April 20 - 26, 2008
 

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Saturday April 26, 2008
Ex-Disney exec Eisner gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Disney International's Andy Bird honored
Disney World no fun for Blue Jays
'Disney on Ice' brings Mickey and Minnie to town

Ex-Disney exec Eisner gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star

AP - Mickey and Minnie Mouse were on hand Friday when Michael Eisner got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Eisner gained fame in Hollywood as president of Paramount Pictures and then CEO of The Walt Disney Co.

At a ceremony, he credited John Travolta with much of his success.

"I am overwhelmed and I want to thank John Travolta for flying here from a film shoot," Eisner, 66, said. "Anything John was associated with while I was at Paramount was a hit. He is my lucky stone. And my success is also tied to the people I worked with."

Travolta, who starred in Paramount's '70s hits "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever," said he "jumped at the chance" to honor Eisner.

"I consider it an honor to be a part of this as he has done so much for my career," Travolta gushed.

Kudos from Disney came in the form of the iconic Mickey and Minnie, and an appearance by Disneyland's band.

Eisner became president of Paramount in 1976, ushering in box office smashes, such as "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

He began his career in TV at the American Broadcasting Co. before heading Paramount. He left to take the helm at Disney from 1984 until stepping down in 2005.

Under Eisner's longtime leadership, Disney opened theme parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, acquired ABC and Miramax Pictures, developed the Disney Cruise Line and created Walt Disney Theatrical Productions.

However, Disney's board stripped Eisner of his chairmanship. Shareholders rebuked him in 2004 after a revolt led by former board members Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold.

In 2005, Eisner founded Tornante Co., a private company investing in media and entertainment opportunities. He then created Vuguru, a new media studio. Tornante and Madison Dearborn Partners LLC acquired baseball card and candy maker Topps Co. last October.

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Disney International's Andy Bird honored

Hollywood Reporter - Just four years ago when Andy Bird became chairman of Walt Disney International, the global entertainment powerhouse had no full-time employees in India outside of its sports interests there, Bird recalled at an international industry awards event in West Hollywood on Friday.

"Now India for Disney is a place of unparalleled opportunity," he said in accepting an Industry Leadershp Award as part of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles at the House of Blues.

Timmy Kandhari, leader of the entertainment and media practice PricewaterhouseCoopers also received a leadership award. He was unable to attend in person. But his colleagues feted him for his decades of service to major Indian multinational clients in India and the U.S. He has worked with such companies as Zee Telefilms, Hutch, Airtel, CNN, STAR, Nimnbus & Shyam Telecom.

Bird is responsible for targeting new businesses, growing and increasing penetration of Disney's existing businesses in developed markets such as Western Europe and Japan, and leading the development of business and operations in emerging markets, including India.

Disney, Bird said, is pursing opportunities in India on television, film and other entertainment arenas. He has been instrumental in Disney's entry into the Indian market through its fast-growing Disney-branded businesses including a joint-venture in ESPN STAR Sport, the acquisition of Hungama TV, a leading Indian children's television channel, a 32.1% equity stake in UTV Software Communications Limited and a recent agreement with Yash Raj Films Studios, India's premier studio, to create a series of original and exclusive computer-animated feature films.
Bird praised Disney's Indian business partners saying that they were a constant pleasure to do business with. "Our relationship with UTV is nothing short of spectacular," he added.

Presenting the awards were Christina Marouda, executive director of the Indian Film Festival and Arnold Peter and David Tenzer of Los Angeles entertainment law firm Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon.

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Disney World no fun for Blue Jays

Toronto Star - This little three-game sojourn to Disney World seems to work wonders.

If you're the Tampa Bay Rays, that is.

For the Blue Jays – and the spring before this, the Texas Rangers – not so wondrous.

While contriving to blow their fourth and fifth leads of the series, Jays eventually succumbed 5-3 to the Rays – their fourth straight loss and eighth in their last 10.

While the offence continued to pad its increasingly distressing numbers for delivering with runners in scoring position, starter Dustin McGowan can sure share the hit for this one.

Fanning five of his first seven hitters, McGowan was nearly unhittable throughout – but for most of the wrong reasons.

As in walking five of his last seven hitters – and a career-high seven in all. He was gone, bases packed, none out in the fifth.

"The first couple of innings tonight, I thought he might've even been better than that day he had the eight no-hit innings against Colorado," said catcher Gregg Zaun.

"If I knew why (McGowan so completely lost it), I'd have stopped it from getting out of control."

"Very frustrating," said McGowan. "I've never had anything quite like that. I might've got myself into more trouble just trying to find a way to fix it."

Handed a 2-0 lead in the third, McGowan gave that back on single runs in the third and fourth.

When Jays took a 3-2 lead in the fifth . . . well, McGowan opened the bottom half single-walk-walk. All three, soon enough, came around to score and Jays were off to Kansas City, a perfect 0-3 for the first third of this nine-game haul.

Jays also blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the Tuesday opener and even Roy Halladay lost his grip on a 3-0 cushion on Wednesday.

In all, the Jays scored in seven different innings over the three games here and, in six of those, the young Rays replied immediately with scoring of their own.

The series marked the first three-game sweep at "home" for the Rays, since they took three off the Rangers here in this very place last May — their only such sweep of 2007.

Jays at least had Scott Rolen in their dugout for the first time this season, but he won't be activated until tonight in K.C.

Even so, it's not as if Rolen is going to provide any major turnaround for a club that is now 9-for-77 with runners in scoring position over its last 10 games – 1-for-10 last night.

Three of these misfires came in Jays' last licks when, after a leadoff single, then walk, Zaun slammed one to the warning-track in right.

It was at that instant, as manager John Gibbons saw it, the wind, blowing left to right all night, just died.

"I absolutely scored that ball up," Zaun said. "I can't hit a ball any harder than that. Soon as it left my bat, I'm thinking that's a three-run homer right there."

But no.

It also wasn't to be in the fifth when, with Brian Tallet in for McGowan, one run across for 3-3, Eric Hinske rapped a possible inning-ending, double-play ball at Aaron Hill.

Only not quite hard enough.

Hill's hurried throw pulled David Eckstein off the bag, everyone was safe, the 4-3 go-ahead was across and the ex-Jay Hinske had his fourth RBI over the three games.

"You pull for a guy like Ski," said Gibbons. "Just not against us."

While an RBI-single by Dioner Navarro ended Tallet's decent but unfulfilling outing, Alex Rios's night had lasted only a little longer.He was ejected by first base umpire Tim McClellan for debating a third-strike, check-swing that ended the two- run Toronto third.

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'Disney on Ice' brings Mickey and Minnie to town

Jakarta Post - More than 10 years since their first on-ice appearance here, Mickey and Minnie Mouse return in Disney on Ice, taking place in Jakarta from April 26 to May 4.

Produced by Original Production and HD Tikar Entertainment, Mickey and Minnie will entertain and amaze fans in a show called "Five Times the Fun with One Amazing Journey".

The characters, famous among children the world over, will lead spectators through five Disney stories: The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, The Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan.

Characters from the stories will dazzle audiences with great storytelling and spectacular skating on the ice rink that has been set up inside Hall A1 of the Jakarta International Exhibition Center in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

The show promises many surprises, including an appearance by Tinker Bell.

Lighting and music for the show come courtesy of Big Production.

Fifi, from the show's organizers, said all 80 crew members for the show, including the performers and skaters, had already arrived in Jakarta from the United States.

"The tickets are almost sold out. We are now only selling tickets for the same day at the venue," Fifi told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

She said the show organizers were pleased to be able to support the government's Visit Indonesia Year 2008 program and the city's tourism campaign Enjoy Jakarta.

The organizers earlier planned to stage the show at Istora Senayan indoor stadium, but had to cancel because the venue will be used for a religious event.

"But the shift to Kemayoran hall is better since it has better access than Istora Senayan. The Kemayoran exhibition center has better facilities for a big show like Disney on Ice," Fifi said.

She said the organizers would hold three performances on April 26, May 1 and May 4, and two shows on the other days.

Tickets for the 100-minute show cost between Rp 600,000 and Rp 100,000. Prices for weekend shows are higher than weekdays. A platinum ticket costs Rp 600,000 on the weekend and Rp 450,000 during the week.

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Friday April 25, 2008

Julianne Moore, Swimmer Michael Phelps Live Out Their Disney 'Fantasea' In Ariel-Inspired Annie Leibovitz Photography
Disneyland Resort president discusses expansion
Disney VoluntEARS: Making A Difference for 25 Years
A Celebration fit for a Princess
Disney Channel Star Brenda Song Defends Miley Cyrus Over Racy Pictures
Lachey to host `High School Musical' reality show
Disney Preview Offers First News on 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Blu-ray

Julianne Moore, Swimmer Michael Phelps Live Out Their Disney 'Fantasea' In Ariel-Inspired Annie Leibovitz Photography

FOXBusiness - For the latest image in the portrait series of celebrities living out their Disney dreams, photographer Annie Leibovitz followed a simple recipe: Just add water.

Continuing the "Disney Dream Portrait Series" that has put stars in all kinds of Disney fantasies, Leibovitz trained her famous lens this time on the undersea world of Ariel, heroine of "The Little Mermaid." To get there, she dressed actress Julianne Moore and American swimming icon Michael Phelps in tails and scales.

"Yes, Julianne has a big mermaid tail; it's interesting," Leibovitz recalled from the shoot. "Michael, too. His movements were so graceful and beautiful you just felt like you were watching a real merman."

The latest Leibovitz photography is part of her acclaimed series as Disney Parks continue, through 2008, the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration on both coasts.

In the finished image captioned "Where another world is just a wish away," shafts of light pierce the blue depths as Ariel (Moore) sits in her undersea world amid wavy coral and darting sea life. In the foreground of the frame, Phelps slips past, flipping his fins.

Inside The Shoot

Leibovitz worked her mastery on soundstages on both coasts. Fitted in his silvery fishtail, Phelps was lowered into a backlot tank in Los Angeles used for underwater movie scenes. Leibovitz was on the outside, snapping away, communicating her instructions to Phelps via members of her crew.

"One of the most complicated shots I have ever done," said Leibovitz. "I didn't know if it was going to work, what to expect. I have to tell you, he was beautiful. Michael put on that tail and ... he just became like a modern dancer. He just took to it and enjoyed himself and swam through this tank. I was blown away."

For the four time "World Swimmer of the Year" (as designated by Swimming World Magazine), donning flippers was worlds away from the swimming competitions he's used to.

"It was kind of weird to be able to put on a tail and swim around in a tank," Phelps admitted. "To work with Annie and try these crazy sorts of ideas is really an honor and something I won't forget."

A host of swimming stars, past and present, joined Phelps in the water and final image: Janet Evans, Rowdy Gaines, Brendan Hansen and Cullen Jones.

At a New York soundstage, Leibovitz perched the fishtailed Moore on a rock as the starry-eyed Ariel.

"There's a moment in the shoot where Julianne is sitting on a rock in her mermaid tail and her young daughter comes in, and there is not a dry eye in the house," Leibovitz recalled. "She sat in her mother's lap. Her jaw just dropped. She could not believe her mother was Ariel."

When Moore was asked to play Ariel, she recalls, "I leapt at the chance." "Ariel is my daughter's favorite princess, so I was just really so excited to do it," Moore said. "All the images I've seen that Annie's shot so far - Cinderella and Alice and the prince one - are absolutely exquisite. They are so beautiful and so kind of wonderfully emotional. So I was really thrilled to be asked to work with her and do this."

Star-Studded Series

The latest image - planned for the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine - continues the renowned Leibovitz series of putting celebrities inside their Disney fantasies. Released in separate flights since January 2007.

"It is about bringing great stories to life," Leibovitz says of the series. "Working with great actors - these are stories that they know. It's embedded in them. And when they start to have their own children it means even more to them.

"These are the stories that are passed on and on, from generation to generation. We just want to do the stories justice. To me it's a lot of play acting, it's a lot of dress-up, that's the joy of it."

Disney Parks guests with their own Ariel dreams can go "under the sea" and meet everyone's favorite mermaid. Ariel poses for photos with guests and signs autographs in her Fantasyland grotto in Disneyland Park and in Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. In Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, the adventure continues during performances of "Voyage of The Little Mermaid."

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Disneyland Resort president discusses expansion

OCRegister - More rides, theme park land and hotel rooms are in the future for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, said Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier Wednesday.

Disney plans to add a Tinker Bell attraction at Disneyland in October, 253 rooms to the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and new rides and themed lands to Disney's California Adventure.

At some point, Disney might add a third theme park on 88 acres of land next to Disneyland and possibly operate two hotels proposed for the Anaheim GardenWalk, Grier told a crowd of about 150 at an Orange County Forum event Wednesday.

"We had great success with the 50th anniversary (of Disneyland)," Grier said. "Now it's about how we keep that momentum going."

Here are Disney's Anaheim expansion plans:

A Tinker Bell attraction will open at Disneyland in October. This was the first time Grier mentioned the attraction, and he was short on details. All he would say is that "we know how special she is to all our guests" and that she will be in Disneyland in October. That timing coincides with the Oct. 28 Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell," the first in a new franchise of original movies that include the Peter Pan-movie character along with other fairies.

California Adventure expansion plans were announced in October and are expected to be completed by 2012. Those $1.2 billion plans include: a land based on the "Cars" movie, a "Little Mermaid"-themed ride, a new 1920s plaza, an interactive "Toy Story Mania!" ride opening this summer and a "World of Color" show in the lagoon. Leaving the park is the Golden Gate Bridge structure, tall letters spelling out "California" and the Golden Dreams theater. Grier said the expansion is intended to bring more "memorable attractions" and "more Disney" to the theme park.

The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is adding 253 rooms, including its first timeshare-type villas on the West Coast. The capacity will increase by about 30 percent – up to 998 rooms – at the hotel that Grier said has "very strong occupancy rates."

A third theme park was hinted at by Grier on Wednesday. "We do see a tremendous opportunity on our 88 acres of land," Grier said.

Two GardenWalk hotels may be operated by Disney. Grier only told the crowd that Disney is continuing to look into operating two new hotels in the GardenWalk – a hotel, shopping and dining center between Katella Avenue and Disney Way that includes plans for up to 866 hotel rooms.

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Disney VoluntEARS: Making A Difference for 25 Years

Disney News - Putting their best foot forward for the Insurance Office of America (IOA) 5K Walk / Run in downtown Orlando, a team of more than 1,600 Walt Disney World Cast Members pounded the pavement to officially kick off a month of activities in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Disney VoluntEARS.  
 

Earning distinction as the largest corporate team in the event, the group made a statement in size and spirit as they donned white shirts featuring the new Disney VoluntEARS logo. The occasion also had a magical moment for Parramore Kidz Zone, a City of Orlando youth education initiative that provides safe places after school. Mickey Mouse and several Disney officials presented the program with an $8,000 donation on behalf of Disney Cast
 

The Walt Disney Company, through the Disney VoluntEARS program, provides opportunities for Cast Members to contribute their time and expertise toward bettering their communities.  Throughout the month, Disney Cast Members around the world – including those based in Central Florida – will celebrate the silver anniversary of the Disney VoluntEARS program by participating in charitable events aimed at assisting children, strengthening their communities and preserving the environment.


“Walt Disney World Cast Members are committed to our community” said Eugene Campbell, vice president of Walt Disney World Community Relations & Minority Business Development. “Over the next month, Cast Members will contribute even more of their personal time, expertise and efforts to make a positive impact in Central Florida and celebrate 25 years of service.”

 

In addition to the IOA 5K, Disney Cast Members are making a difference this month in Central Florida by getting involved in:

American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life events
Habitat for Humanity home building projects
Creating oyster beds for the Nature Conservancy

Junior Achievement in a Day
Florida State Special Olympics 
 Blood donation drives
Other activities benefiting A Gift For Teaching; Operation Uplift; Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida; and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
 

VoluntEARS Highlights

Since 1992, hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Central Florida have benefited from the dedication and contributions of Disney VoluntEARS, including BETA Center, where VoluntEARS assist resident teenage mothers by distributing food or reading to children; Second Harvest Food Bank, where VoluntEARS work to sort food that is distributed free of charge to families in need; and Coalition for the Homeless, where VoluntEARS prepare and serve food to families trying to regain financial stability.
 

Last year alone, Walt Disney World VoluntEARS contributed more than 174,000 hours to a broad range of local causes.
Their efforts included:
 

Conducting a successful back-to-school supply drive, donating enough paper, pencils, and other supplies to fill more than 5,000 backpacks distributed to students in Orange County Schools as well as more than 200,000 supplies to A Gift For Teaching;

 

Taking part in the Florida Coastal Cleanup in partnership with Keep Brevard Beautiful. Cast Members and their families removed more than 2,500 pounds of trash and storm debris from six miles of Brevard County's shoreline;

 

Committing $3 million to the Heart of Florida United Way, making Walt Disney World Resort the organization’s largest corporate contributor;

 

Collecting more than 23,000 toys for Toys for Tots; and

 

Donating more than 3,250 units of blood at on-site blood drives.

 

Most recently, in March, 5,400 Cast Members raised more than $265,000 during the annual Disney-- Helping Kids Shine Bowl-A-Thon supporting Junior Achievement of Central Florida.
The first organized Disney employee volunteer program took place at the Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, Calif., in 1983. Since the inception of the Disney VoluntEARS program, Disney employees in over 42 countries have donated more than 5,000,000 hours of service to the communities in which they live and work.

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A Celebration fit for a Princess

Disney News - Pretty as princesses, 15 special young ladies from across the United States and Puerto Rico celebrated a Dream-Come-True Quinceañera on Thursday at Disneyland Resort, with a grand red-carpet entrance, an enchanting ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and a pixie-dusted dinner party with family and friends. Royal and resplendent, these lucky girls marked their cultural milestone with a dash of Disney magic, as part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration.

A tradition in the Latin community, a Quinceañera is a young woman's celebration of her 15th birthday, which marks the transition from a child to a young woman.  It is commemorated in a way that distinguishes it from her other birthdays.

The royal evening ceremony at Disneyland Resort was filled with opulence, pageantry and tradition.  It began with a dream-come-true moment for any teenage girl – a celebrity escort along a red carpet that led to the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle. The stellar lineup of stars included Cristina Saralegui, host of “The Cristina Show;” Andy Garcia, acclaimed actor and producer; pop singer Frankie J; actor-dancer Cristián De La Fuente of “Dancing with the Stars” and others.

In the castle forecourt, each birthday girl was greeted by Disney characters and prepared for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Each young lady, elegant and enchanting in her ball gown, danced a special waltz with her father, stepped from her flat shoes into Cinderella-like glass slippers and received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her mother.

Following the official ceremony in the Castle Forecourt, each of the princesses joined her special guests at a private dinner party in Fantasyland Theater.  The unforgettable party included the traditional Quinceañera cutting of the cake and doll ceremony, two important symbols of the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

The magic began on Tuesday when the girls arrived, ready to prepare for the grand gala with dress fittings, rehearsals, a princess etiquette seminar, an ice cream social at the Disneyland Dream Suite and plenty of photo opportunities. After two days of fun, bonding and magical anticipation, they were ready for the spotlight and the delightful Quinceañera celebration.

The girls are from California, Florida, Arizona, New York, Texas, Illinois and Puerto Rico.  Amethyst Lisa Cristina Martinez of Miami imagined this day for weeks and said, “Dreams aren’t impossible.”  Kassandra Hernandez of Sacramento, Ca., was thrilled to celebrate her coming-of-age with family, a welcome joy after several recent family hardships. And Brenda Prado of Fresno, Ca., said her parents, who are farm workers, were ecstatic that their daughter could enjoy a magical Quinceañera celebration.

The bright lights will keep shining on these lucky young ladies, as their enchanting Disneyland Quinceañera is scheduled to be featured in a one-hour television special on Univision network’s “El Show de Cristina,” (The Cristina Show). More than 40 international broadcast and news outlets covered the festivities.

To make these dreams come true, Disney Parks launched a national search for prospective princesses in conjunction with selected Univision television news affiliates, Univision.com, Coca-Cola, David’s Bridal and “The Cristina Show.”  Together, they found these 15 special girls to celebrate their magical Quinceañeras at Disneyland Resort.

All eligible princesses-to-be submitted essays explaining why they wanted to have their coming-of-age celebrations at “The Happiest Place on Earth.” 

To ensure each Quinceañera girl was dressed as a true “belle of the ball,” David’s Bridal, the nation’s leading bridal retailer, provided each of the 15 girls with a ball gown, tiara and shoes.  Southwest Airlines provided flights for each young lady and up to seven guests to attend the sparkling soiree. Hewlett-Packard donated limited-edition entertainment notebook PCs to each Quinceañera princess to help her pursue her educational goals and stay connected with family and friends.  Kodak provided specially created Quinceañera-themed cameras so that each girl could capture her unique and thrilling memories.

Disney Parks, already a home to lavish ceremonies and magical milestone celebrations for guests visiting from around the globe every year, provides a castle-full of Quinceañera celebration options for young women and their families. 

Quinceañera celebrations at Disneyland Resort Hotels or Walt Disney World Resort can be traditional, spiritual, large or intimate. Up to 500 guests can enjoy a Quinceañera at Disney Parks, with popular themes including fairy tale treasures such as “Cinderella” and “Beauty & the Beast” celebrations. 

For more information on Disney Parks’ Quinceañera product offerings and vacation packages, including the special Labor Day weekend Quinceañera at Walt Disney World Resort, guests may visit Disneyparks.com/quinceañera or Parquesdisney.com/quinceañera. For phone assistance about Quinceañeras at Walt Disney World, call 321-939-4555, and for Disneyland Resort in Southern California, call 866-55-DISNEY.

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Disney Channel Star Brenda Song Defends Miley Cyrus Over Racy Pictures

AHN - Another Disney Channel star Brenda Song has defended pal Miley Cyrus over her recent racy pictures scandal.

The "Suit Life of Zack and Cody" star says of the "Hannah Montana" star's recent brush with scandal, "I love Miley. I think she's a very talented actress and singer. Whatever she does in her personal life is her personal life."

Song, 20, who was speaking at the 2008 JC Penney Asian Excellence Awards in Los Angeles, adds to People magazine, "Miley is probably the most charismatic and strong 15-year-old I know. She brushes everything off with a smile. She is truly a diva, in a very good way!"

The actress is not the first one to jump on the sold-out concert performer's defense. Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers was also quick to back 15-year-old Cyrus up.

He said in an interview with Yo on E! "I think it's just the way you come out of it. As much as they say, no one's perfect and everybody makes their mistakes. I think it's the way you handle it and come out of it the proper and respectful way."

Cyrus has recently encountered some criticisms after photos of her surfaced in which she posed showing a glimpse of her bright green bra and in another, she had her tank top raised to show her stomach while laying beside a boy had been leaked on the Internet.

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Lachey to host `High School Musical' reality show

AP -  Nick Lachey is going back to high school, musically.

The 34-year-old singer has signed on to host the upcoming ABC reality show "High School Musical: Summer Session," inspired by the Disney Channel phenomenon costarring Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens, ABC said this week.

The program debuts July 20, and will air Sundays and Mondays for three weeks before settling into a Monday timeslot.

The competition will heat up as finalists participate in a summer music program: one winner will "receive the opportunity of a lifetime, becoming a part of `High School Musical' history," according to ABC.

Just what that entails — quality time with Efron? — hasn't been announced yet. The champ will be named in mid-September.

Open casting calls for "High School Musical: Summer Session" will take place Sunday at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif., and May 7 at Champion Stadium at Disney's Wide Worlds of Sports Complex in Orlanda, Fla. The age range for contestants is 16 through 22.

The audition process will be featured in early episodes of the show, ABC said.

ABC and the Disney Channel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.

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Disney Preview Offers First News on 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Blu-ray

High-Def Digest - Disney has attached a new video trailer to next month's Blu-ray release of 'National Treasure 2,' previewing a dozen of their biggest 2008 Blu-ray disc releases, including a first look at the still-unscheduled next-gen release of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.'

Dropping on our doorstep this week was a copy of Disney's 'National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets,' which features a pre-movie trailer previewing a host of previously-announced upcoming releases, including 'Tinker Bell' and 'Sleeping Beauty.'

The excitement comes at the conclusion of the montage, however, with a sparkling clip for Tim Burton's beloved cult classic 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' Though the spot offers no exact street date, the Blu-ray is touted as arriving this Fall, and timed to coincide with a new standard DVD two-disc re-issue.

No additional specs are revealed in the spot, though it does promise fully remastered video and audio, plus all-new exclusive bonus features.

We've contacted Disney, and there is currently no further official information available for what is sure to be one of the season's most eagerly-anticipated Blu-ray catalog releases. We'll definitely keep you posted as soon as further word comes from the studio.

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Thursday April 24, 2008

Disney World to help Orlando bus agency
Canaveral rushes to prepare Disney's port
Crocs to make shoes based on Disney hits
Disney builds digital magic kingdom in Seattle
Teacup Beating Victim To Sue Disney
Disney Employees Discuss Ring Recovery
Disneyland's new monorail glass changes color in sunlight
Show your mettle at Tower of Terror
Disney Star Issues Statement About Going Missing
For Oyster Bay family, Disney trip is a dream come true
Sixth-inning rally clinches win at Disney
Disney Now Considering Directors For 'The Silver Chair?'
Disney Wants You to 'Fear Phil'

Disney World to help Orlando bus agency

Disney News - An innovative agreement announced today between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) and the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) will result in as much as $7.36 million in funding to increase transportation options for Central Florida workers.  

“This five-year agreement gives us the resources to expand our services for Central Floridians and the 50 million annual visitors to our area who rely on LYNX to get to work or play everyday,” said LYNX Chief Executive Officer Linda S. Watson. “This is another good example of how the public and private sectors can work together to enhance transportation options in our region.”  

This agreement will allow LYNX to utilize approximately $4.86 million in funds paid to FDOT by WDW for mitigation of traffic impacts due to development. Additionally, WDW will contribute $1.25 million to LYNX over the next five years ($250,000 per year) for continuation of a match to the federal Job Access Reverse Commute Grant (also $250,000 per year over the next five years). LYNX will use this combined $7.36 million to improve operations and maintenance efforts throughout Central Florida with new routes and increased frequency on existing ones.   LYNX intends to leverage these funds wherever possible for additional federal, state, or other funding opportunities to bring additional revenue to LYNX.    

“We are incredibly proud to be able to work so closely with these two organizations and we look forward to seeing the benefits come to life for many Central Floridians – including our 62,000 Cast Members – over the next several years,” said Walt Disney World Vice President of Operations Mark Rucker. “We recognize that accommodating transportation needs in our community is not the sole responsibility of government and we’re pleased to participate.”  

This agreement will have no cost to LYNX, nor any local funding requirements. 

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Canaveral rushes to prepare Disney's port

Orlando Sentinel - Unable to find financing in a chaotic bond market, Port Canaveral will take the unusual step of borrowing directly from a bank to pay for $32 million worth of construction upgrades needed to accommodate Disney Cruise Line.

Commissioners for the Brevard County seaport agreed Wednesday to solicit bids from banks that will give the port a 15-year loan to finance widespread construction that includes extending a pier, adding terminal space and building a parking garage.

Staffers said they were unable to find affordable rates through usual channels in the bond market, which is still roiling from the collapse of the subprime-mortgage business.

Waiting for the bond market to settle is not an option, port executives said. Canaveral's new, 15-year contract with Disney requires that all construction be completed by Oct. 1, 2010 -- only a few months before the first of Disney's two new mega-ships is expected to arrive at the port. A construction timetable presented Wednesday showed that port officials don't expect to finish expanding Disney Cruise Line's terminal until September 2010.

The schedule "is aggressive but not unmanageable," Canaveral Chief Executive Officer Stan Payne said. Disney ultimately will pay off $22 million of the $32 million debt through a new passenger charge of $7 per round trip.

Disney is not the only company with plans to bring bigger ships to Canaveral: The port announced Wednesday that Miami-based Carnival Corp. has agreed to station the new Carnival Dream there beginning in October 2009.

The 3,652-passenger ship, the first in a new class of vessels, will become the largest ship in Carnival Cruise Lines fleet when it arrives.

The pact with Carnival follows a similar deal with Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to bring the 3,600-plus-passenger Freedom of the Seas to Port Canaveral beginning in May 2009. Each of Disney's new cruise ships, which will arrive in 2011 and 2012, will have room for about 4,000 passengers.

The largest ship currently sailing out of Canaveral is Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas, which carries approximately 3,100 passengers.

Payne said only "modest" upgrades will be needed to accommodate the new Carnival vessel, beyond work already planned for Disney and Royal Caribbean. That work will include spending as much as $1.5 million to extend a dock by 100 feet.

To kick start the Disney construction, commissioners Wednesday awarded nearly $900,000 to a pair of contractors that have standing deals with the port.

CH2M Hill will get about $375,000 to begin designing Disney's expanded terminal, the parking garage and related road work.

River Consulting LLC will be paid about $525,000 to design both modifications needed at Disney's ship berth and a plan to widen a turning basin to accommodate all larger cruise ships.

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Crocs to make shoes based on Disney hits

Toronto Star - Crocs Inc., known for its colorful plastic shoes, Thursday said it is launching a line of shoes and accessories based on Walt Disney Co.'s hit shows "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical."

The shoemaker also said it will make shoes tied to the upcoming Walt Disney film "Wall-E."

The Hannah Montana and Wall-E inspired Crocs will come to market in May while High School Musical footwear will debut this summer.

Crocs, whose shoes have evolved from fad to lifestyle items since coming to market in 2002, is aiming to reverse a string of bad news, including reports of slowing business.

The company slashed its earnings outlook earlier this month, citing fewer retail orders and costs from a Canadian factory closure.

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Disney builds digital magic kingdom in Seattle

Seattle Times - Ten years after setting up shop in Seattle through its acquisition of Starwave, Disney is again building up its presence here.

Disney Internet Group is planning to expand its team here from 300 to 400 people over the next year, reflecting the Seattle operation's importance to Disney's broad digital strategy, according to John Spelich, vice president for corporate communications.

Disney's employment has been up and down since it made Seattle its Web-development outpost when it bought Starwave in 1998. The group had more than 500 employees during the dot-com peak, but cut back dramatically a few years later after the crash and strategy changes.

For years Disney was a major part of the cluster of Web companies in Pioneer Square, where it occupied much of Smith Tower. But the company recently moved a few blocks uptown, to Fourth and Madison.

The Seattle office includes engineering, advertising and operations teams that build and run a platform of services powering the online sites of Disney, ABC and ESPN. They power registration, e-commerce, ad serving and data warehousing for the global network.

Spelich listed some impressive stats for the Seattle operation: It's serving a billion ads a day, handling more than 100 million registered users and managing 27 million unique visitors a month just at Disney.com.

Among other services run from Seattle are ESPN's fantasy-sports group and the network's SMS sports-alerts service.

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Teacup Beating Victim To Sue Disney

News Talk AM 580 - So what's up next for the woman who was beaten at the teacup ride at Disney last year? Tony Phillips, the son of the woman sentenced to 90 days in jail on Wednesday, said he thinks he knows:

"Ms. Krause, that's her, you know what I'm saying? She's doing her thing - and that's suing Disney."

Eban Self, attorney for 35-year-old Aimee Krause, doesn't disagree. Self told WDBO on Wednesday he anticipates filing a lawsuit against Disney by the end of the month on behalf of his client. Victoria Walker, a 52-year-old grandmother from Alabama, beat Krause at the teacup ride in May of 2007. Self said Disney needs to better address security issues:

"It's just one in a long line of many incidents where this kind of thing has happened before."

Walker was also sentenced to 9 months probation and will have to complete an anger-management course.

Thanks go out to both the victim and the perp. Due to both of them acting less than adults the price of a one day ticket will go up to 85 dollars next year after the lawsuit, where else is Disney going to get the money back from if not by charging the guests. Thanks Again.

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Disney Employees Discuss Ring Recovery

WESH - A Massachusetts man accidentally threw out three of his wife’s platinum and diamond rings while staying at a Disney Resort last week, but the efforts of several Disney employees led to an amazing recovery of the lost jewelry.

On Thursday, the workers spoke with WESH 2 News about what it was like to search through garbage for hours.

"Yeah, we had a good description of what we were looking for," Disney employee Drew Weaver said. "His wife told us he put them in a little plastic Easter egg container so we were looking for some plastic eggs and the rings were supposed to be in the eggs. We found the eggs and then we found the rings!"

"It’s amazing what our cast did," Disney employee Jean Galliger said. "It’s a great story and, you know, this is a year of a million dreams at Disney so it’s appropriate to have a happy ending to this story." One Ring to Rule them All!

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Disneyland's new monorail glass changes color in sunlight

AP - Disneyland has updated its classic monorail train meandering through the amusement park, adding a better seating arrangement and glass that changes color in the sunlight.

The new Monorail Red, or Mark VII, train debuts Friday.

Monorail lead designer says Disneyland is "always looking for ways to update and refresh classic attractions."

The first electric monorail cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars are blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Visitors will now have a better view from bench seats facing the windows.

The Disneyland monorail started in 1959.

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Show your mettle at Tower of Terror

Birmingham Mail - Fearless, I am not. Brave isn't a word I expect to have etched on my epitaph.

An end of term school 'treat' to a theme park usually meant watching friends regurgitate their sandwiches, plunging into oblivion on a spiraling rollercoaster while I held the coats and rucksacks.

So it was with great in trepidation that I accepted the invitation to ride Disneyland Resort Paris's new star attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The latest addition to the Parisian super park allows thrill-seekers to experience a 13-storey freefall, in the pitch black, faster than the speed of gravity. Along with a wardrobe packed with Manolo Blahnik shoes, just what I've always wanted.

Fortunately getting to Disneyland Resort Paris wasn't scary at all. We travelled on first class Eurostar from London St Pancras directly to Disney, following a very comfortable Virgin link from Birmingham New Street to London Euston. In little under three hours we had lined the stomach with a delicious breakfast, zoomed through the Chunnel and were checking into Hotel New York, situated inside the Disney Resort and just minutes walk from the park entrance.

A four-star spectacle, Hotel New York offers guests a juicy slice of the Big Apple with its plush rooms, Rockefeller Centre-style outdoor ice rink and Manhattan cocktail bar. There's even a ubiquitous yellow cab parked outside.

Complete with that sparkling Disney sheen, we almost felt you didn't need to endure the transatlantic flight in order to experience the city that never sleeps.

But than that's true of the entire Disney experience. You can travel the world in minutes, with its mock-Arabian palace so realistic you can almost smell the shisha pipes, dusty Grand Canyon-style rock face and sandy desert island beach. It's easy to see why Disney casts its spell on so many.

Disneyland Park is divided into four family-friendly 'worlds', while the neighboring Walt Disney Studios offers visitors a manageable insight into Hollywood movie making with its rides and tours. Neither park was as sprawling as I expected and it's easy to do justice to both parks within a day or so, or to fill a week's holiday.

Rides vary from mild to wild, although even those billed as most terrifying are still fairly child-friendly, height permitting. My favorites included the Buzz Lightyear ride, the Pirates of the Caribbean adventure and Cars Race Rally. Meanwhile my braver other half loved the thrills of Space Mountain 2 and Crush's Coaster, based on hit flick Finding Nemo.

Other attractions - and new for 2008 - include the energetic High School Musical 2 show and interactive Stitch Live.

But back to the main event. It was time to conquer my fears and venture into the Hollywood Towers Hotel - home of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The fictional hotel, a former celebrity magnet, has been derelict since the 1930s when it was abandoned after being struck by lightning resulting in the mysterious disappearance of five guests in a lift. Now, visitors are given the chance to ride the only functioning service lift, so that they too can enter The Twilight Zone.

Possessing a special Fastpass ticket, available to all resort hotel guests, the queue was so rapid I didn't have chance to back down. Before I knew it, a dozen of us had been seated and strapped into the creeky old lift. Moments later the lift is being hoisted 13 stories and my tightly-clenched knuckles begin to turn white. As if this wasn't terrifying enough, the doors of the lift open to give passengers a glimpse of how high they are - and how far there is to fall.

I'd like to say I wasn't frightened but I can't. However, I wasn't so frightened that I turned down the opportunity to have a second go on Tower of Terror, this time at midnight. The far-reaching views of illuminated Disney park - albeit through half-shut eyes - was worth the dose of terror alone.

And if your stomach is withstanding, there are plenty of places to eat within the resort to suit most palates and budgets. A highlight was a trip to Cafe Mickey, where along with big portions of family friendly foods such as lasagne, Caesar salad and steak and chips, diners are joined by some of the most popular Disney characters, who dance, sign autographs and share cuddles with fans.

Another chance to see the characters in action is at one of the daily parades through the park. Even the most cynical adult cannot fail to feel a tingle of magic as the colorful floats sweep down Main Street USA, even if it's just for the sight of pure joy on the faces of little ones. Main Street USA is also the location for many of the park's shops although there are others dotted across both sites offering all kinds of Disney paraphernalia from Mickey Mouse-shaped lollipops to entire Buzz Lightyear costumes. If they'd had one big enough I might have bought one. However, if it's chicer Parisian shopping you're after, Marne La Valle, a big name outlet village, is just five minutes by train from Disney.

With brands including Diesel, Armani and Camper to French names such as Agnes B a n d Christian Lacroix, here I was duly rewarded for my earlier bravery. All in all, my trip to Disney - and more specifically my ride aboard the Tower of Terror - turned me from a Mickey mouse into a Lion King!

Getting there

Return travel on Eurostar from London St Pancras to Eurodisney is from £59. For more details visit www.eurostar.com

Virgin travel offers through fares to Eurodisney from Birmingham via Euston and St Pancras from £79.

For more details on Eurodisney Resort Hotels and the park rates visit www.disneylandparis.com.

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Disney Star Issues Statement About Going Missing

TheCelebrityCafe - According to the Associated Press, That’s So Raven star Orlando Brown has returned 24 hours after he was reported missing by his publicist, Elayne Rivers.

Brown, 20, went missing Tuesday morning and re-emerged Wednesday to issue a public statement regarding his whereabouts. The actor and aspiring musician experienced a troublesome incident at a nightclub where he was scheduled to open for the headlining act. For an unknown reason, he was not able to perform his music set and became upset.

“I felt a little lost and needed to get away,” Brown said in his public statement. “It got a bit overwhelming and I needed to be alone.”

He admitted it was wrong not to inform his manager of his plans, as he normally communicates with his manager several times a day. Brown also apologized to his friends and fans and thanked them for their continued support.

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For Oyster Bay family, Disney trip is a dream come true

Newsday - For Julie Rospars Keffer, one moment of her family's

Walt Disney World vacation made the trip worthwhile: when her three children - each of whom has a form of autism - stood and smiled for a picture with Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

"They were so happy," said a radiant Rospars Keffer.

Rospars Keffer, 37, her husband, Michael Keffer, 44, and their children - Megan, 9; Abbie, 7; and Riley, 4 - returned to their Oyster Bay home Tuesday from a five-day, four-night trip, courtesy of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

The vacation was the family's first. They hadn't been able to afford to take along teachers who would help with the kids.

"You have to even the numbers. It has to be one-on-one," said Rospars Keffer.

About a year ago, Michael Keffer's sister, Wendy Heaton, sent an e-mail asking DeGeneres to consider the Keffer family if she ever were to dedicate a show to a deserving family.

"I would love to see something really good happen for this family," wrote Heaton, 38, of Glen Allen, Va.

In January, the comedienne surprised Heaton and Rospars Keffer with a phone call during a taping of the show, telling them she would provide a trip for both families. "It's amazing what you're doing, and Julie, it's wonderful that you stay so positive," DeGeneres said.

The show also paid for two teachers to go along: school psychologist Christie Schrank, who has worked with all three kids, and behavior analyst Kim Halter, who works with Abbie.

Meals were paid for by Disney, which also let the Keffer family spend one night at the exclusive Cinderella Castle Suite, replete with a butler. "You couldn't buy this trip even if you wanted to," DeGeneres said.

"It really was incredible," Rospars Keffer said.

During the trip, the family went on rides, interacted with characters at meals, lounged at the hotel pool, and spent time with the Heaton family and other relatives who also went along.

Megan, who can answer questions when she can choose among answers, said she liked Magic Kingdom more than EPCOT and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad more than Space Mountain.

For Riley, who is conversational, the monorail was the best part of the trip.

Although Abbie, who does not have functional language skills, had difficulty getting through the dark and confined waiting line areas, Rospars Keffer said she loved the roller coasters.

"The faster and the scarier it was," she said, "Abbie liked it more."

When a kid became irritable, either Halter or Schrank led them away so the family could enjoy the moment.

"The teachers were the element that changed the vacation from good to great," said Michael Keffer.

His wife agreed, saying "We said it will be hard to go back after this."

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Sixth-inning rally clinches win at Disney

MLB - Maybe Disney really is a Magic Kingdom.

How else can one explain a team erasing a 3-0 lead against Jays right-hander Roy Halladay? But that's exactly what the Rays did Wednesday night, when they scored four runs in the sixth against the Toronto ace en route to a 5-3 win over the Jays in front of a crowd of 8,989. So "believe in the magic" as the Rays moved to 5-0 at Disney's Champion Stadium.

Halladay is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Normally he runs away and hides once he has a lead. And Matt Stairs took care of getting Halladay a lead with two home runs against Rays starter Jason Hammel.

Conventional wisdom would have told the Rays to sack the bats. But that's the beauty of kids -- they never listen.

"We don't know that we're not supposed to do that," said Evan Longoria, who has been in the Major Leagues two weeks. "We only know one thing, and that's to just keep hitting until the end."

Dioner Navarro ignited the magic when he doubled to lead off the sixth. Jason Bartlett then drove a single to right to put runners at first and third. One out later, Carl Crawford singled up the middle off Halladay's first pitch. B.J. Upton drew a walk to load the bases and bring up Carlos Pena. But Halladay prevailed by striking out the Rays' cleanup hitter. On the verge of escaping the jam with little damage, Halladay wasn't able to retire Longoria, who singled to right, driving in Bartlett and Crawford to tie the score.

"He just left the ball over the plate on mine, and I finally got a pitch I could handle," said Longoria, who was 0-for-2 heading into his third at-bat of the night. "I was thinking about doing something different than I did the first two at-bats -- whether it be hit it up the middle, hit a fly ball, something different. My approach from the beginning of the day was to hit the ball up the middle and go the other way -- lay off that sinker in. The first two [at-bats], I didn't do that."

Tuesday night's hero, Eric Hinske, then put the finishing touches on the inning with a single to right to put the Rays up 4-3.

"I was battling up there, got a pitch I could handle with two strikes, the momentum shifts right there," Hinske said. "And then we go, [the bullpen] comes in and does a great job, huge win for us."

Hinske played five years in Toronto, so he's seen firsthand what Halladay can do.

"For about five years I played over there, and it's tough to get to him when he's got a three-run lead so that's a huge win for us tonight to come back like that," Hinske said. "I've seen time in, time out where he gets that lead and just goes into cruise control and shut that team down, so that four-run inning was huge."

Halladay said he simply did not "make pitches with guys on."

"Especially with Longoria, I tired to get the ball in and I just didn't get it in," Halladay said. "It was kind of the same thing with Hinske in the at-bat after that. I just didn't make quality pitches when I had to, and it's tough. You get a chance to win it and you don't make pitches like that, especially after getting two runs. That makes a big difference."

While Hinske's bat drove in the go-ahead run, he wanted to talk about his teammates.

"I don't know, you know we got some good hits, some timely hits, for sure -- definitely, Evan's at-bat," Hinske said. "For a young guy to be able to make that kind of adjustment on a pitcher like that speaks volumes of that young man ... that's awesome to stay inside, two big runs right there."

Crawford tripled to lead off the eighth and scored on Upton's sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-3 and give the Rays some insurance.

Hammel turned in a solid performance, holding the Jays to three runs on four hits in six innings.

"I tip my hat to the hitters," said Hammel, who moved to 2-1 on the season. "The hitters came through. ... [Halladay] goes deep into ballgames. Usually you give him three runs and that's good enough."

Hammel gave way to Dan Wheeler, who started the seventh and worked two scoreless innings before Troy Percival pitched the ninth to preserve the win and earn his third save of the season.

"They're a tough team over there -- a talented team," Jays manager John Gibbons said. "On the nights they pitch, they're tough to beat."

And on nights when they play at the Magic Kingdom, they have been -- thus far -- impossible to beat.

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Disney Now Considering Directors For 'The Silver Chair?'

Cinematical - Well, that was quick. The dust had barely settled on Disney's decision (announced at New York ComicCon, and reported here) to possibly end the Narnia franchise after three films, but then they decided no, not really. They take their cues from Aslan.

MTV Movie News cornered producer Mark Johnson, who revealed he has a list of directors for The Silver Chair, and is closely eying several names on it. (I appreciate that MTV was as shocked as everyone else by this.) Johnson went on to say that he envisions Narnia along Harry Potter lines, with a new director coming on for each installment. "I think [the director of Silver Chair] will be somebody new entirely," John said. "I would like to get somebody totally unexpected."

So, never say never. If they truly go in this direction, I would applaud them, as I think it could add some spice to a film series that hasn't really distinguished itself from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings -- and should have, because the books are pretty fabulous.

Johnson admits, however, that future books are going to be increasingly difficult to adapt. "I'd be lying if I didn't say a couple of them I don't know how to film," Johnson confessed, adding a wry smile. "It would be a good problem to have." The Last Battle is more than a good problem -- but that's just me. That book scarred me as a child, I think I actually threw it against the wall when I hit the last page. And then I ran and blabbed it to my sister, who to this day refuses to read the series. I'm all for edgier children's fare, but don't do that, Disney.

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Disney Wants You to 'Fear Phil'

Cinematical - With a name like "Fear Phil," I can't help but imagine a comedic horror movie with a larger-than-life, bobble-headed Dr. Phil running around, spreading doctorly advice through an almost disembodied, booming voice, and killing those who don't follow his suggestions. (Or maybe he only kills those that do, so there's always more people for his talk show...) But this isn't about Oprah-loved doctors -- it's about those pesky, preying insurance salesmen.

Variety reports that Jack Angelo and Sam Brown's new comedy pitch Fear Phil has been picked up by Disney for Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot to produce. The film, which cost Disney high six against low seven figures, focuses on "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." Oh, the bite of poetic justice, or tide-turning karma.

There's no further word about the project yet, nor word on whether Shankman will just produce the comedy, or direct it as well. In the meantime, Angelo and Brown also have Updateable floating around on the Disney lot -- a film that was picked up just over one year ago. April is definitely their month of magic. Stay tuned to see what they sell next year!

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Wednesday April 23, 2008

A Big Anniversary for Disney's Animal Kingdom, and a Big Hand for Wildlife
"Yeti" footprint presented to Disney's Animal Kingdom by Sci-Fi Channel show "Destination Truth"
Woman sentenced to 90 days in Disney teacup ride beating
Disney Introduces Original Scenes Exclusive to Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Video Game
Toy Story Goes Musical on the Disney Wonder
ABC's Bob Woodruff to anchor `eco-newscast' on cable network
Academy to Celebrate Disney's Marc Davis
New Monorail train rolling in Friday
Tokyo Disneyland Getting Older, Not So Gracefully
Rays Work Their Magic At Disney
Apple Taking Notes From Disney

A Big Anniversary for Disney's Animal Kingdom, and a Big Hand for Wildlife

Disney Insider - Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is turning ten -- it's been a lucky decade for Park Guests, and also a lucky one for wildlife, thanks to the efforts of the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. Established on Earth Day, April 22, in 1995, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (DWCF, for short) has annually awarded money to conservation projects around the world to assist in preserving the diversity and splendor of the environment. From sea turtles to elephants, chimps to king vultures, DWCF funds have helped improve their chances at survival.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is a fun place to stay and play -- but is also much more, with a deep commitment to conservation and education. Since the Park opened on Earth Day, 1998, Disney's Animal Kingdom and DWCF have worked hand in hand to make an even more powerful coalition for wildlife. Park Guests can make donations to DWCF (and they have, by the thousands) -- but the partnership goes beyond dollars and cents.

Claire Michael of Disney's Animal Kingdom explains, "A key component of the Animal Kingdom's mission is to inspire Guests to conservation action through the experiences they have while in the Park. The DWCF and worldwide conservation have benefited from the great opportunity that Disney's Animal Kingdom and other locations offer Guests to make a difference for wildlife and wild places." She continues, "The DWCF is built on the passion and commitment of the Cast Members involved with the program. Whether they share stories with Guests about the animals protected through the DWCF, sit on the evaluation team that decides where the funds are best directed, or proudly pin a DWCF button on a young Guest, every connection and message is important to the success of this program."

Scott Tidmus, a zoological manager at DAK, adds "I like to think this one is a two-way street! The Fund has helped support programs and projects that are of interest to the Cast Members at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and we're able to assist on a global scale with projects that have a connection to the species here at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Without one it is hard for the other to function at times!"

This year, Earth Day is not only the birthday of both the Fund and the Park -- it's also seeing a name change from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (with the same convenient initials!), to emphasize The Walt Disney Company's wide-ranging commitment to the environment and nature. Disney button collectors will want to note that the DWCF "conservation hero" buttons are being reissued with a new design to commemorate the change -- they're available as an extra thank-you to Park Guests who donate to the fund.

Although the Fund's scope is worldwide and the Park hosts animals and habitats spanning the globe, one of the proudest projects underway is one right in the Walt Disney World Resort backyard. Claire fills us in: "Operation Migration (OM) is dedicated to the conservation of the world's most endangered crane, the whooping crane. Founded in 1994, OM started on a journey to determine whether people could teach birds to migrate using ultralight aircraft. Working first with Canada geese, the team learned that they could use this method successfully and the attention they received led to the making of the film 'Fly Away Home.' Operation Migration was then asked to take this method and use it to reintroduce captive-born whooping cranes to the wild, teaching them a migration route from Wisconsin to Florida. The program has been going since 2000 and OM can now claim 76 birds released into the Eastern Migratory Population, five times the number that existed in the early 1940s."

The DWCF has supported this program since 2000 and has helped OM purchase equipment, a new plane, and safer wings for all the ultralights. But Disney's Animal Kingdom has chipped in beyond this financial contribution, according to Claire. "Walt Disney World's Animal Programs' Cast has volunteered to build the holding pens that the birds are kept safe in once they arrive, and our veterinary team performs the health checks on the birds when they finally complete their long migration. For the past few years, Operation Migration has also participated in International Migratory Bird Day at Disney's Animal Kingdom -- bringing a plane and their team to talk to Guests about their program and their partnership with Disney."

Synergy is a Disney byword, and this teamwork between the Park and the Conservation Fund, Guest entertainment and education, the visionary and the implementation, shows why. As Scott notes, "We are one and the same - we care about wildlife and wild places all over the world." This Earth Day, there's a lot to celebrate, however you care to mark the date.

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"Yeti" footprint presented to Disney's Animal Kingdom by Sci-Fi Channel show "Destination Truth"

Disney News  - AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET(I): Josh Gates (right), host of the Sci-Fi Channel series “Destination Truth,” presents a cast of what is believed to be a “yeti” footprint to Joe Rohde (left), vice president/executive designer of Walt Disney Imagineering, April 21, 2008 at the Expedition Everest attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Gates and his expedition team found the footprint while filming an episode of “Destination Truth” in Nepal in November 2007. The cast will soon be placed on display at Expedition Everest, a Himalayan-themed, high-speed, coaster-like attraction where guests come face-to-face with a yeti.

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Woman sentenced to 90 days in Disney teacup ride beating

Orlando Sentinel - The woman who was convicted earlier this month of battering a Clermont mother at Disney World last year was sentenced to 90 days in jail this afternoon.

Judge Jose Rodriguez said that he was impressed by the remorse that Victoria Walker, 52, showed at this afternoon's sentencing, where she apologized to her victim, Aimee Krause. Walker will be given credit for the 32 days she has already served in jail.

During the trial, Krause, 35, and several witnesses testified that Walker beat and kicked Krause at Disney's Mad Tea Party ride in May 2007. Walker admitted that she grabbed Krause by the hair but testified that Krause provoked her.

Although he said that he was glad his mother, who faced up to a year in jail, had not received the maximum sentence for battery, Walker's son, Toney Phillips, was upset that would be spending time in jail.

"She shouldn't have even gotten that - none of it," he said.

Krause said that she was pleased with the outcome of the sentencing.

"I was happy to hear that [Walker] apologized," Krause said.

Krause's attorney, Eben Self, said that his client may file suit against Disney World, as well as the Lake County School Board, after two administrators at Krause's children's school attempted to testify that she was aggressive and untrustworthy during the trail.

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Disney Introduces Original Scenes Exclusive to Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Video Game

FOXBusiness - Fans of The Chronicles of Narnia will get to experience two unique film scenes only one way -- on their home consoles or Windows-based PC. Disney Interactive Studios announced today that two original scenes for Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game were filmed exclusively for the product and appear separately from the film. The unique scenes link The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian stories with Dr. Cornelius (Vincent Grass) telling Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) the story of how Narnia fell to the Telmarines hundreds of years ago.

The scenes were shot on the film set in Prague, Czech Republic, during principal shooting and feature dialogue revealing plot based on the events of the book, game and film. The creation of the live action content was directed by Andrew Adamson, the film's director. The two original scenes are part of 18 live action moments in the game, which include 16 excerpts from the feature film.

"The special filmed content that is exclusive to the video game provides insight into Narnia and the events around the 'Prince Caspian' story like nothing else," said Andrew Adamson. "With movie fans' enthusiasm for unique experiences in video games as well, these scenes are ideal to complement the 'Prince Caspian' game's action."

The England-based game production and development teams worked in cooperation with the London-based film crew and Andrew Adamson to assure the game's overall accuracy to the film. Capturing two original scenes was only possible through the collaborative partnership between Disney Interactive Studios; and Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media.

"The close partnerships we maintain with our film division and Walden Media allowed us to utilize the cast, crew and set to create two unique scenes exclusively for the video game," said Ed Bainbridge, vice president of European production, Disney Interactive Studios. "These entertaining and memorable scenes enable us to portray a part of the Narnia history that is drawn from the fiction and played out in the game."

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game will be available for the Xbox 360(R: 65.23, +1.69, +2.65%) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION(R: 65.23, +1.69, +2.65%)3 computer entertainment system, the Wii(TM: 99.97, -0.59, -0.58%) home video game system, the PlayStation(R: 65.23, +1.69, +2.65%)2 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC. A separate Nintendo DS(TM: 99.97, -0.59, -0.58%) version will also be available.

Developed by Traveller's Tales, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for home consoles and Windows-based PC takes players throughout Narnia and includes a gameplay level, which is unique from both the novel and the film. The level, which is set between the events of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian," takes place at the castle of Cair Paravel and tells the story of how Narnia fell to the Telmarine hordes. In "Prince Caspian," Cair Paravel is seen only as abandoned ruins the Pevensies discover hundreds of years later.

The action/adventure game offers gameplay for one or two players on the same system and drop-in/drop-out features, allowing either player to join the game and leave. With combat, exploration and puzzle solving that extends beyond the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the ideal complement to the movie-going experience. The game features more than 20 playable characters including the ability to play as Prince Caspian. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian console game is the sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe for consoles, which received the prestigious IGN.com Editor's Choice Award.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS, which is an action/role playing game, will include the debut of DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios' innovative new technology that provides a fun, connected game community for Disney video game fans. With DGamer, players earn content, interact and chat with others on Nintendo DS through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or on a computer through the Disney.com website. DGamer will be offered in North America in future Nintendo DS games from Disney Interactive Studios with a future launch scheduled in other global regions. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS and DGamer are being developed by Fall Line Studio, the Nintendo platform-dedicated development studio of Disney Interactive Studios.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for consoles and Windows PC is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB