MickeyXtreme's News Archive August 19-25 2007

Saturday August, 25 2007

Disney's lobbyists win visa victory

Orlando Sentinel - Walt Disney Co. spends millions of dollars each year lobbying Congress on issues ranging from travel restrictions to theme-park safety -- and its latest efforts appeared to have paid off.

Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law a broad measure that paves the way for more international travelers to enter the United States without visas, including many South Americans.

The change could be a boon for Central Florida and shows why Disney continues to be the mouse that roars on Capitol Hill.

Under the new law, more countries could qualify to send tourists to the United States without visas for up to 90 days. Only 27 nations can do that now, but tourism officials hope others will be added if required security improvements are made.

"The easier we make it to travel to Orlando, the better," said Danielle Courtenay, who does global publicity for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The group has targeted Brazil and Argentina as two countries where it wants to expand tourism.

The bureau recently released figures that about 300,000 South Americans came to Orlando annually from 2003 to 2005. Western Europe, whose travelers often don't need visas, sent about 1.4 million visitors to Orlando in 2006.

That has pushed Disney and the $700 billion U.S. tourism industry to find ways to attract new tourists globally. To promote that goal in Washington, Disney last year joined top travel companies in a coalition called the Discover America Partnership.

The group was central in promoting the visa change, at one point hiring as a consultant Tom Ridge, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The partnership now wants Congress to help promote U.S. travel in overseas markets.

"Disney has been very active in contributing to this process," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership.

Disney did not return telephone calls for comment.

Bipartisan clout

The tourism alliance is one example of why Disney is so effective on Capitol Hill, said U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando, whose district includes almost 60,000 Disney employees. "They're good because they know the issues cold, and they're good at building coalitions," he said.

Disney, which reported more than $34 billion in revenue last year, also appears to be unfazed by the switch in congressional power last year from Republicans to Democrats. One reason is that Disney's internal lobby shop includes big hitters from both parties.

Keller said he regularly meets with Disney lobbyists Bill Bailey and Richard Bates. Bailey used to work for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Bates is the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"They can see me anytime they want," Keller said of Disney lobbyists, citing Disney's role as top employer in his district.

During the past six months, Keller and Disney have allied on a number of issues, including a Keller-sponsored bill that would encourage colleges to reduce online piracy of music and movies on campus computer servers. The bill, however, has gained little traction.

Freeman said his organization also is pushing a plan to promote U.S. travel in foreign markets. It already has attracted three Florida supporters: Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala.

So far, Disney has spent more than $2 million on lobbying expenses in 2007, but that's not unusual. The company's internal lobby shop has recorded expenses every six months from $1.6 million to $2.2 million since at least 2003, according to disclosure forms. The forms do not break down how much money was spent on each issue.

Meanwhile, Disney and other theme-park owners, such as SeaWorld owner Anheuser-Busch, continue to fight efforts to give the federal government the power to regulate amusement-park rides, according to the lobbyist-disclosure forms.

They argue that an added bureaucracy won't promote safety, but activists such as Kathy Fackler, who runs the pro-regulation group Saferparks, said the tourism lobby repeatedly has helped block this legislation from moving forward.

"From my end of things, this is a pretty powerful lobby, and I'm a one-woman shop on the West Coast," said Fackler whose now 14-year-old son lost part of a foot at a Disneyland ride. "The whole industry is opposed, but Disney is the 800-pound gorilla in the room."

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Hong Kong Disneyland to transform into an all-new "Dark World" during its Haunted Halloween

Hong Kong Disneyland - The door that leads into an all-new and different Halloween season will soon open as Hong Kong Disneyland dares all guests to take a walk on the dark side. This year, the Haunted Halloween at Hong Kong Disneyland will be edgier, eerier and more exciting than ever before.

From September 25 until the end of October, over 10 mysterious attractions and entertainment offerings filled with ghostly encounters, will appear during the Haunted Halloween at Hong Kong Disneyland. The creepy surprises will begin on Main Street U.S.A. with the Main Street Haunted Hotel. Space Mountain will soon be possessed and be known as Space Mountain – Ghost Galaxy. The pumpkin king, Jack Skellington, will gather his friends from the dark side to showcase UV "transformational" antics right in front of guests in the all-new nightly Glow in the Park Halloween Parade.

"We invite everyone to come and witness how Hong Kong Disneyland is being transformed into a Dark World this Halloween season," said Jill Estorino, Senior Vice President, Marketing of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. "In response to guest feedback, we designed this year's Halloween celebration so young adults will have a frightfully good time. The chills and thrills will never end!"

Guests can enjoy the Halloween entertainment with regular admission. The Park will extend its hours of operation on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on October 31, to 11pm. Available only during the Haunted Halloween at Hong Kong Disneyland, a special evening ticket for weekend goers will be launched. Priced at only HK$198 (for all ages) guests will have even more flexibility to enjoy the Park from 6:30pm to 11pm (available on Fridays or Saturdays and October 31 only).

Hong Kong Disneyland to transform into an all-new "Dark World" during its Haunted Halloween

Here are the frightfully good times that guests can expect:

The Main Street Haunted Hotel

A secret passage has been discovered on Main Street U.S.A., which will bring curious guests to the once famous Main Street Haunted Hotel. The Hotel has seen tragedy after tragedy; numerous guests including a honeymooning couple have disappeared within its walls. It is believed that these tragedies are connected with the bizarre experiments that the one time owner Jack Maxwell carried out, along with his wife, Victoria. Brave guests can attempt to not get lost in this timeless space. While guests appreciate the luxurious decor and fine details that gave this hotel world renown more than a hundred years ago, they should beware of the hair raising haunts and living ghosts around every corner!

Heed the hidden secret passages, strewn throughout or guests may never be able to make their way out…

Glow in the Park Halloween Parade

This spooky new seven-float sensation glows in the dark, as over 100 Cast Members including eight never-before-seen characters rock their way through the Park every evening in an attempt to transform Main Street U.S.A. into Dark World central! Jack Skellington, together with his creepy Pumpkin Men, will lead the procession and guest will have the opportunity to behold the horror of Dr.

Finkelstein's Lab! Scream with the Disney Villains and gasp at the daring Red Devils with their spine-chilling acrobatics. Guests should pay special attention so as not to miss the spooktacular transformation that will take place whenever the mysterious UV lighting effects strikes the parade; even guests will be transformed as part of the "glowing" antics! Don't be surprised if these wicked and spooky characters try to recruit guests to become part of their dark world.

Space Mountain – Ghost Galaxy

They say no one can heard screams in the cold depths of space, this Halloween the screaming will never end at Space Mountain – Ghost Galaxy. Space Mountain has been reinvented in a new and creepy way that will make hearts race and skin crawl like never before. Get lost in the terror of a frightening new soundtrack and the hair-raising visual effects, with scary apparitions and ghoulish monstrosities around every treacherous bend.

Hong Kong Disneyland to transform into an all-new "Dark World" during its Haunted Halloween

The Haunted Tree in the Sleeping Beauty Courtyard

If guests are lucky enough to escape the eeriness elsewhere in the Park, there is still no refuge at the Sleeping Beauty Courtyard, which will be overtaken by The horrific Haunted Tree with its sinister branches. It's worth a closer if one is daring enough! It will be terrifying location to snap a few pictures and there may be some unexpected surprises in the photo…

"Everyone, including families and children will discover all the surprises and fun that our Haunted Halloween has to offer," added Jill Estorino.

The haunted offerings will never end as the decor and music throughout the Park go through a complete transformation. Step into a spooky scene in Adventureland to take a picture with the wickedest of the wicked, including:

Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians), Jafar (Aladdin), Captain Hook (Peter Pan) and the Grim Gatekeepers.

Meet favorite Characters as they carry out frights and delights. Join Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale, Donald and Daisy for a picture in their spooky Halloween costumes. Halloween treats will be available on weekends; and over 100 themed F&B and 130 Halloween merchandises items will be in restaurants and stores. Guests of all ages can take part in the Halloween fun, so stay tuned for more details! Guests staying at the two themed hotels can also take advantage of the special

Stay and Play for 2 Days 1 offer that allows admission into the Hong Kong Disneyland Park for two days for the price of one, to fully experience the magic that will be created by the Haunted Halloween!

Younger guests can consider purchasing the soon-to-be launched Student Annual Pass which will be available beginning August 28 to guests aged 12 to 25, who have valid full-time student identification. The Pass will be offered in three categories – Value, Deluxe and Premium – all priced at a Child Annual Pass.

Current Annual Pass holders are encouraged to renew their passes for another year, at a special concessionary rate, to enjoy the all-new and different Haunted Halloween at Hong Kong Disneyland.

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Kevin Pereira quits as Walt Disney’s distribution head

exchange4media - Kevin Pereira, Head of Distribution, Walt Disney Television International (India), has put in his papers. At Walt Disney, Pereira was reporting to Antoine Villeneuve, Senior VP and MD.

According to sources, Pereira decided to quit the organization citing some personal reasons. A source said, “Pereira is taking a break as his son will be going to Hong Kong for training, and also his wife has not been keeping well. So, we believe that he wants to attend to his family at this point of time.”

Pereira has 21 years’ experience of which 10 years were in media. Prior to joining Walt Disney, Pereira was associated with United Home Entertainment Ltd, Hungama TV, for three years as Senior VP Distributions and Operations. He was also worked with ESPN-STAR Sports as Regional Manager, West, and Venture Infotech, an IT firm.

His next destination couldn’t be ascertained at the time of filing this report, nor was there any official announcement on his replacement at Walt Disney.

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Disney takes a brand stand

Variety - The re-Disneyfication of the Mouse House continues.

Two years after embarking on a corporate strategy to simplify the identity of Disney films and refocus its various brands under the Disney name, two more old names are biting the dust.

A month ago, Disney ditched the Buena Vista Intl. name -- used since 1993 for its foreign distribution operations -- in favor of Walt Disney Motion Picture Group Intl. And the company's Florida theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, is dropping the Lion from its moniker starting in January, to reopen as ... Disney's Hollywood Studios.

"The new name reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer," says Meg Crofton, prexy of Walt Disney World Resort.

The park will now feature more attractions based on Pixar pics and Disney Channel fare like "High School Musical."

Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989, with the MGM name licensed from the studio in 1985. Park's first attractions focused heavily on Hollywood's 1920s-40s "golden age."

The Lion had sued about the use of the name in the '90s, so the change is now a headache it no longer has to deal with.

Not everything's getting re-branded -- yet.

The Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures labels remain, with the former picking up Kevin Costner's comedy "Swing Vote" last week and the latter having released "The Invisible" and "Primeval" earlier this year.

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Disney Shooting Scenes for Prince Caspian Game

Narnia Web - Patrick Klepek from 1up.com writes: "As the convergence between Hollywood and videogames moves closer, the relationships are producing otherwise impossible fruits on each side. Right now, Disney is filming The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for a release next summer, and while 1UP checked out the early-in-development game adaptation, Traveller's Tales revealed Disney just shot two scenes never to appear in the movie -- they were done specifically for the game."

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Celebrate the Year Of a Million Dreams With the 'Dream It. Be It. Sweepstakes' At Disney Store

Disney Stores - Beginning August 20, 2007, at Disney Store, guests of all ages are getting to live out their Disney Dreams during The Year Of A Million Dreams and Disney Store wants to help make the dream come true for your little princess or pirate! During the Dream It. Be It. Sweepstakes, enter at Disney Store locations or online at disneystore.com/sweepstakes for a chance to win one of five Grand Prize dream vacations for four to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, each valued at $5,000.00. Five first prizes include a chance to win a dream vacation for four to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, valued at $4,000.00. Vacations include air travel, hotel, ground transportation, and theme park tickets.

Ten second prizes include family four-packs to be awarded which include 5-Day MAGIC YOUR WAY Tickets with Park Hopper Option for four people. This custom ticket includes Park Hopper tickets for the MAGIC KINGDOM, EPCOT, DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS and DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM Theme Parks in Orlando, FL. Ten family four-packs of DISNEYLAND Resort 3-day Park Hopper tickets good for admission to DISNEYLAND Park and DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE Park in Anaheim, CA will be awarded to third prize winners. 50 fourth prize winners will enjoy a $100 shopping spree at Disney Store.

No purchase necessary to enter the Dream It. Be It. Sweepstakes. For details and official rules, visit Disney Store locations or at disneystore.com/sweepstakes. Sweepstakes ends October 1, 2007, so hop, skip, jump and hurry to Disney Store and enter to win today!

To find the nearest store location in the United States and Canada, please call 800-757-5933.

About Disney Store North America

Disney originated the themed retail environment when it opened the first Disney Store in Glendale, California in 1987. Disney Store currently operates over 300 locations in the United States and Canada that offer immediate access to exclusive Disney Store products. Disney Store North America is owned, and under license operated, by a subsidiary of The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for children.

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Friday August, 24 2007

Lawsuit claims Disney stole 'Hannah Montana' idea

Reuters - The Los Angeles comedy writer-producer who penned Fox's "In Living Color" and created Nickelodeon's "Roundhouse" has sued the Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N), claiming it stole the idea for its hit Disney Channel show, "Hannah Montana," from him.

The lawsuit said that in late 2001, Morris Taylor "Buddy" Sheffield pitched Disney Channel executives the idea for a children's TV show about a junior high school boy named Roland Dillard who leads a secret life as a pop star named Rock Ryder.

A Disney Channel spokeswoman said on Friday the cable network had no comment on the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Sheffield said Disney executives appeared interested in the concept after an initial meeting and asked him to write several sample scenes. A week after he turned in the scenes, Disney Channel passed on the project, the lawsuit said. It was filed on Thursday in Los Angeles,

Disney Channel launched "Hannah Montana," a series about a teenage girl who leads a secret life as a pop star, in 2006. It has become the channel's top-rated series, and the No. 2 rated U.S. TV series with kids ages 6 to 14, and has spawned two best-selling soundtracks.

The lawsuit claims Disney could owe Sheffield and his production company "millions of dollars" in lost profits and damages and he demands compensation for his legal fees.

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Disney price changes aimed at sustaining revenue growth?

Orlando Sentinel - A new analyst's report from Pali Research suggests a new spin to Walt Disney World's recent price increases and package changes, though there is nothing surprising about it: "Disney appears to be creatively looking for ways to drive theme park revenues/profits beyond attendance," reports Richard Greenfield, of Pali Capital's recently-created research department.

In short, in a year in which attendance increases might be difficult to sustain, the latest price increases ought to be what's needed to keep up the revenue momentum continuing.

In his report issued earlier this week Greenfield notes that the Disney price increases announced a couple of weeks ago include a 5.7 percent year-over-year increase of Walt Disney World's most popular package, the 5-day Magic Your Way ticket, a steeper increase on that product that Disney announced the previous year.

Disney also did away with its advance purchase discounts on the 4-10 day Magic Your Way tickets, Greenfield noted. He estimated that might add 2-5 percent to the average revenue per person.

(Disney officials noted that they are offering on-line advance-purchase discounts for Florida residents.)

Greenfield also noticed some pricing changes involving Disney's dining plan and hotels which also could increase revenue per person.

"While it may be challenging for Disney to grow theme parks revenues in fiscal year 2008 at the 6.2 percent rate they have achieved through the first 9 months of FY 2007, we believe the aforementioned pricing changes should allow for 4-5 percent growth, Greenfield concluded.

Disney declined to comment, except to note they adjust their prices based on market rates.

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Disney-led initiative petition in

Orange County Register - Anaheim A Disney-funded group turned in signatures for a ballot initiative to discourage housing near Disneyland, just one day after an election was set on a related referendum.

Members of the group, Save Our Anaheim Resort, carried 31,348 signatures to the City Clerk's Office, which must verify the signatures in about a month. A minimum of 13,192 signatures, or 10 percent of registered voters, must be verified to qualify for the ballot.

On Tuesday, the City Council selected June 3 as the date for another SOAR-initiated, housing referendum. Both items likely will go on the same ballot.

Housing supporters said they were expecting the signatures, due by Sept. 21. "It's really in the hands of the voters at this point, which is not such a bad thing," said Councilwoman Lorri Galloway.

Both ballot measures are meant to halt developer SunCal's plans to build 1,500 homes in the Anaheim Resort, created in 1994 to set aside space for tourism uses.

The proposed ballot measures are:

• An initiative that would require voter approval of housing or other non-tourism uses in the resort area.

• A referendum that would overturn residential zoning on SunCal's plot.

• A counter-initiative that would require voter approval of any Disney development, like a theme park, on the company's property by the SunCal plot. On Sept. 11, the council may consider the initiative.

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Disney nabs Costner's 'Swing Vote'

The Hollywood Reporter - Touchstone Pictures has come on board to co-finance and handle domestic distribution on "Swing Vote," a project from Kevin Costner's Tig Prods. and newly launched Treehouse Films.

Led by Costner, the cast includes Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Judge Reinhold, Mare Winningham, Richard Petty and Willie Nelson and introduces Madeline Carroll. The film is in production in Albuquerque, N.M.

Joshua Michael Stern is directing from a script that he penned with Jason Richman. The story follows Bud Johnson (Costner), a working-class single father who is thrust onto the world stage after the presidential election comes down to his single vote.

Costner and Jim Wilson will produce. The film will be executive produced by Treehouse partner Robin Jonas and Radar Pictures in association with G&M Films. International sales are being handled by Kathy Morgan International.

" 'Swing Vote' is a timely and heartfelt story that is sure to touch and entertain moviegoers in the same way that some of the classic films by Frank Capra have done in the past," Disney chairman Dick Cook said. "We have a great working relationship with Kevin and consider him to be part of the Disney family. In addition to being a great filmmaker, he is also a good friend."
Touchstone got involved after Costner shared the script with Cook, who reviewed it with Disney production president Oren Aviv.

"They came back with a very quick answer," Wilson said. "It's a good fit."

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Disney divas emerge as teen style icons

AP - Parents of young fashionistas, it may be time you get to know Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman

They're the female leads of High School Musical. (High School Musical 2 premiered Aug. 17 on the Disney Channel.)

Each of the three young women has a distinct style: bohemian, high-style and body-conscious.

It's a bit different from what they wear on the screen: For example, Tisdale's Sharpay is all glitz and sparkle, but for an interview the real Tisdale shows up in a sophisticated Rebecca Taylor crocheted mini-dress and Moschino red platform sandals.

The success of the original High School Musical went far beyond Disney's original intention to keep connected with tweens during the dreary winter months of 2006. The movie has been seen by more than 160 million people in more than 100 countries; its soundtrack was the best-selling album of 2006; and its stars became bona fide big names and trendsetters.

The red dress with a ruffle around the bustline that Hudgens' Gabriella wore in the movie's finale was actually a copy of a vintage dress that the actress owned in white. Similar styles were then offered by retailers for prom dresses and Halloween costumes, and it's what Mattel chose to dress its new singing Gabriella Barbie in.

Disney's Consumer Products division rushed out branded T-shirts, pajamas and backpacks into stores after failing to anticipate the initial demand for products, but this time there's a more cohesive marketing plan now with major retailers, including Wal-Mart and Macy's, among others.

Potential breakout looks from the new movie include Sharpay's shiny star necklace and Gabriella's girlie white eyelet pieces.

Hudgens, Tisdale and Coleman talked with the AP about their own personal style — and even gushed like the high school girls they portray about how much they liked each other's looks:

VANESSA HUDGENS

Hudgens looks older than her 18 years when she's dressed up in an Alice McCall silver sleeveless blouse with a green ribbon around the neckline and Jimmy Choo snakeskin heels. She acknowledges, though, that as much fun as it's been having access to designer clothes and the occasions to wear them, she also likes to wear more comfortable bohemian-style clothes that match her personality.

Aside from the fedora moment she's having, she's been wearing a lot of mini-dresses and oversized off-the-shoulder T-shirts. She also loves clunky, chunky boots. But since she's in Los Angeles most of the time, she mostly wears sandals.

"Growing up, most of my clothes were hand-me-downs, or from Goodwill or a tag sale, but I didn't really care about my clothes," Hudgens says.

Or, at least she didn't care until she was on the verge of being a teenager.

"At 12, I got my first pair of Frankie Bs, my first pair of cool jeans," she recalls.

Hudgens met Tisdale on the set of a back-to-school Sears TV commercial long before they were reunited at East Side High. Hudgens said she always admired Tisdale's style even though she went through what they've dubbed her "fairy phase," wearing more than the norm of sparkly clothing.

Both Hudgens and Tisdale discourage their fans, especially young ones, from spending their money on pricey things with a fancy label.

"It's all about finding one cool piece — that's what I do at vintage shops, it's what I do at home. I pick one thing I really want to wear and plan everything around it," Hudgens says.

ASHLEY TISDALE

"Everyone goes through an awkward stage," announced Tisdale, who at 22 is clearly past hers.

She looks every bit the Hollywood starlet with perfectly styled hair and dark Chanel sunglasses, but Tisdale also seems very aware of all the ups and downs tween and teen girls go through, especially when it comes to their appearance.

She likes to see everyone put a bit of their personality into their look. She and Hudgens could walk into the same store, choose the same item but look totally different from each other. In fact, it's happened.

"One day we wore the same dress — it was a white summer dress. She wore it with these cute wedges and I wore it with shorts and a belt," she says.

Tisdale already started shopping for fall, picking up a parachute jacket from Ruehl No. 925 on this recent trip to New York.

Shopping for back-to-school clothes was a highlight of the year, she says, it was an annual tradition for herself, her sister and her grandmother when she still lived in New Jersey before moving to California. "I'd find that perfect outfit. It was a chance to be the new you — who you wanted to be."

MONIQUE COLEMAN

She's the oldest of the bunch at 26, but Coleman says she's learned a lot about confidence and how to carry herself from her co-stars.

When she first began riding the High School Musical bandwagon, she took the word of her stylist as gospel. She looked great, but she didn't think she looked like herself.

"You know your body better than anyone, and you know what you feel comfortable in," says Coleman, who plays the brainy character Taylor.

For her, key pieces include empire waist dresses (she's wearing a black silk one by Joie on this day) and shorts. She's very aware of her curvy figure and takes care to balance her outfit with a conservative bottom or top if her dress has a revealing neckline or her shorts are particularly short.

Coleman also knows what doesn't work: The loose bohemian styles that Hudgens favors. "I look like a balloon," Coleman says. That doesn't mean she has to be completely left out of the look, though. "I can always find one element of a trend that works," she says.

An off-the-shoulder top is her nod to boho.

Coleman says she can still play a high schooler because "my truest, most naked face looks 15 . . . and without extensions I look 12."

She adds: "When I try to look older, I feel like I'm playing dress up."

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Disney to Publish Historical Cinderella Book

Animation World Network - Disney Press will publish a new edition of CINDERELLA featuring artwork by long-time Disney designer Mary Blair, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY reports. The book, with new text by Cynthia Rylant and illustrations based on Blair's design work from the 1940s, is due out this month. Disney Press ordered a first print run of 50,000.

Blair was one of Disney Studios' top artists before turning to children's book illustration and other graphic pursuits in the mid-1950s. Her distinctive style set the tone for such Disney classics as ALICE IN WONDERLAND and PETER PAN, as well as the 1950 film version of CINDERELLA.

The stage was set for the new publication by the great success of John Canemaker's 2003 coffee-table book THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR, which was embraced by critics, film students, and collectors of Disneyana. CINDERELLA was conceived as a way to bring Blair's art to a younger audience.

Because Blair's work is highly prized by collectors, some of the original paintings for CINDERELLA were in private collections. "Certain paintings we had to borrow," said Nancy Inteli, executive editor at Disney Press. "However, people are always happy to have their pieces reproduced in this kind of volume. It increases the value."

Inteli will plumb the Disney archives again for ALICE IN WONDERLAND, another Blair-inspired book, to be published in fall 2008. There are also plans to produce a version of Disney's PETER PAN for fall 2009.

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Add one, scratch one to Candelight Processional lineup

Theme Park Rangers - There's an additional name on Disney's list of narrators for Candlelight Processional, Epcot's annual holiday celebration. You can hear dancer/actress/Broadway star Chita Rivera return to read the Christmas story Dec. 11-13.

Meanwhile, Phylicia Rashad has disappeared from the list. She was set for Dec. 5-7, which is now TBD (one of two open spots as of now).

Current list after the jump. (Remember, the lineup of narrators is subject to change).

Nov. 23-25: David Robinson

Nov. 26-28: John O'Hurley

Nov. 29-Dec. 1: Neil Patrick Harris

Dec. 2-4: Dennis Franz

Dec. 5-7: TBD

Dec. 8-10: Steven Curtis Chapman

Dec. 11-13: Chita Rivera

Dec. 14-16: TBD

Dec. 17-19 Kirk Cameron

Dec. 20-22: Edward James Olmos

Dec. 23-25: Gary Sinise

Dec. 26-28: Rita Moreno

Dec. 29-30: Marlee Matlin

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Bonus Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom

Theme Park Rangers - There's a new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the horizon. It's scheduled to open in September in the Magic Kingdom, but it won't affect the Downtown Disney operations within the World of Disney store.
Of course, park admission will be required for the MK BBB, which like its counterpart, gussies up little ones into princesses to varying degrees at a price tag ranging from $44.95 to the very royal $179.95. I guess an advantage to using the Magic Kingdom boutique would be that it's a more immerse experience/background for your little Cinderella.

Opening date is unclear, but yesterday the Disney reservation line was offering up times at Magic Kingdom for Sept. 10. Disney "strongly recommends" reservations, so grab your Princess phone and call 407-939-7895.

There's also an option for boys that involves putting colored gels in their hair and what the woman on the reservation line called "stencils" in the back. Cost: $10.

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DirecTV to Debut Disney Channel HD

Multichannel News - DirecTV will launch Disney Channel HD, a simulcast channel, early next year, the satellite provider said Tuesday.

The nation's largest satellite provider disclosed its launch schedule for Disney Channel HD in a press release Tuesday on High School Musical 2. DirecTV has exclusive rights to air the premiere of the HD version of the record-breaking movie Aug. 21.

Disney Channel HD will feature the channel's original movies in HD, as well as original live action and animated series for older kids and Playhouse Disney programming for preschoolers.

DirecTV also has deals in place to launch three other Walt Disney Co. HD services, namely ABC Family HD, ESPNews HD and Toon Disney HD. Disney hasn't rolled out any of its new four HD channels yet.

DirecTV will have the exclusive HD broadcast of the premiere of Disney Channel's hit movie High School Musical 2 Aug. 24 at 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight. DirecTV customers can watch the three screenings in HD, with 5.1 digital audio, by tuning into the satellite provider's original entertainment channel, The 101.

High School Musical 2 will air three times on The 101, providing multiple opportunities for viewers to catch the HD adventures of some of their favorite high school heroes. In between each airing, The 101 will also feature additional Disney Channel programming including a sneak peek of the brand new upcoming animated comedy series Phineas and Ferb, High School Musical: The Concert and a variety of the channel's short form programming.

The 101 is home to DirecTV's original entertainment featuring hit shows like Project MyWorld, Championship Gaming Series, DirecTV Concert Series, and the Passions.

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'Live with Regis and Kelly' Website Showcases First-Ever Host Chat

PRNewswire - As "Live with Regis and Kelly" prepares to celebrate its landmark 20th season, the morning talker dives deep into the archives to showcase its first-ever Host Chat, featuring the show's original co-hosts Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford in the inaugural syndicated episode. The footage will be online at http://www.liveregisandkelly.com beginning Monday, Aug. 27, 2007.

"Live" debuted in national syndication as "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" on September 5, 1988, with Philbin, Gifford and the improvisational, personality-driven Host Chat that helped make the show daytime television's top rated morning program. Nearly twenty years later, the lively, always unpredictable opening segment remains one of the most popular elements of "Live with Regis and Kelly" and a staple in talk show formats.

The 13-minute segment will be available online throughout the 20th Anniversary celebration.

Celebration Begins September 3

"Live with Regis and Kelly" continues its remarkable run as the morning favorite enters its 20th season. Kicking off Sept. 3, the show's 20th Anniversary celebration takes a look back on the past two decades, highlighting "Live's" most memorable moments. Original co-host Kathie Lee Gifford will join Philbin and Ripa Sept. 14 to reminisce about being part of one of daytime television's most popular franchises. The celebration also includes "Live's 20th Anniversary Flashback Trivia A Go-Go," in which 20 all-new Chrysler Town and Country Limited minivans will be given away in 20 days.

"Live with Regis and Kelly" is executive produced by Michael Gelman and distributed in national syndication by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Produced by WABC-TV in New York, "Live with Regis and Kelly" airs in more than 200 markets across the country.

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Michael Eisner 2.0 Will See You Now

BusinessWeek - It didn't take Kathleen Grace long to realize that Michael Eisner had become a New Media mogul. In Los Angeles with her business partner last spring to pitch an online series to the former Walt Disney Co. (DIS) chief executive, Grace was surprised when Eisner whipped out a notebook filled with suggestions to improve an existing sitcom that the duo were already showing online. Within weeks, Grace's Dinosaur Diorama Productions Inc. had signed with Eisner's five-month old Vuguru studio to produce The All-For-Nots, an online series centered around musicians on tour. "It's kind of like The Monkees," says Grace. "I think that struck a chord with Michael." 

Can a 65-year-old former Old Media lion recast himself as an online power player? He can if he's got 40 years of entertainment contacts, collected more than $1 billion from cashed-in Disney options, and, most important, still has the hunger to prove wrong the critics who hounded him out of his job in 2005. It didn't take long for Eisner to back a bona fide Internet hit: the teen angst drama Prom Queen. Premiering last April, the Web series is made up of 80, two-minute-long episodes that Eisner loaded with advertisements and product placements.

Eisner's still smallish media empire could grow sizably on Aug. 30. That's when shareholders of baseball card maker Topps Co. (TOPP ) are scheduled to vote on a $385 million takeover bid Eisner is making with private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners. It's hardly a slam dunk: Even though rival bidder Upper Deck Co. has dropped out, some dissident shareholders continue a stop-Eisner campaign, claiming that he is underpaying for the company. If Eisner prevails, he'd have access not only to baseball cards and stats, but also trading cards and stickers for other Topps titles such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

RUNNING LEAN

Eisner hasn't been talking about his plans for Topps. But it would join a hodgepodge of properties that Eisner has bought, including Team Baby Entertainment, which makes sports videos for toddlers. Content from both Team Baby and Topps are likely fodder for online shows that Eisner's Vuguru studio could make. And those shows could eventually find their way to Veoh.com, a fast-growing video site in which Eisner has invested. Does this start to look a little like Disney, with a studio, kiddie videos, and Veoh standing in for ABC? "He's taking what he experienced and bringing it into the 21st century," says Dmitry Shapiro, Veoh's founder.

Of course, no one would ever confuse Eisner's operations today with Disney in size and glitz. Eisner operates with fewer than a dozen executives from a two-story Beverly Hills building that houses a Coffee Bean shop. Famously tightfisted, Eisner was drawn by the low cost of entry to the Internet business. He paid only $200,000 for the rights to Prom Queen, says one of its creators, Ryan Wise.

It would be hard for anyone in New Media to match Eisner's Rolodex, but his business contacts also became a hot-button issue in the bid for Topps. Dissident shareholders have claimed--accusations that a Delaware judge later rejected--that the card company didn't get the best deal because Eisner negotiated with board member Steve Greenberg, who started the Classic Sports Network that Disney's ESPN bought in 1997.

Even if the Topps deal goes south for Eisner, he could still end up a winner: according to filings, he stands to get a chunk of a $12 million breakup fee. That kind of savvy could very well be why people still want to hear what Eisner has to say and why he is drawing six-figure fees on the lecture circuit. One recent topic: "Leadership: Success by Failing and Other Paradoxes."

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Hamas battle cartoon mimics "Lion King"

International Herald Tribune - For the second time in recent months, the Islamic militant group Hamas is using a Disney character on its television station_ this time turning to a Lion King look alike in a slick cartoon portraying its recent victory over the rival Fatah movement.

The cartoon depicts Fatah members as sneaky rats, brandishing guns and showered with dollars, while Hamas is portrayed as a confident, calm lion resembling Simba in the 1994 Walt Disney Co. movie, "The Lion King."

The five-minute cartoon was posted on the Web site of the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington based group that monitors the Arabic media.

The video, titled a "message to the criminal gangs in the occupied West Bank," is the second production of the Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV enlisting a famous Disney character.

In May, Hamas TV used a Mickey Mouse knockoff to preach Islamic domination to children. After an uproar among Israelis and Palestinians, the Mickey Mouse character was killed and his weekly show was replaced.

Hazem Sharawi, an executive with Hamas TV, said the cartoon of the lion vanquishing the rats was broadcast Thursday but quickly pulled off the air for revisions. Sharawi said the production was "flashed" for one day to counter what he said is anti-Hamas propaganda coming from Fatah in the West Bank.

After Hamas' victory in Gaza two months ago, President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah formed a new government in the West Bank. Many top Fatah officials in Gaza have since fled to the safety of the West Bank.

In the video, the rats are seen trampling over Gaza, burning houses, stepping over homes, uprooting trees, firing at mosques, and desecrating the Quran, Islam's holy book.

The rats' leader is clearly a portrayal of Fatah's former Gaza strongman, Mohammed Dahlan, who has fled Gaza. Wearing a tie and smoking a cigar, the chief rat grabs a microphone and tells the crowd: "Move back and let Hamas shoot me." Dahlan made the comments during the showdown with Hamas, and his voice is dubbed into the scene.

Throughout the video, the lion silently watches the rats, preparing his claws and shaking his mane. When he decides to move, the rats flee in terror. The king knocks them out using only his claws. Injured and limping rats then say: "Off to the West Bank."

Lions in the Arabic culture are symbols of power and bravery, while rats are seen as dirty and sneaky.

"Viewers from all over loved it. They called in to praise it," Sharawi said of the video.

Hazem Abu Shanab, a Fatah spokesman, said he had not seen the video, but called it "incitement." He said it shows Hamas "is stuck to the idea that they can control and take over with power, only without brain usage."

Sharawi said the final version of the cartoon will be toned down before it is re-aired, with the Dahlan scene among the shots to go.

But he said there are no plans to erase the Lion King references, including a final scene showing the victorious lion standing on a hill overlooking Gaza with his mane flying in the wind.

"Disney stole a lion from the forest. We stole another lion," he said chuckling.

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Thursday August, 23 2007

'High School Musical 2' Blasts In At No. 1

Billboard - With the second biggest first-week sales tally of the year, the soundtrack to Disney's "High School Musical 2" bows at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. The set sold 615,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan, only a few thousand short of the 623,000 that Linkin Park's "Minutes to Midnight" moved in June. Since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991, only three other soundtracks have ever moved more than 615,000 in a week: Eminem's "8 Mile," "Titanic" and "The Bodyguard."

The first "High School Musical" soundtrack topped the chart numerous times last year and has sold 4.1 million copies to date. The Disney Channel's premiere of "High School Musical 2" on Aug. 17 scored 17.24 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time.

"I think we definitely knew it was going to do well, just because the first one did so well and there were so many fans," Corbin Bleu, who plays amiable jock Chad Danforth, told Billboard.com in a recent interview. "We knew all the people that enjoyed the first movie were gonna want to see the second movie. [But] we didn't know it was gonna become as much of a phenomenon."

A new episode of "Hannah Montana" aired directly after "High School Musical 2," helping Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" rise 4-2 with 83,000, a 10% increase in sales.

Another double-disc set enters right behind, as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds' RCA effort "Live at Radio City" enters at No. 3 with 70,000. The set also crowns the Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums and Top Internet Albums charts. It is the second collaboration between Matthews and Reynolds to earn Billboard 200 ink, following "Live at Luther College," which debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 187,000 in the February 1999.

The "NOW 25" hits compilation slips 3-4 with 66,000 (-24%), while the New Line soundtrack to "Hairspray" climbs 6-5 with 63,000 (-8%). After debuting at No. 1 last week, UGK's Jive set "Underground Kingz" slips to No. 6 with a 62% sales decline to 60,000. In its 48th week on the chart, Fergie's "The Dutchess" (will.i.am/A&M/Interscope) climbs 8-7 with 53,000 (+3%).

The Jonas Brothers' self-titled sophomore effort falls 5-8, taking a 41% hit with 41,000. Plies' Slip-N-Slide debut "Real Testament" descends 2-9 with 39,000, a 60% decrease, while Common's "Finding Forever" (Geffen) moves 7-10, also with 39,000 (-33%).

AFI side project Blaqk Audio debuts at No. 18 on The Billboard 200 with "Cexcells" (Interscope), shifting 29,000. Other big debuts this week all come from Capitol Records: country newcomer Luke Bryan's "I'll Stay Me" at No. 24 (25,000), Dean Martin's "Forever Cool" at No. 39 (17,000) and Mae's "Singularity" at No. 40 (17,000).

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Children's Place Misses Disney Deadlines

AP - The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. said Thursday it missed several deadlines to remodel and refresh numerous stores in the Disney Store chain and expects to miss more deadlines. Shares tumbled in premarket trading.

Under a long-term license agreement with Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS), Children's Place operates the Disney Store retail chain in the U.S. and Canada. On June 8, Children's Place agreed to an amended license deal that included a timetable to renovate and upgrade hundreds of Disney stores.

The discussions began after Disney said Children's Place failed to comply with some terms for the agreement, including obligations for renovation and maintenance.

Children's Place said it has been unable to meet several of the deadlines in the remodeling timetable. The company also said it has identified various deadlines during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2007 that it is likely to miss.

Shares of Children's Place dropped $4.52, or 13.7 percent, to $28.50 in premarket action.

The company said it is in talks with Disney to postpone the due dates of some of the remodeling obligations. In consideration for the changes, the companies have also discussed additional changes to the original license agreement, including allowing Disney to relocate its flagship store in Manhattan.

The companies are also considering altering the agreement so that Disney's ability to grant direct licenses to other specialty retailers to sell Disney merchandise will apply only to specialty retailers of children's merchandise.

Children's Place said there is no guarantee that its talks with Disney will result in an agreement or deferment of its remodeling obligations.

Until an amended agreement is signed, Children's Place said it will be in breach of the June letter agreement, which allows Disney to demand remedies or cancel the license deal altogether.

The breach also constitutes a cross-default under the secured credit facility for the Disney Store chain, which entitles lenders to exercise their contractual remedies.

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Witnesses wanted in scuffle at Walt Disney World Mad Tea Party ride

Orlando Sentinel - Orange County Sheriff's investigators are interested in finding more witnesses to an attack at the teacup ride at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom earlier this year.

Victoria Walker, 51, faces felony battery charges for allegedly attacking Aimee Krause of Clermont because she thought the other woman had skipped her place in line for the Mad Tea Party on May 27. Krause, then 34, was jumped from behind and suffered serious injury to her head and neck.

Walker, who lives in Anniston, Ala., is scheduled to go on trial on Oct. 29. She had pleaded not guilty in the case.

Deputies found several witnesses to the attack in the days following the attack. However, with additional media attention, they are interested in interviewing anyone else who saw the scuffle.

Witnesses are asked to call 407-939-3200 and ask for Detective Kelly Boaz.

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Florida's surgeon general to honor Walt Disney World for hotel smoking ban

Orlando Sentinel - Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros and the American Lung Association of Florida will visit Walt Disney World on Thursday to commend the resort for banning smoking in all 22 of its hotels.

Disney imposed the total ban in May, making it the largest resort complex in the country to impose a blanket prohibition on tobacco smoke. Disneyland, in Southern California, had imposed a similar ban last year.

The Disney World policy covers the giant resort's 24,000 hotel rooms, patios and balconies.

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Man Injured After Falling From Ladder On Disney Property

WFtv - A 35-year-old man was hospitalized after falling off a ladder on Disney property on Thursday.

The man was airlifted from the Coronado Springs Resort to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Fire rescue said the man fell about 15 to 20 feet off the ladder.

There was no word on whether or not the man was working at the time of the fall or the severity of his injuries.

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It could be a showdown on Main Street

Los Angeles Times - In what will probably be a test of political might and financial resources, housing advocates will do battle with Disneyland and tourist leaders next summer in an election that could change the once cozy relationship between the entertainment giant and the city that Walt Disney helped define.

The Anaheim City Council decided late Tuesday to place a Disney-backed referendum on the June ballot asking voters to decide the fate of a housing project in the town's polished Resort District.

The vote will mark a rare -- and no doubt, expensive -- showdown between city leaders and Anaheim's best-known corporate citizen. Disney wants voters to overturn the council's decision to permit as many 1,500 homes to be built near land where it eventually plans to open a third amusement park. Disney hopes to maintain the area for tourist-friendly uses such as hotels and shops.

The two sides could square off two more times. A Disney-backed coalition turned in more than 30,000 signatures Wednesday for a ballot initiative that would give voters the opportunity to block any future housing project in the Resort District, a move that would essentially give Disney an added layer of protection. A developer-backed measure that would give voters zoning control over Disney's planned third theme park also appears to be headed for the June ballot.

While the slew of ballot measures could usher Anaheim into a period of heavy politics, one government expert believes it is unlikely to drive a serious wedge between Disney and its home base.

"Disney isn't picking up and moving anywhere," said Mark P. Petracca, a political science professor at UC Irvine. "Disney is stuck. They aren't like an automobile manufacturer that can leave town. Disneyland's not Disneyland if it's in Sacramento. Disneyland is associated with Southern California and Anaheim.

"So no matter how bad things get," Petracca added, "the two still have to go back to the table and be nice to each other."

But Petracca admits that he has never seen such a nasty public argument between Anaheim and its largest employer.

One resident at Tuesday's council meeting even called the dispute "a civil war."

"For the first time I can remember, the city has stepped out of its stepchild role," Petracca said. "For a long time, you could look at Anaheim and wonder why it's not called the city of Disney. The public doesn't get a chance to see much of this. Almost every other time tensions have exploded, it's happened internally."

The yearlong zoning dispute over a 26-acre parcel across the street from Disney's planned third theme park made headlines in the New York Times and International Herald-Tribune and provided spoof material for "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central. Since Disney and tourist officials began collecting signatures for its initiative and referendum, Anaheim residents have been inundated with mailers and television and radio spots from both sides.

Housing advocates and some religious leaders have lined up behind SunCal Cos., the condo-apartment complex's developer, in hopes that the proposed low-cost housing units would help alleviate the city's housing shortage. Tourist officials are backing Disney over concern that the more than $6 billion in public and private funds poured into the Resort District 13 years ago will be wasted if the area returns to its past, marked by a prevalence of seedy motels, tacky shops and neon signs.

On the council, the issue has made for some unusual alliances.

Lorri Galloway, a Democrat and housing advocate, is paired with Republicans Lucille Kring and Bob Hernandez, property rights advocates who believe SunCal should be allowed to build its kind of project.

Mayor Curt Pringle and Harry Sidhu have supported Disney and the tourism industry, which provides the city with 40% of its general fund.

Both sides have shown a willingness to spend money to get their point across. Disney has already dumped more than $1.5 million into its ballot measure campaigns and SunCal has given $400,000 to a group fighting to bring housing to the tourist zone.

Petracca said it's not unusual for large corporations to spend millions protecting their interests. He recalled that in the early 1990s, the Irvine Co. poured millions of dollars into a referendum that contested one of its housing developments in Irvine. The Irvine Co. prevailed.

"At the time, the amount of money the Irvine Co. spent seemed obscene," Petracca said. "But this is just the cost of doing business for these large companies. For many years, Disney hasn't had to do this type of thing."

Walt Disney himself eliminated the potential for squabbling with city officials in Florida, where he bought 30,000 acres of swampland and created two towns, Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, and the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The district controls land use, utilities, transportation and police and fire services.

In Anaheim, where Disney has rarely failed to get its way, the tone is quite different now.

Victor Arce, a 60-year-old electrician, stood up at Tuesday's night council meeting and took on Disney's efforts to challenge the City's Council authority.

"I voted for those council members up there," he said. "I didn't vote for mouse ears."

A short time later, Pringle admonished those who had been critical of Disney.

"There's no greater public partner a city can have than Disneyland," he said.

More than nine months from election day, Petracca said he wouldn't even venture a guess who would prevail.

"There's no prior history here," Petracca said. "There's never been a referendum on Disney before."

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Disney Shutters Disney Adventures

AdAge - Disney Publishing Worldwide is giving the ax to Disney Adventures magazine, the company said. The November issue will be the publication's final. Disney Publishing attributed its decision to an effort to better focus resources and maximize long-term growth potential through new magazine and book initiatives.
The demise of Disney Adventures, which was introduced for tweens in 1990, closely follows the end of fellow child soldier Nick Jr., which MTV Networks closed with the April issue. It isn't clear that there's any particular exodus of children from magazines, but proliferating competition and rising costs are knocking out big magazines at a fairly regular clip these days; adults for their part have lost Premiere, Jane, Life and Child so far this year.

Disney Adventures, which still maintained paid circulation above 1 million, ran 97.9 ad pages in the first half of the year, up 4.5% over first-half 2006, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. The magazine's ad pages, however, had declined 3.9% in 2006 as a whole.

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Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Showcases Latest Food and Beverage Trends

Disney News - Red and white tea. Savory ethnic taste treats. Argentinian Malbec and Chilean Cabernets. Beer and ale. The hottest trends in food, wine, tea and beer from around the world are featured at the 12th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 28-Nov. 11 at Walt Disney World Resort.

Tea Talk: A "Cuppa" Red or White?

At last year's festival, Twinings celebrated three centuries in the tea sourcing and blending business. Now, guests can sample the latest tea trends at the Twinings Tea Bar at the United Kingdom pavilion. Disney guests will find that pure white and red teas are hot. One tasty brew made from the African Rooibos plant is naturally caffeine free and packed with antioxidants.

Cooking with tea is another popular trend -- it's the perfect ingredient in a marinade, tenderizer or condiment and can add new flavor to common meals. Herbal infusions and fruit teas, in particular, add zip to pastries such as the spice cake with vanilla-tea-marinated dried fruit available at the Africa international marketplace.

Foodies Find Ethnic Recipes Rule

This year's festival goes all out to please a wide variety of palates. Epcot Executive Chef Christine Weissman gives credit to a large team effort by festival sponsors and Disney cast members who hail from several continents.

"We are excited to showcase the diversity of colors, flavors and textures of this year's offerings -- all generated by our team of cast members from many different countries, as well as visiting chefs and festival sponsors," Weissman says.

New festival marketplace offerings include Boxty with bacon chips at Ireland, Spaetzle with creamy mushroom ragoût at Germany and Manti with yogurt sauce at Turkey. Samosas at the Indian marketplace are among several vegetarian tastes prepared for guests.

International marketplaces rimming World Showcase Lagoon will post pairing suggestions of a wine or beer with menu tasting items at each kiosk, Weissman says. "People are asking more and more for opportunities to be educated about how to pair food items with beverages. These tastes offer an ideal way to discover perfect pairings," she says.

Marketplaces this year also will showcase more information about the regions and countries represented at each kiosk.

The Wine Lowdown

In the past several years, wines from Argentina have gained on Chilean wines in popularity, says Jason Cha-Kim, beverage sourcing specialist for Disney Worldwide Services. Argentina is famous for its Malbec full-bodied red, a fruit-forward, affordable wine that suits the American palate. Guests can taste Bodega Norton Malbec at the Argentina marketplace in World Showcase, where it pairs well with spicy beef empanadas.

Rosé champagnes and wines have gained respect and soared in popularity, Cha-Kim says, after a "monumental" improvement in quality. Rosé colors range from salmon to bright pink to crimson, and hottest items are dry rosés imported from Provence wineries such as Mas de la Dame that use Grenache and Mourvedre grapes. California rosés like Kenwood from the Russian River in Sonoma and Etude from Napa Valley are made from pinot noir grapes. High-quality rosé champagnes shine, and festival guests can enjoy Piper Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage, Moët & Chandon Dry Rosé and Sweet Rosé Nectar from France, as well as Banfi Rosa Regale sparkling wine from Italy. With their refreshing acidity and essences of cherry, roses and berries, rosés pair well with spicy food and barbecue -- some are perfect with dark chocolate.

Ever since the hit wine film "Sideways" wowed audiences, Pinot Noirs have enjoyed the spotlight. The festival features Pinots by the bottle from Santa Barbara, Oregon, Burgundy and New Zealand. Guests also can taste a Pinot at the New Zealand marketplace in World Showcase.

Cha-Kim, who has booked winemakers from around the world for the yearly six-week fest, says the latest trends in wine and beer will be center stage. Champagne continues to make a big splash -- it's available by the glass or bottle at the Festival Welcome Center and at other park locations.

Throughout Future World and World Showcase, festival trends appear:

  • The welcome center wine shop features a Bodegas Pinord wine (Moscatel, Merlot) uniquely packaged in bottles shaped like a grape cluster.
  • An up-and-coming wine-producing region in western Australia, Margaret River, showcases what Cha-Kim describes as a "fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon" at the Australia, Discover Down Under experience.
  • Ice wines from Canada serve up sweet refreshment, and the festival will feature Mission Hill and Chateau des Charmes Ice Wines at the Festival Welcome Center seminars and wine shop, as well as at the Party for the Senses Grand Tasting.
  • The latest from Budweiser -- the Bacardi Silver Mojito, is a flavored alcoholic beverage in the tradition of the famous Mojito cocktail.
  • Diverse beer flavors take center stage at the Hops and Barley Market this year. Here, guests can sample 10 types of Samuel Adams beers, including the festival's exclusively brewed 12th Anniversary Beer, plus Octoberfest, Pale Ale, Black Lager, Cherry Wheat and Light brews.

    More wine buzz:

  • The "wine geek" community has elevated the under-appreciated Riesling to the status of "the next Chardonnay," Cha-Kim says. "There's so much Chardonnay in the market, and much of it has been so over-oaked or is too sweet and fruity. There are many styles of Riesling, from sweet to dry, with super-quality from Germany and affordable wines from Canada or Australia. The beauty of it is that it can be grown in many different areas, including Canada and other colder regions."
  • The New World Australian region, Coonawarra, is producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike the Margaret River Cabernets that are produced in the French fashion with subtle fruits, "the Coonawarra is like a fruit bomb in the California style, fruity and full-bodied," Cha-Kim says.

    Several Rieslings, the mighty Shiraz, and both Coonawarra and Margaret River Cabernets will be among hundreds of wines to strut their flavors at the 12th annual fest. More than 100 wineries offer tastings, and guests can sample the cuisine of more than 25 international marketplaces in tasting portions ranging from $1.50 to $4.50.

    Entrance to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, plus wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary exhibits and all attractions and park entertainment is included with regular Epcot admission. Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST for information or reservations for special events and programs, or visit the Web site: disneyworld.com/food, and link to Epcot for festival details.

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    Disney Honorary chair of CYC Race to Mackinac

    Sail World - World renowned sailor Roy E. Disney has been named honorary chairman of the 100th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. Chicago Yacht Club has plans underway for a spectacular series of events marking the historic running of the 333-mile race from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Mich. The 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, better known as 'The Mac,' will set sail for Mackinac Island on Saturday, July 19, 2008.

    Disney’s Pyewacket still holds the elapsed time record for monohulls in the Mac at 23 hours, 30 minutes, and 34 seconds, which he set in 2002. 'My last Mac Race was great fun, great competition, and featured a grand setting at both ends. It was really half a life time of sailing folded into one twenty four hour race,' Disney said. 'I look forward to coming back to Chicago and serving as the honorary chair of the 100th Mac!' The Mac, which was first run in 1898, has a proven track record of attracting some of the finest sailing talent in the sport. The unpredictable weather and fickle winds on Lake Michigan make the Race to Mackinac a true test of skill and endurance.

    For its 100th running, the Chicago Yacht Club will offer a once in a lifetime event for Mac sailors, spectators, sponsors, and friends. 'Roy's input, guidance, and presence will help us make that happen, and we look forward to working with him during the coming year,' said Mackinac Committee Chairman Greg Miarecki.

    About The Chicago Yacht Club The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1500 boating enthusiasts, and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

    About Lands' End Established in 1963, on the promise of delivering high-quality merchandise at a great value, Lands' End offers a complete line of clothing and accessories for women, men, children and infants and an innovative collection of fine-quality goods for the home. Lands' End Business Outfitters designs unique uniform programs that offer employees individual choices and helps build the brands of companies of all sizes, including hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies. And, all Lands' End merchandise is Guaranteed.

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    Disney's Joy Story

    MCV - Disney is flying high after an impressive Q2 and a record month in June. Here, country director Matt Carroll tells Tim Ingham why things are set to get even better.

    “I hope we don’t lose sight of one thing – it was all started by a mouse.”

    For not only does Walt’s diminutive big-eared icon loom large in the building’s foyer (resplendent in spangly pants, no less), but the pragmatic progression of the publisher suggests that the words of its genial overlord are most definitely still being heeded.
    Matt Carroll – who bears the protracted title of country director for Disney Interactive Studios for the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia – is certainly aware of the need to retain a sense of steady growth, rather than letting sudden success lead the company to forget its foundations.

    However, the boss who has marshalled the publisher to extrapolating success over the past two years also understands the need for change in the fast-moving video games market – and that to remain a solely kids-focused outfit would suck out a sizeable chunk of trademark excitement from the firm’s portfolio.

    “We want to be the number one games entertainment brand for families – whether young or old, teenage kids or people who have left home,” he explains. “We want to offer entertainment in a broad spectrum for every taste.”

    Indeed, it might have given dear Walt heart palpitations to know that 85 years after he established his beloved business, Disney would be encouraging gamers to massacre man-eating beasts in the graphically gory Turok on PS3 and Xbox 360 (albeit on Disney’s ‘adult’ Touchstone label).

    But according to Carroll, providing alluring content for every gamer – even those thirsty for a spot of virtual prehistoric blood – is a simple evolution of Disney’s ‘something for all members of the family’ ethos.

    “In the future, we will definitely be offering more games for people over the age of 18,” he adds. “However, these will always be done in the context of The Walt Disney Company, maintaining our strong storytelling themes of good over evil, and optimism.

    “Going forward, about 70 per cent of our output will be based on the Walt Disney Company franchises, 20 per cent will be Disney-branded original IP and about ten per cent will be non-Disney, which is obviously where Turok fits.

    “We will spend up to $350 million a year in the next five years. $35 million of that will be invested in non-Disney IP, maybe on single formats. That should mean we have enough in the portfolio to keep all aspects of our audience interested.”

    And that includes retail. Carroll reckons Disney’s upcoming slate is the strongest in the publisher’s short history – but admits that with no E3 this year, UK buyers haven’t been given as much exposure to DIS releases as he would like.

    “There should be an event where UK retail can see everything,” he says. “What would have taken them three days of Hell is now spread over six or eight weeks in bespoke individual publisher events.

    “Without a UK expo there will be more and more publishers pinning their hopes on Leipzig. The industry will be kind of delayed this year as a result.”

    Like other publishing luminaries, Carroll expects this Christmas to be the “best of all time” – but he isn’t without his worries. He pleads with publishers to hold fire on pressuring retail to suddenly discount product in the gifting season.

    But he reserves most chagrin for what he sees as software’s lack of prominence on the High Street – and is calling on his fellow publishers to demand a more eye-catching, engaging in-store presence.

    “Space and presentation need to be dramatically improved,” he says. “It doesn’t feel like software is being used particularly creatively. Games is being led by other entertainment categories, and judging by the profit margin, that should be the other way round.

    “And it’s not just software. You can see with Wii and PS3 what can be done to really grab the attention of consumers in-store. But I’d argue that the DS isn’t being supported to the level at retail that its success deserves. You see it having equal space with many other formats, over which it completely dominates.”

    Carroll is quick to add that he isn’t being selfish – but actually encouraging retailers to help themselves to a slice of such a buoyant market.

    “With the exception of GAME, the retailers in this industry are consolidating at a time when the publishers and other sectors are growing the market,” he explains. “If retail was bolder with games, they would be growing the industry for all of us – and share in more of the wealth.”

    Any disgruntled merchandisers reading would do well to remember that Carroll can speak from a point of some authority. Disney knows more about the recent lucrative explosion of mainstream gaming than most, having achieved its highest ever publisher position (a lofty eighth spot) in the publisher market share charts for June.
    That was largely thanks to the runaway triumph of Pirates Of The Caribbean – whose success on PS2, Wii and DS in particular further proved the natural affinity of those systems and Disney’s family licences.

    The rest of the firm’s 2007 is littered with key releases on these formats, including Anno 1701, Disney Princess, Power Rangers: Super Legends – and Singstar-style, mega-hit-in-the-waiting High School Musical: Sing It!

    However, Carroll cautions his peers not to blindly anticipate prosperity from Nintendo’s nifty next-gen system.

    “We didn’t leave it too late on Wii and we’ve found a natural fit on that machine,” he says. “But there are lots of publishers flooding to the format now, which means there will be losers. Not everyone can be successful.

    “PS2 is vital to this Christmas for us and part of our plan going forward. We will probably be one of the last publishers on PS2. It’s still bringing new people to the market.”

    There’s little doubt that DIS is humble enough to remember that “all this was started by a mouse”. But it’s the new breed of precious Princesses, singing students and Jurassic giants that it wants this – and the next – generation of gamers to remember.

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    Wine Tasting a Breeze for Beginners at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

    Disney News - Even if you're a wine neophyte, you can cut through the mystique of wine tasting to become a savvy sipper at the 12th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 28-Nov. 11 at Walt Disney World Resort. So slather on the sunscreen, don a pair of comfortable shoes and begin the wine quest at Future World in Epcot.

    As your tram glides toward the park entrance, review these simple tips for beginning tasters:

  • Lift your glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine in the bowl of your glass.
  • Raise your glass to check the wine's color.
  • Swirl the liquid by gently rotating your wrist; as the wine leaves trails, or legs, it reveals alcohol content. A wine with high alcohol content normally will have slow-moving legs.
  • Sniff deeply and try to identify the wine's traits, which could range from essence of raspberry to chocolate.
  • Sip -- but don't swallow, yet. Hold the wine and swish it across your tongue and inner cheeks before exhaling slowly through both nose and mouth. The taste will be that much more vivid!

    First stop, Festival Welcome Center at Wonders of Life pavilion in East Future World. Celebrate the start of your grape expedition with a glass of bubbly at the center's champagne and wine bar. There, Epcot cast members can fill you in on the day's wine-tasting schedule and on details of special events such as Food and Wine Pairings or the weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting.

    Before heading outside, catch a complimentary wine seminar and visit the Festival Wine Shop offering more than 300 wine selections from the cellars of the prestigious wineries showcased at the festival's seminars and dinners. You can also meet representatives from more than 100 wineries around the world and purchase their wines by the glass at the Meet the Winemaker location. At the center, winemakers such as Antinori, Caymus Vineyards, Château Cos d'Estournel, Silver Oak or Piper Heidsieck showcase wines ranging from Cabernets and Chardonnays to Rieslings and Champagnes.

    Don't miss the American Wine Adventure near Canada featuring the Napa Valley and New York wine regions. An Australian passport tasting experience, Australia: Discover Down Under, is featured at the Aussie Walkabout near the Japan pavilion.

    Complimentary wine seminars are scheduled daily, and you can explore more than 25 international marketplaces around World Showcase, where ethnic cuisine and wine samples range from just $1.50-$4.50. There are also some great ways to try new levels of tasting experiences: at one of the daily Food and Wine Pairings, or at a weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting.

    Food and Wine Pairings ($45 per person, park admission required) are scheduled throughout the week at several popular Epcot restaurants including Coral Reef Restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh and Le Cellier Steakhouse. There, winery principals lead you through a tasting of three wines that are paired precisely with complementary foods.

    At Party for the Senses each Saturday night in the grand World ShowPlace ($135 per person, park admission required), you'll taste some of the finest cuisine by more than 25 eminent chefs and sample from more than 70 wines and beers as you chat with the winemakers and enjoy the first-rate entertainment of Cirque du Soleil.

    Day-long Epcot Wine Schools ($150 or $160, breakfast, lunch and certificate included) including the new Champagne and Greece wine schools, take place Saturdays during the six-week fest.

    As you complete your trip around the world's longest, largest wine fest, favorite wines will be available for purchase at the Festival Welcome Center, says Jason Cha-Kim, beverage sourcing specialist for Disney Worldwide Services.

    "You'll have the opportunity to wine and dine around World Showcase and learn about the basics of wine from the very best vineyards in the world," says Cha-Kim, who traveled to several wine regions that will be represented at the festival. "You'll come away from the festival with an understanding of the major wine-growing regions, how to taste wine correctly and really enjoy it, what wines to look for at home, and how to pair food and wine. It's a great way to explore and learn about wines from around the world."

    Entrance to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, plus wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary exhibits and all attractions and park entertainment, is included with regular Epcot admission. Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information or reservations for special events and programs, or visit the Web site: disneyworld.com/food.

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    Disney Music Group Dominates Charts with Three Records in the Top Ten

    Walt Disney Records - Disney Music Group is celebrating three titles in the Top Ten today. The Billboard 200 chart for the week ending September 1, 2007 list High School Musical 2 Soundtrack (Walt Disney Records) at #1, Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus (Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records) at #2, and Jonas Brothers (Hollywood Records) self titled album at #8. DMG has a total of 8 titles in the Top 50 including High School Musical soundtrack (WDR) at #16, Plain White T's Every Second Counts (Hollywood) at #28 and Hannah Montana soundtrack (WDR) at #34, Aly & AJ's Insomniatic (Hollywood) at #46 and Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang (Lyric Street Records) at #50

    The High School Musical 2 soundtrack shattered industry records by becoming the first soundtrack from a Disney Channel Original Movie to debut on The Billboard 200 at #1 selling over 615,000 units in its first week and shipping double platinum (2 million units). The platinum-certified Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus two-disc release was released on June 26 and has spent 7 consecutive weeks in the Top 5 on The Billboard 200, scanning over 1,088,000 units to date. Jonas Brothers' debut album for Hollywood entered The Billboard 200 last week at #5, and was the first CD to be released in CDVU+, a new multi-media interactive format that is 100% recyclable. Jonas Brothers' new single "S.O.S," shot to #1 on i-Tunes immediately after its release last week.

    In January 2007, three DMG titles were ranked as top-selling albums of 2006 by Nielsen SoundScan -- High School Musical soundtrack #1, Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang #2 and Hannah Montana soundtrack #8.

    The Disney Music Group encompasses all of the Walt Disney Studio's recorded music and music publishing operations, including Hollywood Records, Walt Disney Records, Lyric Street Records and Walt Disney Music Publishing.

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    Disney's The Little Mermaid Opens in Denver Aug. 23

    Playbill - The newest Disney Theatrical Productions musical, The Little Mermaid — hoping to be a big "part of your world" — officially opens at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver Aug. 23. The pre-Broadway engagement began its Colorado run July 26.

    Directed by Francesca Zambello, the new musical will play in Denver through Sept. 9. Mermaid will then arrive at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, the recent home of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Nov. 3 with an official opening scheduled for Dec. 6.

    Sierra Boggess heads the cast in the title role of Ariel, who longs "to be where the people are" (as the lyric goes) above the water's surface. She's joined by Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Eddie Korbich as Scuttle, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton as Flounder and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Aida veteran Sherie René Scott as the evil sea witch, Ursula.

    The remainder of the cast comprises Adrian Bailey, Cathryn Basile, Heidi Blickenstaff (Carlotta), James Brown III, Robert Creighton, Cicily Daniels, John Treacy Egan (Louis), Tim Federle, Merwin Foard, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Ben Hartley, Meredith Inglesby, Michelle Lookadoo, Joanne Manning, Alan Mingo Jr., Zakiya Young Mizen, Betsy Morgan, Arbender J. Robinson, Bret Shuford, Jason Snow, Chelsea Morgan Stock, Kay Trinidad, Price Waldman and Daniel J. Watts.

    "In a magical kingdom beneath the sea," according to Mermaid production notes, "a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father — the king of the sea — escape the clutches of an evil sea witch and convince a prince that she's the girl with the perfect voice." The musical is based on both the Disney animated film (written and directed by John Musker & Ron Clements) and the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

    The Little Mermaid features songs penned by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman for the Disney film ("Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," among others) as well as 11 new tunes by Menken and Glenn Slater. Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens) wrote the book.

    The creative team also includes Stephen Mear (choreography), George Tsypin (scenic design), Tatiana Noginova (costume design), Natasha Katz (lighting design), John Shivers (sound design), Angelina Avallone (makeup design), Sven Ortel (projection and video design) and David Brian Brown (hair design). Associate producer is Todd Lacey. Fight director is Rick Sordelet. Technical director is David Benken. Production supervisor is Clifford Schwartz.

    Dance arrangements are by David Chase, music coordinator is Michael Keller, orchestrations are by Danny Troob. Music direction, incidental music and vocal arrangements are by Michael Kosarin.

    Sierra Boggess portrayed Christine Daae in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular. She was seen in the national tour of Les Misérables as well as in regional productions of West Side Story, The Boyfriend and Pirates of Penzance. Boggess also created the role of Binky in productions of Princesses at Goodspeed and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre.

    Disney Theatrical Productions is under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

    Tickets for the Denver run of Mermaid, priced $25-$77, are available by calling (303) 893-4100 or (800) 641-1222 or by visiting www.denvercenter.org.

    Tickets for the Broadway production, priced $41.50-$111.50, are available by calling (212) 307-4747 or by visiting the Lunt-Fontanne box office at 205 West 46th Street.

    For more information visit Walt Disney Theatricals at www.disneyonbroadway.com.

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    Vincent Martella Makes History with Disney

    PR Web - Vincent Martella, the voice of Phineas on the new animated series Phineas and Ferb which aired to a record 10.8 million viewers Friday night, August 17, on the Disney Channel. "I'm very excited to see such a huge response to our show. There is so much more to come that the fans will love! The brilliance of Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh, the creators, is just awesome!" said Vincent.

    Martella also stars as Greg in the critically acclaimed Chris Rock sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris for the CW Network, now filming its third season in Los Angeles.

    The young Thesp has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award in the category "Choice TV Sidekick." Everybody Hates Chris has earned Diversity, Family Friendly and Image Awards as well as nominations for People's Choice and the Golden Globe Awards.

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    Disney will shoot at Ridgefield Community Center

    Ridgefield Press - Filming for “College Road Trip,” featuring Martin Lawrence and “That’s So Raven” star Raven-Symone, may start tomorrow, Friday, at the Ridgefield Community Center — that is, if the weather cooperates.

    Although there will be intermittent traffic control, Main Street will remain open while the crew shoots an exterior scene.

    Filming will also take place inside the Lounsbury House, which has already taken on the character of a country inn after a truckload of decor, furnishings and accessories arrived on Tuesday, Aug. 21.

    The “inn” will act as lodging that an overprotective cop father and his ambitious daughter, who has dreams of becoming a public defender, stumble upon in their travels between prospective universities.

    It will be a closed set.

    Stephanie Pelletier, executive director of the Community Center, has been working out logistics for the film crew.

    “It’s not every day that a movie comes to town,” she said. “The main floor has never been furnished, so it’s really stunning what they’ve done ... what a wonderful homage to the legacy of Gov. Lounsbury to be selected by the world’s top entertainment company” — that being Disney, the film’s maker.

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    Wednesday August, 22 2007

    Disneyland Housing Plan to Go to Vote
    Spectacular Scenes Surround Epcot Audiences In Canadian Film
    Tim Allen, Disney saddle up again
    Disney Channel crushes rivals in weekly ratings
    The Jonas Brothers visit Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom
    Life's Beautiful for `Ugly Betty' Team
    Disney park an urban legend
    A Soft Summer For Theme Parks
     Great Disney Art on Call
    Disneyland Housing Plan to Go to Vote

    AP - The City Council will let voters decide whether housing, including more than 200 affordable condominiums, should be built a few blocks from Disneyland.

    City spokesman John Nicoletti said the council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to place a referendum on the June 3 ballot asking whether the council's earlier vote to change zoning in a nonresidential district should be rescinded. That vote paved the way toward allowing housing to be placed across the street from Disney-owned land.

    Tuesday's vote followed months of acrimonious debate between the Walt Disney Co. and low-income housing advocates.

    Disney opposes a developer's plan to build 1,500 condominiums, including 225 low-income units, within the city's resort district. The company said changing the zoning would destroy the tourism-only district, which generates half of Anaheim's annual revenue.

    Housing advocates contend that low-cost units are desperately needed by workers who are essential to the city's huge tourism industry but can't afford to live nearby.

    The council approved the zoning change on April 25, sparking a referendum drive by the Disney-funded group Save Our Anaheim Resort.

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    Spectacular Scenes Surround Epcot Audiences In Canadian Film

    Disney News - Walt Disney World guests get a glimpse of today's Canada in a newly enhanced 14-minute motion picture presented in Circle-Vision 360 as a major feature of the Canada pavillion in Epcot World Showcase.

    Walt Disney World guests get a glimpse of today's Canada in a newly enhanced 14-minute motion picture presented in Circle-Vision 360 as a major feature of the Canada pavillion in Epcot World Showcase.

    Walt Disney Imagineers collaborated with the Canadian Tourism Commission to update the film, including new orchestration and images. The 2006 Canadian Idol winner Eva Avila sings 'Canada, You're a Lifetime Journey', the music of O Canada!. "Our goal was to strike the right balance between the vibrant cosmopolitan cities and the natural beauty that characterize Canada," according to Imagineer David Katzman, who led the film's production. "We look forward to showcasing all its beauty and splendour to guests visiting the Canada pavillion at Epcot". Circle-Vision 360 is a film technique that uses nine cameras for projection onto nine large screens arranged in a circle usually above head level. By using an odd number of screens, and a small space between them, a projector may be placed in each gap, projecting across the space to a screen.

    The motion picture takes guests from the far eastern shores of New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy by railroad, to the western beauty and tranquility of Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. Canada's natural beauty is majestically displayed throughout the film, including new and classic scenes from the 800-year-old redwood trees of Cathedral Grove to astounding splendour of Horseshoe Falls to the snowy Mountains of Kananaskis Valley.

    Coordinating and collecting new aerial footage required Disney Imagineers to study the weather patterns to pinpoint the best windows of opportunity for shooting. "We filmed at Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Falls with one day to plan and one day to shoot at each location," said Imagineering line producer, Linda Folsom. "We got lucky - we only had one day of rain and plenty of sunshine."

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    Tim Allen, Disney saddle up again

    Variety - Disney has acquired "Brothers," a pitch for a Tim Allen comedy vehicle that Allen will write with Matt Carroll.

    Story concerns a racially mixed pair of adopted brothers who are framed for a crime and forced to team up.

    Allen, who recently wrapped the David Mamet-directed "Redbelt" for Sony Pictures Classics, just committed to playing the title character in indie comedy "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay." He last starred for Disney in "Wild Hogs" and is poised to reprise his role in the sequel.

    Carroll, who most recently sold the script "Random Acts of Cruelty" to Sony and Escape Artists, worked for several years in development for Allen.

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    Disney Channel crushes rivals in weekly ratings

    Reuters - Last week's broadcast primetime viewership looked pretty paltry compared with Friday night's record-breaking 17.2 million viewers who tuned in to see "High School Musical 2" on Disney Channel.

    While the ratings would make a broadcast network executive stand up and sing even on a regular-season night, "Musical 2" was extraordinary for cable. It was the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time, the biggest TV program ever among ages 6-11 and drew the best primetime audience for anything on cable or broadcast during the summer other than sports telecasts and the Olympics since September 5, 1997.

    "Hannah Montana," which followed "Musical 2" on Friday, averaged 10.7 million viewers, the top telecast for a series in cable history.

    Network TV's most-watched program for the week ending Sunday, NBC's "America's Got Talent," barely cleared "Hannah" and couldn't come close to "Musical 2." "Talent" averaged 10.8 million viewers and a 3.1 rating/10 share in the adults 18-49 demographic for Tuesday's telecast, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday.

    Monday's season finale of "Hell's Kitchen" (9.7 million, 4.5/12) was the week's top dog in adults 18-49. That gave Fox its 28th consecutive weekly win in the advertiser-friendly demo, the longest such streak for any network in 11 years. CBS racked up another win in viewership.

    "Kitchen" ruled everything Monday, easily surpassing a boatload of repeats and ABC's "Fat March" (4.3 million, 1.6/5). Fox won the night with the help of a special "So You Think You Can Dance" (7.9 million, 3.0/10).

    Tuesday went to NBC, with "Talent" and the half-hour "The Singing Bee" (9.7 million, 3.2/9), which tied with CBS' "Big Brother" (7.6 million, 3.2/9) for the night's lead in adults 18-49. Not doing as well were ABC's "Primetime: Crime" (6.1 million, 2.1/6 ) and "I-Caught" (5.2 million, 1.8/6); "I-Caught" sank to second place against a repeat "Law & Order: SVU" (7.3 million, 2.2/7).

    Wednesday and Thursday belonged to Fox, with "Dance" overshadowing everything else. Wednesday's "Dance" (8.7 million, 3.3/10) won from 8-10 p.m. in both key measures against CBS' new game show "Power of 10" (7.7 million, 2.0/7) and NBC's "Last Comic Standing" (5.7 million, 2.5/7). ABC's "NASCAR in Primetime" (3.2 million, 1.2/4) failed to get out of the gate against NBC's "Dateline" (6.6 million, 2.2/7) and CBS' "CSI: NY" (8.1 million, 2.2/7 ).

    It was more of the same Thursday, with the season finale of "Dance" (9.6 million, 3.7/11) winning head to head against CBS' "Big Brother" (7.5 million, 2.8/9), the only other original of the night. 

    Beyond "Musical 2" and "Hannah," it was a quiet night of TV on Friday. Fox won among broadcast networks with the NFL's preseason Minnesota Vikings-New York Jets game that averaged 3.9 million viewers and a 1.4/5 in adults 18-49. It just beat out the CW's "Friday Night SmackDown!" (3.9 million, 1.2/4).

    Saturday's preseason San Diego Chargers-Arizona Cardinals game on CBS was barely there, averaging 2.9 million viewers and a 0.9/4 in adults 18-49.

    Sunday night featured a three-way tie in the demo among CBS, NBC and Fox. NBC's preseason "Sunday Night Football" (7.1 million, 2.5/7) recovered a bit but was beaten by CBS' "Big Brother" (7.4 million, 2.9/8) as well as Fox's "Family Guy" (5.4 million, 2.8/7 at 9 p.m. and 5.9 million, 3.0/8 at 9:30 p.m.).

    Fox (6 million, 2.3/7) was the top network in the key adults 18-49 demo, while CBS (6.7 million, 1.9/6) led in viewership, followed by ABC (4.4 million, 1.5/4), NBC (5.3 million, 1.7/5) and the CW (1.8 million, 0.6/2).

    Disney Channel was the third-most-watched network of the week overall with an average of 5.8 million viewers.

    Among the evening newscasts, ABC's "World News With Charles Gibson" won again in viewership (8 million) ahead of "NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams" (7.4 million) and the "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" (5.8 million).

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    The Jonas Brothers visit Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom

    Disney News - Hollywood Records artists The Jonas Brothers enjoy the Florida sunshine with Mountain Climber Goofy Aug. 21, 2007 outside of Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. before taking a ride on the Himalayan mountain-themed attraction. The New Jersey siblings, Kevin (front left), Nick (back) and Joe (front right), released their latest album on Aug. 7, 2007, and it debuted at #5 on the Billboard "Top 200" chart and #1 on the Billboard "Top Internet Albums" chart. The trio is currently on tour with a performance on the Miss Teen USA Pageant on August 24, 2007 and a special show at the 2007 U.S. Open Arthur Ashe Kids' Day on August 25 in Flushing Meadow, NY.

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    Life's Beautiful for `Ugly Betty' Team

    AP - The cast and crew of "Ugly Betty" came out to celebrate Monday night. The occasion was this week's release of a first-season DVD, but the excitement stemmed mostly from being part of an instant hit, and looking ahead to its fall return.

    "It's nice, for me at least, to look back and think, `Wow, this has been such an incredible year,'" series star America Ferrera told the Associated Press. "There has been so much blood, sweat and tears of happiness and tiredness and joy and all of that put into it."

    A Hollywood adaptation of the Colombian telenovela "Yo Soy Betty La Fea," "Betty" swirls around a plain young woman who lands a job as assistant to a fashion-magazine editor. The show was an out-of-the-gate hit following its autumn 2006 debut on ABC, and has also scored well overseas.

    British actor Ashley Jensen ("Extras"), who plays Betty's workplace confidante Christina, said, "I think you can see a bit of Ugly Betty in all of us, and I mean men, as well, because it's about the underdog."

    On the red carpet at the swanky Skybar in Hollywood's Mondrian Hotel, the actors looked like anything but underdogs, donning duds from such heavyweight designers as Prada (Jensen), Nanette Lepore (Ferrera) and Bill Blass (Ana Ortiz, who plays Betty's sister, Hilda).

    Making her way through the arrivals gauntlet, Ferrera said that in the upcoming season viewers can expect Betty to "grow up a lot," and implied she may move out of her father's house.

    Eric Mabius (Betty's boss Daniel Meade) revealed that season-two guest stars will include Victoria Beckham, in an episode still to be filmed, and Freddy Rodriguez ("Six Feet Under").

    Ortiz said Hilda would be dating and looking for a job. "And you know Hilda's track record with jobs!" she noted, laughing.

    Rebecca Romijn was tightest-lipped, simply acknowledging she was still employed. When last we saw her character Alexis, she and Mabius' Daniel were unconscious in a smoldering crashed car. "I'm at least alive!" the newlywed (to Jerry O'Connell ) said, smiling.

    And what of the ill-fated love birds Betty and Henry? In one of the final scenes, he was headed to Arizona, along with his evil, possibly pregnant, girlfriend Charlie. "Well, there is a pretty good chance that Henry comes back," revealed Christopher Gorham, his portrayer.

    "I can't tell you how he comes back. I can tell you that you cannot miss the first five minutes of the first episode of season two. It's one of the funniest scenes that we have shot to date. It's a Betty, Henry, Charlie scene. It's subtitled. It's really incredible."

    Incredible certainly defines the past year for Ferrera. A relative unknown 12 months ago, she is now considered the front-running nominee for the leading actress in a comedy Emmy.

    "There are definitely moments when I've stepped outside myself and said, `Wow! ... But then I go home and scrub my bathroom floor, and I do what I do. Or I don't scrub my bathroom floor. You don't want to know about my bathroom floor."

    "Ugly Betty" is scheduled to start its second season on September 27.

    ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co.

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    Disney park an urban legend

    San Antonio Express-News - Despite what your hairdresser, grocery store checker or barista at your favorite coffee bar tells you, the Walt Disney Co. is not building a theme park here.

    We know you heard it from a good source.

    It was someone who was cutting the hair of this guy whose wife sells real estate out on the West Side. Or somebody who ordered a bunch of cappuccinos because they were touring vacant land sites. Or somebody who picked up a lot of croissants for a morning meeting with a big developer.

    But contrary to popular belief, Walt Disney's plans for a theme park in South Texas are nothing more than an urban legend. It is a myth that has grown with an amazing virulence.

    "Disney will build a theme park on the moon before they build one in San Antonio," said Dennis Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services Inc.

    Disney officials won't comment on the record about whether they are planning any parks anywhere. They did say they get calls every week from reporters across the country looking into the latest Disney rumors.

    "If somebody comes to town wearing a Disney T-shirt, that's enough to start a rumor," said Paul Serff, president of the Texas Travel Industry Association and former general manager of Fiesta Texas (pre-Six Flags).

    That's not to say Disney never thought about putting a park here. Developer Marty Wender reportedly took Disney officials on a tour of his Westover Hills development nearly two decades ago. Wender did not return several calls seeking comment.

    Disney rumors surfaced again in the early 1990s with talk of a Disney vacation club. The rumors popped up again in the mid-1990s, then the late 1990s, and again in 2001, 2002, 2003 ... You get the idea.

    Some of the rumors are Disney's fault, Serff said. Walt Disney took a risk building his park in the orange groves of California, far outside (at the time) Los Angeles city limits. But it became a hit.

    So he did it again, this time in the orange groves of Florida. The purchases he made out there were all under aliases and shadow companies.

    "The rumor was that a lot of the land was bought up there and nobody knew who was buying it," Serff said. "If someone is buying land and they can't tell you who it is and it's for an entertainment thing ... ah, it must be Disney."

    Veterans of San Antonio's real estate market continue to hear the rumors and still encounter people who think the Mouse is coming to South Texas. The Disney rumor has kept broker Landon Kane of First American Commercial Property Group from making some deals.

    "We deal in land exclusively," Kane said. "But we talk to people who hear Disney is going to come to their area and they're going to hold on to their land a little longer to see if the value goes up. And they hold on to it for years."

    Putting a Disney-themed attraction in San Antonio might have made sense once upon a time. The area had plenty of land, a lot of tourists and decent weather much of the year. But along came Fiesta Texas (which was preceded by Disney rumors) followed by Sea World San Antonio (which was preceded by more Disney rumors), and the market had as many theme parks as it could take.

    "You already have two parks in San Antonio that have cut the baby in half," said Speigel, who might have been an architect of some of those Disney rumors in the 1990s.

    His group worked with Gaylord Entertainment on the sale of Fiesta Texas. In the report submitted to Gaylord and partner USAA, Speigel said they suggested selling the park to Disney. It would have given the "House of Mouse" a regional park for $100 million, about the cost of one new Disney attraction.

    "We made that recommendation and nothing ever happened," Speigel said. Except for the spread of rumors.

    It would be really hard to find enough land for Disney to build a park here, said Kit Corbin, executive vice president with Grubb & Ellis.

    "Disney knows the real money comes from controlling everything around it," Corbin said. "They need an enormous tract of land so they can control the hotel sites, the motel sites and the retail. I think Disney, more than anybody, recognizes they're not going to plop their park down on a piece of dirt and let others capitalize on the development."

    Yet the rumors persist. They even make some sense to Ramiro Cavazos, director of research and economic development for the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and former head of the city's economic development office.

    "We at the city had heard off and on that they were scouting sites in San Antonio," he said. "I would imagine that they would look at the strength in the hospitality industry and the advantages that are already built in with the strength of the hotels. The advantages of having Sea World and Fiesta Texas and the Missions and Spurs and the Alamo and the River Walk. But we had never really concluded that they were talking to anybody at the city."

    Because they weren't. All the advantages Cavazos named only dilute the tourist dollar, which Disney likes to dominate in its coastal U.S. markets.

    Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., was the only attraction of its kind when it opened far outside the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. But it was still close enough to draw people who wanted a break from the city.

    Walt Disney World helped make Florida a gateway to European visitors. Millions enter Florida via Orlando and continue their tour of the state.

    San Antonio already has enough going for it that it doesn't need Disney, said the Texas Travel Industry's Serff.

    "You have two of the best theme parks I have ever seen," he said. "You have a world-class River Walk, water parks, Natural Bridge Caverns, history, a great zoo and the best and classiest team in the NBA. So why overlook the pearls that currently make up San Antonio?"

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    A Soft Summer For Theme Parks

    A recent report by the Themed Entertainment Association and Economics Research Associates showed modest growth in the theme park space last year, with a worldwide attendance increase of 2.2%.

    Busch Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. (BUD), operates Sea World, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Water Country USA and Sesame Place. Its quarterly earnings were up only 3.7%, year-over-year.

    Attendance at Disney’s (DIS) Walt Disney World increased just 4% in the third quarter of 2007, and attendance at Disneyland resort in California was flat, although revenue did increase 7.4%.

    In June, Six Flags Inc. (SIX) said YTD revenue rose 5% from the same period last year. But attendance was flat with 5.9 mln visitors.

    Attendance has dropped every year since 2004 at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, owned by Blackstone Group (BX) and General Electric’s (GE) NBC Universal.

    Conventional wisdom within the industry holds that weather, fuel prices, ticket prices, and capital reinvestment (new rides) are the primary factors when accounting for results.

    But, a 2005 research project by Joy Hogley and Wenxuan Chen, MBA candidates at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, dispelled these myths.

    To wit:
    • Ticket prices have been rising consistently faster than inflation, but people keep visiting theme parks with the same frequency.
       
    • It appears that many people in the theme park industry, including management, hold misunderstandings when it comes to attendance. No one we spoke to and nothing we read connected slow attendance growth to the equally slow growth of the population.
       
    • We heard that weather has a major impact, but the annual data indicates that it doesn’t.
       
    • We also were led to expect that higher fuel prices would reduce attendance, but we found that the opposite may be true – high fuel prices may keep people closer to home, actually increasing theme park attendance.
       
    • Another important concern of the industry is the opening of new attractions, but it appears that even popular, expensive new attractions do not cause a lasting impact on attendance, although they do help to maintain attendance levels.

    So, most, if not all, of the traditional scapegoats for soft results don’t hold up to a closer look. What to do about the sluggish growth?

    The collapsing U.S. dollar will help, for one.

    According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, spending at U.S. theme parks is expected to grow 4.3% this year, thanks in part to the weak dollar, which the industry hopes will spur visits by international tourists.

    However, while American theme parks are treading water, Kimi Yoshino, of the Los Angeles Times, points out that Asia is the fastest-growing market, with theme park spending expected to reach $8.1 bln by 2011.

    Hong Kong Disneyland opened in late 2005, and new parks in China and India are expected to further boost attendance and spending. Universal plans to open a Singapore theme park in 2010 and several other projects are under way.

    Perhaps not quite as appealing to the average theme park might be Vietnam’s Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park, which aside from the requisite roller coasters, water slides, and Ferris wheels, features a “bat cave with innumerable bats” and “Mid-air cycling over crocodile farm with more than 1,500 crocodiles of all sizes which cause fearful feeling for tourist."

    In short, if Asia’s newest theme parks are half as popular as Tokyo Summerland, they’re in for record profits:

    What’s Japanese for “I think you just stepped on my toe?”

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    Great Disney Art on Call

    The Disney Insider - The Walt Disney Company is dotted with archives holding the assembled creative treasures of nearly a century of creativity. From the treasure troves of Feature Animation to the Imagineering Library, there are piles of beautiful paintings created as concept art; artist's renderings of attractions that never came to be; and sketches by some of the great artists of the 20th century. Some of these works have appeared in coffee-table books or been released as limited-edition prints, but most are off-limits to all but the lucky few who work with them.

    Until now -- it's Disney Mobile artist Rodney Bills' job to go sift through these thousands of artworks old and new, looking for the perfect images to make available to Disney Mobile phone customers as wallpaper images, picture ID images, and even complete phone themes

    Although many customers choose popular new content like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films or "Hannah Montana," many a Disney fan is carrying a phone graced with rarely seen photos of Walt Disney, or beautiful pastel renderings of the castles from each of the Disney Parks. For the true fan, the Vault Disney section of the Disney Mobile site is a gold mine. The vintage treasures you find can make a Disney Mobile phone more than just a safe and handy way to keep the family in touch - it's also a Disney art gallery that can be held in the palm of the hand, with exhibits that change whenever the owner feels like trying a new theme.

    We spoke to Rodney about his job as a Disney art treasure hunter, and brought back some of the beautiful works of art to show our readers – you'll find them on the Main Attraction page.

    "We find things everywhere," Rodney says. "Paintings done for Disney storybooks, old photos, art created for scenes that were cut from films before they were animated. We have a lot of familiar, classic art – but some of this stuff nobody outside the company has ever seen." Concept art from new releases also makes its way to Disney Mobile. Once the art is chosen, artists go to work digitally cropping, resizing, and tweaking it to make it look its best on the small screen. Hours of work go into the creation of each theme.

    Rodney flips through the files of work in progress on his computer. Some of the series of themes he's working on or have just finished include:

    • The cheerfully macabre series of "stretch paintings" from the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland Paris - totally different from the ones we've seen at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.
       
    • Concept art from "Alice in Wonderland."
       
    • The beautiful post-Impressionist backdrop from the Magic Kingdom's Diamond Horseshoe Revue.
       
    • A series of very early color sketches for Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room.
       
    • Rough animation sketches from "Lady and the Tramp" - flip through your phone's functions quickly, and they "animate" a few seconds of a scene.
    Disney Mobile subscribers can flip through a gallery of themes, images, and ringtones, and purchase what they please. And Rodney says that Disney Mobile periodically offers "freebie" themes to download. You never know what you might find.

    "It's a wonderful job - I get to look through this amazing original art every day," Rodney tells us. "And I love knowing that mobile users will get to see and use it too."

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    Tuesday August, 21 2007

    Disney's ESPN buys rugby website

    bizjournals - ESPN has purchased leading rugby news website Scrum.com, according to Tuesday news reports.

    The buy is part of the company's move to attract fans around the world, according to Reuters. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    Scrum has nearly 500,000 visitors a month and was launched in 1997, according to Reuters.

    ESPN Inc. is a subsidiary of Burbank's Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS).

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    'Muppet Mobile Lab' show wows Epcot crowds

    Orlando Sentinel - As crowds gathered around the little puppet-show-on-wheels roaming Epcot today, realization dawned on some: No strings. No hands in the puppets. No one hidden inside. No one in sight with microphones or remote controls.

    All the crowd saw were robotic Muppets Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his able assistant Beaker riding their two-wheeled rocket-ship lab around the theme park's sidewalks, teasing or talking with visitors, gesturing and moving, and putting on their best Muppet schtick.

    Emily Evans, 23, a human resources recruiter from Chicago, and her brother Nathan Evans, 29, a graduate student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, admitted big fans of both Disney and the Muppets, approached with delight, then found themselves swept into a show, arguing with Bunsen about Emily's parasol.

    The "Muppet Mobile Lab" show is part of a play test that Walt Disney Imagineering is running at Epcot for the next few weeks, giving the research and development staff a chance to try out more advanced robotic, interactive and transportation technologies, mixed with human comedy talent. With remote control and two-way communication technology, Disney operators are running the lab out and around Epcot's Future World periodically, seeing how they and crowds can interact.

    For Emily and Nathan Evans and several dozen other people who watched this morning, the reaction appeared entirely positive.

    "I wish they would do more of it with various characters," said Emily Evans. "I would say keep going with the technology. It's amazing, and obviously it's a crowd pleaser as well."

    There is no certainty right now whether the Muppet Mobile Lab will become a permanent feature. Disney Imagineering officials are as interested in testing the various components as the entire package. The ideas could be transferred to a variety of other characters and locations, said Christopher Holm, director of the principal technical staff.

    "It's really interaction in a whole new way for Disney characters, and our guests, because it's up close, it's personal. And it's in real time," Holm said. "That's a very, very different show presence than any of our previous living characters."

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    Ahead of Schedule?

    Is Epcot ahead of schedule removing the wand from Spaceship Earth? We're not sure, but we do know they are moving very rapidly. To the right is yet another photo of Spaceship Earth and it will leave you seeing NO Stars. The stars are gone but the fixtures that held them are sill attached to the massive geosphere.
     

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    Disney taps Fox exec

    Variety - As part of a reorganization of its Gotham-based PR efforts, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has tapped Anne Stavola as VP, East Coast publicity, and upped Derek Del Rossi to director, East Coast publicity.

    Stavola reports to Jasmine Madatian, senior VP of publicity, for Disney, and will work with the exec to develop publicity strategies and campaigns for all pics released under the Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures banners.

    Del Rossi will share media relations duties with Chris Bogusz, who also holds the title of director.

    Stavola was previously VP of national publicity at Fox Searchlight Studios. She also worked as a senior publicist and consultant for Paramount and interim department head for Universal Pictures' New York PR office.

    Del Rossi joined Disney in 1999 as an assistant to the VP of East Coast publicity and was later upped to publicity coordinator for national publicity. He's spent the past four years as senior manager, national publicity.

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    Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season on DVD

    Walt Disney Home Entertainment - ABC Television's newest critically acclaimed and 2007 Emmy nominated primetime series, Ugly Betty will make its debut on DVD with Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season – The Bettyfied Edition on August 21, 2007 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The complete first season of Ugly Betty will include behind-the-scenes bonus features so revealing viewers will feel like they're on-set.
     
    Ugly Betty is the ultimate story of a square peg in a universe of round holes. The bespectacled Betty Suarez (America Ferrara- a 2007 Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) is the true beauty in the skin-deep world of high fashion, but she toils as the assistant to dashing womanizer Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), editor-in-chief of fashion industry bible "MODE."

    Both are newcomers to the ultra-competitive fashion scene, and need to constantly beat back attacks from their jealous enemies— fashion diva Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams, 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ), her toadying assistant Marc (Michael Urie) and conniving receptionist Amanda (Becki Newton). In addition, the Meade family; Alexis (Rebecca Romijn), Bradford (Alan Dale), and Claire (Judith Light, 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series), don't make Betty and Daniel's lives any easier.

    Away from the glitz of Manhattan, Betty lives in Queens with her family—her loving father Ignacio (Tony Plana), spitfire sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz) and fashion-obsessed nephew Justin (Mark Indelicato)—who lend her support whenever she is in need.

    Get into the MODE with all 23 episodes on this six-disc DVD. "Must-have" bonus features include "Becoming Ugly", in which Ferrara and the cast discuss what it means to get Bettyfied. Plus, get the real behind-the-scenes scoop with "A La Mode" and "Green is the New Black," which explore the fashion, sets and magic that go into creating the show. The DVD will also feature deleted scenes, audio commentaries, and bloopers. A first for ABC TV on DVD, Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season – The Bettyfied Edition also includes a Spanish audio track.

    America is cheering for vibrant overachiever Betty Suarez a.k.a. Ugly Betty, played by America Ferrara ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"). Winner of two Golden Globes, Ugly Betty received statuettes for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy for Ferrara. The second season premieres Thursday, September 27 (8:00 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network.

    Salma Hayek ("Frida"), who is also a 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance on the show, Silvio Horta ("Urban Legends"), Ben Silverman, ("The Office"), Jose Tamez ("The Maldonado Miracle"), James Hayman ("Joan of Arcadia") and Marco Pennette ("Caroline in the City") produce Ugly Betty, which is based on the hit Colombian soap opera "Yo Soy Betty La Fea."

    This DVD set is priced at $59.99 SRP in the U.S. and $87.99 SRP in Canada, and is perfect for fans of the show or new viewers who are catching up on all the drama and excitement before the start of the sophomore season.

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    Little Einsteins: Rocket's Firebird Rescue

    Walt Disney Home Entertainment - Join the Little Einsteins on a musical adventure in the all-new movie Little Einsteins: Rocket's Firebird Rescue premiering on Disney DVD August 21, 2007. In this all new movie, Leo, Quincy, Annie, June, and Rocket travel to Russia to save their new friend, the magical Firebird.

    Inspired by Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" ballet, the all-new movie features classical music as an essential role in completing the Little Einsteins mission. Children interact, sing and are encouraged to "make music everyday" while taking a world-wide journey.

    Little Einsteins: Rocket's Firebird Rescue tells the story of Leo, Quincy, Annie, June and Rocket as they travel to Russia to help save Rocket's new friend Firebird. Firebird is a mysterious bird who sprinkles magic everywhere she flies bringing beauty and music to the world. As the team journey's the world, a heartless ogre captures Firebird. It's up to the Little Einsteins and Rocket to set Firebird free and bring music back to the world.

    The DVD includes a unique bonus feature, the "Magic Mission Viewing Mode" which allows the viewer to watch the feature with trivia interspersed throughout the movie.

    Originally created as a television series specifically for preschoolers in 2005, Disney's Little Einsteins was developed with child development experts and musicians. The show now ranks number one in its primary time period among all basic cable with children ages 2-5. Since its inception, Little Einsteins has been a favorite among preschoolers and families, continually generating double-digit growth in popularity each year. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, 9/25/06-12/31/06, 9/26/05-12/25/05)

    The Little Einsteins series stimulates curiosity and encourages participation, teamwork friendship and compassion from children. The new DVD also includes a never-beforeseen episode, and the unique viewing experience "Magic Mission Mode".

    Little Einsteins: Rocket's Firebird Rescue is available for U.S. $26.99 (SRP), Canada $29.99 (SRP) from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

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    Handy Manny: Tooling Around

    Walt Disney Home Entertainment - Say "hola" to the handiest neighbor in town! Handy Manny, the preschool hit on Playhouse Disney, is available for the first time on DVD August 21, 2007. In Handy Manny: Tooling Around, Manny and his posse of talking tools work to fix problems around their neighborhood and learn messages of teamwork, friendship and community with an introduction to basic Spanish-language skills.

    Handy Manny: Tooling Around is a triple-length adventure featuring a never-before-seen episode, "Squeeze's Day Off," as well as fun activities for the whole family. Also included are episodes, "Amigo Grande" and "A Sticky Fix" that kids will enjoy over and over again! In their daily tasks, Manny and his tools realize that all it takes is a "can do" attitude and a little teamwork to get the job done.

    Handy Manny debuted in September 2006 and has been a top-rated series ever since, second only to Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

    Wilmer Valderrama of "That '70s Show" is the voice of the main character, Manny Garcia, who is the best handyman in the town of Sheet Rock Hills and uses his box of mismatched tools to help him make repairs all over town. Each episode focuses on teamwork, friendship and the value of community, as well as basic Spanish language skills.

    Manny and his tools live by the motto "You break it, we fix it!" Among his tools are Pat, the bumbling hammer; Felipe, the ambitious screwdriver; Turner, the grumpy screwdriver; Stretch, the nearly perfect tape measure; Rusty, the fearful monkey wrench; Squeeze, the curious pliers; and Dusty, the not-so-dainty handsaw.

    Handy Manny: Tooling Around is available for U.S. $19.99 (SRP), Canada $24.99 (SRP) from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

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    Disney hit is no victory for right-wing

    Chicago Sun-Times - Some right-wingers wasted no time in jumping on the "Disney's High School Musical 2" express on Monday, claiming the record ratings as a victory for family values -- and a blow to all those smut-peddlers in Hollywood.

    The premiere of "Disney's High School Musical 2" attracted 17.24 million viewers last Friday, shattering the basic cable record of 16 million viewers set by ESPN's first "Monday Night Football" telecast in 2006.

    Put it this way: If "HSM2" had opened in theaters, it would have translated to an opening day tally of more than $100 million. Of course, a lot of those tix would have been children's tickets, but any way you slice it, the number is impressive.

    "HSM3" is in the works. For years to come, we can expect sequels with new cast members, long after Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens have moved on.

    A wholesome victory?

    Monday afternoon I was asked to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" to discuss the "High School Musical" phenomenon. A producer for the show e-mailed that O'Reilly wanted to talk about whether the sequel got negative reviews from some quarters because it was "wholesome and G-rated."

    I wasn't able to do the show because of a scheduling conflict, but I would have been happy to go on with good ol' Bill to talk about this. In fact I saw mostly positive notices for "HSM2," but I don't believe most critics, even the liberal ones, would give the movie a negative rating solely because of its wholesome content.

    Especially a movie on the Disney Channel. It's not as if the programming there is filled with marathon showings of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and tributes to the uncensored comedy of Dave Chappelle.

    In the meantime, the conservative Media Research Center issued a press release hailing the ratings for "HSM2."

    "Friday's [ratings triumph for 'High School Musical 2'] proves beyond doubt that there is a demand for wholesome family entertainment . . . the much-hyped 'Sopranos' series finale on pay cable pulled in only 11.9 million [viewers]," read the release.

    From MRC president Brent Bozell III: "Hollywood likes to tell us there isn't a market for family-friendly television shows. Those smut and violence peddlers don't have a clue. The phenomenal, record-breaking success of 'High School Musical 2' proves it, in spades."

    Adds Robert Knight of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute: "Millions tuned in Friday to watch a show without violence, sex or bad language. . . . Not everyone wants to drown in a sea of sexual innuendo and violence."

    Note to Bozell and Knight: "Disney's High School Musical 2" is a product of, wait for it, DISNEY -- as mainstream Hollywood as it gets. Given the billions the company has made off wholesome fare, they might not be totally clueless about the family-friendly market.

    With movies, stage adaptations, sing-along versions, dolls, books, a video game, a documentary, etc., etc., this is a mega-franchise. "High School Musical" is pure Disney, pure Hollywood.

    Every time a family-friendly show or movie becomes a hit, conservatives say this proves there's a huge market for this stuff -- if only those devil-spawn heathens in Hollywood would get their minds and creative juices out of the gutter.

    "When will Hollywood learn that films without sex and obscene language frequently sell like hot cakes?" asks the Culture and Media Institute.

    You mean films "The Lion King" and "The Little Mermaid" are profitable? Who knew? Hollywood already realizes there's a market for family films -- just as there's a market for hard-R films such as "300" and "Superbad." Family-friendly movies such as "Finding Nemo" and "Ratatouille" make hundreds of millions for the studios -- and TV shows such as the super-corny "American Idol" and the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana" are hugely profitable as well.

    One more thing for the conservative movement to consider before they get too attached to the "High School Musical" franchise: It could be argued that the primary messages contained in both "High School Musical" movies are quite liberal.

    As one parent and certified Disney-phile told me Monday, "As wholesome and family-friendly as these films are, both 'High School Musical' films promote tolerance, interracial dating and rejection of elitism -- all 'liberal' themes that drive those religious right-wingers nuts."

    Let the backlash begin!

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    BuynLarge - hilarious web attack on excesses of capitalism by.. Disney?

    Netribution - The BuynLarge Corporation's website illustrates a future where one company effectively controls everything on the planet - from industry and media to the world clock, government, and, even North on the compass. If it want's to stop paying tax, it can. It's opponents such as anarchists and anti-consumer groups, are in fact 'customers we haven't reached yet'. To top it all the site is littered with cringable stock photography and a web-standards unfriendly Flash interface.

    And the source of this smart (and wet myself funny) illustration of the nightmare Stalinist totalitarian future for unchecked global capitalism? Ad busters, perhaps? Greenpeace or Armando Iannucci or Chris Morris?

    It's actually Disney subsidiary PIxar and the new promotion site for 2008's Wall-E. While most of us in the UK are waiting to get to see Rataouille (which I saw at Edinburgh this week and is reportedly topping the audience award already - review and Edinburgh write up soon!) publicity for the final film of the original Stanton-Lasseter- slate is heating up. The film, conceived over a legendary lunch shortly before the release of Toy Story, where A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo were also formed, looks like Pixar's first attempt at a love story, through the heart of an R2D2 like robot. Says Disney's head of animation, John Lasster: 

    WALL-E is the story of the last little robot on Earth. He is a robot that his programming was to help clean up. You see, it's set way in the future. Through consumerism, rampant, unchecked consumerism, the Earth was covered with trash.  And to clean up, everyone had to leave Earth and set in place millions of these little robots that went around to clean up the trash and make Earth habitable again. 

    Well, the cleanup program failed with the exception of this one little robot and he's left on Earth doing his duty all alone. But it's not a story about science fiction. It's a love story, because, you see, WALL-E falls in love with [Eve], a robot from a probe that comes down to check on Earth, and she's left there to check on and see how things are going and he absolutely falls in love with her 

    It sounds promising - according to the Wikipedia entry, director Andrew Stanton  developed WALL-E before Toy Story was made:.     After directing Finding Nemo, Stanton felt, "We had really achieved the physics of believing you were really under water, so I said 'Hey, let’s do that with air.' I said, 'Let’s do that with air. Let’s fix our lenses, let’s get the depth of field looking exactly how anthropomorphic lenses work and do all these tricks that make us have the same kind of dimensionality that we got on Nemo with an object out in the air and on the ground.'" The design of WALL-E and Eve came about by Stanton telling his designers, "See it as an appliance first, and then read character into it." There is no traditional dialogue in the film; Stanton joked, "I’m basically making R2-D2: The Movie", in reference to voice artist/sound designer Ben Burtt's work on Star Wars. To create dialogue, Burtt took various mechanical sounds, and combined them to resemble dialogue. Producer Jim Morris added that the film was animated so that it would feel "as if there really was a cameraman." 

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    Disney Casting Call!

    Orlando Sentinel - Ok, let me see if I can make heads or tails out of this, the vaguest casting call notice on record.

    The show is an Internet venture by Disney called Adventures by Disney.

    The call is Sat. at the Last Stage out of Town.

    They want you to create and original character or mascot or some such. They'll pay $100 if they use your "bit" on the web.

    "Shock us, make us laugh."

    This site doesn't seem to have details on what they're looking for, but you can email info@247cast.com for more information. Hotline, 407-224-5613.

    If you're a professional comic, actor, writer, etc., you know what this sounds like. So be aware. And read on.

    Heinz Productions www.247cast.com is casting for Adventures By Disney!
    For casting requirements ~ Call our Hot Line @  407-224-5613

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    Monday August, 20 2007

    Move Over Mickey: A New Franchise at Disney
    Disney Confirms December Debut for 'High School Musical 2' Blu-ray
    At Disney, 'Million Dreams' Is Not The Price Tag, But Close
    Latest Photo of Spaceship Earth Wand Removal
    Team from Disney examines Enchanted Forest's newest ride
    Tainted Baby Bibs Recalled
    Disney stars party with Greenville fan
    Move Over Mickey: A New Franchise at Disney

    New York Times - When “High School Musical 2,” the sequel to the hit 2006 made-for-television movie, made its debut on the Disney Channel on Friday night, it was a highly anticipated moment for millions of children across the nation.

    It was also a satisfying one for the Disney Channel and its parent, the Walt Disney Company. Despite lukewarm reviews, the film’s debut drew 17.2 million viewers, according to preliminary ratings estimates from the channel. If those estimates hold up, it would make the debut of “High School Musical 2” the No. 1 television program of the week, on cable or network, as well as the most watched show of any kind in basic cable history.

    The success of “High School Musical 2” is an indication of Disney’s long-term efforts to reposition its cable channel to appeal to the underserved 9-to-14 age group and to rope in youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems too babyish. For the time being at least, the movie has made a trio of fictional high school students named Troy, Gabriella and Sharpay as recognizably Disney as that 79-year-old mouse.

    Rich Ross, the president of Disney Channel Worldwide, argued that the ratings achievements of the sequel pointed to the larger strength of the channel’s television movie business. He noted that “High School Musical” had been the channel’s 61st original movie. “People talk about ‘High School Musical’ as a franchise,” he said. “The franchise is the Disney Channel original movie.”

    Nevertheless, sustaining interest in “High School Musical” required Disney and its promotional partners to bombard capricious young viewers with a relentless stream of merchandise and marketing in the 18 months between the first and second movies.

    And now some analysts wonder if Disney is risking the health of this budding franchise by expanding it too quickly.

    “It’s all about how you steer the ship,” said Matt Britton, chief of brand development for Mr. Youth, a New York marketing firm. “You want to satisfy demand but not overdo it. They are coming right up to that line.”

    From the moment the first “High School Musical,” a made-for-television, totally wholesome confection about a hunky jock and a cherubic straight-A girl who discover a mutual passion for performing, had its premiere in January 2006, a sequel was assured: the film made its debut to an audience of 7.8 million viewers, and generated $100 million in profits from DVD and soundtrack sales, touring concerts and ice shows, and numerous other brand extensions over the next two years.

    The sequel continues the characters’ adventures during a vacation at a New Mexico resort.

    Virginia Heffernan, a television critic for The New York Times, wrote that although the sequel had a haphazard charm, “the movie is mediocre, and should be skipped.” But she added, "I can’t wait to buy the soundtrack and do the karaoke."

    When Mr. Ross joined the Disney Channel, in 1996, its prospects were not uniformly bright. As it tried to shift from being a premium service, the Disney Channel was best known for its cartoon shows — and as a perpetual also-ran to its basic-cable rival Nickelodeon.

    And when Mr. Ross and his colleague Anne Sweeney, now the president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, sought to create a Disney Channel line of made-for-television movies, they were second-guessed within their own company: the channel was already associated with a film studio that could supply it with theatrical releases. But with the R rating in ascendance and an emerging demographic of 9-to-14-year-olds craving pop culture to call their own, they persevered.

    A decade later, the Disney Channel is now the biggest kid on the block: for two years, it has been the highest-rated basic cable channel among children 6 to 11 and 9 to 14. It is a sea change from 2000-1 when Nickelodeon had all of the Top 10 most-watched cable programs among children 6 to 14.

    In the 18-month lead-up to “High School Musical 2,” Disney executives did not want to repeat their missteps with the original, when they were surprised by the degree of success: they did not have enough merchandise to sell the Monday morning after its premiere. And the cast was not yet signed for the sequel.

    This time the channel subdivided its audience into the narrowest of niches and sought out each razor-thin slice wherever it could be found: cross-promotions were created with Major League Baseball, Wal-Mart, Sprint and Dannon yogurt, among others. Gossip and updates on the making of the sequel were doled out to magazines like CosmoGirl and People, and every star of the film had an official presence on YouTube, MySpace or elsewhere on the Internet — a strategy that was largely absent from the promotion of the first film.

    Even the gradual unveiling of the sequel’s poster on the Disney.com Web site was turned into its own event. “The poster was released in pieces,” said Danielle Chiara, the deputy editor of J-14, a tween-oriented entertainment magazine. “Every week you would see a piece from it, and then kids could print it out once it was entirely revealed.”

    Meanwhile, a global marketing plan was devised for the movie, beginning with an almost-24-hour-long conference call between American executives at the Disney Channel and its partners in more than 100 countries. “We started with India, and we ended with Australia,” Mr. Ross said.

    And, oh yes, there was merchandising, from apparel to pencil cases to melodic toothbrushes. Fans could choose from three different DVD versions, and at least as many soundtracks. Disney’s Consumer Products group estimates that in the 2008 fiscal year “High School Musical” should generate some $650 million in retail sales.

    Some observers of the fickle tween marketplace say they are surprised that “High School Musical” has been able to maintain its popularity as long as it has. “It’s taken over everything, and everybody’s under the assumption that what goes up must come down,” Ms. Chiara of J-14 said. “But it’s on such a height right now that I don’t see that coming down happening any time soon.”

    By now, even the franchise’s most loyal fans are aware of how persistently “High School Musical” has been marketed to them.

    “I always think that it’s way too much,” said Bridget Lavin, an 11-year-old from Manhasset, N.Y., wearing earrings in the shape of Mickey Mouse. “That doesn’t make me any less excited.”

    And some of the parents who pay for all the merchandise say they do not mind, as long as it is in the service of something so squeaky clean.

    “What can I complain about?” said Andrea Doherty of Manhasset, the mother of two daughters, 10 and 13. “In a regular teen movie, they’d be jumping all over each other and you’d have to bleep things out.”

    There will be plenty of additional “High School Musical” products to put on wish lists in the months ahead.

    And a third movie is in the works, a feature film that will make its debut in theaters in late 2008, once negotiations with principal cast members are complete.

    Mr. Ross gave no sign that the film franchise will end as a trilogy, pointing to the Harry Potter series as his inspiration. “You always feel pretty good when there’s a number seven after their last sequel,” he said, “and a two after yours. If you do it right, maybe there’s more to go.”

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    Disney Confirms December Debut for 'High School Musical 2' Blu-ray

    High-Def DVD Digest - Mark your calendars, kids, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has confirmed a December arrival for the unstoppable teen sensation 'High School Musical 2.'

    As we first reported earlier this month, Disney had previously teased a 2007 high-def release for 'High School Musical 2' via an online trailer that touted a day-and-date debut on Blu-ray and DVD (though no exact date was given).

    Then, only this past week, a printed advertisement inside recently-shipped DVD copies of the Disney titles 'The Suite Life of Zack And Cody' and 'Corey the House' listed a date of December 11 for 'HSM 2,' offering the first official word from the studio of an actual street date.

    We've since received confirmation from Disney that the December 11 date is indeed confirmed, so the record number of fans who tuned in to see the world premiere of the sequel this past Friday on the Disney Channel (an astonishing 17.2 million viewers, making 'HSM 2' the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time) won't have to wait long to own the movie in high-def.

    Given the early announcement, there are no tech specs nor supplements available yet, although the ad (and the previous trailer) both tout the Blu-ray and DVD versions as the "Extended Edition" with an all-new music scene and a Sing-Along Version among the planned supplements.

    According to the studio, a full press release with detailed specs should appear within the coming weeks, so watch this space -- we'll certainly keep you posted.

    In the meantime, we've updated our listing for 'High School Musical 2' in our comprehensive Blu-ray Release Schedule to reflect the now-confirmed December 11th release date.

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    At Disney, 'Million Dreams' Is Not The Price Tag, But Close

    Brandweek Magazine - Wine inspired by characters from the Walt Disney Co. may not make it to your next wine-tasting gathering after the company decided last month not to produce Ratatouille, a white burgundy inspired by the 2007 animated film.

    But Disney Consumer Products, Burbank, Calif., continues to expand its presence in the luxury market, the latest effort being triple-milled soap sets inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The line, from Gianna Rose Atelier, Santa Ana, Calif., will be available for the holiday season (MSRP $37.50). Other sets will follow.

    "We went into Disney's vaults and drew upon the inspiration of Walt Disney's iconography to transform the characters, images and themes into couture soaps," said Blair Buckley, vp-product development at Gianna Rose Atelier.

    The line continues a strategy for the company that this year saw the unveiling of The Kirstie Kelly for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, a collection of wedding gowns inspired by the style of such Disney princesses as Cinderella and Jasmine that retail between $1,100-3,500. In 2005, DCP introduced a couture home décor and jewelry line inspired by Alice in Wonderland, designed by Kidada Jones. In May DCP introduced the Kidada for Disney Couture collection of loungewear, costume jewelry and home accessories inspired by Disney's princesses.

    "Brands need to find new ways to attract new audiences. Disney has a treasure trove of icons and assets that they can adapt to appeal to upscale consumers," said Eli Portnoy, chief brand strategist at The Portnoy Group, Orlando, Fla., which did not work on the campaign "As long as they do it in a subtle way and bring the best [icons, assets and quality products] to market, they will find an audience."

    Other high-end Disney collections include furniture from Drexel Heritage, infant apparel and accessories, and adult cosmetics such as the Alice in Wonderland by Goldie items for Bath & Body Works.

    Disney has been careful not to be too heavy-handed with its upscale products. The new Gianna Rose Atelier soap sets, for example, won't even receive marketing support from Disney. "They are letting the designs sell themselves," said Portnoy.

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    Latest Photo of Spaceship Earth Wand Removal

    Below is the latest progress photo of Epcot's Spaceship Earth Wand Removal, not much left.

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    Team from Disney examines Enchanted Forest's newest ride

    Salem Statesman Journal - The Walt Disney Co. sent a team to the Enchanted Forest Wednesday to check out The Challenge of Mondor, a trackless indoor target shooting ride.

    Disney "Imagineers" came to the Turner theme park to research the possibilities of using the same ride system in Disneyland, Enchanted Forest officials said.

    Barcode technology guides The Challenge of Mondor's cars. That allows the cars to have a greater range of movement than vehicles hooked to a track.

    The trackless ride system was built by ETF of the Netherlands. It is the only trackless ride system built by ETF in the United States, Enchanted Forest officials said.

    The ride "sends riders on a quest to fight dragons and monsters and free the happy little drumlins," according to the theme park. Riders use infrared guns to vanquish their opponents, and the cars have on-board score-keeping units. Top scorers are given medals and have their names engraved on a plaque at Enchanted Forest.

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    Tainted Baby Bibs Recalled

    WLNS - An important recall to tell you about. Toys R Us is removing all vinyl baby bibs after two bibs made in China showed high levels of lead. The bibs were supplied by Hamco and marketed under the Koala baby "Especially for Baby" and Disney baby labels. Vinyl bibs made by other companies have also been removed to avoid any confusion. Toys R Us is offering full refunds on the items. For more information can call 1-800-8-69-7787.

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    Disney stars party with Greenville fan

    Times Herald-Record - Two bright young things from "High School Musical 2" — as of Friday, the most-watched cable television program in couch-potato history — skipped this weekend's after parties at the A-list dance clubs to hang with a few kids yesterday from the Minisink area at a C-list country club.

    The celebutantes were there to see Anthony Israel, 11, of Greenville, a soon-to-be-sixth-grader at the Minisink Valley Middle School who won a national call-in Radio Disney contest.

    "I had to name five picnic foods," he said. That answer got Anthony's name in contention for a grand-prize cast party for Anthony and 30 of his nearest and dearest friends, siblings and grandparents. Anthony doesn't remember what foods he rattled off, but he does remember "freaking out" when he got a phone call from Disney DJ Ernie D a few weeks later telling him that he had won.

    Sure enough, stars KayCee Stroh and Olesya Rulin, who play musically inclined East High School Wildcats in the "High School Musical" TV movies, arrived at the High Point Golf Club in Montague yesterday to have lunch (ice cream sundaes with all the fixings,) to autograph (T-shirts, posters, a golf caddy's back,) to mug (with cover girl poses and goofy ones) and, of course, to sing and dance to every brainwashing song with Anthony's pals.

    "And five, six, seven, eight"¦c'mon girls," said Stroh, "pop those hips like you're sassy."

    Stroh, 23, plays Martha Cox, a nerdy plus-sized teen who adores hip-hop dancing. In the first "High School Musical" movie, she gets picked on by her classmates for her bizarre mix of brains and bass line. But in the sequel, which debuted Friday on the Disney Channel, Stroh comes into her own.

    "I prove that you can be intelligent. You can be a bigger girl. And, you can be a total diva," she said.

    Stroh doesn't need to sell this audience. The boys and girls, all knees and elbows, are transfixed by the actresses. The little girls stare at the big girls' high heels, trying to mimic their dance moves. The boys pass the microphone around, belting every word like upperclassmen. As the sugar sets in, all adolescent shyness dissolves.

    Seven-year-old Chelsea Harvey wraps her arms around Rulin, 21, who stars as piano-playing Kelsi Nielsen in the movies. Chelsea asks her if the mean girl in the movie acts like that in real life.

    Of course not, Rulin assures her. They're all nice people.

    Chelsea thinks this over, then goes in for another squeeze.

    One can't help but wonder if the limelight cast by the highest-rated TV movie in the nation will soon push these young stars out of reach.

    But not today.

    Today, 11-year-old Anthony Israel, who's "reeeally excited," is hosting the hottest after-party in a kid's universe. 

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    Sunday August, 19 2007

    Premiere of ‘High School Musical 2’ Breaks Ratings Record
    Baby Einstein Founder Stands Behind Videos
    Anaheim Boutique is Test Bed for Disney’s Urban Marketing Efforts
    The Fountainview at Epcot Re-opens
    Premiere of ‘High School Musical 2’ Breaks Ratings Record

    The New York Times - The Friday night premiere of the Disney Channel made-for-television movie "High School Musical 2" has set numerous ratings records and delivered the largest single audience in basic-cable television history, according to preliminary ratings reports provided by Disney.

    In early overnight estimates, the debut of "High School Musical 2," a sequel to the wildly popular 2006 children's television movie about a diverse group of teenagers who learn to channel their inner theater geeks, was watched by 17.2 million viewers nationwide.

    If these estimates hold up, it would make "High School Musical 2" the most watched event ever broadcast on basic cable, surpassing the debut of "Monday Night Football" on ESPN, which attracted 16 million viewers on Sept. 23, 2006.

    It would also mean that "High School Musical 2" is the most watched movie to be shown on basic cable, toppling the previous record holder, the TNT western "Crossfire Trail," which was seen by 15.5 million viewers when it aired on January 21, 2001.

    Among the youth demographics that the Disney Channel values most, "High School Musical 2" was once again a ratings smash: the broadcast is now the most-watched single event among children aged 6 to 11, and it represents the channel's most watched event among tweens aged 9 to 14.

    Young viewers had been anticipating the sequel to "High School Musical," which catapulted young stars like Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens to stardom and generated an estimated $100 million in sales of DVDs and CD soundtracks for the Walt Disney Co., for more than a year and a half.

    In recent months, the Disney Channel, which is available in 92 million homes nationwide, has been reaping the benefits of the frenzied excitement for "High School Musical 2." For the last five weeks, Disney has been the most watched of all basic cable channels in prime time.

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    AP - The mother who launched the Baby Einstein child video empire by making videos in her basement for her own children says she's stung by a controversy over whether the videos help babies learn or get in the way - and insists they were never designed to make infants smarter, only happier.
     
    Julie Aigner-Clark sold her company to Walt Disney Co. five years ago. But the suburban Denver mother of two has been personally targeted by criticism after a University of Washington study suggested baby videos may hinder infants' vocabulary development.

    She woke up to find the mailbox outside her Centennial home vandalized with the words "Baby Dumb" spray-painted on it after she did television interviews about the study. She's also received e-mails from angry and concerned parents who'd bought videos for their children.

    In an interview, Aigner-Clark said she stands behind the videos and that they were never designed to make children smarter. The point, she said, is to make them happier by exposing them to "beautiful things" like art, music and poetry.

    Along the way, she thinks babies who watch the videos with their parents will probably learn things about words and numbers as their parents talk to them about what they see -- just as they do from reading a book with them.

    "I believe we've done what we've always set out to do -- expose kids to great things. And when used the right way, by interacting with a parent or a guardian, they're positive ways to engage your child," said Aigner-Clark, who has returned to work as an English teacher.

    The Web site for Baby Einstein, one of the most successful lines of baby videos, states that its products, which also include books and puppets, aren't designed to make babies smarter. The company was named after Albert Einstein because he "embodied a love of the arts, simple curiosity, and a passion for discovery."

    The company's DVDs feature pleasurable images like undersea footage on "Baby Neptune," or nuts-and-bolts learning tools. The Language Nursery video, for example, features words pronounced in English, Spanish, Japanese and several other languages. Other DVDs and CDs feature classical music by Beethoven and Bach and are named after luminaries like Galileo and Van Gogh.

    The university survey, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that watching an hour of baby videos a day was associated with a 17-point decrease on a language assessment test in children 8 to 16 months old. It said that meant those children knew about six to eight fewer words out of a list of 90 than other children that age.

    But the researchers acknowledged they couldn't say for sure what was causing those decreased scores without further study. And they found no difference in scores for toddlers 17 to 24 months who watched videos or television.

    They said it's possible heavy watching of the videos hurt children's language development but also proposed other possibilities -- that some parents of children with poor language skills expose them to more videos or that some parents leave their children watching the videos by themselves.

    The university on Thursday refused Disney's request to retract a press release summarizing the study results, saying it correctly summed up the findings as well as the researchers' interpretations of the findings.

    Last week's university press release said parents who want to help their baby's language development should probably limit the amount of time spent watching "Baby Einstein" and other baby videos.

    Disney said that wasn't fair since the study didn't reach a final conclusion. University president Mark A. Emmert said the release summed up the study's results and included researchers' interpretations but wasn't a substitute for reading the actual survey. He acknowledged, as the researchers did, that more study was needed to determine the reason for the lower test scores.

    "We do not view this study as the last word on the subject of the influence baby DVDs have on child development," Emmert wrote.

    John Murray, a developmental psychology professor at Kansas State University, said he doesn't think the videos themselves are harmful but that the low test scores could be the result of some parents using the videos as a substitute for reading and playing with their children. He said other research has shown children learn language best by interacting with people and hearing lots of words.

    Murray thinks it's OK for parents to let their child watch a baby video alone once in a while so they can have a few minutes to do something around the house. But he doubts viewing without parental involvement will help the child learn now or later.

    "Don't hope for great strides in applications for college coming from DVDs," Murray said.

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    Anaheim Boutique is Test Bed for Disney’s Urban Marketing Efforts

    Orange County Business Journal - Mickey Mouse has gone ghetto chic.

    Graffiti-style paintings of the Walt Disney Co. icon are on display at the company’s Vault 28 boutique in Downtown Disney. The out-of-character effort is part of Disney’s bid to appeal to young, trendy people.

    The paintings, by graffiti-style artists Slick, David Flores, Mear One, Steven Daily and Greg Simkins, aren’t for sale. Disney is selling shirts and hats with images of the paintings on them.

    The paintings are a far cry from the Mickey Mouse of movies, books and Disney’s theme parks. But they’re still tame and inoffensive.

    In Slick’s “Tres Mickey,” three droopy-eyed Mickey Mouse faces drip on a paint-splattered canvas.

    Mear One’s “Mickey da Vinci” is more edgy. It shows a rebellious Mickey Mouse painting his portrait on a fence.

    A serpent-like Mickey with narrowed eyes clenches onto a rat in Greg Simkins’ “Visitation.”

    “People will be surprised,” said Becky Lopez, manager of creative business and specialized development for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, which includes the company’s two theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney. “This is a totally new concept for Disney.”

    Vault 28, an upscale boutique that sells Disney designer clothes and accessories, underwent a makeover for the art exhibit, according to Lopez.

    The frilly boutique, which sells everything from Disney Couture shirts to Chip and Pepper jeans, now has graffiti on its walls and windows. Neon lights make the store feel more like a gritty subway station than a Disney store.

    “The graffiti and the neon lights help create an urban feel that compliments the art,” Lopez said.

    It’s unclear how much Disney spent redecorating Vault 28. Its new look will stay intact during the month-long art exhibit and possibly after, Lopez said.

    The graffiti inside Vault 28 is hardly the type you’d see along the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway. There are no bad words or obscene images, which helps Disney keep its wholesome image, according to Lopez.

    The paintings are just edgy enough, she said, to help the boutique lure more of the Red Bull crowd—young guys.

    The art isn’t for everyone, Lopez said.

    “It’s got an edge to it,” she said. “Mickey Mouse fans might not like it.”

    The paintings are tied to Disney’s consumer product line Bloc 28. The line meshes contemporary art with Disney characters.

    The company’s working with artists and Los Angeles-based Span of Sunset Inc. on the line.

    For years, amateur graffiti murals in New York and Los Angeles have used Disney characters as subjects, Lopez said. The Bloc 28 project takes inspiration from that, she said.

    “Disney is really showing that it’s thinking outside the box,” Lopez said. “This is the first time that it has ever collaborated with known street artists. It’s clear that Disney’s been an inspiration for urban youth and that there is a following.”

    T-shirts, baseball caps, pillows and a special edition vinyl toy are products in Disney’s Bloc 28 line. All have an urban, artistic look, Lopez said. They’ll be sold in limited numbers, though it’s undetermined how many actually will be made and sold, she said.

    Disney could come out with reprints of the paintings to sell, Lopez said.

    T-shirts go for $85. Baseball caps are $75. Pillows are $200. Prices for the vinyl toys haven’t been set yet, Lopez said. The items are being sold through pre-orders, she said.

    Vault 28, a test bed for edgier products, is the first store to sell the Bloc 28 items. The company plans to expand them to other retailers, Lopez said.

    “Vault 28 is becoming the OC hub for this movement,” she said. “This is something that we’ve always envisioned for the store.”

    Lopez wouldn’t disclose how much Disney spent on creating the products or how much in sales it expects to generate from the Bloc 28 line.

    Some may scoff at the bid to play up urban culture by Disney, which recently banned smoking in its movies and announced plans to pay $350 million for kiddie Web site Club Penguin.

    The edgy paintings and products show “Disney isn’t stale,” Lopez said.

    “We’re open to new ideas and moving ahead with the times,” she said.

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    The Fountainview at Epcot Re-opens

    Disney News - The Fountainview Pastry and Coffee shop at Epcot, which closed earlier this Year, has re-opened as The Fountainview Ice Cream Shop.

     During an upcoming test phase, the location will offer Edy's ice cream in cones and waffle bowls, as well as offering some shakes and floats. This is a much requested addition to Epcot's food offerings and should prove popular. However, it is only in a "test" period to gauge guest response.
     

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