hours, I sampled and mostly enjoyed, in order: guacamole (Mexico; $2.95), lefse (Norway; $1.99), pot stickers (China; $4.99), a fat pretzel ($3.29) and a Beck’s beer ($7; both at Germany), a cannoli (Italy; $3.99), miso soup (Japan; $2.29), mint tea (Morocco, $2) and a Boddington ale (England; $3.95). Skipped noshing in France (the lines for wine and crepes were too long) and Canada (there are limits).

All the above kept me from sampling the full-service, probably toocher- for-kids Bistro de Paris in the France Pavilion. C’est la ... something.

A couple of good rides (and yes, there are rides at Epcot), including one adults absolutely should not miss.

Mission: SPACE puts you at the controls, sort of, of a space vehicle under the leadership of Gary Sinise. It’s a decent experience that kids won’t understand and, unlike others of the genre, it won’t make you puke — but that’s not the great one.

Soarin’ — the unmissable — is absolutely wonderful. It’s all euphoria. It’s also low-impact, for the ride-wary and bad-of-back. People who have problems with heights might hesitate to do this, but they should just grab somebody’s hand and hang on. That’s all I’m going to tell you. Trust me.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

This was formerly Disney-MGM Studios, which in fact looked (and looks) like a Mickey Mouse version of Universal Orlando’s Hollywood layout. (Both, for example, have a Brown Derby topped by a giant brown derby — or did until Universal’s Brown Derby Hat Shop was shut down. This Disney one is a slightly upscale restaurant.)

Grown-ups will be attracted to the mock Grauman’s/Mann’s Chinese Theatre, where they can walk in the real footsteps of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and hop on the Great Movie Ride. Do the footsteps and skip the ride, essentially a tram ride through a wax museum. (The film montage at the end is pretty good. But.)

There are two major thrill rides: the Rockin’ Roller Coaster and, at the end of mock Sunset Boulevard, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Didn’t ride this roller coaster, but Jeff Hoover, 46, a coaster buff from Minneapolis, did. “Once is enough,” he said as, wobbly of leg, he exited the area. “It’s harder and harder ...” Your call.

But don’t miss the Tower of Terror. If you’ve ever wondered how it would feel to be the ice in a martini shaker (and who hasn’t?), you’ll get your answer here.

“Indiana Jones’ Epic Stunt Spectacular” isn’t quite epic but is a fun little show and a good excuse to get off your feet for a bit and watch things explode. If you have any problems at all with motion sickness, avoid the “Star Wars” flight simulator.

But here’s the sleeper: The Magic of Disney Animation. It begins with a little mini-presentation featuring a congenial live animator and the cartoon dragon from “Mulan” (voiced by Eddie Murphy) that isn’t as funny as it thinks it is.

The cool thing, though, is in the interactive area, where you — yes, you — can lend your voice to some of your favorite cartoon moments. Suddenly, instead of Jerry Colonna (as the March Hare) singing “A Very, Merry Un-Birthday” to Alice, of Wonderland, it’s you! Strangers will stare and children will run for their parents, but that’s their problem.

Downtown Disney and Boardwalk

Boardwalk, a Disney resort complex, is linked with Downtown Disney here because 1) it has a couple of grown-up magnets: an ESPN Club sports bar (what you’d expect) and the recommendable Flying Fish Cafe (mostly seafood, as you’d expect); 2) it has the Atlantic Dance Hall, if you like to shake your whatevers; and 3) I don’t know where else to put it.

Downtown Disney opened late 1997, created just for us adults as an opportunity to get a rest from both Disney-ness and from all those baby strollers, and as a place to drop yet more cash. It has, among other stuff, a House of Blues, a Planet Hollywood, Cuban, Italian and seafood restaurants (try the too-good and too-expensive-for-kiddies $15 crab cake starter at Fulton’s Crab House), a Wolfgang Puck all-purpose food court and — as adult as you can get at a Disney property — a cigar store.

And there’s “La Nouba,” a Cirque du Soleil production that celebrates its 10th birthday in December. Kids may sleep through it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing except that tickets start at $55; grown-ups will pay more and be enthralled. This is a good one.

Finally, linked to Downtown Disney by bridges, there’s Pleasure Island, named for the island in “Pinocchio” where bad little boys who overindulged turned themselves into jackasses. It isn’t that — but it also isn’t what it used to be.

“This place used to have an ambience,” said Brian, 42, a veteran Pleasure Islander at the next stool. “People would just walk through and it was a party. It’s not even close to that anymore.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Club, a live-music hall in its most recent form (it opened in 1989 as a “rollerdrome”), shut down in February.

The dance clubs, some that have set the beat for nearly 20 years, may be shaky as well, affected by competition from Universal’s CityWalk a few miles north and Disney’s proclivity for tinkering.

For now, still in full boogie mode (and restricted to age 21-over): 8Trax, Mannequin Dance Palace, BET Soundstage Club and Motion. Plus, less restrictive, a Comedy Warehouse and the whimsical Adventurers Club, an interactive experience of sorts.

New on Pleasure Island and possibly an indicator of things to come: Raglan Road, an Irish-theme pub with the appropriate beers, grub and entertainment.

Children are admitted. Don’t bring them.

Golf

Except for noting the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, a PGA tournament, is played here, there will be no further mention of “children” in this category.

Of the 6 zillion courses in Central Florida, four are on Disney property: Osprey Ridge, Lake Buena Vista, Palm and Magnolia. Most popular: the last two, where the tournament is played — particularly Magnolia, home of the final rounds.

“It’s the fan favorite for the simple reason it’s the course that Tiger Woods plays,” says Rodney Green, the two courses’ manager and director of instruction.

His own favorite: Osprey Ridge, a Tom Fazio-designed course. “It’s a great design. It’s quiet there — there’s no houses, no Magic Kingdom in the background.”

Any signs of Disney? There are the tee markers, with a familiar shape. And the Mickey Hole, No. 6 on Magnolia, is a par 3 with a sand bunker shaped like those ears guarding the green.

“That,” says Green, “makes it about as Disney as you can get.”

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Describe its basics and it sounds like a glorified zoo — but it’s not. It’s actually something more ingenious: full-scale reproductions of the most wildlife-rich regions of Africa and central Asia, side-by- side, with acknowledgment of the presence of humans as well. Plus wildlife.

In a very true-life way, it’s almost the anti-Epcot. Animal Kingdom’s mini-Mombasa isn’t sanitized (like Epcot’s Marrakech) but appears age-and weather-worn, exactly like the colonial-era remnant towns that dot East Africa. Visitors who deal with the inevitable lines for two very fine thrill experiences — Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari — and have trekked Nepal or safaried Kenya-Tanzania will snake past stuff whose symbols and authentic scruffiness they will recognize immediately.

Adults who have done the real thing, and those who haven’t but are curious about the real thing, should not miss Kilimanjaro Safari. No, you won’t see thousands of zebras and wildebeests in dusty migration, or cheetahs bringing down gazelles, but the way the open-sided trucks bounce along the dirt roads, and the sense of excitement in rounding a bend and seeing zebras and wildebeests, and cheetahs and gazelles, and elephants, sure gives you a strong hint of what it’s like.

As for Expedition Everest — it’s a marvelously entertaining roller coaster that’s set up by a marvelously entertaining series of Yeti-themed bits.

Asked one Brazilian lad, in line: “Is that for real?” World-wise travel writer: “Could be ...”

And as for the “zoo”: Tigers roam that Indian ruin; apes rule forgotten temples; gorillas hang out by a jungle waterfall right out of Uganda.

In sum: Better for grown-ups than it is for kids, who will nonetheless have a non-whining good time if you keep them watered.

And a final thought, on the resident live show, “Finding Nemo — The Musical.” It’s a nice try, but little ones, unless they memorized the movie, won’t get it; big people, especially if they loved the movie, will hate it.

The Magic Kingdom

This is a magical land (hence the name) of strollers. Baby strollers, toddler strollers, singles, doubles, triples. Some with Mylar balloons attached. All, most of the time, with children in them. The Magic Kingdom is crawling with strollers. Just so you know that going in.

(If adults weary of Stroller Jams want to play a little fun-game, see how many crying urchins you can photograph in an hour. Anything less than 20 and you aren’t taking this seriously ...)

Skip the flying Dumbos and the spinning tea cups. They’ll just get you dizzy. Ride Space Mountain, unless you have a bad back. It’s a pretty good roller coaster, mostly in the dark, with dips and tight turns and sudden jolts. Mickey’s PhilharMagic is a 3-D movie (plus other surprise effects) mainly starring Donald Duck at his most manic, and it’s very funny — like a great Warner Bros. cartoon (sorry, Walt) and far too good for children.

I never miss going on Peter Pan’s Flight. Personal fetish. You don’t have to. If you luck out, you’ll hear and want to march along with the marching band that every so often marches down Main Street playing ditties like “Seventy- Six Trombones,” a joyous song full of obscure musical references (e.g., “double bell euphoniums”) that, if you sing along, will drive children batty.

A dining note: First hotel on the monorail from the Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which is very expensive (from $385) primarily because it’s the first hotel on the monorail from the Magic Kingdom. It’s home to Victoria & Albert’s, the hotel’s gourmet experience mentioned before that, as of this year (and at long last), bans children younger than 10.

Incredibly, until the ban there were people who would bring 4-year-olds here and pay the required $125 prix fixe for the little dickenses. (“Now, Cornelius, eat your chanterelles or no creme brulee! Cornelius, stop playing with your chard this minute!”)

Not anymore — and everybody wins. “No kid, wants to sit for three hours,” said a server. It’s a great restaurant, by the way, and worth the splurge.

Also on the monorail (in fact, first in the other direction) is the Contemporary Resort, and the very good and very grown-up California Grill. Sit at the bar, enjoy the convivial bartenders, sip their martinis, trust their dinner recommendations and smile as other staff sweeps up under tables where kids (up way too late) left a mess.

If you go

Walt Disney World tickets are available in a mind-numbing variety of options and packages, including dining plans. The four theme parks — the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios — each require separate admission. So do water parks. “Park Hopper” tickets, allowing visits to more than one theme park per day at reduced total cost, are available; per-day costs drop somewhat with multiple-day tickets.

Base prices: Adult one-day, one-park ticket: $71; kids 3-9: $60.

Golf (18 holes): $149 (Palm and Buena Vista), $169 (Osprey Ridge, Magnolia). Guests at Disney resorts pay $10 less. Twilight rates for all guests, $79 and $89.

Kid-free lodgings: None. This is a family kind of place. Best chance for quiet might be at the Disney Vacation Club time-share properties, but don’t count on it.

Despite the fact that it was nearly 14 years ago when the movie began filming, Bedard said she never tires of promoting the movie and its heroine.

"I knew when I signed on that because it was a Disney film, it would be a legacy," said Bedard, 39.

On Saturday, she and her husband, Deni Wilson, visited with fans at the American Indian Center Trickster Gallery in Schaumburg. Bedard signed autographs in between showings of her movies, "Pocahontas" and "Naturally Native."

Later, the couple performed their music, which they describe as "contemporary music with traditional Native, Gaelic and American roots."

Sitting at a table filled with images from her films and DVDs, Bedard talked about leaving her native Alaska, where she grew up the daughter of an Inupiat Esikmo mother, whose father was of Cree descent. She left to study at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning a degree in fine arts.

"It was a real culture shock," Bedard said.

Her first big role came in 1994, when she played the role of Mary Crow Dog in a movie made for TNT, "Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee," before Disney cast her as the voice of Pocahontas.

"I tried to give her as much strength, dignity and wisdom as I possibly could," Bedard says.

Her appearance drew fans of all ages, including three teens from Chicago Ridge, who were struck by her similarity to Pocahontas, after watching the film.

"She has a lot of the same traits," said Dana Seguar, 14, of Chicago Ridge. "She's quiet, and has the same appearance, but yet she understands."

Disney wants to see how Belleville does things at Art on the Square

Belleville News Democrat - Walt Disney World is looking to Belleville's No. 1-ranked Art on the Square to glean ideas for its own show.

Marketing and art show staff from Disney -- which Art on the Square director Patty Gregory said she considers tops when it comes to event planning -- will fly in from Orlando to attend Art on the Square May 16-18 to see how Belleville does things and trade tips.

She thought somebody was playing a prank on her when she received the e-mail telling her they were coming, she said.

The Disney-sponsored show, the 33-year-old Festival of the Masters, didn't even place in the top 100 on the Art Fair SourceBook list that ranked Belleville No. 1, said Mary Haupt, who works in marketing for Disney's special events.

The list ranks shows based on sales. Disney's show is held at Walt Disney World, and so it doesn't have a residential community from which to draw art buyers, she said.

Each year, the Disney group travels to one out-of-state show to "share best practices," Haupt said.

Belleville's ranking drew Disney's attention, Haupt said. Plus, the staff was fascinated by how well Belleville's show has done and how it has grown over the past seven years, Haupt said.

Haupt said she loves visiting art shows. "It's just been one of my favorite projects," she said. "I love talking with the artists, seeing their work, seeing how talented they are."

Disney representatives won't be displaying any art or making any presentations, but they'll attend the show in the Public Square all three days, Haupt said.

Gregory said the attention from Disney is just one of many ways the city's $24,000 worth of marketing each year for the show has paid off.