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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive August 20-26 2006 | ||
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Saturday August 26, 2006 |
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Well, somebody's gotta revive the glory of the movie
musical, and it might as well be Kenny Ortega and Disney
Channel. The folks who gave us the phenomenon called "High
School Musical" - and how many times has that January hit
repeated so far? 17? 750? - are back tonight with "The
Cheetah Girls 2." Which means all's right with that genre's
gloriously artificial world.
Not that director-choreographer Ortega's Disney team hasn't updated the format. "Cheetah 2" unfolds in a real place, Barcelona, Spain, with location filming showcasing its old-world grandeur. And it has real-world concerns aimed specifically at its youthful audience: Can four best friends keep tight, true and focused amid such distractions as new pals, boyfriends, diverging career interests and their own control-freak tendencies? Disney creators get what's always made the movie musical click, so they provide it in spades. The title high schoolers are also a singing group of "international superstars in training." (Gotta have the glitz.) Their musical numbers are knockouts of catchy pop and bouncy dance steps. (Gotta have the hooks.) The settings are dreamy - elegant estates, gorgeous old theaters, high-fashion boutiques, cobblestone boulevards. So are the guys - a dashing count who just wants to dance, a curly-haired guitarist who seems to stroll up everywhere, like some guardian angel. Named An-hel, of course. And there's the big goal the girls are after - which is no longer The Guy, thank goodness, but their own dreams, as propounded in the Deborah Gregory books (now 22 of them!) that inspired Disney's original 2003 TV movie and tonight's what-took-you-so-long sequel. These girls have gumption, expressed in growling, fierceness and other Cheetah-licious ways - even their mellifluous names - which they use to further their show-biz dreams. So what if they're not aspiring brain surgeons? At least they've advanced beyond moping after some guy, which is pretty much all that's done by the mom whose ring pursuit takes the entire team to Spain in the first place. While mom Juanita (Lori Alter), awaiting a proposal, lolls about her rich beau's estate, daughter Chanel (Adrienne Bailon) makes the most of multiculturalism by getting out and speaking Spanish with local songbird and new best bud Marisol (Mexican star Belinda Peregrin). Blonde Dorinda (Sabrina Bryan) gets close with that dancing count, while Aquanetta (Kiely Williams) delves into her design flair with the high-fashion friends of chaperone mom Dorothea (Lynn Whitfield). That leaves Dorothea's own drill-sergeant daughter, Galleria (Raven-Symone), pouting back at the piano, trying to lead a group whose members have flown the coop. They were supposed to compete in a Barcelona music festival. Will they reunite in time? Can they rehearse enough? Does Disney know how to sell something? La respuesta es sí. Golden-age Hollywood's old MGM musical stable has nothing on Disney these days. The Mouse House is building its own company of diverse and bouncy young stars, showcased in everything from series to TV movies to bestselling CDs and then in mass merchandising. Fast-growing "Cosby Show" kid Raven is Exhibit A, appearing on weekly "That's So Raven" adventures, series DVDs, music CDs, video games, junior novels, a Barbie doll, cologne spray, branded Mix Stick MP3 players and assorted other ways to consume a kid's allowance. Parents can quibble with the bill, but not with the quality of the media product. While "The Cheetah Girls 2" may seem a bit slickly delivered for grown-up sensibilities (adults should be two steps ahead of the plot at all times), it's also wildly entertaining. Even its clichés are tried and true, delivered with conviction for a new generation. The stick-in-your-head songs are beautifully produced, packed with hooks and transitions, and backed by choreographic editing that sweeps you onto the floor (while cleverly disguising the performers' terpsichorean limitations). The numbers' R&B oomph makes them strangely reminiscent of the girl-power glory days of Janet Jackson. That means not her sexpot Super Bowl self, but the late '80s era of "Control," when Janet kept her ample body covered and let her sassy spirit make the more potent impression. Cheetah power emanates from the inside. And that gives both kids and parents something to sing about. |
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Disney's "Invincible," opening Friday, tells the true story
of a substitute teacher who gets his big break when an open
tryout leads to his making the Philadelphia Eagles football
team. So perhaps it is only fitting that the movie also has
provided respected cinematographer Ericson Core with his
first opportunity to take to the field as the film's
director.
A self-described "punk art kid" and graduate of the Art Center in Pasadena and USC School of Cinema-Television, Core did what a lot of film school grads do -- he started off directing and shooting music videos. "An agent at Gersh eventually approached me and asked to rep me as a DP (director of photography)," Core says. "I said, Thank you so much, but that's not my intention. I'm not a DP, I want to get back to directing." But David Gersh was persistent. The agency principal encouraged Core to sign on, telling him, "I realize you want to direct, but I suggest you start shooting features and while you're still young you can make that jump." It took five years and the "Invincible" script before Core was able to make the leap to director, by first taking a meeting with Brad Epstein at production company Mayhem. "When (Brad) saw that I could walk and chew at the same time," Core says, Epstein set up a meet with Nina Jacobson, then the Walt Disney Co.'s head of live action. "I liked the character, but it wasn't the perfect script, and I'm really not an organized sports person," Core says. "So I didn't go into the meeting with Brad and Nina feeling desperate (to make the movie). I really liked the character and said I think I can make him better. I think Nina expected me, as a DP, to come in and talk about a really cool look and style for the film. Instead, I think my take on story and character impressed her." Not only did Jacobson like his take, but Epstein also suggested that Core not only direct the movie but also serve as its cameraman. "There are lots of DPs who are my heroes, who are more experienced and talented, who I would have loved to work with," Core says. "But the bottom line was that it was a strapped budget and the only other option I had was hiring a beginner cinematographer and telling that person what I wanted. I just thought, if I'm going to make this dive, why not jump off the highest board? When you take more risk you often end up with more gain." Core hired a seasoned crew of regulars, and they set off for Philadelphia for a 60-day shoot. Production ended three days ahead of schedule, so the producers added two days for a title shoot that Core shot himself. "When I came back from Philly we were walking on water," he says. "There were good reports, we finished ahead of schedule, and they liked the dailies. And Friday, the first-time director will be watching to see if the movie scores at the box office as well. (Industry observers expect it to open at No. 1 in the $12 million-$15 million range.) "I'm more of an innocent when it comes to sports dramas," Core admits. "I don't know if I have that populist sense of filmmaking, like (Michael) Bay or (Brett) Ratner, because I'm not sure if I understand the instinct of the audience and what they expect and want. (But) I think I made it as personal as possible. It's very patient. I want the audience to get to know the character. I think I played to the smarter members of the audience, not the lowest common denominator." Having served as both director and DP of "Invincible," Core realizes he enjoyed the best of both worlds: "Being able to direct and shoot 'Invincible' meant I still got to be a crew person and be a part of a great communal experience. That's one of the things about 'Invincible' that makes me the most proud." |
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The Secret Walt
Disney Commercials As Brer Rabbit tries to escape from Brer Fox and Brer Bear, he finally finds his “laughing place” in the inside of an American Motors car with “all season air conditioning.” Tinker Bell rescues Captain Hook from being eaten by the crocodile by flying in the nick of time with “Peter Pan Peanut Butter; it certainly is true is the favorite of people and crocodiles too.” Pretty Alice in Wonderland with the voice of Kathryn Beaumont informs folks that, “for energy, for color or just playing games, there is nothing quite like Jell-O.” Is this an alternate animated Disney reality or a sinister synergy scheme by modern Disney executives? Actually, it is a fascinating story of Walt Disney himself and the world of television commercials in the 1950s. In the ‘40s and ‘50s, almost all television ads were presented live, and were often just “talking heads” describing products. Animation was expensive but advertisers soon discovered it was also highly effective and many of the best-liked ads were animated. Former Disney artists, including David Hilberman, Zack Schwartz, Shamus Culhane, Grim Natwick and Art Babbit, did television animated commercial work starting in the ‘40s. Preston Blair told animation historian Karl Cohen that he felt “like a race horse tied to a milk wagon. I wasn’t exercising my full potential at all.” The ‘50s were a peak period for classic television animated commercials with the creation of memorable animated stars from Speedy Alka Seltzer to the Hamms Beer Bear. The ‘50s were also a time of renaissance at the Disney Studio that was still recovering from the financial hardships of World War II. While Cinderella had been a success, Walt was desperately in need of money to help maintain the studio and to finance his latest project, the world’s first theme park to be called Disneyland. Walt’s Secret Producer Phyllis Bounds was the wealthy niece of Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian. According to animation historian John Canemaker, she was hard-drinking, hard-smoking, artistic, stubborn and opinionated. She was married five times. Her third husband was George Hurrell, famous for his glamour photography of movie stars in the ‘40s. Hurrell’s style of photography had fallen out of fashion by the ‘50s and he and Phyllis started their own television production studio, located on the Disney Studio lot, to produce advertising utilizing the Disney staff. Started in 1952, Hurrell left the studio and returned to New York two years later leaving Phyllis as the “TV commercial co-coordinator” from 1954-1957. Officially, the Disney Studio was not producing the commercials, but this independent studio that happened to be on the Disney lot was. |
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Big Money for Disney
Disney veteran Harry Tytle, who worked at the studio for more than 40 years in a variety of capacities including producing the weekly television program stated in his autobiography: “Commercial work answered our prayers, as it supplied badly needed capital. Advertising work clearly helped keep the studio intact. But while the studio made money with this type of product (and I mean big money) it was not a field either Walt or Roy were happy to be in. Their reasoning was sound. We didn’t own the characters we produced for other companies; there was absolutely no residual value. Worse, we were at the whim of the client; at each stage of production we had to twiddle our thumbs and await approval before we could venture on to the next step.” The Disney Studios produced two different tracks of commercials. First, they produced commercials featuring the classic Disney characters primarily for sponsors of the Disneyland television program like American Motors and Derby Foods. These commercials featured the classic Disney animated characters including Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, Tinker Bell, Jiminy Cricket, Alice and the Cheshire Cat and many others. Second, Disney produced commercials for a variety of other accounts, often creating memorable new advertising character icons from Tommy Mohawk for Mohawk Carpets to Fresh Up Freddie for the 7-Up soft drink. Disney Talent Goes Commercial The commercials provided work for some of the Disney animators who had been working on the short cartoons that were being phased out of the theatrical schedule. Phil Duncan, Volus Jones, Bob Carlson, Bill Justice, Paul Carlson and others contributed to this new endeavor. Tom Oreb designed stylized versions of the Disney characters that were reminiscent of the work being done by UPA. One of the greatest Disney storymen of all time, Bill Peet, remembered when he butted heads with Walt Disney on a segment of Sleeping Beauty, that the “next day, I was sent down to the main floor to work on Peter Pan Peanut Butter TV commercials, which was without a doubt my punishment for what Walt considered my stubbornness. I toughed it out for about two months on peanut butter commercials, then stubbornly decided to return to my room on the third floor whether Walt liked it or not.” The commercial work also provided jobs for other talent at the Disney lot. Sterling Holloway and Cliff “Jiminy Cricket” Edwards narrated Peter Pan Peanut Butter commercials. Tinker Bell was mute in those days and had to pantomime her delight at the peanut butter that could be put on hot toast because it melted like butter and was so smooth that it could even be spread on “crispy potato chips.” Edwards also performed as Jiminy Cricket and sang an adaptation of “When You Wish Upon a Star” for a Nash Rambler car commercial as well as being the spokes-cricket for Baker’s Instant Chocolate Flavored Mix where he was in charge of Jiminy Cricket’s Sipping and Singing Society. Kathryn Beaumont recreated her role as Alice in Alice in Wonderland in a series of commercials for Jell-O including one featuring the characters of the Griffin and the Mock Turtle. Jimmy Dodd, the Big Mousekeeter on the Mickey Mouse Club show, not only narrated commercials for Ipana toothpaste, but his sped-up voice was used for the character of Bucky Beaver singing “Brusha Brusha Brusha. Use the new Ipana.” There was a promotion where users of Ipana toothpaste could send in for photos from the Mickey Mouse Club. Nothing Does it Like 7-Up He spouted phrases like “Fresh Up with 7-Up” and “Nothing Does it Like 7-Up.” Freddie was supposedly named in honor of 7-Up bottler Fred Lutz Jr. Merchandise included a Fresh Up Freddie plastic doll, a Fresh Up Freddie Ruler, a pinback button and a Fresh Up Freddie Stuffed doll. Many of these items pop up in eBay auctions today. “They (7-Up) spent two and a half million dollars on their TV commercials,” remembered Paul Carlson, who was Nichols’ assistant in the unit, when he talked with animation historian Michael Mallory. “I think they did 26 one-minute commercials at $100,000 apiece. And we usually handed out the animation to the staff artists at Disney, but they would do the work at home.” Tommy, Minnie and Chatter The titles of the commercials from the Disney production files were: Tommy Tests Carpets, Tommy Supervises Weaving, Tommy Plants Carpet Seeds, Tommy Designs Carpets, Tommy Falls for Minnie, Tommy Gives Animals Sleeping Carpets, Birds Use Waterfall for Loom and Tommy Harvests Carpets. Besides Tommy himself, the commercials featured his demure Indian maiden friend, Minnie (short for “Minnehaha”) and a mischievous squirrel known as Chatter who looked very similar to the character of Dale from Chip ‘n’ Dale, but with a smaller nose and a squirrel tail. He also wore a plain headband and a single feather and the oversized headband keeps dropping comically over his eyes. Officially the Disney Studios closed its television commercial division in the late ‘50s although it would still occasionally dabble in the commercial world in the following decades. The success of Disneyland and Walt’s frustration at struggling with commercial clients sounded the death knell for this interesting anecdote in the history of the Disney Co. |
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Disney’s Toonfest a
Sell-out
Disney is expecting thousands
of fans to show up for its first-ever ToonFest, the official
fan fest dedicated to the family-friendly video game,
Disney’s Toontown Online. The sold-out event takes place
this Saturday, Aug. 26, at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank,
Calif. Festivities will include panel discussions with
Disney Online game designers, contests, activity stations,
carnival games, computer play, a judged costume parade and a
celebrity appearance by Kyle Massey from That's So Raven
and the upcoming Disney Channel original series Cory in
the House. |
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Adlabs,
Disney launch Disney Movie Magic
The Walt Disney Company (India) and Adlabs Films Limited today announced the launch of Disney's Movie Magic at a special charity screening here today at Metro Adlabs theatre. Commenting on the association, Walt Disney Company (India) Managing Director Rajat Jain said Disney's Movie magic as a new weekend entertainment option will be available through leading multiplex chains across India. These Disney movies will be screened in Adlabs theatres in six cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Indore, Hyderabad and Meerut. The exciting line-up of movies will include Disney's feature animation and popular live-action hits such as The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Aladdin, Tarzan, Chicken Little, The Princess Diaries, 102 Dalmatians etc. The weekend shows are scheduled from 9 am to 10 am and tickets are priced at Rs 90, which include goodies for kids, said Tushar Dhingra, Chief Operating Officer(COO), Adlabs Films Limited. |
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Tickets On Sale For Disney On Ice at Chattanooga
Tickets have gone on sale for Disney on Ice, which is coming
to the McKenzie Arena Oct. 4-8. |
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Friday August 25, 2006 |
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As the summer winds down, potential
moviegoers might choose to take in the last few rays of
sunshine rather than cloister themselves inside a darkened
theater. Hollywood is counteracting that urge by throwing a
lot of films at audiences this weekend, hoping at least one
movie sticks.
Disney will launch the Mark Wahlberg football drama "Invincible," and Universal Pictures is opening the OutKast musical "Idlewild." New Line Cinema is hoping to turn kids on to "How to Eat Fried Worms," and Warner Bros. Pictures cracks open "Beerfest," the latest offering from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. The true-life tale "Invincible" has the best chance of taking the crown from last weekend's champ, "Snakes on a Plane," with industry observers forecasting three-day ticket sales in the $12 million-$15 million range. The film is an example of one of the things Disney does best: releasing inspiring stories about sports heroes. From "Miracle" to "Glory Road," the studio has had a long track record of delivering PG-rated films that connect with a wide swath of moviegoers. Wahlberg plays substitute teacher Vince Papale, who tries out for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles during an unprecedented open tryout -- and makes the team. Reviews have been positive for the film, which also stars Greg Kinnear of "Little Miss Sunshine" fame. The film marks the feature directing debut of cinematographer Ericson Core. "Beerfest," an R-rated comedy about American brothers (Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske) who go to Oktoberfest and get involved in a super-secret beer competition, should gross in the $8 million-$10 million range. It was directed by Broken Lizard principal Jay Chandrasekhar who previously shot "The Dukes of Hazzard" for Warner Bros. The last two Broken Lizard films -- "Super Troopers" and "Club Dread" -- were released by Fox Searchlight. New Line is counting on parents who remember Thomas Rockwell's popular 1973 children's book "How to Eat Fried Worms" to take their kids to the movies, even if early reviews have labeled the film "old-fashioned" and "quaint." The PG-rated film centers on a boy who inadvertently challenges the school bully and has to eat worms as part of a bet. Tracking has the film opening in the single digits. Ditto for Universal's "Idlewild," starring OutKast duo Andre Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton along with "Hustle & Flow" headliner Terrence Howard. The musical is set in the South circa mid-1930s, and centers on a nightclub performer (Patton) and his piano player (Benjamin) dealing with gangsters who want to take over their club. Sitting on the shelf for two years while OutKast finished the soundtrack, the film could connect with black and urban audiences who are primarily attracted to the music. It was written and directed by music video veteran Bryan Barber. |
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Everyone's
Favorite Pirate is Back! Captain Jack Sparrow, a.k.a. Johnny Depp, disembarked from his modern day Black Pearl Wednesday in Palos Verdes, Cali |
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Depp was back in costume - wig, eyeliner,
dreadlocks and puffy shirt- to continue filming parts of
"Pirates of the Caribbean 3." The Oscar-nominated actor
boarded a small transfer boat and made his way to the real
(at least real onscreen) Black Pearl, currently anchored off
the coast.
But not all of the movie is being filmed in the water, they have also recreated the famous ship on a Disney sound stage just beyond the Hollywood Hills in Burbank. You're just going to have to be patient, however, to get your Sparrow fix. The third installment doesn't hit theaters till May of 2007. |
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ABC's hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" is
favored to win the top award at Sunday's Emmy Awards and
foil a bid by newly departed NBC political saga "The West
Wing" for a record fifth term as U.S. television's best
drama series.
TV pundits say first-time nominee "Grey's Anatomy," coming off its breakthrough season as one of prime time's most watched shows, also faces a strong challenge from critically acclaimed Fox network spy thriller "24," a perennial Emmy contender. Two other nominees are considered long shots in this year's Emmy drama race -- the Fox hospital show "House" and HBO's celebrated gangster hit and past Emmy winner, "The Sopranos." In the contest for best comedy series, the heavy favorite is NBC's workplace satire "The Office," adapted from a British series of the same name. Its star, Steve Carell, is the consensus pick as best comedic actor for his role as clueless boss Michael Scott. The stars of two lesser-known cable series, Denis Leary of the FX firefighting drama "Rescue Me" and Kyra Sedgwick from TNT's cop show "The Closer," are seen as front-runners for the lead dramatic acting honors. Former Emmy-winning "Friends" co-star Lisa Kudrow is favored to scoop the prize as best comedy actress for HBO's short-lived sitcom "The Comeback." If those predictions prove true, it would mark at least a partial success in efforts to energize an entertainment awards show long notorious for recycling the same shows and stars year after year. Sunday's Emmys are being closely watched by the TV industry as a test of new nomination rules designed to give newcomers, low-rated series and smaller networks a better shot at the major categories. One group of TV critics taking part in an odds-making poll posted on Los Angeles Times-owned Web site The Envelope.com picked "Grey's Anatomy" to edge out "24" -- competing in 12 categories as the most nominated series overall this year -- in the race for best drama. If "West Wing" manages an upset, the White House drama starring Martin Sheen will enter the Emmy record books with an unprecedented fifth victory as best drama (surpassing four-time winners "Hill Street Blues" and "L.A. Law"). It also would be the first show named best drama after ending its network run. Moreover, with Sheen and co-stars Allison Janney and Alan Alda considered strong contenders in three acting categories, "West Wing" stands a good chance of at least tying the record now held by "Hill Street Blues" for the most prime-time Emmys overall, 26, amassed by a single drama. Adding an extra bit of drama to the show is the fact the ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co., plans to air the blockbuster film "Pirates of Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" opposite the NBC telecast. The counter programming of "Pirates" was widely seen as retaliation for this year's virtual Emmy shut-out of two hit ABC shows that scored big last year, "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." But ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson has insisted his network scheduled the film before this year's Emmy nominees were revealed. "All eyes are on 'Grey's Anatomy,' because if it wins, it will be a huge embarrassment to ABC," The Envelope.com columnist Tom O'Neil told Reuters, referring to the possibility of the ABC show copping the top Emmy while the network pirates away viewers from the awards telecast. The 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by NBC late-night comedian Conan O'Brien, will be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. |
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Brother
Bear 2 on DVD is a Good Sequel
Traveling to a feast of berries far away, bears Kenai (Patrick Dempsey) and Koda (Jeremy Suarez) are stopped by Nita (Mandy Moore), a human who Kenai once held love for when they were younger. Looking to break a curse that's preventing her from marrying, Nita requests the help of the bears to cross the countryside. Along the journey, the connection between Nita and Kenai is reignited, leaving Koda to ponder if Kenai should really live life as a bear, or would he be better off as a human again. Admittedly, it was an animated production glued together by scraps from other Disney hits, but 2003's "Brother Bear" knocked me down in ways few of the Mouse House's offerings have been able to do since I was 10 years old. It was a splash of thrilling autumnal colors, jubilant character development, and confident storytelling that ignored many Disney crutches (chiefly a villain, along with singing and dancing), and preferred to lead with its heart. Over the years I've revisited the film several times, and today find it to be one of the stronger entries in Disney's towering animated empire. While not racking up huge box office numbers in America, "Brother Bear" charmed enough on DVD to warrant a direct-to-video sequel, which is both a promising and lamentable idea. Where the first film was an animated feature, the sequel is simply a cartoon. First and foremost, "Bear 2" is missing the majestic hand-animated woodsy vistas to backdrop Kenai and Koda's adventure; the nuanced and trembling voice work from Joaquin Phoenix; the layered, widescreen score by Mark Mancina and pop song interstitials from Phil Collins (Melissa Etheridge substitutes here); and a penetrating story about friendship and the mystical wonders of life that elevated "Bear." What we're eventually handed in "Bear 2" are elements that show a step down in effort from the first film, but still allows time to be spent with old friends. The film remains a charmer, even with a brittle acting job from Patrick Dempsey and a Saturday morning cartoon level of animation. "Bear 2" is a minor diversion, and the filmmakers have lightened up the material substantially to appeal to a younger crowd. Let's put it this way: the original film took its time with the Inuit characters, respecting traditions (even the invented ones), and placing emphasis on careful animation to express the splendor of the spiritual world; "Brother Bear 2" brings in Wanda Sykes to play a village elder. Regardless of the loosened standards, "Bear 2" still affects with its story of dormant romance, cleverly finding ways to challenge Kenai's decision in the last film to become a bear. Agreeably voiced by Mandy Moore, the addition of Nita adds the only conflict the film needs. Again, the absence of a mustache-twirling villain is truly something praiseworthy. Equally hard to resist are returning moose Rutt and Tuke, played to the McKenzie Brothers hilt by Dave Thomas and the sorely missed Rick Moranis. Since the theme of love is in the air, the boys have their own objects of moose desire, played appropriately by some more "SCTV" cast members, Andrea Martin and Catherine O'Hara. As money-grabbing animated product goes, "Brother Bear 2" rests nicely on a lowered expectation level, and is hardly an offensive affront to the first film. The texture and polish is deeply missed, but the characters are so strong and engaging, it still entertains. I rate this DVD "B" |
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Volvo Puts
Treasure Hunt Videos Online
Volvo's
month-long treasure hunt for a buried SUV has ended, and it
is releasing the reality-style climax to the competition on
its Web site this week. |
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WHAT: Thousands of fans, along with Kyle Massey of That's So Raven and the upcoming Disney Channel Original Series Cory in the House, will gather at an already sold-out(a) ToonFest 2006, the first official fan fest dedicated to the family-friendly game, Disney's Toontown Online. Fans will take part in a host of themed activities throughout the day including: -- Contests with Awards, such as the Toontown Trivia Challenge -- Activity Stations and Carnival Games -- Computer Play including an In-Game Scavenger Hunt -- Panels with Disney Online Game Designers -- Costume Parade and Contest! and more... WHEN: Saturday, August 26th 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM SPECIAL EVENTS: -- Costume Parade & Contest, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM -- Disney Channel Stars Attending, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Kart Racing Finals, 3:30 - 4:00 PM -- Awards Ceremony, 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM WHERE: Walt Disney Studios 500 Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA Parking: Media can enter at the Riverside Gate to be directed to the Zorro parking lot. To drop camera equipment, enter at the Buena Vista Gate first before parking in the Zorro lot. HIGHLIGHTS AND VISUALS:
be available for photo opportunities and interviews upon request between 12PM and 2PM.
ABOUT TOONTOWN ONLINE: Toontown Online is an online PC video game designed specifically for kids and families in which players create Toon characters and join forces with other Toons to save the world from the invading Cogs - humorless business robots. The game has been adored by fans since it launched in 2003 and, to date, over 15 Million Toons have been created in the game. |
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Disney offers internships to 20 Singapore Poly students
Some 20 Singapore Polytechnic students are heading to what
some say is the happiest place on earth. |
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'Cheetah 2' is a
Disney copycat
Between the Disney Channel's star-making machinery and youth-musical dominance, there's no way tonight's "Cheetah Girls 2" should fail. And it doesn't, though it doesn't exactly inspire, either. "Cheetah Girls 2" (at 8), a sequel to 2003's original musical telemovie, doesn't fail to give its targeted tween fans all the touchstones they're after. It's got inseparable friendships, innocent young love, exotic adventures and, most of all, bouncy pop songs performed in enthusiastic fashion by a multiethnic selection of singers and dancers. Following the original "Cheetah Girls," the formula was used, even more successfully, in the Disney Channel's "High School Musical." So successfully, in fact, that Disney isn't so much determined to capitalize on that formula as to replicate it precisely. Therefore, all the old "Cheetah Girls" are back: RavenSymone as Galleria, Adrienne Bailon as Chanel, Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda and Kiely Williams as Aquanette. They wear animal-print outfits only in the opening number, though, and this time have a new agenda: visiting Spain and winning a local amateur music contest. Using picturesque Barcelona as a location allows "Cheetah Girls 2" director Kenny Ortega, who also choreographed, to film indoors at ornate theaters and outdoors at gorgeous villas, fountains, streets and cafes. But there's one other thing this movie wants to show off even more blatantly: Belinda Peregrin, a teenaged Mexican recording star who plays Marisol, a potential rival in the singing competition. With crossover bilingual pop stars becoming increasingly popular, Disney Channel, with "Cheetah Girls 2," is chasing two potential franchises in one. By accenting such flavorful elements as tango dancing, flamenco guitar and a Spanish-language duet ("A la Nanita Nana" by Peregrin and Bailon, the best song in the sequel), this telemovie gives new life to "Cheetahs" while jump-starting Peregrin's U.S. career. Like the movie, it's all very predictable. So is its success. |
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Five Redland dancers have been chosen in an Australian
dance troupe to perform at Hong Kong Disneyland in
September.
Gabrielle Andaloro, 13, Jazmin Harris, 14, Michelle Scholz, 15, Sacha O'Connell, 17, and Melissa Chora, 18, from Barrick Ballet Academy at Victoria Point and Redland Bay, were selected in a group of 23 Queensland performers who will showcase Australia's style of jazz ballet at the Vivienne Kwok School of Ballet gala recital. The event is to be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the largest theatre in Hong Kong. They will also give a performance at Hong Kong Disneyland and learn a Chinese style of dance as part of the cultural experience. "It's a fantastic opportunity for them to train overseas and to experience what that's like and to dance non-stop for a week," said the girls' dance teacher, Leah Belford. |
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Mickey Makes A
Splash In Tokyo
It may have been
five years since the Disney empire decided to move its
happy kingdom from terra firma to the water, but
ask any Singaporean about DisneySea and they are still
likely to go: "Huh?" |
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The Seven
Dwarfs React to Pluto's Demotion
In reaction to news today that Pluto was demoted to the status of "dwarf planet," the Seven Dwarfs issued their own short statement: "Although we think it's DOPEY that Pluto has been downgraded to a dwarf planet, which has made some people GRUMPY and others just SLEEPY, we are not BASHFUL in saying we would be HAPPY if Disney's Pluto would join us as an 8th dwarf. We think this is just what the DOC ordered and is nothing to SNEEZE at." As Mickey Mouse's faithful companion, Pluto made his debut in 1930 – the same year that scientists discovered what they believed was a ninth planet. Said a white-gloved, yellow-shoed source close to Disney's top dog, "I think the whole thing is goofy. Pluto has never been interested in astronomy before, other than maybe an occasional howl at the moon. |
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Thursday August 24, 2006 |
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Two white rhinos took their first steps on
African soil Thursday, officials said, after being flown
into the country from a Disney theme park in Florida to
boost stocks.
The couple, which have a combined weight of 5.5 tons, bring the number of endangered white rhinos in the country to just eight, wildlife officials told The Associated Press. "They were very wary when they first came out of the crate and the male tried to charge which is characteristic of rhinos," said Patrick Atimnedi, a vet with the state-run Uganda Wildlife Authority said. They were released in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola district, about 110 miles northwest of Uganda's capital Kampala after a four-day journey from their home in Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida. The sanctuary can accommodate 50 rhinos and it is hoped that Nande and Hasani, aged 7 and 5 respectively, will settle down and breed within the next year. "It must be strange for the animals to come to Africa for the first time but I suspect they'll acclimatize quickly - Florida is very hot and sunny too," said Uganda Wildlife Authority spokesman Lilian Nsubuga. "I think the four rhino already living in Ziwa can't wait to teach the new arrivals a thing or two about living in the wild." Rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa and Asia. They are threatened with extinction with only 17,500 in the wild, according to the International Rhino Foundation based in Yulee, Fla. Uganda was once a popular tourist destination famed for its abundance of wild animals, however civil unrest and heavy poaching during the 1970s and early 80s devastated native wildlife populations. Uganda's rhino became extinct; the last wild animal recorded as being seen in 1983. |
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Pluto takes
a spin on the Astro Orbiter Pluto takes a spin on the Astro Orbiter attraction at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom in Florida the same day scientists announced that, astronomically speaking, Pluto would no longer be classified as a planet. Said a white-gloved, yellow-shoed source, “I think the whole thing is goofy. Pluto has never been interested in astronomy before, other than maybe an occasional howl at the moon.” |
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Disney/Pixar Car's Racing To DVD This Holiday Season
The high-octane Disney/Pixar team announce the DVD debut of the smash hit Number 1 animated and Number 2 biggest film of the year, CARS, in time for the holidays -- November 7! From Pixar's Academy Award winning director John Lasseter (TOY STORY, A BUG'S LIFE, TOY STORY 2) and the creative team that thrilled audiences with unforgettable hits including "THE INCREDIBLES" and "FINDING NEMO," CARS is a musically-charged, comedy-adventure box office favorite about a hotshot rookie race car who, with a fun cast of car-acters, goes on the ride of his life. Starring Owen Wilson ("Wedding Crashers"), the legendary Paul Newman (Oscar winner Best Actor "The Color of Money" 1986) and an all-star cast, CARS takes audiences of all ages on an incredible adventure that blends a heartfelt story, great music and breathtaking animation. Loaded with a full tank of electrifying DVD bonus features, the highly anticipated CARS DVD debut includes an exclusive all new animated short "Mater and The Ghostlight," starring Mater, the rusty but trusty tow truck. This exclusive bonus feature was produced by the creative and technical teams who developed CARS. The story is set in the town of Radiator Springs and tells the legend of the Ghostlight – a mysterious blue light that haunts the town and its residents. Also included for the first time on DVD is Pixar's Academy Award - nominated "One Man Band" (Best Animated Short 2005) which played with the film in theatres and spins the hilarious tale of two competing street musicians vying for a little girl's attention. Revving up and rounding out the CARS DVD bonus features is the fascinating behind-the-scenes "Inspiration for Cars," an exciting journey with John Lasseter that explores how the story of CARS was born, as well as deleted scenes and a special sneak peek at the highly anticipated next Disney/Pixar feature RATATOUILLE. Available in separate widescreen and fullscreen editions on November 7, 2006, CARS is priced at U.S. $29.99 (SRP) and Canada $36.99 (SRP) from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. |
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Moviegoers will get a chance to go "under
the sea" and revisit Disney's Oscar-winning animated
feature, "The Little Mermaid," when the classic film makes
its digital debut during a special limited engagement from
September 7th - 24th at Hollywood's legendary El Capitan
Theatre, it was announced today (8/24) by Lylle Breier,
senior vice president of worldwide special events for Buena
Vista Pictures Distribution. The engagement, which
celebrates the upcoming October 3rd release of the special
2-disc Platinum Edition DVD, will spotlight an all-new
digital restoration of the film with enhanced picture and
sound. Plus, every show throughout the entire run will offer
a live appearance by Ariel.
Opening night (September 7th) will include
an informative filmmaker's panel at 6:30 pm that will be
hosted by veteran Disney animation producer Don Hahn
("Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "Who Framed Roger
Rabbit," etc.). Also on the panel will be the film's
directors John Musker & Ron Clements, Jodi Benson (the voice
of Ariel), supervising animator Glen Keane, and Sherri
Stoner (the live-action reference model for Ariel). As a
special added attraction on opening night, guests will get a
sneak preview of Disney's newest animated short, "The Little
Match Girl," based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, and
directed by Roger Allers ("The Lion King"). Every show
throughout the entire run will offer a live appearance by
Ariel. Daily showtimes are 10:00 am, 12:30 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:30
pm, and 7:45 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the El Capitan
box office, on line at
www.elcapitantickets.com, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6.
Group rate tickets are available for parties of 20 or more
by calling 1-818-845-3110.
In addition to the activities at the theatre, Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store (located adjacent to the El Capitan) will be serving up a delicious ice cream treat in celebration of this special engagement called "The Dinglehopper Sundae." Dive into this mouth-watering creation that includes one scoop of blue cotton candy ice cream, and one scoop of vanilla ice cream, covered in fish shaped sprinkles, and topped with whipped cream and a sea creature. And, of course, it is served with a dinglehopper! Commenting on the announcement, Breier said, "'The Little Mermaid' is one of the most beloved animated films of all time, and it ushered in a new golden age of musicals and fairy tales for Disney. We're thrilled to be bringing it back to the El Capitan so that a new generation of moviegoers can experience it on the big screen. Longtime fans of the film will be able to see it digitally projected and with enhanced sound for the first time. The film has never looked or sounded better and we know that audiences are going to love being part of Ariel's world once again." On October 3, Walt Disney Home Entertainment debuts the long-awaited two-disc Special Edition "The Little Mermaid" DVD. Included in an ocean of exciting bonus features are deleted scenes, an all-new music video, a fantastic new "Making of Disney's The Little Mermaid," "The Little Mermaid Virtual Ride" which brings to life a fascinating Disney theme park ride, games, and much more for the whole family! "The Little Mermaid" was Disney's first new fairy tale adaptation in 30 years at the time of its initial release in 1989. With its acclaimed song score by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, the film set a new high water mark for contemporary film musicals and helped to launch a new era of Disney animated classics. The film went on to win two Academy Awards -- for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Original Score (by Alan Menken) -- and received a third nomination for the song "Kiss the Girl." Disney's version of the Hans Christian Andersen classic follows the animated adventures of a bubbly and fiercely independent young mermaid named Ariel, who longs to be part of the human world. Determined to meet her dream prince, she impulsively strikes a "bargain" with Ursula, a devious sea witch, to trade her voice and fins for a pair of legs and a chance to "land" her handsome Prince Eric. Going against the advice of her mighty father, King Triton, and her guardian crab, Sebastian, Ariel finds herself in deep water as she quickly discovers that silence is not so golden, and that there's something fishy about Ursula's deal. |
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'Cheetah Girls' should keep `tweens' tuned to Disney
If you're a parent, or someone who diligently follows pop culture trends, you already know that the Disney Channel has become quite a force among 6- to 14-year-old viewers, who are hard to catch and even harder to keep. The channel, once home to recycled pieces of all things Disney, has broken its own viewership records almost every week this year. Three of its original series -- ``Hannah Montana,'' ``The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' and ``That's So Raven'' (which has ended its run, but there's a spinoff on the way) -- not only draw some of the highest ratings on cable TV, but they also beat network shows regularly in the demographic. Then there's the infectious phenomenon that is ``High School Musical,'' which drew 7.7 million viewers to its debut in January and has gotten bigger since. Repeats have drawn droves of ``tweens'' (9- to 14-year-olds), a soundtrack has sold 2.8 million copies, 2 million DVDs of the show have flown out the door, and a sequel is in the works for next year. To fill in the time before ``High School Musical II,'' Disney is unleashing another potential blockbuster on Friday (at 8 p.m.) in the form of ``The Cheetah Girls 2.'' Based on a series of kids' books by Deborah Gregory, it's the sequel to a TV film that drew a premiere audience of 6.4 million in 2003 and sold 2 million CDs and nearly 1 million DVDs. For the uninitiated, the Cheetah Girls are a pop vocal group led by Galleria Garibaldi (Raven-Symone of ``That's So Raven'') that includes Chanel (Adrienne Bailon), Dorinda (Sabrina Bryan) and Aquanetta (Kiely Williams). This time around, the group is off to a music competition in Barcelona, where they run up against a Spanish teen pop singer (Belinda Peregin, who is likely to make a splash in this country) and her scheming mother (Kim Manning). Let's be honest about the nature of ``The Cheetah Girls.'' It's calculated, manufactured pop music, with lots of lip-syncing and carefully choreographed dance numbers. But even more than the original, ``The Cheetah Girls 2'' has snappy Latin-tinged music, leads who bring a lot of energy to the proceedings and a stylish veneer. (It certainly helps that the director is Kenny Ortega, who directed and choreographed ``High School Musical'' and brings plenty of zip to this film as well.) More importantly, ``Cheetah Girls'' is embedded with positive messages about friendship, girl power and issues of class and race. Ortega and writers Felicia Henderson and Alison Taylor are fairly careful not to get preachy, which makes the messages easier to swallow -- and more effective. ``Cheetah Girls'' may not be quite the spontaneous joy that was ``High School Musical'' -- it's too calculated for that -- but it is fun and appealing. And it's almost certain that millions and millions of tweens will be glued to their TV sets Friday night. |
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Disney's All New Fox and The Hound 2 Coming To DVD This
December Walt Disney Home Entertainment
proudly presents the cherished characters, star-studded voice
cast and tail-wagging musical adventure of Disney's all-new
THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2, the much anticipated sequel to the
studio's 1981 animated treasure. Brimming with memorable songs
from country music luminaries Reba McEntire and Trisha
Yearwood, boasting a celebrity cast featuring Patrick Swayze
and comedian Jeff Foxworthy, filled with Disney's renowned
rich animation, and offering interactive and entertaining
bonus features, THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 premieres on Disney
DVD December 12, 2006. |
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THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 stays true to
Disney's illustrious animated musical tradition with seven
new songs, including four featuring the celebrated vocals of
McEntire and Yearwood. McEntire is an entertainment
phenomenon, complementing her amazing musical career (two
Grammy Awards, seven Gold Albums, Five Platinum Albums, 33
singles reaching No. 1 on the country charts over the past
two decades) with starring roles in television ("Reba"), the
Broadway stage ("Annie Get Your Gun") and numerous films.
McEntire performs on three songs in THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2:
the scene-setting "We're in Harmony," the showstopping "Good
Doggie … No Bone!" and the heartfelt "We Go Together."
McEntire also turns in a tour-deforce performance with her
vocal portrayal of Dixie, an endearing canine who finally
sees what she wants most when she's forced from the blinding
spotlight.
As a three-time Grammy Award winner with 10 singles reaching No. 1 and one of the most successful crossover superstars in music today, Yearwood offers her unforgettable vocals to the ballad "Blue Beyond." Joining McEntire and Yearwood on the exceptional soundtrack are High School Musical star Lucas Grabeel belting out the toe-tapping end title song "You Know I Will," award-winning up-and-comers Little Big Town accompanying McEntire on "We Go Together," and popular "American Idol 2" contestant Josh Gracin with the whimsical "Hound Dude." Several notable songwriters have crafted the impressive THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 soundtrack. Grammy Award-winner Gordon Kennedy (Eric Clapton's "Change the World") penned Yearwood's beautiful song, "Blue Beyond." Kennedy's solo work is joined by the contributions of two-time Grammy winner Marcus Hummon (Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away" & "Ready to Run," Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road") and Will Robinson (songwriter for Willie Nelson, Wynonna, Trace Adkins). Noted composer of live action and Disney animated films Joel McNeely ("Air Force One," "Holes," "Return to Neverland") provides the score for THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2. The homespun tale features a stellar voice cast beyond the contributions of McEntire and Swayze. Young talents of Harrison Fahn ("Tarzan II") and Jonah Bobo ("Zathura: A Space Adventure") bring new life to the adorable title characters as the voices of Copper and Tod, respectively. Actor/comedian Jeff Foxworthy ("The Jeff Foxworthy Show," "Blue Collar TV") lends his natural country twang to Lyle, the banjo-picking human owner of The Singing Strays. Carol Lawrence ("Yes Dear," "The Carol Burnett Show") supplies the voice of Granny Rose, the eldest member of the crooning canines. Voiceover legends Jim Cummings, April Winchell, Jeff Bennett and Russi Taylor create the remaining significant roles of the voice cast. DVD bonus materials include "The Making of the Music" featurette spotlighting the vocal performances of Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood; the "You Know I Will" music video spotlighting High School Musical star Lucas Grabeel; "Mutt Mix Master," an interactive musical mix session where the viewer controls the sounds and effects in creating The Singin' Strays' latest hit recording; and a special animated classic short featuring Disney's first dog – Goofy. Produced by DisneyToon Studios, this inspiring, all-new movie will be available December 12, 2006 for $29.99 (SRP) on DVD just in time for the holidays. |
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Disney jazz singer returns to the area for local shows
It's a small world after all. Michelle Mailhot learned to love singing while growing up locally. As a teen she bopped to '80s hits at an all-ages precursor to the Sahara Club in Methuen. This week, the 33-year-old jazz singer, who regularly works at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., returned to her hometown and the club, performing at the Sahara for Tuesday's jazz night. The Sahara hosts jazz luminaries regularly. Mailhot sang alongside her old college friend, Mark Shilansky, and his trio. She continues her tour Sunday, with a performance at the Press Room in Portsmouth, N.H. "I was able to go to a jam session there, and I sang, and they really liked it - it was a great thing," Mailhot said of her Sahara show. "It's been really wonderful to be back in my hometown, making music with very old friends." Mailhot grew up in a musical family. Her grandfather played fiddle and her mother piano. "I always loved to sing," said Mailhot, a 1990 Methuen High graduate who was active in the school choir. She didn't consider making singing a career until her cousin, Paul Halloran Jr., the choir director at St. Mary Church in Lawrence, died in a car accident. "He was always a great encouragement," Mailhot said. She applied and was accepted with a full scholarship in music to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Later, she studied with renown professor Dr. Stephen Zegree at West Michigan University, who helped her get a foot in the door at Disney. She started out in the Voices of Liberty parade at the park, followed by some studio and educational work. Then a few years ago, she started singing at the park full time with her a Capella group, Toxic Audio. The group formed for an Orlando theater festival eight years ago - supposedly for a week. They've been singing together since, taking the act everywhere from Japan, to the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, to an Off Broadway theater in New York. "It's become an incredible full-time job," said Mailhot, whose group is named after a defunct jazz studio. "A lot of a Capella groups have names like the Hightones or Chock Full of Notes. They have these corny musical terms. We are a little more edgy than that." Next on the agenda for Mailhot is a solo album, which should be released shortly. As much as she loves her a Capella work with Toxic Audio, jazz singing is her true vocation.
"I really missed performing with piano, bass and drums,
and just singing with a band," Mailhot said.
Coming back home holds another reward for Mailhot. While she was a student at Methuen High, budget cuts put her beloved choir in jeopardy. She and other students who were passionate about music did what they could to keep the music program alive, pooling their own money to help save the department. "I am so glad to come back to Methuen and show people, I did it, you know? I kept it up," she said. If you go What: Methuen native Michelle Mailhot When: Sunday at 7 p.m. Where: Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, N.H. 603-431-5186.l Admission: $7 |
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Trinity Mirror and Disney link up for book promotion
Trinity Mirror has teamed up with Disney for a book promotional offer to run in its Midlands daily titles Birmingham Mail and Coventry Evening Telegraph. The promotional campaign runs for 24 weeks and promotes a set of encyclopedias from the movie and entertainment giant, called Disney World of Knowledge. For the launch of the promotion on September 12 the first encyclopedia, which covers dinosaurs, will be given away free. Subsequent books will be made available to the paper's readers at £3.50 each. The campaign is backed with press, radio and direct marketing activity devised by WARL Group, which handled another book promotion called "Great family reads" in 2004 for Trinity Mirror. Media has been bought by John Ayling & Associates. Marcus Willox, WARL Group chief executive, said: "Our great family reads promotion made a huge impact when it ran in the Midlands two years ago. We are delighted to build on that experience with another book promotion, which we are sure will bring real benefits to Trinity Mirror's newspapers in the Birmingham and Coventry areas." |
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Partners Have Plans to Build Largest Hotel in Celebration
Celebration, the community Walt
Disney Co. created in Osceola County, is getting its third
hotel -- the largest one so far. |
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Disney Channel's hit series "Hannah Montana" and the
animated comedy "The Replacements" will join ABC Kids'
new Saturday morning lineup, premiering SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 9 (9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., ET / 8:00 a.m.-11:30
a.m., PT) on the ABC Television Network. Across basic
cable, "Hannah Montana" is the No. 1 series of the
year-to-date with Kids 6-11 and Tweens, and among all
broadcast TV ranks No. 2 behind "American Idol" with
Kids 6-11. "The Replacements," from Walt Disney
Television Animation, will premiere Friday, September 8
on Disney Channel.
In addition to "Hannah Montana" and "The Replacements," an hour block of the hit Disney Channel Original Series "That's So Raven," with new-to-ABC Kids broadcast episodes, as well as the 14th edition of the popular Jetix action/adventure hit, "Power Rangers: Mystic Force," will air on ABC Kids. Rounding out the Saturday morning schedule are "The Emperor's New School" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." The ABC Kids' new fall schedule is as follows (times
may vary): "The Emperor's New School" (9:00 a.m., ET/8:00 a.m., PT) follows the comedic antics of teenage Kuzco, a self-centered yet lovable wise guy. He's also first in line to be emperor, but before he can officially claim the throne, he must return and somehow graduate school. The stories are narrated by Kuzco, whose biggest obstacle is the evil Yzma and her dimwitted yet good-natured sidekick, Kronk, who are both determined to make Kuzco fail. While pursuing his diploma, Kuzco is banished from the royal palace and forced to live with commoner Pacha, his wife, Chica, and their family. Despite their sometimes turbulent relationship, Pacha is like a father to him, while Kuzco relies on his friend (and biggest crush), Malina, to help him navigate schoolwork. "The Replacements" (9:30 a.m., ET/8:30 a.m., PT) revolves around the fun-loving antics of an unconventional family and the wish fulfillment of kids having the ability to change adults. It introduces sister and younger brother Riley and Todd, orphans until they answer an ad for Fleemco Replacement People and order themselves two "cool" parents. Soon their new "mom," Agent K, a British super-spy and their new "dad," renowned stuntman Dick Daring, arrive. These four, along with C.A.R.T.E.R., Agent K's super-intelligent, super-sarcastic talking spy car, form a crazy, loving family. However Riley and Todd aren't through with Fleemco -- the company has given them special cell phones that allow the kids to call in anytime and replace any adult they know! But there are consequences attached whenever they do. The voice cast includes Nancy Cartwright ("The Simpsons," "Kim Possible") as Todd, Grey Delisle ("Fairly Odd Parents") as older sister Riley, Kath Soucie ("Pooh's Heffalump Movie") as Agent K, Daran Norris as Dick Daring and David McCallum as CAR. The series was created by acclaimed children's author and illustrator Dan Santat ("The Guild of Geniuses"). The executive producer is Jack Thomas ("Fairly Odd Parents"), and Heather Martinez ("SpongeBob SquarePants," "Fairly Odd Parents") is the director. The series is a production of Walt Disney Television Animation. "That's So Raven" (10:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m., ET/9:00 a.m. & 9:30 a.m., PT) is a hit live-action situation comedy starring Raven-Symoné ("The Cosby Show," "The Cheetah Girls") as Raven Baxter, a winsome teen whose ability to glimpse flashes of the future often gets her into hot water. Also starring are Orlando Brown, Anneliese van der Pol, Rondell Sheridan and Kyle Massey. "Hannah Montana" (11:00 a.m., ET/10:00 a.m., PT) is a live-action comedy series that follows typical tween Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), who lives with her older brother and widowed dad, a songwriter (Billy Ray Cyrus). But unbeknownst to her friends and classmates, Miley has a secret double life – she is the world famous pop star Hannah Montana. Combining a stage persona with creative costuming, Miley discovers she can have the best of both worlds – the fame and fortune of a well-known singer and the fun of middle school with her best friends, Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso), whom she has entrusted with her secret identity. "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" (11:30 a.m., ET/10:30 a.m., PT) stars identical twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse ("Big Daddy," "Friends"), Ashley Tisdale (Disney Channel's "High School Musical") and Brenda Song (Disney Channel's "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior"). The comedy centers on 12-year-old twins whose lives change when their single mom, Carey (Kim Rhodes), gets a job as the headlining singer at The Tipton, Boston's swankiest hotel, and as part of her contract, an upper floor suite in which they all now live. "Power Rangers: Mystic Force" (12:00 p.m. & 12:30 p.m., ET/11:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m., PT) is set on present-day Earth, where five teenagers gifted with uniquely different powers, must lock forces to join two different worlds that have been ravaged by fear and ignorance. Together with a little bit of magic and sorcery, the Mystic Rangers must fight to save a scared city. |
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Disney,
NFL make an "Invincible" team
When Disney's new football movie "Invincible" opens in theaters on Friday, it will carry the rare seal of approval from the NFL, which hasn't partnered on a major motion picture in a decade. In recent years, the National Football League has turned down participation in and partnerships with such movies as "The Longest Yard," "Any Given Sunday" and "The Replacements." Cameron Crowe's 1996 movie "Jerry Maguire" was the last one that the league felt genuinely represented the "heart and soul" of the game, according to Tracy Perlman, NFL's director of entertainment marketing and promotions. "We haven't gotten into the business of partnering with films in years," Perlman said. "We wanted to get back to it with a true story about the NFL. We've been reading a lot of scripts lately and this was the one that really stood out. The image of our game is really heroic and something to aspire to and you really haven't seen that in a lot of films. We think you see it here. This movie is really about the heart of the game and it's about achieving your dreams." "Invincible" stars Mark Wahlberg in the true story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender, out-of-work teacher and avid Philadelphia Eagles fan who never played college football but made the team at an open tryout. With its official participation in the movie, NFL team logos and the NFL shield appear throughout the film along with the authentic Philadelphia Eagles uniforms from 1976 and the NFL football from the mid-1970s. Scenes from the movie were shot at Texas Stadium in Dallas and footage from real NFL games was incorporated into the movie as well. The NFL also helped put co-star Greg Kinnear together with the man he portrays in the movie -- coach Dick Vermeil -- and worked with the filmmakers on making the details of the movie accurate. Perlman said the NFL hopes its partnership with "Invincible" will open the door to more opportunities in Hollywood. "I think people thought we would say no so they didn't send us scripts." She said the NFL is not in the business of developing movies but will continue to work with Hollywood on the films that are "out there and being tossed around." Disney paid the NFL about $600,000 in licensing fees for the use of its marks and logos, as well as footage used in the film, sources close to the partnership deal said. But a source said the league is spending even more than that on promoting the movie. To promote "Invincible," the NFL bought such in-stadium media as scoreboard commercials and jumbotron trailers, print ads in ESPN the Magazine and Fantasy Football Digest, and is doing an e-mail blast to 2.8 million NFL fans with the trailer attached. The NFL also ran commercials for the movie during preseason games on ESPN and the NFL Network. The NFL Web site has a dedicated page for "Invincible" and the league has organized an NFL Day at the Movies, with all 32 NFL teams hosting screenings of the movie that will be attended by NFL players and local community groups. The NFL also brought in about 20 players for Wednesday's premiere in New York. Perlman said the NFL hoped the movie would encourage mainstream fans to watch more football, spark new interest in the sport from moviegoers who are not football fans and change people's image of NFL players by showing "how hard they have to work to get where they are." |
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Disneyland beckons family with fragile infant
When the Schultz family traveled to Disneyland last year, they didn't think they'd return again so soon. But plans changed three weeks ago, when the family landed an all-expense paid trip to the theme park from Brad's Chevy Pontiac GMC in Cottage Grove. "We totally weren't expecting it," said Nora Schultz of Winston. "The kids are all stoked." She and her husband, Curtis, have three children: Brayden, 7, Marisa, 2, and 4-month-old Alysa. To top off winning the trip to Disneyland, the Schultz family is seeing Alysa improve daily. Alysa was the subject of a News-Review feature story in July. She was born with Fallot's tetraology, a congenital heart defect producing cyanosis, and DiGeorge syndrome, a chromosome disorder. She had heart surgery just days after her birth. She no longer uses a pump for her feedings; she receives all of her food through a bottle, Nora said. She also started her early intervention class where therapists work with her to keep her up-to-date with babies her age. At 11 pounds, 4 ounces, Alysa is right in the middle of her growth chart, whereas before she wasn't even hitting the bottom, Nora, 31, said. Curtis Schultz, 33, said Alysa's getting big and starting to giggle. "We'd like to thank everyone for their support and their prayers. We had a lot of people praying for her," he said. Alysa's advancing health makes the timing of the September trip all the better. "We're just now where we're mobile," Curtis said. It was necessary to be present to win the vacation, and Nora said she wasn't planning on going to the dealership on the day of the drawing. Curtis had to work and tried to persuade her to go. She agreed, but only if her mother-in-law, Carol Schultz of Roseburg, accompanied her with the children. The person whose name was drawn first wasn't present. Curtis Schultz was the second name drawn, guaranteeing the family winners of the three-night, four-day stay. The award package includes airfare for four, hotel accommodations, tickets to Disneyland and California Adventure and $1,000 spending cash. Paul Hines, general manager of Brad's Chevy Pontiac GMC, said after the stress that the Schultz family has been through, he's grateful they can take the trip. "They won by random, so it was perfect." |
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Wednesday August 23, 2006 |
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Orlando remains a two-stop shop for the PGA Tour.
The tour today is set to announce the details of its much-debated, much-delayed fall schedule for 2007, and the Walt Disney World event, a staple on the circuit since it was won by Jack Nicklaus some 35 years ago, is still on the list. Disney, which hasn't yet secured a title sponsor for next year, on Monday signed a one-year contract extension with the tour that ends after the 2007 event. No commitment has been made beyond that point, which allows Disney a chance to secure a new sponsor with minimal long-term risk. Most tournaments sign multiyear deals as a matter of course. "It gives the PGA Tour and Disney a chance to have a little more flexibility," Disney tournament director Kevin Weickel said. While Disney was unable to extend its current agreement with title sponsor Funai, which expires when the tournament ends on Oct. 22, it did secure what's arguably the best available spot in the new fall lineup. The tournament next year is set for Nov 1-4 and will serve as the last of the season, which means several players will be fighting desperately to retain their playing status by finishing in the top 125 on the money list. It'll add a new layer of tension to what typically has been a fairly low-key family-oriented event. The purse will remain at the current level of $4.6 million. "I can't imagine a better spot for us on the schedule," Weickel said. The 2007 calendar will undergo wholesale changes in style and substance from beginning to end. The tour unveiled the most sweeping overhaul in its history by implementing the NASCAR-style FedEx Cup race for '07, which left some fall events in the lurch. The FedEx Cup points race, which ends in mid-September, repeatedly has been promoted as the "season-ending playoffs" by tour brass and offers huge purses to elite players who no longer are expected to play into the fall. No question, it created the impression that fall lineup has been marginalized, if not rendered mostly irrelevant, a perception that Commissioner Tim Finchem will have to address today when he outlines the schedule in Akron, Ohio. Fall tournaments and title sponsors have been forced to take a hard look at whether there's enough bang for their buck if the stars decline to play that late into the year. "I still don't think that is going to happen," Weickel said. "It may be more sporadic over time, but I still think plenty of these guys are going to want to play." In recruiting new sponsors, fall events also face the diminished market penetration of the tour's new broadcast partner, The Golf Channel, which doesn't generate eye-popping ratings. This year marks the final time the Disney event will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN, two house-owned companies. Disney negotiated with Funai for months but was unable to secure an extension. Weickel said that if Disney locates a sponsor over the short term, it might extend the length of its tour contract accordingly. "That's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it," Weickel said. If not, Disney, which claims Tiger Woods as a two-time winner, has run the event on its own dime before -- and recently. National Car Rental, the title sponsor before Funai took over, filed for bankruptcy and didn't pay its naming-rights fees for two years beginning in 2001. The tournament was staged as the Disney Golf Classic in 2002. A high-ranking Disney official said recently that the tournament, which draws in the neighborhood of 50,000 fans for the week, typically has struggled to make a modest profit. But since the tournament helps position Disney World as a world-class golf resort, it's been worth the investment. "We're an entertainment group," Weickel said. "When you reach into the cup after you finish playing the 18th hole here, you know some of the greatest players in the world have done the exact-same thing. It's a great entertainment piece." Orlando remains the only city in America with two full-field tour events. The renamed Arnold Palmer Invitational, held at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, is held in mid-March. |
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"I know it's hardly
"news" when a recent theatrical release earns a DVD date,
but we're talking about "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man's Chest," one of the biggest blockbusters of this or any
year, plus (more importantly) a movie I really liked a whole
lot. And surprise! There'll be two different DVD packages...
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No, not anything like an "extended cut," as if POTC2
actually needs to be any longer. Here's the scoop from
TheManRoom.com (because apparently they're the only site
still reporting the news after Disney asked the other DVD
sites to hold off for a little bit): "Disney and Buena Vista
Home Entertainment are planning to release "Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" starring Johnny Depp, Keira
Knightley and Orlando Bloom, in both single and two-disc
collector's edition flavors on December 5.
The single-disc edition will include a pair of writer commentary tracks and 'Bloopers of the Caribbean.' The collector's edition touts 8 hours of material (film included) and should consist of the extras available on the single-disc edition along with a plethora of featurettes, a look at pirate lore and more. We should have a clearer picture of the entire extras list shortly" And yes, I'm buying the 2-discer." |
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Two contestants for the 2007 Miss
America crown, (L to R) Miss Florida, Allison Kreiger, and
Miss Alabama, Melinda Toole, hold onto their Mickey Mouse
ears while taking a spin on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
attraction at Magic Kingdom Friday at Walt Disney World in
Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as dozens of other contestants enjoy
the ride behind them. Thirty Miss America contenders were in
town last week to lend support to girls participating in the
2007 Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant, which held its
final competition night Aug. 19 in Orlando, Fla. The Miss
America pageant will air in January 2007.
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Ariel, Disney's Little Mermaid, has been hired to help
Britain to fish for a new generation of synchronized
swimmers and raise awareness of the sport as London prepares
to stage the 2012 Olympic Games.
Britain has never made the cut for the Olympic synchronized swimming event but as host in 2012, it has automatic entry into the team event. A group of 14 to 17 year-olds is already training for their Olympic debut but the door has been left open to ensure that by 2016 and beyond a Britain team qualifies by right. Conscious of the campaign to have every child in Britain learn to swim, Disney approached the Amateur Swimming Association (England arm of British Swimming) to offer the services of their submarine princess - and Ariel's Aqua Fun was born. The campaign, a series of fun and teaching sessions featuring the Britain team performing to music from The Little Mermaid, invites children as young as five to test the synchro waters. At the launch of the scheme, held at the Kensington Close Hotel, home to the capital's deepest pool, Jenna Randall, 17, enchanted a group of 5 to 8 year-olds with the routine that won her the Commonwealth silver medal winner in the solo synchro event in Melbourne last March. The youngsters then got to fish for plastic mermaids on the bottom of the pool and much fun was had by all - which was the whole point. Randall emerged to give Ariel's Aqua Fun a perfect 10: "When I was very young I remember playing mermaids and sharks with my two sisters (also both synchronized swimmers). You got to be whatever you wanted. Ariel's what I always wanted to be. I'm sure this scheme will draw little girls into the sport, and that's just what we need." Scouts will be at the sessions, to be held in many of Britain's major cities over the coming months, to spot youngsters with a good feel for water and an aptitude for the kind of skills associated with ballet and gymnastics, such as flexibility and balance. Ariel?s Aqua Fun will Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Newcastle by the end of September before the scheme is rolled out to other cities. All those children attending will go home with a goody bag of Disney magic. Adele Carlsen, Britain's performance director for synchro, noted, with a nod to the youngsters she had just taught, that while it was "fun all the way at this age", the elite end of synchronized swimming was a serious business. "Someone like Jenna will train five to six hours a day and in the two years leading up to the Olympic Games, they will be doing 40 to 45 hours of training a week. It's a full-time job." Randall noted than in every 3-minute routine, the swimmer may spend half her time underwater, in full flow, muscles tensing, and then emerge fresh and with a smile on her face. Not easy. You try it. Randall and her teammates will soon leave for six weeks training at Canada's national centre of excellence in Toronto, where the team will be coached by one of the world's leading synchro lights, Sheilagh Croxon, as part of a campaign to lift Britain's performance and profile in time for London 2012. A home medal, let alone a gold, six years from now may well be a Disney miracle too far and certainly more difficult than it was for Ariel to save her father's aquatic kingdom, but Disney's Kirsten De Groot, as you might imagine of one charged with overseeing the affairs of princesses, believes in fairy tales, however long they may take to unfold. "Uncovering Britain's first Olympic gold medalist synchronized swimmer would be a bonus but above all these events are about having fun and adding a bit of Disney magic to the sport in the hope of attracting more young people," she said. And gaining more Little Mermaid fans too, perhaps: Disney, which has sold more than 2 million copies of Ariel's adventure, will release a special edition of the film for the first time on DVD in November, containing a sneak preview of the Little Mermaid III, a new short film "Little Match Girl", plus scenes from the making of the movies, deleted scenes, a music video and the game Ariel's Under The Seas Journey Virtual Ride. |
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The
Cheetah Girls 2 Soundtrack Debuts At #5
One week after its August 15th release, the soundtrack to
the highly anticipated Disney Channel Original Movie, The
Cheetah Girls 2, debuts on the Billboard Top 200 Chart at #5
after scanning over 87,000 units for the week of August 16
(according to Nielsen SoundScan). In addition, the
soundtrack garnered the #1 spot on the Billboard Kids Chart
and the #1 position on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart. The
Cheetah Girls 2 – starring Raven Symoné, Adrienne Bailon,
Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams – premieres on Disney
Channel August 25th (8:00 p.m., ET/PT). |
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A FILM club is to be launched in Thatcham. Its inaugural screening will be the Disney children's classic Dumbo on October 14 as part of the Thatcham Festival of Arts & Leisure 2006. Organiser Mel Alexander said: "The idea of a film club in the town came from work being carried out by the Thatcham Vision team. "Residents were invited to complete questionnaires about how they would like to see the town over the next few years. "A popular response was to have our own cinema. This is obviously a very long term aim but in the meantime we hope the film club will help fill the void." The club intends to show its initial films at the Frank Hutchings Community Hall but may move to other venues. |
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You can still register to win a once-in-a-lifetime Disney
experience -- having Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World
Resort all to yourself and your family on Oct. 4. But time
is running out.
Disney's "Keys to the Kingdom" will award one very lucky family the chance to realize the most magical dream come true. As the ultimate Magic Kingdom VIPs, the winning family will enter Magic Kingdom on a red-carpeted Main Street, U.S.A. lined with cast members in place for their exclusive visit. They'll enjoy a VIP itinerary as they tour each land of the park, experience their favorite attractions and visit favorite characters. As the park fills in behind them, the family will be named grand marshals for the "Disney Dreams Come True" parade and enjoy a VIP dining experience. They will conclude their remarkable visit with exclusive viewing of spectacular fireworks over Cinderella Castle. The big day Oct. 4 is part of an Oct. 1-4 "Keys to the Kingdom" vacation for the lucky winner of the sweepstakes and up to three guests. Air fare, Disney resort lodging and all meals are included. Deadline to enter Disney's "Keys to the Kingdom" online sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 p.m. on Aug. 31. This amazing day in Magic Kingdom will help launch Disney's "The Year of a Million Dreams" celebration at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, which begins on Oct. 1, 2006. "The Year of a Million Dreams" is a first-of-its-kind event that celebrates the individual dreams of Disney Park guests from around the world. For more information about "The Year of a Million Dreams" celebration and to register for an opportunity to win the Keys to Magic Kingdom, visit http://www.disneyparks.com . No purchase necessary. Subject to official rules. Open only to registrants who are age 18 or older upon entering and are legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Odds of winning any prize will depend on the number of eligible entries. Void where prohibited. |
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Disney happy
with free 'Lost' on Web
A Walt Disney executive on Monday said the company's experiment with delivering TV shows over the Internet has been a success and it will continue this autumn. Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, said the free, ad-supported shows are attracting a younger audience that's more comfortable watching programs on a computer screen than their parents might have been. "Last year we were using the Disney Channel Web site as a marketing tool," Sweeney said at the Progress and Freedom Foundation's technology policy conference here. "Today we're using it as a programming tool." Sweeney said since Disney Channel shows began appearing on DisneyChannel.com, there have been 37 million downloads, an average of 1 million visitors a day, and 1.5 billion page views for the time period of 2 June to 3 August. In addition, ABC has experimented with placing episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander-in-Chief on the Internet for free as part of a two-month trial. That garnered 5.6 million downloads during that period, Sweeney said, and 87 per cent of the viewers remembered the advertisements they saw (one episode, for instance, was sponsored by Oil of Olay, and all have only one advertiser per episode). "The platforms didn't cannibalise the television exposure of our series," Sweeney said. "We weren't cannibalising our iTunes offering." She said ABC will continue to offer free, ad-supported TV shows with a revamped media player this fall. ABC was one of the earlier networks to offer its shows for download for $1.99 through Apple's iTunes store (although the shows are only available in the US). The store now offers more than 150 TV shows from networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and MTV. Apple CEO Steve Jobs' visit to Disney-ABC's offices in Burbank, California, helped to seal the original iTunes deal last autumn, Sweeney said. "He came down to Burbank with the video iPod, with the beta version of the iTunes store," she said. "He sat with us and we looked at our programming on the video iPod. We saw how easy and intuitive it was for people to go into our store and purchase our content." |
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Pirates of the Caribbean is best ride at Disneyland Resort
Paris, say UK holidaymakers
Holidaymakers who booked family holidays at Disneyland Resort Paris with online travel agency www.sundeal.co.uk have been surveyed about their favorite rides at the resort - and they say the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is the best. The most popular rides at Disneyland Resort Paris as voted for by customers of online travel agency www.sundeal.co.uk are: 1 Pirates of the Caribbean The Pirates of the Caribbean rides have been popular attractions at Disney resorts for a number of years, famously inspiring the making of two hit movies starring Jonny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. During the course of the boat ride guests pass through a pirate battle, which features realistic gunshots, cannon blasts and burning buildings. The Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast opened in April 2006 and features a moving and speaking Buzz Lightyear model, using sophisticated animatronic technology. Buzz Lightyear is one of the most popular Disney characters. The Haunted Mansion is a ghost train ride and Big Thunder Mountain is a roller-coaster that features a section that feels like freefall parachuting. The Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril ride recreates a famous scene from the Temple of Doom film where a mine collapses. www.sundeal.co.uk specializes in family holidays at EuroDisney, offering thousands of customers each year great deals on hotels and travel by Eurostar, air and coach. The Disneyland Paris Park is separated into four theme parks. Discoveryland, Adventureland, Frontierland and Fantasyland. Other very popular attractions at the resort include, Space Mountain, Treasure Island, the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups (from Alice In Wonderland) and Sleeping Beauty's Castle. To book a family holiday at Disneyland Resort Paris, visit www.sundeal.co.uk for details about hotels in Disneyland Paris and different ways of traveling to the resort. Whether you wish to fly to Paris, drive through Eurotunnel or travel to Disneyland Paris by coach. Sun Deal's latest special offers celebrate the release of the latest Disney / Pixar animated movie, "Cars" offering families 10% off at the best hotels near Disneyland Paris. The deals include Hotel and Park packages for the whole family. To find out more about the Disney / Pixar "Cars" special offers call 0800 953 0431. www.sundeal.co.uk is an online travel agency offering flight and hotel bookings throughout the world. Sundeal is a trading name of the Leeds Co-operative Society. |
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Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney
likens technology changes not to a digital revolution
but a "consumer coup."
"We all thought we were in charge of the consumer experience," Sweeney said. Today, "it's all about when a consumer wants it," what device they want it on and where they want to view it, Sweeney told attendees of the Aspen Summit on Monday. The annual communications summit, sponsored by the Progress & Freedom Foundation, brings together more than 100 leaders from the telecommunications, Internet, and entertainment industries, as well as the federal government. The change was driven home, Sweeney said, when Disney-ABC entertainment executives were congratulating themselves following the 2004-05 season, when hits such as Desperate Housewives and Lost had resulted in a "fantastic rebirth" of the network. "It was a joyous moment," Sweeney recalled. Then an executive from the cable group popped in a DVD, and the group watched on the conference room's plasma TV the last episode of the season for Desperate Housewives. The executive had downloaded the episode for free from an Internet site, just 15 minutes after the show had aired. The episode was crystal clear, and all the commercials had been taken out. "Talk about taking the air out of the room," Sweeney said. "Piracy is a pretty darn good business model when you think about it," she added. The product is free. In this case, it was available within 15 minutes with excellent quality. And distribution to consumers, over an Internet site, is easy. That experience, she said, partly prompted Disney/ABC to do a deal last fall to carry some of its hit shows on Apple's iTunes, where they can be downloaded for 99 cents each. In June, Sweeney's group started releasing full episodes of certain shows for free on the Disney Channel Web site, an Internet site that caters to 2- to 14-year-olds. To date, there's been some 37 million requests to watch the episodes, Sweeney said. "We all know and recognize that kids are fearless when it comes to technology," Sweeney said. "These are our new customers. . . . We need to begin building businesses around these customers." In May, Disney/ABC released several TV shows including Lost and Desperate Housewives on ABC. com for free. That experiment came despite some pushback from advertisers, Sweeney said. Those shows have generated some 5.7 million viewer requests, a sizable number but much less than on the Disney Web site. What the network has learned, she said, is that the Internet viewers haven't cannibalized the television audience or the network's iTunes partnership. The ABC.com viewers also have proven to be a desirable demographic, averaging 29 years old with a high education and income. And not only did nearly 80 percent say they enjoyed the experience of watching a TV show on the Internet, but 87 percent recalled the advertising they saw. Sweeney said advertisers such as Oil of Olay used the opportunity to test various methods of advertising. But while ABC/Disney believes it is developing a strategy that caters to the new consumer behavior, it knows that strategy is subject to change in this era of the "consumer coup," Sweeney said. Earlier in her talk, Sweeney referred to a recent book written by Henry Jenkins on the Convergence Culture, which describes how the consumer is interacting with the new media in unpredictable ways. And, Sweeney said, "None of this works if the content doesn't work." |
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ABC
late-night host tapped for game show
Jimmy Kimmel is going to have to start setting his alarm
a little earlier. |
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Vince in "Invincible"
Disney Insider - Vince Papale has, in many ways, led an extraordinary life. A high-school track star, he later became a middle-school teacher and football coach. Not an unusual career pattern - until he chucked it all to play semi-pro football at the age of 28. Two years later, he got the chance of a lifetime when the Philadelphia Eagles held open tryouts for the team -- he was the only player who made the cuts from the open tryouts, and became a professional football rookie at the age of 30 - the oldest rookie in NFL history, to this day. He played four seasons for the Eagles and was named their "man of the year" in 1978. Vince was also voted captain by his teammates after his first season with the Eagles, although his teammates had been less than welcoming of the rookie at first. Now he's head of special projects for the Sallie Mae Fund, organizing scholarship and other projects for aspiring college students. But none of his adventures have prepared Vince for "Invincible," the new Disney film telling his story, and for the experience of helping to put his life on the big screen. "It's really been the experience of a lifetime!" he tells us. "Disney has treated my family with so much respect and consideration." "I've seen it five times," Vince says. "The first time was really weird. Mark Wahlberg [who plays Vince in the film] was in the audience behind me and my kids were there, and there were a bunch of people from the NFL. I kind of felt like I was under a microscope, because everybody wanted to see my reaction. And I bawled like a baby! It was just amazing. It was just too surreal for me. The movie wasn't even completed - there was no soundtrack or credits - but it still blew me away. And the highlight for me was at the end, when they showed me playing. I just realized 'Wow, there's really a movie about me!'" That reaction came in spite of the fact that, as Vince says, "I was involved all the way from the beginning -- from the development of the script." He explains, "I worked a lot with Mark Wahlberg's coach to recreate the things I did on the field. I spent a lot of time with Mark, so he got to know me - my voice patterns, idiosyncrasies, and habits of speech. And occasionally when I was on the set, they'd come up to me and say 'Is this the way something was?' and they meant it. I am so intimately involved in this, I feel like it's my project." Even Vince's children, Vinnie and Gabriella, got into
the act. They appear briefly in the film, playing street
football, and Vinnie was part of one of Vince's best
experiences on the set. They were shooting a difficult
scene of a football game played in the rain and mud.
Vince explains, "Vinnie was there in his little league
football gear because he came from a practice. After
that scene was over, Vinnie and Mark Wahlberg played in
the rain. That's what was so great about Mark - he was
having so much fun that he would continue to play in the
mud when the cameras were off! He was amazing, that
guy." |
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Tuesday August 22, 2006 |
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Erin Wallace, 46, senior vice president of operations
for Walt Disney World, succeeding Lee Cockerell this month
as the resort's chief operating officer. Wallace spoke with
staff writer Scott Powers.
Erin Wallace, 46, senior vice president of operations for Walt Disney World, succeeding Lee Cockerell This month as the resort's chief operating officer. Question: Your father was a painter here. What did he teach you about Disney World? Answer: He absolutely loved Walt Disney World. He thought this was a very quality establishment. When he learned I was coming to work here, he couldn't be more thrilled. He had been a painting contractor, and he especially remembers working on buildings in Tomorrowland. And he also worked on the Contemporary quite a bit. So when he came and visited we would look at all those different places. He got very ill and was getting ready to pass on in the summer I was going to be named vice president of Magic Kingdom. But he knew I was going to become vice president of Magic Kingdom, and it was a huge source of pride for him. Q: Disney, as with most of the Central Florida tourism industry, seems to find it more and more challenging to find enough employees in this climate. How does that affect operations? A: First of all, we've got a large operation to run because our business is doing so well. We look to many different ways to utilize our cast members. We still maintain, I think, a great hiring standard, to get the very best cast members we can. Q: Your predecessor, Lee Cockerell, often talked about the need to inspire front-line employees to create magic. What's your strategy for doing that? A: To me, inspiration starts with validating that they play a very critical role. My job, and the job of my leaders, is to make sure the hourly cast members are not just empowered but feel great about the jobs they perform. That involves talking regularly to them, seeing them on the job, helping them on the job. Q: Will you take over the "Main Street Diary" employee newsletter? A: Yeah. We're going to be taking over the "Main Street Diary" and continuing the legacy that Lee created in having that be a great tool and resource for our operations cast. Q: You're an engineer. Do you miss making things? A: I'm constantly solving problems, so I use the basics of my degree on a continual basis. I have a fabulous orientation toward solving problems. There is no problem that cannot be solved. I totally and thoroughly enjoy figuring it out with our people. Q: What's your favorite park, and why? A: I cannot say that I have a favorite park. Just like my children [Shea and Molly]. I love all my children. But I will tell you two things. First off, my very favorite attraction is Peter Pan. I will always acknowledge that being my favorite. I absolutely love that ride, and I feel the magic every time I'm on that ride. But I also will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Animal Kingdom park, because I was part of the opening team. And I have a strong alignment toward that park's mission. But, you know, my family and I absolutely love the thrills of Disney-MGM Studios and making sure everyone in my family sees that ride Soarin' over at Epcot. And the Food and Wine Festival, I won't miss it any year. I have little parts and pieces of me that love any park. I've also got responsibility for all the resort hotels, Downtown Disney and sports and recreation...And I started my early days at Downtown Disney, and Marketplace, and that's a wonderful operation. And I've run resorts. Q: Are we likely to see more outsourcing of some services such as hotel custodial operations? A: I think what we're always going to be doing in operations at Walt Disney World is continuously looking at how to run this as effectively and as best as we can. Our goal is to be the best service provider in the industry, and we'll be continuously improving in order to do so. Q: With no plans for any additional parks here in the known future, the pressure must be on for maximizing operations to provide for long-term growth. How will that be done? A: What operations has to concentrate on each and every day is creating the very best guest experience each and every day. We know that our guests will have the positive experience here, and when they do they recommend Walt Disney World to their friends and families. That's our mission and that's our job, to create that good guest experience, so that positive word-of-mouth brings us future visitors. |
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Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television Group,
said the free, ad-supported shows are attracting a younger
audience that's more comfortable watching shows on a
computer screen than their parents might have been.
"Last year we were using the Disney Channel Web site as a marketing tool," Sweeney said at the Progress and Freedom Foundation's technology policy conference. "Today we're using it as a programming tool." Sweeney said since Disney Channel shows began appearing on DisneyChannel.com, there have been 37 million downloads, an average of 1 million visitors a day, and 1.5 billion page views for the time period of June 2 to August 3. In addition, ABC has experimented with placing episodes of "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Alias" and "Commander-in-Chief" on the Internet for free as part of a two-month trial. That garnered 5.6 million downloads during that period, Sweeney said, and 87 percent of the viewers remembered the advertisements they saw (one episode, for instance, was sponsored by Oil of Olay, and all have only one advertiser per episode). "The platforms didn't cannibalize the television exposure of our series," Sweeney said. "We weren't cannibalizing our iTunes offering." She said ABC will continue to offer free, ad-supported TV shows with a revamped media player this fall. ABC was one of the earlier networks to offer its shows for download for $1.99 through Apple Computer's iTunes store. The store now offers more than 150 TV shows from networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and MTV. Apple CEO Steve Jobs' visit to Disney-ABC's offices in Burbank, Calif., helped to seal the original iTunes deal last fall, Sweeney said. "He came down to Burbank with the video iPod, with the beta version of the iTunes store," she said. "He sat with us, and we looked at our programming on the video iPod. We saw how easy and intuitive it was for people to go into our store and purchase our content." |
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Walt Disney
World Triathlon Weekend
This is a very exciting time at the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort with several exhilarating Endurance Series Events coming up in the Fall. Remember that there is no better time than 2006 to challenge yourself to sign up for an event "where every stride is a victory"! Be a part of the Endurance Series at WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort in 2006 and experience the exhilaration. We'll see you at the start line! WALT DISNEY WORLD Triathlon Weekend September 22-24, 2006 Experience the excitement as you swim, bike and run through the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort in this USA Triathlon Sanctioned event. Be a part of the WALT DISNEY WORLD Triathlon Weekend and experience a weekend that will resonate long after the adrenaline stops. Register for WALT DISNEY WORLD Triathlon Weekend Events by September 1 for the best possible rate! The WALT DISNEY WORLD Triathlon Weekend includes the following events: WALT DISNEY WORLD Aquathlon September 23, 2006
WALT DISNEY WORLD Kids' Triathlon September 23,
2006 |
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First Annual Disney Club Convention to be held in Orlando,
Florida
The National Fantasy Fan Club
(NFFC) will be holding their First Annual Convention in
Orlando on September 29 thru October 1, 2006. The event
will take place at Disney's Swan Hotel, inside EPCOT and at
the Magic Kingdom Park. Seminars will be held at Disney's Swan Hotel on Friday, September 29th, with featured speakers Eddie Carroll, the voice of Jiminy Cricket; Margaret Kerry, the original model for Tinker Bell; and Kaye Malins, Disney family friend and current owner of Walt's boyhood home in Marceline, MO, Disney Animator: Philo Barnhart, Terri Hardin: On Disney sculpting team. Being held for the first time in Orlando is the NFFC's annual Lunch with the Legends. The event gives conventioneers the opportunity to dine at a table with a NFFC Disney Legend, so named due to their outstanding contribution to the Walt Disney Company. Invited Legends include merchandise design artist Ralph Kent, Tom Nabbe who was Disneyland's original Tom Sawyer. Festivities on Friday will conclude with a private dessert viewing of IlluminNations, the evening fireworks spectacular in EPCOT. On Saturday, Disney memorabilia collectors and dealers
will have their wears on sale at the Show & Sale at Disney's
Swan Hotel. Several authors of Disney related books will be
on hand signing copies. Registered conventioneers will be
admitted one hour earlier than the general public. The Show
& Sale will open to the public at 10:00 am and concludes at
4:00 pm. That evening, conventioneers will be attending the
"Part of Your World" dinner. Every table at the dinner will
have at least one Disney VIP offering attendees a personal
conversation sharing their stories and experiences. On Sunday, October 1, 2006, the 35th
Anniversary of Walt Disney World, conventioneers will spend
the day playing games and riding attractions in the Magic
Kingdom culminating with a group photo to commemorate the
weekend. For more information, please visit
www.nffc.org,
or contact: |
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Mauceri sync's to Stokowski as score to Disney masterpiece
comes alive
John Mauceri and the
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra made film-music history again over
the weekend with a live orchestral performance, with film,
of music from Walt Disney's 1940 classic Fantasia – the
first time ever in the United States. For reasons of time and programming interests, not all of
Fantasia was performed. The concert opened with Stokowski's
orchestral arrangement of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D
minor" to the colorful, abstract imagery of Disney's
animators. Next was the first movement of Beethoven's
Pastoral Symphony with its playful antics of mythical
unicorns and winged horses. A first-act treat was the inclusion of Destino, the
legendary collaboration of Disney and surrealist painter
Salvador Dali which, while begun in 1946, remained
unfinished until Disney's nephew Roy E. Disney oversaw
completion of the six-minute short in 2003. |
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Disney-ABC Offers
News To Go
Disney-ABC has added pay-to-download content from its news division to iTunes, offering short specials, as well as library footage of historical events and celebrity interviews from the broadcast network. The content supplements ABC's current iTunes offerings -- paid downloads of entertainment programming and free, ad-supported video podcasts of news shows. Starting today, ABC News will offer $1.99 downloads of programming crafted specifically for the iTunes Music Store in three categories. ABC News Specials features TV footage on topics ranging from a set-visit to ABC's Grey's Anatomy to an investigation of UFOs; The Day it Happened features library clips on historic events including Robert F. Kennedy's assassination and Prince Charles/Lady Diana's wedding; Celebrity Flashback features library footage of actors and musicians. |
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The Disney Channel original movie The Cheetah Girls 2,
filmed in Barcelona, will be closed-captioned in both
Spanish and English for its premiere telecast on August 25,
and will air entirely in Spanish with English subtitles on
September 15.
The film premieres on the channel August 25 at 8 p.m. The Spanish-language broadcast in September is part of Disney’s initiatives for Hispanic Heritage Month, and will be immediately followed by an English-language broadcast with Spanish subtitles. Scott Garner, the senior VP of programming at Disney Channel in the U.S., noted, "We are committed to connecting with kids, especially with this movie's themes of celebrating a multicultural world, expressing oneself and appreciating family. We've designed these programming events to encourage kids and multiple generations of families to enjoy the movie together." Designed for kids aged 6-14 and families, The Cheetah Girls 2, a sequel to the 2003 release, finds the teen divas' quest for pop superstardom taking an international turn when they enter a music festival in Barcelona, Spain. Once there, they meet Marisol, a talented Spanish solo singer and her manager/mother Lola. The movie will air on 24 Disney Channels worldwide, including Disney Channel Spain, Disney Channel Portugal and Disney Channel Latin America. |
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Six years ago, Todd Harrison worried about an emotional
void in his life despite the wealth he had accumulated as
the president of Cramer Berkowitz, a $400 million hedge
fund.
"I really just sold my soul to attain a level of status and a level of achievement in the financial marketplace," Harrison recalled. "I was having fun, but I really wasn't happy despite all the toys that wealth afforded me." Harrison, 37, gave up a 15-year career in fast-paced and physically draining world of hedge funds and Wall Street trading houses to found Minyanville.com, an Internet site with a mission to educate the public on markets and finance through news and commentary. In an unusual twist, cartoon animals such as Hoofy the Bull and Boo the Bear add entertainment value to the site. "The vision of the company is to create a fiscal fitness franchise, or Walt Disney meets Wall Street," said Harrison, a resident of New York City. Kevin Wassong, the company's president, said the cartoon characters fit with Minyanville's ambitious goal to do for finance what Sesame Street did for education, what MTV did for music and what ESPN did for sports. "The marriage of entertainment and information is our area of specialization," Wassong said. "No one has ever done this in finance. Minyanville sits at that epicenter." Harrison said the change in his life occurred Sept. 11, 2001. That day, he was at Cramer Berkowitz's offices about six blocks from the World Trade Center. "It was grisly watching people swan dive from the top of the World Trade Center," Harrison said. "It was a life-altering experience. ... The ensuing years were incredibly difficult in terms of trying to lead a normalized existence." Harrison was the only employee when he started Minyanville in 2002 by investing "well into seven figures" of his personal savings. "I staked my reputation on it," Harrison said. "And people didn't get it. They didn't understand how a guy who was running a $400 million hedge fund would leave to start a Web site with cartoons. But five years later, people are starting to understand it now." Minyanville now has eight employees and 33 contract writers who contribute content to the site. The site is generating 1.6 million to 2 million page views monthly from more than 100 countries, with the traffic doubling since January, according to Wassong. Much of the site is free and is advertising-supported. A premium feature at $24.95 a month or $299 a year is "Buzz and Banter," which offers minute-by-minute market commentary, opinions and business news throughout the trading day from market pros. The cartoon characters, including Hoofy the Bull, Boo the Bear and Snapper the Turtle, pop up on the site to illustrate the market trends. The site has its share of fans in the investment community. Jeffrey Saut, chief strategist at Raymond James, an investment firm in St. Petersburg, Fla., finds the insights from Buzz and Banter so useful that he looks at it 20 to 25 times day. "Anything that can distill and bring me information that I find helpful and pertinent to making investing and trading decisions is invaluable," Saut said. "The Minyanville Web site does that, especially the Buzz and Banter part of it. You find things in there that you don't see any other place." For now, the content on the site is geared toward adults and sophisticated investors. But Wassong, who has a background in the entertainment industry and joined Minyanville last year, said the ultimate goal is adding content suitable for children and teenagers. "I don't want my kids to grow up not understanding this thing called finance," said Wassong, a father of two. "If we can create something that enables parents to teach their kids and enables parents to teach themselves about finance in an unintimidating way, then we are going to win." |
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Firefighter Moonlights In Disney Stunt Show
local firefighter who puts his life on the line daily does some pretty amazing tricks when he's away from the front lines. The firefighter leads a double life in another risky profession. "It's the greatest job in the world," said firefighter Mike Sydnor. Sydnor could be talking about his job fighting fires with his favorite crew. "Yes, it's the big house. The largest the city of Orlando has," he said. Or he could be talking about playing with fire, which he does as a stunt man. Whatever the case, Sydnor does both jobs with energy to burn. "I feel calm inside, but everyone around me says I'm a little overactive," Sydnor said. That shows when anyone watches the 15-year veteran at work in the firehouse. Much of the work at the firehouse is routine, but firefighting itself is unpredictable. "A lot of the time, you don't see what's burning. You just see orange glow," he said. "And you feel the intense heat and that's when you go attack it." It's a different world with Sydnor's second career. The chaos at Disney-MGM Studios Extreme Stunt Show is very controlled. Backstage, Sydnor has an array of safety equipment, including pads, a helmet and most importantly, the clock. Sydnor must suit up in 20 minutes for a motorcycle spill in the Lights, Motors, Action show that will take just 10 seconds. Thoughts of what to do go through his mind while he's donning five layers of protection, including a suit chilled at 40 degrees along with a fire-retardant gel. But Sydnor is not afraid of the flames that will soon envelop him. "I'm more nervous being interviewed than sliding through fire," he said. "Basically, all you feel is walking from air conditioning to the bright sun on a Florida day." When the time comes for Sydnor's 10 seconds of fame, he does his stunt and the flames are quickly extinguished by the safety crew. But his enthusiasm still burns long after his moment in the spotlight has faded. "I don't see myself ever stopping until they tell me I have to," Sydnor said. If he had to choose between the two professions, he said it'd be no contest. "Helping people is what I do best," he said "I would definitely pick firefighter." Sydnor got started in the stunt field by loading fireworks at Disney. |
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Little
Einsteins: Mission Celebration! From the hit 'Playhouse Disney' series from Disney and the award winning Baby Einstein Company comes Disney's Disney's Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration! An invitation to the biggest, best, most amazing party ever, Disney's Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration! takes preschoolers on thrilling adventures in the real world where they help solve an important mission and learn along the way. |
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Disney's Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration! includes a
never-before-seen episode, "The Birthday Machine."
Additionally, there is a fun-filled DVD bonus game,
"You've Got A Mission," an interactive feature that
encourages preschoolers to join the Little Einstein team,
pilot their ship 'Rocket,' and find hidden game items.
June, Leo, Quincy and Annie invite viewers to put on their hats, grab their goodie bags and blast off! Viewers will follow their adventures as the kids climb aboard Rocket for a rootin'-tootin' time in the Wild West, meet playful penguins in Antarctica as they search for runaway balloons, and travel all the way to Italy on an expedition to bring home a magical machine that makes today everyone's birthday. As a member of the team, young viewers are invited to sing, clap, pat, conduct, play instruments, dance, laugh and problem solve right along with the Little Einsteins. Disney's Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration! is available on DVD only for $19.99 (S.R.P.) on August 22. |
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Chris Cuomo named news anchor of ABC's 'Good Morning America,' Chris Cuomo will be working the early shift as news anchor of Good Morning America starting next month. Cuomo, who is also an anchor of ABC News' Primetime, will begin his dawn duties Sept. 5, joining anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts at the GMA studio in Times Square, ABC announced Monday. |
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Along with delivering "news block" reports throughout the
weekday broadcast, Cuomo will serve as principal
substitute anchor, the network said. He also will
contribute news reports and travel to cover breaking news.
Cuomo, 36, will remain at Primetime, where he became co-anchor in April 2004, and also continue as ABC News' senior legal correspondent. He will relieve Roberts, who has continued her news-anchor role since being promoted to an anchor of the broadcast in May 2005. Before joining ABC News six years ago, Cuomo was a correspondent for Fox News Channel and Fox network's Fox Files. An attorney and a native of New York, he is a son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. |
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Monday August 21, 2006 |
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Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man's Chest easily won its seventh straight weekend at the
international box office with $25.5 million at 6,222 play
dates in 51 markets, reports Variety.
The seventh victory, tying the record set by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, drove the sequel's foreign total to $522.7 million and the worldwide total to $923.8 million -- sixth place on the list just behind Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, at $924.3 million, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, at $926.3 million. "Dead Man's Chest" soon will be challenging Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the No. 3 slot at $969 million combined. And with Greece and Italy still to open, "Dead Man's Chest" has a decent shot at becoming the third film after Titanic (with $1.8 billion) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.1 billion) to gross more than a billion dollars worldwide. "Dead Man's Chest" will soon pass the foreign total for The Da Vinci Code at $532 million. |
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Citadel Broadcasting Corp. wants to
renegotiate the terms of its $2.7 billion deal to buy the
ABC radio business from the Walt Disney Co. due to a slide
in its stock price, according to Monday Wall Street Journal
reports.
Citadel agreed to buy the business from
Burbank's Disney (NYSE: DIS) in February for about $1.3
billion in stock and $1.4 billion in cash. If Citadel's
shares (NYSE: CDL) remain low, it would initiate a clause in
the agreement that would increase the payout to Disney.
However, the poor performance of Disney's ABC radio assets
is one of the reasons that Citadel's stock price has fallen,
analysts told the Journal.
The combination of Las Vegas-based Citadel and Disney radio assets would create the industry's third largest radio company. The transaction does not include the ESPN and Radio Disney networks. |
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Disney reaches out to Latinas with 'Cheetah Girls'
The Disney Channel plans to welcome Spanish-speaking and Latino children to its audience as never before when it runs a Spanish-language version, with English subtitles, of its upcoming music-and-dance movie "The Cheetah Girls 2" during prime time. The children's cable network -- enjoying its highest ratings ever this year from the popularity of original movies such as "High School Musical" and series like "Hannah Montana" -- plans a big marketing push in the Latino community behind "Cheetah" and its message of diversity. "The Cheetah Girls 2," a sequel to the 2003 movie that became a huge hit with preteen girls, will be close-captioned in English and Spanish starting from its Aug. 25 premiere. On Sept. 15, it will run in Spanish with English subtitles. Rich Ross, president of Disney Channel Worldwide, said the "Cheetah" promotion simply plays on a strength the network already has with minority audiences, who tune in to the Disney Channel at greater rates than other English-language networks. "It seemed that it was the right movie to make that effort," Ross said. "We have to start trying more things to speak to more people." The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies estimates that $5 billion is spent on advertising to the U.S. Hispanic market. The buying power of the 41 million U.S. Hispanic consumers is expected to rise to nearly $900 billion this year and $1.1 trillion by 2010, accounting for 9 percent of all U.S. buying power up from 5 percent in 1990, an AHAA spokeswoman said on Friday. Carl Kravetz, AHAA chairman and head of the Cruz/Kravetz IDEAS advertising agency, said Disney "is no better or no worse than any other network" in trying to reach Spanish-speaking audiences. "We are in an era of experimentation from a language perspective," Kravetz said. "Networks are trying to figure out what it's going to take to attract Spanish-speaking audiences to English-language television." CBS launched the first primarily Spanish-language program on network television in 2000 with the Latin Grammys, which have since moved to Spanish-language television. The Walt Disney Co-owned (DIS.N) ABC network this year remade the popular Spanish soap opera "Betty La Fea" as "Ugly Betty," and its sitcom "Freddie" features a character who speaks entirely in Spanish with English subtitles. But running the Spanish-language version of "Cheetah Girls" is a first, Kravetz said. "They are dabbling. They are trying different things to see what works," he said. Anne Sweeney, the co-chair of Disney Media Networks who recently won a Producers' Guild diversity award, said the company has gleaned its understanding of its marketplace through such initiatives as offering its prime-time programming dubbed in Spanish. "If anything, this is going to be a huge learning experience for us. We are going to monitor it very closely," Sweeney said of the "Cheetah" Spanish-language debut. Disney wanted to emphasize diversity -- racial and economic -- as well as "empowerment and unity" when it came up with the idea for the first "Cheetah Girls" movie in 2003, about four New York teens who aspire to a recording contract, Ross said. Only one of the Cheetahs -- Dorinda, played by soap star Sabrina Bryan -- is white, and she lives in a foster home. Group leader Galleria, played by former "Cosby Show" star Raven-Symone, lives in a luxury brownstone with her fashion designer parents, a mixed-race couple. |
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Steve
Carell to star in new Disney film
The Walt Disney Studios, which just completed four months of shooting the film Underdog in Providence, will return to the state in October to film the romantic comedy Dan in Real Life on locations in Jamestown, Middletown and South County. Steve Carell, best known as the star of the film The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the TV series The Office and currently on screen in Little Miss Sunshine, will headline the film, playing a widower and father of three daughters who falls in love with his brother’s girlfriend. She will be played by Juliette Binoche, Academy Award best supporting actress winner for The English Patient. Comedian Dane Cook will play the brother in the film, which also will co-star two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest. Dan in Real Life was written and will be directed by Peter Hedges, who previously wrote and directed Pieces of April and wrote About a Boy and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Steven Feinberg, of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, said the announcement “further demonstrates our healthy working relationship with the Walt Disney Company, following their recent completion of Underdog, while we continue to build our local crew base and showcase our beautiful Ocean State to a worldwide audience.” |
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Pixar is
everywhere at Disney parks
Now that Walt Disney Co. owns all of Pixar Animations Studios Inc., the parks are giving a lot more face time to the computer animation pioneer's characters. Finding Nemo - The Musical, with an original score by Robert Lopez of Avenue Q fame and a collection of Lion King-worthy stage puppets, debuts this fall at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The long-dormant 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride at Disneyland in California is being re-opened with a Nemo theme, too. But the drained remnants of its abandoned sibling ride in Florida will remain hidden under a kids play area in Magic Kingdom. The Living Seas pavilion at EPCOT is being refreshed and renamed the Seas with Nemo & Friends this fall. Inside, the popular Turtle Talk with Crush show will live on, but a new ride will transport patrons in "clam-mobiles" through what had been a lengthy walking tour around the huge aquarium. The ride features a new story line for Nemo the clown fish, this time told in animation projected on a backdrop of an aquarium filled with live sea creatures. In early 2007, a new attraction opens in Magic Kingdom that is a takeoff on the joke-filled Laugh Floor Comedy Club from Monsters Inc. Pixar characters, dating back to Buzz Lightyear, played a role in the parks. But this latest burst plus the addition of meet-and-greet characters from The Incredibles and daily parade props from Cars underscores just how much Disney hopes to extend the life of its Pixar franchises. |
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Disney Actress presents Fall Classes for Young Actors in
Burbank, Calif. starts Sep. 9
Hallie
Todd from the Disney Channel TV series “Lizzie McGuire”
presents her fall schedule of classes for young actors ages
5-18. Classes begin on September 9th and are taught at In
House Media, 4200 Burbank Blvd, a half-mile west of
Hollywood Way. Call 1-800-448-9700 or visit
http://www.inhousemedia.com and click on “Acting.” |
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In a few months, kids will be able to design their own 3D
plastic toys. Using Cosmic Blobs, the first 3D modeling
software designed for kids, they can design their own
superhero, puppy, or mythical creature. Then, for $25 to
$50, they send their Cosmic Blob off to Cosmic Modelz, a
service that uses Z Corporation’s 3D printer to create
their 3D design and send it back to the young designer.
And like that, viola, a child has used 3D modeling
software to create their own plastic toy.
Just a few years ago, this would be unimaginable, for two reasons. Software for kids like Cosmic Blobs didn’t yet exist, so modeling their own 3D character would be far too advanced. But more importantly, the very notion of 3D printing at such low cost would be unfathomable. The technology was simply too expensive. 3D printing has come a long way over the last few years, however. Now, you can purchase a 3D printing system for slightly under $20 thousand, where they might cost upwards of $100 thousand just years ago. As prices continue to decline, we’ll be seeing more and more creative uses of 3D printers. 3D printers, even the very expensive ones, have been used for a while for product visualization. Nike would make a 3D model of their newest running shoe, for example. They would then send their Computer Aided Design (CAD) files to their plant in China. To make sure the factory workers know what the final product looks like, the plant would be equipped with a 3D printer, which they use to create a scaled and precise plastic model of the shoe. With more modern additions to 3D printers, these replica shoes are starting to look even better, including a full spectrum of color. Now that they’re getting cheaper, 3D printers will begin making appearances in a lot of more interesting places. Just recently, Disney 3D printed a few copies of Toy Story characters for their museum. The designers at Disney liked the models so much that they printed out one for each employee to put on their desks. As they get cheaper, 3D printers are also increasing in quality. A few years ago, most 3D printed models were monochrome. Now, some 3D printer retailers let you print thousands of colors on 3D your models, making them look even better. The tool could become particularly useful to 3D computer generated art designers, looking to physically see copies of their 3D models. Having a concept model, and seeing how it looks in real life, could greatly enhance the modeling process, cluing designers in to opportunities on making the CG model look even better. Adrian Bowyer, a lecturer at the University of Bath in England, is creating a 3D printer that will be good enough that it can recreate most of its own parts! Of course, it would only be able to print the plastic shell of the printer, not the circuitry. But such precision has great commercial value. For example, in the near future you could customize a shell for your cell phone, or print out a small scale model of exactly how you want your bedroom to look. Everywhere it is useful to visualize a 3D object in true three dimensional reality, we may start seeing these 3D printers pop up. Some even say they may make appearances in college design courses or high school shop classes. Of course, in order for that to happen, prices must fall dramatically. This will be a matter of time, as technologies improve and become more efficient (and cheap) for 3D printer companies to produce. But if—and when—that happens, you might just have a 3D printer sitting in your room. |
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Costuming the kids who star on Disney Channel's hottest
teen shows is a balancing act.
They should look like real teenagers -- the kind you'd find in any mall across America -- but they also should be a little ahead of the curve. After all, they are seen by millions of viewers who soak in their styles. "I'm aware every time I put something on a kid on TV that kids will wear what they see," says Nancy Butts-Martin, the costume designer behind "That's So Raven," one of the channel's top-rated cable shows as of July, and the upcoming spinoff, "Cory in the House." "Every single item I put on a kid on a show is something I'd put my own kid in," says Butts-Martin, the mother of a 7-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy. She likes bright colors for child actors and tends toward softer, less "in-your-face" version of whatever the latest trends are, she says. "Scary skulls, for example, I won't use." What she does use on "Raven," which follows the adventures of a girl who can glimpse the future, are a lot of graphic and printed T-shirts. And this season, you won't see any more bling on her shows. It's been replaced by metallic fabrics. Young stars, of course, can have their own ideas. Here's what Emily Osment, one of the stars of Disney's "Hannah Montana," and Kyle Massey, who plays pal Cory Baxter on "Raven," had to say about their fall looks: Name: Emily Osment Alias: Lilly Truscott on "Hannah Montana." Age: 14. Hometown: Los Angeles. Fashion passion: Sewing. Her style: "My look changes every day. I'm not stuck with someone saying, 'I know exactly what she's going to wear tomorrow.' I might be preppy, punk; I might be girlie." First day of school outfit: "I'm thinking a summer dress. It's going to be hot here. Some cute sandals -- maybe a light jacket. I sew some of my own clothes. That gives me the option of making whatever I want to wear." Best thing she's made for herself: "Last summer, I was really into halter tops. I had a great pattern; it took a half hour to make. I probably made five or six halter tops. ... I just got this cute material at Jo-Ann Fabrics. It's red and white polka-dot. The dots are not too big. It's so cute. I bought two yards for a dress. I did a test run of the dress, though, with another fabric. It didn't turn out quite right." In her closet: "I have a lot of pink shirts, but I also have a lot of blue and black." Her style as Lilly: "She's definitely a tomboy. She can be girlie because she wears bright colors, not always blue and green. She likes orange, pink or purple, but she wears a lot of blue jeans." Fashion philosophy: "I like to match. On the show, though, they find colors that look good together that don't 'match.' I'm learning. And I'm always cold, so I always have a sweat shirt." What she bought at the end-of-season "Hannah Montana" wardrobe sale: Jeans -- maybe 10 pairs. "You can never have too many! It's hard to find the perfect size but these jeans have already been altered to me already." Name: Kyle Massey Alias: Cory Baxter on "That's So Raven" and the upcoming "Cory in the House." Age: 14. Hometown: Atlanta. Fashion passion: Michael Jordan jerseys. His style: "I am into clothes but I don't really 'shop.' I go in on a mission to buy one thing -- usually something Michael Jordan -- his clothes, shoes, everything. I care about what I look like unless I'm going to play basketball." First day of school outfit: If Kyle went to school instead of getting tutoring on the set, "I'd would pick Jordan! I just love those clothes. I would wear shorts. I don't like jeans. I don't wear jeans. They're more of a 'special occasion' item for me. I wear jean shorts -- usually with a red Jordan shirt and hat, and shoes to match, of course." Why Jordan still rules: Kyle has met the basketball star twice and says he was really nice and really tall. Anything else in his closet? Ecko, Ellese, Fubu -- same as he wears on TV. Pet peeve about Cory's look: "Sometimes on the show, I have to wear pink shirts. I don't really like that. Even a little pink is too pink for me." Aging on TV: "As I get older, Cory has become much cooler. He is trying to impress his little girlfriend." What he bought at the end-of-season "That's So Raven" wardrobe sale: "My mom went and bought back all of the Jordan stuff. She keeps some of it for memories. It sits in the closet. She doesn't like it if I wear it to the movies." |
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Fall brings new attractions, reduced-price deals for travel
in Florida
Imagine being grand marshal in a Walt Disney World parade. Or getting the royal treatment at Walt Disney World, including staying overnight in a royal bedchamber in Cinderella's Castle. It's no childish reverie. Starting Oct. 1, Disney will make a lot of dreams come true with its "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Altogether, a million dreams - some small, some large - will be awarded during the year to randomly chosen guests. A few will be experiences that money can't buy, like the stay in Cinderella's Castle or a trip around the world to lead a parade in every Disney resort. Most, of course, will be more modest. The promotion is one of a number of features in Florida that will tempt travelers this fall, from a new riverboat cruising the Intracoastal Waterway out of Daytona Beach to scuba diving on the world's largest artificial reef, a newly sunk 888-foot aircraft carrier off the Pensacola coast. One of the biggest autumn draws is Halloween celebrations. Theme parks produce major blowouts, but there are many less elaborate ones all over the state. Indeed, so popular have these spooky sojourns become that some Halloween celebrations now start in September. Biggest of all Halloween doings takes place at Universal Orlando, which devotes 19 nights in October to gory goings-on. This year, the theme park has constructed new haunted houses and designed a "Sweet 16" party gone ghoulish. Tickets for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, which start Sept. 29 and run on selected nights through Oct. 31, cost $59.95. On Florida's west coast, Busch Gardens is readying its seventh year of fiendish fun. Howl-O-Scream runs for 15 nights in October at the Tampa theme park, plus a Freaky Preview Sept. 29 and 30. Admission is $57.95. Walt Disney World has put aside 18 nights for its less intense Halloween event, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Aimed at younger children, the event includes trick-or-treating, parades and costume fun. Tickets are $42.95; the party is held at the Magic Kingdom on selected evenings Sept. 15-Oct. 31. Orlando's other theme park, Sea World, also gets into the spooky spirit with its annual Halloween Spooktacular, also aimed primarily at younger children. Highlights include performances by the cast of the Hi-5 television show, children's music artist Laurie Berkner and Laughing Pizza, a family musical band. The event is included in park admission. But Halloween is hardly the only reason to head for Florida this fall. Hotel and resort prices are at their lowest in this slack season, deals are plentiful, and tourist sites and theme parks are blessedly uncrowded. There's plenty to do that doesn't involve Halloween. Key West mounts its seriously outrageous Fantasy Fest Oct. 20-29. The fete mixes masquerade balls, quirky costumes and a street fair with a "Key Weird on the Dis-Oriented Express" theme. The festival finishes with the sometimes X-rated Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest parade, featuring outlandish floats and extravagant (and sometimes barely existent) costumes. At the theme parks, Universal's Islands of Adventure new High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride glides its way through seven specially created Dr. Seuss scenes. Walt Disney World has retooled its Pirates of the Caribbean attraction to add characters and features from the recent "Curse of the Black Pearl" movie. Also coming this fall are two new attractions - a musical stage show and an undersea ride - based on the "Finding Nemo" movie. Fall is also when cruise prices drop to their lowest levels. A quick scan of priced offered by online cruise agencies show such bargains as a seven-night Caribbean cruise starting at $399 and a 10-nighter at $849. Here's a sampling of packages available around Florida in the next few months. Package prices are per person, double occupancy, unless otherwise stated, may or may not include taxes, resort fees, gratuities and other fees. Prices and terms are subject to change without notice. Theme park: Universal Orlando has a Gory Getaway package for Florida residents that includes one night in an Orlando area hotel, one night admission to Halloween Horror Nights and one souvenir photograph. Price is $79 per adult per night, valid Oct. 8-31, only on Sundays and Thursdays, and on Wednesday Oct. 11 and Monday Oct. 31. Another Halloween Horror Nights package, priced at $109 per adult per night with a two-night minimum, provides lodging, two days park admission with third day free, one admission to Halloween Horror Nights and a souvenir photo. Valid Oct. 8-31. 877-284-4679, www.halloweenhorrornights.com. Fort Myers: Sanibel Harbour Resort's Family Fun package, based on a family of two adults and two children 12 and under, provides lodging, a Sea Life Encounter cruise, and breakfast for four daily, through Oct. 15. Rates start at $103 per adult per night, with a three-night minimum. Rates may vary by day of week. 800-767-7777, www.sanibel-resort.com. . Orlando: The new 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek resort, celebrating its Sept. 9 opening, offers a special rate of $99.39 per room per night, through Oct. 1. For an additional $99.39, guests can mix and match any two of three options: One round of golf (cart included), one gourmet dinner, one 30-minute massage or facial. 866-996-6338, www.rosenshinglecreek.com. Florida Keys: Upscale Cheeca Lodge offers a "four-for-three" package that provides a fourth night free, good to Sept. 30. Rates begin at $199 per room per night for the three nights. 800-327-2888, www.cheeca.com. Palm Beach: Marking its 80th anniversary, the Chesterfield offers a two-night package that includes a bottle of champagne, continental breakfast, one dinner for two with choice of selected wines. The two-night package costs $380 and is available to Sept. 30. A Friends and Neighbors Value Season room rate starts at $119 per night, breakfast included, good to Sept. 30. 800-243-7871, www.chesterfieldpb.com. St. Petersburg Beach: TradeWinds Island Grand and TradeWinds Sandpiper resorts offer a $159 Florida resident rate that includes an Explorer Value Pass for use of beach facilities, tennis, fitness center and other perks. (Children's activities extra.) Rate is available Sunday through Thursday to Dec. 24. 866-587- 8538, www.JustLetGo.com. Panama City Beach: The beachfront Holiday Inn Sunspree offers a B&B package valid Sept. 4-Nov. 15 that includes buffet breakfast and activities for $119-$129 per room per night. The hotel plans to open a new Little Squirts Aqualand water park in early September. 800-633- 0266, www.hipcbeach.com. |
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Sunday August 20, 2006 |
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"BEHIND the Magic — 50 Years of Disneyland," an interactive
exhibition highlighting the realization of Walt Disney's
legendary theme park, ends it 31/2-month run today at the
Oakland Museum of California.
The show features the early life of Walter Elias Disney, born Dec. 5, 1901 in Chicago, to parents who came to the United States from Canada in the final years of the 19th century. The family (Walt had three brothers and one sister) later moved to a farm in Missouri, and his boyhood memories of the nearby town of Marceline would later provide Disney with inspiration for the Mainstreet section of Disneyland, biographers say. Disney exhibited drawing talent early on, according to history files, and upon returning from France, where he drove ambulances for the Red Cross, he moved to Kansas City, drawing ads for newspapers, magazines and movie theaters. Brother Roy, who had a head for figures, moved there too and got a job in a bank. In future years, Roy's business skills stood the Disney team in good stead. Disney began experimenting with animation and film techniques, moving to Los Angeles in the early 1920s where he embarked upon his amazingly successful film career. After marriage and the birth of his two daughters, Disney developed a new focus for his life, the creation of a theme park for parents and children to enjoy together. During this time (the late 1940s) an Oakland businessman named Arthur Navlet was envisioning a public attraction for families. A longtime civic booster and member of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, Navlet came up with the idea for Oakland's Fairyland after a visit to Detroit's children's zoo. Navlet and wife Alma did not have children of their own, but they loved kids and were impressed with the storybook characters they saw at the zoo. Back in Oakland, Navlet shared his ideas with then-Oakland parks director William Penn Mott Jr., who at the time was a 37-year old landscape architect with young children Mott immediately recognized the potential, say history files, and called in artist Russell Everitt, who sketched out child-size "sets" for Bo Beep, the Three Little Pigs and others. The thatched cottages jutting out at crazy angles added to the zaniness. Lakeside Park, near the lake, proved to be the ideal place to lay out the new attraction. Navlet and Mott made presentations to various civic groups and were able to raise the initial $50,000 from donations. Fairyland opened Sept. 2, 1950, and immediately began attracting appreciative crowds. Walt Disney is known to have come to Oakland to visit Fairyland while assembling ideas for his own theme park in Southern California, which would open five years later. Christin Hablewitz of the city's Cultural Arts Division says a selection panel is taking public comment on four proposals currently on display at Fairyland. These projects were assembled by artist teams in response to calls to renovate the Thumbelina Tunnel, a long closed Fairyland attraction. Measure DD funds will be used to pay for the new concepts, says Hablewitz. The teams are all from the East Bay. Today is the final day park visitors can view the proposed projects. The public is also invited to attend the panel's meeting about the Thumbelina concepts on Aug. 25 at City Hall. The panel will be making its selection on that day. For more information, contact Hablewitz at 238-2105. For more information on today's final day of the Disney exhibit at the Oakland Museum, go to http://www.mseumca.org, or call 238-2200. Fairyland is open today from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Call 238-6876 for details. |
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Downtown Disney isn't a theme park, not in the usual sense.
But its 60-odd establishments will keep you busy between, or
after, park visits. This open-air shopping mall, restaurant
stroll, nightclub prowl, game arcade and multi-stage
showplace is all on the waterfront. Here are its highlights.
For details and tickets, call 407-939-2648.
Dine happy If you've purchased a Disney Dining Plan, you can have some of your meals at a few of the restaurants here, not just in the parks and hotels. The Disney Dining Plan is a pre-paid meal program available to those who stay in Disney resorts and purchase the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining, which includes lodging, park admission and various meals--fewer with the basic version, more with the upgraded Premium and Platinum versions. However, whether you are on the dining plan or not, you still have to eat. And for dinner especially, reservations are recommended at all locations. WDW dining reservations: 407-939-3463. 1. House of Blues: Eat to the beat of top acts--Latin, reggae, blues, rock and hip-hop--while grazing on Southern-style cooking. Dining room open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Monday, 11 a.m.-midnight Tuesday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday ($15-$29). Don't miss the Sunday Gospel Brunch. Advance ticket purchase required for gospel brunch seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (adults $31; ages 3-9 $16) 2. Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe: Signature California cuisine and zigzag decor everywhere. Express Cafe and Sushi Bar open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Dining room open 6-10:30 p.m. This is a Disney Dining Plan restaurant. ($15-$29) 3. Bongos Cuban Cafe: Gloria Estefan treats you to Cuban dishes, Latin dance music and a ba-ba-loo session with a Ricky Ricardo/Desi Arnaz look-alike. Open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily. ($15-$29) 4. Planet Hollywood: Lunch and dinner inside a planet-shaped building. Open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. daily; it's on the Disney Dining Plan. ($15-$29) 5. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant: Pub grub and pints, Irish style, served amid step dancing and the tunes of a live band in a cavernous-but-cozy estate brought over from Ireland. Open for dinner 3 p.m.-1:30 a.m. daily. ($15-$29) 6. Portobello Yacht Club: Italian fare by the waterside in a Levy Restaurant known for its desserts. Open for lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. ($30-$50) 7. Fulton's Crab House: A branch of the Chicago-based Levy Restaurants serves up seafood in a sternwheeler and sunsets from the bar in the bow. Open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and dinner 4-11 p.m. daily. ($30-$50) 8. Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop: There's no such thing as too much chocolate. 9. Earl of Sandwich: People rave about the bread. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is on the Disney Dining Plan. 10. Wolfgang Puck Express: You want that Puck to go? Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is on the Disney Dining Plan. 11. Rainforest Cafe: The jungle is waiting. Open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m.-11 p.m. ($15-$29) 12. Cap'n Jack's Restaurant: Surf and turf with water views for lunch and dinner. Open 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily. This is on the Disney Dining Plan. ($15-$29) Watch this 1. "La Nouba": Enter Cirque du Soliel's permanent "tent" for 90 minutes of imaginative staging, original score, flashy costumes and daring acrobatics Tuesday-Saturday at 6 and 9 p.m. Closed every Sunday and Monday, and Sept. 17-25 and Nov. 19-21. Advance ticket purchase essential. (adults $61-$95; ages 3-9 $49-$76) 2. DisneyQuest: Virtual-reality technology lets you, among other things, design your own Space Mountain, and then ride it; fly away on Aladdin's Magic Carpet; and fire cannons at the Pirates of the Caribbean. Wheelchairs and service animals are welcome; strollers are not. Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m.- midnight Friday-Saturday. (adults $34; ages 3-9 $28) 3. AMC Pleasure Island: First-run movies play on 24 screens. Get a groove on The nightclubs of Pleasure Island are meant for card-carrying--as in photo I.D.--adults. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by someone at least 21 years old. But some clubs are even more restrictive, as we show at the right. A single admission ticket of $20.95 is good for entrance to all of the clubs, which open daily at 7 p.m.--though things don't start hopping until 10 or 11--and close at 2 a.m. And here's a breath of fresh air: All clubs are non-smoking. No need to worry about leaving your bags at the table while you dance. Pleasure Island's coin-operated lockers ($1 for one-time use) are located in the plaza across from Motion Dance Club, on the second floor of Mannequins Dance Palace and at the spiral staircase landing at 8TRAX. 1. BET Soundstage Club: Two stories of groove from DJs and live acts. Must be 21 or older to enter Thursday-Saturday. 2. Adventurers Club: Oh so British and clubby, this is the setting for tall tales, where the audience gets in on the act. 3. The Comedy Warehouse: An improv venue. 4. 8TRAX: Disco nights and leisure suits live again. 5. Mannequins Dance Palace: Techno rock and a vast rotating dance floor. Must be 18 or older to enter Sunday-Wednesday. Must be 21 or older to enter Thursday-Saturday. 6. Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club: It's endless summer with live bands and pop classics. 7. Motion: TV screens and Top 40 tunes, only for those 18 and older. Drop some dollars 1. Virgin Megastore: A resident DJ, 39,000 square feet of music, 10,000 square feet of books and the occasional live performance. Open 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 2. Magic Masters: Supplying the craft. 3. Starabilias: For autograph hounds and star-stuff collectors. 4. Orlando Harley-Davidson: Where hog-riders gear-up and ear-up. Open 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 5. Sosa Family Cigars: Cuban heritage, hand-rolled in Dominican Republic leaves. 6. LEGO Imagination Center: Catch the sea serpent in the water out front. Open 9:30 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. 7. World of Disney: The world's largest Disney store is richly decorated with themed areas and Audio-Animatronic attractions. Open 9:30 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. Also inside the World of Disney is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where fairy godmothers give girls 3 and older a makeover fit for a princess; call 407-939-7895 for reservations. ($35-$175) 8. Basin: Chemical-free bath and body goodies. 9. Disney Tails: Gifts and bakery treats for Fido and Snowball. CONVENIENCE FACTOR Locations noted on map - Meeting places: If you get lost from your party or need to meet others who will arrive separately, set a very specific place to meet such as the fountain by Planet Hollywood or in front of the LEGO sea serpent. - Package service: Shop all you want without wagging your bags. Merchants will ship them for you or deliver them to your hotel if you are staying in a Disney resort. - Lockers: Are coin-operated, $1 for one-time use and are located on Pleasure Island--inside two of the clubs and outside Motion--and near Cap'n Jack's Restaurant. EASY ACCESS - Wheels: Bring your own--stroller, wheelchair, walker or electric scooter--to get around the complex. Or rent one on the spot: $10/day for wheelchairs, $35/day for electric scooters. Discounts are available for multiple-day rentals, and you can pick up your wheels in Downtown Disney or any park in the resort. Strollers rent at $10/day, single seater; $18/day double seater. - Service animals: Welcome in most areas. |
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Mickey Mouse is going on a European holiday in the summer of
2007. The Disney Cruise Line will sail to Italy, France and
Spain from May to August next year as part of a larger
strategy to "chart new waters", company officials said.
The Disney Magic will offer 10-night and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, departing from Barcelona, Spain, and stopping in eight European cities. Travelling through Europe can be daunting, especially with small children, company President Tom McAlpin said. A Disney cruise takes the guesswork out of what cities to hit, where to eat and what shows to see, he said. "The cruise takes care of all of that and people trust Disney. At the end of the day, you know you're coming back to the ship and having five-star dining, great entertainment and you know your kids are going to have a good time," he said. Disney is considering expanding beyond its two ships, which have been successful since they began operating Caribbean voyages in 1998. But "it's not the right time now", McAlpin said. However, the European expansion will have little impact on the cruise industry overall, an analyst said. Major players such as Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises already operate in Europe. Even if the unit of The Walt Disney decided to add a few new ships, it would pale in comparison with the 16 ships industry leader Carnival will add in the next four years on top of its 80-ship fleet. Disney's announcement comes at a time when the industry is flourishing. Despite reports focusing on crime on vessels, bookings are up, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Ticket prices are returning to highs set before 9/11. The association projects that the number of cruise travellers will increase by about 500 000 people from last year, to about 11,7-million. Trips have become more attractive value because of larger ships, diverse entertainment and onboard innovations with luxury amenities - supper clubs, bowling alleys, afternoon tea, movie theatres, and even ice rinks and water slides. Disney is a relative latecomer to the industry. It started with the Magic cruises in 1998. It added the Disney Wonder later that year and now offers cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and its own island, Castaway Cay. The cruise line caters to a niche family market - there's no gambling and entertainment is family oriented. - Sapa-AP If You Go Next year, Disney will also offer two 14-night trans-Atlantic sailings to bookend the Mediterranean voyages. The Disney Magic will depart from Barcelona, Spain, in the (European) summer of 2007. Rates for the 10- and 11-night cruises start at $2 399 (R16 355) a person. Stops will be made at the following ports: Palermo, Sicily; Naples, Italy (with access to Pompeii); Olbia, Sardinia; Civitavecchia, Italy (with access to Rome); La Spezia, Italy (with access to Florence and Pisa); Marseille, France; and Villefranche, France. |
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Here's a little bit of behind-the-scenes trivia that's sure
to set tongues a-wagging.
That "Invincible" screen kiss between gridiron hopeful Vince Papale (played by Mark Wahlberg) and bartender Janet Cantwell (Elizabeth Banks)? Pretty spicy for a family sports-themed film, no? "But it was a very Disney kiss," says Wahlberg. "There was no tongue." Well, maybe not in what appears on screen. But as it turns out, the kiss, as filmed, was a bit spicier, says "Invincible" director Ericson Core. "I shot that on the street in one shot with zero coverage, because with great actors you can do that," says Core. "So we did a few takes, found the one we wanted, and we all went home." OK, so cut to the first test screening where studio executives inform Core that the Wahlberg/Banks buss, as depicted, "is not a Disney kiss." Which presents a bit of a problem, since the scene is in the can and there is no more-chaste version to replace it. "So we actually did some (computer-generated) work to de-tongue the shot," says Core. "There was a little bit of tongue that has since been removed technologically. You could hear it in the soundtrack and all the rest. We literally had to change that slightly to make it a little more Disney." |
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Reliance, Disney tie-up to offer 3D animation
Reliance Communications has announced a tie-up with Disney, the globally known family entertainment brand, to offer on Reliance Mobile World 3D animation in the mobile phone sets. Reliance customers can access sixteen Disney animated video shots, including ten in 3D, exclusively made for mobile devices and featuring Disney characters. They also can download other mobile content with favourite Disney characters in the form of wallpapers, ring-tones, games or comic strips from Disney Zone, created on Reliance Mobile World. Downloads are priced at Rs.5 for wallpapers, Rs.10 for video shorts downloads, Rs.5 for animations and Rs.10 for ring-tones on Disney Zone. |
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