First
up was a "stroller derby" competition over by "it's a small
world" in Fantasyland. It was fun and good-natured. I had a
chance to talk with all three guys the night before at the
Yacht Club. Naturally, they are energetic and nice and
really really glad to be here on the cusp of victory.
Get your Pleasure in Now, Pleasure Island to close
Disney Gossip - Making official what has been reality in
practice for over a year, Walt Disney World is expected to
formally do away with the Pleasure Island concept later this
year. It started New Years Eve 2005 when the last of the
nightly New Years Eve celebrations happened and general
admission tickets were phased out. Then it kicked into high
gear in 2006 when a new pedestrian bridge brought the end of
the West End Stage and the Hub Stage.
This year will see replacement of Rock'n'Roll Beach Club
with a new restaurant concept. This will reduce the number
of venues that require admission tickets to four. Add that
to Raglan Road and T-Rex and slowly the night club focus of
Pleasure Island is shifting to branded family entertainment.
This will have the affect of turning Downtown Disney into
just another branded entertainment complex, much like City
Walk just up I-4. at Universal Studios. I suppose that's the
direction that will bring in the most money, but it doesn't
seem very Disney.
Update: just to
clarify, I don't feel that going more family friendly is
un-Disney. I feel that bringing in lots of outside brands to
occupy the space is un-Disney. I'd rather see more creative
stuff from the mind of the mouse. Some sort of modern take
on the Adventurer's Club would be great.
As for my source... well, obviously there is nothing
official from Disney yet. But one walk through PI and it's
obvious they've already effectively ended the concept of PI.
It's now just a few night clubs. My sources are just
confirming the target date of sometime this year.
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 April 13 - 19, 2008 |
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Saturday April 19, 2008 | |
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Spira Signs Three-Year Agreement To Sponsor Disney's Endurance
Series A Potato with A-Peel Hollywood hopes theme parks, superheroes fly in Middle East For a Good Time ... Call Disney Star? Disney-owned ABCNews.com: All the News Fit to Strip? | |
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Spira Signs Three-Year Agreement To Sponsor Disney's Endurance
Series
PR Web - Spira Footwear (www.spirafootwear.com) has signed a three-year agreement with Disney's Wide World of Sports in which Spira will serve as the official performance footwear sponsor of Disney's Endurance Series events at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. As part of the agreement, Spira Footwear will be included in key marketing and promotional efforts for Disney's Endurance Series. Disney's Endurance Series events include the Walt Disney World Marathon, which is one of the top marathons in the U.S., the Expedition Everest Challenge, Disney's Race for the Taste 10K, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K, and the Disneyland Half Marathon. "We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Disney's Wide World of Sports," Andy Krafsur, CEO of Spira said. "Their brand is among the strongest in the world and connotes excellence in every sense of the word." Spira is the company behind an innovation called the WaveSpring, a patented spring technology that is enclosed in the heel and/or forefoot of its shoes. Spira elite runners have been winning or placing in the top three of many national and international marathons, half marathons and 10K races in the past year, including Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Istanbul to name a few. "The spring system not only cushions but also returns energy, making the shoe more comfortable and allowing runners to run harder for longer periods of time with less stress on their muscles and joints," Krafsur said. The company also produces walking and casual style footwear. "Our shoes are not only beneficial for elite athletes and serious runners, but are also wonderful for people who want extra cushioning and energy return if they are walking or are on their feet for long periods of time," Krafsur said. "This is a technology that can help people recover faster from the Disney's Endurance Series races and go on to enjoy their days and evenings with their families and friends at the Disney theme parks," said Krafsur. | |
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A Potato with
A-Peel Disney
News - Eric Swapp, Principal Show Programmer for Walt Disney
Imagineering, is "watched" closely by an Audio-Animatronics
figure of Mr. Potato Head as he makes adjustments to the figure
April 4, 2008 at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista,
Fla. The five-foot-tall figure of the famous Hasbro toy, which
features the voice of Don Rickles, portrays a "carnival barker"
in the soon-to-open "Toy Story Mania!" attraction at the Walt
Disney World theme park. "Toy Story Mania!" is an interactive
ride-through attraction that combines elements of a video game,
"4-D" technology and interaction with stars from the
Disney-Pixar film "Toy Story." It is scheduled to open in summer
2008 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland
Resort in California. The attraction is opening as part of
Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. | |
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Hollywood hopes theme parks, superheroes fly in Middle East AP - Wonder Woman, King Kong and Shrek are heading for the Persian Gulf as part of the rush to build what could become the world's largest theme park playground. But even as the ink dries on the billion-dollar deals in the United Arab Emirates, movie studios are grappling with ways to make their signature characters and amusement parks fly in the conservative Muslim region. Politically sensitive characters such as Captain America could be left at home. Prayer rooms will join the list of accommodations, and menus will likely feature falafel and humus alongside pizza and hot dogs. There's even a move afoot to offer Bollywood dance shows to lure Indian visitors. Investors, studios and park operators are all aiming to cash in on what some observers call the Middle East's decades-long fascination with American culture. Hollywood movies are popular in the region, and Western fashions are hot commodities among residents who travel abroad. "On the one hand, they hate America. On the other hand they love America to the bone," said Michael Izady, an expert on Middle East culture who reaches history at Pace University in New York. The theme park market is open -- with no major facilities currently operating in the Middle East. The projects are no-brainers for the entertainment companies that have jumped at what amounts to free brand expansions with no capital at risk. Few details have been provided about the deals, which entertainment companies simply describe as licensing arrangements for intellectual property and help on designing the parks and attractions, with no mention of possible royalty payments. Their investment partners have money and land to build the parks but lack the star-powered attractions to draw the millions of visitors needed to make them profitable. Dubai, one of the seven constituents of the UAE, has thrived and turned into a magnet for the wealthy as oil money flowed in. The government wants to more than double the number of annual visitors from nearly 7 million last year to 15 million by 2015. In recent months, eight major licensing deals have been struck between oil-rich investors and entertainment giants such as Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Inc. for theme parks and other attractions. The first, a $2.2 billion Universal Studios park based on franchises such as King Kong and Jurassic Park, is set to open in an area dubbed Dubailand on the city's desert outskirts in 2010. Designs for the parks are moving quickly, despite lingering doubts about the long-term availability of financing and the lack of highways and other infrastructure to support the huge developments. Several projects are planned for a manmade island being reclaimed from the sea called Palm Jebel Ali. Most of the parks are proposed for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the region's most Westernized and cosmopolitan cities, where expatriates outnumber local citizens, bars and restaurants serve alcohol and foreign women stroll some beaches in bikinis. Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. home entertainment group, is convinced that Superman, Batman and other DC Comics characters licensed by Warner will be readily accepted by those who visit the park from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. Even the bare-shouldered Wonder Woman shouldn't raise too many eyebrows "unless we depicted her as a Muslim woman," said Tsujihara, who is spearheading the Warner theme park in Abu Dhabi. Even so, "we probably wouldn't have her running around in costume around the park," he said. With plans to help build a $1 billion theme park in Abu Dhabi by 2011, Marvel Entertainment Inc. is downplaying Captain America, a World War II creation draped in the American flag, in favor of attractions based on popular characters such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and X-Men -- none of whom carry the same political baggage. "One of the things that's nice about our characters is they're either about individuals helping people or they're about teams of people of different types, like mutants, that band together and solve problems," Marvel chairman David Maisel said. "If anything, that's a good message for today's world with all the different cultures," he said. Park designers also plan to tweak the models used for North American theme parks. Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. will include beer-tasting zones in its four-park complex anchored by SeaWorld, set to open in Dubai in 2012. The discreet zones will receive little advertising, in accordance with UAE government guidelines. "Realistically, Dubai is a very cosmopolitan market. It's not unlike visiting Paris or New York or London or Berlin or Milan," Busch Entertainment president Jim Atchison said. The Walt Disney Co., the world's largest theme park operator by far, is notably absent from the rush to the region. Disney parks and resorts chairman Jay Rasulo said Disney is studying the market. Some observers said the cultural barriers might be easier to overcome than financial and infrastructure hurdles. Massive construction on a variety of projects is causing traffic jams as road construction has failed to keep pace with the building. "The development in the UAE is outrunning the ability of the infrastructure to keep up," said Keith James, president of Jack Rouse Associates, which is helping develop a Ferrari automobile theme park in Abu Dhabi to open next year. "I'm not going to say they're not going to happen, I just don't know that they're going to happen on the tight timeframe that everybody is talking about," he said. "There's simply not enough labor and design effort to pull it off." The scale of the theme park plans, estimated to cost a total of at least $20 billion, puts them on par with developments in Orlando, Fla., home to a dozen parks including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. "Up until very recently, the Middle East has been theme-park deprived," said Paul Ruben, North American editor of Park World magazine. "They've suddenly joined the 21st century." The parks will also provide Dubai, and to a lesser extent Abu Dhabi, with an economic buffer against diminishing oil reserves, expected to run out in Dubai in a decade or more. Funded by sky-high oil prices, government-backed companies in both areas have gone on a worldwide investing sprees, taking stakes in everything from casinos and cruise ships to electronics makers, banks and ports. Studios and their UAE financiers are taking a risk with the theme parks, said Ibrahim Warde, adjunct professor of international business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. "There are two separate issues," he said. "One is whether, financially, all those projects will come to completion. The other question is if they do, will the customers show up?" | |
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For a Good Time
... Call Disney Star? TMZ
- Holy Hannah Montana! Is that Brenda Song?? Song, the star of Disney's hit "Suite Life of Zack & Cody," is featured in an escort ad in the back of this week's LA Weekly. We hear the escort company was just contacted by Disney lawyers who are none too happy with their teen queen advertising, er, adult activities. (Check out how they spell "Hawaiian." Charming.) Disney isn't playing games. A rep told us "This is an unauthorized use of Brenda Song's image and her personal attorney has issued a cease and desist to the advertiser." | |
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Disney-owned ABCNews.com: All the News Fit to Strip? NewsBusters - Earlier this week we documented how ABCNews.com used a photo illustration in its top headlines lineup that pictured a Bible, a rosary, and a bare-shouldered woman apparently in the throes of passion. Well, in this morning's ABCNews.com lineup of top stories: John and Cindy McCain's tax returns, Hillary Clinton bashing Barack Obama, Pope Benedict at the UN, and how a company plans to make a stripper game for use on the Nintendo Wii. The graphic (pictured at right) features a young woman holding the traditional Wii controller against a silhouette of a woman grasping a stripper pole. The link takes readers to an ABCNews.com story by Ashley Phillips. Now, I don't think the story is totally meritless, but "Top Headlines" material? Is ABCNews.com merely doing its job to put the, ahem, sexiest stories it can on its front page to gin up more readership and ad revenue, or is it doing a disservice to general audiences, particularly parents who might find such decisions irresponsible on the part of the Disney-owned ABC? | |
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Friday April 18, 2008 | |
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3 finalists in running for Disney's Chief Magic Official Disney pulls plug on virtual world ESPN to televise part of Wimbledon through 2013 De-consolidating Disney: Time for an ESPN Spin-off Wall-E Screening to Raise Money for Emery Ed Fund Disney Cruise Line Pampers Guests with New Pre-Arrival Concierge Services Angelo, Brown sell 'Fear' to Disney Disney-Pixar: The Future of Feature Animation Radio Disney Unveils Site, Texting Program Need tickets to Disney Channel Games Concert? Disney production to be first family event at arena Reddy Ready For Disney | |
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3 finalists in running for Disney's Chief Magic Official Orlando Sentinel - The three finalists for the position of Chief Magic Official have arrived at Walt Disney World for the final stages of the competition. The candidates, winnowed from 1,300 video applicants, are involved in two days of light-hearted contests that will show off hospitality and general magic-making to a global jury of online voters. The new position, part of Disney Parks' extended Year of a Million Dreams promotion, is a yearlong, part-time gig that will jet the winner between events at its four Disney World theme parks and the two in Anaheim, Calif. Thursday morning found the three contestants in a corner of the Magic Kingdom, sifting through and arranging the contents of five strollers each. Justin Muchoney -- the only non-parent of the finalists -- scored an upset by finishing this "stroller derby" task first. But the victory doesn't count much. The job of Chief Magic Official is not tied to these contests. Instead, the winner will be selected solely by popular vote on the contest Web site, DreamCMO.com. Candidates have spread the word for weeks through Internet campaigns and media blitzes. "I'm fortunate to live in an area that's really supportive of hometown, local people," said Muchoney, 28, a director of music at a church in Pennsylvania. "Pittsburgh people love Pittsburgh people. I got some great press in the Pittsburgh papers and radio stations." Finalist Tripp West, a 35-year-old radio personality from Georgia, said this is his 17th trip to Disney World. He took time during a visit here last month to pick up pointers from Disney workers. "I set out to get good advice: What would be good ways to spread magic on a daily basis?" West said. He interviewed cast members including one of his favorites, Push, the talking trash can at Magic Kingdom. "I think the one thing they said the most: Smile," West said. It's the first visit to Florida for finalist David Hawley, a 37-year-old television-production manager from Roseville, Calif. "Since I was a kid I wanted to work with Disney, creating rides or being an Imagineer," Hawley said. "I have huge memories of Disneyland, so when I saw this opportunity, I knew this is something I can do, and something that I want to do." Actual job duties have been vague, falling in the "making magic for our guests" category. The official rules note that the winner will be expected to work "between 12 and 32 days" during the year. Compensation will include air travel and accommodations to the selected events plus an unspecified "hourly rate" of pay. Voting continues through Monday evening at Dream CMO.com, where the candidates' videos and clips from the Disney World competition can be seen. The winner will be announced on a Webcast at the site Tuesday morning. | |
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Disney pulls plug
on virtual world St. Louis Post-Dispatch - How does the world end? Simple. Someone flips a switch. At least that's the way it will go on May 21 when Disney shuts down its Virtual Magic Kingdom, a game that lets players interact with one another in an online theme park.  Disney's
decision to end the game set off a flurry of criticism from
parents and players who say the entertainment giant is turning
its back on thousands of fans.The company wouldn't discuss the matter but issued a statement saying the free game was intended to be a 50th anniversary promotion and it has gone on longer than planned. "All good promotions must come to an end, so we have decided the time is right to close VMK," the company said. The fast-approaching doomsday raises an interesting question at a time when many popular games are essentially online communities, known as massive multiplayer online role-playing games. In them, large numbers of players — the current king is World of Warcraft, with more than 10 million subscribers — gather in virtual worlds to adventure and socialize. But what happens when one of those worlds is shut down? It's not something that happens very often, largely because it doesn't cost a lot to run a game, once the programming and development costs are recouped through game purchases and monthly subscription fees. Certainly Disney won't be the first to make such a move. Mike Allen of Maryland Heights was playing Earth and Beyond when Electronic Arts decided to cancel it in late 2004. "It's one of those things that every gamer knows," Allen said. "At some point, the game could go. It's in the back of your mind." And if the worst does happen, Allen said he usually knows how to get into contact, generally through e-mail, with friends he met in the game. But that won't be the case for rule-abiding residents of Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom. More than a million players have signed up since its debut in 2005, though the game has a relatively small player base, with only a few thousand players on at any time. The game targets players ages 8 to 14 years old and features security measures to keep users safe from predators. For example, players are limited to a Disney-approved dictionary of words, which keeps them from typing numbers, e-mail addresses and the names of cities or states. Players who work around the filters can be banned. The downside of that protection is that players will have no way to get in touch with their in-game friends once the game closes, said Nicholas Bourne, a Los Angeles player and spokesman for fan site www.savevmktoday.com. "Most people will permanently lose contact with other players," Bourne said. "You'll lose your friends." The website is one piece of a multimedia campaign to save the game. Fans are reaching out in a range of ways, including letters, e-mails and YouTube videos. James Smith of Utah joined the effort shortly after hearing the news from his 12-year-old daughter. "I've never seen her so upset," said Smith, who started www.savevmk.com. The site has collected more than 12,500 signatures. He is hopeful Disney will rethink its position, even if it means a monthly subscription fee. The situation represents one of the disconnects between the designers of virtual games and players who use them. Dean Terry, director of emerging media at the University of Texas at Dallas, said creators tend to think they are building games, but players, the serious ones at least, tend to be more interested in the social aspect. "People who design games should take that seriously, but it's not their primary mission or concern," Terry said. When those virtual worlds are threatened, there's often very little the players can do. In some cases, there are opportunities for another company, or even a collection of fans, to take over the game and keep it running, said Rusel DeMaria, the author of dozens of game-related books, including "Reset: Changing the Way We Look at Video Games." The chances of that happening in this case are slim at best, considering that Disney is a company known for keeping tight control of its brand. When the end does come, some say it may not be as painful as players think. "These virtual places are easily replaced. There are lots of options out there," said Michael Stefanone, an assistant professor of communication at the University of Buffalo who studies social media and its cultural impacts. And the loss of a virtual friend is really not too different than the loss of one in real-life. "When a close friend moves away, it's painful," he said. "But in the end, those lessons are a good thing." | |
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ESPN
to televise part of Wimbledon through 2013 AP - ESPN will televise part of Wimbledon through 2013, agreeing to a six-year contract extension with The All England Club. The network announced Thursday that ESPN2 will air about 100 hours of the tournament each year, including one men's and one women's semifinal. As part of the new deal, ESPN will show matches online. Last year, NBC and Wimbledon agreed to a four-year contract extension through 2011. "Wimbledon is a special place in the sports world, and we are proud to extend and expand our terrific relationship with the All England Club," said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president of content. ESPN is a division of The Walt Disney Co. | |
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De-consolidating Disney: Time for an ESPN Spin-off SeekingAlpha - The past 30-or-so years or so have seen a massive wave of consolidation among corporate entities (of course one could argue this trend has been alive and well for the past century, plus, but we'll focus here on relatively-recent history). There is virtually no sector where this trend has not been on a tear, everywhere from the creation of the 'Financial Supermarket' championed by the likes of Sandy Weil at Citigroup to integrated Advertising/Marketing firms such as Public is. The rationale for these tie-ups have been the same forever (obvious exaggeration) - vertical/horizontal/verizontal consolidation, synergies from shared costs, yadda yadda yadda, but empirical studies suggest that such rationale often fail to reach the benefits estimated prior to consummating a merger. In recent history (lets say past 30 years again) we've seen increased reliance on diversification to rationalize business combinations, as cost savings, 'synergies' and 'cross-selling' have failed to deliver the intended (i.e. hoped for) results. Anyone who's taken Finance 101 knows that diversification alone is not enough rationale for a combination; investors can simply buy shares in the individual companies themselves to achieve the same benefits. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's perspective), most acquisitions eventually yield some shared cost savings (and/or other benefits besides diversification), so its not exactly a black and white issue. My problem as
an investor is that around the world, we have seen an
ever-growing trend towards conglomerates, behemoths whose
portfolio companies often have very little to do with each
other, or, in worse cases, whose individual constituent
companies have significantly varying levels of financial and
marketplace success. Why on God's green earth would I want to
own the bulk of General Motors' brands, liabilities, and
incompetent management, just to capture the increasingly
positive success of Cadillac? The same can be said for Disney (DIS);
why, as an investor, do I want the exposure to their Film and
Parks businesses when all I really want is ESPN (and/or maybe
some other network assets)? This is similar to what we saw the past year with VMWare (VMW), which was only partially spun out of storage giant EMC (EMC), who still retains the majority of the equity of the company. Yes, it is trading at a significant discount to its highs, but even a high-growth company can't trade at 200 p/e forever, especially with increased competition. ESPN, however, operates in an industry with extremely high barriers to entry, from both a capex and regulatory perspective. They have continued to consistently expand their reach, from the X-Games platform to geographical expansion with ESPN Deportes (and other efforts, beyond the scope of this post). Last, but certainly not least, ESPN has arguably the best brand equity of any television franchise in the western world, hands down. It is such to the point that Sports Center is an American institution, and Stuart Scott is a household name. | |
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Wall-E Screening to Raise Money for Emery Ed Fund
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Disney Cruise Line Pampers Guests with New Pre-Arrival Concierge
Services Guests booking a concierge level stateroom have access to this one-of-a-kind service where Disney Cruise Line Concierge Services Specialists assist guests in planning every cruise detail before setting sail. Whether a romantic dinner at Palo, an exhilarating shore excursion to swim with dolphins, or an indulgent spa treatment on the shores of Castaway Cay; Disney Cruise Line Concierge Services Specialists are there to provide personalized assistance for a magical vacation experience. “We are delighted to bring this amenity to Disney Cruise Line guests,” said Tom Wolber, Senior Vice President, Disney Cruise Line Operations. “Incredible guest service has always been a staple of the Disney Cruise Line experience, and we hope this exclusive enhancement will elevate it to new heights.” Guests may contact dedicated Concierge Services Specialists 105 days prior to their sail date to begin planning their vacation. Specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. via a toll-free number or e-mail. Disney Cruise Line Pre-Arrival Concierge Services joins a list of amenities available to guests sailing in suites aboard the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Exclusive concierge functions, personalized itineraries, daily in-room amenities and priority check-in are just a few of the options at hand for those who choose to sail in the lap of Disney luxury. For more information on the Disney Cruise Lines, see www.disneycruise.com. | |
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Angelo, Brown sell 'Fear' to Disney Variety - Jack Angelo and Sam Brown have set up their comedy pitch "Fear Phil" at Disney, with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot's Offspring Entertainment set to produce. Studio spent high six against low seven figures for the project that revolves around an insurance salesman who makes a living preying on other people's fears, only to wake up and find that his own worst fears are coming true. Angelo and Brown recently penned "Undateable," also set up at Disney and Offspring, which is based on the lot. Shankman is in the midst of helming the comedy "Bedtime Stories," starring Adam Sandler, at Disney. Offspring, which most recently produced the Mouse House hit "Step Up 2," recently wrapped the Zac Efron laffer "Seventeen Again" at New Line. | |
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Disney-Pixar: The Future of Feature Animation Animation Insider - Walt Disney has big plans for animation fans over the net four to five years. After finally weathering the potential fiscal year throes of acquiring a new animation production unit in Pixar, the greater media conglomerate has established a tentative development and production slate that will surely elicit oohs and ahhs from every corner of the industry. Disney executives freely acknowledge that this is the most diverse and in many cases, complex release slate they have ever planned over such a well-trimmed and short period of time. But with that acknowledgement comes the optimism that for every theatrical release and direct-to-video franchise about to take off, a new adventure is underway. From this summer's computer animated film release of Wall*E (06/27/2008) all of the way to the hotly anticipated Christmas 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog, which will officially mark The Walt Disney Co.'s return to theatrical two-dimensional filmmaking; the animation the company has slated for release between 2008 and 2012 is a feast for the imagination. The ambitious slate looks to incorporate not only traditional stories and fairytale characters (Tinkerbell, October 2008; Rapunzel, Christmas 2010) but also original narratives of adventure (The Bear and the Bow, Christmas 2011; Up, 05/29/2009) and family fun (Bolt, 11/26/2008). A detailed schedule of each theatrical and home video release that the Disney Animation and Pixar Animation production units will tentatively complete from 2008 through 2012 are available on the pages of this AnimationInsider.net news article. Accompanied with each listing is a project summary, anticipated date of release, and key staff involved. "The thing I love best about my job is that I get to work at both Disney and Pixar with filmmakers who are passionate about their projects and who are the absolute best in the business." "We're excited to be pushing the boundaries of 3-D and computer technology to tell our stories in the best possible way." "At the same time," Lasseter continued, "we're drawing on our past to emphasize memorable characters, original edge-of-your-seat stories, and believable worlds. Walt Disney and his creative team taught us how to blend comedy, powerful emotion, and action-filled excitement in our films, and this group of incredible filmmakers is bringing their own originality and sensibilities to the process." Also up for scheduled release are the first four in a series of direct-to-DVD films featuring Disney Fairies from DisneyToon Animation Studios, whom as some fans might recall, was last in the news for a shift in management structure. These anticipated home video releases will kick off the new Tinkerbell franchise, a potentially huge moneymaker for the company whose brand of princess-based merchandising efforts are top earners. The home video market should also, in due time, benefit from the up and coming releases of Pixar-based sequels (Toy Story 3, 06/18/2010; Cars 2, Summer 2012), which will once again drop Disney-Pixar characters into their ever comfortable positions always ripe for a potential summer blockbuster. Dick Cook, the Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios added: "In a year when our Studio is marking the 80th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, the character that started it all for us, it seems especially timely to share our plans for the future of animation. With John Lasseter and Ed Catmull guiding our creative efforts both at Emeryville and in Burbank, this is as exciting a time as any in our history." | |
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Radio
Disney Unveils Site, Texting Program Mediaweek - Radio Disney is going mobile, announcing Thursday a new mobile Web site and texting program. Developed in conjunction with mDisney, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, the new mobile site allows users with Web-enabled phones to receive Radio Disney information, listen to Radio Disney, view the last 10 songs played on the Radio Disney station, send shout-outs, request songs and take polls. The texting program allows users to interact with Radio Disney via a short code 347639 (DISNEY), where they can text the following terms for various entertainment options: Radio (for the mobile Web site), shout (to send a shout out), listen (to listen to Radio Disney), request (to request a song) and top30 (to see a list of the top 30 songs played on Radio Disney). "With over 40 percent of 'tweens in the U.S. having mobile phones, it is important for Radio Disney to provide a mobile touchpoint for our core audience," said Michael Peterson, executive director, digital distribution for Radio Disney. The Radio Disney mobile site is expected to be the first of a long line of mobile Web sites built around key Disney franchises and content. | |
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Need
tickets to Disney Channel Games Concert?
Orlando Sentinel - We've been told that there are no more tickets to the Disney Channel Games Concert. Ah, but wait, you will have several shots at getting those precious passes to the concert, which runs from 7 to 10:30 p.m. May 3 at Disney's Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort. Radio Disney will be giving out family four-packs at Rooms To Go locations. A pack will be handed out every 15 minutes during these hourlong events. Here are the dates, times and places: Orlando: Saturday, April 19, 3 to 4 p.m., 5200 E. Colonial Dr. Saturday, April 26, 3 to 4 p.m., 1657 Sun Life Path West Palm Beach: Sunday, April 20, 11 a.m. to noon, 2035 Okeechobee Blvd. Tickets will be given out 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, at the same location. Miami: Saturday, April 19, 3 to 4 p.m., 1650 NW 167th St. Sunday, April 20, 2 to 3 p.m., 18722 S. Dixie Highway Saturday, April 26, 3 to 4 p.m., 7360 N. Kendall Dr. Tampa: Friday, April 18, 6 to 7 p.m. 27923 SR 56 Saturday, April 26, 1 to 2 p.m., 236 N. Dale Mabry Highway Sunday, April 27, 2 to 3 p.m. 27923 SR 56 Jacksonville: Thursday, April 24, 6 to 7 p.m., 9278 Arlington Expressway Sunday, April 27, 2 to 3 p.m. 11030 Phillips Highway | |
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Disney production to be first family event at arena The Wenatchee World Online - Mark your calendars for late October. That's when Mickey Mouse's company will grace the ice of the Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center. But Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the gang won't be suiting up for this production. Instead it will be more of a modern affair — "Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour" will be at the arena Oct. 29 through Nov. 2. Linda Haglund, director of sales and marketing for the arena, said the production will be the "first big family event" for the events center. The Web site for the event describes the one-hour, 45-minute show as a "fusion of songs, dance and team-spirited fun" featuring a cast of "world-class skaters" that is inspired by Disney's popular "High School Musical" films. The plot for "High School Musical," which first aired as a successful Disney Channel movie in 2006, follows two teenagers from opposite social groups who audition for their high school musical. Its success spawned a sequel, "High School Musical 2," and a third film will be in movie theaters the same time the ice show will be in Wenatchee. "It's really a great time of year to have this here," said Rob Cline, assistant executive director of the events center. "It's near the beginning of the holiday season and the roads won't be too snowy or icy, so people can stay in town and shop, go to the show and drive home." Tickets go on sale in September and will be available for purchase online, at the arena's box office or at two local ticket outlets. | |
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Reddy Ready For Disney Forbes - There's been a thaw in relations between Reddy Ice and activist investor Roy Disney, whose fund is getting representation on the ice maker's board. Dallas-based Reddy Ice (nyse: FRZ) announced Thursday that it had added two Shamrock Activist Value Fund nominees to its board of directors: Christopher S. Kiper, a vice president at Shamrock, and Michael H. Rauch of law firm Fried Frank. Reddy Ice board member Tracy Noll will retire from the board when his current term ends at the company's annual meeting in May. The company also announced that it has hired a firm to find a new chief executive--something the corporate-governance-oriented investment fund had pushed for. Jimmy C. Weaver resigned as CEO in December. Chairman William P. Brick has been filling in until a new CEO is found. Investors were unmoved; Reddy shares ticked down 0.2%, or 2 cents, to $13.40 at the close of trading in New York on Thursday. It's clear that Shamrock is making its wishes felt, but can Disney's influence redirect the faltering company and its sinking stock? The maker of packaged ice has lost 46.9%, or $11.86, over the last four and a half months--in early January the company traded at $25.16. Reddy reported weak fourth-quarter earnings but maintained its 2008 outlook above Wall Street's expectations. In late February, Shamrock increased its stake in Reddy to 15.6%, or 3.4 million shares, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That followed the collapse of a buyout deal in January with GSO Capital Partners, which had offered $31.25 a share. Shamrock initially dismissed the offer as "grossly inadequate" but many shareholders are no doubt wishing the deal had gone through given the hole its shares have fallen into. The stock plunged 33.0% on March 7, to $15.38, after it was revealed that antitrust investigators had searched its headquarters in connection with an investigation into the packaged ice industry. In April, Coinstar pushed back when Shamrock tried to get its pick on the coin counting company's board. Shamrock boss Roy Disney is the nephew of animator Walt Disney and was instrumental in having former Chief Executive Michael Eisner removed from the entertainment company that bears his uncle's name. | |
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Thursday April 17, 2008 | |
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Disney Trashes Its Kingdom Chief Magic Official finalists square off at Disney World Woman Says Disney Fired Her After Taking Time To Grieve Husband's Death Disney/Pixar is Sending Out Body Parts in Boxes?! Who will play Disney Channel Games this year? We tell you Mickey at Bat Disney's 'Enchanted' with Carrie Underwood Get your Pleasure in Now, Pleasure Island to close Disney & Stremicks Heritage Foods Launch New Milk Beverage Line Tisdale Plays Musical Chairs with Career Plan Disney's 'High School Musical' draws big 'tween' crowd in San Francisco Disney Enterprises' debt assigned 'A1' rating Bryony tunes up for Disney Tips for getting around Disney World | |
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Disney Trashes Its Kingdom The Motley Fool - The clock is ticking on Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Virtual Magic Kingdom. The online experience -- think family-friendly Second Life for the mouse-eared set -- will be shutting down next month.
Things got even better that summer when Disney began to incorporate the experience into its theme parks. In-park kiosks would present scavenger hunts, giving players incentives to visit the parks. The game also served as a platform to promote new attractions, like the opening of Animal Kingdom's popular Expedition Everest coaster. Even though the family entertainment giant ran a paid membership community in Disney's Toontown for years before VMK's arrival, the success of the new experience proved addictive to Disney. It went on to acquire Club Penguin last year, with new online communities in various stages of deployment centering around its Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney Fairies, and Cars franchises. The new ventures make sense. They can be tied to merchandising efforts where related playthings can come with in-game codes for virtual trinkets. Toymakers like Mattel (NYSE: MAT) and Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) are making inroads here, so Disney might as well be a part of it with its rich catalog of characters. It certainly has advantages here that more conventional amusement operators like Six Flags (NYSE: SIX), Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN), and Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) lack. So why kill VMK, especially when it would have been the ideal gateway drug for families to get hooked on the new line of premium membership communities? That's what I don't get. The site's public rationale is that the community was never supposed to last forever. It was just a Disneyland milestone promotion. That's hogwash. You don't spend years shoving codes in cereal boxes and selling cards and pins in the actual parks for virtual goodies that will be deemed worthless in a few weeks. More importantly, if you want consumers to devote time to the new communities, you're setting a terrible loyalty precedent by dismantling the one that started it all. Do you think any of the ex-VMK users will trust the new vibrant worlds Disney creates if they know they can all vanish under the guise of an anniversary promotion? Disney has beefed up its gaming efforts since VMK's launch. It struck a deal with Shanda Interactive (Nasdaq: SNDA) to put out Disney online games in China. It has beefed up its software development team to create in-house titles. So why throw in the flag, Disney, when the flagpole was just starting to be raised? | |
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Chief Magic Official finalists square off at Disney World
Spent some time this morning
watching the competition of the final three for the Disney
Parks Chief Magic Official. This part of the contest ends
tomorrow, but you can catch some clips (and vote) on the Web
site,
www.DreamCMO.com.
After the stroller event,
the three guys were filmed jockeying for tools to be used in
a future contest -- getting folks to make some noise along
Main Street. They're wearing their official CMO polo shirts,
and it makes me think of the Wiggles. They also have
oversized Disney nametags, which is a new thing for me to
covet. From left are Tripp West, Justin Muchoney and David
Hawley.
Later I watched them learn to
fold towels into animal shapes. What I learned: Folks with
arthritis need not apply. It looked difficult to me.
Voting continues through Monday evening, and the winner will be announced Tuesday morning during a Webcast. The CMO deal is part of the Year of a Million Dreams promotion, and the victor will make appearances at the four Walt Disney World theme parks as well as at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim. He'll also get hotel accommodations, air transport and an hourly rate for their duties. Oh, and according to the official rules, the winner must adhere to the "Disney Look." Who knew? | |
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Woman Says Disney Fired Her After Taking Time To Grieve
Husband's Death WFtv - There was nothing illegal about Disney firing a woman after her husband died, but the widow says it was just plain mean. The widow and her husband worked at Disney World together for years before his sudden stroke. The woman called Eyewitness News when Disney fired her for taking time off to grieve her husband's death. The woman took all her vacation time and then 30 days. She tried to come back once during that time, but couldn't get through the day without breaking down. She told Eyewitness News that Disney told her to take all the time she needed.For Dorothy Monroe, her life was her husband. Married 19 years ago, they met at Walt Disney World, both working temporary jobs. For the past eight years, they worked full time as overnight janitors. "He'd come from Adventure Land. I'd come from Tomorrow Land. We'd meet," she said.It was in Adventure Land where her husband Jim collapsed from a stroke. He died one week later. Dorothy said a Disney representative came to her husband's hospital room and told her to take all the time she needed. Two weeks later, she went back to work. "Kept on crying too much," she said.So Dorothy took two more weeks, started seeing a counselor and made arrangements to go back to work the end of March. Her first day back, she was fired. "I wanted to be with my husband and what they did was wrong," she said.But what they did is not illegal. The union that represents Disney employees has filed a grievance on Dorothy's behalf. Eric Clinton said she will have a hearing in about three weeks and they will argue mitigating circumstances. He said she has a compelling case and thinks there is a good chance their argument will be heard. That's all Dorothy wants. She said she can't get her husband back, but she just wants her job."Think before you fire, because it hurts," she said. Late Wednesday afternoon, after Channel 9 got involved, Disney moved quickly to strike a deal with Dorothy. Union officials said Disney is offering her one week of back pay and her job back. They're working it out with Dorothy and she told Eyewitness News she made about $300 a week.While federal law allows time off to care for a dying family member, there is no state or federal law that requires companies to give employees time for bereavement. That is left up to individual companies. | |
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Disney/Pixar is Sending Out Body Parts in Boxes?! /Film
- Newspaper reporter Chris Arnold received a package from
Disney, inside he found a couple body parts… two ears. Not long
after, Arnold received another package with another body part,
this time an entire arm, in another package addressed from
Disney.Hast Disney gone insane? Nope, it’s just part of promotion for Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story Mania! interactive attraction at Disney Theme Parks. The first package contained a pair of Mr. Potato Head’s ears, and read: ‘Heard the News?’. The second package contained Mr. Potato head’s white right arm, and read: “I’d give my right arm for an attraction this fun!” I wonder what the next body part might be? Great marketing by Disney but kinda creepy when you think about it. | |
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Who will play Disney Channel Games this year? We tell you Orlando Sentinel - Been wondering about the players for this year's Disney Channel Games?
Miley Cyrus is set to
participate.
Here's the rest of the lineup confirmed to date: Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Alyson Stoner, Jasmine Richards, Anna Maria Perez and Roshon Fegen of "Camp Rock." Jason Earles and Moises Arias of "Hannah Montana." Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, Sabrina Bryan and Kunal Sharma of "The Cheetah Girls One World." David Henrie, Selena Gomez, Jake T. Austin and Jennifer Stone of "Wizards of Waverly Place."
Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse and
Brenda Song of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." (Brian
Stepanek will serve as host.)
Kyle Massey and Jason Dolley of "Cory in the House." There will be Disney Channel stars from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Japan. The games will be played 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 28, April 29 and May 1 at Disney's Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort. The schedule for May 2 is still to be determined. "We're inviting people to come and watch, but it's a working production," said Adam Sanderson, senior vice president of brand marketing for the Disney ABC Networks Group. "It's not staged as a sporting event." He said there will be "plenty of seating" in the grandstand. "We can't have regular kids on the field," Sandeson said. "The talent will be walking around, playing the games. I think we'll have some video screens again. They'll be able to see the talent, and the talent often comes over and signs autographs and takes photos." The celebrities will play for charities: Boys & Girls Club, UNICEF, Make-A-Wish and Starlight Starbright. Sanderson said the challenges this year will be visually bigger so they come across well on television. The games will air as five half-hour shows starting in late July. "Everybody is out there to have fun," Sanderson said. "It makes for great programming. Our audience gets to see more of them as real people. It's cool that you get to see them out there being regular teens." Performances from a May 3 concert, which is sold out, will be incorporated in the half-hours. | |
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Mickey at Bat Disney
News - Limited-edition, mini-bobbleheads of Mickey Mouse, Donald
Duck and Goofy in Tampa Bay Rays uniforms are available to the
first 2,500 kids ages 14 and under attending each of the Tampa
Bay Rays three games against the Toronto Blue Jays at Disney's
Wide World of Sports Complex, April 22-24. Individual tickets
for the three-game set are on sale at the Champion Stadium Box
Office at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, Tropicana Field
Box Office, Rays Tampa Office & Pro Shop, via the Rays official
websites at www.raysbaseball.com or www.raysbeisbol.com, all
Ticketmaster locations, and via Ticketmaster Phone charge at
(727) 898-7297 or (407) 839-3900. All fans attending the games
in Orlando will receive a voucher for a ticket to any Sunday
game at Tropicana Field in May or June. Luxury entertainment
suites and group ticket specials are available by calling
888-FAN RAYS or by logging on to raysbaseball.com.
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Disney's
'Enchanted' with Carrie Underwood
LA Times - The American princess circle is complete. Disney has made another song available from "Enchanted," this one the film's final number, "Ever Ever After," sung by "American Idol"-turned-country star Carrie Underwood. Judging by her frothy pastel look at last week's Country Music Awards, Underwood is already comfortable looking the part of a Disney princess (cutesy insects worth a reported $6M affixed to hip? Check). Coupled with the two songs shown here last week, it's clear Disney is making a huge push to showcase the tunes from its latest animated/live-action musical hybrid, which is due in theaters Nov. 21. One day earlier on Nov. 20, the 'Enchanted' soundtrack will be released. Underwood's song isn't quite this writer's cup of Mad Hatter tea -- and violates Extended Play's Movie Song Rule No. 4 (quotes the name of the movie in the lyrics) -- but it is a fitting closer to the film, as it wraps the charming fairy tale up with a contemporary spin. But even after repeated listens, it still sounds a bit too much like something one would hear at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, at least for my tastes. Yet Disney and Underwood fans will surely enjoy the video, which gives Underwood an animated make-over before being stalked in New York City, and contains more than one reference to the studio's classic animated films. | |
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Disney & Stremicks Heritage Foods Launch New Milk Beverage
Line
Business Wire - Disney Consumer Products and Stremicks Heritage Foods today announced a new milk beverage line that meets Disney’s new food guidelines, while also providing critical nutrients for families and children. Available in U.S. grocery stores now, Disney Little Einsteins Milk is rBST hormone-free and enriched with 32mg of omega-3 DHA per serving to support brain and eye development and the heart’s health through every stage of life. It is the first Disney-branded refrigerated dairy beverage to launch since Disney announced its food guidelines in 2006. “The Disney brand and characters are in a unique position to market beverages that kids want and parents feel good about,” said Lance Gatewood, vice president of food, health & beauty for Disney Consumer Products North America. “Disney has a long-term commitment to the health of kids around the world through its new food guidelines, which require the Disney name and its characters to be associated with kid-focused products that limit calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar. Developing this product line with industry leaders such as Stremicks Heritage Foods brings us one step closer in delivering on this commitment.” Disney Little Einsteins Milk is the first product line to launch as part of a series of healthy dairy and non-dairy beverages currently in development by Disney and Heritage. “Teaming with Disney provides the opportunity to create healthy products that kids will identify with, while enabling parents to provide a highly nutritional and great-tasting beverage that their children will want to drink,” said Sam Stremick, Director of Sales and Marketing for Stremicks Heritage Foods. “The new Little Einsteins milk line provides parents with an easy option for incorporating nutrients like calcium and DHA into their children’s diets to ensure optimal growth and development.” Disney Little Einsteins Milk is available as a 64-ounce package in low fat 1% and reduced fat 2%. About DHA DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found throughout the body, with significant amounts found in the heart, retinas and brain, where it accounts for up to 20 percent of total brain mass. DHA is important for brain and eye development and function throughout the lifecycle, but is particularly important between birth and five years of age, when the brain increases approximately three-and-a-half times in mass. DHA ensures that cells in the brain, retina, heart and other parts of the nervous system develop and function properly. About Disney Consumer Products Disney Consumer Products and affiliates (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home décor and books and magazines to interactive games, foods and beverages, stationery, electronics and fine art. This is accomplished through DCP's various lines of business which include: Disney Toys, Disney Apparel, Accessories & Footwear, Disney Food, Health & Beauty, Disney Home and Disney Stationery. Other businesses involved in Disney's consumer products sales are Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines, Disney Interactive Studios, a leading developer and publisher of video games and interactive entertainment, and disneyshopping.com, the company's official shopping portal. The Disney stores retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and operated by unaffiliated third parties in North America and Japan under a license agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Disney owns and operates the Disney Store chain in Europe. For more information, please visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com. About Little Einsteins Disney Channel's series for preschoolers, "Little Einsteins" follows the global adventures of four friends, Leo, Annie, Quincy and June – along with their versatile and protective shuttle, Rocket, who takes them around the world and beyond in a quest to complete their mission while learning about nature, world cultures and enjoyment of the arts along the way. Designed to encourage preschoolers to learn about the world around them through exploration and discovery, the series introduces viewers to a different place or environment in each episode. Classical music and famed works of art are highlighted throughout each story, often integrated to encourage viewers to sing or hum the featured symphony or seek a detail within the master work of art to help with the mission. About Stremicks Heritage Foods Stremicks Heritage Foods™ (Heritage), founded in 1990, manufactures, sells and distributes value-added, specialty beverage products on a regional and national scale. Headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., the company operates in Santa Ana and Riverside, Calif.; Cedar City, Utah; Joplin, Missouri and Mexicali, Mexico. Heritage owns or licenses such well recognized brands as Heritage Little Einsteins-branded Milk with omega-3 DHA, Kern’s Beverages, Nesquik, Rice Dream and Soy Dream, Heritage Organic Milk, Heritage Organic Milk with omega-3 DHA and 8th Continent Soy Milk. For more information, visit www.StremicksHeritageFoods.com. | |
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Tisdale
Plays Musical Chairs with Career Plan E! Online - Ashley Tisdale is not a girl, not yet a witchy woman—but she's on her way.
Like several Disney-spawned
stars before her, the septum-challenged High School
Musical alum is in the process of establishing a tween-friendly
business empire of her own, in talks to both star in the
big-screen remake of Teen Witch and potentially
produce a Disney series based on her prefame life as a mall
employee.
According to the trades, Tisdale is parlaying her Sharpay Evans success into a new gig: Louise Miller, the unpopular high schooler who discovers she descended from Salem's pointy-nosed finest and has the black magic prowess to prove it. The fantasy musical, originally starring Robin Lively in the titular role, was first released in 1989. Tom Cruise's United Artists is producing the remake. A start date has yet to be set as the script has not yet been written. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old is building a career on more than just her pretty face, also starting negotiations for a one-year first-look producing deal with FremantleMedia North America, the same juggernaut behind American Idol. Per Variety, under the not-yet-final deal, Tisdale would seek to develop herself as a global brand à la Disney cohorts Miley Cyrus and Hilary Duff, developing unscripted shows for Fremantle aimed toward a younger demographic. Tisdale herself would remain behind the cameras. At least one of the shows would be kept in the network family, as Tisdale is already developing an untitled series for the Disney Channel based on her less-than-glamorous pre-HSM life, when she was working at a mall. As with the unscripted projects, Tisdale would not appear in the series. | |
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Disney's 'High School Musical' draws big 'tween' crowd in San
Francisco San Jose Mercury News - "The students of today need to be exposed to the arts by any means necessary!" You said it, Ms. Darbus. And nothing is introducing Generation Text to the theater with as much heavyweight commercial appeal as Disney's "tween" juggernaut "High School Musical." From its genesis as a TV movie to its second life as an ice show, "HSM" has the iPod set by the eyeballs. Indeed, when the live stage version bopped into San Francisco on Tuesday night, the audience skewed very young indeed. Some of the most fervent fans seemed still in their sippy-cup and security-blanket years. Sondheim, it ain't. This is musical theater for kiddies too old for "The Wiggles" but not quite ready for "Wicked." Like "Grease," only without the grit, "High School Musical" is as bouncy as it is wholesome. Directed by Jeff Calhoun, this musical is half pep rally, half music video and all family-friendly. Lisa Stevens' bop-till-you-drop choreography has the cast back-flipping through one high-impact aerobic routine after another, generating enough juice to power the whole state. The plot pops like bubble wrap as Troy (John Jeffrey Martin), the jock Adonis, trades cell numbers with Gabriella (Arielle Jacobs), the math and science brainiac. The high school gets turned upside-down when Troy and Gabriella buck convention, cross clique lines and audition for the school musical, despite the glowering-meets-smothering of art teacher Darbus (Ellen Harvey). As Sharpay (Helene York), the queen-of-mean, puts it, suddenly the science club goes from drool to cool. She's out to land the lead in the play and put the moves on Troy, and she's not about to let a little thing like fair play get in the way. Not even Sharpay's twin brother, Ryan (a delightfully flamboyant Bobby List), can stop her from scheming up a storm amid the pop-up book-style hall lockers (sets by Kenneth Foy). Cell-phone surveillance and laptop hacking ensue. Martin and Jacobs share a genuine sense of budding romance in their "American Idol"-style power ballads, but for the most part the cast members are young, likable and virtually indistinguishable. From the aggressively chipper cheerleaders to the pseudo-sullen skater dudes, the vision of adolescence here is as generic as the pop-rock score. Even the breakout numbers - "Get'cha Head in the Game" and "Stick to the Status Quo" - are uniformly bright and bland. Heck, sometimes this show makes "Altar Boyz" look like Artaud. Naturally, none of those flaws registers with the target demographic, and maybe that's what counts. It truly warms a theater critic's heart to see parents holding tykes up over the orchestra pit at intermission as the kids gasp with wonder at the existence of actual musicians. There's no doubt that "HSM" marks the first time most of these youngsters have been inside a theater. (The show returns to the Bay Area for a run in San Jose beginning June 10.) "HSM" is dotted with sly little winks and nods to everything from "Lion King" to "A Chorus Line." One child in the audience could be heard piping up with questions such as "Daddy, what are jazz squares?" (Methinks there's theater camp in someone's future.) None of the these ideas is really explored, just bandied about like a basketball. And Not everyone in attendance was lovin' it. One hoodied teen showed his disdain for the material by yawning loudly and breaking out his PSP. But that hardly mattered to the little girl dancing in the aisle near him and grasping at the confetti shot from the stage at the finale. Who knows? Perhaps a star was born. Bottom line? Darbus says it best. Go, art!Disney's 'High School Musical' mercurynews The upshot: A cheerfully hyperactive homage to high school that gets the tween (and under!) market bopping big-time. Where: Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sundays Through: April 27 Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes, with intermission Tickets: $25-$80 Details: (415) 512-7770 or www.shnsf.com | |
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Disney
Enterprises' debt assigned 'A1' rating
Forbes - Moody's Investors Service said it has assigned an 'A1' senior unsecured debt rating to Disney Enterprises Inc.'s $300 million 7.55 percent senior unsecured bonds due July 15, 2093 and its $125 million 5.8 percent senior unsecured bonds due Oct. 27, 2008. The rating outlook is stable. Disney (nyse: DIS) Enterprises is a wholly owned operating unit of The Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DISWI) -- whose senior unsecured long term debt rating is 'A2', Moody's (nyse: MCO) said. Moody's also said that the 'A1' senior unsecured rating is one notch higher than its parent's 'A2' long-term debt ratings reflecting Disney Enterprises bond holders' structurally senior position and priority of claim in the overall capital structure given the lack of any upstream guarantees to The Walt Disney Co. The ratings assume that The Walt Disney will continue to be the issuer of debt for the overall company, Moody's added. | |
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Bryony tunes up for Disney ic Wales - A Talented Twyncarmel 11-year-old has been crowned runner-up in a nationwide competition. Bryony Minney came second in the Disney Channel My School Musical 2 talent search, after impressing voters with her singing. She entered by posting a video of her singing on the website, then people voted online. When she was chosen as one of the final three she travelled to London and got her five minutes of fame performing for a programme shown on the Disney Channel. Mother Helen Sier said: “She was disappointed she didn’t win – to be honest, she broke her heart. “But we are all so proud of her, she has done very well – she was the only Welsh girl in the final.” The competitive performer beat off 6,000 other entries in her category from children throughout the UK, and is now planning to head for stage school. | |
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Tips for getting
around Disney World SmarterTravel - Disney World is roughly the size of San Francisco and it's not always easy to get around. To avoid wasting time on-site, familiarize yourself with Disney's internal transportation in advance. All Disney resort guests and theme park ticket holders can use Disney's transportation network for free. Theme park parking lots are free for resort guests, and $11 for everyone else. Disney's transport system connects all theme and water parks, official resorts, and Downtown Disney. Theme park transportation begins running one hour prior to park opening times and one hour after closing. Service runs until 3 a.m. between Downtown Disney and the resorts. There is no set schedule, but generally you'll have to wait no longer than 20 minutes between services. Buses connect most points of interest, with direct service from most resorts to theme parks and Downtown Disney. The monorail connects the Magic Kingdom and Epcot along with the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary resorts. Boats connect the three aforementioned resorts and the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom; the BoardWalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, and Dolphin resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios; and the Port Orleans, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs resorts to Downtown Disney. When going between resorts, you generally travel to a theme park or Downtown Disney first and then connect on another service to your destination. Some guests have found it easier to take taxis between resorts, particularly when pressed for time for dinner reservations. | |
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Wednesday April 16, 2008 | |
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Monorail Red set to debut at Disneyland as Blue arrives From Mickey to Mommy ... Keeping It All in the Disney Family.com Fans protest end of Disney online game Fans rally to save Disney MMO Guests have a new way to “make waves” ESPN settles lawsuit with fired baseball analyst Reynolds Spend more time on Disney rides, not waiting in line Disney's SOAPnet Adds To The Ad Net Glut Khazanah Nasional mum on Disney link in Iskandar Malaysia Saviance brings Disney Institute to India Disney Style Management: Not Child's Play Disney fires another salvo at ‘complaining’ Small World fans Walt Disney World Resort to serve as presenting sponsor of MEAC/SWAC Challenge | |
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Monorail Red set to debut at Disneyland as Blue arrives LA Times - Disneyland begins riderless daytime tests of the Mark VII Monorail Red next week in anticipation of a public debut by mid-May, Disney officials said.
Meanwhile, the shrink-wrapped Monorail Blue trains recently arrived at Disneyland via flatbed truck. Late last week, sections of Blue were lowered by crane onto the beamway and pushed into the backstage roundhouse. Nighttime testing of Monorail Blue is scheduled to begin in early May, Disney officials said. In late March, Disney put to rest persistent Internet chat room rumors that Monorail Red would have to be sent back to the assembly plant in Canada for major modifications. The Mark VII’s sleek iconic exterior features color-shifting paint with gray pin striping that evokes the stainless-steel side panels of the 1959 original designed by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. | |
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From Mickey to Mommy ... Keeping It All in the Disney Family.com The Disney Insider - Renowned for entertainment magic worldwide, Disney has been sprinkling pixie dust around another arena to bring families closer together while making life more manageable. Disney Family.com, part of The Walt Disney Company's plethora of family-friendly Web sites, has several new features to provide busy parents with a broad scope of reliable information. Whether your day's filled with diapers or teen angst, Disney Family.com dispenses advice, answers, and anecdotes on a variety of important family topics. As Senior Producer Jennifer Schwartz states, "It's all about quick 'n' easy everyday solutions for Mom and Dad -- from putting dinner on the table to where to take the kids for great family vacations. We focus less on the end results and more on spending quality time with your child. It's a complete parental experience." Let's tour the site starting with one of its most touted mainstays -- Parentpedia, a unique online parenting encyclopedia that covers raising kids from A-Z with overviews from leading experts in each field, recommendations and actual stories from other parents as well as a list of invaluable resources for additional assistance. Intended to educate new as well as "seasoned" Moms and Dads, the simple format allows you to navigate numerous topics either by category or your child's age -- definitely the go-to source for parents! For those at the literal beginning (or if you know someone who is), the recently launched Pregnancy section concentrates on guiding expectant moms from conception through childbirth. Lead Producer Shannon Peavey explains, "Since its inception in winter 2008, the success of this section proves that there's an audience looking for insights on diet, delivery, labor, pediatricians, sleep, stress, and more." Need a change of scenery? Exploring the country with your kids couldn't be easier thanks to Disney Family Travel's family vacation planning tools. Simply select the age of your child (from babies to teenagers) to create a list of age-appropriate destinations including accommodations, maps, planning notes, and an itinerary of fun things to do at each location. Reviews from parents who've already taken the trips provide the inside scoop on specific hot spots, a tremendous plus for first-time visitors. And now through the end of April, you can enter the "Great American Family Vacation Sweepstakes" for the chance to win a family vacation to three U.S. cities that helped form our democracy -- all with the attention to detail that Disney is famous for! Foodies rejoice! Our never-ending dilemma of what to cook has finally met its demise with Disney Family.com's sanity-saving 7-Day Dinner Planner, which features a week's worth of downloadable, healthy recipes to plan your menu and shopping list. There's also various family food blogs like Short Order Mom's "Cookies to Caviar" or Joe LoCicero's "Do Dad" to stir up your creative cooking juices in true Disney style. By sharing wholesome, quality recipes and budget-saving secrets, these ordinary moms and dads are determined to make the world a better place -- one meal at a time, with a dash of personality on the side. Proudly enough, Disney actually created the term "Environmentality" back in the 1990s. So it's no surprise Disney Family.com's "It's Great to Be Green" page reflects the company's concern for preserving the world we share. Through the end of April, "The Great Green Challenge" salutes Earth Day with the "How Green Am I?" widget that tests your green living I.Q. and provides easy ideas anyone can follow to increase eco-awareness. From eco-crafts and exercise to protecting our planet, the site eases you into a better quality of life with its easy, fun approach and healthy alternatives. Since this is a Disney site, there's bound to be some star power. Check out the Entertainment section to read how celebrity parents balance life in the spotlight with family responsibilities. From your favorite Disney stars to style gurus and beyond, you'll be surprised at how these famous parents deal with the same family issues we all encounter. Leave it to Disney to take family life one step further -- all with the click of a "mouse"! | |
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Fans protest
end of Disney online gameUnited
Press International - Thousands of fans
are protesting the decision to yank the online game "Disney's
Virtual Magic Kingdom," a game industry watcher says. Disney recently announced plans to close down the free gaming site, which debuted in 2005 as part of an online promotion for the company's 50th anniversary. Since the announcement was made, 11,000 people have signed a petition to keep the game going, WKMG-TV in Orlando, Fla. reported Tuesday. "VMK was created as an online promotion," Katie Gerber of the Walt Disney Internet Group told WKMG. "It exceeded our expectations ... to the point that we left it open much longer than originally anticipated. All good promotions must come to an end." "Needless to say, this is causing an uproar among the games fans who have invested time and effort in building their characters, rooms and friends in VMK," John Frost of The Disney Blog wrote this month. The game is expected to be shut down May 21. | |
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Fans rally to save
Disney MMOEurogamer
- Over 11,000 people have petitioned Disney in an effort to stop
Virtual Magic Kingdom from being closed, GamesIndustry.biz
reports. But the Mickey Mouse-maker is sticking to its decision to turn off the servers supporting the MMO on 21st May. Virtual Magic Kingdom gave children a way to virtually explore the Walt Disney theme parks, and was patrolled by paid staff keeping an eye on in-game behavior. It began as a way to celebrate 50 years of the famous theme parks, and apparently was never intended to last as long as it did. "It exceeded our expectations in terms of performance to the point that we left it open much longer than originally anticipated," Disney told the Orange County Register. "All good promotions must come to an end, so we have decided the time is right to close VMK. We plan to offer free online promotions that will continue to engage our parks and resorts guests in new and entertaining ways on the web." Disney also ran special promotions at its theme parks to reward attendees with codes to unlock things like outfits and furniture online. Disney also currently runs Pirates of the Caribbean Online, which is both free to download and play, although for full access you will need to shell out USD 9.95 a month. | |
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Guests have a new way to “make waves” Disney
News - Guests have a new way to “make waves” across Walt Disney
World Resort waterways aboard a personal Sea Raycer watercraft.
These mini-powerboats can seat two people and are available for
rent at any Magic Kingdom resort area marina. Guests can
experience water adventures with a Sea Raycer as well as several
other styles of watercraft at select Walt Disney World marinas
located in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. For more information,
including prices, guests may call 407/WDW-PLAY. | |
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ESPN settles lawsuit with fired baseball analyst Reynolds AP - ESPN said that a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed by former baseball analyst Harold Reynolds over his firing. Reynolds sued the sports network for at least $5 million in October 2006, three months after he was fired. He claimed he was wrongly fired after a female intern complained about what he called a "brief and innocuous" hug. Reynolds played 12 seasons in the major leagues and worked at ESPN for 11 years. He has been an analyst for MLB.com since July 2007.Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "My family and I are ecstatic," Reynolds said in a statement Tuesday night. "This was a matter of principle and I stood on principle and never wavered. All of my goals were met and now I look forward to concentrating on the game I love." A spokesman for Disney-owned ESPN says the suit was settled last week in Hartford Superior Court. According to the lawsuit, ESPN terminated Reynolds' contract "for cause," but gave no further explanation or specific reasons. ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said Tuesday the resolution allows the network to spare the people involved any further disruptions and that the settlement was "economically compelling" for ESPN. "It was a fraction of his demands and substantially less than what it would have cost us to litigate the case," Soltys said. "Our confidence in both the appropriateness of our action and our legal position never wavered." Reynolds played for the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles and the California Angels before joining ESPN. He won three Gold Glove awards and one stolen base title and was a two-time All-Star. | |
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Spend more time on Disney rides, not waiting in line SmarterTravel - If you're heading to Disney, you can remove some hassles by becoming familiar with the FastPass program. FastPasses, available for no extra charge at each ride's entrance, offer timed entry, enabling you to return at a designated time and skip the line. On a recent Disney vacation, my colleague John Reiss and his
wife devised a FastPass strategy to maximize the number of rides
they could enjoy. "Since many of the parks were designed in a
somewhat circular pattern, we chose rides that were most
attractive to us the evening before we went to the park," says
Reiss. "With this list we were able to choose the direction we
wanted to go—clockwise or counter-clockwise." In each of the different sections of the park, they had a first-, second-, and third-choice ride in mind. If the first-choice ride had an estimated wait time longer than a half hour, they grabbed a FastPass and went to the second choice. If the second had a wait longer than 20 minutes, they went to their third-choice option. "We continued this process through all of the parks and hit everything we wanted to and then some," says Reiss. "In our experience, anything 20 minutes or under was worth waiting [for] immediately because the lines tend to move much quicker than indicated. Over 20 minutes seemed to have more accurate estimates." When planning, also make sure to calculate each ride's duration. You wouldn't want to miss a FastPass entry because you were riding a different attraction. | |
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Disney's
SOAPnet Adds To The Ad Net Glut Washington Post - Another day, another media company forms an ad network? Disney's (NYSE: DIS) SOAPnet is the latest to start its own vertical ad net. Disney plans to announce Wednesday that the companion site for cable net SOAPnet has deals with 45 smaller, similar sites, which will run SOAPnet's videos and news and allow it to sell ads for them as well, according to WSJ, which uses the news to highlight the ad net glut.
-- An act of survival:
TheJournaldescribes SOAPnet's creation of an ad net as an
act of survival: traffic is low and trending lower, so it
hopes that by increasing its reach with a slate of related
sites, it can continue to attract ad dollars. For example,
SOAPnet and its network relative ABC Daytime, had a combined
1.2 million unique in March. That's a 24 percent drop from
March 2007, according to comScore (NSDQ: SCOR). SOAPnet
hopes it can not only stop the slide but double its traffic
by aligning with dozens of other sites, such as
BeautifulStranger.TV and
Stylehive.com.
-- The ad net crush: Lehman Brothers analyst Doug Anmuth posited last week that media companies are making a smart decision in starting ad nets. Doing so enables them to take advantage of rising online ad spending. It also helps them extend the reach of their brands, though some, like WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive and ESPN have not felt the value as much and have backed off the ad net model. With that in mind, small publishers have little to lose by handing their ad inventory over to larger brands to sell on their behalf. However, the ever-rising number of ad nets -WSJestimates there are 300 "majors" in operation? the overlap is becoming so great among various ad nets that some are selling the same ad slots. As a result of the crush, ad nets may be starting to experience reduced sales? which means consolidation is around the corner. | |
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Khazanah Nasional mum on Disney link in Iskandar Malaysia
Channel News Asia - Malaysia's state investment arm Khazanah Nasional said it is in talks to develop a theme park in Iskandar Malaysia - the special economic zone in southern Johor. It did not give any names and would neither confirm nor deny reports that have linked Walt Disney with setting up a resort there. Disneyland has at one point or another been courted by several Southeast Asian countries. The talk now is that Walt Disney could be making its way to the Iskandar Malaysia development in southern Johor. Khazanah Nasional said some 2,200 acres of land have been set aside for theme park use, and has already started the process of courting potential investors. "There's a handful of branded theme park operators.... All the various players have shown strong interest, except for Universal. We are very confident, and the process is ongoing. The investment size have not (been) announced yet, but it's sufficient to say that it will be (in the) multi-billion ringgit," said Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional. Universal Studio is unable to take part as it has signed an exclusive deal with Resorts World at Sentosa for the next 30 years. Development at the Johor special economic zone is well on track. It has attracted some 33 billion ringgit (S$14 billion) of investments so far. That's 70% of its target by 2010. Singapore companies are among the top three investors in Johor. Khazanah said the Jurong Town Investment Corporation is also understood to have invested in UEM Land's "Southern and Industrial and Logistics Centre." It added that the slowdown in the global economy has no negative impact on the Iskandar project. The companies involved in the development of Iskandar Malaysia have also set up a liaison office at UOB Plaza in Singapore. It will be manned by five people to manage marketing activities as well as conduct surveys on the interests of Singaporeans. Some 1.3 million ringgit (S$556,900) was spent to promote the Iskandar development at the Cityscape Asia exhibition. The exhibits are expected to make its way to Dubai at the end of the year. | |
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Saviance
brings Disney Institute to India
Business of Cinema - Technology solutions firm Saviance Technologies will be hosting Disney Institute's professional development programs in five cities in India. Program attendees will learn about Disney's best business practices and how they can adapt those principles to their organization. Each two-day event will give area business professionals an opportunity to 'Experience the Business Behind the Magic'. Saviance Technologies CEO & Founder Rohit Mahajan said, "Disney Institute is a leader in professional development programs, having trained more than a million people from 35 countries and 40 industries… Having attended these workshops before, I am extremely excited to introduce the 'simple, yet powerful' strategies that Disney applies in its daily business life, to the dynamic Indian business environment." He added, "As a Disney Institute sponsor, Saviance Technologies also has the ability to customize the training for clients as per their requests. We encourage other organizations to participate and apply Disney's magic to their own businesses." Saviance will host the Institute in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The two-day workshop will feature the following programs: Disney Institute is a leading provider of professional development in the areas of leadership, loyalty, management, service and creativity. It has served a wide variety of clients including IBM, GE, AT&T, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mao Clinic, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, McDonald's, Nestle, Sony and more. Many of these Fortune 500 companies have operations in India. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts senior vice president George Aguel says, "We showcase philosophies and strategies that have made the Walt Disney World Resort a success - ideas that are easily adaptable to other organizations. We accomplish this by taking people inside the Disney operation, and showcasing on-stage and behind-the-scenes locations so attendees see firsthand how it all happens." | |
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Disney
Style Management: Not Child's Play
Express Healthcare Management - Healthcare and Disney seem to be a strange combination, but there is a common link. Nancy Singh highlights how Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore is using the Walt Disney management principles for operational excellence. What is the similarity between Mickey Mouse trying to entertain kids at Disneyworld and a nurse attending a patient? They are both trying to make their end-user happy. Taking a cue from this correlation, Wockhardt Hospitals Group looked beyond the joyrides and tried to emulate the management strategies that went into creating the magic of Disneyworld. Says Dr Lloyd Nazareth, Chief Operating Officer, Wockhardt Hospitals Group, "The Disney model focuses on little moments in time which create great experiences. Perfect these moments and you create the 'magic'. Hospitals are lucky as all staff have hundreds and thousands of these moments with the customer." He claims to have realized the values of these model through intensive reading. The concept of converting tragic moments to magic moments is in relation to handling an irate customer through a formal service recovery mechanism. This customer can often be a great ambassador for the organization. "In the Disney model, poor service to a customer who expects so much is termed 'stepping on people's dreams' and the goal of the team handling service recovery is to convert these tragic moments into 'magic moments," confides Dr Nazareth. The model
revolves around three things- people, process and
technology. Whilst in India it may be not very well known as
a concept, this model has been widely acknowledged and
practiced in the West. A closer look reveals many practical and important connections between what Disney does and what the healthcare industry needs today. To begin with, healthcare organizations are keen on learning how they can emulate the success enjoyed by the world's number one vacation spot. "People cherish the special moments they experience there-that's what they take home and that's what brings them back," says Vishal Bali, MD & CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals Group. Whether customer loyalty, people management or leadership, the Disney model managed to shine, overcoming many challenges. With increasing competition and complexity the healthcare industry now faces similar challenges. There are almost 22,000 beds on Disney property. Every day, they take thousands of guests through the check-in/check-out process. On an average, the guests stay for three to four nights, and they expect clean rooms. Even the issues they face in customer service are similar to healthcare. For instance, constantly addressing the issue of long wait times for attractions, especially during the summer months. Additionally, says Bali, "People spend a lot of money at such a place. Hence, the company has to ensure an excellent value for money. The healthcare industry also faces enormous challenges in this area." But the major correlation is the unmatched example of customer service that Disney provides. The bottom-line is that both are service oriented. The best state-of-the-art technology in the world cannot replace good service. Disney knows how to treat people as they want to be. Rule of Five The best practice at Disney is that it calls all its customers 'guests' and endeavors to learn what these guests want, think, need and feel when they visit. This is the first lesson that Wockhardt Hospitals Group has tried to implement. "Of course, here in a healthcare scenario we do not call them guests. We impress upon our employees that they are in a service industry and they should treat their patients like guests," says Dr Nazareth. Wockhardt has tried to integrate five main principles from the Disney model to improve operational excellence. Lesson number one is 'Finish Strong'. "It is the last impressions, not the first ones that stay in customers' memories. Customers remember the end of their encounter more vividly than the beginning," says Dr Nazareth. This leads to principle two— Get over bad experiences early. This is because people tend to experience unpleasant events first so that they can savour the pleasant ones that follow. Hence in a healthcare set-up, this includes unpleasant news, discomfort, and long waits in line. "This avoids dread and prevents these experiences from dominating the customer's memory of the entire encounter," Dr Nazareth explains. The third principle adapted is segmenting pain and combining pleasure. Painful and unpleasant events should be conducted in as few sessions as possible so they pass quickly for the patient. The idea here is to break pleasant experiences into multiple stages and blend unpleasant ones into a single stage. Dr Nazareth cautions, "The patients should not be kept uninformed or given the bad news only at the end." The fourth principle is of building customer commitment through choice. Patients are happier and more comfortable when they are given choices or control over a process. For example, a blood donor prefers to choose which hand he donates blood from. A patient likes to have a say in meal selection. "The most important factor is to pay attention to detail as it is these very minute details that make a difference," says Dr Nazareth. Then follows the fifth strategy— 'Stick to Ritual'. People find comfort, order, and meaning when activities are repetitive or familiar. A hospital is not a place anyone prefers to be at. Hence when actions are routine or repetitive, especially during long-term stays, the patient is more comfortable. "Ritual can be created in extremely simple functions like sponging, medication checking, morning visit by head nurse," suggests Dr Nazareth. "The Disney model is also a reflection of servant leadership. It's the inverse pyramid where the guest/patient is at the top while the CEO is at the bottom," he says. One of the main strategies in customer delight is to convert every desired outcome into a desired behavior. "This model is a continuous Endeavour everyday to create 'special' moments and it needs to be ingrained in the psyche of every individual involved in an organization. It does involve full commitment of time and is not a 'one and done' fix. It is certainly hard but definitely rewarding," says Dr Nazareth. When it comes to investment, these principles are more time and training intensive but do not require large amounts of money, he insists. Disney and its 'Guestology' One of the most important aspects in 'guestology' is etiquette. It starts the moment a guest calls in to make reservations and continues until he returns home. Everything matters and no concern is considered too small, as the impression that guests leave with includes everything they see, feel, hear, smell, perceive and think during their stay. The employees at Wockhardt are taught soft-skills and phone etiquette to make the customers / patients comfortable, including basic issues like dealing with a patient who calls a hospital for test results. There are regular checks to see whether they are transferred to various departments and to ensure that the call receivers are knowledgeable and empathetic towards patient needs. Certain other things like whether the lobby is clean or not are considered as well. "These aspects are crucial for ensuring that customers have the ideal experience in a healthcare facility," says Dr Nazareth. The significant element in the Disney guest service experience is the crucial point of interaction with its employees or 'cast-members.' These cast members smile and make eye contact. They are also eager to answer questions, and are well-informed about the entire Disney operation. One of the important aspects in better patient service delivery is its human resource, the backbone of the organization. "Disneyworld invests time and money in earning the dedication of employees. Investing in the welfare and happiness of employees motivates them to create wonderful experiences for guests," says Dr Nazareth. In the end, it is the employees who make or break the success of a healthcare organization. As Dr Nazareth says, "No service excellence model is complete without a formal measurement system for service quality. HR needs to establish a system which recognizes and celebrates service excellence." Job satisfaction often translates directly to how employees treat patients and families. This kind of satisfaction is relatively easy to accomplish. Often employees want a few simple things, such as a private dining area, or better access to supplies, or recognition for their achievements. Wockhardt continuously tries to motivate its employees and consistently values and recognizes their contributions through a monthly award where the best employees are applauded for their efforts. Thus, as the healthcare industry continues to encounter sensitive and complex issues, practitioners will continue to search for ways to make the healthcare experience more effective for patients and families. Disney World is inspiring testimony to the fact that if done with sincerity and loaded with zest, many tragic moments can be indeed converted to magic moments. At a time when machines are increasingly replacing man, the healing touch of a human hand is what makes all the difference. It is just a matter of sheer will power and belief in giving the customers/ patients the 'treatment' that they deserve not just from the machine but from the man himself! | |
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Disney fires another salvo at ‘complaining’ Small World fans “Walt Disney was constantly changing his park, just as he said he would,” Smith wrote in an open letter to the Laughing Place. “The Disney Imagineers have continued to follow his dream, frequently adding and changing things in the park.” The online battle began when the family of Small World creator Mary Blair penned an open letter that called an “idiotic plan” to add Disney characters to Small World a “gross desecration” that would “bastardize” the stylized artwork and “marginalize” the original theme of the boat ride. Firing back with his own letter, Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Vice President Marty Sklar shot down several “swirling” and “inaccurate” rumors that the theme park giant’s creative arm was intent on “ruining Walt’s creation.” Then in a series of written responses, more than a dozen Disney and Pixar creative artists rallied together to protest the Small World changes as a “gross creative misstep” akin to destroying a “historic work of art.” Since the controversy erupted, Disney officials confirmed that the Anaheim theme park plans to incorporate stylized Disney characters such as Alice in Wonderland into Small World in keeping with Blair’s original designs and color palette. “Because of the great number of audio-animatronics children in Small World, I cannot imagine that the addition of a few characters like Alice in Wonderland will affect the theme,” Smith, the archivist, wrote. In defense of the Small World changes, Smith cited
several instances where Disney characters were added to
previously character-free attractions: “Disney has now, in essence, gotten into a flame war with its fans,” wrote The Disney Blog’s John Frost in response to Smith’s letter. “Instead of engaging the community, they’re just flinging the same tired old arguments and hoping we won’t notice that they’ve been shot down numerous times before.” | |
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Walt Disney World Resort to serve as presenting sponsor of
MEAC/SWAC Challenge | |
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Tuesday April 15, 2008 | |
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A
Disney Legend Passes Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney's "Nine old Men," has died Indiana Jones stunt show coming to Disneyland Tokyo Disney Resort faces declining visitor base Disney World's Flamingo Crossings roadwork starts Hong Kong focus in Disney campaign SE Asia may be next stop for Japan Disney operator Disney Poised To Shut Down Kids Online Gaming Community: VMK VMK: Saving Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom Thousands Protest, Sign Petitions Over Closing Of Disney Online Game Disney's Hollywood Studios' Tower of Terror tops field to claim 'best ride' title 20% savings on La Nouba tickets for Florida residents this summer Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua Poster Revealed Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground Gets a Facelift! Theme park injuries in 1st Q of 2008: seizures, broken bones New "Stitch Live!" Attraction Offers Hilarious Private-Event Options for Business Groups Underdog—Walt Disney Pictures (Blu-ray) Know when to stay at Disney World resorts for the lowest rates Developers submit plans for two GardenWalk hotels | |
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A Disney Legend Passes Daytona
Beach News-Journal - Disney called them his "Nine Old Men." They
were his core group of animators, a group that rewrote the
history of animation. And now, Ollie Johnston, the last of the
nine, is gone.
On Monday, Johnston, 96, passed away. Johnston worked as an animating director for Walt Disney from 1935-1978. Johnston is also famous for his book "The Illusion of Life," which is now considered by many in the industry to be the animator's bible.
Johnston is an icon. His works
include: "Snow White," "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Bambi,"
"Cinderella," "Alice In Wonderland," "Peter Pan," "Lady and
the Tramp," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians"...Should I
keep going?
Have you ever ridden the steam
locomotive through the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World?
You can thank Ollie for that too. It was Johnston's passion
for trains, as well as Disney's childhood memories, that
convinced Disney to build one in his parks.
Johnston was inducted as a
Disney Legend, their version of a hall of fame, in 1989.
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Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney's "Nine old Men," has died Orlando Sentinel - If you saw The Incredibles you caught a glimpse of animated versions of "Frank and Ollie." A nice little Disney (Pixar) tribute to Disney's past.
But if you've ever seen a Disney cartoon, one of the classics, you've seen Ollie Johnston's work. He had a hand in everything from Snow White to The Fox and the Hound. He was famous for giving his characters warmth, human feeling, emotions. He all but invented that in cartoons. Ollie Johnston was the last of Disney's "Nine Old Men," his trusted cadre of animators that included Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Wolfgang Reitherman, Les Clark, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Milt Kahn and Marc Davis. And now he's gone. Oliver "OIllie" Johnston was 95. He animated Thumper. That's really all you need to know. Thanks to Cartoonbrew for that image. Ollie worked on Lady for Lady and the Tramp, supervised Baloo in The Jungle Book and animated on and influenced virtually every classic Disney cartoon from Snow White onward. I chatted with him a few times over the years, often on sad occasions, such as the death of one of the other "nine old men." He was just delightful and a font of animation knowledge. No wonder people like John Lasseter idolize him. Lasseter even bought one of Ollie's train engines (all of Walt's boys, pretty much, were into trains. As was Walt himself). Ollie won a National Medal for the Arts in 2005. John Canemaker's fine book on these guys and how they invented animation as we know it (styles, motion, "squash and stretch," the works) is still the definitive piece on them. But the many Walt bios of recent years point out how they stuck with Walt through labor struggles, helped create his TV show and imagined the way Disneyland and later Disney World would look. Lasseter is one of the few people in the biz today who can claim a portion of Ollie's mantle, the warmth, the invention, the artistry. Brad Bird might be another (Ollie did a cameo in Bird's The Iron Giant. And Bird, of course, directed The Incredibles, which featured both Frank and Ollie). But Ollie was our last connection to a glorious age, of Bambi, Dumbo, Fantasia, "artists" animating films with their own hands. He will be missed. | |
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Indiana
Jones stunt show coming to Disneyland LA Times - Indiana Jones swings into Disneyland this summer in a live-action stunt show timed to coincide with the fourth installment of the movie series, "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The Anaheim theme park is casting actors with combat experience for the Indy role, a duplicitous female archaeologist and a physically imposing bad guy for "The Summer of Hidden Mysteries," a staged show to be performed on the balconies, rooftops and streets of Adventureland, according to the Disneyland auditions website. Park visitors would be enlisted to help solve mysteries and uncover ancient artifacts during the performance. The stunt show ties together the highly anticipated movie opening, May 22, with the theme park's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye attraction. According to the casting call: -The Indiana Jones character, a rugged adventurer in his 40s, tosses off comic lines, throws a punch and interacts well with children — all with equal ability. -The female archaeologist, in her late 20s to early 40s with an English accent, starts out kind and helpful but eventually reveals a villainous side. -The bad guy, a brute with physical agility and stamina, pursues Jones through the crowded streets of Adventureland before a culminating series of balcony and rooftop confrontations. | |
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Tokyo
Disney Resort faces declining visitor base International Herald Tribune - With Disney characters offering greetings in Japanese and employees speaking only Japanese, many of the attractions at the Tokyo Disney Resort are lost, without translation, to non-Japanese speakers. "The problem is the language," said Chanida Towithelertkul, a Thai tourist who said her tour group of Chinese, English and Thai speakers had been frustrated by the language barrier at the resort. As it observed its 25th anniversary Tuesday and looked toward the next quarter century, attracting new markets like foreign tourists, seniors and men appeared crucial for the Disney resort in Japan. By 2055, 40 percent of the Japanese population will be older than 65. Japan has the world's fastest-aging population. "There is no way that the decrease of the population parameter is going to be a positive factor," said Naoshi Nema, an analyst in Tokyo with Morgan Stanley. The first Walt Disney theme park to open outside of the United States, the Tokyo Disney Resort includes Disneyland and DisneySea, a water theme park, two hotels and a shopping mall on the outskirts of Tokyo. The parks, which generated $3.2 billion last year, have about 25.8 million annual visitors, more than 96 percent of them from Japan. About 84 percent of visitors are 39 and younger. Unless the resort can persuade regulars to visit more often or win over a new customer base, the number of guests is bound to dwindle as Japan's population declines, Nema said. But attracting tourists from abroad would be a sharp shift for a theme park that is so focused on the domestic market that it sometimes fails to address the needs of foreigners. Signs are in English and Japanese and maps are available in English, Chinese and Korean, but that is about the extent of meeting the communication needs of foreigners. On one busy afternoon recently, foreign tourists complained that the park was not user friendly as they stood in two-hour lines for the roller coaster and other rides and waited 30 minutes for food. Few seemed to know about the "fastpass" service, with which they could reserve popular rides at specific times. Oriental Land, the Japanese company that owns and operates the resort under a license from Walt Disney, says it wants to tap the potential abroad. "This is still a small part of the total number of visitors, but I think it is an area that we can definitely grow in," Yoshiro Fukushima, president of Oriental Land, said in an interview. Tokyo Disney promotes the resort to travel agencies in Asia, where an economic boom may provide fertile markets for the park. Yet it has not undertaken an aggressive campaign to attract tourists from abroad, as has Universal Studios Japan, a theme park that opened in 2001 in Osaka. The number of foreign tourists to Universal Studios' theme park rose to about 10 percent of the total of 8.6 million visitors in the 2006-2007 financial year, up from about 3 percent in 2004, after the company set up marketing offices in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Aside from the lure of traditional Japanese attractions among foreign tourists, perhaps the foremost hurdle for Tokyo Disney is the cost: A family of four can expect to spend around $1,400 on a two-day visit including hotel, food and souvenirs, while a single person is likely to spend about $160 for a day trip. Hoping to attract older Japanese, Tokyo Disney introduced a less-expensive annual pass for seniors in March and has begun to offer horticulture exhibitions and a circus theater. Men are another potential market. Female visitors make up 73 percent resort entries, possibly because of the popularity of Disney characters among Japanese women. Finding the right mix to attract new customers, like men, without making radical changes that might alienate its traditional female customer base will be a challenge for Tokyo Disney but one that may pay off as Japan ages. Another looming challenge for Disney is managing competition with other Disney parks in Asia. So far, Hong Kong Disneyland is hardly a threat. And though Disney is thinking about building a park near Shanghai, the plan is on hold because of concerns that it might undermine Hong Kong Disney. Yet most analysts agree that it is only a matter of time before Disney sets up a resort in mainland China. Despite the challenges, Tokyo Disney is optimistic as it turns 25. "There still are many people who have never visited the parks, so we plan to market the parks in a precise way for those people," said Fukushima, the Oriental Land president. | |
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Disney World's Flamingo Crossings roadwork starts Orlando Sentinel - Site preparation is beginning for the future road network that will serve Walt Disney World's planned new lower-rent commercial district, Flamingo Crossings. Contractors working for the Reedy Creek Improvement District are pushing dirt around outside the interchange of State Road 429 and Western Way, the western entrance into Disney. At that interchange, Disney World is planning a 450-acre commercial area of small restaurants, stores, service shops and "value-oriented" hotels and motels. Last week Disney filed paperwork with the Orange County Comptroller's Office announcing property swaps that give Reedy Creek the land it needs to build some of the roads in the area. Plans call for Hartzog Road, which is mostly unpaved there, to be relocated somewhat and paved. A loop road will come off Hartzog to the west. The above picture, shot in late March, shows the area where the loop road will be built, along with a sign warning people to keep an eye out for indigo snakes. Reedy Creek Administrator Ray Maxwell said contractors will be mostly leveling land and installing utility lines for the next few months. Flamingo Crossings is to be built in phases over eight to 10 years. Disney's land company, Buena Vista Land Co., began advertising parcels in the area in November. Plans call for 4,000 to 5,000 rooms in low- to mid-rise lodges -- priced to compete with moderate hotels and motels off Disney property. The 300,000 to 500,000 square feet of retail space at Flamingo Crossings would target merchants of practical wares and services that tourists, Disney employees and area residents might need, such as groceries, toiletries or basic clothing -- thereby competing with area shopping centers and outlet stores that draw many visitors off Disney property. The restaurants might include a mix of fast-food and casual-dining franchises not common on Disney grounds. | |
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Hong Kong focus in
Disney campaign
UNI - Disney unions from three continents will be in Hong Kong this week to help build a global trade union alliance in Disney and to boost the UNI campaign to organize workers at Hong Kong Disneyland. UNI is backing the Disney cast members union - HKDLCMU - that already has several hundred members in Hong Kong and which has won worker backing for union access rights. A recent union survey reveals more than 90% support for union access and communication rights with staff in Hong Kong. "Access for the union is a key issue so that basic labor rights to join a union and to bargain collectively can be effective," says UNI Deputy General Secretary Philip Bowyer. The survey also shows big differences between conditions for workers in Hong Kong - particularly hours of work, scheduling and work pressure – and for unionized colleagues with a collective agreement in Disney Florida. "There can be no excuse for big discrepancies in treatment between Disneyland workers in Hong Kong and their colleagues elsewhere," says Philip Bowyer, who will meet Disney's Human Resources Vice President in Hong Kong Christine Wong during the three-day UNI event. Late scheduling of working hours is a big issue at Hong Kong Disneyland - particularly among groups like food and beverage staff. Notice of shift changes can be less than 24 hours. Overtime arrangements are also a big issue - in Hong Kong staff have to week 60 hours in a week before becoming entitled to overtime pay while colleagues in Florida qualify after 40 hours. There is no limit on the number of hours worked in a day at Hong Kong Disney and no daily overtime premium. In Florida Disney workers get two consecutive days off a week while in Hong Kong those two days are likely to be separated. "Our survey concentrated on basic issues that affect the staff's working life and their ability to create a fair work-life balance," said Elaine Hui, who is Organizing Secretary for the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. "We want to work with the company to tackle the issues that cause staff problems - we all have a commitment to make Hong Kong Disneyland a successful and fair place to work." Cast workers union HKDLCMU has established some rights to represent individual members in grievance procedures and there is dialogue with Hong Kong Disney management. The Hong Kong government is the biggest shareholder in the Disney operation there that employs 5,000 workers. A UNI delegation will meet the Chief Labor Officer on 17 April to press for their assistance in ensuring labor rights. "We believe that the Hong Kong government has a responsibility to ensure that there is effective union organization and collective bargaining in Hong Kong - including Disney," said Elaine. "We will step up the pressure for access and we will build collaboration with overseas Disney workers." The government is currently under pressure to increase its investment to help expand the attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland - important with the announcement last week of plans to build a new Disney operation in Shanghai. US affiliates UFCW and IATSE will brief the union meeting on the situation in Disney in Florida and California while French affiliates CFDT and CGT will brief on Euro-Disney, Paris. HKDLCMU will brief on Hong Kong Disney - which was built close to Hong Kong's new airport on Lantau island and aims to attract visitors from mainland China. UNI MEI's Jim Wilson and UNI Graphical's Adriana Rosenzvaig will report on how unions in other multinational companies build union alliances, help grow new unions and campaign for global agreements that will ensure labour rights wherever a company operates around the world. The UNI delegation will meet workers and visit the Hong Kong Disney complex. A meeting with HR Director Greg Morley is scheduled for 17 April and the three-day event will conclude with a meet-the-press session. Global union the IUF will also be attending the Hong Kong event. | |
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SE
Asia may be next stop for Japan Disney operator Reuters - For some lucky Disney fans in Southeast Asia the days of flying long distances between countries to get a whiff of the magic kingdom might soon be over. The operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, which opened the first Walt Disney Co theme park outside of the United States 25 years ago, said it may expand into Southeast Asia as it seeks new markets for growth. Oriental Land Co operates Tokyo Disney Resort, comprising Tokyo Disneyland, water theme park DisneySea, two hotels and a shopping mall. Of the resort's 25.8 million annual visitors, around 4 percent come from overseas. The number of guests is expected to dwindle as Japan's population declines unless the resort can win over a new customer base or persuade regulars to visit more often. Oriental Land Chief Executive Toshio Kagami told reporters following a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland on Tuesday that Southeast Asia would likely be key to the company's overseas strategy in the future. Oriental Land may also look into creating a ski resort or some other recreational facility in Japan, he said. In Asia, Walt Disney also has a Disneyland in Hong Kong, while it is pondering setting up a park in mainland China. | |
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Disney Poised To Shut Down Kids Online Gaming Community: VMK SaveVMKToday.com - Disney Fans and parents worldwide are upset that The Walt Disney Internet Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to close down Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK), a safe online gaming community created for kids which launched in 2005. Several fan petitions have been created in response to Disney’s decision, hundreds are creating original YouTube content and thousands are rallying together to try and save VMK from closing next month.
Immediately after the announcement, several petitions sprung up, including one at the SaveVMKToday.com campaign web site. This particular petition has garnered over 7,500 signatures, of which 4,000 of them attained within 48 hours of the news and over 160,000 page views. "Every VMK player is stunned by this sudden announcement," explains Josh Goldstein, a long-term VMK player. "We were even more shocked that VMK is being referred to as nothing more than a promotion," a strong sentiment that is felt among the entire VMK gaming community worldwide. "Where are we suppose to go? How do we keep in touch with our friends? There is nothing like VMK anywhere else!" exclaims Josh. The decision to close VMK effectively leaves behind over a quarter of a million players with no alternative online platform available. ABOUT SAVE VMK TODAY CAMPAIGN: SaveVMKToday.com is a volunteer fan based campaign, created to provide Disney guests worldwide with an information portal regarding Virtual Magic Kingdom. The site offers a wealth of information and tools on contacting The Walt Disney Internet Group, including several petitions and resources, to help try and save this online gaming community from closing. ABOUT VIRTUAL MAGIC KINGDOM: VMK is a unique online gaming destination developed by Disney Online and Sulake Corporation Oy, designed for kids between the ages of 8-14, however is open to all Disney fans worldwide. VMK launched in June 2005 to coincide with the marketing and promotional celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. Just seven months after launch, Disney announced the game surpassed one million players and over 1.3 million personalized in-game rooms. | |
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VMK: Saving
Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom The DisneyBlog - This is the story of how Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK) came to its end and how and why it doesn’t have to be that way. The year is 1959. Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom of Disneyland is just about to enter its third year of operations. Disneyland has been very successful not just in attendance, but in creating a new type of community; a remaking of Main Street America in Walt’s image. Walt calls Disneyland his great experiment. He uses it to cross-promote his movies, television shows, and his growing interest in urban planning.
All that will cost money, take time, and talent. Those are resources Walt could use elsewhere in his growing company. So he decides that his ‘experiment’ in 360 degree themed entertainment has been a success. But he wants those customers go enjoy one of his other projects where there is a higher margin so he can afford his future plans. So, shocking everyone who has come to love and enjoy Disneyland, worked there, made friends there, even come to regard its wide avenues and wondrous attractions as part of Americana itself, Walt Disney decides to end his experiment and set up shop elsewhere (perhaps Florida, where he’ll have more room). In retrospect, we know that Walt Disney would have been crazy to make that move. Spending the money in the years between 1959 and 1967 was a great investment in Disneyland and in the Disney company brand. But at the time, it probably seemed like a reasonable option when faced with plenty of other opportunities to spend that cash. Plus, by 1959, just a scant four years after opening, Disneyland really did belong to America. Walt’s tie-ins with his other properties (Mickey Mouse Club, True Life Adventures, the animated films) and his great sense of knowing what Americans wanted in their entertainment diet, even if they didn’t, made sure that Disneyland and America were inextricably tied. Now, I’m not trying to equate the Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK) with present day Disneyland. But isn’t it a lot like Disneyland was in 1959? Ironically, Disneyland plays a part in the killing of VMK, or rather, the way the Walt Disney Company does its internal accounting played a role. You see while you and I may see The Walt Disney Company as one behemoth organization with just a few brands — Disney, ESPN, Pixar (?) — that’s even how it presents itself in the annual report, the company sees itself as hundreds of little businesses (or divisions) each operating on two levels of sales. The first level is with the general public. Each division is required to maximize its sales to the public. Eisner and crew saw this as a short term thing with 20% profits required from nearly every business unit (down to each individual churro cart at the theme parks) in order to justify its continued existence. Was that magic margin not reached, then cuts were required. Luckily it seems as if the current management team is a little more broad and long-term in its thinking. But they still want to maximize profit. The second level is internal sales. As it turns out when Disneyland wants something built by Imagineering, they have to “pay” WDI to do it for them. Yes, it’s still the same company, but internal accounting rules require it. Those Pirates Of The Caribbean premieres at Disneyland the last five years? All paid for by Walt Disney Pictures, even the extra cast member hours required to staff the event. When Disney Parks (I still hate that name for the division — could it be any less magical) wanted an online promotion as part of the world wide celebration of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, they paid Disney Online to set it up for them. Disney Online then went and licensed the software from Sulake Corporation to build the Virtual Magic Kingdom. I understand that Disney Online also did some additional programming work on top of what Sulake provided. There have been some discussions recently that VMK is closing due to the original licensing agreement with Sulake coming to an end. Sulake did just sign an ‘exclusive’ agreement with Paramount Studios to provide virtual worlds for their film properties. That may have had something to do with it, but I haven’t been able to confirm that one way or another. What I am hearing is that Disney Parks considers the 50th Anniversary promotion all wrapped up. They cut off funding for the project to Disney Online many months ago and that Disney Online has been looking at ways to continue VMK since then despite the loss of internal funding. To switch to a pay-for-play system would require re-coding the entire game nearly from the ground up. It’s not even clear that Sulake would license them to do so. VMK has not attracted the kinds of numbers that would sustain an advertising supported system, and it’s not clear that Disney would want to do that anyway. Plus Disney does have other virtual worlds that these players can migrate too, so it’s not as if they’re totally cut off. Without any funds coming from the promotional budget of another department, it was time to turn out the virtual lights at the Virtual Magic Kingdom. So, I guess the real villain of this story is Disney Parks who paid for the creation of such a wonderful place like VMK; fostered an online community of die-hard brand loyalists; and then cut off funding for the project without a care for the world they created and the people that inhabit it. Of course, none of this internal accounting matters to fans of Disney’s VMK. They just know that their virtual Disneyland is going away. Many of them are fighting mad. They’re doing what they can with websites, letters, petitions, comments to this blog and every other story they can find, in order to saveVMK. The effort is getting some play in industry websites and in the news media as well. The WKMG story was picked up by briefly by CNN.com. As of this writing savevmk.com has over 11,000 signatures on its petition and www.savevmktoday.com has over 7800. While there is probably some overlap there, that’s fairly large numbers. But in Disney’s world of accounting, it’s probably not enough to save VMK. If you read between the lines you see the fingerprints of internal accounting everywhere in this statement. You also see a decision to abandon the game. I’m sure it was not made lightly. But it was made nonetheless and they don’t appear likely to reverse it. So what can Disney do to relieve some of the pain being felt by their players? Having been actively involved in various internet communities since the early 90s, I’ve gone through a few of these situations myself. Of the two that stand out, one was a Listserv (automated email list) and the other a MUD (a text based virtual world). In both cases they were shuttered by the owner, but rescued by a sympathetic system admin who had access to a recent subscriber list. Listservs and MUDs are fairly easy to set up assuming you have access to server resources required to run them. Both communities survive to this day, different from the original, but close enough that friends were able to stay in contact, etc. The situation with Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom is a bit different. First, its not a bunch of college students playing hookie from class to complete that last quest before they level. Second, VMK has a lot of children. There are restrictions on chatting and what-not that restrict the dynamic of the game, but also made it a relatively safe place to play online. Along the same lines privacy is taken seriously, Disney isn’t just going to hand over the subscriber list to anyone. Third, Disney has internal goals. Those include directing existing players to other products. That does not excuse Disney from setting up some sort of safe place where the community can still function while it transitions. This not only provides a win for the community, but a channel to direct these players to other properties, perhaps even as focus group members or other special status. It could be a discussion group (similar to Google groups) or a special sub-area of one of the new games where VMK handles and logins will still work. There are no doubt a few technical and privacy challenges to overcome here, but certainly fewer than recreating VMK from the ground up. One of the lessons of Web 2.0, Social Media, whatever you want to call, it is that there is a responsibility to the community you foster. The information superhighway is now a two way street with content being created by brands and by consumers of those brands. There is co-ownership of that content. You have to respect the bonds that creates. The decision to terminate VMK would be different if it was a buy-out or the Walt Disney Company was in financial trouble of some sort. Fans and players expect some change in those instances. However, neither are the case here. Instead this is abandonment of loyal brand loving consumers, pure and simple. The game itself may die, but Disney’s responsibility to the community does not. I’m hoping that Disney will make some sort of effort to do the right thing and create a transitional space for VMK’s community until it is able to find a home in one of the other nooks and crannies of the net. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but it’s the right thing to do. Your fans will thank you for it instead of hate you as is happening now. | |
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Thousands Protest, Sign Petitions Over Closing Of Disney Online
Game Local6 - More than 11,000 people have signed a petition to save Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) after an announcement was made that the site will be closing. The
free Disney VMK gaming site debuted in 2005 as part of an online
promotion for the company's 50th anniversary. The game has
continued to grow in popularity.Currently, there are more than 15,000 players who chat and game every day, Local 6 reported. "You can form some tight friendships in here and to lose them all, it is very sad," VMK player Brianna Gill said. Some parents were angered over Disney's decision to close the game and have begged the company to reconsider. "Just because it is a virtual game as far as friendship goes does not make the friendships any less real," angry parent Kenny Gill said. "VMK was created as an online promotion," Katie Gerber of the Walt Disney Internet Group said. "It exceeded our expectations…to the point that we left it open much longer than originally anticipated. All good promotions must come to an end." "A promotional thing is one thing but we are talking three years," Gill said. Some well-known Disney bloggers have discussed the end of VMK in recent weeks. "Needless to say, this is causing an uproar among the games fans who have invested time and effort in building their characters, rooms and friends in VMK," John Frost of The Disney Blog wrote earlier this month. Disney will formally conclude its 50th promotional online game as of May 21, 2008, the savevmktoday.com site reported. | |
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Disney's Hollywood Studios' Tower of Terror tops field to claim
'best ride' title Orlando Sentinel -The people of Theme Park Insider have spoken: Tower of Terror is the best ride in America.
Visitors to the Web site voted
during a three-week "tournament" of 64 attractions, very
March Madness-style. Disney's Hollywood Studios thrill ride
Tower of Terror edged out Islands of Adventure's Amazing
Adventures of Spider-Man in the head-to-head final.
Spidey has won a different prize -- Theme Park Insider Award for world's best attraction -- four times. The current thinking on the site is that Tower of Terror's flexibility -- the drop sequences are random and varied, therefore presenting many different rides in one -- gave it the edge in head-to-head battle.
In the contest's semifinals,
Spider-Man bested Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, and
Tower topped Indiana Jones Adventure. Quarterfinalists
included Montu (Busch Gardens), Expedition Everest (Disney's
Animal Kingdom), Dueling Dragons -- Ice (Islands of
Adventure) and Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando).
Bracketologists can see the whole lineup here. It's on online voter-driven subjective poll, so the results are not scientific, but they are interesting. (Test Track beat Disneyland's Splash Mountain? Ice beat SheiKra? Mr. Toad beat Tatsu of Six Flags Magic Mountain? Who knew?) | |
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20% savings on La Nouba tickets for Florida residents this
summer
Disney News - Florida residents can live it up Cirque-style this summer with 20 percent savings on select La Nouba tickets at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort. An original production of Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba features an extraordinary cast of more than 70 international performers. The spellbinding performance is staged in a 1,671-seat state-of-the-art theatre with dramatic lighting, contemporary costumes and captivating music. The Florida Resident deal offers a savings up to $17 per ticket. The offer is valid from May 1 to June 28 on Category 2 Seats. Ticket must be purchased in advance by calling 407/WDW-SEAT. Proof of Florida Residency is required. | |
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Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua Poster Revealed
 MovieWeb -
Walt Disney Pictures has revealed a new poster for Raja
Gosnell's upcoming comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua, starring
Manolo Cardona, Jamie Lee Curtis, Andy Garcia, Placido
Domingo, George Lopez, Salma Hayek, Edward James Olmos, Paul
Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Piolin, and Drew Barrymore. Click
on the poster below for a larger version.In the Disney comedy, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua named Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) finds herself accidentally lost in the mean streets of Mexico without a day spa or Rodeo Drive boutique anywhere in sight. Now alone for the first time in her spoiled life, she must rely on some unexpected new friends including a street-hardened German Shepherd named Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia) and an amorous pup named Papi (voice of George Lopez)-to lend her a paw and help her to find her inner strength on their incredible journey back home. Garcia is playing a German shepherd who was kicked off the police force because he lost his sense of smell and has now given up on life. Hayek is Chloe's spirit guide who helps her find her true heritage. Lopez is Papi, a macho romantic Chihuahua who will do anything for the love of Chloe. | |
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Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground Gets a
Facelift!
Disney News - An outdoor adventure that has been a favorite with Walt Disney World guests since 1971 is receiving some enhancements. As part of a resort-wide renovation project, on now, changes are coming or already in place across the 700 acres of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. “Over the last 37 years, the average length of an RV has increased by 27 feet,” says Fort Wilderness spokesperson Darcy Cormier. “Many feature ’slide outs’ that mechanically extend from the sides of the vehicle.” To address the needs of today’s larger vehicles, an intensive effort will widen and lengthen the concrete parking pads while maintaining privacy and tranquility provided by natural vegetation. A new “Premium” campsite will be available that features extra large concrete pads for larger vehicles — also upgrades to existing amenities such as picnic tables and grills. The main pool at Fort Wilderness will be enhanced with a themed water slide, hot tub and children’s wet play area. The pool’s deep end has been made shallower. Nestled in the woodlands, the resort’s 409 Wilderness Cabins feature brand-new furniture, carpeting, fixtures and linens — plus a fresh coat of paint. Each spacious cabin features more than 500 square feet of air-conditioned living space as well as a private patio deck with a charcoal grill and picnic table. The master bedroom sleeps four with a full-sized bed and set of bunk beds, while the separate living room sleeps two with a full-sized pull-down bed. All cabins also feature vaulted ceilings, color cable television, DVD player, telephone and a spacious oval dining table. Daily housekeeping service is provided to all Wilderness Cabins. “With all of the comforts of home, the Wilderness Cabins are perfect for guests who want to wind down in a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere after a fun-filled day at the theme parks,” said Jean Gallagher, general manager of Fort Wilderness. Fort Wilderness has always been the pet-friendly choice for guests to Walt Disney World Resort, and now dogs are getting a playground of their own at the newly opened Waggin’ Trails Dog Park, an off-leash play area. Of course there is plenty of recreation for humans, too, including horseback riding, fishing excursions, nature trail exploration, boat rentals, volleyball, tennis, bike rentals and the new Wilderness Back Trail Adventure, where guests can experience, first-hand, a Segway X2 Personal Transporter. Guests can unwind on a white sand beach, play a leisurely game of shuffleboard, take the little ones on a pony ride or enjoy an evening horse-drawn wagon ride around the resort. Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is located in the Magic Kingdom resort area on the banks of Bay Lake. Convenient boat transportation to Magic Kingdom and motorcoach transportation to all Walt Disney World destinations, including Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is provided. For more information, or to make reservations at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, visit www.wdwcamp.com or call 407/WDW-CAMP. To book the two-hour guided Segway X2 experience, contact 407/WDW-TOUR. | |
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Theme park injuries in 1st Q of 2008: seizures, broken bones
Orlando Sentinel -
Florida’s major theme parks reported that several broken
bones, a couple of seizures and a spinal injury were
suffered by visitors during the first quarter of 2008.
Information on those incidents was released this morning by the Florida Bureau of Fair Ride Inspections. The theme parks submit such reports whenever a visitor appears to have suffered “serious” injuries on a ride, typically defined as requiring at least a day’s stay in a hospital.
Other reported injuries included a fractured hip at the Mad Tea Party ride in Magic Kingdom; dizziness and loss of memory after a ride on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; nausea after a ride on Cat in the Hat ride at Islands of Adventure; a fractured left shoulder for a woman who fell exciting The Seas With Nemo and Friends at Epcot; and a fractured ankle by a man who jumped into Cross Country Creek at Disney’s Blizzard Beach.
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New "Stitch Live!" Attraction Offers Hilarious
Private-Event Options for Business Groups
VISAVIS - Dazzling new technology lets attendees interact and joke with mischievous alien. That mischievous alien, Stitch, is now making very special appearances for business groups meeting at Disneyland Resort Paris. It's all possible with the new Stitch Live attraction which opened to groups and other Disney Guests this month. Located in the Walt Disney Studios, the new attraction blends real-time graphics and new animation capability to create a private event that's side-splitting fun and technologically dazzling. "Stitch Live Is the first attraction at Disneyland Resort Paris created as a customizable experience for business groups," said Carlo Olejniczak, director of Disneyland Resort Paris Business Solutions, a full-service meetings- and event-production team. "While Stitch is famous for being a trouble-maker, he's actually a gracious host who can help deliver important business messages in ways that are fun and memorable." For each private event, Stitch joins the group "live" via an intergalactic linkup, engaging in unscripted, often hilarious, conversations with attendees. Adding another level of customization to private events, Stitch can also make special announcements to the group, recognize individual attendees, and introduce executives or other speakers. Each Stitch Live performance can accommodate up to 170 people, with back-to-back shows available for larger groups. The show is ideal as a stand-alone reception or as a prelude to a complete privatized evening at the Walt Disney Studios. Private theme park events are one of the many unique benefits of meeting at Disneyland Resort Paris. Meeting and event professionals can host networking events, dinners or completely themed evenings using a signature Disney attraction, a themed land or an entire theme park. Whether the event is for 10 people or 10,000, hosting it in a Disney theme park makes it unforgettable. And since each location is event-ready with its own elaborate theming, these events can be surprisingly affordable. To learn more about event opportunities at the Disneyland Resort Paris, visit the dlpbusiness.com or call 33 (0) 1-60-45-75-00. | |
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Underdog—Walt
Disney Pictures (Blu-ray) Home
Theater Magazine - I'd been holding off on watching this one
until my daughter was visiting. She is five so I thought this
would be a great one to sit down and watch with her.
Unfortunately she got pretty bored with it, and so did I. The
humor goes above their head most of the time, and falls pretty
short of mine. The concept is cute and talking animals are
always pretty funny, but the movie moves along at a slower pace
than I would expect given its target audience. As far as family
films go it is nice to see something with no real adult humor or
innuendo, I just wish there was more to have fun with for 90
minutes.
Disney hasn’t been disappointing in the video department at all lately and this is another solid release. Like most of their films this one has lots of color and pop and the set design adds to the visual appeal. Contrast is excellent and depth of image rivals even some reference titles. Fine object detail is also impressive and I was glad to see a total lack of ringing and edge enhancement in the image. The full resolution PCM 5.1 mix is good, but like the film it comes up short in some areas. Spatial cues are a bit disappointing at times and I thought the mix came off a bit front heavy. The score is playful though and broadens the soundstage a bit. Dialogue is balanced nicely, even in the more exciting moments of the film, and even the voice over work is good. I'm not usually a fan of voiceovers with animals but this one wasn’t too bad. They did a good job of picking the voices to suit the animals most of the time. Extras are geared more toward the younger audience and include some bloopers and deleted scenes along with some fun retrospective looks at the earlier cartoons. You also get a diary for the lead canine star and a music video. I didn't have high hopes going into the film but Disney usually pulls it off. This one came up a bit short, even for my young daughter. I loved the casting and effects work, but the story was on the dull side and the humor just didn't grab me. Disney did pull off an excellent A/V presentation though, so fans will probably be pleased. | |
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Know when to stay at Disney World resorts for the lowest rates SmarterTravel - Disney World is famous for being secretive about its inner workings, but one thing it does make public is its seasonal hotel pricing. Instead of having to do an individual date search, you can find the high and low rates for each of its 24 resorts and the dates to which those rates apply on the Disney website. Knowing these price schedules can help you pick the travel dates that promise the lowest rates. Here's a quick price rundown: Disney's nightly rates range from $42 for a campsite at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground during the low (value) season to $2,155 for a deluxe villa at the BoardWalk Villas during the holiday season. The starting 2008 nightly rates for hotel rooms are $82 at value resorts, $149 at moderate resorts, $225 at deluxe resorts, and $265 at deluxe villa resorts.
The cheapest times to stay at value and moderate resorts are
right after the December holidays, late summer to early fall,
and early December. Rates are slightly higher from April through
Memorial Day, and from October to December. The most expensive
times are during the December holidays, winter and spring
breaks, and summer. | |
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Developers submit plans for two GardenWalk hotels Both hotels would be 12 stories high, with one at 300 Disney Way, and the other at 1775 South Clementine St. The Disney Way hotel would house 400 rooms, all suites. The other, on Clementine, would have 466 rooms and 25,000 feet of meeting space. The hotels would be near Disneyland and perhaps run by Disney. "We are in discussions with the Walt Disney Co. to manage the hotels," said developer Ajesh Patel, president and CEO of Prospera Hotels. Sherri Vander Dussen, the city of Anaheim's planning director, said the hotels' plans had to be passed around through city departments, with officials then drawing up conditions for approval. Developers would then tweak their plans accordingly and bring them before the Planning Commission, then likely the City Council, for approval in the coming months. Patel said Prospera is working together with developer O'Connell Hotels and Hospitality to build the two hotels, which, if approved, would be under construction simultaneously. | |
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Monday April 14, 2008 | |
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Tokyo Disney Resort 25th Anniversary Begins April 15, 2008 Disney Cruise Line plans a London office ESPN Draws Big Ratings for Masters Disney's Tower of Terror 13K 2008 Race Opens Registration Hong Kong focus in Disney campaign The Wave at The Contemporary Resort now accepting reservations Walt Disney World's 2008 Race For The Taste Registration Opens UAMS tapping Disney’s magic Universal, Disney continue to lavish political parties with goodies Two remain in £100m Disney pitch Season of Disney on the Travel Channel Pixar-themed Attractions at Disney Parks on Both Coasts Red Cross offers a Disney Vacation to donors | |
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Tokyo Disney Resort 25th Anniversary Begins April 15, 2008 Disney News - Tokyo Disney Resort will host a year-long 25th anniversary celebration under the slogan of "Unlock Your Dreams" with a variety of exciting programs held throughout the Resort. Come celebrate this commemorative year with the Disney friends and the Cast Members, and "Unlock Your Dreams" in this place filled with the Disney magic and dreams.  Tokyo
Disney Resort kicks off its 25th Anniversary celebration with a
new daytime parade "Jubilation!" The parade is quintessential Disney, with beloved characters from the Disney films coming together for a pageant filled with dreams and fantasy. Come discover anew the wonderful world of Disney! Also during the 25th Anniversary The world of Disney is expressed artistically on the theme of "Unlock Your Dreams" in this Tokyo Disney Resort 25th Anniversary program. Come experience the magic of Disney in the various art programs offered throughout the Resort. Tokyo DisneySea begins its Tokyo Disney Resort 25th Anniversary celebration with a delightful springtime flower carnival. The Disney friends decorate the Park with flowers of every color, and lively music will raise the festive atmosphere. Come join the Disney characters in this joyous springtime festival!  Tokyo
Disneyland opened in the suburbs of the Japanese capital on
April 15, 1983 as the company's first theme park outside the
United States.
Built on reclaimed land in
Tokyo Bay dubbed "Maihama" -- a Japanese take on Miami
Beach near Florida's Disney World -- the resort has
sprawled out to include hotels, a shopping mall, an aqua
park and soon a permanent Cirque du Soleil.
"The moment I arrive at
Maihama Station, my heart starts singing with its
legs doing dance steps," said Toshiko Sugano. "I
turn 58 next month, so I'll have to come back to
celebrate."
She was spending
the day at Disneyland with her 31-year-old
daughter and 54-year-old sister, all still
enchanted since they first came a quarter
century ago.
"It's a totally
different world here, away from real
everyday life," the elder Sugano said.
Her
daughter, Izumi, a Disney maniac who has
visited the park more than 100 times,
teased her mother over how much she has
warmed to the characters.
"She
was initially taken aback when
Mickey put his arm around her
shoulder. Now she springs towards
Mickey if she finds him," Izumi
said.
 As
Japan's birth rate sinks to one
of the world's lowest, Tokyo
Disneyland has already set its
sights on people like the
Suganos, the generation who grew
up admiring Disney cartoons on
television and took their
children to the park at the
opening.
Oriental
Land Co. Ltd., the Japanese
company that runs the park
under a license contract
with the Walt Disney group,
in March launched a cut-rate
pass for visitors aged 60 or
older.
Sugano is determined to
get one.
"It's two more years
to go. Knowing that
I'll be able to get
it, it's quite nice
getting old," she
said.
Takashi
Fujisawa, 31,
came all the way
from Japan's
northernmost
island of
Hokkaido with
his wife and
three-year-old
son. It was his
second visit
after the first
trip 16 years
ago with his
parents.
"I feel
strange
coming back
here as a
father
bringing a
son myself,"
he said,
carefully
adjusting
the position
of a baby
stroller to
take
pictures of
the sleeping
boy with
Cinderella
Castle in
the
background.
The
number
of
visitors
to
Disneyland
and
DisneySea,
the
water
park
opened
in 2001,
has
stood at
record
levels
of
around
25
million
in
recent
years,
up from
9.9
million
people
in
Disneyland's
first
year.
Since
1983
a
total
of
436
million
people
have
visited
the
two
parks
that
sit
next
to
the
megalopolis.
Visits have become such a rite of passage that Disneyland even holds a traditional coming-of-age ceremony for 20-year-olds each year with Mickey and Minnie.
 Oriental Land puts annual revenue from theme parks at 285 billion yen (2.8 billion dollars) -- a far cry from the performances of other overseas Disneylands.
Hong Kong government figures showed in December that visitor numbers at Hong Kong Disneyland fell up to 23 percent in its second year of operation.
Visitors to the 15-year-old Euro Disney hit a record of 14.5 million in 2007 but the operation was still in the red for a sixth straight year.
Tokyo Disneyland benefits from being in a nation that widely embraces US pop culture and commonly accepts grown-ups, particularly women, pursuing the same hobbies and fashions as children.
Hideki Nakagawa, a sociology professor at Nihon University, said going to Disneyland has turned into a "fashion in itself" in Japan, with frequent visitors collecting Disney items.
"You feel superior if you go there many times, while it makes others feel they must go as well," he said.
As it looks ahead, Disneyland is hoping to become more of a true "resort," persuading adults not only to come and visit but to stay for a few days as well.
Tokyo Disney Resort's latest on-line promotion offers "romantic night views" at DisneySea, with pictures showing a couple who turn 60 this year strolling and dining at the park.
"It's been a long time since I last talked with my husband this much. Next time I come, I want a package to stay," the woman in the advertisement says as she clings to her husband's arm.
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Disney Cruise Line plans a London office
Orlando Sentinel - Disney Cruise Line plans to open a London office this summer and send some employees from Central Florida overseas. A company spokeswoman said that about 20 employees will be stationed in the United Kingdom office, though not all will be people transferred from Central Florida. The operation there will be led by Tom Wolber, Disney Cruise Line's senior vice president and the company's No. 2 executive. Disney Cruise Line currently has about 3,000 employees, about 1,000 of whom work in land-based operations at its Celebration headquarters, at Port Canaveral or one of several other locations. Spokeswoman Christi Erwin Donnan said Disney Cruise Line is hoping to increase its presence internationally. The London office will also ensure Disney is "well-positioned to tap into the European market and competitively recruit new talent." Disney is having two new liners built in Germany, which will double the size of the company's fleet to four ships when they arrive in 2011 and 2012. Many industry analysts expect Disney will then opt to base a ship permanently in Europe. | |
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ESPN Draws Big Ratings for Masters
AP - ESPN's first year of Masters coverage was a big hit. The broadcast of the second round Friday was the most-viewed golf telecast on cable, producing a 3.1 rating. It's the first time either of the first two rounds of the Masters has drawn a 3.0 rating. Coverage of Thursday's first round produced a 2.2 rating. ESPN, which had televised the Masters internationally since 1993, signed a deal last October to broadcast the first two days of the year's first major. USA had been doing the opening rounds since 1982. Disney-owned ESPN also said that golf-related hits and views of Masters-related video on its Web site are up 117 percent over last year. Its Masters Video Podcast was also the most downloaded sports podcast on iTunes from Thursday to Saturday. "We are very excited about both the broadcast and new media results from our initial domestic association with ESPN," Masters chairman Billy Payne said. "This expanded reach, along with our other initiatives, significantly helps us with our goal of growing the game of golf." Payne has made growing the game a priority, particularly among young fans. The Par 3 Contest, a light-hearted competition that often showcases the players' children, was televised for the first year, and drew a 0.9 rating. Friday's coverage of the second round also earned a 0.9 rating among viewers 18 to 34, the highest in that category for a golf telecast. Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions watching a program. | |
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Disney's Tower of Terror 13K 2008 Race Opens Registration
Disney News - The second annual The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K race will take place Oct. 25 at Disney's Hollywood Studios. At 10 p.m., runners will enjoy a dazzling fireworks display at the famous Twilight Zone Tower of Terrorattraction as they begin their 8.1-mile night-time journey across Walt Disney World Resort, passing through Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex before heading back to Disney's Hollywood Studios where they will run through the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" attraction and the deserted Streets of America backlot. Participants will then wind their way around Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat for an exciting finish. Runners are invited to attend an exclusive post-race party at Disney's Hollywood Studios from Registration is open now at www.disneyenduranceseries.com or by calling 407/938-3398 to have a registration form mailed. All entrants receive a Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K Champion Tech T-shirt, a personalized glow-in-the-dark bib number and a one-of-a-kind Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K finisher medal. Additional race party tickets can be purchased for friends and family for $25 before the start of the race online at www.disneyenduranceseries.com or at the package pickup area the day of the race. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K is part of the Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort, which gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, bike and swim their way "around the world." From marathons to road races to triathlons, athletes from across the country and around the world compete to stay in shape, achieve personal-best times and raise donations for charitable causes. | |
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Hong Kong focus in Disney campaign
Union Network International - Disney unions from three continents will be in Hong Kong this week to help build a global trade union alliance in Disney and to boost the UNI campaign to organize workers at Hong Kong Disneyland. UNI is backing the Disney cast members union - HKDLCMU - that already has several hundred members in Hong Kong and which has won worker backing for union access rights. A recent union survey reveals more than 90% support for union access and communication rights with staff in Hong Kong. “Access for the union is a key issue so that basic labor rights to join a union and to bargain collectively can be effective,” says UNI Deputy General Secretary Philip Bowyer. The survey also shows big differences between conditions for workers in Hong Kong - particularly hours of work, scheduling and work pressure – and for unionized colleagues with a collective agreement in Disney Florida. “There can be no excuse for big discrepancies in treatment between Disneyland workers in Hong Kong and their colleagues elsewhere,” says Philip Bowyer, who will meet Disney’s Human Resources Vice President in Hong Kong Christine Wong during the three-day UNI event. Late scheduling of working hours is a big issue at Hong Kong Disneyland - particularly among groups like food and beverage staff. Notice of shift changes can be less than 24 hours. Overtime arrangements are also a big issue - in Hong Kong staff have to week 60 hours in a week before becoming entitled to overtime pay while colleagues in Florida qualify after 40 hours. There is no limit on the number of hours worked in a day at Hong Kong Disney and no daily overtime premium. In Florida Disney workers get two consecutive days off a week while in Hong Kong those two days are likely to be separated. “Our survey concentrated on basic issues that affect the staff’s working life and their ability to create a fair work-life balance,” said Elaine Hui, who is Organizing Secretary for the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. “We want to work with the company to tackle the issues that cause staff problems - we all have a commitment to make Hong Kong Disneyland a successful and fair place to work.” Cast workers union HKDLCMU has established some rights to represent individual members in grievance procedures and there is dialogue with Hong Kong Disney management. The Hong Kong government is the biggest shareholder in the Disney operation there that employs 5,000 workers. A UNI delegation will meet the Chief Labor Officer on 17 April to press for their assistance in ensuring labor rights. ”We believe that the Hong Kong government has a responsibility to ensure that there is effective union organization and collective bargaining in Hong Kong - including Disney,” said Elaine. “We will step up the pressure for access and we will build collaboration with overseas Disney workers.” The government is currently under pressure to increase its investment to help expand the attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland - important with the announcement last week of plans to build a new Disney operation in Shanghai. US affiliates UFCW and IATSE will brief the union meeting on the situation in Disney in Florida and California while French affiliates CFDT and CGT will brief on Euro-Disney, Paris. HKDLCMU will brief on Hong Kong Disney - which was built close to Hong Kong’s new airport on Lantau island and aims to attract visitors from mainland China. UNI MEI’s Jim Wilson and UNI Graphical’s Adriana Rosenzvaig will report on how unions in other multinational companies build union alliances, help grow new unions and campaign for global agreements that will ensure labour rights wherever a company operates around the world. The UNI delegation will meet workers and visit the Hong Kong Disney complex. A meeting with HR Director Greg Morley is scheduled for 17 April and the three-day event will conclude with a meet-the-press session. Global union the IUF will also be attending the Hong Kong event. | |
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The Wave at The Contemporary Resort now accepting reservations
Disney News - Reservations are now being accepted at The Wave beginning June 30th 2008. "The Wave… of American Flavors! From the classic American breakfast, to lunch and dinner where flavors and aromas blend… The Wave offers casual dining featuring American cooking blended with world flavors. The stylish, contemporary lounge sets the stage featuring new world wines with a twist and trendy cocktails with natural flavors. The Wave Lounge will offer specific appetizer-style menu items, new world wines with a twist and trendy cocktails with natural flavors." Here's the first version of the menu, always subject to change: Breakfast Make your own classic Bircher Muesli, Spinach Tomato and Onion Omelet Multigrain Mickey Waffle, Eggs Benedict, Homemade Granola. -Featuring Organic Columbian Coffee that is shade grown, fair trade and bird friendly. -Beta Berry Smoothie – Raspberries Non-Fat Yogurt, Peach, Mango and Honey, Antioxidant Vitamins, C, E and Beta-carotene -Supercharged Tropical Smoothie – A blend of Tropical Fruit Juices, Non-fat Yogurt and Soy Protein. -Children's Menu: Multigrain Mickey Waffle, Cereals, Pancakes, Eggs. Lunch -Multigrain Linguini with Rock Shrimp and Clams -Mediterranean Tuna Salad – Herb Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna with Greens, Potatoes and Olive Toast -Angus Chuck Burger -Classic Reuben Sandwich -Spice Crusted Chicken Salad with Apples and crispy Polenta Croutons Dinner -Pan Seared Black Cod -Grilled Marinated Flank Steak -Seasonal Vegetable Stew -Braised Lamb Shank -Grilled Beef Tenderloin Desserts Miniature styled dessert by categories Creamy Selection -Coconut Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit reduction -Chocolate Mousse with Pecan-Olive Brittle -Cheese cake with Raspberry Coulis Palette Cleanser -Meyer Lemon Sorbet -Pineapple Sorbet -Strawberry Sorbet Healthy Selection -Almond-Pineapple-Raisin "baklava" -Vanilla Braised Pineapple -Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Yogurt Panna Cotta Contemporary Selection -Salty Caramel with Chocolate Mousse -Lemon Corn Bread with Vanilla Panna Cotta -Sautéed Blueberries with Yogurt Gelato Beverages Wine- Southern Hemisphere Wines with a Twist. Featuring Wines from Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Beers- Featuring Wolaver’s Certified Organic Ales Specialty Cocktails- Passion Fruit Mojito, Antioxidant Cosmo, Pure-tini (with Organic Vodka and Mango), X-Fusion Lemonade (Organic Mango, Passion Fruit Juice and Lemonade) | |
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Walt Disney World's 2008 Race For The Taste Registration Opens
Disney News - The 9th annual Disney's Race for the Taste 10K takes place Oct. 12, giving competitors an opportunity to run and eat during the popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. Runners will enjoy a ceremonial toast and fireworks display at the start of the race at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, then embark on a 6.2-mile journey through Disney's Hollywood Studios, including running through the set of "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show." Runners will then trek through Disney's Yacht Club and Disney's Beach Club resorts before passing through World Showcase at Epcot, the epicenter of the Food & Wine Festival. At the finish line, runners - along with ticketed friends and family members - will have an opportunity to sample international cuisine from the Epcot festival at a post-race picnic. There will also be several Race for the Taste Kids' Races, including a Heelys' Race and Roll race (200m) for kids ages 8-14. Other kids' races include a 100-meter event (ages 1-3), a 200-meter race (ages 4-6), a 400-meter race (ages 7-9) and an 800-meter event (ages 9-11). Awards will be presented to the top three finishers in several categories, including top male, top female and wheelchair divisions. Runners can register now online at www.disneyraceforthetaste.com. Race-only registration is $45; race registration that includes a Disney theme park ticket is $73. Each participant will receive a medal shaped like a chef's hat once completing the race. Entrants must register by Sept. 1 to receive a personalized race bib. Participants and spectators can bring non-perishable food items to the event for donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. | |
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UAMS tapping Disney’s magic
Arkansas Democrat Gazette - The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has turned to the company that created Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to learn how to improve employee satisfaction and patient care.
Starting next month, about 5, 000 employees of the UAMS Medical Center and College of Medicine will participate in training sessions inspired by the business philosophies of Walt Disney, founder of the $ 35. 5 billion entertainment empire that bears his name.
“Our leaders at the top of the institution are invested in this,” said Jeannette M. Shorey, UAMS associate dean for continuing medical education and faculty affairs. “They really see the whole thing as an investment in patients and families, and in employees from top to bottom of the institution.” UAMS sent 40 managers and staff members to a threeday training program at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Fla., last July, and has Disney trainers traveling to Little Rock for 17 training sessions in May. The July trip cost $ 148, 888 in hospital revenue, and the May sessions will cost an estimated $ 178, 138.
Founded in 1986, the Disney Institute is one of several big-name companies that offer professional development training for a range of industries, including Ritz-Carlton Co. and Motorola.
Disney Institute advertisements invite companies to “experience the business behind the magic.” Clients include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Target Stores Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., United Airlines, Miami International Airport and University of Chicago Hospitals.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center is paying $ 800, 000 for Disney Institute training for about 2, 000 employees, a year after a scandal over housing and outpatient care at the facility, according to The Washington Post.
Several Arkansas companies, including retailers, assisted-living facilities and travel businesses, have trained with Disney, said Terry Brinkoetter, a Disney Institute spokesman. He declined to release company names.
The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville hosted a day-long, $ 399-per-person Disney Institute training program for companies statewide in October.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock has worked with Disney for six years, sending 60 senior staff members to Orlando in 2002, and an additional 90 physicians, nurses and other staff members this year, said Andree Trosclair, the hospital’s vice president of human resources.
“It was transformational for us,” said Scott Gordon, the hospital’s chief operations officer.
Now, all staff members must take the hospital’s “Traditions” training program, which emphasizes safety, presentation, compassion and performance. The training is reinforced with awards for employees who go “above and beyond.” The “Crossing the Creek” awards are named after two Arkansas Children’s Hospital nurses who waded across a creek several years ago to help a rural family sign up for Medicaid, Gordon said.
Arkansas Children’s officials said they didn’t have a breakdown of the cost, but Gordon estimated that the hospital has spent $ 200, 000 to $ 300, 000 on the training since 2002.
“It’s the best investment we can make,” Trosclair said. She cites the program for helping the hospital become one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2008 and for improving employee-opinion and patient-satisfaction ratings.
GOOD SERVICE Health care has been one of the Disney Institute’s top markets for several years, Brinkoetter said, adding that there are many parallels between the entertainment and health-care industries. “Both can be a very emotional experience, and they’re both people- and customer-service oriented,” he said. “Even the physical environment of our [theme ] parks has parallels in that we know it affects people’s perceptions of their experience in the same way the physical environment of a hospital affects the perceptions of patients and their families.” Leslie Taylor, an associate vice chancellor at UAMS, said there’s a growing focus in the health-care industry on providing good service as well as good patient care, from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services down to local hospitals. “A lot of the measures they use now as far as reimbursement have to do with service, not just did you recover from your illness or was your surgical experience good,” she said. UAMS selected Disney because of its simple methods and the great deal of thought Walt Disney Co. has put into defining good customer service, Shorey said. “They understand that in any service business — theirs is entertainment, ours is health care — you need to take care of the people that you’re serving,” she said. “They understand that in order to do that you have to take care of your employees.” ‘BEHIND THE MAGIC’ UAMS’ lead Disney trainer is a former respiratory therapist who knows the health-care industry, Shorey said. The Orlando training was split between a classroom and visits to Disney World.
“The PowerPoints that Disney makes are a whole lot more fun than your standard medical education,” Shorey said. “There’s pixie dust flying around.” Participants made frequent trips to the theme park for demonstrations. They learned Disney’s lingo: Employees are “cast members,” customers are “guests,” and the park is “the set.” A clear distinction is drawn between what’s expected of people onstage and offstage.
“Walt Disney himself made the rule that a guest could never, ever see a cast member except when the cast member is fully ready — meaning in costume, complete with the right mental attitude — to walk onstage,” Shorey said.
Shorey likened the difference between public and staff areas at Disney World to the difference between the black-and-white Kansas and the colorful Oz in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz.
“Offstage at Disney, it looks comfortable, pretty much an industrial stage set,” she said. “Then you walk around one little corner, and you’re out on the stage where it’s very lively, very colorful and everybody’s in costume. It’s very striking.” Disney charged UAMS $ 97, 567 for the training. Airplane tickets totaled $ 15, 752, and Disney resort hotel costs were $ 35, 569 for all 40 people sent, Taylor said.
The sessions in May will be three-hour programs, with just 45 minutes led by Disney.
UAMS employees will be introduced to the new service theme, “We create comfort, hope and healing for our patients and families,” modeled after Disney’s service theme, “We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment to people of all ages everywhere.” The idea is to give UAMS employees something that connects in “a deep personal way” to their everyday work, Shorey said. Training will emphasize things like safety, dress code, employee satisfaction, behavior and attitude.
“We want to really make employees feel like they’re part of the process, whether they work in the cafeteria, work directly with patients, pick up trash in the hallways — whatever they do, all of their jobs are important,” Taylor said. “It’s really to get employees to be satisfied, and that translates to good care and good service.”
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Universal, Disney continue to lavish political parties with goodies
Orlando Sentinel - Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando continue to plow lots of freebies into Florida's two political parties.
The latest round of quarterly campaign-finance reports, covering January through March, show that Universal and Disney gave about $142,000 worth of hotel rooms, theme-park tickets and food to the Republican Party of Florida. Universal also gave almost $20,000 worth of food and tickets to the Florida Democratic Party.
The largest single gift came from Universal: about $116,000 worth of goods and services to the GOP to help it host another Mardi Gras-themed fundraiser shortly before the start of this year's Legislature.
The two theme-park giants were also generous with their checkbooks: Disney gave $50,000 to the Republican Party and $25,000 to the Democratic Party in direct campaign contributions, while Universal gave $10,000 to the Republicans and $5,000 to the Democrats.
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Two remain in £100m Disney pitch
mad.co.uk - Walt Disney Studios has narrowed its shortlist down to two agencies in its £100 million pan-European media planning and buying review, currently held by Aegis network Carat, mad.co.uk can reveal.
Disney is understood to have invited incumbent Carat and Publicis-owned ZenithOptimedia to battle it out for the high-value regional business, ending the hopes of WPP’s MindShare and Havas's Media Planning Group.
The review, which began last October, covers the entire Walt Disney Studio business and is said to be heavily procurement led, involving corporate marketing European vice president Tessa Moore and the divisional marketing heads.
According to Nielsen Media Research, Disney spent £21 million on advertising in the UK alone last year.
Founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney the company behind Mickey Mouse posted global net profits of £636 million for the last quarter of 2007.
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Season of Disney on the Travel Channel
Travel Channel - The Travel Channel began what will be a weekly series of new programs showcasing the Disney parks. Here is the schedule, including last week’s show which is now running regularly on the Travel Channel network: 4/11 Samantha Brown’s Disney Favorites These shows have been airing at 9pm EST on Fridays. | |
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Pixar-themed Attractions at Disney Parks on Both Coasts
ThrillNetwork - It's a Pixar palooza at Disney Parks! In family-friendly attractions and immersive experiences on both coasts of the United States, guests can do it all -- find Nemo, zap Zurg and meddle with Monsters. But the fun doesn't stop there. Coming this summer to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., is a whole new interactive adventure: Toy Story Mania! Celebrating Disney-Pixar classics "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," this new ride-game experience combines delightful film characters with personality-matching games guests can play. Donning 3-D glasses, guests shrink to the size of a toy and hop fanciful ride vehicles following a midway-themed route. At each game booth, they aim for animated targets using special on-board spring-action shooters. Toy Story Mania! debuts at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida in late May and at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim in late June. It joins these other experiences inspired by favorite Disney-Pixar characters and films. At Walt Disney World Resort: -Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor -- Guests find the power of laughter in an engaging and interactive adventure inspired by "Monsters, Inc." as they match wits with the one-eyed hero Mike Wazowski and his friends. As Monster-of-Ceremonies, Mike recruits comedian wanna-bes whose humor delights audiences at a 400-seat theater in Magic Kingdom. -Finding Nemo-The Musical -- The undersea world that charmed audiences in "Finding Nemo" comes to life in a musical stage show at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The 30-minute Broadway-style production immerses guests in the story of Marlin and Nemo, an overprotective clownfish father and his curious son, with imaginative puppetry, dazzling special effects and an original musical score. -The Seas with Nemo & Friends -- This whimsical and visually stunning attraction at Epcot picks up where the film "Finding Nemo" left off. Riding aboard "clamobiles" in a colorful coral reef setting, guests meet Mr. Ray and learn that Nemo has wandered off. The journey continues as Dory, Bruce, Marlin, Squirt and Crush help with the search. These deep-sea friends inhabit a variety of vibrant vignettes, including a huge aquarium that contains more than 65 species of marine life. -Block Party Bash -- This high-energy extravaganza at Disney's Hollywood Studios cranks the music and excitement to the max, putting guests in the middle of the wildest Disney spectacle ever -- a non-stop musical block party that doubles as a fun-filled interactive street spectacular. Featuring characters from "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monster's, Inc." and "The Incredibles," "Block Party Bash" combines dancers, acrobats, stilt performers and a caravan of electric scooters to fill the performance area with awe-inspiring visual and sound sensations. At Disneyland Resort: -Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage -- Guests embark on an underwater expedition where they discover Nemo and his finned friends from "Finding Nemo." Thanks to cutting-edge imaging technology, characters such as Dory, Marlin, Crush, Bruce and, of course, Nemo, come to life before guests' eyes in a brilliantly colored lagoon at Disneyland Park. -a bug's land -- Designed especially for kids, this land at Disney's California Adventure features Flik's Fun Fair, which is full of attractions inspired by the film "A Bug's Life." Children can experience the world from a bug's point of view by visiting Flik's Flyers, Francis' Ladybug Boogie, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, Princess Dot Puddle Park, and Tuck and Roll Drive'Em Buggies. Families can then cap off their adventures with a screening of the 3-D spectacular "It's Tough to be a Bug." -Monster's Inc., Mike and Sulley to the Rescue -- Disney's California Adventure guests are in for a ride of "monstrous" proportion as they climb aboard taxis and hit the streets of Monstropolis with Mike, Sulley and Boo. Along the way they'll encounter the super-sneaky Randall Boggs, the yellow-suited agents of the Child Detection Agency and other characters from the film. -Pixar Play Parade -- Characters from Disney-Pixar films "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," "Cars" and "Ratatouille" dance onto the parade route and invite guests of all ages to join in a whirling, spinning, fun-for-all animated playground. This daily spectacle at Disney's California Adventure is brought to life in giant parade floats, puppetry, acrobatics and interactive surprises including bubble, fire and water effects. At both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort: -Turtle Talk With Crush -- Crush from "Finding Nemo" has made a different kind of screen debut at Epcot and Disneyland Park -- as a chatting, joking quipster who engages guests in conversation from his movie-screen undersea environment. The interactive show is a breakthrough experience in real-time animation using digital projection and sophisticated, voice-activated animation. -It's Tough to be a Bug -- Inside the massive trunk of Disney's Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life, and at the heart of Disney's California Adventure's "a bug's land," is "It's Tough to be a Bug," a humorous 3-D film and special effects show starring Earth's least-known wild creatures -- and a few familiar faces from "A Bug's Life." Guests will recognize friendly Flik and the villainous Hopper, but the rest of the show promises some "stingingly" surprising antics. -Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (WDW) / Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters (DLR) -- Armed with infrared lasers, guests join forces with Buzz Lightyear to defend Earth's supply of batteries from the evil Emperor Zurg in a spinning, brought-to-life spin-off of the movie "Toy Story." The shoot-'em-up fun at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park triggers sight and sound gags, while a lighted display inside toy-spaceship vehicles allows guests to keep score. For more information about Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort visit disneyworld.com and www.disneyland.com. | |
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Red Cross offers a Disney Vacation to donors
Rome News-Tribune - The American Red Cross is offering a chance for donors to win a free trip to Disney World to help combat a seasonal dip in blood supplies that has occurred over the past several months.
According to the American Red Cross, there is a constant need for blood, especially types O and B.
Between April 1 and April 30 donors have the chance to enter a drawing for a trip for four to Disney World in Orlando. The prize package includes roundtrip airfare from Delta Air Lines, a three-night stay at the Clarion Hotel Universal – Orlando, and four two-day passes to Disney World.
ROME AREA BLOOD DRIVES:
BARTOW COUNTY: Adairsville, Cartersville Adairsville 5/12/2008: 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Adairsville Community-First Methodist Church, 102 S. Main Street Cartersville 4/14/2008: 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Body Plex of Cartersville, 25 Collins Dr 4/22/2008: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Woodland High School, 800 Old Alabama Road 4/29/2008: 12:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Cartersville Community - Civic Center, 435 West Main Street 4/30/2008: 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Cartersville High School, 320 East Church Street 5/13/2008: 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Gold's Gym-Cartersville, 650 Henderson Dr. Suite 303
FLOYD COUNTY: Rome 4/29/2008: 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Coosa Valley Chapter ARC, 112 John Maddox Drive NW 5/15/2008: 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Wal-Mart Supercenter 5151 East Rome, 825 Carterville Hwy ORDON COUNTY: Calhoun, Fairmount Calhoun 4/28/2008: 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., First United Methodist Church - Calhoun, 200 E. Line Street Fairmount 5/12/2008: 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Fairmount Elementary School, 130 Peachtree Street MURRAY COUNTY: Chatsworth 5/15/2008: 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., First Baptist Church Chatsworth, 121 West Market Street POLK COUNTY: Rockmart 5/13/2008: 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Nathan Dean Civic Center, 604 Goodyear Street. | |
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Sunday April 13, 2008 | |
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A
trip to Disney boutique surpasses girl's dreams Disney To Launch New Platinum Giselle Gown Disney to revive Famous Five | |
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A
trip to Disney boutique surpasses girl's dreams The Bay City Times - What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a princess? My 6-year-old daughter, Taylor,
certainly has. And on a recent trip to Florida, she got the
chance to make her dream come true. Welcome to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Here, with the wave of a wand - and a swipe of your credit card - little girls can become any princess they want. My husband and I decided not to tell Taylor about her boutique appointment in advance. We wanted it to be a surprise. We arrived at the magical hour - 2 p.m., 15 minutes early as requested by Disney - and we brought our hair brush, also at their request. Honestly, the place was a zoo and I was beginning to wonder if I had made a huge mistake as we waited a half-hour for the buzzer they had given Taylor to go off. (Parents, I should note that the Downtown Disney boutique is located inside the World of Disney store and it's likely your little girl will see everything Disney she's ever wanted while waiting.) Just as I was beginning to lose hope, the magical buzzer lit up and began shaking. It was our turn. Taylor was taken to her own station where two women, Shirley, of Topeka, Kan., and Ruby of Cali, Colombia, were ready to make Taylor's transformation become reality. Much to Taylor's delight, the
women referred to her as ''Princess Taylor'' throughout the
visit. Ruby first let Taylor pick out her hairstyle. The options were Fairy-tale Princess, Disney Diva or Pop Princess. She picked Disney Diva. Ruby then let her pick out the color of hair she wanted. She picked red - just like Ariel from ''The Little Mermaid'' - and I resisted the mommy urge to say brown would go better with her own hair. After all, I reminded myself, it was her moment, let her enjoy it. As the ladies fussed over Taylor, I looked around the room and counted 11 princess stations, where little girls sat with smiles the size of the Cheshire cat's in ''Alice in Wonderland.'' Each girl had two women working on her and parents stood nearby videotaping and snapping pictures like paparazzi. Shirley broke into my daydream of wishing I was 6 again as she showed Princess Taylor and me to a fitting room where she could change. Boutique workers had asked Taylor when we registered which princess she wanted to be and without hesitation, she said, ''Ariel.'' Knowing Taylor, I was not surprised by her choice. I was surprised, however, when the woman asked, ''Under the Sea Ariel or Wedding Day Ariel?'' You've got to be kidding me, I thought. Taylor opted for Under the Sea Ariel. Taylor slid into her sparkly teal and purple mermaid outfit faster than she's ever put on school clothes. She also got an Ariel crown and a wand - that LIGHTS UP. Taylor was sooo excited. We returned to the beauty station and while Ruby worked on her hair, Shirley did Princess Taylor's nails. She got to take her pick of pink or blue nail polish but got to take both home. As Shirley put pink nail polish on Princess Taylor's fingertips, she explained that she and Ruby were Fairy Godmothers-in-Training and that they all worked with Cinderella, who, naturally, was up at her castle. There were little stars in the
nail polish Shirley was applying and I listened (and suppressed
a giggle) as Shirley explained each star that came off Taylor's
fingertips was worth one wish. Taylor ended up with four stars, and Shirley advised her to keep her wishes in her heart. She then said she had heard if any of the stars fall off on their own - you can't pick them off - your wish will come true. Taylor ate it up as though Shirley was speaking the gospel. As Taylor sat draped in a pink Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique cape and finished primping, Grandpa (our photographer) asked Ruby how many girls come through the boutique on the average day. Between 140 and 160, she replied. Shirley finished Princess Taylor off with pink, sparkly lip gloss, two eyeshadow colors and blush. Taylor picked each of the colors herself. She was having a tough time picking the eyeshadow when Shirley, bless her heart, suggested the teal and purple would match her outfit perfectly. They even put a sparkling face gem on her cheek. Shirley and Ruby then put a pink sash on Princess Taylor and waved a wand filled with sparkling fairy dust over her head to complete her look. As mom paid, Princess Taylor was asked to sign the official princess guest book with a pink crown pen. She signed it like it was the Declaration of Independence. After their transformation, princesses are invited down to Disney's PhotoPass Studio, where their picture is taken and portraits are available for purchase. Our package included a 6-by-8-inch print and four 4-by-6-inch prints. Parents, be advised, a visit to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is not a cheap venture. The coach package - which includes hair, makeup and a sash - costs $44.95 plus tax. The crown package - the coach package plus nails - costs $49.95 plus tax. The castle package is the works - hair, nails, makeup, photo package, princess gown of choice, crown, wand, shoes and sash. It runs $179.95 to $229.95, depending on the outfit your princess chooses. We spent $178.86 for about an hour's worth of enjoyment, but Taylor got to take everything home, and her smile said it all. ''Was it a good surprise?'' my husband asked Taylor as we rode back to our home away from home. Her response was true to princess form: ''Yes. Probably the best surprise any parent could ever give in the whole world.'' | |
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Disney To
Launch New Platinum Giselle Gown
RTT News - Walt Disney Co. (DIS) on Sunday will launch a new platinum Giselle gown as Disney Princess-inspired bridal line expands at bridal fashion week. The new gown, which combines the organic with the sophisticated, will be unveiled alongside twelve new gowns through live-model fashion vignettes. Disney Princessess, including Ariel, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Disney Princess Jasmine, has inspired the twelve new gowns. The addition of the Giselle gown continues the phenomenal success of the Kirstie Kelly for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings line since its debut in April of last year. | |
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Disney to revive Famous
Five Gulf Daily News - Enid Blyton fans fear the desecration of some of their favourite books as Disney revives the Famous Five, 66 years after their creation. To ensure that the new cartoon series and books appeal to a modern audience, the producers are replacing the white middle class characters with more politically correct versions, such as Jyoti an Anglo-Indian and changing their choice of snacks from cream buns to pizza. However, Timmy the dog remains unchanged and the stories will still revolve around well-meaning children winning the day. "Like the original Famous Five the new characters are smart kids who love to get down and dirty in the outdoors. They are savvy, engaging, love to get stuck into a good mystery. But they also enjoy technology like iPods, computers and mobile phones," said producer Laura Clunie. Blyton died in 1968. | |
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The
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
could sign off on Monorail Red as early as this week, clearing
the way for employee test runs and eventually park visitors, a
Disney spokesperson said.