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 |
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.