Business Week - Walt Disney Co. (Japan) Ltd. agreed to acquire Retail Networks Co., operator of Disney retail stores in Japan, from Oriental Land Co.

The stores will become a wholly owned subsidiary on April 1, Tokyo-based Disney Japan said today in an e-mailed statement. Financial terms and the number of stores weren’t disclosed.

Disney and Oriental Land, operator of Disneyland Tokyo, had been in talks since last year, according to the statement. The parent Walt Disney Co., based in Burbank, California, previously regained control of 220 retail outlets in North America and 120 in Europe, and plans to modernize the stores.

Picture it: Scenes from Epcot eatery construction

Orlando Sentinel - The purpose of my walk around Epcot today was to look at the construction going on for eateries in World Showcase. It was more lovely than I imagined, despite the impending-doom-style clouds ahead.

These are not your father’s construction walls.

On the back side of the Italy pavilion is construction on the pizzeria (name TBA). We can see a crane, but most of the work is blocked by a scene of the countryside. It’s similar to when buildings along Magic Kingdom’s Main Street are getting facelifts and are covered by materials that looks just like that building’s exterior. To the left is the Tutto Italia restaurant. The pizzeria is scheduled to open later this year.

Meanwhile, over in Mexico, work continues on Cantina de San Angel, which is on the waterfront. This covering is very palm-y and has real palms fronting it. (This is coming from the Norway side.)

Reel Movie News - Tim Burton will be bringing Alice in Wonderland to the silver screen again, this time in an ultra-trippy 3-D presentation, on March 5th, 2010.

Lifetime president and CEO Andrea Wong exits

AP - Family entertainment giant The Walt Disney Co., which just absorbed Marvel Entertainment Inc., reports earnings for its fiscal first quarter after the market closes Tuesday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The advertising recovery will likely help Disney's ABC and ESPN television networks, but the question is by how much.

Disney's movie studio, which has been faltering lately, will likely cause a drag on earnings. The company overhauled management at the department in October and recently closed offices at niche label Miramax Films, which some competitors are interested in buying.

Consumer sentiment should be reflected in the performance of the company's theme parks. It is unclear how soon Disney will be able to wean itself off discounting to keep attendance up.

Also, Disney executives may discuss the possibility of entering into a deal to provide movies and TV shows to Apple Inc.'s iPad, which may help studio earnings down the road. Apple CEO Steve Jobs remains Disney's largest shareholder since the entertainment company bought Pixar in 2006.

WHY IT MATTERS: Disney is closely tethered to consumer psychology because the brand is well known around the world. It sells products ranging from movies and books to clothes and toys. A good quarter could bolster confidence in the broader economy.

WHAT'S EXPECTED: Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Disney to post 39 cents of adjusted earnings per share on sales of $9.62 billion.

DisneyParks Blog - The most voracious fans of Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival know that the fifth annual Festival will celebrate “The Art of Flavor” from April 16 through May 31 this year. But the date they’re really craving is the first day of ticket sales. We’ve got that news for you today.

Tickets for selected Signature events go on sale February 4 for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders only, at the Special Offer Page. General sales of all Festival Signature events will begin on February 16 at 10 a.m., at www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.

Annual Passholders will be able to register from February 4 through February 15 to get special reduced prices for these events: winemaker dinners, a new Brewmaster Dinner, and the Festival finale celebration “Taste Food-Wine-Life.” Annual Passholders must provide proof of membership online.

While you may be familiar with the winemaker dinners, here’s a little more information about “Taste Food-Wine-Life.” It’s a fun, high-energy evening that combines the best elements of the Food & Wine Festival into one grand finale celebration, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 29. The party has live musical entertainment, an outstanding selection of wines and a variety of food to taste. Not only do you get to see Disney chefs whipping up their specialty food dishes, you can talk to them about their creations as you sample their work.

If you’ve attended Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival in previous years, please share what you enjoyed most at the Festival.

MTV - Disney has been hitting the world with a full-on promotional assault for "Alice in Wonderland." And it's no wonder. You've got the always-potent team-up of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. You've got one of the studio's most cherished franchises being revisited. And you've got this highly anticipated beast hitting theaters in IMAX 3-D presentations, right on the heels of the record-breaking success of "Avatar." Of course they're trying get us excited!

Resizing Alice
Anyone familiar with the classic tale of "Alice in Wonderland" knows that the titular young girl frequently changes size throughout the story. Her return trip to Burton's vision of Wonderland is no different. Star Mia Wasikowska is 5' 4" in real life. In the movie, Alice's height fluctuates, ranging from six inches all the way up to 20 feet. Rather than rely solely on digital effects, the production team took a page from Peter Jackson's work with the Hobbits and Dwarves of "The Lord of the Rings," even turning to the decidedly low-tech solution of an apple box to make Wasikowska taller.

Crispin Glover's Head
Everyone knows Crispin Glover, right? He's George McFly, from the "Back to the Future" series. He's also a really creepy presence on screen, which makes him perfect for the role of the Red Queen's lackey Stayne, the Knave of Hearts. However, only Glover's head will appear in the movie, perched on the digitally rendered body of the seven-and-a-half foot tall Knave. Glover performed his scenes perched atop a set of stilts to make himself taller.

The Unseem 'Dum
Matt Lucas has a dual role in the movie, playing both Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the portly twin brothers with a bad case of sibling rivalry. Since Lucas was unable to actually split himself into two for his scenes, another actor -- Ethan Cohen (not to be confused with "A Serious Man" filmmaker Ethan Coen) -- was hired to stand in for Tweedledum on the set. Unfortunately for Cohen, his work will not be seen in the finished cut.

MyFoxOrlando - The Golden Arches will soon come down at Downtown Disney's Marketplace Shops . McDonald's announced it will be closing its restaurant which is flanked by the Lego Imagination Center and T-Rex Cafe at Walt Disney World Resorts's shopping and dining complex.  The "Mickey D's" will be replaced with a Pollo Campero , billed as the world's largest Latin chicken restaurant chain.

The restaurant will feature Pollo Campero's signature Latin chicken, as well as a new restaurant concept featuring fresh, healthy food, according to a news release sent to FOX 35 by the Dallas-based restaurant. The restaurant also offers typical Latin side dishes like yuca fries and sweet plantains. Latin-themed beverages will also be served including horchata and tamarindo. The menu also will include nutritious and delicious meals such as chef-prepared salads, sandwiches and wraps.

"We're pleased to offer this new Latin-style restaurant to our guests at Downtown Disney," said Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney . "It's diversity of offerings and well-balanced options are the perfect addition."

WESH2 - A Disney cast member was injured while performing a motorcycle stunt Wednesday.

Orlando Sentinel - The Travel Channel celebrates a decade of programming by popular host Samantha Brown with four new hour-long specials, including one filmed at Walt Disney World, beginning Monday.

Traveling more than 230 days a year, Brown has a seemingly endless supply of stories from her journeys, and she shares them on these shows next week:

** Samantha Brown’s Vancouver (8 p.m. Feb. 8): Samantha discovers the natural beauty, winter activities, food and culture of the 2010 Winter Olympics host city.

** Samantha Brown: Inside the Suitcase (8 p.m. Feb. 9): Samantha shares her travel secrets, packing tips and favorite moments from the road.

** Samantha Brown Fan-a-thon (8 p.m. Feb. 10): Samantha celebrates 10 years of travel at Walt Disney World with her fans, who share their favorite moments on the show.

** Samantha Brown’s World of Sports (8 p.m. Feb. 11): Samantha takes viewers through her best and worst sports-related moments during her time on the Travel Channel.

Some lucky fans spotted Brown taping the Fan-a-thon with Donald Duck and a family at the Mexico pavilion at Epcot in November. Others saw her exiting the Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom and at Downtown Disney’s World of Disney store. I wonder what she liked best there — the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique? The enormous selection of Mouse merchandise? The pirate room for boys?

I had hoped the Travel Channel darling was making a new Walt Disney World holiday special when she visited in the fall. Walt Disney World Holidays with Samantha Brown, which first aired in 2003, is a must-see every December at our house. Brown gives viewers glimpses into how the holiday decorating is accomplished at Disney World without spoiling the magic for kids. And then she tours the parks and highlights favorite Christmas activities.

Disney Holiday Magic with Samantha Brown debuted in 2007, updating the previous show with a look at Hollywood Studios’ Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Epcot’s Candlelight Processional, Disney’s Boardwalk Hotel, Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Of course, the energetic host has filmed other specials at Disney, including one episode in four-part series called Season of Disney that aired in the spring of 2008.

There are five hand-painted string basses. A few of them celebrate Disney classics and others tell the stories of Disney’s newest characters. But it’s best to hear it from the artists themselves and learn how and why they transformed the Conn-Selmer, Inc., donated instruments into one-of-a-kind works of art.

So, want one? The instruments will be auctioned off by Julien’s Auctions after they’re showcased at music and art museums across the nation – with proceeds benefiting the music education programs of GRAMMY Foundation. More details on the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Disney Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World and an event calendar now live at www.disneyartformusic.com.

Enchanted begins in the animated fairytale land of Andalasia where the charming and perky Giselle (Amy Adams) instantly captures the heart of the dashing Prince Edward (James Marsden). Desperate to keep the young lovers apart in order to preserve her control of the throne, the prince’s evil mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) transports Giselle from her whimsical homeland to the worst place she can think of—Times Square. Suddenly transformed from animated beauty into flesh and blood girl, the comely lass twirls her way through the urban jungle, blissfully unaware that dreams don’t always come true. Rescued from the streets by divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), who suspects she’d be better off in Bellevue, and pursued by Edward, who finds that a sword is useless against a modern day dragon—er, make that city bus—the eternally optimistic Giselle starts to wonder if “happily ever after” is what she really wants.

Disney hotel union plans hunger strike

OCRegister - Disney’s hotel union is organizing a hunger strike to bring attention to a drawn-out contract dispute over health care and workloads.

About 2,150 hotel employees in Unite Here Local 11 have worked without a contract for two years, as of this week, mostly because of a clash over health-care costs. More recently, house cleaners have complained about their workloads, leading to two walkouts in December.

GB: I imagine you're feeling pretty good right now. The only thing better than taking on an exciting new project is actually finishing an exciting new project.

DE: Being done with "Alice" is a great relief, to put it mildly. Tim told me six months ago that this one would go right up to the 59th minute of the 11th hour. He knew it then. I was still doing last bits of music on Sunday and that was with the print-mastering beginning Monday. It doesn't get any tighter. But I knew going into it that this would be insanity. That's the nature of the beast. It's a function of motion-capture projects -- you're going to wait for shots to come in. You're trying to finish the movie and the shots are still coming in. Things are happening at the very last second. It's very challenging. But you can only go at the pace that it goes.

GB: What was the very last thing you finished on Sunday?

DE: It was this crazy dance that the Mad Hatter does. It's called the Fudderwacken. That was something we had tried many different approaches before we reached the one that is in the movie.

GB: What were your compass points coming into this project?

DE: Your guiding principles on a narrative type of story like this, it's always the same. The same guiding principles, rather -- hopefully not the same score over and over again. [Laughs] Unfortunately it's common in my business. But we try to avoid it. But really it's about finding the narrative and finding the themes and trying to knit things together and form continuity. The decision-making process is about who gets a theme and who doesn't. You can't just give every character a theme. It just starts getting too crazy.

 Experimentation for me is, usually, finding a central theme and then two or three secondary themes and determining how they're going to play. That's the fun of it, the surprise of it, too. Sometimes I'll find I'm using a theme over a character and it's not necessarily their theme and I don't know why I'm doing it, but I'll go with it anyway and there ends up being a certain logic to it -- [the scene] is about a certain character or about a trajectory of a certain character.

GB: I imagine there are many ways to follow a "safe" path that amps up emotion and excitement but can undermine the film's identity, right?

DE: All of it, the challenge is to be inventive but do the purpose, which is to add continuity and to add energy and motion and anticipation and a sense of something building. To get that sense of forward motion. To do it poorly in this kind of film -- a real active film, an adventure film -- is actually really easy. You can always just play for energy, orchestrate something very active. Anybody who understands film composition could that in their sleep. The hard part is, can you do that and still come up with something that gives it a sense of identity? That's really hard.

GB: The framing sequences in the film take place in England of the 19th century. Does that influence any choices you make?

DE: No. In essence, if I just played 19th century music it would get really boring really fast. Even in the context of a serious period piece, a drama, let's say, taking place in the 19th century, you're still perhaps only going to allude to the period. If you get too strict with it, it's going to get really boring. Eventually, you're going to play the characters and you're going to play internally, and when you start playing internally there really aren't any rules. In something like "Alice in Wonderland" there are even less rules. Who knows what kind of music does or doesn't belong in Wonderland, after all? Outside of Wonderland, at the beginning of the film and at the end of the movie, I'm really just trying to establish some of the themes that will come back. Essentially, Alice's primary theme and, because she starts as a little girl, I have what I called the "little Alice" theme, which I bring back later at times. I'm just planting seeds at the beginning of the film.

GB: And then when the film gets to Wonderland?

DE: I open up and get a little crazier, but I'm still incorporating the same thematic ideas. I am a believer in thematic unity and the importance of that in a storytelling film. There are certain types of film where it simply doesn't matter, but when you have a crazy story that you're following through and there are a lot of crazy characters, it does matter.

GB: In talking to Tim Burton, it's clear he considered the challenge in adapting the source material was the lack of a strong narrative arc.

DE: Well, you have to realize this isn't "Alice in Wonderland" from Lewis Carroll's book. It isn't that story up on the screen in any way, shape or form. It's really taking the characters and putting them in a whole new story. It's actually more like a sequel. We start off with Alice as a little girl, but we quickly pick up on Alice 10 years later. She's returning to Wonderland and there is the story. Is it or isn't it the right Alice that they have brought down to Wonderland?

GB: Sure, I think that's become especially clear with the latest trailer. I have to say that, personally, it makes me much more interested in the film. Watching a pure retelling of familiar stories isn't especially alluring to me.

 DE: No one can dispute the brilliance of the book. To put that on the screen? That would be really interesting, but it's hard to say what kind of movie it would make, you know, for an hour-and-a-half. So they came up with a concept: Alice is 20, and she's going to chase the rabbit down the hole and you're going to see all the same stuff, but you also hear these voices. "Is it her?" "It doesn't look like her." "I'm telling you it's her." And then she has to find out if it's a mistake, if she's the right Alice or not. She's been brought there for a purpose. But you still have all the same stuff [as far as imagery] with the Mad Hatter and the tea party and everything.

GB: I think an older Alice makes the film more interesting right off the bat.

DE: Yes, and Mia [Wasikowska, the Australian newcomer] is wonderful as Alice. I had never seen her in anything before. She's a great Alice. She really is like a child-woman, a child and a woman both. She has a wonderful simplicity but she has to go through this emotional growth in the story. And Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, well, that's a slam dunk. When Johnny gets in this type of role he really has fun with it. The movie is a treat and a feast for the eyes. It was fun to do even though it was intense. I don't mind intense. When you're geared up for it and you're expecting it, it's 'OK, let me have it, I'm ready."

The Guardian - What goes around really might come around in Hollywood. US reports suggest that recently-closed studio Miramax could be bought back from Disney by its founders, the Weinstein brothers, within months.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Disney was looking to cut loose the film-making unit, which was once the toast of the arthouse film-making community, having produced Oscar-winning hits such as The English Patient, Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction. Since Bob and Harvey Weinstein left in 2005, its record has been less successful, and Disney recently announced major cutbacks.

The sibling producers formed a new firm, The Weinstein Company, following a dispute with Disney over its refusal to release Michael Moore's George W Bush-bating documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. The move was believed to be the final straw for Harvey Weinstein, who had repeatedly clashed with then Disney chief Michael Eisner.

According to The Wrap blog the Weinsteins have now been approached by two hedge funds with a proposal to purchase Miramax as a joint venture. If the sale went ahead, it would no doubt prove a source of contentment for the brothers, who named the firm they founded in 1979 after their parents, Max and Miriam. They sold the company to Disney in 1993, but stayed on as co-chief executives until the acrimonious divorce five years ago.

The LA Times reported that seven to 10 bidders were interested in purchasing Miramax, though it did not name them all. Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the successful teen romance franchise Twilight, is said to be in the running, as are several private equity groups and at least one other independent studio.

Miramax's library of more than 700 films reportedly brings in more than $300m in DVD and television revenue alone each year, though that figure is disputed. However, the firm is not what it once was: In October, Disney announced it was cutting staff numbers by 70%, and reducing the number of releases from between six and eight to just three films per year. The unit's New York-based marketing, distribution and administrative functions, which had operated independently, were folded into those of the parent studio in Burbank, California, last month.

Orlando Sentinel - The Spring issue of Mickey Monitor is available now, and there are quite a few cool offers and sweepstakes for Walt Disney World passholders. You won’t want to miss these:

** 2010 Passholder Celebrate Sweepstakes: Enter for a chance to win up to four premium annual pass renewals plus up to four premium annual passes to give friends or family. To qualify for the renewal, beneficiaries must live at the same address as the winner and be active Walt Disney World passholders as of Feb. 1. Open only to Walt Disney World passholders in good standing during full entry period and at least 21 years of age upon entry who are legal residents of and physically located within the 50 United States or D.C. Void in Colorado. Enter by registering and logging on to the passholder Web site here. Contest ends at 5 p.m. ET April 30.

** 2010 Passholder Valentine Sweepstakes: Five passholders will win a $100 Disney gift card. You must log in to the passholder site to print out the entry form and mailing address. The contest ends March 31. Open to Walt Disney World passholders 21 or older, in good standing during full entry period and legal residents of the 50 United States or D.C.

** Disney Digital Books subscription: As a passholder family, you can subscribe to 14 months of Disney Digital Books for the price of 12. (Monthly rate is $8.95 per month; yearly rate is $79.95.) Use coupon code MICKEY14 after registering to get your passholder discount.

** Fellow Theme Park Ranger Dewayne first told you about ESPN personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, who host Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio, coaching the Globetrotters during an appearance Feb. 25 at Disney World. Passholders will save $5 on a $35 lower level ticket by showing passholder IDs at the ESPN Wide World of Sports box office.

** Save some green with Earth-friendly DisneyPhotoPass.com items. Enter promotion code MMGREEN15 to save 15 percent on mugs, water bottles, 4-inch by 4-inch notepads and refrigerator notepads. Offer valid through March 31.

The Disney toy jewelry recall affects 252,000 charms sold with the Tiny Tink and Friends toy jewelry sets. The charms have a metal ring and cylinder that are used to attach them to a the toy necklace, bracelet or key chain. Only the units with metal rings and cylinders are affected by the recall. The recall affects the following products:

• Tinker Bell’s Lil’ Tinker Bracelet, Item #’s 74634 and 74641, UPC #’s 0 43377 74634 8 and 0 43377 74641 6
• Rosetta’s Rosebud Key Chain, Item # 74631, UPC # 0 43377 74631 7
• Silvermist’s Water Lily Necklace, Item # 0 43377 74632 4

The toys were sold at retailers nationwide from November 2008 through November 2009 for between $6 and $8.

The Papyrus Brand Greeting Cards bracelet recall affects 174,000 wooden bead bracelets that were sold attached to greeting cards with the words “Happy Birthday To You” on the front. The bracelet is multi-colored and includes a wooden bead shaped like a butterfly. The greeting card includes a UPC number of 734524634013 in the lower right corner, and also has “BD 63401″ and “Jean Card & Gift Company” on the back.

The greeting cards and bracelets were sold in card stores nationwide and by other retailers from February 2004 through September 2009 for about $7.

High levels of lead paint in children’s toys is heavily regulated due to the risk of long-term damage that may be caused by lead poisoning. High levels of blood lead levels, which typically result from children ingesting lead paint chips that flakes off the walls of older homes, can result in nervous system injury, brain damage, seizures, growth or mental retardation, coma or even death. However, even low levels of lead exposure have been found to be potentially dangerous.

The end is coming May 23, according to "Lost" co-creators Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, who made it official Tuesday during guest appearances on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

The first two of the final 18 hours had aired earlier in the evening as its season premiere.

Did this double-dip opener address the pair of island mysteries gnawing at viewers since last May?

What was the upshot of the kookie nuclear explosion Jack (Matthew Fox) masterminded to rewrite history and render the series' whole story line moot? And what's the scoop with the dead John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) coexisting with his very-much-alive John Locke look-alike?

(Warning: possible pesky spoilers ahead.)

Well, Jack is seen back on Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, and despite several moments of troubling turbulence, soon enough all seems well.

"Looks like we made it," Jack says to a fellow passenger as the flight smooths out.

Was this a replay of the original flight, just before the plane was pulled apart by electromagnetic energy and crashed in the series premiere?

Maybe Jack's grand plan to prevent that crash didn't work.

Or maybe it did.

Then the action shifts to the island and the construction site of the Swan station, where the nuclear bomb had been detonated at last season's end to cap the deep pocket of electromagnetic forces. Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lily) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) are bloodied and shaken up by the eruption.

And Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell), who set off the nuke after plunging to the bottom of the shaft with the bomb, is found by Sawyer alive. Alive long enough for their tearful farewell, anyway.

Elsewhere, the island's uber-boss, Jacob (Mark Pellegrino), who was apparently stabbed and burned to death in last season's finale, seems in fine fettle long enough to declare, "I died an hour ago."

As for the live version of Locke: Seems as though this is the human alter ego for the mysterious Smoke Monster, which has plagued the islanders in the past.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," he tells Ben (Michael Emerson), who is shocked by the sight of the carnage inflicted on Jacob's thuggish security guards.

"What are you?" asks Ben when the monster reverts to Locke's human form.

"I'm not a what, Ben. I'm a who," says ersatz Locke.

"You're the monster," Ben insists.

"Let's not resort to name-calling," the Locke character says.

Then this creature that looks like Locke delivers a tribute to the real and real-dead Locke: "He was weak and pathetic and irreparably broken. But despite all that, there was something admirable about him: He was the only one of them who didn't want to leave. The only one who realized how pitiful the life he left behind actually was."

Halfway through the program, the passengers of Oceanic 815 -- including Locke, Jack and other prominent characters -- are seen deplaning after the jet has safely landed in Los Angeles. Oddly, they mostly appear less than happy to be there, unhappy with themselves. Even pitiful in their lives.

During this, which is perhaps some sort of alternate narrative device, on which "Lost" thrives, Jack and Locke are thrown together at the airport for a brief conversation. Jack, a spinal surgeon, asks why Locke is in a wheelchair.

"Surgery isn't going to do anything to help me," says Locke, little suspecting that, once on the island, his paralysis would miraculously be cured. "My condition is irreversible."

"Nothing is irreversible," says Jack with a doctor's confidence.

Jack could have been talking about the stirring, often murky, sometimes overreaching "Lost" premiere, on which even Sayid (Naveen Andrews) comes to life after apparently dying from a gunshot wound.

Nothing is irreversible. Except, apparently, the end of "Lost" just weeks from now.

ABC7 - A woman says a visit to Disneyland with her daughter turned into a nightmare while aboard one of the rides because of what another park guest did. A man and his friend are wanted for questioning as police investigate whether the woman was a victim of sexual battery.

Christina Esquivel looks at a photo of the man she alleges sexually assaulted her with her 12-year-old daughter Alexus right next to her while riding the Tower of Terror at Disney's California Adventure Park last Friday afternoon.

"The lights go out, and you drop, and when the lights went out is when he grabbed my left breast," said Esquivel. "I grabbed his hand and tried to shove him off of me. I didn't know what to think at the time -- just shock."

The photo was shot during the ride, then later sold to customers. The picture was taken just seconds after the alleged incident. The photo shows Esquivel looking at the unidentified man. She says he then reached across and said he was sorry.

"My mom kind of leaned over to me and tried to get away from him as much as possible," said Alexus, Christina's daughter. "And she told me, 'That guy just grabbed my boob.'"

Christina, 31, alleges the man's friend, who was seated behind him, cheered.

"After the guy grabbed me, his friend behind him was laughing and clapping," said Christina.

The Esquivels claim that right before the ride, while in line, the man and his friend were whispering to each other and leering. Her daughter even showed them her mother's engagement ring to let them know she was taken.

"I was going to tell my mom, 'Let me switch seats so that way you could be away from them and they won't bother you,'" said Alexus.

After the alleged assault, the Esquivels reported it to the ride operator, who then called security. Nearly 10 minutes had passed.

"It takes a period of time to walk to certain places. So I would not say that's out of the ordinary; I would say that's pretty average for a response time," said Anaheim Police Sergeant Rick Martinez. "It's just unfortunate that this guy who obviously knew he did something wrong blended in and got away as fast as he could."

Christina filed a police report. Police are trying to identify the two men and want to talk with the man and his friend to get their
version of events.

"Violated. I just think, 'How can anybody do that? It's Disneyland," said Christina. "I'm there to spend time with my daughter, not to be assaulted like that."

In a statement, Disneyland officials say:

"We take this seriously and have no tolerance for this type of behavior. We are working with the Anaheim Police Department on the next steps."

Chip and Dale are joining the fun this year and make a prediction of their own in the video below. Groundhog Day also means there are only 10 more weeks for the “Southern California Resident 2fer Ticket.”

As we set sail to these exciting ports of call we have developed a series of very cool Port Adventures featuring distinctly Disney touches, beloved characters and rich storytelling to help bring local culture and customs to life.

One of the highlights of our Baltic cruises is The Royal Ball. In St. Petersburg, Russia, Catherine Palace becomes the stage for a grand gala hosted by princesses such as Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. The princesses and their princes will arrive by horse-drawn carriages and entertain guests in the gilded Grand Ballroom. Live musicians and royal courtiers resplendent in period costumes and powdered wigs add to the ambiance and lead guests in fun, song and dance.

During our Mediterranean cruises guests can book a Port Adventure featuring an exclusive character experience in Florence. This experience includes a walking tour of beautiful Florence, including visits to famous landmarks and historical locales. The tour caps with a visit to a beautiful Italian Palazzo (pictured) where you’ll enjoy lunch in the company of Disney Friends.

AP - The Pro Bowl's new, earlier date resulted in more viewers tuning in to the NFL's all-star game.

Sunday's AFC-NFC matchup on ESPN was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That's up 40 percent from last year's Pro Bowl on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This season's game was in a later time slot, when more people watch TV. But it also had to compete against the Grammys on CBS, which attracted 25.8 million viewers, the most since 2004.

That's what the folks at Walt Disney Co.'s ABC are wondering. With Oprah Winfrey leaving daytime television in September 2011 to focus on OWN, the cable network she is partnering on with Discovery Communications, there's a lot of jockeying for her position going on in television-land.

Winfrey's show is syndicated, meaning that it is not tied to a network and instead is sold to individual television stations across the country. But her show is carried on ABC's big-market TV stations, including WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles and WLS in Chicago and lots of ABC affiliates across the country. In other words, it is ABC, its stations and affiliates that are most concerned about filling the void that will be created by Winfrey's exit.

While there has been a lot of attention surrounding Ellen DeGeneres and whether her distributor Warner Bros. would try to move her show to ABC stations in big cities (it currently plays on NBC stations in the top markets, including KNBC in  Los Angeles) when Winfrey hits the road, another scenario making the rounds has ABC trying to move "The View" into Winfrey's time slots.

This would be incredibly complex for myriad reasons. First of all, "The View," which airs in the morning, is a network show, meaning it is only carried on ABC stations. If ABC wanted to move "The View" to the afternoon in Winfrey's time slots as a network show, it would need to persuade its TV stations to give back an hour of time that they currently control.

That would be a hard sell. When a local station carries a syndicated show such as Winfrey or DeGeneres, it gets more commercial inventory (about 10 minutes) to sell than it would with a network show (about two minutes). If ABC did want to move "The View," it probably would have to give up more advertising time to its stations to seal a deal. On top of that, not every station carries Winfrey in the afternoon. In Chicago, she airs at 9 a.m.

The Six Impossible Things Sweepstakes began Monday and offers entrants a chance to win one of six fantastical prizes, including props from Tim Burton’s movie and once-in-a-lifetime experiences from Disney.

A new prize will be announced each week through March 8. Here’s what the contest is starting with:

Prize 1: One-of-a-kind prop from Alice in Wonderland

Prize 2: A $6,000 gift card to make the impossible possible

Visit Disney.com/Wonderland or text DRINKME to DISNEY (347639) to enter.

Orlando Sentinel - Spider-Man has Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando in a web that legal experts say could put the rival resorts at risk of antitrust complaints.

The Alice in Wonderland TV promo will last a full week, from January 31 to February 6, and conclude with a special Alice in Wonderland spot reserved for the Super Bowl on February 7 called "Tick Tock". According to David Singh, executive vice president of worldwide marketing for Walt Disney Studios, Disney wanted to promote the Tim Burton directed Alice in Wonderland to showcase the incredible Burton vision of the classic Wonderland tale and to give fans a glimpse of Alice in Wonderland in 3-D. "With Tim Burton at the helm and a cast that includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and rising star Mia Wasikowska," said Singh, "the film already has a passionate following. Fans are eager to step into the incredible 3D Wonderland that Burton has created and get a glimpse at what he's done with these brilliant characters, and we're ready to give it to them."

Alice in Wonderland First Look Schedule

ABC
Desperate Housewives - Jan. 31, 9/8c
The Bachelor - Feb. 1, 8/7c

ESPN
2010 NFL Pro Bowl, Jan. 31, 7:20ET
NBA NUGGETS/LAKERS game, Feb. 5, 10:30ET

• Lunch ($19 per guest) will be served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Dinner ($29 per guest) will be served from 4:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Carnevale di Venezia runs through February 16. If you’re interested in learning more about the event, call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463).

 

We’re sharing the recipe for the Fileto Di Pesce Al Melograno (Halibut with Pomegranate Sauce). It’ll be featured during dinner service.

FILETO DI PESCE AL MELOGRANO (HALIBUT WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE)
Serves 4

Halibut
1 3/4 pounds halibut fillet (1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 even portions
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pomegranate Sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon butter

For the halibut:

1. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke.
3. Carefully place the halibut in the oil and cook for 4minutes each side, turning once, until golden brown on each side.

For the pomegranate sauce:

1. Boil wine and shallots over medium-high heat in heavy small saucepan for approximately 2 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated.
2. Add heavy cream and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil for approximately 5 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup.
3. Whisk in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon sauce over halibut before service.

A Sweet Gift

Looking for something sweet for your sweetheart? Our Candy Kitchens are best known for their hand-made confections including dipped strawberries, candy apples, dipped pretzel rods, nuttles, toffee and more. Selections vary by day so if you are looking for something in particular, be sure to check first. These delectable treats can be found at the Candy Palace in Disneyland park, but if you need to pick something up on your way home, then Marceline’s Confectionery in the Downtown Disney District might be the way to go.

Feeling Creative? Express Yourself!

Wear your heart on your sleeve and choose one of our blank Create–Your-Own Vinylmation Mickey figures. These blank vinyls come in an array of colors including white, black, red and yellow, as well as pink and purple. The Create-Your-Own vinyls can truly become a piece of art or a gift from the heart…

Here are a couple of other ideas that may inspire you:

Note: If this is the route you choose to go, then D Street in the Downtown Disney District is where you’ll find it.

A Plush Life

If your sweetheart has a soft spot for cuddly plush then she might like the Minnie Mouse inspired Valentine’s Day plush, but if it’s a teddy bear you seek, then give the My Disney Bear Valentine’s plush a try.

AP - What is that black smoke monster? Will Jack's plan to rewrite history work? Will Sun be reunited with Jin? Will the real Locke please stand up? What happens to the island? What does it all mean? How will it end?

Thousands of fans traveled from around the world to the home of "Lost" in a quest to get some answers to the questions that have piled up in the first five seasons. And they finally got what they were searching for -- sort of.

A crowd of about 12,000 -- some wearing bikinis -- on Waikiki Beach were treated this weekend to a special screening of the season premiere, which airs Tuesday night on ABC (8 p.m. EST) and kicks off the sixth and final season of the castaway drama.

Stars and directors of "Lost" made an island-style, red-carpet appearance and bid "aloha" to the fans and each other.

Actor Josh Holloway soaked it all in amid a chorus of screaming, photo-snapping women packed 10 deep behind metal gates.

"It's like being in high school. It's like being a senior -- getting near the last days of school," said Holloway, who stars as hunky, bad-boy Sawyer.

In 16 episodes, the emotional journey will be ending for the characters and actors, most of whom were unknown before "Lost."

"I was a struggling actor in the U.K. I came to Hawaii and now I'm on a hit show, so it's changed my life totally," said Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond.

Nestor Carbonell, who plays Richard, the ageless Other, called it "an incredible ride," that he's not so certain he wants to end.

Jorge Garcia, who portrays the tormented Hurley, said he's pretty sure he'll shed a few tears when it's all over.

"Right now, it's just a lot of appreciation and savoring the moment," he said. "I think when that last script gets dropped off at my house, that's when the sadness starts."

Evangeline Lilly, who stars as sexy jailbird Kate, said it'll be an "end of an era" for her personally. She was 24 when she joined the show and will be 31 when the show wraps this summer.

"This show has carried me through some significant years and I'm going to miss it," she said. "I'm also excited. I'm excited for the freedom and opportunity it'll bring. But it'll be bittersweet."

ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson said the loyal and passionate fan base of "Lost" is a testament to the creative writing and compelling characters.

"It's captured people the way no other show has captured them," McPherson said. Viewers are passionate about other ABC series including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives," he said, but "Lost" has a different "sense about it," with fans drawn in by its exploration of personal reinvention and discovery.

Even as head honcho, he said, he doesn't know how it'll end. The actors are also left guessing.

"I'm in a state of confusion," said Michael Emerson, who plays creepy Ben Linus. "Some big chunks are falling into place every week, but still I don't know where it's going. I thought midway through (filming) the final season, I would be able to begin to see the end. It's not the case."

Co-creator and executive producer Damon Lindelof is one of the few people who knows how it'll end and what questions will be resolved.

"Our rule of thumb is if the characters who crashed on Oceanic 815 care about it, or if the answer is relevant to them, we're going to answer it," he said. "But if it's a mystery that the fans care about that has no bearing on the lives of our character, we're not going to answer it.

"This is a character-based show. We care more about emotions, motivations and ultimate destinies of the people. We don't care about who built the statue."

Last season ended with Jack (Matthew Fox) deploying a nuclear warhead that, if things went as he hoped, would rewrite history by destroying a huge pocket of electromagnetic energy that may have been responsible for crashing Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 into a mysterious South Pacific island. If Jack's plan works, the plane could make it to Los Angeles as scheduled. If it doesn't they'll still be on the rock.

"For Jack, ultimately it's going to be about a sense of redemption, a catharsis and sort of finally letting go and fulfilling what his destiny is," Fox said. "He's finally gotten to the point where he's ready to do that."

Daniel Dae Kim said Jin's journey will be trying to find his wife, Sun.

"The audience has been kind of looking for that for a while and I'll be surprised if that didn't happen," Kim said.

There will be several characters returning during Season 6, including Claire, Michael and Libby.

But what does it all mean and how are all the stories tied together?

"I have no clue. But I like it that way," Garcia said.

Lilly believes the show is about "redemption and about the tug-of-war between faith and science."

"I think it's probably ultimately trying to say, that tug-of-war is two ends of the same rope. That's my interpretation," she said.

The show first aired on Sept. 22, 2004, with the unforgettable airplane crash on a mysterious island that got stranger by the episode.

When the curtains are finally lowered and filming ends in April, the actors say they'll miss working with such a large and diverse cast that has grown to become very close. They'll also miss Hawaii, which has provided the stunning tropical backdrops. "Lost" is the most successful TV series to be shot in the islands since "Magnum P.I." (1980-88).

"I'll miss being on a beautiful beach at sunrise or working at Makapuu or Kualoa or Makua Valley, just places with such staggering beauty that you think, 'No one should get paid to work here,'" said Emerson, who won an Emmy last year for best supporting actor.

Some of the actors plan to stay in Hawaii. Others will move back to Los Angeles, take time off or concentrate on film. Fox, who is building a home in Oregon and will spend some time with family, said he's done with television after two series that lasted six seasons a piece.

Garcia said he's unsure what's in store for him.

"I'm going to have to go back to civilization and see what my next adventure is," he said.

Just like Hurley would do.

DCP has collaborated with jewelry designer, Tom Binns; fashion designer Sue Wong; and Swarovski to create a line that aims to bring the film and characters to life.

The firm is teaming with Bloomingdale's flagship store to create one of a kind window displays. These will feature props from the film and highlight a selection of items from the designer line, including Sue Wong for Walt Disney Signature dresses and Tom Binns for Walt Disney Signature jewelry. The windows will be complemented by a special exhibit in the contemporary sportswear department, which will feature select costumes and props.

In addition, seven Bloomingdale's stores across the US will have special signage and video screens which will play behind the scenes footage and select bonus material.

BNET - Universal Orlando Resort will debut its 20-acre Harry Potter-themed attraction, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure this spring, and to add more hype, Universal has bought a Superbowl XLIV commercial spot advertising the new $265 million project.

The idea of a Harry Potter-themed attraction has garnered a lot of notice, especially from die-hard fans of the boy wizard created by J.K. Rowling. Now that it released photos showing an almost-finished Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry Harry attends, it’s stirring up more interest. Apparently Universal knows how to whet the appetites of Rowling’s fans because they’re releasing only small bits of information, mostly artist’s renderings on its Web site. The attraction will have feature detailed reproductions of the book and film series’ staples such as Hogsmeade Village, Ollivander’s Wand Shop, pubs that sell butterbeer and will use actors to portray dueling wizards.

While many expect this is Universal’s strongest competition against Disney World, others say that Universal may have tapped into some serious and lucrative geekdom. It’s almost a purely interactive fantasy world that will probably have as much appeal for adults making a pilgrimage to the Orlando theme park as it will for children. (Disney must be aware of the geek factor, since it is currently readying its weekends devoted to Star Wars also beginning in May.)

With the goal of emphasizing problem-solving and teamwork to its young aud, "Jake" will take the title character and his kid pirate fans to Never Land, where they will try to outsmart Captain Hook and his sidekick Smee. Each episode will contain two segments, with original, pirate-themed music.

Colin Ford ("Sweet Home Alabama"), who will voice Jake, is joined in the cast by Disney Channel vet Madison Pettis and Jonathan Morgan Heit ("Bedtime Stories") as Cubby.