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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive December 16-22 2007 | ||
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Friday December 21, 2007 | ||
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New monorail
arrives at Disneyland Behind the Book of Secrets A.D. ''Bud'' Albers Named Chief Technology Officer of the Walt Disney Internet Group At Disney-MGM, Harlem Gospel Choir is sensational Walt’s small wonder still enchants Disney favorites come to life at Dodge Hong Kong Legislators Criticize Disneyland Results | ||
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New
monorail arrives at Disneyland
 The
Orange County Register - The first new monorail car in two
decades slid onto the Disneyland track on Thursday as the theme
park prepares for guests to ride it starting in late February.
Starting Monday, five flat-bed trucks transported in the five cars of the first redesigned train from Vancouver, Canada, where they were built. Crews ripped off white shrink wrap, which made the cars look like a Space Shuttle, and took about an hour and 15 minutes for a crane to hoist the nose of the first red-striped train to the parking area. The ride started in 1959 as part of Disneyland's first
expansion and the current cars have carted visitors around the
Disney area since 1987. For three years, Disney Imagineers have
been working on the upgrades that will roll out through the
summer.
"I think we're always looking for ways to update and refresh classic attractions," said Scot Drake, the monorail lead designer. "This is definitely an iconic attraction." The biggest change is the look of the train: The first electric cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass. Bench seats will face the windows, allowing visitors a full view of the parks, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel. The capacity and speed will remain the same. Until the February debut, Disney workers will put finishing touches on the construction and test the train after the park closes. | ||
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Behind the
Book of Secrets Disney Insider - "Around Thanksgiving or Christmas, it's nice to be able to enjoy a movie with your entire family -- one that kids and grandparents and everyone can go to," says Jerry Bruckheimer. And that is the film he has set out to make in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." A smart adventure movie ... a blockbuster that doesn't rely on explosions to entertain the audience ... a sequel to the breakout hit of 2004 ... can it really be done? If anyone can do it, it is Jerry Bruckheimer. Decades of success have made Jerry one of the few producers whose name is a household word -- as familiar to many as those of the stars in front of the camera. From his earliest films right up through the spectacular "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy and the "National Treasure" films, he's had an unerring instinct for the movies that will thrill and entertain audiences. "National Treasure" introduced us to treasure-hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), his cantankerous father (Jon Voight), the bewildered but loyal Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), and historian Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) -- all of whom are back for a new adventure through American history and modern peril in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." Joining them are Oscar-winner Helen Mirren and four-time Oscar-nominee Ed Harris. With "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" opening in theaters on December 21, he graciously agreed to sit down with the Insider and discuss movies and their secrets -- from the existence of three Statues of Liberty (no, really -- there are) to what makes us love a movie. According to Jerry, he has a simple rule of thumb for picking a project: "The only kinds of movies I make are movies I'd like to see! I don't know what you'll like -- I don't know what anybody will like. I just know what I like. And when people respond to them, I'm surprised every time," he says. And it's no secret what made him want to see the first "National Treasure" and now "Book of Secrets" when he read the scripts. "They're smart and educational, but we don't preach to anybody -- you just learn through the course of the clues, at least I did!" he laughs. "I didn't know that there were three Statues of Liberty." The three statues are just one of the many details in the film that are based in historical truth -- the missing pages of John Wilkes Booth's diary, the matching desks at Buckingham Palace and the White House, and many other links in the chain of clues are drawn from little-known nuggets of fascinating information uncovered by the filmmakers. The first "National Treasure" demonstrated that the combination of fabulous treasure and little-known gems of American history is one that makes the films as fun as they are revealing. Jerry's eyes gleam with enthusiasm as he discusses the plot twists and he confesses, "I'm a history buff -- very much so." He hopes that that enthusiasm will be felt by the audience as well -- as it was with "National Treasure." "I think audiences don't want to see a movie where the lead character's a dumbbell," he laughs. But that doesn't mean you need to bring a textbook with you to see "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." "Justin Bartha's character [Riley Poole] is really the audience stand-in," explains Jerry. "He's saying, you know, 'Who's La Boulet?' And I wouldn't know who La Boulet was, either, until working on this film! So it's nice to have that character in there to be, you know -- me!" Who IS Laboulaye? You can do a little online research -- or join the adventure and see where else "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" has in store. | ||
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A.D. ''Bud'' Albers Named Chief Technology Officer of the Walt
Disney Internet Group FOX News - .D. "Bud" Albers has been appointed as chief technology officer (CTO ) of the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG). WDIG develops and delivers interactive Disney-branded media for Internet and mobile devices for audiences around the world and also provides centralized development support and a world-class technology for all of the Internet properties of The Walt Disney Company. Reporting to WDIG President Steve Wadsworth, Albers will be responsible for leading technological breakthroughs on existing platforms as well as developing cutting-edge new technology solutions in support of the company's new media technology needs. He will begin on January 2, 2008. Albers joins WDIG from MediaNet Digital, formerly MusicNet, where he served as Senior Vice President & CTO, leading numerous high-profile digital music service launches including Microsoft Zune, MTV Urge, Yahoo Music Unlimited, Virgin Red Pass and the Samsung Media Service in Europe. He was responsible for all aspects of product strategy, development and implementation, including leading the company's shift into video, DRM free and cross platform technologies. "Bud's depth and breadth of experience in complex technology solutions and global business challenges will be invaluable to us as we pursue our mission to offer a compelling mix of interactive entertainment and information content and services for Internet and mobile devices for audiences around the world," said Wadsworth. "We're fortunate to have someone with Bud's deep success record and strategic insight on our leadership team. "His technical knowledge combined with his strategic thinking will help us achieve our vision of a world where users can access The Walt Disney Company content, including Disney-branded characters and stories, ABC news and entertainment and ESPN sports coverage and analysis, anytime and anywhere." Prior to MediaNet, Albers served as CTO of Drugstore.com, one of the leading online pure-play retailers, where he was responsible for all aspects of technology including design, development and operation of a suite of high volume retail Web sites that support more than 125M unique visitors per year. Albers drove the creation of a state-of-the-art technology platform designed to optimize the cost of new customer acquisition through paid placement and free-text search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo. He led teams through upgrade planning, execution and support of the largest holiday season in the history of the company and setting numerous order and site volume records, achieving a level of uninterrupted service for the holiday season. Albers' experience also includes serving the role of senior vice president and CTO at Getty Images, where he successfully led the company's highly profiled transition from bricks to clicks, migrating more than 90 percent of the company's revenues to the on-line channel while helping to lead the integration efforts for the groups 39 acquisitions, transforming the business model into one referred to by J.P. Morgan & Co. as "one of the most successful web-based businesses around." He was also instrumental in building the company's online news and sports services. Albers graduated from McKendree College with a bachelor of science degree in Computing and Information Sciences in 1986. He was named to ComputerWorld's Premier 100 IT leaders in December 2007, an honor for leaders who have had a positive impact on their organizations through technology. Albers will be based in WDIG's Seattle office. About Walt Disney Internet Group The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG ) offers a compelling mix of interactive entertainment and informational content and services for Internet and mobile devices for audiences around the world. WDIG is both a developer of unique new media experiences specifically designed for Internet and mobile media and a developer of new platforms for distributing content selected from broad, existing entertainment divisions and libraries of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). With a portfolio of products and services designed with quality and guest safety in mind, WDIG's integration of Disney's unmatched breadth of content with a best-practices approach to Internet and mobile technology drives multiple revenue streams from premium content offerings, advertising and ecommerce. WDIG's suite of properties includes Disney.com, Family.com, Movies.com and mDisney mobile entertainment. WDIG is an industry leader in online virtual worlds for kids and families, with offerings including Disney's Club Penguin, Disney's Toontown Online, Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Disney Fairies. WDIG, which is headquartered in North Hollywood, Calif., has operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe and across the Americas. | ||
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At
Disney-MGM, Harlem Gospel Choir is sensational Theme Park Rangers - Not only did I sing with Candlelight Processional at Epcot this year, I sang with the Harlem Gospel Choir at Disney-MGM Studios. And you can too! The spirited singers invite the audience to sing, dance, clap and feel the spirit. It's a show worth seeing -- and it ends Christmas Day, so what are you waiting for?
You would have to be a real
Scrooge not to be moved by the spirit of the season during
these numbers. The energy is sky-high, the voices are
beautiful. A moving version of "Let There Be Peace on Earth"
brought the house down at my show, and that wasn't even one
of the upbeat, hands-in-the-air numbers.
It's 30 minutes of pure joy. Boogie on over and recharge your Christmas spirit. Showtimes are 5, 6 and 7:30 at the Theater of the Stars (That's the "Beauty & the Beast" theater, down Sunset Boulevard toward Tower of Terror.) | ||
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Walt’s small wonder
still enchants ic Wales - Seventy years ago today Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered and established animation as an art form with the power to bewitch billions. Disney’s wife Lillian reputedly told him, “No one’s ever gonna pay a dime to see to a dwarf picture.” But Snow White became the highest-grossing film in American cinema history until it was eclipsed in 1939 by Gone With the Wind. The greatest testament to Disney’s genius is the fact that his re-imagined fairytales still have the power to conjure the dreams and nightmares of children today. Andrew Offiler, head of development at Cardiff-based animators Calon, is best known for his work on the internationally successful children’s series SuperTed. He is a fan of Snow White, and regards Fred Moore – one of the artists who brought the Wicked Stepmother and assorted dwarfs to life – as a personal hero. Yesterday he said, “I still think, regardless of the innovations we have today, it’s probably the most important animated feature film. It was the first one that successfully did long-form storytelling in animation; at the time people were very sceptical whether anyone would sit for a feature-length cartoon.” Cinema-goers sat spellbound through its 84 minutes. Snow White paved the way for subsequent epics including Pinocchio (1940) and modern-day computer-animated extravaganzas such as the Toy Story series. The success of Snow White stems from the painstaking effort devoted by Disney’s team into perfecting both the characters and the technical process. Each shot featured multiple levels of painted glass, creating an atmosphere of “hyper-reality”. Mr Offiler said, “The camera would move down and they’d move these panes out of the way so it would feel like you were going into the forest.” The hypnotic beauty of the surroundings was matched by the individuality of Bashful, Happy, Dopey and the four other dwarfs and the terror of the evil queen. Though the violence of the tale chronicled by the Brothers Grimm has been toned down, the story of a stepmother, so gripped with jealousy by Snow White’s beauty that she arranges her murder, remains captivating. While in production Snow White was mocked as “Disney’s folly” but the filmmaker was quickly vindicated when his masterpiece was unveiled. Mr Offiler said, “It was [premiered] in the way a live-action movie would be launched. All of the stars of the day like Marlene Dietrich went to see it.” Caroline Parsons, a lecturer in animation at the University of Wales, Newport, applauds the movie as “timeless”. A secret of its charm, she argues, is the decision of the animators to model Snow White on real-life ballerinas. They would film the dancers and then draw over their outlines. One side-effect of Disney’s success, she claims, is that animators were incorporated in the Hollywood machine and cartoons became associated with children’s productions. Ms Parsons said, “It demonstrated the possibility of animation becoming an industry whereas previously it had been a very craft-based and individual pursuit.” While Japanese animators have long catered for an adult audience, it is only in recent years that adults living in the West have been won over by the sophisticated comedy in Pixar films such as The Incredibles (2004). Disney animations enjoyed a revival in the 1990s which climaxed with The Lion King (1994). The animation department at this time was led by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who quit to found Dreamworks with Steven Spielberg and produce the avowedly irreverent Shrek (2001). Since then Disney has struggled to create animations which possess the blend of drama and invention needed to enchant audiences of all ages. Snow White, the very first film to emerge from Disney’s stable, remains the standard by which all future opuses will be judged. Ms Parsons said, “It works as much today as it did then.” Ten Disney milestones 2. Pinocchio 3. Fantasia 4. Bambi 5. Cinderella 6. 101 Dalmatians 7. The Jungle Book 8. The Little Mermaid 9. Aladdin 10. The Lion King Drawing on computer talents will deliver the goods The former Foreign Secretary, the late Robin Cook, kept models of Wallace & Gromit in his room as examples of great British exports. The success of the claymation characters proved computers had not killed off traditional animation techniques. And Wes Anderson, the zeitgeist-defining director of The Royal Tenenbaums, is at work on a stop-motion version of Fantastic Mr Fox. However, in the coming decades programmers are expected to perfect the art of rendering flawless photo-realistic textures and believable “human” actors. While top stars today can command multi-million-dollar fees for each film, the digital artist who invents and patents the next Leonardo DeCaprio is destined for new stratospheres of wealth. | ||
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Disney
favorites come to life at Dodge TheV247 - Leo, June, Quincy and Annie of the Little Einstein’s along with Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny and, of course, Mickey and Minnie Mouse want to teach people about the universal language of music. Together these stars of Disney Channel’s "Playhouse Disney" will come to life on stage this weekend at Dodge Arena, which kicks off Friday night. Follow the cast of rambunctious characters as they set off in their own unique ways to create and contribute songs and music for a musical party at "Mickey’s Clubhouse." “What’s really great is you get to see more than one of your favorite (television) shows or characters,” said Trina Shumsonk, who portrays the Postess, a spunky mail carrier and emcee of the show. “But it’s also a big responsibility and exciting to see how all of the characters interact. "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," a popular series on cable television for pre-schoolers, features a daily block of five programs each with a specific lesson in every episode. "Little Einstein’s" currently ranks No. 1 in its morning time slot among all basic cable shows for children ages 2 to 5, according to Nielsen’s Media Research. “People have fun with a lot of the characters. They are familiar faces for them and each show has their own fan base.” What ends up happening, however, is children walk away fans of a whole new show, Shumsonk said. As the Playhouse Postess, Shumsonk’s job is to warm up the crowd and get them excited about what’s to come. Audience participation is one of the most important parts of the show. Although the Disney troupe travels extensively throughout the country — 70 different cities in all — they treat each show as their first. “It’s the first time for each audience so we work to make that magic come alive,” said Shumsonk, a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College in New York. “We’re always perfecting what we can and ways to encourage the audience more. We ask ourselves, ‘what could we do to make them feel at home?’ “We want them to know it’s OK to get up and participate. Disney is just ageless. Adults love (Mickey Mouse) just as much as children do.” The actress hopes the show will inspire children to explore their own creative and musical talents. “This is a huge learning experience for everyone,” she said. “It’s not just about theater but about traveling and learning about people. I’m definitely going to walk away with a lot of experience.” Playhouse Disney Live WHEN: Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. Dec 22 at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 23 at noon WHERE: Dodge Arena COST: $45, $33, $23 and $15 (Ages 1+ must have ticket) FOR MORE INFO: (956) 668-7740 | ||
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Hong Kong Legislators Criticize Disneyland Results AP - Local legislators criticized the poor performance of Hong Kong Disneyland, with one suggesting Friday the government should consider abandoning its joint venture with The Walt Disney Co. A Hong Kong official said at a hearing the park was a long-term investment, while the park's managing director said attendance figures were beginning to improve and that Disney will likely expand the park to draw more visitors. The Hong Kong government, which holds a majority stake in the park, said Monday that visitor numbers tumbled to 4 million in its second year from 5.2 million a year earlier. The park, which opened in September 2005, has been heavily criticized for being too small and lacking the high-profile rides of its sister parks in Tokyo, Paris and the United States. It faces increased competition from Ocean Park, a local marine-based adventure park. There have also been reports of a possible Disney theme park in Shanghai. Ocean Park opened in 1977 but has recently added a jellyfish house, five annual events such as a Halloween celebration and upgraded its food outlets. Legislators expressed frustration about Hong Kong Disneyland's poor progress. Opposition legislator Fred Li noted the Hong Kong government footed most of the park's $3.5 billion construction cost and demanded Disney invest more in the project. The government owns 57 percent of Hong Kong Disneyland, with Disney owning the rest. "In the future, you should pay for the lobster and we should only pay for the soup or the sauce," Li told Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest, who attended Friday's hearing. Another opposition lawmaker, Mandy Tam, asked if the government would consider pulling out of the project altogether. "Under what circumstances will you decide to terminate your agreement with the company (Disney)?" she said. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma said the park should be given time to reach its potential. "It's true the return for the first two years was not satisfactory. As shareholders, we have reflected our discontent to the management. But we do understand very well this is a long-term investment," he said. Ernest said Disney expects to invest in the park's expansion and that the company was discussing expansion plans with the government. The park also announced Wednesday it will add the classic Disney ride "It's a Small World" and four new shows next year. Ernest said attendance has shown signs of recovery, with visitor numbers for the last quarter this year already up from the fourth quarter of 2006. Ma said the government hasn't decided whether to invest more in the park. "It's about public money, so we have to be very careful," he said. | ||
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Thursday December 20, 2007 | ||
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Spaceship Earth at Disney's Epcot reopening Friday with new
features At Disney Properties, Christmas Numbers Are Staggering Disney Makes 'Hannah' Off Limits To Reviewers Deaths are not the attraction Disney needs Potrock named VP of Disney's global sports enterprises ESPN Acquires SchoolSports Inc. Disney Wilderness Preserve a little oasis Disney Wonders if a Mermaid Can Follow a Trail Blazed by a Lion Disney-themed kids electronics range launches in the UK Disney-ABC signs Russian deal Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Vice President of Global Special Events Named 2008 Rose Parade Float Judge Kindergartner with rare disease gets Disney World wish granted | ||
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Spaceship Earth at Disney's Epcot reopening Friday with new
features Orlando Sentinel - Epcot's iconic white sphere, Spaceship Earth, closed for nearly six months, will reopen to the public Friday with a new story line and digital enhancements. The show's producer Bob Zalk says the new story is about innovations and how they inspire the next generation.The ride features new show scenes, lighting effects and costumes with a new musical score narrated by Judy Dench. The ride's vehicles remain the same, but include new touch screens. There will also be an interactive component. Disney officials expect to make minor changes before the ride's formal reopening in February. | ||
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At Disney Properties, Christmas Numbers Are Staggering The Ledger - Guests and visitors to any area of the Walt Disney World Resort this holiday season will see evidence that the Christmas season is upon us. The numbers speak for themselves. For starters, there are 1,500 trees decorated across the massive WDW Resort property. The tree at Disney's Contemporary Resort has a base that is 26 feet wide. The one at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is 45 feet tall and feature nearly 60,000 lights. Add 150 tractor-trailer truckloads of decorations and 300,000 yards of ribbons and bows. The property boasts eight million holiday lights, including 34,000 feet - or six miles - just at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney-MGM Studios. The wreath hanging at Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney is 25 feet in diameter, and more than 15 miles of garland are strung throughout the Vacation Kingdom. There is a 16-foot tall gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and a life-size gingerbread carousel at Disney's Beach Club Resort. And the property's most famous landmark, Cinderella's Castle, is covered in more than 200,000 tiny white lights, giving the landmark the look of an ice castle when the sun goes down. There are special holiday parades and events in all of the Disney parks. | ||
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Disney
Makes 'Hannah' Off Limits To Reviewers Hartford Courant - Aside from Led Zeppelin's recent one-off show in London, Hannah Montana is the hottest concert of the season, and tickets are more difficult to find than a Spears daughter with good judgment. But The Courant didn't review Miley Cyrus' performance at the Hartford Civic — er, the XL Center. We wanted to review it. We had asked to review it. But Disney, which airs the TV show "Hannah Montana" and mounted the accompanying tour, controls media access to the concert, and opted not to set aside any tickets for reviewers in this market (and some others), a decision that is shortsighted and greedy. We gladly would have bought a ticket, were any available. But Disney screwed that up, too, when it failed to anticipate, and take steps to prevent, the swarm of scalpers who snapped up Hannah Montana tickets as soon as they went on sale. The fact that scalpers priced out thousands of little girls eager to see their hero on stage made little difference to Disney, except as a public-relations blip: The company profits, regardless of who ends up buying the tickets. By shutting out the media, though, Disney also deprives kids staying home Wednesday night of an account of the show written for a broader audience (and with perhaps more critical detachment and, arguably, scrapbook appeal) than whatever mileyrawks85 writes on some Hannah Montana fan site. Of course, newspaper concert reviews are rarely the last word; they're actually more of a starting point for debate and discussion — key elements of community. But Disney couldn't care less about community, unless it boosts the bottom line. To this mouse-eared Grinch, Hannah Montana fans (and their parents) are little more than sources of cash to be squeezed until they run dry. | ||
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Deaths are
not the attraction Disney needs Orlando Sentinel - It is the curse of Disney. When millions of people walk through your parks every year, it is a statistical certainty that some of them will die. When that happens on a ride, we often tell you about it under a banner headline. It becomes a worldwide story. But if you did the math, you would find that per capita no more people die in Disney than in any other large gathering place. If the gathering place is I-4 or Colonial Drive, I imagine the survival rate at Disney is much better. Disney rides no more kill people than toilet seats. In fact, the latter are much deadlier because as people age, sitting on them becomes the biggest strain in their lives. Paramedics call it a "commode code." You cannot tone down the rides at Disney to make them safe for everyone's underlying medical defects. A 77-year-old man died after riding Pirates of the Caribbean in 2005. And all you do there is sit in a floating cart. Given the inevitability of failing hearts and arteries, the only issue I see here is the adequacy of Disney's response. To assess that, some quick medical background is required. During a sudden heart attack, the heart rarely comes to a complete stop. It quivers and spasms, the victim of electrical short circuits that interrupt the standard thump-thump-thump. This is known as ventricular fibrillation. A normal rhythm must be restored as quickly as possible to get the blood flowing again. This is where defibrillators come in. They deliver a shock that overrides the short circuits and causes the heart to rapidly contract. It is like hitting a reset button, with the beat picking back up at a normal pace. Thanks to technical advances, there now are defibrillators for dummies. They tell you where to put the electrodes with voice instructions. They detect whether the heart is in ventricular fibrillation. If so, they administer a shock. If that's not the problem, they do not. You can do no harm, which is why you see them widely deployed in health clubs, airports and other public areas. CPR classes now include instructions in their use. The goal is to make them available fast because the faster you use one, the better the odds of saving a life. Getting to someone within two or three minutes is ideal, within four or five minutes less so. At Expedition Everest, employees had no defibrillator available when the man collapsed. It took five minutes for paramedics to arrive with one. Whether a faster response would have made a difference, nobody knows. Disney says it has 500 defibrillators around its resort. Two are at Animal Kingdom, but not at Expedition Everest or the other rides. In addition, each park has a team of paramedics with defibrillators. Disney is going to add 200 additional defibrillators, mainly at the public restrooms, where it says employees and the public can easily find them. Given what I noted above about the commode code, this would seem to make sense. But I still don't understand why, when seconds can mean life or death, Disney won't put defibrillators at the ride exit points. Trained employees could immediately deploy them rather than having to run off into a dense crowd to the nearest restroom, or wait for paramedics. The only explanation I can imagine is the fear this somehow would increase Disney's legal exposure. Attracting lawsuits also is part of the Disney curse. | ||
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Potrock named VP of Disney's global sports enterprises Orlando Sentinel - Disney officials announced Thursday afternoon that longtime company veteran Ken Potrock has been named senior vice president of global sports enterprises for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Potrock essentially replaces Reggie Williams, who retired in November as Disney's vice president for sports attractions because of health concerns. In his new role, Potrock will head Disney's Wide World of Sports complex and also Disney's worldwide sports operations. "This is an exciting time to lead the sports business for Disney Parks around the world," Potrock said in a statement released by Disney. "I look forward to working with our talented sports and resorts teams to leverage the power of sports with the leisure travel business." Potrock, 48, had been Disney's senior vice president of global alliance marketing, a position that oversaw marketing efforts for the company's resorts, the Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Vacation Club and other ventures. He first joined Walt Disney World's marketing department in 1996. | ||
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ESPN Acquires
SchoolSports Inc. business wire - ESPN announced it has reached an agreement to acquire SchoolSports Inc., a leading high school-focused sports and lifestyle media company. SchoolSports reaches teen athletes and fans through RISE, Gridiron, Hardwood and GIRL magazines; RISE Events, which produces the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic, one of the nation’s premier high school basketball events; and RISEMAG.com, an online destination for teen athletes and fans that provides updated high school sports news. SchoolSports CEO Jim Kaufman will continue to run SchoolSports, and will report to ESPN’s James Brown, senior vice president, New Program Development and Gary Hoenig, editor in chief, ESPN The Magazine and general manager, ESPN Publishing. The business will continue to operate from Boston, Mass. and New York, N.Y. “ESPN’s acquisition of SchoolSports and its assets represents our continued commitment to providing our core fans with compelling high school sports content which will be used across all ESPN platforms,” said Brown. “We plan to grow our 12- to 17-year-old audience with a complementary fan base of student-athletes and their fans." RISE Magazine, SchoolSports’ core asset, is one of the nation’s largest high school sports publications. RISE publishes 25 regionally customized issues nine times a year; featuring more than 200 cover stories, as well as athlete profiles, lifestyle content and one of the largest collections of photographs of the nation’s top athletes. The magazine has a circulation of 910,000 and a readership of 1.9 million. “It is an exciting time for SchoolSports, its assets and ESPN,” said Kaufman. “We are thrilled to be joining the ESPN family and look forward to growing our properties and sharing our unique high school content with a larger fan base.” Hoenig said: “The addition of RISE and SchoolSports’ other assets will be a great complement to our publishing offerings and will seamlessly translate across ESPN’s platforms. These assets present compelling content and have a unique community of fans that fits in organically with ESPN The Magazine’s ‘Next’ brand.” | ||
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Disney
Wilderness Preserve a little oasis Don't let the Disney name discourage you. Mickey Mouse won't be taking this hike anytime soon. If he does, he likely would become dinner for a red-shouldered hawk. There is nothing touristy about it. The Disney Wilderness Preserve is a 12,000-acre sanctuary of natural communities just outside Poinciana that is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy, which has been restoring the land for the past 15 years. Disney provided the property as a trade-off that allowed it to expand on wetlands near its theme parks, providing room here for more than 300 wildlife species, including 16 that are endangered or threatened today. It also became a nice place for an easy 2.5-mile hike for anyone looking for a little exercise in the great outdoors. If you need more of a challenge, take a second lap on this circular hike. A good pair of walking shoes, a little water and some sunscreen is really all you will need. In the midst of a maddening urban sprawl, it's an oasis in southwest Osceola County. "The more people get to see the real Florida like this, the better," said Erica LaSpada, operations assistant at the Wilderness Preserve. "It's typical Central Florida eco-system. It's just a nice way to spend a little time." Although the hiking path touches only a tip of the preserve, it gives visitors a good look at what the preserve is about. Much of the land is a former cattle ranch, but few traces of that land remain. As a working restoration project for the Conservancy, it means taking out anything that isn't native or natural, like drainage ditches, bahia grass and anything artificial that came with the cattle ranch. Prescribed fires are used to stimulate native plant communities and restore upland and herbaceous wetlands areas. The hike starts on a concrete path, but it quickly turns to packed gravel and then into the woods as it turns through dense thickets of saw palmetto. Unlike the state forest hikes, the path here is generally wide, flat and forgiving. The jewel of the hike is beautiful Lake Russell, which requires a short jaunt off the main trail, through a path that looks like a tractor and plow have torn a wide swath through the brush. It's actually the markings of wild hogs -- which are not native to the area -- who have become unwanted guests on the preserve as they root around like a bulldozer. More welcomed on the preserve are the deer, the gopher tortoises, snakes, bobcats, sandhill cranes and alligators. One of the last lakes in Central Florida to be completely unspoiled by development, Lake Russell is lined by cypress trees and fed by Reedy Creek. It drains south through the marshlands to the Kissimmee River, eventually feeding the Everglades. It's a big reason the Conservancy wanted this parcel of land. The hiking is just a bonus, a way for the public to share in the project. A few years ago, the hike was double the length, but restoration of the natural habitat required less foot traffic to make it work. During the week, the only sounds by the lake are natural ones, the lapping of the water on the shore, the birds chirping and insects buzzing. It's worth the pause to admire the beauty. After leaving Lake Russell, much of the hike is through pine flatwoods with little shade. It's well marked and almost impossible not to follow. The hiking instructions coming into the park: "For your safety, avoid contact with poisonous plants and animals," sounds a little more adventurous than it really is on this hike. It's easy, but it's worth the drive to get there. And it's a good starter hike. | ||
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Disney Wonders if a Mermaid Can Follow a Trail Blazed by a Lion New York Times - What could have been a debacle became one of the savviest moves in recent Broadway history: Take a hugely successful animated movie and pair it with a director who has a serious non-Broadway pedigree. The result, “The Lion King,” under Julie Taymor’s direction, was a critical and commercial smash, changing the dynamics of Broadway and remaking Disney Theatrical Productions, the little corporate experiment that put the show together. Ten years later, largely propelled by the success of “The Lion King” and its predecessor, “Beauty and the Beast,” that experiment has become a global live entertainment division reaching more than 20 million people a year. So what’s Disney doing next? Taking a successful animated movie, “The Little Mermaid,” and pairing it with a director who has a serious non-Broadway pedigree, Francesca Zambello. But while “The Lion King” took everyone by surprise, “The Little Mermaid,” which opens on Jan. 10 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, comes with a reported cost of more than $15 million, a batch of Disney projects related to its opening and a question “The Lion King” never had to answer: Can Disney ever do that again? It’s the one curse that accompanied the many blessings bestowed by “The Lion King,” which showed both Broadway skeptics and the company itself what Disney Theatrical was capable of doing. “Creating great stage plays is a fabulous reflection on the Walt Disney Company,” said Richard Cook, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios. “In success, I can’t think of a better ambassador for us.” In success being the key phrase. How does one live up to the precedent? After the company’s high-profile flop with the 2006 musical of “Tarzan,” the bad buzz dogging “The Little Mermaid” has Broadway insiders even pondering the fortunes of Thomas Schumacher, the president of Disney Theatrical Productions. First things first: Mr. Schumacher is, apparently, here to stay. Robert A. Iger, chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, said in an interview last week that the company had recently renewed Mr. Schumacher’s contract, though he would not reveal its length. Mr. Schumacher, for his part, said, “I’m not going anywhere.” Mr. Schumacher, newly 50, first became involved in Disney’s theatrical side after the company’s first foray into Broadway, the critically panned “Beauty and the Beast,” turned out to be a blockbuster. That, as well as Disney’s decision to sign a 99-year lease on the New Amsterdam Theater, meant Disney would be around for a while, so Mr. Schumacher and Peter Schneider, who were running the animation division, began developing shows when they could find the time. Input came from above — from Michael D. Eisner, then the chief executive of Disney, and a theater lover — and from a small staff of theater professionals like Stuart Oken and Alan Levey. Most of the unit’s employees were still based on the West Coast. It was a fairly low-risk venture for a company with Disney’s resources. “It just gave you courage,” said Mr. Schneider, now an independent producer. “You got to focus on the art and not the raising of the money.” Disney Theatrical did not immediately capitalize on the success of “The Lion King,” choosing instead to build the theatrical business more deliberately. “Aida” came three years later and was a more modest hit. Three shows, three hits, two of them monster ones, was not a bad record. But it was not necessarily hakuna matata from there. Disney Theatrical did not put anything new on Broadway for six years after “Aida.” Much of that time was spent adding revenue streams to the division: taking in the unit that licenses “Disney on Ice” productions; starting Disney Live!, which licenses touring shows for children; taking over the unit that runs merchandising for Disney shows; developing partnerships with foreign tour operators; and opening up stock and amateur licensing for Disney Theatrical titles. At the same time the division essentially became a one-man shop. Mr. Schneider left Disney in 2001. Four years and quite a few internecine battles later, Mr. Eisner left and was replaced by Mr. Iger, who didn’t have Mr. Eisner’s roots in theater despite sharing a keen interest. Mr. Schumacher says he runs the unit as if he were artistic and managing director of an institutional theater. As laughable as it may seem to compare Disney to a nonprofit theater, in terms of the management structure the comparison is fitting. Mr. Schumacher gets above-the-title billing, a rarity for corporate executives even in the entertainment industry. Fueled by its early hits, Disney Theatrical Group, as it came to be known, grew rapidly. But the new work sputtered. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which Disney jointly produced with a Dutch company, closed in Berlin, never making it to Broadway. A touring revue of Disney songs called “On the Record” opened in Cleveland in 2004 and was dead in Denver eight months later. Then there was, of course, “Tarzan.” The musical “Mary Poppins,” a collaboration between Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, was slated to be the next big hit and, while it is nowhere near “The Lion King,” it has turned out to be a bright spot. Disney executives insist the London production, which is closing in January after a bumpy four years, recouped its investment. They recently announced the recoupment of the Broadway production and a North American tour. “Tarzan” included, Disney’s win-loss record on Broadway is enviable. “In creative businesses there is no such thing as batting a thousand,” Mr. Iger said. “You’re bound to experience success in its highest form and success in a modest way and sometimes failure.” But for Disney failure doesn’t just mean taking a multimillion-dollar bath. A Disney show is an extension of a Disney brand, and failure can drag down other franchising efforts. The musical version of “The Little Mermaid,” for example, is part of a larger corporate effort to churn further profits from the 1989 movie on which it is based. Another Disney division has developed new lines of themed merchandise, and theme parks executives have designed a major “Little Mermaid” ride for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. The musical was panned by Variety when it opened in Denver in August, and word of mouth among the Broadway cognoscenti has been mixed, to put it generously. Mr. Schumacher dismisses much of that as insider sniping, pointing out that the show was sold out in Denver. Last week the show, which is in previews on Broadway, grossed more than $1 million. But the company is watching closely. Mr. Iger flew to Denver twice to monitor progress and give creative input. “We believe in this production,” he said last week. “You continue to work on it until opening night. It has made some great strides.” Disney executives are also counting on the division to deliver hits that can be mounted overseas to help fuel international growth. In a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts Disney officials said steady success from the stage business would help ease boom-and-bust periods at its movie studio. Of the 15 musical productions Disney now has playing worldwide, eight are “The Lion King.” There has to be new work if Disney intends to have a continuous presence in those markets. Eight new touring productions will be initiated next year, only one of which is “The Lion King.” “When you have a global infrastructure, part of the responsibility is to feed it,” Mr. Schneider said. The only way to do that is to create entertainment that people want to see. Then, Mr. Schneider said, “the globalization of your business will take care of itself.” Mr. Schumacher said the division’s variety of revenue streams had made it less reliant on big hits. “Wall Street expects the company to grow and grow,” Mr. Schumacher said, highlighting the difference between the division and the parent company. “I’m expected to perform and perform but not necessarily to grow and grow. If I apex slightly and settle down, someplace else a whole new something else will rise up.” “We’re a mature business,” he added. “Is there going to be another big idea? Or maybe four medium ideas?” The division has announced two medium-size Broadway-bound projects in development: a musical adaptation of Jules Feiffer’s book “The Man in the Ceiling” and a musical based on the book “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson about the early days of Peter Pan. Disney is also working on a stage version of the 1992 musical movie “Newsies,” to be licensed to high school and amateur groups. (And there is always the possibility that Disney could decide to follow the licensed title with a Disney-produced stage musical, as was the case with “High School Musical.”) Otherwise, “there’s no gigantic Disney franchise title right now,” Mr. Schumacher said, though he added that he was putting a deal together on a “large scale” show based on a non-Disney title. In the meantime Mr. Schumacher is bullish on the prospects for “The Little Mermaid.” And as for producing another “Lion King,” a once-in-a-lifetime hit (or twice, if you count his involvement with the movie): “If the worst thing that ever happens to me is that ‘Lion King’ is the biggest thing that ever happened, well, that’s not so bad.” | ||
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Disney-themed kids electronics range launches in the UK Pocket-lint - We've brought you news of these kid-friendly gadgets when they've launched in other territories, but Disney Consumer Products have now launched the collection of home entertainment gadgets uniquely styled on a host of Disney favorites, in the UK. The range includes Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney Princess, Cars and High School Musical themed gadgets that includes televisions, stereos and alarm clocks. Available as part of the range is the High School Musical 15-inch LCD TV that can double up as a PC monitor and comes complete with remote control and special storage compartments in the style of a high school locker. The Disney 15-inch LCD TV is also available in a Disney Princess design while the Pirates of the Caribbean model is described as ideal for wannabe Jack Sparrows. The Disney 14-inch TV/DVD comes Cars, Pirates and Princess themed, while there's also standalone DVD players on sale too. The Disney Boomboxes combine a CD player with an AM/FM radio and are available in a variety of designs. The cars one is shaped like Lightning McQueen, with rear-wheel speakers that swivel. The Pirates of the Caribbean Treasure Chest Boombox has an input for an MP3 player and a glowing pirate heart that lights the interior storage compartments. Kiddies can also get a morning wake-up call from their favorite characters with the collection of Disney Alarm Clock Radios. Pricing varies (clock radios are £25, TVs are £200) and the range is available from shops like Argos, Dixons, Toys R Us, Littlewoods, Woolworths and The Disney Store online. | ||
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Disney-ABC signs Russian deal Variety - Disney-ABC Intl. Television has struck its largest deal to date in Russia, inking a multi-year partnership with state broadcaster Channel One. Agreement covers Disney features from recent years, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “Wild Hogs,” as well as ABC’s frosh drama series “Dirty Sexy Money.” Also included are animated classics such as “The Jungle Book,” “101 Dalmatians” and “Peter Pan,” all of which will air as part of a new monthly “Wonderful World of Disney” family film slot on the channel. “In this key market, we’re pleased to close this significant step in the growth of our business, and the presence of Disney content on Russian television,” said Tom Toumazis, exec VP and managing director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada. The deal comes at a time of strong growth for the Mouse House in Russia. TV sales revenues for the market have increased by more than 400% in the last three years, while this year’s third installment in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise was the number one foreign release of all time. | ||
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Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Vice President of Global Special
Events Named 2008 Rose Parade Float Judge Tournament of Roses - Vice President of Global Special Events for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Bryan Wittman has been appointed by the Tournament of Roses as one of three float judges for the 119th Rose Parade. Wittman and his fellow judges, Sam Lemheney and Jessica Todd Smith, will select 24 winning entries in a variety of categories in the Parade, themed "Passport to the World's Celebrations." Awards are based on creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation, and dramatic impact. "I'm honored to be a part of The Walt Disney Company's long-standing association with the Tournament of Roses," said Wittman. "Being selected as a judge for the 119th edition of the Rose Parade is truly a dream come true." The 2008 Rose Parade marks Wittman's 20th year working with the Tournament of Roses and the continuation of the Walt Disney Company's involvement that began when Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were featured in the 1938 parade. As Vice President of Global Special Events for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, major celebrations, special events and family entertainment have been the focus of Bryan Wittman's career for more than 30 years. The Buffalo, NY native is responsible for the creative development, management and production of special events and marketing projects around the world. Wittman's career has included numerous grand opening celebrations for Disney's theme parks, attractions, parades and shows, themed signature events and festivals, Super Bowl halftime shows, film premieres and recent special events for the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland and the current "Year of a Million Dreams." The 119th Rose Parade will take place Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 at 8 a.m. (PST). For additional information on the Tournament of Roses, please call (626) 449-ROSE, the 24-hour hotline, or visit www.tournamentofroses.com. | ||
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Kindergartner with rare disease gets Disney World wish granted Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Ryan Snuffer says his daughter Hannah’s middle name is Noel because she was born three days after Christmas. For her sixth birthday, she will be in Disney World. Hannah, her parents and 2-year-old brother Luke will go to the Magic Kingdom on Dec. 28 on a trip provided by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The organization works to grant wishes for children who have life-threatening medical conditions. Ryan Snuffer said his daughter has neuronal intestinal dyspalsia, a disorder that affects the nerves inside Hannah’s digestive system. The rare disorder, with which she was diagnosed at 7 months old, requires her to live on a mostly liquid diet and use of a feeding tube. “This is an amazing moment,” Ryan Snuffer said. “It’s going to be right on her birthday and right after Christmas. “I believe it’s symbolic. People should be giving year-round.” Originally, Hannah wanted to meet Food Network personality Rachael Ray, but Ray’s schedule was apparently booked, Ryan Snuffer said. But one month ago, Hannah’s mother, Kellie Snuffer, received a phone call that was equally exciting for Hannah. “Hannah was jumping up and down saying ‘Disney!’” Ryan Snuffer said. Kellie Snuffer said she had the same reaction — jumping up and down as well. “It’s a dream for her, and that is special for me,” she said. “I want to say thank you. We all ought to be helping one another and people in need. It’s a lot to deal with, having a life-threatening illness in the family. If we all just shared and helped, the world would be a much better place.” Ryan and Kellie say Hannah is a fan of Disney princesses and loves animals, noting they will stay at Disney’s Wildlife Lodge and visit Sea World. They expressed gratitude toward Sophia City Fire Department members whose building was used for Hannah’s wish presentation ceremony Wednesday; Hair Factory owner Sam Farley, who brought her pony Chucky to the ceremony dressed like a prince; those who donate to Make-A-Wish; and Kelly Cochran, the Make-A-Wish volunteer who worked to grant Hannah’s wish. Cochran, a Beckley resident, said the main Make-A-Wish Foundation office receives individual children’s information, which is then passed on to volunteers like her. Her job is to basically find out a child’s heart’s desire and make it a reality. “I am very excited for her, and I hope all of her wishes come true.” | ||
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 | ||
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Autopsy:
Disney Rider Died Of Natural Causes HK Disneyland Tries to Boost Attendance Hong Kong, Disney in talks over theme park's finance Columbia zoo gets new elephants from Walt Disney World On-Demand Video Service MovieBeam Closes Another Dream Year in Store in 2008 for Walt Disney City, Radio Disney sponsor 'High School Musical' party Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party Offers Perfect Blend of Rowdy and Regal Merriment USTelematics Brings Disney Entertainment and Online Gaming Content to Voyager Mobile IPTV | ||
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Autopsy:
Disney Rider Died Of Natural Causes Local6 - A 44-year-old man who was found unresponsive Tuesday on a roller coaster at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom died of natural causes, according to the medical examiner who performed an autopsy on the man's body. Jeffery Reeb, of Navarre, Fla., died from dilated cardiomyopathy, an abnormality of the heart muscle that causes the heart to enlarge and dilate, and no evidence of injury was discovered, the medical examiner said. Reeb had a known history of cardiac arrhythmias, officials said.Reeb was discovered unresponsive in the unloading area of Expedition Everest, a thrill ride that reaches speeds of 50 mph and features an 80-foot drop, officials said. Reeb was transported to Celebration Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Orange County sheriff's investigators said that Reeb appeared to be conscious about 50 seconds before the conclusion of the ride because his photograph was taken as the coaster progressed toward the unloading area.The ride was inspected and was found to be operating properly. The ride was closed following the incident but reopened on Wednesday. "We offer the family our deepest sympathies and will provide assistance to them during this difficult time," Disney representative Andrea Finger said. | ||
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HK Disneyland
Tries to Boost Attendance Hong Kong Disneyland said Wednesday it plans to add four new shows and launch a discount ticket for tourists on a trial basis in 2008 amid news its attendance plunged this year.
The park also said in a
statement it will open a previously announced attraction,
the classic Disney ride "It's a Small World," this coming
spring.
Hong Kong Disneyland said the four new shows are "Muppet Mobile Lab," which features the Muppets characters, a show based on the hit Disney TV movie "High School Musical," an interactive show featuring the character Crush from the animated movie "Finding Nemo," and a presentation showcasing drawings and art work from Disney and Pixar animated movies.
Hong Kong Disneyland
spokeswoman Glendy Chu said the four shows will be launched
between spring and fall 2008, but the exact timing hasn't
been decided.
The park will also try out
a new class of discount tickets for air passengers
traveling through Hong Kong, Chu said. The tickets,
priced at 198 Hong Kong dollars ($25) for guests of all
ages, will launch in January, with the trial period to
last several months, she said.
The new ticketing plan,
which includes ground transportation to and from the
airport, is only open to tourists with a same-day
onward plane ticket. Hong Kong Disneyland and Hong
Kong's airport are both located on outlying Lantau
island.
A non-peak day
adult ticket to the park currently costs 295
Hong Kong dollars ($38) and admission for a
child aged 3-11 costs 210 Hong Kong dollars
($27).
The shows and
the new ticket were announced amid questions
about Hong Kong Disneyland's performance.
The Hong
Kong government -- which holds a
majority stake in the $3.5 billion park
-- said Monday that visitor numbers
tumbled to 4 million in its second year
of operations from 5.2 million a year
earlier.
The
park has been heavily criticized for
being too small and lacking the
high-profile rides of its sister
parks in Tokyo, Paris and the United
States.
It
faces increased competition from
Ocean Park, a local marine-based
adventure park. There are also
reports of a possible Disney
theme park in Shanghai.
The government has balked at
putting any more money into
the theme park until it
turns around its losses. The
park is 57 percent owned by
the Hong Kong government and
43 percent owned by The Walt
Disney Co.
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Hong Kong, Disney in talks
over theme park's finance
AFP - The Hong Kong government entered talks with US entertainment giant Walt Disney over financial options at its theme park here, after it recorded a poor performance, an official said Wednesday.
Frederick Ma, secretary for
commerce and economic
development, said the
government had begun
discussions on the park's
expansion and was carefully
examining its financial
arrangements, including a
possible cash injection.
But he expressed concern
about the park's
"unsatisfactory" performance
and did not rule out the
government not pumping more
money into the attraction,
adding it was still
assessing its financial
prospects.
"The government will
carefully consider the
merits and demerits of
various financing options,
including the possibility of
a government injection, and
the carrying out of
preliminary feasibility
assessments," he told
legislators.
"The discussion is still at
an initial stage and no
agreement has yet been
reached," he added.
On long-term financial
arrangements, Ma said the
government would make a
decision taking into account
economic benefits to the
territory and the
development of other
large-scale tourist
attractions in the region.
A report released to the
Legislative Council on
Tuesday showed visitor
numbers at Hong Kong
Disneyland, 57-percent owned
by the government, had
plunged by up to 23 percent
in its second year of
operation.
It drew more than four
million visitors in the
second year. The figure was
down from 5.2 million in its
first year and failed to hit
its target of 5.6 million.
Ma said the attraction,
which opened in September
2005, should improve its
performance and urged park
management to "critically
review" its operation and
revamp marketing and
promotion strategies.
"The government has
expressed its concern and
impressed upon the
management to pay serious
attention to the key issues
and strengthen its
cooperation with the local
travel trade to improve the
performance of the park," he
added.
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Columbia zoo gets new
elephants from Walt Disney
World
WIS - Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia has two new African elephants.
Thirty-seven-year-old Robin
and 34-year-old Petunia are
getting used to their new
surroundings after coming to
Columbia from Disney's
Animal Kingdom.
The new arrivals are part of
a swap. Riverbanks sent an
elephant to the Disney park
to mate with an elephant to
expand the gene pool. The
Animal Kingdom was looking
for a new home for Robin and
Petunia.
Riverbanks' Andrea Mueller
says the Disney elephants
are getting used Belle and
Penny, Riverbanks' remaining
elephants.
Mueller says the new
elephants won't go on
display until they mesh
their personalities with the
veterans.
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On-Demand Video Service
MovieBeam Closes
AP - MovieBeam, an experiment in video-on-demand launched by The Walt Disney Co., has shut down as part of its new parent company's reorganization under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code.
The 4-year-old service,
which transmitted movies
over the air for storage on
a set-top box that was a
like a hard drive, ceased
operations Dec. 15, said
Meaghan Repko, a spokeswoman
for Dothan, Ala.-based Movie
Gallery Inc.
The service was operating in
more than 30 metro areas
nationwide, according to its
Web site.
"The decision to discontinue
the service was made in
light of our ongoing efforts
to enhance our financial
performance," Repko said
Tuesday.
The nation's No. 2 video
rental chain, Movie Gallery
Inc., acquired MovieBeam
Inc. in March intending to
use its technology to foray
into delivering movies and
other content online.
Movie Gallery filed for
bankruptcy in October after
months of struggling with
debt.
MovieBeam had 30 employees
and 1,800 subscribers when
it shut down, Repko said.
She said subscribers who
joined the service in March
or later were being refunded
the cost of the set-top box,
which came loaded with 100
films, including extras such
as directors commentaries,
and could show them in high
definition.
Disney began testing
MovieBeam in 2003 and
expanded its rollout last
year with other financial
backers, including Cisco
Systems Inc. and Intel Corp.
Disney, however, remained
the service's largest
investor.
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Another Dream Year in Store
in 2008 for Walt Disney
Disney News - When the clock "strikes twelve" on Dec. 31, neither Cinderella nor Walt Disney World guests will need to worry about the party being over. The fun is not turning into a "pumpkin." Another "Year of a Million Dreams" is on the other side of midnight ...
In 2008, the Vacation
Kingdom will unwrap a
technologically cutting-edge
theme park attraction, the
most engaging parade the
resort has ever showcased,
taste-tempting new
restaurant adventures, and
the opportunity for lucky
guests to win some
over-the-top money-can't-buy
experiences in the Disney
Dreams Giveaway. And that's
just for starters. Here's a
sneak preview of what's in
store to make 2008 great at
Walt Disney World Resort:
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City, Radio Disney
sponsor 'High School
Musical' party
Blue Springs Examiner - The Independence Parks and Recreation Department and Radio Disney will sponsor a Lava Springs Country Club Dance Party, akin to the one portrayed in Disney's "High School Musical" movies.
"High School Musical 2"
contests, games, prizes,
trivia and a sing-along
celebration, "Lava
Springs-style" are all
part of the event. Radio
Disney will demonstrate
dance moves from the
movies.
The party runs from
6 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 29 at
the Truman Memorial
Building, 416 W.
Maple Ave.
The winner of
the dance
contest will win
a Disney Flix
Video Camera,
with High School
Musical Magic
Director
Software.
The local
winner will
also be
entered in a
national
contest with
one grand
prize winner
visiting the
real Lava
Springs
Country
Club, The
Inn at
Entrada in
St. George,
Utah.
The trip
includes
airfare
for
four,
first-class
accommodations
at The
Inn at
Entrada,
a tour
of Snow
Canyon
Country
Club -
where
High
School
Musical
2 was
filmed -
transportation
to and
from the
airport
and
more.
Five
runners-up
will
receive
prize
packs
featuring
one
High
School
Musical
2
DVD
and
CD.
No purchase is necessary to win, but participants must be present at Dec. 29 party.
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Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party Offers Perfect Blend of Rowdy and Regal Merriment
Disney News - Enter a wonderland of enchanting princesses and swashbuckling adventurers during Disney's Pirate and Princess Party returning to Magic Kingdom for 13 magical nights beginning Jan. 21, 2008.
A treasure map leads feisty buccaneers and pretty princesses on a trek through Magic Kingdom seeking chocolate treasures, colorful beads and encounters with favorite Disney characters. Youngsters can explore themed pirate coves and princess courts overflowing with special entertainment, dance parties, plus favorite attractions are open throughout the evening's festivities.
Centerpiece of the after-hours event is the twice-nightly "Enchanted Adventures Parade," a colorful cavalcade starring a 39-foot pirate ship with swinging and sword-fighting mates. And perched high on the gold-filled treasure chest is Tinker Bell herself guarding the goods from Captain Hook and the larger-than-life crocodile -- Tick Tock -- that angrily snaps and slithers along the route.
Disney maidens and princes, knights on horseback, regal dancers and the Jolly Rogers flag corps make fairy tales come alive in the twice-nightly spectacle. The night is capped with the dazzling "Magic, Music, and Mayhem" fireworks spectacular orchestrated to an original musical score with memorable pirate and princess melodies.
Disney's Pirate and Princes Party takes place from 7 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 21, 26, 29, Feb. 2, 5, 9, 14, 22, 26 and March 1, 6, 11 and 14. Tickets are $45.95 plus tax for ages 10/up and $39.95 plus tax for ages 3-9. Call WDW-AHOY or visit disneyworld.com/pirateandprincess for special offers.
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USTelematics Brings Disney Entertainment and Online Gaming Content to Voyager Mobile IPTV
TMCnet - Howard Leventhal, Chief Executive Officer of USTelematics said in a press release: “Adding Disney content supports our high-growth business strategy to capture significant market share by offering a unique line of next-generation entertainment and communications products for passenger vehicles.” Leventhal said the company hopes that this added entertainment will act as a powerful sales driver for Voyager. Today, vehicle manufacturers and their customers are more dependent on the products that provide a complete range of next-generation rear-seat infotainment. By offering most enhanced, high speed data and entertainment content to private and commercial vehicles, the USTelematics is positioning itself as a technology leader in the market. Some of the entertainment icons and content which will be available through this deal includes Hannah Montana, Pirates of the Caribbean, High School Musical, Disney Princess, Power Rangers, Cheetah Girls, National Treasure, Enchanted, Ratatouille, Jungle Book and many others. Voyager will be presented to the consumer electronics industry during the upcoming 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held January 7-10, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | ||
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Tuesday December 18, 2007 | ||
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Passenger dies on ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom Attempted rape reported at Disney's Pop Century resort Shanghai Disneyland may get green light after years of suspension HK Disneyland Fails to Hit Visitor Goal Cage begs Disney for 'National Treasure' theme park ride The face that Disney loves Justin Bartha Discusses 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' Rayovac Batteries in a Partnership With the World of Disney Characters Talks Begin for National Treasure 3 Underdog on DVD National Treasure Two-Disc Collector's Edition DVD Cinderella II: Dreams Come True on DVD SeaWorld & Disney: 'Tis the season for sharing The Walt Disney Company Executives to Discuss Fiscal First Quarter 2008 Financial Results via Webcast Kimmel Joins Leno, O'Brien Back on Air | ||
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Passenger dies on ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom Florida Today - A 44-year-old Florida man died today after riding Expedition Everest at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World announced. The dead man was identified as Jeffery Reed of Navarre. "He apparently was in the park with his parents," said Jim Solomons, public information officer for the Orange County Sherriff's Department. "His seatmate was not a family member. When his ride vehicle pulled into the disembarkation area he was unresponsive. Cast members rendered aid and called the Reedy Creek Emergency Services brought him to Celebration Hospital," Solomons said. Reed was pronounced dead at the hospital but, Solomons said. "On the live action photo -- you know they take your picture while you're on the ride -- with his picture, he was concious in the picture. The photo is taken 50 seconds before the end of the ride," Solomons said. Solomons said there was no obvious signs of injury and the ride appeared to be operating normally. The $50 million-plus ride is still closed. “The attraction was inspected this morning, and was operating properly, and the ride was closed” while officials confirm “proper operation of the ride,” Andrea Finger, spokeswoman for Walt Disney World Resort, said. | ||
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Attempted rape reported at Disney's Pop Century resort Orlando Sentinel - A guest staying at Walt Disney World's Pop Century resort narrowly avoided being raped last Friday evening, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The woman was walking about 5:50 p.m. on a path when a man pushed and knocked her to the ground in 4-feet-tall bushes. The man immediately reached into the pockets of her shorts and snatched her room key, states an incident report released on Tuesday. Details of how the woman escaped have not been released. She returned to her room about 6 p.m. but could not open the door because her key had been bent in the attack. She alerted her husband sleeping inside by screaming and pounding on the locked door, the report states. The husband had a hotel worker call 911, while he ran to the resort's pool area in search of the attacker, the report states. At least 11 sheriff's patrol cars responded to the call and remained parked outside the hotel until late Friday night, a tourist from Texas told the newspaper. The attacker was described by the victim as a tall, light skin black man, 190 pounds, 40 to 50 years old, with short, clean-cut black hair, brown hair, and wearing a clean, short-sleeve white shirt with dark pants. On Tuesday, members of the sheriff's Sex Crimes unit continued to search for the suspect. | ||
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Shanghai Disneyland may get green light after years of
suspension eTravel Blackboard - A Disneyland in Shanghai once again appears to be on the cards, after local media outlets reported a slice of land on the Chongming Island was being set aside by the government.
The Walt Disney Co. has
recently set up shop in Shanghai, but it re-iterates that
its current focus was to develop the existing theme park in
Hong Kong.
Yet insiders say that it is
the possible opening of a Shanghai Disneyland at the
mouth of the Yangtze River that really has it excited.
After years of waiting
in limbo, it appears that Beijing may finally be
ready to establish a new Disneyland in the north of
the 1,200 square kilometre island.
While no official
final decision has yet been made, some have said
that the new amusement park is slated to open
after the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. By which
time, the island would also be connected to the
mainland via new tunnels and a bridge.
Currently the
island is mainly dependent on agriculture as
the main industry for the livelihood of its
650,000 residents.
The Hong
Kong's Commerce and Economic Development
Bureau currently has not voiced any
objections to a possible new Disneyland,
indicating that it felt China would be
able to support more than one
international theme park.
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HK Disneyland Fails to Hit Visitor Goal
AP - Hong Kong Disneyland failed to meet its visitor attendance target for the second year running, a park official said Tuesday, without revealing actual figures.
The Hong
Kong government — which holds a majority
stake in the $3.5 billion park — had
said Monday that visitor numbers tumbled
to over 4 million in its second year of
operation from 5.2 million a year
earlier.
Disney
confirmed the park had fallen short of
its confidential target, but would not
provide any figures.
"In the
short term, we did not achieve the
attendance targets for which we had
hoped. We recognize that we need to
bolster our numbers," Hong Kong
Disneyland spokeswoman Glendy Chu said
in an e-mailed response.
The park,
which opened on Sept. 12, 2005,
attracted 5.2 million visitors in its
first year — 400,000 short of its target
of 5.6 million.
It never
announced a target for its second year.
The park
has been heavily criticized for being
too small and lacking the high-profile
rides of its sister parks in Tokyo,
Paris and the United States.
It faces
increased competition from Ocean Park, a
local marine-based adventure park. There
are also reports of a possible Disney
theme park in Shanghai.
The
government has balked at putting any
more money into the theme park until it
turns around its losses. The park is 57
percent owned by the Hong Kong
government and 43 percent owned by the
Walt Disney Co.
"We have
urged the management company to continue
to improve operational efficiency and
devise cost-effective marketing
strategies," the government said in its
annual update on the operation of the
park.
The park
plans to introduce four "smaller-scale"
attractions in 2008 in a bid to increase
the number of activities for visitors,
according to the document which will be
discussed at a legislative meeting on
Friday.
Chu said
Disney is in discussions with the Hong
Kong government on the park's financial
and expansion plans.
Last month,
the Walt Disney Co. agreed to waive
management fees to support the
unprofitable park for two years, and
will also defer charging royalties over
the same period.
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Cage begs Disney for 'National Treasure'
theme park ride
Malaysia Sun - Nicolas Cage wants Disneyland to build a new ride based on the actor's movie franchise National Treasure. The 43-year-old star is a huge fan of theme parks and has a desire for his own rollercoaster. Disney produced 'National Treasure' and new sequel 'Book of Secrets' and Cage is hopeful that they will grant him his wish. "My biggest thrill would be if Disney was so happy with the movie that they gave it a ride," Contact music quoted Cage, as saying. "Because I love amusement parks and I love Disneyland and I would love to see a National Treasure ride. That would be a dream come true for me." Disney movie Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a ride at the Disney World resort. | ||
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The
face that Disney loves
Globe and Mail - When the hotel-suite door opened, I had no idea who would greet me. Would it be Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old singer beloved by tweens across the continent, Miley Stewart, the gawky average gal she plays on her Disney TV series, or her character's alter ego, pop star Hannah Montana?  It
was the brunette-tressed Cyrus who
smiled hello, then proceeded to talk a
mile a minute about the celebrity double
life she leads - confusing only to
adults without a young fan to explain it
all. (Truth be told, Cyrus's real name
is Destiny Hope. Miley is a nickname -
shortened from Smiley - that's she has
been called since childhood.)
She's a
little young to be grasping the
metaphysics of her fame, but not to
recognize that she's one of Disney's
hottest tickets at the moment. Hannah
Montana is the highest-rated
cable-TV series in the United States (it
launched 18 months ago), and on network
TV, for the tween audience, its numbers
are second only to American Idol.
In Canada, Family channel will only say
it is one of its top shows, ranking
consistently in the top three. There's a
Hannah Montana feature film in
the works, but it's the music sales that
shock everyone: The Hannah Montana
soundtrack, recorded when Cyrus was 13,
went double-platinum in the U.S. last
year and went gold in Canada. The next
album, Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley
Cyrus, has gone platinum in the U.S.
and Canada. It's a two CD-set: One has
songs she sings on the show as Hannah,
the other has music written and sung by
Cyrus as herself.
It's 24
hours before her Toronto concert, the
only Canadian stop on her North American
tour. The tour is sold out everywhere,
with scalpers notoriously scooping the
majority of tickets. In some U.S.
cities, there are reports of parents
paying up to $2,000 for tickets, or
doing incredibly silly things to win
contests - grown men racing in high
heels or hanging onto a Hannah Montana
statue in the middle of town for six
days. (The Toronto concert - held during
a raging snowstorm - didn't elicit
outrageous prices. A pair of cheap seats
could be had for $100, good ones for
double that.) In Pittsburgh, one mother
is suing Cyrus's fan club, as its
membership fee promoted
front-of-the-line ticket availability
but she came up empty trying to secure
tickets earlier this year.
But Cyrus
isn't allowed to talk about that. Asked
what she thought about scalpers scooping
tickets before fans, her manager cut her
off: "We want to skip that question."
Under protest, however, he acquiesced
and allowed Cyrus to comment on the
outstanding demand for her tour tickets.
"It's
certainly overwhelming," she said, "but
having so many people after the tickets
and so many people wanting to come, it
shows how many people really support you
and that's good to hear."
(Later, her
manager explained his reaction: "It
would be like me asking you about
nuclear physics. She's only 15.") Yet
she looks a decade older than her 15
years. Her makeup had been
professionally applied and she was
elegantly styled in a purple cowl-necked
tunic over black leggings tucked into
suede high-heeled boots. She doesn't
look this put together on TV.
Miley's
music is also more mature than Hannah's.
She's inspired by "old rock 'n' roll,"
especially the stage antics of Mick
Jagger and the Rolling Stones, and she
watched a few of their performance
videos for inspiration before beginning
her current Best of Both Worlds tour.
"He [Mick] did this really cool slide
[in Sympathy for the Devil], and
I tried to do it, but got caught
underneath the Plexiglas [onstage]," she
said, laughing. "I cut my knee open."
The
teenager reappears when, during a break
in the interview, she ravenously reaches
for the half-eaten doughnut on the
coffee table. There are also two nearly
empty Timbit boxes nearby. Cyrus loves
Tim Hortons, a taste she acquired while
living in Toronto seven years ago with
her family while her musician/actor
father Billy Ray Cyrus was filming the
TV drama Doc.
The
46-year-old Cyrus may be a multiplatinum
singer/songwriter (as infamous for his
mullet as for the 1992 single Achy
Breaky Heart), but it's fair to say
Miley now has a higher profile than he
does. (He also appears on Hannah
Montana, playing Stewart's dad. When
the series began, he was the bigger
star.)
The TV show
Hannah Montana is now being marketed
as "a lifestyle brand," Disney has said.
Not only are toy stores full of
merchandise (CDs, DVDs, blankets,
pillows, lamps, karaoke machines,
12-inch dolls), but Disney will be
working the character into its theme
parks.
Cyrus is
mindful not let the fame go to her head,
knowing full well the lore about other
young stars who went off the rails once
they graduated from the tween market. It
has been reported that her father hands
her stories of the out-of-control
exploits of Lindsay Lohan and Britney
Spears as a cautionary tale, but she
likes setting an example: "I want to be
that good role model and that sweet girl
and staying true to that is what will
help me." (Online reports that the Cyrus
family asked Spears over for
Thanksgiving dinner as a goodwill
gesture were apparently exaggerated.)
Cyrus says
her family is good at keeping her
grounded. Plus, she has no reason to act
out: "There's not much to rebel against.
Everything that I've dreamed of has
happened. What's gone wrong? I just try
to be as thankful as I can."
At the
concert, Disney's renowned code of
conduct was noticeable: There was very
little skin on display, just lots of
sequins (one silvery pink tunic throbbed
like a strobe light). Cyrus performed as
Hannah Montana for the first 35 minutes,
singing songs made famous by the TV
show. Then opening act the Jonas
Brothers returned to play again as Cyrus
re-entered the stage under sky-high neon
signs screaming "Meet Miley" for the
second, more mature half of the show.
One number, the salsa-influenced
Let's Dance, went over the head of
most girls in the audience, not to
mention some of the lyrics in Girls'
Night Out ("Hey boy, now don't you
wish you could've been a good boy").
Yet, even dressed as herself, Cyrus's
sexy outfits were toned down by an
ever-present sparkling white tank, which
took the bust out of her fuchsia
bustier.
Before the
concert, Cyrus said she was eager for
fans to embrace her as much as they do
Hannah, but isn't ready to ditch her
alter ego's blond wig: "Hannah
Montana is a TV show, so it only
goes on for so long," she admitted, "but
I'm definitely not going to throw it in
the dirt because that's the reason why
I'm here. So I definitely want to keep
doing the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
thing."
If this
concert tour is to introduce TV fans to
the real Miley Cyrus - what's the
verdict? By the end of the 70-minute
Toronto show, 10-year-old Alexi Halket
said, "I still like Hannah better."
Heading back to Oshawa on the train,
12-year-old Brooke Gauchier smiled
blissfully when asked about the concert.
"I like both of them," she grinned,
which is just as well. Her parents spent
$500 buying tickets on eBay from someone
in Ohio - not counting $100 or so on
T-shirts, programs and glow sticks.
After the
concert came a review Disney is also
counting on: One incredulous father
shouted into his cellphone, "It was
great, seriously. Better than Bon Jovi."
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Justin Bartha Discusses 'National
Treasure: Book of Secrets'
About - News & Issues - Justin Bartha returns as Nicolas Cage’s sidekick Riley Poole in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, the sequel to the 2004 box office smash National Treasure. Bartha plays a tech-savvy guy but in real life Bartha’s nothing like his character. “I keep watching this movie over and over again and I just get less interested in technology. I use a telegraph now,” joked Bartha.
Scripts
aren’t set in stone in Jerry Bruckheimer
films and that allowed the cast of
National Treasure: Book of Secrets a lot
of freedom to play around on the set.
“That’s the benefit of doing a sequel
that I’ve found. Most of the characters
were in the first one besides, obviously
not Helen [Mirren] and Ed [Harris] and
the President, but most of the main
characters were in the first one and we
know our characters very well so I know
how Riley would react to pretty much
every situation,” explained Bartha.
“It’s also a testament to Jerry and Jon
[Turteltaub] in that, even with a script
that’s always in flux, they are not
going to release a movie until they feel
comfortable that it’s a good movie. So
if it doesn’t work, we’re not gonna put
it in the movie.”
“When
we first got the script in the
beginning of the process, all the
actors sat around with the
filmmakers and they asked us, ‘Is
there anything that you think should
be in the script that’s not in
there? Is there anything that’s in
the script that you think doesn’t
fit?’ They sat down with each one of
us individually and we told them,
and they incorporated most of the
things that we came up with.”
Bartha’s main concern was that
he didn’t want it to be boring.
“A lot of times, the sequels
they make, obviously they’re
making a sequel to make money.
Everyone knows that. The first
one made a lot of money. People
really loved the first one. It’s
not like people come up to me
and say, ‘Yeah, that movie was
good.’ They say it’s their
favorite movie or it’s their
kids’ favorite movie, so there’s
a responsibility to make it more
interesting and to keep the
spirit of the original movie.”
“When I first got the script
for the second one, Riley
was pretty much the same
thing as the first one. They
played on the stereotype of
the sidekick, of just
throwing out zingers, and I
thought it was kind of
boring. There was nothing
interesting in there for me
to do, so I wanted to see
what happened to Riley
between the first movie and
the second movie. How did
the money affect him? What
has he been doing? And, with
a book that he wrote, how
can that book affect the
storyline? So, we came up
with the idea of him writing
this book and no one takes
him seriously because no one
takes this guy seriously
because he is that sidekick
guy that you’ve seen in
movies. No one ever takes
these characters seriously.
They’re there to serve a
purpose. But, what if they
just stop for a second to
read his book, it would
actually help them solve the
mystery? So, that was the
big thing that I pushed for
to get into the movie.”
Bartha’s a good-looking
guy yet his character
can’t land a date.
According to the actor,
it’s an example of art
imitating life. “I’m
single. I cannot get a
date and the girls I
meet turn out to be
awful. My girlfriends
turn out to be just bad
seeds so obviously, it’s
realistic in some
sense.”
Bartha claims to
love doing his own
stunts. In fact, he
loves stunt work so
much he joked that
he even did Nicolas
Cage’s stunts in the
movie. “I did Helen
Mirren’s stunts
sometimes too with
fake giant
breasts…beautiful. I
didn’t look as good
as her but I pulled
it off,” said Bartha,
laughing. On a more
serious note, Bartha
did have one scary
experience while
working on the
second National
Treasure. “There was
one time when I
really felt like my
life was in danger
when my stunt guy
just wasn’t there
and I like to do my
own stunts. I’m just
like Tom Cruise. I
get mistaken for him
all the time. I’m
just taller
[laughing]. So,
Nic’s stunt driver
was driving and he’s
this brilliant
driver. We’re in
London going through
the streets and he’s
doing all these very
dangerous turns
through all these
tiny, little narrow
alleyways. And, at
the end of this
alleyway, I don’t
know if you realize
it, but there’s a
giant tree that was
right there and he
had to slam on the
brakes. He turned
the car so that the
passenger, me, was
going to hit the
tree. We literally
ended an inch away
from the tree and I
wet myself.”
After doing two
films with
Nicolas Cage,
Bartha’s a huge
fan of Cage,
both as an actor
and as a person.
“I can talk
about Nic for
hours,” admitted
Bartha.
“Unfortunately,
people come up
to me all the
time and they
don’t ask me
about myself.
They ask me
about Nic Cage
and they want to
know what he’s
really like and
is he really
weird and
intense. And,
he’s not. He’s
eccentric, but
he is hilarious.
He’s one of the
funniest guys
I’ve ever met
and I love the
man. He’s one of
my favorite
actors.”
Bartha
continued
with his
praise of
Cage. “He’s
got an
original
view of life
and that is
what, I
think,
anyone looks
for in an
artist. I
think that’s
what a great
artist is,
is they have
a singular
vision of
what life is
all about
and the way
that he
looks and
survives in
this world
is funny and
it’s
interesting.
But I love
the way that
he treats
other people
and the way
that he
lives out
his life.”
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Rayovac
Batteries in
a
Partnership
With the
World of
Disney
Characters
New York Times - BEWARE, Energizer bunny, wherever you are. Some familiar Disney characters are leading an assault by a rival brand on the battery market.
The toons —
including
the
franchise
mascot
himself,
Mickey Mouse
— will beat
the drum for
Rayovac
batteries as
part of a
wide-ranging
deal between
Spectrum
Brands, the
Rayovac
parent, and
the Walt
Disney
Company. The
agreement
was
negotiated
for Disney
by a unit
named
Disney/ABC
Unlimited,
which woos
advertisers
across 130
Disney-owned
properties
from A (ABC)
to W (Wondertime
magazine).
As part of
the deal,
Disney will
buy from
Spectrum
millions of
packages of
Rayovac
batteries,
which will
become the
only battery
brand that
can be
bought by
visitors at
the six
Disney theme
parks and
water parks
in the
United
States.
Spectrum
will license
from Disney
the rights
to use the
animated
characters
on packages
of Rayovac
batteries
sold at the
Disney parks
as well as
at retail
chains like
Target and
Wal-Mart.
The timing
means that
shoppers
browsing —
or in coming
days,
ransacking —
the battery
and toy
shelves at
stores like
Wal-Mart
will find
Mickey Mouse
on the
Rayovac
packages
along with
Lightning
McQueen, the
star of the
Disney/Pixar
movie
“Cars,” and
characters
from the
Disney
Princesses
collection
like Ariel
of “The
Little
Mermaid.”
(Not to be
outdone,
packages of
Energizer
batteries
have been
festooned
with
characters
from the
film “Shrek
the Third,”
who are
joining E.
B. the
battery
bunny as
part of a
promotion
co-sponsored
by
DreamWorks
Animation
and
Energizer
Holdings.)
The
Disney-Spectrum
deal also
includes
advertising
for Rayovac
in Disney
magazines
and on
Disney
television
networks,
including
ABC Family
and ESPN;
promotions
and
sweepstakes;
a
sponsorship
by Rayovac
of the DVD
release of
the Disney
movie
“Enchanted,”
which is
scheduled
for home
video in
February;
and
potential
tie-ins
between
Rayovac and
Walt Disney
Studios, the
film
division.
It is “a
unique
opportunity
to do
cradle-to-grave
marketing
for
batteries,”
said David
R. Lumley,
president
for global
batteries
and personal
care, and
co-chief
operating
officer at
Spectrum in
Madison,
Wis.
During the
three years
the
agreement
runs,
Spectrum
could spend
up to $20
million on
buying
commercial
time and
advertising
space in
Disney-owned
media
outlets. The
cost of the
batteries to
Disney and
the fees
that
Spectrum is
paying to
license
characters
from Disney
are not
being
disclosed.
Rayovac is
hoping to
increase
battery
sales by $30
million to
$40 million
during the
three years,
said Mr.
Lumley, who
is also
worldwide
president of
the Rayovac
and
Remington
divisions of
Spectrum.
The
divisions
each year
sell about
$500 million
worth of
batteries,
shavers and
other
products in
North
America.
“I may be
able to
advertise
more,
because I’ll
be selling
batteries I
didn’t sell
before,” Mr.
Lumley said.
The creative
agency for
Rayovac,
which is
running ads
featuring
Brett Favre
of the Green
Bay Packers,
is Hanon
McKendry in
Grand
Rapids,
Mich., and
the media
agency is
Spacetime in
Chicago.
The
Disney-Spectrum
agreement is
indicative
of how
marketers
are
rethinking
their media
decision-making.
They are
viewing
purchases
more broadly
than just
buying one
network,
magazine or
Web site at
a time.
Rayovac,
which trails
the Duracell
and
Energizer
brands in
the battery
category,
“has got to
try a lot
harder,” Mr.
Lumley said.
Energizer
and Duracell
together
command
about 70
percent of
the American
market;
Rayovac’s
share is
about 13
percent.
Affiliating
with the
powerful
Disney brand
name means
“we have a
chance to go
to retailers
we don’t
sell to, who
think two
batteries is
O.K.,” he
added,
referring to
stores that
stock only
Energizer
and
Duracell,
owned by
Procter &
Gamble.
“We’re big
at Wal-Mart
and we’re
growing at
Target,” Mr.
Lumley said.
“Now we can
go back and
talk to
Kmart and
Sears.”
The deal
also makes
sense from a
perspective
of consumer
demographics,
Mr. Lumley
said,
because, he
estimated,
“65 to 70
percent of
battery
sales are to
moms.”
“When the
moms and
their kids
go to the
parks and
see our
batteries as
the only
ones they
can buy,
it’s a
favorable
impression,”
he added.
The
agreement is
also
emblematic
of how media
giants like
Disney are
trying to
offer
marketers
more than
traditional
advertising
units like
the
30-second
television
commercial.
Companies
like NBC
Universal
and Time
Warner also
have
so-called
cross-platform
sales units
like
Disney/ABC
Unlimited.
Disney/ABC
Unlimited
has recently
made deals
with
marketers
that in
addition to
Spectrum
include Kao
Brands, for
John Frieda
hair care
products;
Sears
Holdings,
for Sears,
Roebuck; and
the TJX
Companies,
for the
Marshalls
discount-store
chain.
Marketing
executives
are asking
“‘What else
do you have
in your bag
to connect
me to my
consumer?’”
said Bill
Bund, senior
vice
president
for
Disney/ABC
Unlimited at
the ABC
Television
Network unit
of Disney in
New York.
“Media is
just one
part of the
puzzle,” he
added, “and
in this
instance,
the theme
parks were a
natural to
become part
of the
agreement.”
In
negotiating
deals, “we
try to sit
down with
clients and
understand
their goals
long-term,”
Mr. Bund
said, before
assembling
packages
composed of
the various
properties
under the
Disney/ABC
Unlimited
banner.
“We say
these are
like
snowflakes,”
he added,
“no two
alike.”
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Talks Begin
for National
Treasure 3
Rotten Tomatoes - National Treasure was never intended to be a franchise. When the first installment did well, the filmmakers started from scratch to come up with a sequel. This time, though, they built in a potential part three. National Treasure: Book of Secrets mentions the mysterious page 47 of the president's secret book, which could be whatever they decide it should be in National Treasure 3. Star Nicolas Cage gave the screenwriters a lot to live up to with one simple improvisation. "The way we left the movie, the President asked Ben, 'What's on page 47?'" Cage said. "I wanted to figure out what I could say that would really make people interested in what's on page 47 without saying it, so I thought of the words 'life altering.' Whatever it is, it's going to have to be life-altering." Director Jon Turteltaub is not holding himself to the page 47 idea. "We can always tell people that's the fourth movie," he said. "That doesn't work. I've actually seen movies that seem like they're setting up for the sequel and that wasn't the sequel." Even producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that the mention of page 47 is as far as development on National Treasure 3 has gotten. "The writers might know, but I don't know," he said. "And they're not going to tell me now because they're on strike." Still, Cage already has ideas. "I believe that it should become more and more International Treasure," he said. "I was very happy to see that we went to London, England and Paris, France, but I'd like to see the movie go wider still. I'd like to go into Africa, Egypt, Asia, and keep going. My hope is that Ben is recruited and he gets a dossier from these other countries about their history, and has to download it and learn it, and then try to go on these hunts on their behalf. That would be a lot of fun for me." | ||
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Underdog on
DVD
 Buena
Vista Home
Entertainment
- The most
adorable
superhero on
the planet
arrives on
DVD and Blu-ray
Disc when
Underdog
soars into
stores on
December 18,
2007 from
Walt Disney
Studios Home
Entertainment
and Spyglass
Entertainment.
A hilarious
treat for
the entire
family,
Underdog
seamlessly
blends live
action and
CG effects
to turn
America's
favorite
animated
superhound
into a real
live hero.
Both the DVD
and Blu-ray
Disc are
loaded with
wholesome
humor and
delightful
bonus
features
including
bloopers,
deleted
scenes, a
music video
from Kyle
Massey (star
of Disney
Channel
series "Cory
in the
House") and
more.
Jason Lee
(The
Incredibles,
"My Name is
Earl"), Jim
Belushi
("According
to Jim"),
Amy Adams
(Talladega
Nights,
Enchanted)
and Patrick
Warburton
("Seinfeld,"
"Kim
Possible")
star in the
story of
Shoeshine,
an
unassuming
beagle
(voiced by
Lee) who
flunks out
of K-9
training and
falls into
the clutches
of the
unscrupulous
Dr. Simon
Barsinister
(Peter
Dinklage).
Through
a secret
experiment
gone
awry,
Shoeshine
acquires
incredible
superpowers,
including
the
ability
to fly
and
speak.
After
escaping
from the
megalomaniacal
doctor
and his
henchman
Cad
(Warburton),
Shoeshine
is
adopted
by an
ex-cop (Belushi).
Armed
with a
fetching
superhero
costume,
Underdog
vows to
protect
the
beleaguered
citizens
of
Capitol
City
and, in
particular,
one
beautiful
spaniel
name
Polly
Purebred.
When a
diabolical
plot by
Barsinister
and Cad
threatens
to
destroy
the
city,
only
Underdog
can save
the day!
Directed
by
Frederik
Du
Chau
(Racing
Stripes),
Underdog
transforms
everyone's
favorite
1960s
cartoon
canine
into
a
real
live
21st
century
hero.
Critics
across
America
are
howling
their
approval
for
the
summer's
most
comical
canine
caper.
"A
must-see
family
adventure,"
says
Jim
Ferguson
of
KGUN-TV
(ABC).
Underdog
is
"Perfect
family
fun,"
according
to
Sandie
Newton
of
CBS-TV
in
Dallas.
Steve
Oldfield
of
FOX
TV,
Cincinnati
calls
it
"A
fun
film
for
the
whole
family!"
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National
Treasure
Two-Disc
Collector's
Edition
DVD
 Buena
Vista
Home
Entertainment
- To
celebrate
the
theatrical
release
of
National
Treasure:
Book
of
Secrets,
Walt
Disney
Studios
Home
Entertainment
presents
a
new,
two-disc
special
edition
DVD
of
the
blockbuster
adventure
that
started
it
all.
Available
December
18,
2007,
National
Treasure:
Collector's
Edition
is a
nonstop
thrill
ride
that
will
have
action
fans
on
the
edge
of
their
seats
as
star
Nicolas
Cage
deciphers
clues
from
America's
past
to
unlock
the
mystery
behind
the
world's
greatest
treasure.
The
Collector's
Edition
DVD
includes
a
wealth
of
bonus
material
including
four
new
featurettes
that
take
viewers
inside
the
making
of
this
family
classic,
plus
a
sneak
peek
at
the
highly
anticipated
theatrical
sequel
National
Treasure:
Book
of
Secrets.
Presented
in
new
collectible
packaging,
National
Treasure:
Collector's
Edition
is
an
ideal
holiday
gift
for
any
movie
lover.
Jerry
Bruckheimer,
world-renowned
producer
of
the
Pirates
of
the
Caribbean
franchise,
assembled
an
all-star
cast
including
Academy
Award
winner
Nicolas
Cage
(1995
winner
for
Best
Actor,
Leaving
Las
Vegas),
and
Academy
Award
winner
Jon
Voight,
(1978
winner
for
Best
Actor,
Coming
Home),
for
this
action-packed
adventure.
Released
in
2004,
National
Treasure
generated
$173
million
dollars
at
the
North
American
box
office
alone1.
The
excitement
continues
December
21,
2007
as
National
Treasure:
Book
of
Secrets
opens
in
theaters
nationwide.
In addition to the original DVD extras, National Treasure: Collector's Edition includes a treasure trove of new bonus features that will fascinate fans of all ages. New featurettes including "On the Set of American History," "To Steal a National Treasure," "Exploding Charlotte" and "Ciphers, Codes and Codebreakers" accompany additional deleted scenes with introductions by the film's director, Jon Turteltaub (Phenomenon). A special preview will prime audiences for the all-new sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
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Cinderella II: Dreams Come True on DVD
 Buena Vista Home Entertainment - The fairy tale ending of Disney's beloved animated classic Cinderella is just the starting point for Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, coming to DVD on December 18 for a limited time only from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Cinderella II: Dreams Come True brims with magic and joy as the princess, the prince, and all of the classic characters begin a whole new life! This is a unique opportunity for families to add this delightful movie to their DVD collections. On January 31, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True goes back into the Disney vault and will no longer be available for purchase.
The royal couple is back from their honeymoon, and it's time for Cinderella to plan her first royal ball, but the new princess' unconventional ideas ruffle a few feathers in the palace! In trying to help her out, her friend Jaq the mouse finds himself in a situation that's a little too big to handle on his own. And just when she gets him taken care of, Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia needs her help in a delicate matter of the heart. Along the way, she learns that the best way to succeed in life is to be true to yourself.
Wicked stepmother Lady Madonna Tremaine and her cat Lucifer are still making trouble for Cinderella, but the princess has her Prince Charming at her side, along with the King, the Grand Duke and, as always, her Fairy Godmother. Enchanting bonus features include a brand new game featuring everyone's favorite mice, Jaq and Gus. Disney's signature vibrant animation and an infectious score that includes a different arrangement of the infectious "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" keep this classic fresh and fun for the whole family. The DVD is priced $29.99 (SRP) for U.S., $36.99 (SRP) Canada, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
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SeaWorld & Disney: 'Tis the season for sharing
Theme Park Rangers - It's not often you hear the same music at both SeaWorld Orlando and Disney World. But I guess the Christmas season brings out a spirit of sharing.
The music at "Shamu Christmas: Miracles," as mentioned on earlier blog entries is really fun ... and a big part of the show is an arrangement of "Carol of the Bells." It sounded really familiar to me, and then suddenly I figured out where I've heard it in Theme Park Land: Disney's Epcot plays it as part of "The Lights of Winter," the synchronized fountain, lights and music show that begins after the park's tree-lighting and continues the rest of the evening.
The arrangement, by the way, is by music guru David Foster, and is available on his "Christmas Album" for at-home listening. | ||
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The Walt Disney Company Executives to Discuss Fiscal First Quarter 2008 Financial Results via Webcast
Business Wire - The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) will announce fiscal first quarter 2008 financial results via a live audio Webcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST / 1:30 p.m. PST on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 (results will be released at approximately 4:01 p.m. EST / 1:01 p.m. PST). To listen to the Webcast, point your browser to www.disney.com/investors. The discussion will be available via re-play through February 19, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. PST. | ||
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Kimmel Joins Leno, O'Brien Back on Air
AP - Jimmy Kimmel will join NBC's late-night hosts in returning with new shows Jan. 2 in the midst of the Hollywood writers strike, ABC said Tuesday. Kimmel, along with Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and other hosts, had honored the strike that began Nov. 5. He said it was a difficult decision to resume work without writers, but he wants to save the jobs of other staffers on the show. He also voiced support for colleagues and friends in the Writers Guild of America and added that he hopes the contract dispute with producers ends fairly and soon. | ||
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Monday December 17, 2007 | ||
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Walt Disney World named leading theme park resort in world Disney global tours see a rise in popularity after 3 years Fathead Launches New Disney Line Walt Disney Pictures Presents Enchanted Mobile Disney Helping Less Fortunate: You Can Help Too No place does Christmas like Disneyland Disney's 'Enchanted' Coming to Blu-ray This Easter Entertain Investing in Disney Disney, Universal, Busch help defeat theme-park oversight bill Disney deal on cards for Rams | ||
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Walt Disney World named leading theme park resort in world Orlando Sentinel - Walt Disney World, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean International were among scores of winners of World Travel Awards announced recently. Based on thousands of votes online from 167,000 travel agents and tourism professionals eligible to vote, Disney World emerged as the world's leading theme-park resort; the Orlando CVB, the leading convention bureau; Carnival, the leading cruise brand; and Royal Caribbean, the leading cruise line. The 14th annual awards were presented by World Travel Awards, an independent company, at a gala last week at The Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa in the Caribbean. | ||
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Disney global tours see a rise in popularity after 3 years Orlando Sentinel - Camel riding in the Australian Outback. Dining in the Eiffel Tower. Snorkeling over a Costa Rican coral reef. Sleeping in an Irish castle. Biking around Golden Gate Park. Those are just some of the vacation experiences that Disney just can't bring to its theme parks. So Walt Disney Co. officials decided: If they can't bring the Tuscan countryside to Disney, they can always take Disney to the Tuscan countryside -- and find ways to make it Disney, arranging everything from hotels to cooking lessons from local chefs with that Disney style. Now, with its 3-year-old "Adventures by Disney" program, the company appears to have claimed a strong position in the worldwide packaged-tour business. "We have created Adventures by Disney to be these immersive, authentic, distinctly Disney vacation experiences, providing travel opportunities for families to go visit these places in the world, with Disney," said Ed Baklor, senior vice president of Adventures by Disney, a division of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney appears to be having a swift effect on the industry. And while the business is still a small enterprise within corporate Disney, it is growing rapidly, giving Disney tourism beachheads at locations around the world and offering its loyal customers more travel options. Disney entered the business with a pilot project, offering just two tour-group itineraries in 2005, but the program has grown every year. For 2008, the company is booking 18 itineraries in 13 countries, with a total of 370 scheduled tours throughout the year. Each Adventures tour ranges from six to 12 days, at prices (excluding airfare) ranging from less than $2,000 for a child to more than $5,000 for an adult. The program typically shoots for groups of 30 to 40 people for each tour. Disney does not release booking numbers or revenue projections for the program. Yet if Adventures by Disney consistently attains its stated goals, it could draw between 11,000 and 15,000 tourists next year. The published prices suggest that much business could generate revenue in the range of $30 million to $40 million. That would make the program a small enterprise within Disney's Parks and Resorts segment, which this year had more than $10 billion in sales through Walt Disney World, the company's other four theme-park resorts, Disney Cruise Lines and the Disney Vacation Club time-share business. And the entire international-tourism industry is a $740 billion-a-year business, with more than 840 million tourist arrivals, according to the Travel Industry Association. But Adventures by Disney has entered a market niche so new that the company is one of the first in. Until recently, scheduled package group tours tailored for families were virtually unheard of, travel professionals say. "I think a lot of people felt children and tours are two things that just didn't go together," said Carol Blevins, a travel consultant with the Orlando-based GoTravel travel agency. That first began to change when Disney entered the cruise-ship business, first by partnering with Premier Cruise Lines in the mid-1980s and then by starting its own line in the late '90s, both out of Brevard County's Port Canaveral. As it developed family-oriented cruises, other cruise lines -- then other package-tour sectors -- followed suit. Now, Blevins said, "The family market really is growing tremendously." Tauck World Discovery, an 82-year-old, Connecticut-based package-tour wholesaler, says it pioneered the family-oriented overseas package tour nearly five years ago, in 2003. Today, 13 of Tauck's 100 tour itineraries are in its "Bridge" program, so named because they're designed to bridge generations. Disney's emergence should actually help other companies in the market by giving the concept a higher profile, said Tom Armstrong Tauck's communications manager. "We welcome them into the arena," Armstrong said. "They've got, certainly, incredible marketing muscle. Our position is, a rising tide lifts all boats. We've been sort of the lonely voice in the wilderness here, trying to do the business of escorted family travel." Yet Disney's entry might not be welcomed by all. "They should be a pain in the neck to established wholesalers, because they're big enough to be," said Jim Barker, longtime Orlando travel agent. And Disney can leverage more than just its size, said Larry Yu, professor of tourism studies and hospitality management at George Washington University. He expects Disney to become a big player quickly, because its brand is so powerful and so trusted by consumers, which should offer comfort to those who are nervous about international travel. "Disney very definitely leverages on its brand and, I think, on loyal customers who've been to the parks, and they'd like to take their kids to different destinations," Yu said. "I'm sure that they [Disney officials] very selectively choose their suppliers in those places, and that they have very high expectations and values." That is what Disney is trying to achieve, Baklor said. Adventures tours have Disney-employed hosts, guides, concierges and even, here and there, actors to role play. Disney has written storybooks to provide a Disney-flavored basis for each itinerary. "We have vetted out the whole vacation experience," he said. "The minute you get off the plane in Italy or Spain or Germany, there is someone standing there with an "Adventures by Disney" sign. Once you go through customs . . . we pick up your bags. You don't touch your suitcases again. "We vet out all the details, the meals, where to go, when. So all of those hassles are taken out of the vacation experience." Might so much programmed activity and controlled circumstances take the adventure out of an adventure by Disney? For some people, maybe yes, said Ray Heckmann, owner of Orlando-based Festival Tours, which specializes in customized, private tours to Peru and Costa Rica (two destinations included in Disney's program). According to Heckmann, the majority of world travelers are still not interested in such standardized packages. They go to agents to nail down basic details and create options, but they prefer more loosely organized experiences and traveling on their own. So he's not worried about losing those customers to Disney. Still, many people traveling with children are likely to be enticed by the security of the group tours that Disney, Tauck and others can offer, he said. "There is a segment in the U.S. consumer market that likes that idea, and likes the idea of safety in numbers," Heckmann said. Baklor said that Adventures by Disney are adventurous. There is plenty of free time in each trip's schedule, he said, and all of the locations -- such as the little hillside villa, surrounded by olive groves, where one Adventures tour stays in Tuscany, Italy -- are real, he noted. So are the gondolas, kayaks, double-decker buses, horse-drawn carts, boats, camels and bicycles that various Adventures tourists might ride. Disney has already tried and dropped a couple of destinations -- the Canadian Rockies and Hawaii. Other popular spots, such as Las Vegas, might seem to be a bad fit for the Disney model. But Baklor would not rule out anything, saying: "We want to make sure we keep the trips fresh." | ||
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Fathead Launches New
Disney Line
Ad-Hoc-News - Fathead, the number
one brand in sports and entertainment wall graphics and the
brand best-known for its official life-size images of
professional athletes, animated heroes and entertainment
characters, is launching a new line of Fathead wall décor
featuring Disney Channels Hannah Montana, and characters
from both the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and the
Disney Pixar film Cars, just in time for holiday
gift-giving. Disney Pixar Cars characters include
Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, Luigi, Guido, Doc Hudson and
Ramone, and Pirates of the Caribbean features Captain
Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. These spectacular life-size images
are a must-have for this holiday season. A ?Fathead? is a bold, colorful, life-like, life-size wall-graphic of well-known stars. Fathead is an especially popular brand among sports fans, teens and tweens, moms, dads and gift-givers. A special adhesive backing allows them to be moved from wall to wall, making them a Mobile and fun part of any familys home décor. Each image captures the essence of the character it portrays. Fathead images are perfect for decorating a bedroom, office or entertainment area and can be purchased by visiting the companys website, www.fathead.com, at select retailers, or by calling (877)-FATHEAD. About Fathead LLC: The Livonia, Mich-based company, whose products are commonly referred to as Fatheads, takes pride in connecting fans with their passions. Fathead has become the preferred home, personal and lifestyle décor purchase for sports and entertainment enthusiasts of all ages. The most popular Fathead product line consists of a colorful vinyl wall graphic of popular sports stars, NASCAR race cars and entertainment characters. Fathead LLC maintains license agreements with the NFL and PLAYERS INC., Disney Consumer Products, Inc., Collegiate Licensing Company, Licensing Resource Group, Inc., MLB and MLBPA, NASCAR, NBA Entertainment, MLS, Action Sports, NHL and NHLPA, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Gracie Films, Time, Inc., Marvel Characters, Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and WMG. Fatheads can be seen and purchased at www.fathead.com or 1-877-FATHEAD and will soon be available at preferred retailers throughout the United States. Fathead LLC is a privately-held company led by Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, the nations largest online mortgage lender. Gilbert also is Majority Owner of the NBAs Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. Dan and his partners also operate Flash Seats LLC, which replaces physical tickets for sporting events with an electronic approach; and the American Hockey Leagues Lake Erie Monsters franchise, that began play at Clevelands Quicken Loans Arena in the 2007-08 season. Other companies in which Gilbert and his partners have invested include Michigan-based online promotions company e-Prize. | ||
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Walt
Disney Pictures Presents Enchanted Mobile Gaming Today - This Christmas, one of the more popular children’s films will be Enchanted from Disney. The romantic tale features Beautiful Giselle, Prince Edward and Pip, the squirrel. In this story, the animated characters get catapulted into modern day New York City for one of the most original winter tales released in years. Disney Mobile Studios will be releasing the Enchanted mobile game at the exact same time as the film. The game is designed for casual players and will involve numerous levels. The story behind the game will be the same as the film. | ||
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Disney
Helping Less Fortunate: You Can Help Too WDIV - Disney will bring cheer to children who do not receive gifts by launching "Disney Princess: Heart of Gold Campaign." Disney is hoping to raise funds and donate up to $50,000 for Toys for Tots. From Dec 3- Dec 17 the campaign will urge customers to participate via text messaging, by calling on the public to send a text message keyword to a special short-code phone number- both available at www.disneyheartofgold.com In return, Disney will donate $1 for every text message that is received. | ||
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No place does
Christmas like Disneyland
Chico ER - It's called the happiest place on Earth but at Christmastime, Disneyland gets a full, festive makeover. Bulking up its attractions, characters and music, Disneyland is extra special this time of year, even for frequent visitors. And through it all, Anaheim is quite weather-friendly in December, unlike much of the country. Through Jan. 16, Sleeping Beauty's castle is a snow and icicle-covered park centerpiece, the park's daily parade has become the "A Christmas Fantasy" parade (with all the favorite characters dressed in holiday splendor and Santa Claus pulling up the rear) and the Haunted Mansion is a "Nightmare Before Christmas"-themed attraction. During this particular holiday season the evening's fireworks show is dubbed "Believe & In Holiday Magic" and closes with a surprisingly realistic snowfall finale, with enough fan-forced synthetic flakes bursting from overhead light towers to almost whiten the round. On a recent visit, as the sound system offered "White Christmas," many kids were observed pulling their parents along so they could stand under the flurries. During the holidays, once small boats pass by a massive outdoor light display in the "It's A Small World" attraction, the flume leads to familiar, song-singing robotic dolls, but they are all decked out in holiday-themed costumes and décor. The music alternates between the usual theme and "Jingle Bells." Word has it the attraction is in its final days before going under extensive renovations in 2008Disney theme parks, including ones in Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, are known for their wholesomeness and cleanliness. Their attention to the holiday season is every bit as notable. At Disneyland, neighboring California Adventure park and their adjacent outdoor super mall, Downtown Disney, employees have done far more than fasten a few wreaths and ornaments around the area. Visitors are immersed of Christmastime, from Disneyland's French-flavored New Orleans Square to California Adventure's Santa's Beach Blast, where Santa has a surfboard, hangs out with Disney characters and performs rocking versions of holiday songs with a house band. Other grand changes inside Disneyland include a 60-foot-tall decorated Christmas tree at the gateway to the park's Main Street U.S.A., and Mickey's Toontown's unique and ubiquitous gaudy decorations. California Adventure's holiday features also include a daily tree-lighting ceremony and "A Bug Land," specially made over with oversized ornaments, lights and candy canes. But the Disney mystique, its legend, really, comes from its characters. And during the holiday season, the fab five — Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck — and all their supporting characters, sport holiday garb. Frontierland's Big Thunder Ranch, which has transformed into "Santa's Reindeer Round-Up," is a fine place to not only view real reindeer but to meet the characters. Somehow, in addition to all the grandeur of the park's great attractions including its latest, "Finding Nemo," and rides such as "Indiana Jones Adventure" and "Space Mountain," it all comes down to access to the Disney characters. It is here that seeds of lifetime love for Disney are planted. | ||
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Disney's 'Enchanted' Coming to Blu-ray This Easter TheManRoom - Disney and Buena Vista Home Entertainment will release the combination live action/classic animation holiday hit Enchanted on Blu-ray Disc and DVD "perfectly timed for Easter," i.e. shortly before or after March 23. Enchanted stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Susan Sarandon. Disney will present Enchanted on
Blu-ray Disc in widescreen 2.35:1 1080p video and 5.1
uncompressed 48 kHz/24-bit audio. The additional special features are as follows.
Enchanted on Blu-ray Disc will carry an SRP of $34.99. Check back regularly for a street date announcement and the addition of high resolution cover art. | ||
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Entertain
Investing in Disney Barrons - Walt Disney (DIS: NYSE) By UBS Investment Research ($32.76, Dec. 14, 2007) WE ARE UPGRADING Disney to Buy from Neutral [and maintaining a $39 price target] as the current share price represents a unique opportunity to invest in the world's premier branded-content company near a historically low valuation. Disney currently trades at 15.2 times our fiscal 2008 earnings-per-share estimate of $2.15 (consensus $2.14) compared to 14.7 times for our 2008 S&P 500 estimate. Over the past 20 years, Disney has traded between 12.8 times and 44.8 times forward earnings with an average range between 15.5 times and 35 times. | ||
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Disney, Universal, Busch help defeat theme-park oversight bill Orlando Sentinel - As expected, a Congressional panel late last week voted down a proposal to have the Consumer Product Safety Commission begin regulating theme parks, a measure that was to be attached to a bigger consumer products bill -- thanks in large part to lobbying from the owners of Orlando's big three parks. After the House Energy and Commerce Committee shot down the measure Friday, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions -- which opposes federal regulation of parks -- credited the Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal and Anheuser-Busch with helping defeat it. "Also, I wanted to give a big "thank you" to the Washington representatives of Anheuser-Busch, Disney and Universal, as well as lobbyists from Williams & Jensen [a lobbying firm that represents IAAPA] who literally spent days on the Hill meeting with elected officials and their staff to educate them on this issue," IAAPA's Stephanie Thienel wrote on the association's blog. The idea isn't entirely dead, though. U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass, has been pushing the proposal, usually as a stand-alone bill, nearly annually for eight years running, and his staff already was suggesting a week ago that other strategies besides the amendment to the consumer products bill will be explored. Markey spokeswoman Jessica Schafer said they saw the consumer products bill as a good opportunity, but "this is not the only option for us." Thienel expects something. She wrote that it is "very likely" Congress will revisit the issue in more detail sometime in 2008. "It is important for IAAPA members to continue educating their elected officials about the industry’s safety record and efforts to maintain that strong record. Members of Congress will be in their districts for an extended period of time over the holidays and are very willing to meet with our members during this time to discuss the issue," Thienel wrote. | ||
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Disney
deal on cards for Rams Mirror - Derby may no longer be the Premier League's Mickey Mouse team if they can secure a £30million investment deal with Walt Disney's nephew. Roy Disney is part of the US sports company in talks with Derby about buying a significant stake in the League's bottom side. The Rams board will discuss Disney's offer today and the deal would reduce the club's £30m debt and provide boss Paul Jewell with a war-chest for next month's transfer window. Chairman Adam Pearson claims the American money would transform Derby and hopes a deal can be clinched before the end of the year."The search for an investment partner is reaching a critical time with one particular consortium," he said. "That's why we have convened a board meeting to ensure that all shareholders are aware of the importance of this investment. "It will put the club on a very strong financial footing." | ||
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Sunday December 16, 2007 | ||
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New Costumes at
Great Movie Ride Decades with Disney:The Magic Kingdom Roy Disney fund seeks changes at Panera Bread | ||
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New Costumes at Great
Movie Ride  Disney
News - The cast members on The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios have received brand new costumes. The Host on
the ride itself are wearing grey jackets and red shirts now, a
more modern look compared to the classic theater usher outfits
they have been wearing since opening day. The other Cast Members
are still wearing the older costume with the beanie. | ||
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Decades with
Disney: The Magic Kingdom commercialappeal - How's this for word association: I say Disney, you say ... addiction? Normally, those two words -- one representing happiness and laughter, the other a harsh term for a habit -- would never be used together. Until, that is, you meet the Caldwell family of Lakeland. Then those two words go together like, well, Mickey and mouse. Since Mike and Debbie Caldwell married in 1977, they've been to Disney resorts 14 times, starting with their honeymoon. Disney World is not necessarily the spot one thinks of for a honeymoon -- unless you're Mike Caldwell, a self-described lover of fantasy and incurable romantic. "I always felt like she was the one person I wanted to marry, so it was kind of like a Cinderella story," he says, noting that the sign at the park entrance saying "To all who enter this happy place, welcome" was a magical message for the newlyweds. "Everything Walt Disney stood for, and his vision -- it was just one of those things you can't help but feel good about," says Debbie. And so began a storybook romance, as well as a vacation addiction. In the 30 years since their honeymoon visit, the Caldwells have lived all over the country and they've visited Disney World, Disneyland and EuroDisney, first as a couple and then with their children, Bryce and Lindsay. "Actually we went back the year after our honeymoon," says Mike, a private marketing and communication consultant with his own firm, Caldwell Marketing International. "Bryce was nine months on his first adventure; the next time, Lindsay must have been 2, so they were 2 and 6." "If you think about life in general, we're like the characters from Winnie the Pooh," Mike says of his family. "Our son was our Pooh Bear, our daughter Piglet, Deb was Rabbit and I was Tigger." They've stayed in just about every Disney-related hotel possible, both on and off property. They even had a time share for a while at a resort just outside the gates of Disney World. At first, each trip was planned meticulously. "Early on, we mapped out those attractions we wanted to hit first," Mike says. "Now, we just go and enjoy. It's great when you see little children seeing it for the first time." But don't let that last quote fool you -- Mike and Debbie aren't the type to leave the rides to the kids. "Mike loves the Tower of Terror," says Debbie, a pre-calculus teacher at Cordova High School. "And the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at MGM Studios," adds Mike, whose motto for rides is: "If you find it and like it, then wear it out." They both love Splash Mountain and "the soaring ride" (Soaring Over California) at Disney's California Adventure. Debbie's favorite, reports Mike, would have to be It's a Small World in Disneyland and Disney World. "There are so many rides we enjoyed that aren't there anymore," says Mike. "The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ... now it's Nemo." "He made me stand in line for 21/2 hours to ride it," Debbie adds. "It was the principle of the thing," says Mike. "But it was disappointing." The Caldwells have vacationed in other destinations. "We do go other places," says Mike, listing a few spots. "One year, we had a Myrtle Beach holiday planned; we drove there from Jackson, Miss.. But when we got there, it started raining." Hmm, wonder where this story is going? "There was a tropical depression, and it was going to rain for several days ... so while we're sitting there, we did a quick poll -- stay, or go to Disney? So we drove another 14 hours to Orlando." The Caldwell kids are all grown up now. Bryce is 27, lives in Knoxville and is an account executive at the local ABC affiliate. He and his wife, Katie, are expecting their first child in a few weeks. Lindsay is 22, lives in Nashville and is an account executive with the NBC affiliate. She graduated in May from the University of Mississippi. Her graduation present from her parents was a trip. "We gave her choices to go all over world," says Mike. "She had not been to Disneyland in California. She chose that over Hawaii." "I would have chosen Hawaii," Debbie says. So off they went to Disneyland, celebrating their 30th anniversary and Lindsay's graduation from college -- which just happened to coincide with the reopening of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Tomorrowland. Their next Disney adventure has yet to be planned, but there's little doubt that Mike and Debbie will introduce their first grandchild to the wonders of the Magic Kingdom. After all, who could possibly be better guides than the couple who will be called Tigger and Honey by their grandkids? "I have never regretted going a single time; even now, we're thinking about when we're going back next," says Mike. "Just for a brief moment in time, you don't worry about all the bad things happening in the world. In its purest sense, Disney is all that's right with the American way of life." | ||
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Disney fund seeks changes at Panera Bread STL Today - An investment fund headed by Roy Disney is pushing for changes at Panera Bread Co. after buying a 5.46 percent stake in the operator of bakery-cafés. In a filing Friday, the Shamrock Activist Value Fund of Burbank, Calif., said it had bought 1.7 million Panera shares for $72.7 million. Disney, a former director of Walt Disney Co. and a nephew of the late Walt Disney, heads the fund along with Stanley P. Gold, another former Disney director. In the filing, the fund criticized Panera's corporate governance, saying it "impedes accountability" in ways that may hurt shareholders. The fund said it had asked Panera to make several changes, including: •Electing directors annually, instead of electing groups of directors with staggered, overlapping terms. •Separating the jobs of chief executive and chairman. •Converting the company's Class B shares, which have more voting power, to Class A common shares. •Expanding the board by adding new members with operating experience. —Improving disclosure of executive pay to show what performance measures are used to determine compensation. Ronald M. Shaich currently serves as chairman and chief executive. Panera had four directors, including Shaich, when it filed its proxy last spring. The fund said it has asked the company to use its resources to buy back more shares. It applauded the company's recent plan to buy back shares worth $75 million. The filing says the fund bought the shares because they are an attractive investment. The purchases were made between Oct. 15 and Thursday. at prices ranging from $34.32 to $48.64 a share. Panera Bread, based in Richmond Heights, operates bakery cafés under the Panera Bread and St. Louis Bread Co. names. Although the company reported higher third-quarter profit, it continues to struggle with high labor costs and consumers' preference for products that are more expensive to make. Earlier this week, Panera announced that its president, Neal J. Yanofsky, will leave the company on Jan. 4. Jeff Kip, chief financial officer, said Friday that Panera had not yet reviewed the filing and had no immediate comment. Panera shares closed Friday at $36.43, down $1.32. | ||
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