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April 6 - 12, 2008 |
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Saturday April 12, 2008 |
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First Look: Disney’s
Rapunzel Family Suing After Daughter Allegedly Injured On Disney Water Park Ride Disney to make Latin 'Grey's', 'Sisters' Bargainhunter: The Disney Diet Disney Channel Worldwide Acquires "Timmy" from Aardman Animations Analyst projects poor year for Disney studios |
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First Look: Disney’s
Rapunzel /FILM
- Walt Disney Studios has released a new concept art rendering
and logo art from their upcoming Christmas 2010 animated feature
film Rapunzel. Click on the image to see it in super high
resolution. It should be noted that the image below is an older
image of Rapunzel, before they revamped (the project was
originally titled Rapunzel Unbraided).![]() Directed by Glen Keane and Dean Wellins, this new telling of the classic fairy tale, will transport audiences “to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair…lots of hair.” Director Glen Keane wants this computer animated film to look and feel like a traditional hand-drawn Disney Classic, but in 3D. A short clip of test footage was shown at Siggraph 2005, where is gained a lot of attention. Apparently they will be using a non-photorealistic rendering technique which will make the surface look like it is painted but still containing depth and dimensions. The movie’s visual style is being based on French Rococo artist Jean-Honore Fragonard’s painting “The Swing”. |
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Family Suing After Daughter Allegedly Injured On Disney Water
Park Ride WFtv - An Orange County girl was so badly shaken by a ride at Typhoon Lagoon, her family is suing Disney. They say the park admitted there might have been a problem with the Crush N Gusher ride and claim the injuries it caused cost far more than the pair of complimentary tickets Disney offered. 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. Tempesst Frias, 15, is recovering after she claims she was injured while riding the Crush N Gusher water ride at Typhoon Lagoon. She had some minor injuries, such as cuts and bruises on her elbows, but will now have to follow up with more tests. Doctors had to run CT scans and x-rays and are concerned she may have internal injuries."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 water slide is 35 feet high and has speeds of up to 25mph. Tempesst said, when she rode the waterslide, she felt like she was out of control. She ended up flipping upside down inside the slide and rolled around until she got to the bottom."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. Tempesst said, while she was waiting for an ambulance, a Disney worked offered her two free Disney tickets for her incontinence. She doesn't have insurance and just wants her medical bills taken care of."It's a nice gesture, but obviously several thousand dollars of medical bills are more than two free tickets," said attorney Rick Martindale. A Disney spokesperson told Eyewitness News they are aware of the situation. They checked the ride and believe the attraction was operating properly. The offer for the two tickets is still open. |
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Disney to make
Latin 'Grey's', 'Sisters' Variety - The Mouse House's newly unveiled plan to produce local versions of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Brothers & Sisters" in Colombia marks a second incursion into remaking original ABC Studios productions in Latin America.
Disney's Latino venture began
with "Desperate Housewives" for which it centralized
production in Buenos Aires, site of its regional
headquarters. Adaptations for Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina,
Brazil and the U.S. Hispanic market were shot on a
purpose-built Wisteria Lane set, renamed Calle Manzanares,
in Buenos Aires.
Company's strategic pact with Colombia's RCN TV and Vista Prods. will apply the same economies of scale for "Grey's Anatomy" and "Brothers & Sisters" once other Latino broadcasters sign on to make their own versions. Vista Prods. is building the "Grey's Anatomy" set at an old, abandoned clinic in the Colombian capital of Bogota that will include a state-of-the-art operating room.
"In the case of
'Brothers & Sisters,' which requires simpler sets,
we will give broadcasters the option to shoot their
own versions on their territory," says Fernando
Barbosa, senior VP of Disney Media Networks Latin
America. As in the Latino "Desperate Housewives,"
aka "Amas de casas desesperadas," Disney will adhere
closely to the storylines but incorporate cultural
nuances.
Disney Latin
America also is exploring the idea of remaking
"The Golden Girls," already reversion in Russia
and Greece.
"Colombia is set to become our second Latino production hub, after Argentina," Barbosa says.
Shooting of
"Grey's Anatomy" is slated for October.
Casting is still under way.
"We're
hoping to cast talent with more
international profiles, actors who
are renowned in the U.S. Latino
market," says Jaime Sanchez, General
Manager of Vista Prods.
Vista produces exclusively for
Colombia's RCN TV, which started
a five-year volume deal with
Disney this year.
The ratings for "Amas de
casas desesperadas" have
been a mixed bag. Ratings
for the U.S. Hispanic
version on Univision, airing
weekly on Thursdays since
Jan. 8, spiked at first but
have since slackened off.
The Univision version is
likely to air in Mexico,
although the studio declined
to name the network.
Ecuador's Teleamazonas
and RCN, which jointly
produced the same
version, have begun
production on the second
season of "Desesperadas."
Argentina's Artear
Canal 13, which was
the first
broadcaster to air
its version in
August 2006, has yet
to sign up for a
second season. Its
debut posted a 25.55
rating, making it
the numero uno
weekly series
premiere for the
web. Ratings
fluctuated through
the course of the
season.
In October, "Desesperadas"
launched on RCN
to a 35.3 rating
and 51 share.
Skein was
stripped Monday
to Thursday.
In Ecuador,
where it
debuted in
May,
Teleamazonas
stripped "Desesperadas"
Monday-Friday,
just as with
a regular
telenovela.
Formula
worked
amazingly
well,
boosting the
ratings
average of
its timeslot
from last
year's 8 to
20.8.
Brazil's
Rede TV
launch
of "Donas
de casa
desesperadas"
in
August
boosted
the
web's
overall
aud
share
ranking
from
fourth
to third
place.
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Bargainhunter:
The Disney
Diet
Times Online - May I recommend my radical new weight-loss program? It’s unconventional and a mite pricey, but, as sure as I can eat three packets of Monster Munch in one sitting, it’ll work.
All you
have to
do is
stay at
Disneyland
Paris
for a
week.
Then, as
if by
magic,
you’ll
find
that not
only is
your
belly
flatter
(since
you’ll
no
longer
be able
to
afford
food),
your
facial
muscles
will
have
toned up
beautifully.
This is
because
you’ll
spend
much of
the time
mouthing
the
words:
“How
much?,
while
stretching
your
features
into the
shape of
The
Scream.
Oh, I’m
joking.
Sort of.
I don’t
at all
resent
that
within
four
days
we’d
spent
£1,200,
not
including
the
hotel or
passes,
mainly
on
feeding
ourselves
and two
children
(and
alcohol,
obviously,
for the
nerves).
Disney
is about
sprinkling
a little
fairy
dust on
the
kiddies,
so what
Grinch
would
begrudge
restaurants
charging
£6 for a
pint of
Fosters,
plus £17
for a
chuffing
burger?
Sincerely,
I doff
my hat
to
Disney’s
genius.
I’ve
seen
Bambi, I
know how
they
play us
like
violins,
but
never
have I
seen a
machine
so
brilliantly
conceived
to suck
up
money.
It’s so
slick
you
barely
notice.
From the
hotel
pool
being
just a
tad too
cold for
the kids
to stay
in long
(thus
ensuring
you’re
back out
buying
pointless
figurines
and
Minnie
Mouse
ears),
to the
signs
above
the shop
doors
reading:
“Nothing
makes a
child
smile
like a
new toy”
– all is
calculated
to bleed
you,
ever so
sweetly,
dry.
Remember
that
squid
creature
with the
grasping
tentacles
in
Pirates
of the
Caribbean?
It’s a
not
dissimilar
feeling:
like
being
French-kissed
by a
giant
succubus
until
you’re a
spent
husk.
This was
my first
Disney
foray
and I’ve
realized
that
it’s a
bit like
childbirth.
No one
admits
how
painful
it is
until
you’re
in it.
Other
parents
tell you
only the
good
bits:
not that
a very
basic
lunch
for four
in the
nearby
“Disney
Village”
will set
you back
£80;
that
it’s
nigh
impossible,
outside
your
hotel,
to get
nice
food (I
ended up
not
eating –
another
triumph
for The
Program);
that
you’ll
stand
for 90
minutes
in a
queue
for your
child to
meet
Cinderella,
then pay
£12 for
the
official
photo;
that
you’re
fish in
a barrel
handing
over
euros
like
hypnotized
monkeys.
Oh, and
it was
hugely
enjoyable.
Not the
queues
or the
freeze-your-knackers-off
weather,
nor the
pushy,
Eurotrash
parents
who
monopolize
Mickey
Mouse by
photographing
each of
their
children
with him
indi-bloody-vidually
and buy
a
different
Princess
dress
for
their
daughters
each
day, but
the
permanent
fantasy
element.
It’s
like a
continuing
LSD trip
with 6ft
mice in
coat
tails.
In fact
it’s
worth
going
just for
the
Tower of
Terror (fastpasses
– it’s
the only
way).
Like the
Disney
experience
generally,
it’s all
an
exquisite
form of
masochism.
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Disney
Channel
Worldwide
Acquires
"Timmy"
from
Aardman
Animations
The Disney Channel - Disney Channel programmers from North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific have joined forces to acquire global rights for the stop-motion animated series "Timmy" from the acclaimed UK production company Aardman Animations ("Wallace & Gromit"). It is scheduled to premiere in 2009 on Playhouse Disney channels and programming blocks around the world. The announcement was made today by Gary Marsh, President, Disney Channels Worldwide. In making the announcement, Marsh said: "Our talented global team focuses on one brand and one vision, and it's incredibly exciting when the decision to acquire a property is unanimous. 'Timmy' is a unique show from world-class auspices and is consistent with our strategy to offer endearing characters and stories with universal life lessons for preschoolers and caregivers to enjoy together." "Timmy" marks Aardman's foray into television for preschoolers and combines the production company's award-winning stop-motion animation style with the colorful simplicity of animation for kids age 2-5. The short-form series stars a charming little sheep, three-year-old Timmy, a character based on sketches by Academy Award-winner Nick Park ("Wallace & Gromit in a Close Shave") and introduced on the award-winning series "Shaun the Sheep," airing on Disney Channels around the world. Miles Bullough, head of Broadcast at Aardman, commented: "We are thrilled to partner with Disney on our first major foray into preschool programming. Having worked with Disney Channels in several territories on 'Shaun the Sheep,' it made complete sense for us to join forces on 'Timmy' - we know that they will take great care of our latest offspring." Timmy is adorable, but he's a little lamb with a lot to learn. Each episode will follow a day in the life of Timmy as he learns something about himself and all of his friends – an assortment of bright young animals, some farmyard, some domestic and some wild. Timmy's world is set over the hill and down the lane from Shaun's farm and is a bright, colorful, stylized world with its own unique look. The creative producer and supervising director is BAFTA winner Jackie Cockle ("Bob the Builder," "Noddy" and animator on "Cinderella" among others). The executive producer is Miles Bullough ("Shaun the Sheep"). Aardman Animations, based in Bristol (UK), co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and commercials for the domestic and international market. The studio has won over 400 international awards and four Academy Awards, including one for "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." Disney Channel Worldwide represents the most successful portfolio of kids' channels in the world. Comprised of 27 Disney Channels, ten Playhouse Disney Channels and nine Toon Disney Channels, and through a strategic partnership with Disney ABC International Television for the distribution of Disney-branded blocks of kids' programming across the globe, Disney Channel Worldwide reaches more than 600 million viewers in over 100 countries in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America and South Africa. Disney Channel properties continue to rapidly expand into new markets across the world, playing a key role in introducing the Disney brand to new consumers. |
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Analyst
projects
poor
year for
Disney
studios
Edmonton Journal - Walt Disney Co. faces the steepest drop in movie revenue this year among the major U.S. studios, Citigroup Inc. said. Disney's studio revenue may fall 15 per cent to $6.4 billion from $7.49 billion in 2007, when results were bolstered by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Ratatouille, analyst Jason Bazinet in New York wrote in a note to clients this week. The company has a "relatively weak slate" of releases compared with Pirates, which took in about $958 million US worldwide, and the $616 million for Ratatouille, wrote Bazinet. Of the 29 analysts who cover Burbank, Calif.-based Disney, he's the only one advising investors to sell the shares. Disney doesn't forecast results or offer guidance, company spokesman Jonathan Friedland said in an interview. "We have some great, amazingly creative films coming out this year," Friedland said. To boost profits, CEO Robert Iger cut the workforce by 20 per cent in 2006 and cut releases by 25 per cent. |
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Friday April 11, 2008 |
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Woman
Found Guilty Of Battery At Disney Ride Disney Online Continues Its Digital Dominance as the #1 Kids and Family Online Destination Disney Star Wars Weekends 2008 Guest List Disney Shares Fall on Recession Worry The Iger difference Gas to lead Euro Disney iRiver/Disney Mickey Mouse-shaped MPlayer MP3 player now available to buy online "Hannah Montana" co-star Mitchel Musso at the Magic Kingdom Martinez Promoted to Radio Disney Creative Director 'Toy Story -- The Musical' floats only at sea aboard a Disney ship The 30th anniversary of my first Disneyland trip Disney making Phillip K Dick's King Of The Elves A Disney World of their Own |
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Woman
Found Guilty Of Battery At Disney Ride WFTV - An Alabama grandmother was found guilty of battery Friday after being accused of attacking another woman on a ride at Disney World. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict for a second charge. Victoria Walker said she didn't start the fight that day at the Magic Kingdom's Mad Tea Party ride. She insists the alleged victim, Aimee Krause, was the real troublemaker. Walker, 51, says she was helping some children from her Alabama church board Disney's Mad Tea Party ride. "I was getting in a tea cup and I felt a kick on my right leg and it was Miss Krause. I grabbed her hair like that and I kicked her back," Walker testified Thursday.On May 27 of last year, the two women got into an argument while waiting in line at the ride. Prosecutors say Walker got angry when Krause's kids cut to the front. Moments later, Walker says Krause gave her an elbow. Friday's guilty verdict means Walker could face up to 15 years in prison. |
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Disney Online Continues Its Digital Dominance as the #1 Kids and
Family Online Destination Business Wire - Disney Online, the longstanding No. 1 destination on the Internet for kids and families, continued its digital dominance for the first quarter of 2008, breaking all previous quarterly traffic records with an average of more than 27.3 million unique visitors per month. First quarter 2008 marks the one-year anniversary of the complete redesign of Disney.com and audiences have responded to the new online offerings with a 22 percent increase year-over-year in average monthly visitors to Disney Online (2007 vs. 2008 Q1 average monthly uniques). Disney Online’s quarterly traffic record was also well above its closest competitor, Nickelodeon Kids & Family Network sites. 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. The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). |
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Disney Star
Wars Weekends 2008 Guest List StarWars.com - Time to start planning for Star Wars Weekends! Starting in June, fans get to meet an impressive lineup of special guests attending four weekends of Star Wars fun at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. From June 6 to June 29, 2008, fans of all ages will converge to celebrate the heroes, villains, creatures and droids of the saga. In addition to Star Wars costumed characters, fun activities, and the Star Tours theme park ride, celebrity guests will be in attendance for meet-and-greet sessions, star conversations, and a classic Hollywood-style motorcade. 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. 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. For the latest Star Wars Weekends updates, keep checking here as well as Disneyworld.com. For more information, tickets or resort reservations, guests can call (407) W-DISNEY, visit Disneyworld.com or a travel agent. |
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Disney Shares Fall on Recession Worry CNNMoney - Shares of Walt Disney Co. fell Friday after an analyst said a weak economy might hurt the typically recession-proof media conglomerate this time around. 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. Disney shares fell 92 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $30.43 during afternoon trading. The stock is down about 3 percent this year and has traded between $26.30 and $36.30 during the past 52 weeks. |
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The Iger difference Fortune - At a time of upheaval in the media business, Walt Disney has had a string of hits the likes of which it hasn't had since, well, the early tenure of former CEO Michael Eisner in the 1980s. Three years after succeeding Eisner - and confounding skeptics in the process - CEO Bob Iger talked to Fortune's Richard Siklos about buying Pixar, pulling Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) out of a creative slump with new megafranchises like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical," working with Steve Jobs, and wrestling with the image of a certain mouse. Edited excerpts: 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? Strength, creativity, and a product that is in demand are good things. Also, through some very deliberate moves from a divestiture perspective, only 20% of our revenues now come from advertising - we sold radio and did not buy more television stations the way many of our competitors did. At our parks, we've worked very hard to create a competitive advantage. If families are going to go on a vacation, they're likely to either come to us first or abandon us last. I don't think it would be fair to say that we're recession-proof, but we're much more resilient than our competitors. |
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Gas to lead Euro Disney Variety - Theme park operator Euro Disney has tapped its head of human resources, Philippe Gas, as chairman, replacing Karl Holz. Gas will not start his new role until Sept. 1, although he and Holz will work together over the summer to ensure a smooth transition. Holz has been appointed prexy, new vacation operations, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the company said Friday. Main priorities for Gas, who has been a Disney group exec for 17 years, include driving Euro Disney results toward profitability. Revenue at Euro Disney for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 increased 20% to Euros340.5 million ($538 million), driven by a 14% rise to $276.7 million in theme parks revenues due to a 10% growth in attendance and a 3% in average spending per guest. Hotels and Disney Village revenues increased 17% to $200.2 million. Last December, Euro Disney implemented a previously approved 1-for-100 reverse share split. Company operates Disneyland Resort Paris, which includes Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, both outside Paris, and seven themed hotels with 5,800 rooms. |
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iRiver/Disney Mickey Mouse-shaped MPlayer MP3 player now
available to buy online Retro
To Go - We covered these some time ago after the Far East
launch, but the Mickey Mouse-shaped MPlayer
never actually made it to the UK. But here's the good news - new
models are available and you can buy them online.
Mplayer Season 2 are much the same as the originals - made by iRiver, but with Disney branding, along with 1GB of storage and enough battery life for nine hours playback between charges. And those Mickey ears aren't just for novelty - one is for volume, the other for control of your tracks. The only
difference from the originals are the colors - you can buy any
of the above, all selling online for $96.94, which is around
£48. |
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"Hannah Montana" co-star Mitchel Musso at the Magic Kingdom Disney
News - Teen star Mitchel Musso, one of the stars of the Disney
Channel hit series "Hannah Montana," poses with a miniature
version of himself – an action figure of his "Hannah Montana"
character, Oliver – April 10, 2008 at the Magic Kingdom in Lake
Buena Vista, Fla. Musso, also a singer, is on a concert tour
with singer/actress Raven-Symone. He visited the Walt Disney
World theme park with his family. |
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Martinez Promoted to Radio Disney Creative Director Radio Online - Ernest Martinez is promoted to Creative Director for Radio Disney. Martinez, who is also known as the childrens radio network air personality "Ernie D," joined the company ten years ago, rising from producer to on-air staff. Martinez will now oversee the presentation of Radio Disney's programming, while continuing his afternoon shift. "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. Martinez, a Dallas native, began his radio career as a morning producer at KHCK-FM/Dallas. He later became a producer/production assistant at KHKS-FM/Dallas, before joining ABC Radio Networks International as international radio producer. |
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This
Disney theme is food and wine OCRegister - Decades ago, who could have predicted that Disneyland would become a place for folks to learn about extraordinary wine and food? Mickey and his pals must be foodies with a keen appreciation for delicacies such as Lobster Lollipops and reserve Pinot Noir. 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. Each wine class is limited to 50 people; the fee is $45. For more information and to register, go to www.disneyland.com/foodandwine. |
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'Toy Story - The Musical' floats only at sea aboard a Disney
ship Disney has retooled and repurposed another of its modern animated classics and set it out to sea. Toy Story -- The Musical premiered Thursday, but there's only one way for fans to see it -- aboard the Disney Wonder, one of two cruise ships based here. The musical is the latest entry in Disney's revival of the Toy Story franchise. Earlier this year, "Block Party Bash," a parade starring Toy Story and other Pixar characters, came to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Toy Story Mania, an interactive 3-D ride, is set to debut there this summer. And Toy Story 3 is currently in production. Lasseter said to expect that to premiere in June 2010. The stage show has the blessing and the imprint of John Lasseter, director of the Toy Story films and now chief creative officer of Disney and Pixar Animation Studios as well as the principal creative adviser of Walt Disney Imagineering. The result show is a full-blown Broadway-style affair with 18 actors (including beloved characters Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Hamm and Rex), giant projection screens, an appearance of the Claw and a rollicking finale. "It's the most elaborate show on the high seas," said Tom McAlpin, president of Disney Cruise Line. Seven new songs were written by husband-and-wife team Valerie Vigoda and Brendan Milburn of the rock band GrooveLily to go with Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" from the 1995 film. Unlike in theme parks, the faces of the actors playing lead characters Buzz Lightyear and Woody are visible. Those actors, Noel Douglas Orput and Geoffrey Tyler, respectively, sing live to advance the plot about friendship, loyalty, teamwork and jealousy. Passengers on the Wonder's three- and four-day cruises will see the production in the ship's theater, which seats 977 guests. The show clocks in at just shy of an hour, a family-friendly length. |
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The
30th anniversary of my first Disneyland trip
CANOE - I was a 13-year-old kid who was tired of going to Scotland for my holidays. Every time we would arrive at my Granny's house, she'd say the exact same thing to me, "Oh, someone's sure packing on the beef." It was just what I needed to hear on the heels of a 10-hour flight. That, of course, was 10 hours in the smoking section! It was like a bingo hall with wings. Under the G: Get me the hell out of here! I think that trip must have finally guilted my parents into going somewhere else, somewhere much closer. April 10, 1978: My dad walked in the door with three airline tickets in his hand and yelled out, "Guess who's going to the Magic Kingdom?" My jaw hit the floor! Luckily my double chin protected it from almost certain injury from the hardwood. I started to tear up, but not in the good way like when I found out Love Boat was finally coming to DVD. This was the bad kind of tears like a kid who was promised Disneyland only to have it cruelly yanked away. It was later explained to me that they are the same place. The trip got off to a rocky start when I lost my coveted set of Mickey Mouse ears five seconds into the Matterhorn ride. This turned into a 40 m.p.h. berating that lasted the entire ride. I think that being an only child, you tend to get yelled at more. Could this be because there are fewer witnesses? Just a theory. I was dying to get my picture taken with Goofy. Meanwhile, my mom was getting me to pose with anyone and everyone who worked in the park - like the waitress that served us lunch, the guy sweeping up trash and a man in a train conductor hat who wasn't even an employee, he was some guy vacationing from Pennsylvania. Of course, by the time we saw Goofy, there was no film left in the camera. Later on my mom found a sketch artist who drew a picture of Goofy and me. Unfortunately, he was too detailed and sketched a set of man-boobs on me. I'm not saying they weren't there, but c'mon, give a chubby kid a break. A big holiday ritual for me was the sending of postcards. The trouble was, I tended to exaggerate a tad. That's why my mom felt the need to proofread the cards before she wasted a stamp on them. I remember writing one to my friend Roger telling him we just ate dinner with the park owner Walt Disney. That one didn't make it past proofing. My mom told me that was a pack of lies and that it wasn't getting a stamp. She also added that Walt Disney had died 10 years earlier. Still, I had a great time. Wish you were all there. |
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Disney
making Phillip K Dick's King Of The Elves Den of Geek - Go through the directors who have tackled the work of Phillip K Dick, and you get an idea as to the kind of attraction the legendary writer still holds. Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Paul Verhoeven and John Woo are among those who have tackled his work – it has to be said with varying levels of success – and the movie industry has been on the lookout, clearly, for more stories to adapt. That said, eyebrows have been raised that the latest PKD project to be announced will be a Disney family film, which is being readied for Christmas 2012. Dick only ventured once into the fantasy genre, and his tale of the King Of The Elves is currently in production at Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s a fascinating marriage, and could well prove to be an ambitious project to realise for the House Of Mouse. To quote the blurb, it’s a “fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life”. Directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker are attached to the project, although their sole directorial credit thus far was the very kiddie-friendly Brother Bear in 2003 (which was Disney’s last hand-drawn hit of any note). We’ll be keeping an eye on this one, although don’t expect to here much on it for a good year or two yet. |
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A Disney
World of their Own India express - You think your child is wasting time watching the antics of Tom and Jerry and the whole Disney brood? Don’t be too harsh on this arcane fascination for animated avatars as a clutch of schoolchildren shows they can do more than watch — they have found a little bit of Walt Disney in themselves and created their own cartoons. A Festival of Animation Films Made by Children of India 2007-08 to be held at the India International Centre today brings 16 films made by students from a few schools of the National Capital Region, apart from one by special children the world over. The films were made by 8-16-year-old students of Amity and Sri Ram schools under the guidance of animator Nitin Dhonde. While the movies — dealing with everything from animal rights to fantastic flying dogs — were earlier screened at the Hiroshima International Animation Film Festival, now four of these filmmaking tykes have been selected as part of the jury for the forthcoming Annecy International Animated Film Festival in Paris in June. The children mastered animation as a part of their curriculum, paying Rs 2,500 a year. Says Donde: “I ask them to write a story or draw a picture. Then they visualise it in terms of frames and compile something like a comic book. Then I lend them my professional broadcast camera with which they shoot the scenes. Later we sit at the editing table and add special effects and music.” The Sound of Animation, a 30-minute compilation of shorts made by children with special needs from all over the world, will conclude the festival. The kids were made to listen to a two-minute instrumental music around which they made a short animation clip depicting the art and culture of their country. The clips were later compiled into a film. The screening will begin at 6.30 pm today at the India International Centre. |
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Mouse Business 102: Disney, Siemens and Spaceship Earth Disney World Trivia - With the recent re-opening of Spaceship Earth, I thought it was a good time to look into how the relationship between Disney and Siemens formed to refurbish and transform one of the most famous of all Disney Icons. To get a look into the inner workings, I spoke with Jack Bergen, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Siemens. In 2005 Siemens entered into a 12 year alliance with Disney. Despite having over 70,000 employees in the United States, Siemens wanted to increase their marketing presence here in America. They knew they wanted to do something associated with an American icon, and explored many different avenues including sponsoring a baseball stadium. Siemens already had a relationship with Disney, providing much of the technology in their fire safety systems and water treatment programs and once the two sides began to talk everything seemed to click. Two big items that were available for sponsorship, Spaceship Earth and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fit perfectly with the Siemens Company. Sylvania, the giant lighting company owned by Siemens, seemed a perfect match for the Illuminations fireworks show, and the iconic globe that is Spaceship Earth fit equally as well with the global image that Siemens wanted to portray. Once the lawyers and paperwork was out of the way, it was now on to the important stuff, the update of Spaceship Earth. Siemens was founded in 1847 by the inventor Werner von Siemens, so futuristic and forward thinking has always been part of the company's heritage. They knew that they wanted to pair this futuristic thinking with the creativity of the Imagineers to capture the essence of “tomorrow” on Spaceship Earth. However, this is not so easily done. The problem with “tomorrow” is that before you know it, its today. Both the Imagineers and the team from Siemens knew that the task of capturing a “new” future -- while still making it seem realistic and in line with the traditions of the ride -- was difficult to begin with. Throw in the factor that they would be working on one of the most famous of all Disney attractions, and it was going to be quite a task. Members of the Siemens company would fly to Burbank, California, about once a month to meet and discuss plans for the ride and post-show with the Imagineers. To give the Imagineers an idea of some of the futuristic advances Siemens was working on, they provided the Imagineers with subscriptions to their in-house publication "Pictures of the Future" a bi-monthly magazine which highlights the cutting edge technology being developed in Siemens' research labs. The Imagineers even took a trip to Germany to visit some of the Siemens' headquarters and labs to get an up close look at the "future." With this foundation, the Imagineers enthusiastically embarked on the transformation of Spaceship Earth, combining the technology of Siemens and the magic of Disney. On March 4, 2008 Spaceship Earth was officially re-opened with a rededication ceremony. Although the ride has been officially re-opened, Siemens and Disney are not done with it just yet. I asked Mr. Bergen what else might be in store for the legendary ride and he told me several things that he hoped would be incorporated in the future. First, he said they are constantly looking at ways to utilize the technology on the ride to make the experience more interactive for the rider. He would like for there to be a way, using the new "video interfaces", to email yourself, friends or family, your experience on the ride either as you get off or right after you get off. Secondly, they hope to make Spaceship Earth an educational internet experience. A website is already setup for the ride (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/spaceshipEarth/) and the hope is that this website will use Spaceship Earth as a centerpiece to provide educational opportunities to teachers and students all over the world. Finally, Siemens hopes to eventually hold the finals of their Annual Science Competition at Spaceship Earth itself, a seemingly fitting venue. One thing that Mr. Bergen consistently pointed out was how easy and pleasurable it was to work with Disney during the entire process. He said that you might hear that since Disney and the Imagineers are such perfectionists they might be difficult to work with. But nothing could be further from the truth. As a small anecdotal story, Mr. Bergen told me that he was at Epcot one night watching Illuminations. At the end of the fireworks he turned to the Disney people he was enjoying the show with and said wouldn’t it be nice if at the end we could have something reflected on Spaceship Earth that says “Illuminations presented by....”. Without any further requests or follow up calls, Disney did it. Customer service runs throughout all areas of the company. Although the transformation of Spaceship Earth is almost complete, Siemens has no plans to expand their park presence any further through the sponsorship of additional rides or attractions beyond those it already has. Rather, they seem focused on working with Disney to continually improve what they have sponsored, ensuring Spaceship Earth remains both educational and entertaining. After all, "Edutainment" is the purpose of Epcot. |
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Thursday April 10, 2008 |
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Disney issues special passes for elected officials, VIPS Zoo signs $15m contract with Disney Jurors hear 2 versions of Disney teacup fight Upbeat theme for Disney's parks Travel Channel host digs Disney Academy Award Winning Songwriter Richard M. Sherman to Bring His “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Songbook to the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival Onchan Park will not be turned into 'Disney World' ABC's Woodruff to Receive Pearl Award Noted Filmmakers and Oscar Nominees Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn Present Rarely Seen Disney Animation and Experimental Films at 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival How Disney Makes A Miley County seeking to learn some of Disney's secrets Disney Bridal Announces Disney Princess Line |
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Disney issues special passes for elected officials, VIPS Florida Times-Union - Politicians and other VIPs can receive special passes that let them cut in line at popular rides at Walt Disney World. The unrestricted, all-day "FastPasses" are for elected officials or other "high-profile guests" who don't want to worry about logistical or security problems they might face while waiting in long lines. Park spokeswoman Kim Prunty said they are available on a limited basis determined case-by-case by Disney's government-affairs office. Disney maintains that the passes have no monetary value and so are not restricted by government ethics laws and do not have to be reported either as gifts to public officials or as a lobbying expense. Prunty would not identify any of the people who have gotten the passes. Some government ethics watchdogs expressed concern that the passes might provide Disney, which routinely lobbies state and federal government officials, with a way to offer a feel-good service just for politicians. "It clearly is a perk," said Ben Wilcox, executive director of Common Cause of Florida, a government watchdog. Disney's government-affairs office first started providing the passes last fall. Gift- and lobbyist-reporting laws for public officials vary among local, state and federal governments. The Florida Legislature specifically allows its members to receive "priority for obtaining services where there is an established queue." Disney World's regular FastPass system, introduced in 1999, offers all visitors a chance to avoid some of the longest lines in its theme parks. A visitor who arrives at a FastPass-eligible attraction early enough in the day can obtain a FastPass ticket from a designated kiosk. SeaWorld and other Busch Entertainment Corp. theme parks in Orlando do not offer any such passes, and they do not offer line-jumping privileges to anyone, spokeswoman Becca Bides said. Universal Orlando once had its own FastPass system, which it called an "Express Pass," but in 2006 the company starting charging for the service. As a result, it does not provide them to elected officials. |
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Zoo signs $15m
contract with Disney Yorkshire Post - ZOO Digital, the Sheffield-based digital specialist, has signed a $15m software contract spanning 15 years with Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures International.
Zoo will supply software
automation products including its recently-launched Media
Adaptation Tool to Disney.
It has also licensed a DVD authoring system to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Zoo said it expects pre-tax losses for the year ended March 31 to be in line with expectations at £1.4m. Its sales for the year were up 119 per cent on-year to around £3.3m and the company sees "significant revenue growth" in the current financial year. Zoo says its acquisition of Scope Seven, a Los Angeles-based firm which prepares DVDs for Hollywood studios, has significantly improved its ability to penetrate the US market. Clients include toy giants Hasbro and Mattel. The firm also stands to benefit from the resolution high definition DVD war. It said in a statement: "The uncertainties in the next generation home video market were resolved in early 2008 as a result of Warner's and Toshiba's discontinuation of support for HD DVD. "As a consequence, ZOO now sees significant opportunities in the area of technology and services for Blu-ray title production. We are accelerating the development of Blu-ray products which will be deployed by Scope Seven to provide services for current and prospective Hollywood clients." |
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Jurors hear 2 versions of Disney teacup fight
Orlando Sentinel - Witnesses for the prosecution and defense differed in court Wednesday on who was the aggressor in a beating last year at Walt Disney World. Lori Tamplin and her daughter Darby, 10, both of Louisiana, told the jury in Orlando that they saw Victoria Walker, 51, repeatedly punch Aimee Krause, 35, in the head at Disney's Mad Tea Party ride. Jurors also watched the videotaped testimony of Ashley Mayeux, also of Louisiana, who was unable to attend the trial. "Victoria Walker had Aimee by the ponytail and had taken her head and was slamming it on the side of the teacup," Mayeux said in the video. Walker, of Anniston, Ala., has been charged with aggravated battery and battery. If convicted, she faces up to 16 years in prison. After the state rested its case on Wednesday afternoon, the defense called several members of Walker's church group who traveled with her to Disney last May. Like several of the state's witnesses, Bessie Goggins, Walker's aunt, and Jamia Haynes, 12, said Walker and Krause got in an argument while waiting in line. Goggins said Walker was upset because several people had moved in front of her group and that she was just trying to get back to her original place. But Goggins and Jamia said Krause, not Walker, was the aggressor during the argument. "Ms. Vicki asked [Krause] why she had gotten in front of us," Jamia said. "[Krause] came back with an attitude ... she got a little feisty with [Walker]. Jamia was the only defense witness who said she witnessed Walker begin to beat Krause after their groups went into the teacup ride. Walker hit Krause, but Krause provoked Walker by kicking her, Jamia said. Walker's trial resumes today. She might be called to testify in her defense. |
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