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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive February 12-18 2006 | ||
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Saturday February 18, 2006 |
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Food, wine and good company. What better way to enjoy an evening and raise money for the health and human service needs of Central Florida. The Chef’s Gala pairs fine wines with entrees and desserts from the finest restaurants in Orlando for lucky guests, with proceeds benefiting the Heart of Florida United Way. This year’s event, the 14th annual, starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Epcot World Showplace in the Walt Disney World Resort. It also features live entertainment, prize giveaways and more. Disney eateries are well represented among the more than 20 participating restaurants, which include Boma-Flavors of Africa, Blue Zoo, Starlight Grille and Ole Ole, among many more. Some signature dishes include Mongolian grilled baby lamb chops, prosciutto and melon explosion and mustard shrimp with curry couscous. Sommeliers will be on hand to dispense information about the wine pairing choices. A few of the wines to be served include the whimsically named Marilyn Merlot, as well as Argyle Pinot Noir and Gewurtztraminer. The expert matching of wine and cuisine is what sets this event apart, said Katie Ozdemir, vice president of communications and major gifts for Heart of Florida United Way. Dessert courses even come with complimentary wine, said Ozdemir. It is the largest fund-raising event of the year for Heart of Florida United Way, said Ozdemir, who explained that much of the organization’s funding actually comes in through employee payroll deduction campaigns. The evening should raise at least $100,000 for the organization, said Ozdemir. Ozdemir said those who attend the event run the gamut from business and community leaders to those that just love good food and wine. More than 1,000 guests are expected. The event got its start in October 1992. Then known as Dining Adventures, it was a fund-raiser for United Way organized by then Chairman of Walt Disney World Attractions Dick Nunis and Enzo Pelini, owner of Enzo’s Restaurant in Casselberry. “It was developed as a way to engage the restaurant community,” said Ozdemir. That first event drew 140 guests, and by the next year changed its name to Chef’s Gala and has grown ever since. Walt Disney World Resorts has been the primary sponsor and venue since 1993. “It’s really grown by word of mouth,” said Ozdemir. Tickets for the 2006 Chef’s Gala are $175 per person or $1,750 for a corporate package of 12 tickets. For more information or to reserve seating call Heart of Florida United Way at 407-835-0900, ext. 330, or e-mail chefsgala@hfuw.org/. |
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Most people go to Disney theme parks to
experience thrills.
Lee Snijders, designer and host of "Design on a Dime," said he went there to learn how to "break the rules." "When you design theme parks and attractions, it's very fantasy and nonrealistic. You're trying to create an illusion that you're somewhere you're not," said Snijders, who will give presentations at 1 and 4 p.m. today and Sunday at the Home & Garden Expo at the El Paso convention center. Snijders said his experience as a dimensional designer with Walt Disney Imagineering in 1995 was useful for his work on the HGTV network makeover show. With Disney, he worked on Disney's California Adventure park in Anaheim, Calif.
"It's about creating the illusion, maybe
taking a 10-by-10 room and making it Tuscan style, or a
tropical Hawaiian getaway or a modern flat over looking
Central Park," he said.
Though he's creative on the show, Snijders said, he strives to please the homeowner. "I'll inject my opinion within reason, but it is their home," he said. "I'm definitely all about what the homeowner wants." But when you see a design with a tropical feel, it's a reflection of the 37-year-old who surfs on his time off. "I'm known for a modern tropical design," he said. "I like to take my vacations in the islands. I love modern architecture so I combine those and come up with a modern tropical design." In his presentations, Snijders said he plans on talking a little about breaking the rules. "Instead of using lighter colors to make a room look larger, you can use mid to dark tones," he said. "It gives the room a lot of depth." Snijders said people also sometimes need help choosing a room color. "I tell people to choose the less dominant color of the art piece, and that becomes your wall color," he said. |
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On Friday, February 24th at 8 p.m., New
York's most entertaining retail experience, World of Disney
Fifth Avenue, will have a grand opening gala with a
champagne reception and private auction to celebrate the
launch of Art of Disney at World of Disney Fifth Avenue.
Actor Michael J. Fox will toast this momentous occasion
while Disney Performance Artists Trevor Carlton and Stephen
Reis electrify the guests with their award-winning non-stop
action performance.
Watch as the crowd roars and cheers on Carlton and Reis as they transform a blank canvas into a vibrant, whimsical piece of art as they rock in complete harmony to accompanied music. Children of all ages will be dazzled, enchanted and mystified as the Disney Performance Artists take Fifth Avenue on a journey never before seen in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The festivities continue on Saturday, February 25th at 9:30 a.m. with Carlton and Reis staging another performance in the windows of the Fifth Avenue Disney mecca. These artists give you an opportunity to be there from the moment a blank canvas becomes a work of art. Reservations for the "Grand Gala" event will be accepted via www.DisneyGallery.com at a cost of $50. Saturday's events are open to the public for free. Guests can call 407-827-7600 for additional information between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday's festivities are free and open to the public. "We are thrilled to bring the Art of Disney to World of Disney once again," said Janet Reed, World of Disney, General Manager. "We consider it an honor to have the Art of Disney reborn in a city with such a rich tradition of influential art and artists." Trevor Carlton took up painting in high school but quickly realized his true passion was acting. Leaving his gift for painting behind, Carlton moved from Olympia, Washington, to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career in acting. Amidst all of his auditions and call backs, Carlton paid the bills by working at a custom furniture store, where he specialized in antiquing and faux finish designs. It was here that Carlton's natural talents were able to shine through. He developed his own style using reclaimed lumber as his "canvas" to paint images of vintage Americana from pop to hay day jazz. With Stephen Reis, Trevor has come full circle combining his two loves of painting and acting. Stephen Reis is a California native born in Los Angeles in 1974. He has spent the majority of his life immersed in all types of art. These types include studying film production at Loyola Marymount College in CA to fine art in Florence, Itlay. Although, some may say his real claim to fame is his role as an animator for the Simpsons, where he has worked for the past six years. With Trevor Carlton, Stephen has brought proportion, perspective and all the traditional aspects that come with his experience as a sought after animator. When asked why they do this they respond in unison, "we want to tell a thirty minute story." The artists use the time constraint of the performances to their advantage and they let the audience dictate the outcome of the painting. In the beginning of the show, Carlton and Reis have only decided on a character, they let inspiration and emotion be drawn only by the audience's reactions. They truly bring out the best in each other, which makes this high-energy performance an art experience that should absolutely not be missed. Enter the World of Disney 5th Avenue Flagship store, where fantasy comes to life and fairytale dreams come true… Enjoy a one-of-a-kind, interactive shopping experience where guests can create their own crown, build their own Mr.. Potato Head, and be entertained in our 3rd floor media/electronic zone. Share the excitement of Magical Meetings, a chance to spend some personal time with your favorite Disney characters for autographs, photos and hugs. The World of Disney 5th Avenue has a little something for everyone with products offering a unique urban New York twist. We are pleased to announce the grand opening of our Art of Disney Gallery, opening Saturday, February 25th with featured product lines including Goebel, Harmony Kingdom, Jim Shore, Guenther Glass, Elizabeth Gomes, Lenox, Swarovski, Arribas and Walt Disney Art Classics, just to name a few. Original pieces, sericels, 2D art, giclee's, posters and lithos will be available in our new gallery. So check it out (located at the corner of 55th and 5th Ave.). 212-702-0702 |
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Players,
fans flocking to Florida for spring training
They were lined up behind the wall near the dugout, standing as close to the field as they could, waiting for the Atlanta Braves to begin their first workout of the season Friday morning. Some had been waiting longer than others. "From the time we got back home (last spring) to the time we get down here," said Mickey Brinkley, a Braves fan most of his 65 years who is attending his 17th consecutive spring training. The players had been standing around on the field, goofing off a little, before Braves Manager Bobby Cox finally walked out of the dugout a little past 10. "It's a nice day out here, huh," Cox said to a group of fans who were waiting for his autograph. Cox signed a few balls and baseball cards, all the while trading small talk with people who had been looking forward to this day. One man, referring to the Braves' 14 consecutive division titles, said, "It's going to be 15 this year, right, Bobby?" Cox smiled and then, a few minutes later, left. "I've got guys working out," Cox said. "I've got to go watch." And so began - finally, officially - spring training at The Ballpark at Disney, Atlanta's spring home at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training sites across the state during the past few days, signaling the beginning of a pastime that's been dormant since October, when the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series in 88 years. The Braves, with a workout that lasted a little more than 2 1/2 hours, are one of 15 teams to have begun preparation for major league's opening day on April 2. Several teams began working out Thursday. Among other area Grapefruit League teams, the defending National League champion Houston Astros, based in Kissimmee, will start working out this weekend. David Cardwell, executive director of the Grapefruit League, is hopeful that last season's league attendance record of 1.6 million will be broken. Competing against spring training, though, will be the World Baseball Classic. The Ballpark at Disney will host WBC pool games from March 7-10. Some of the best players in the game may be absent from spring training for weeks. "I don't think it's going to hurt us," Cardwell said. "I think it might even help us. It will bring a different kind of fan, and we'll get international visitors." When pitchers and catchers report, it's a reunion of sorts - and not just for the players. Simmy Simoneau, 67, a retired police officer, lives in DeLand, Fla., and has been coming to Braves spring training for as long as he has been retired. When the players began stretching in right field, Simoneau was sitting nearby in the front row wearing a Braves hat covered in souvenir pins. He plans to attend every day of spring training, and he even made himself a "program," out of a binder with pictures of all the players invited to camp. His goal is to get most of the players to sign his book. "Last year was so great because so many of them got called up to the team," Simoneau said. "You get attached to so many of the young kids." The "young kids," as Simoneau calls the rookies, shared some of the wide-eyed enthusiasm of the youngest spectators during their first day of big-league camp. "I've been dreaming about this since I was a little kid," said Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a nonroster invitee who has spent the past two seasons catching in the low minors. The first day of spring training isn't all the stuff of dreams. It's also about getting back to work. The instruction starts early, even for the veterans. Once, when Braves pitchers were throwing batting practice, hitting coach Terry Pendleton pulled Chris Reitsma aside and told him to hide his pitches better. "Every pitch, I could see your fastball, I could see your curve ball," Pendleton said. "Every pitch." There's plenty of time for Reitsma to get it right and plenty of time for the fans to get a view of some big-leaguers they normally can't get. Brinkley, the fan in his 17th straight trip to Braves spring training, came with his wife, Barbara. They live near Rome, Ga., where the Braves have a Class A minor-league affiliate. A lot of Braves have passed through Rome, but the Brinkleys' favorites are catcher Brian McCann and outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Francoeur, before he left for the day, gave Barbara a hug. He signed a big picture of himself for Mickey. The Brinkleys will be here all of spring training. They told Francoeur they would take him out for dinner. "We consider the Rome boys to be our babies," Barbara Brinkley said. For the first time in awhile, they were all together - the players and their fans who feel like part of the family, too. |
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Toy
Fair 2006: Master Replicas
Our Toy Fair coverage continues with a quick visit to the Master Replicas booth at the Javtiz Center. The company is best known for their high quality reproductions of lightsabers from the Star Wars films, but now that Revenge of the Sith has come and gone, and having already manufactured just about every saber that comes to mind, Master Replicas has begun making a move into a variety of other projects and properties. Take for example their line of costumes. Though this new venture is still in the early stages of development, exactingly detailed full-scale replicas of Anakin Skywalker’s and Wolverine’s threads were on display at the show, as was a great interpretation of Spider-Man’s (comic book version) mask. Could’ve used that for my Spidey costume when I was a kid… |
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Elsewhere, the company’s arrangement with
Disney continues to yield fine collectibles and statues from
the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as The
Chronicles of Narnia and classic Mouse House characters
like Mickey himself and Kermit the Frog (who somehow is owned
by the Disney behemoth these days). Even replicas of
Cinderella’s glass slippers are being offered, in a kind of
female-skewing version of the company’s lightsaber props.
And while there aren’t a ton of new sabers being produced, there are a few worth mentioning. Darth Maul’s famous double-bladed lightsaber is getting the Force FX treatment, which are the $100 or so blades that light up and make realistic sounds. And Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn is getting some love this year with his own higher-end $300 replica version of his rather cheesy-looking sword. All this, plus Y-Wing Fighter scale models, Boba Fett helmets, and plans to roll out a Millennium Falcon as well. Great stuff – though I’m still waiting for these guys to send me my free press sample lightsaber for review. It is my destiny… |
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Friday February 17, 2006 |
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President
Bush To Speak at Contemporary Resort Tonight President Bush arrives in Central Florida today for a fundraiser for Republicans at Disney World His arrival aboard Air Force One at Orlando International Airport is expected to create a traffic nightmare. The president is scheduled to touch down just as rush hour begins on the busy Interstate 4 corridor, which is the prime motorcade route from the airport to Disney World. Bush is scheduled to speak at a $500-a-plate dinner at Disney's Contemporary Resort this evening and then leave shortly afterward. The president is expected to pull in about $3 million during the event. During the dinner, Bush will give local teenager Shuana Clark the president's volunteer service award. Bush arrived in Florida early this afternoon to visit the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa - a day after sending Congress a $65 billion emergency cash measure. It's to pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of the fiscal year. If Congress agrees, the total price tag for the two would rise to nearly $400 billion. Spokesman Scott McClellan says Bush is committed to giving American troops what they need to fight those conflicts and win. |
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Texas A&M University-Commerce President
Keith D. McFarland said Wednesday that Walt Disney Studios'
response to complaints about accuracy in the movie
"Glory Road" is inadequate.
The university was linked to some of the most racially charged scenes in the movie depicting Texas Western College's unlikely run to the 1966 NCAA championship. Richard Cook, Walt Disney Studios chairman, wrote to McFarland this week that some events had to be condensed to fit into a 2-hour movie. "Since 'Glory Road' is not a documentary, it was sometimes necessary to consolidate events in order to convey the life and times of the story in a roughly two-hour period," Cook wrote. "It was never the intention of Walt Disney Pictures or the 'Glory Road' filmmakers to unfairly depict any particular group, individuals, community, or institution and we regret any misunderstanding this might have caused." McFarland said in a statement that Cook's response "reads more like an explanation and justification than an apology." "Our institution and community were specifically singled out in a very negative way in the movie; therefore, to maintain the filmmakers had no intention of unfairly depicting any particular group or institution seems to be a contradiction in what the filmmakers actually did, and what Cook says they did," McFarland said. In the movie the Texas Western Miners, who made history by starting five black players in the national championship game, are shown being berated and taunted with racial slurs during a regular season game at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce. That game was played at Texas Western, now the University of Texas at El Paso. Former Texas Western players and others familiar with the 1966 team have said some of the movie's scenes, including one showing Bobby Joe Hill meeting his wife in a Mexican cantina, were fictionalized. Supporters of University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, whose all white Wildcats lost to the Miners in the championship game, have complained that Rupp was unjustly cast a racist in the movie. |
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The
Pirates Sequel One-Sheet
Here is the first look at the new one-sheet for Walt Disney Pictures' highly-anticipated sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, opening July 7. |
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Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira
Knightley reunite for the all new epic tale chronicling the
further mis-adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow. Produced by
Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski from a
screenplay written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio,
Captain Jack sets sail on an all new adventure – filled
with more intrigue, more spectacular special effects and
more comedy.
"Dead Man's Chest" also stars Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Nighy, Jack Davenport, Kevin R. McNally and Jonathan Pryce. |
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Bridge
to Terabithia Begins Production
Bridge to Terabithia, the motion picture
adaptation of Katherine Paterson's Newbery Honor award
winning best-selling novel, began principal photography on
location in Auckland, New Zealand. The project is a
co-production between Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Because of Winn-Dixie)
and The Walt Disney Studios. International sales and
distribution will be handled by Summit Entertainment. |
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"High
School Musical" Soundtrack Ships Gold and Generates Two
Gold Singles
Accolades keep rolling in for Walt Disney Records' "High School Musical" soundtrack as it ships gold (572,259 units shipped) this week, with certification by the RIAA expected next week. The record-breaking Disney Channel Original Movie soundtrack also has generated two gold singles this week -- "Breaking Free" and "Get'cha Head in the Game." Additionally, the "High School Musical" soundtrack continues to dominate the charts with a record nine tracks continuing their reign on Billboard's Hot 100 and multiple chart-topping accomplishments. The newly gold single "Breaking Free" (169,806 units scanned) has set records since its second week on the charts. On January 31, "Breaking Free" rocketed from #86 to #4, making the largest jump in the 48-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The song's #4 position also made it Walt Disney Records' highest-ranked Hot 100 song in the label's 50-year history. The song "Get'cha Head in the Game" obtains gold status (105,690 units scanned) two weeks after breaking a 34-year-old Billboard record by soaring from #100 to #28 -- the largest jump ever from the anchor position. This week marks the "High School Musical" soundtrack's third consecutive week at #1 on the Billboard Kids Chart. Currently, the CD is #2 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart after holding the #1 position for two weeks. Walt Disney Records is part of The Buena Vista Music Group, the recorded music and music-publishing arm of The Walt Disney Company. For more information, please visit Disney Records.com. |
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Mcgarrybowen
Joins Disney Roster
Independent Mcgarrybowen has parlayed a
project into a slot on Walt Disney Parks & Resorts' U.S.
roster of agencies, alongside longtime lead shop Leo
Burnett, the client confirmed.
Mcgarrybowen's previous project was a 2005 spot celebrating
Disney's 50 years in the theme park business. The New York
agency will now handle brand initiatives and special
projects for the Burbank, Calif., client, the shop
confirmed. |
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Hong
Kong Disneyland
At its 11th theme park, Walt Disney waters down the Magic Kingdom brand experience in a bid to remain culturally sensitive to Chinese visitor Hong Kong Disneyland is the Walt Disney Company's eleventh theme park in the world, and the first of the parks the company wants to build in China, including one in Shanghai. With China expected to become one of the world's largest tourism destinations, and mainland tourists becoming a formidable force with spending power, Hong Kong Disneyland looks set for imminent success, at least on paper. Hong Kong Disneyland However, the real test lies in whether Disney is able to transport the magic of the Disneyland brand into Asia with Hong Kong Disneyland, while avoiding the mistakes it has made in its European foray with EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris). Disneyland Paris' teething problems have famously demonstrated the tough challenges that even a globally known and loved brand like Disney faces in extending its brand experience to another culture. From cultural insensitivities such as a blanket English-only policy for staff and the prohibition on wine consumption on park grounds, to exorbitant pricing on tickets and merchandise, mistakes could provide valuable lessons in what to avoid in future international ventures. Disney has gone to great lengths to make the Hong Kong park culturally sensitive to the Hong Kong population and attractive to Chinese visitors. Consulting local feng shui masters, especially to appease the prosperity-conscious Hong Kong population which has invested HKD 316 million in tax dollars in the park, the main entrance gate of Hong Kong Disneyland was shifted by 12 degrees and cash counters are placed close to corners or along walls to maximize prosperity. Auspicious dates were picked for the commencement and completion of each building on the property, lucky numbers like 8 abound (the main ballroom at one of the hotels is 888 square feet large), and unlucky ones like 4 (which sounds like the word death in Cantonese and Mandarin) do not appear at all on lift buttons. Beyond putting local folks at ease, Disneyland executives have also gone the extra mile to make the park more accessible to Chinese tourists. Park signs are written in both Chinese and English, and there are bilingual explanations for each of the park's rides. The Jungle Cruise boats that have Mandarin-speaking guides feature names such as Lijiang Lady, which bears reference to Lijiang in China, famous for its scenic rivers. Meals and Disney merchandise at Hong Kong Disneyland are also priced reasonably, encouraging visitors to bring home a piece of the brand experience. In bringing the Disney brand closer to Asia, however, the same overtures may have in turn brought Hong Kong Disneyland further from what's central to the brand. For many visitors to Disneyland, the magic of the Disney brand lies in its ability to transport you to a fantasy world. As you walk down Main Street in most Disneylands, with its quaint shop fronts and cobbled street, cast members and characters greet you with trademark exuberance; it's a magical journey into a new realm. Disneyland is also quintessentially about American culture. This has been adjusted to varying degrees at different parks all over the world and, while kitschy at times, has been at the center of the brand. This is where Hong Kong Disneyland seems to have overcompensated for cultural differences and settled for a less than authentic Disney experience. While a lot of attention was paid to incorporating Asian elements during planning and construction, less attention seems to have been paid to offering more rides and bigger thrills. The Hong Kong Disneyland experience is far more tame, perhaps to cater to mainland visitors who, for now, seem to prefer taking photographs than taking rides. Life-size characters, a common sight on the streets of Western Disneylands, are not as easily seen in Hong Kong. And while cast members exude a warm friendliness that Hong Kong service staffs are famous for, they still have yet to fully get into character to create the trademark fantasy world that Disney is so known for. The lack in authenticity trickles down to even food choices where you may expect to find cotton candy and hot dogs, instead are vacuum-packed drumsticks cooked in soy sauce and black sesame ice cream. Bakeries on Main Street draw visitors in with window displays of blackberry pies, but long queues form within for the main product available egg custard tarts, a ubiquitous pastry found all over Hong Kong, making the experience too local and commonplace. Perhaps the park size may also be a factor in this. At 299 acres, Hong Kong Disneyland is just one percent the size of Florida's Disney World and is Disney's smallest theme park yet. It is estimated to take just 30 minutes to walk through all parts of the theme park (without crowds of course). Arguably it may be difficult to replicate the Disney experience in such a small space. Consequently, many Western visitors find Hong Kong Disneyland cramped and sometimes claustrophobic during peak periods. Westernized Hong Kong Chinese have also complained. Bearing in mind that Disney's main target are mainland visitors, the current version may be doing its job at keeping the target market entertained. Tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland were sold out on three separate days in December 2005, with research showing continued interest by the younger crowd to Disneyland. However, as mainland visitors warm to the brand and the experience, it may be worthwhile for Disney to pay attention to the local community for return visits, as well as international visitors who may want a piece of the authentic Disney experience, with Asian flavor. To appeal to these audiences, Hong Kong Disneyland may have to restore some of the magic that Disneyland is famous for. |
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In
an ever-growing America, it’s not a small world after all
As Disneyland celebrates its 50th birthday, the park is grappling with a harsh reality of middle age: Mickey Mouse’s entourage has put on a few pounds. To accommodate the ballooning bodies of American workers, the Magic Kingdom is redesigning some of its costumes for ride operators, shop clerks, waitresses and other employees. A couple decades ago, the park’s wardrobe department stocked a narrow range of sizes. Today, the uniforms for women extend from size 2 to 30. And men’s trousers have stretched to 58-inch waists. The super-sizing of costumes is the latest wrinkle in the park’s unending quest to balance Walt Disney’s storybook vision of perfection against real-world practicalities. The demise of longtime bans on mustaches and cornrow hairstyles drew considerable publicity a few years ago. But the shift on weight escaped attention. Although employee contracts still require medical leaves for workers who are “unable to maintain their physical proportions,” the clause is no longer enforced. Disney officials downplay the issue, saying they’re simply aiming for a more diverse workforce. But outside observers say a tight labor market for low-paying jobs has forced the company to loosen its strict personal-appearance standards. “Disneyland can’t be as picky as it used to be,” said Jamie O’Boyle, a theme-park scholar at the Center for Cultural Studies & Analysis in Philadelphia. “Obesity is the issue du jour,” said Bill O’Brien, a Minneapolis-based employment attorney. “It’s everywhere you turn.” Dressing Disney cast members isn’t cheap either. The hotel uniforms in the Tower of Terror ride at California Adventure cost more than $1,000 apiece, the priciest get-ups in the Disney empire. And park managers stock at least four backup costumes for each employee and robotic character, to stand in during repairs or laundering. |
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Disney
World Hotel Goes Smoke-Free
For the first time ever, a Disney World property is going 100 percent smoke-free. Guests can't smoke in the Swan Hotel anymore, either in rooms or public areas. The Swan is a Westin hotel, and is now among 77 Westin hotels banning smoking. In preparation, the hotel has had an intensive cleaning process that includes replacing all linens, bedding and drapes. |
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Disney
Channel to Launch New JoJo Series
On Monday, February 20, Disney Channel
will launch a new short-form series featuring the star of
the popular Playhouse Disney show JoJo's
Circus. Feeling Good with JoJo
encourages preschoolers to try basic stretches in an effort
to cultivate an early interest in fitness and boost
self-esteem. For the first week it will air at 8:55 a.m.
Beginning February 27 it moves to its regular time slot,
airing daily at 7:55 a.m. and 10:25 a.m. The music-filled segments see JoJo
telling viewers about the benefits of incorporating easy
movements, stretches and poses into everyday situations,
especially to overcome typical preschool-age fears. Her pet
lion Goliath follows along and preschoolers are encouraged
to mirror JoJo as she performs
stretches. The executive producers are Jim Jinkins
and David Campbell and Adam Shaheen.
The series is produced by New York's Cartoon Pizza and
Toronto's Cuppa Coffee
Animation. |
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Thursday February 16, 2006 |
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The executive shake-ups continued at the Walt
Disney Co. on Wednesday as the company adjusts to its recent
$7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios.
Marty Sklar, a 50-year veteran at Disney, stepped down as vice chairman and principal creative exec for Walt Disney Imagineering in the wake of Pixar executive vp John Lasseter being named principal creative adviser of the theme park division. In his new position, Lasseter reports to Disney CEO Robert Iger, bypassing parks and resorts management. Sklar will serve as Walt Disney parks and resorts Imagineering ambassador, a role as yet undefined. "I knew that as my 72nd birthday and my 50th Disney anniversary approached, I would look for new challenges," Sklar wrote in a memo to Disney employees. "So when Jay Rasulo (chairman of Walt Disney parks and resorts) asked me to talk about the future, I was 'all ears' to a challenging proposal Jay made. It not only seems to be one of those ideas that is overdue, but it was clear to me that I am the perfect casting (perhaps the only candidate) capable of originating and organizing this assignment." Describing the new assignment as a "blank sheet of paper," Sklar wrote that he planned to recruit new talent at colleges and universities, develop traveling exhibitions to promote the talents -- present and past -- of Imagineering and speak at conferences and conventions. Sklar's former position is not expected to be filled, according to an Imagineering spokesperson. "This has been in the works for some time," the spokesperson said. "We have a very strong creative team in place. For the past 10 years we have been working with Pixar as we take the stories from their films and bring them to our theme parks. We have had a very strong creative relationship with Pixar." When Lasseter and Ed Catmull, the newly appointed president of Pixar and Disney animation studios, toured the Walt Disney Co. divisions after last month's acquisition announcement, the two visited briefly with Imagineering staff. In a memo to WDI staff regarding Sklar's new position, Rasulo emphasized the talents of the group's creative leadership, noting that they all "look forward to the energy and insight Imagineering will get from John Lasseter in his new role as principal creative adviser." |
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The Walt Disney Internet Group has set up a
pre-launch Web site for its planned mobile virtual network
operator service, Disney Mobile.
The site allows interested consumers to sign up for information about the cellular service and indicates a launch date of this summer. Disney Mobile promises customers "unique, easy-to-use features, family usage controls [and] options to customize the wireless experience," plus exclusive Disney content, according to the Web site. Disney plans to launch a MVNO service using Sprint Nextel Corp.'s CDMA network. Disney subsidiary ESPN launched its Mobile ESPN service earlier this year also using Sprint Nextel's CDMA network. |
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Champion
skater Kwan hired as Disney spokeswoman
Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, will serve as a celebrity representative and spokesperson for businesses across the entire range of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), it was announced today by Matt Ryan, senior vice president, Brand Management, The Walt Disney Company. Earlier this week, with a magnanimous gesture that exemplified sportsmanship, selflessness and respect for her sport, Michelle Kwan withdrew herself from the 2006 Winter Olympic Games due to injury. As part of the multiyear agreement, Kwan may participate in advertising, promotions or public service announcements involving all of Disney's businesses, make guest appearances on original programming and personal appearances at live Disney events, and take part in Disney's company-wide initiatives. |
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"Professionally and personally, Michelle
is a true champion. While her magnificent artistry on the
ice has been applauded the world over, she also sets the
standard for grace and dignity, which truly accounts for her
universal appeal," said Ryan. "We at Disney are
honored to be associated with Michelle and know that her
unique style and commitment to quality will be enjoyed and
appreciated by our audiences everywhere."
Kwan authored the motivational book The Winning Attitude! What It Takes To Be A Champion and contributed to the fictional book series Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams published by Disney Publishing Worldwide and has appeared in Disney and ABC television specials. Michelle starred in the primetime TV special Reflections on Ice: Michelle Skates to the Music of Disney's Mulan, which was selected as the best-produced skating special of 1998-99. In her career, Kwan has won an unprecedented 43 championships, including five World Championships, eight consecutive and nine overall U.S. National Championships and two Olympic medals. She is the only woman in figure skating history to reclaim the World title three times, and she holds or shares nearly a dozen U.S. records. Kwan began skating at the age of five and won her first competition when seven years old. |
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Disney
ride reopens, Man recovering
A 70-year-old man injured on a Walt Disney
World ride Tuesday evening was in good condition Wednesday
at Orlando Regional Medical Center, a Disney spokeswoman
said. |
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Disney
settles Lion song dispute
The family of the composer of The Lion Sleeps Tonight have dropped a case against Disney after accepting an undisclosed settlement. The relatives of South African Solomon Linda, who wrote the original Zulu tune, settled with the US owners of the copyright who had loaned it to Disney. The dispute over royalties arose when the song was used in The Lion King. Linda, who died in poverty in 1962, composed the song in 1939 and recorded it with The Evening Birds. His family contested that Disney was liable to pay almost £1m for using the song, which was used in The Lion King film and stage musical. Back payment Mr Linda sold the copyright to a local firm in 1939, but his lawyers said it should have reverted to his heirs 25 years after his death in 1962. It has been recorded by at least 150 artists around the world, and became one of the most popular tunes in Africa. Tight Fit were among the acts that covered the song, which topped the UK charts in 1982. The song has reportedly earned more than $15m (£8.4m) because of its use in the The Lion King movies, but Mr Linda's family received $15,000 (£8,400). The settlement involves back payment of royalties to the family and the right to participate in future payments on a worldwide basis. |
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Disney
says film not a documentary
Texas A&M University-Commerce President Keith D. McFarland said Wednesday that Walt Disney Studios' response to complaints about accuracy in the movie "Glory Road" is inadequate. The university was linked to some of the most racially charged scenes in the movie depicting Texas Western College's unlikely run to the 1966 NCAA championship. Richard Cook, Walt Disney Studios chairman, wrote to McFarland this week that some events had to be condensed to fit into a 2-hour movie. "Since 'Glory Road' is not a documentary, it was sometimes necessary to consolidate events in order to convey the life and times of the story in a roughly two-hour period," Cook wrote. "It was never the intention of Walt Disney Pictures or the 'Glory Road' filmmakers to unfairly depict any particular group, individuals, community, or institution and we regret any misunderstanding this might have caused." McFarland said in a statement that Cook's response "reads more like an explanation and justification than an apology." "Our institution and community were specifically singled out in a very negative way in the movie; therefore, to maintain the filmmakers had no intention of unfairly depicting any particular group or institution seems to be a contradiction in what the filmmakers actually did, and what Cook says they did," McFarland said. In the movie the Texas Western Miners, who made history by starting five black players in the national championship game, are shown being berated and taunted with racial slurs during a regular season game at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce. That game was played at Texas Western, now the University of Texas at El Paso. Former Texas Western players and others familiar with the 1966 team have said some of the movie's scenes, including one showing Bobby Joe Hill meeting his wife in a Mexican cantina, were fictionalized. Supporters of University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, whose all white Wildcats lost to the Miners in the championship game, have complained that Rupp was unjustly cast a racist in the movie. |
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Disney:
No cultural arrogance
Hong Kong Disneyland has denied charges of
cultural arrogance and said it would rectify the situation
leading to the mass shut-out of thousands of angry
mainlanders over Spring Festival. |
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Disney
Media Downloads for the Youngest of Computer Users
Disney Online, best known for Toontown, a massively multiplayer Internet game for children, has begun a $50-a-year subscription service for the most discriminating of audiences: preschoolers. The service, Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, marries Web features (for managing a child's progress and dispensing biweekly doses of learning games) with larger downloads of content that can reside on a hard drive, providing fast-playing games and TV-like animation. After an 85-megabyte download from www.preschooltime.com, the program can be customized, with birthdays, favorite colors and so on, for up to five children. The service requires Internet Explorer, with firewalls either disabled or modified so that Disney's automated downloads can take place. Unfortunately, turning off firewalls can make a computer vulnerable to other programs, not so well intentioned. The service was developed in consultation with the designers of classic software series like Reader Rabbit and the Living Books. It may help fill the need for high-quality, safe interactive media for young children. If it succeeds, others will certainly follow. |
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Donna
Summer and Disney to Rock International Pow Wow
Disco icon and pop sensation Donna Summer will be performing for International Pow Wow delegates during the Wednesday evening event at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. From exotic cultures, cocktails and cuisine, to spectacular music and entertainment, be prepared to eat, drink and dance the night away. Be among the first to embark on a thrilling showdown with the Yeti aboard the new high-speed train adventure, Expedition Everest! Cap-off the night with a live-performance by GRAMMY award winning artist, Donna Summer, and see firsthand that at Disney the magic never ends. International Pow Wow is the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of Visit USA travel. The show takes place May 6 – 10 in Orlando, Florida. |
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From
Monsters to the Matterhorn, Listeners Go Behind the Scenes
at 'The Happiest Place on Earth!'
The first 2006 episode of the popular "Official Disneyland Resort Podcast" series is now available on computers worldwide. This free monthly Internet-based show is accessible to a global audience at www.disneyland.com/podcast. Listeners can also subscribe through the iTunes Podcast Directory to receive each show automatically each month. Achieving a rating of four-and-a half stars out of a possible perfect five on the iTunes Podcast Directory, the "Official Disneyland Resort Podcast" is a hit with listeners. The entertaining and informative series returns in 2006 (it debuted in October 2005) with segments highlighting the opening of the all-new attraction "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!" at Disney's California Adventure Park and then pulls back the curtain on a few of the secrets of one of Disneyland's signature adventures -- Matterhorn Bobsleds. Michael Geoghegan, host of the podcast, scares up a few celebrity interviews on the furry blue-spotted carpet for the premiere of "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!" including brief chats with "Friends" star Lisa Kudrow, Academy Award winner Jon Voight, "Seinfeld" star Patrick Warburton and George Lopez ("The George Lopez Show"). Geoghegan also takes listeners to the wrap party for interviews with a few of the Disney Imagineers responsible for the creation of the attraction, plus a conversation with Pete Docter (director of the hit film "Monsters, Inc.") and Bob Peterson (the voice of Roz and story supervisor for "Monsters, Inc."). Highlighting Disneyland's continuing 50th anniversary celebration, Geoghegan then takes podcast listeners on a fun and interesting "peak" behind the magic of one of Disneyland's all-time classic adventures -- Matterhorn Bobsleds. Listeners join Geoghegan as he goes inside the famous landmark and meets Disneyland's expert team of mountain climbers and learns a bit of the mountain's history and trivia (there's a half basketball court inside the mountain on the fifth floor!). After ascending 13 stories within the famous structure, Geoghegan and his mountain guides reach the summit for a spectacular view of the Disneyland Resort and all of southern California (including the famous Hollywood sign and Santa Catalina Island more than 50 miles away!). Each new monthly episode of the "Official Disneyland Resort Podcast" features an engaging mix of original programming recorded live throughout the resort, including locations in Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney district and the resort's three landmark hotels -- Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel -- creating a "you are there" experience. The "Official Disneyland Resort Podcast" joins several official podcasts from The Walt Disney Company, including free programs from Disney Online, Radio Disney, ABC, ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort. More information about the Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration and vacations at the Disneyland Resort is available at http://www.disneyland.com/, by calling (877) 700-DISNEY, or by visiting local travel agents. |
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Hong
Kong Disneyland hosts Contact and Contract
Hong Kong Disneyland hosted Contact and Contract Hong Kong this week, a gathering of 60 plus South East Asian wholesalers and tour operators. Contact and Contract Hong Kong is organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and offers an opportunity to familiarize Asian travel professionals with tourism opportunities in Hong Kong. The travel industry professionals spent a night at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, experienced a Character Breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy, toured Disney's Hollywood Hotel and enjoyed a day at Disneyland Park during their four-day visit to Hong Kong. They also met with the Hong Kong Disneyland sales team, on February 13, to review their cooperative business since the park opened and to review business developments and product updates at the resort. Mr. Miguel Trias, VP Manager, Las Palmas Tours and Travel, in the Philippines, said, "We have found an upswing in our business after the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland and have included this attraction in our itinerary. Our customers gave us very good feedback and we appreciate the supportive and cooperative working relationship with Hong Kong Disneyland." Ms. Grace Tjan, Assistant General Manager (Operations/Product Development), Sino-America Tours Corporation Pte Ltd., in Singapore, said, "We are very happy to work with Disney. After the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, our business has improved and our customers gave us positive feedback towards their experience at the park." |
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It
Dangled the Carrot and Got Michaels
Disney employees are invited to an
elaborate "Welcome Home" lunchtime celebration
today at the Walt Disney Studios Commissary in Burbank for
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Appropriately, carrot cake will be
served. There's no word of any celebration at the
NBC Commissary to commemorate the arrival of Michaels. |
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Disneyland
Paris Riddle 2009
With Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast opening in
less than 2 months, the Toon Studios having finally broken
ground and even the Tower of Terror shaping up, guests of
both theme parks at Disneyland Resort Paris have a lot to
look forward to in the next years ... till 2007/2008. But
what then? Well, there is more after that! Financing for the
theme park expansion as agreed upon in 2004 included a
budget for another new attraction in 2009. Internal sources
have provided us with an updated look at the current plans
for the secret 4th attraction. According to these sources
Imagineering already has taken first measurements and looked
into different technical approaches and is currently moving
ahead with further detailed plans for the 4th attraction.
But what attraction will it be? |
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Wednesday February 15, 2006 |
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Walt Disney World Co. and Sharpie, a division
of Sanford LP, a Newell Rubbermaid company, announced today
a strategic alliance that joins Sharpie(R) markers with the
magic of the Walt Disney World(R) Resort.
Sharpie's agreement with Walt Disney World Co. includes marketing and promotional rights, sponsorship of several popular Walt Disney World Resort events and experiences, and on-site promotional presence for the Sharpie(R) marker brand at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. "Sharpie is a natural fit for Walt Disney World Resort given the millions of autograph seekers who frequent the resort each year," said Rory Leyden, president of Sanford North America, Sharpie's parent company. "Sharpie also draws parallels to the Disney brand strategically. Both Sharpie and Walt Disney World Resort offer experiences that deliver on the promise of fun and family." Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort and president of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, added: "We are excited to align ourselves with a brand so many of our families recognize and have enjoyed with their children for years. We welcome Sharpie as our newest alliance partner." As part of the agreement, Sharpie will become the title sponsor of the resort's Kidcot Fun Stops at Epcot(R) theme park, where craftspeople from around the world teach children how to create one-of-a-kind face masks and enjoy arts and crafts. Sharpie also becomes the title sponsor for Walt Disney World Resort's annual art event, "Festival of the Masters." In addition, Sharpie joins as a participating sponsor for well-known, annual events such as the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, ESPN The Weekend, ABC Super Soap Weekend, the FUNAI Golf Classic on the PGA TOUR, Grad Nite celebrating high school graduates each spring, and Disney's Magic Music Days, which provides high school bands nationwide the opportunity to showcase their talents at Walt Disney World Resort. Sharpie(R) markers also will enjoy greater visibility with key branding and displays at Disney's Wide World of Sports(R) Complex. Consumer promotions in connection with the partnership are in development and will include the chance to win a Walt Disney World Resort vacation package and a full complement of Sharpie(R) products. |
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Disney Insider - "I’m attracted to
stories about people overcoming impossible odds," says
director Frank Marshall. "And I’m attracted to
stories that are a challenge to make - I don’t like to be
on a stage, I like to be outside. I like challenging
production situations - being on mountaintops, or in harsh
conditions." By those criteria, he could hardly have
found a more perfect project than "Eight Below."
In "Eight Below," the new film from Walt Disney Pictures, eight sled dogs are inadvertently abandoned in Antarctica - possibly the most brutal physical environment on earth. The dogs must work together to survive an Antarctic winter - and their trainer, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) must forge a partnership of friends and colleagues to return to the frozen continent and retrieve the animals. Both threads of the story are studies in triumph over incredible obstacles. And with filming taking place almost entirely outdoors, largely in the snowy surroundings of a Canadian winter, the creation of "Eight Below" was accomplished against some pretty steep obstacles itself. "The first challenge was, how do we put the audience in Antarctica? The easy way is to go to Antarctica and shoot the whole movie down there but that’s impossible!" laughs Frank, "so it’s my job as the filmmaker to create the illusion." With Antarctica off limits, he searched for the next best thing. "Robin Mounsay, a mountaineer and guide, is the number one expert in finding these kinds of locations. He looked all over the world and he remembered doing a commercial in Smithers, Canada, and that there was this sort of plain on top of the ski resort.
"So we created a backlot of Antarctica -
we built six locations - and then sent the second unit to
Greenland and Norway. I wanted penguins in the movie, and I
wanted the really stark and harsh landscapes you can only
find down there, so I bought some documentary footage of
Antarctica, and we cut it all together." The finished
result looks absolutely convincing (it helps that, as Frank
observes "on camera, white is white!") - and
absolutely forbidding, as well as beautiful. The severity of
the landscape is no illusion of the camera - according to
Frank, conditions were rough for the human cast and crew.
"It’s cold, it’s windy, it’s very very bright. You can get frostbite or sunburned very easily, and you can get snow-blind from the reflections off the snow. We had a lot of challenges that you don’t get with an ordinary movie." One set of castmembers, however, found the conditions on location to be just about perfect - 32 dogs, huskies and malamutes, portrayed the eight-dog team of "Eight Below." For these cold-adapted breeds, Smithers was a vacation paradise - and getting them to rein in their sheer joy at romping in the snow might have been the single greatest challenge Frank faced on the shoot. "The hardest thing was to get them to walk slowly, as though they were tired, hungry, and worn-out. But they just loved being out in the cold! They wanted to run around all the time!" Frank recalls. "There’s a series of shots that took a whole day, to get them just walking along behind Maya, the lead dog, who has her hurt leg. To get all of them to walk slowly at the same time was the hardest scene in the movie. That required two trainers for each dog - one to let each dog go, and one to be in front of them, so there were twelve extra people to try to keep out of frame. I didn’t want the shot to be limited to close-ups, so I had to get the dogs to listen to the trainers, who had to be far away enough to not be in the shot. Then we had footprint problems." And not just footprints - "There was a lot of yellow snow" to work around, he admits with a laugh. For Frank, however, working with the dogs was also the greatest joy of making "Eight Below." "It was fantastic! I loved coming to work every day. What better than to have 32 happy pups greet you every morning?" he asks. The owner of two golden retriever/poodle crosses, Frank is a wholehearted dog lover. Frank was committed to making each dog on the "Eight Below" team express a distinct personality, while still showing them to be purely dogs - these pups never "act cute" or seem anything less than canine. Creating characters who never talk, whom the audience can easily recognize, was a challenge. "I tried to cast each dog with a different look - a different color, a different size, a different personality. When I talked to the dog trainers and Mike Alexander, we talked about which dogs have the right look - but on the other hand, which dogs are the best actors." On February 17, audiences will thrill to the adventure of "Eight Below." And all the hard work will bear fruit on the screen. For Frank, however, the greatest rewards have come from making the film and getting to tell this inspiring tale: "It was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. It was a fun movie to make, and I think we tell an inspiring and emotional story as well." |
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Dmobo, a licensing partner for Disney
recently launched the M900, a premium mobile phone featuring
a host of Mickey Mouse features, including a leather
enclosure with embossed Mickey Mouse motifs that helps give
the phone its premium appearance. Enabling the inclusion of
the luxurious and soft feeling of "Mickey Magic
Leather" on the M900 was made possible through a
technology known as the EXO Overmolding System from Inclosia
Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and
developer of innovative enclosure technologies. EXO is a
patented mass manufacturing process which enables designer
fabrics, leathers, real woods, and real metals to be
combined with plastics in an injection molding operation.
The Mickey Mouse-inspired Dmobo M900 cell phone was produced
by Korean based NewGen Telecom Co., the M900 supplier for
Dmobo and Walt Disney Internet Group's (WDIG) wireless
handset manufacturers and suppliers in Asia.
"Every element of this cell phone projects our desire to provide fun, engaging and easy-to-use thematic mobile experiences," said Tony Pang, Managing Director for Dmobo. "That includes our decision to use Mickey Mouse patterned leather enclosure, which delivers a luxurious look & feel that will please Disney fans of all ages." A special limited addition Dmobo M900 cell phone (photo) was first launched in Hong Kong and is also now available Malaysia, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand. They are tri-band GSM phones featuring a 1.3 mega-pixel camera and a 260K color screen, with EXO™ leather enclosures available in three colors (flashy white, shadowy silver and pearly white). Each phone comes complete with a charm strap in the shape of Mickey Mouse's famous white glove. "The Dmobo M900, with Mickey Mouse logos on real leather, is a wonderful demonstration of how Inclosia's EXO Overmolding System technology is enabling OEMs to differentiate their products with luxury materials," said Tony Frencham, global business director for Inclosia Solutions. "EXO enables the Disney phone to look and importantly feel great." |
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Tommorowland
Noodle Station to get menu enhancements
The Tommorowland Noodle Terrace is set to reopen soon with a new menu. Traditional items, like chicken strips and chicken Caesar salad, are set to join the noodle offerings. The opening date is yet to be confirmed. |
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Carleton
Disney gives check to village for station launch
Disney offers check to village The Village of Carleton has received a $17,500 check from Radio Disney as a corporate donation for launching its new AM station last fall to air children's programming. Glenn Goodnight, village president, said the money will be used to buy new playground equipment at Ash-Carleton Park. The village is waiting to receive another check from the State of Michigan, he said. The programming at 910-AM is aimed primarily at kids up to age 14 and a secondary market of mothers with children 2-11. The station plays Top 40 high-energy music that kids can listen to, a Disney official said. |
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Everest
in New York City
New York City's famed Times Square has been transformed into the legendary Mount Everest today and tomorrow Feb. 15th-16th by Walt Disney World Resort. A 57-story spectacular brings the Himalayas to life, with powerful avalanche effects, daytime pyrotechnics and the ferocious roar of the yeti, plus world-renowned aerialist acrobats performing a never-seen-before display of vertical acrobatics. THE SITUATION: When the Walt Disney World Resort previewed its newest attraction, Expedition Everest, in New York, they needed to design a billboard that could stare down even the toughest Manhattanite. To focus all eyes on the spring 2006 grand opening of the high-speed runaway train adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, the company orchestrated a dramatic “Everest in the City” event in Times Square, starring a massive depiction of the legendary guardian of the Nepalese mountain range, the menacing Yeti. The Walt Disney World Resort turned to signage company Clear Channel Outdoor to develop signage designed to transform the exteriors of a 57-story Times Square hotel, and an adjoining skyscraper on Broadway, into the most famous mountain peak in the world, Mount Everest. Peering over the snowy summit is the region’s most famous resident, the monstrous Yeti, sporting razor sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. Disney Entertainment had limited room to mount a light source for the monster’s 30-inch diameter eyes, which needed to stand out against the menacing backdrop and ferocious roar of the Yeti. The design goal called for eyes that could dim, flash, and would stand out clearly visible from 300 yards away. THE SOLUTION: To meet the challenge, Disney teamed up with OSRAM SYLVANIA, a leader in Light Emitting Diode (LED) systems technology and partner in technological collaboration. The lighting manufacturer turned to its versatile OSRAM DRAGONchain LED module, introduced just weeks before the Expedition Everest event. “LEDs are having a huge impact in the lighting world right now, particularly in situations that call for difficult lighting configurations. Their small size and versatility, coupled with extreme durability, have opened up illumination applications that would have been impossible in the past,” Michael Neary, senior applications engineer for LED systems at OSRAM SYLVANIA, said. The DRAGONchain module consists of a nine-foot chain of 18 metal core circuit boards with wire connects for flexible mounting. Each board features two 6500K OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Golden DRAGONTM LEDs, for a total of 36 LEDs per chain. Conformally coated to protect against moisture and condensation, the system is ideal for an outdoor installation. OSRAM also supplied six 24V power supplies per eye. The dimmable LED lighting is controlled by six OSRAM OPTOTRONIC OT Dim modules per eye. "The Sylvania DRAGONtape LEDs are incredibly bright and were easily mounted in concentric circles in our back lit eye light-boxes. For our application we have added ‘OPTOTRONIC LED Dimming Modules that have provided us maximum flexibility for programming. This product is brilliant!" said Larry Sonn, Technical Director, Walt Disney Entertainment. The flexibility of DRAGONchain made the product ideal for this unique installation, which consisted of six modules installed in concentric spirals in the base of the Yeti eye sockets and covered with a 30-inch red plastic lens. The concentrated light point of the Golden DRAGON LEDs, with their high degree of efficiency and compact size, also aided the project. One Golden DRAGON LED generates the lighting intensity of approximately six traditional LEDs. “The superior intensity of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ Golden DRAGON LEDs is derived from our advanced, proprietary thin-film technology, an industry first in providing increased optical output at the surface of the chip and increasing the usable light emitted,” said Ellen Sizemore, director, LED and IR Products Group, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. “The thin-film technology also allows for better optical coupling, lower forward voltages and improved thermal performance compared with conventional semiconductor chip construction.” SUMMARY: |
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For more pictures go to Brad's photo site
here http://bradk.smugmug.com/photography
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De
La Iglesia ready to 'Think About Disney'
Spanish director-producer Alex de la Iglesia said Monday he is readying his most ambitious project yet - 'Think About Disney,' an English-language black comedy. De la Iglesia will direct 'Disney,' which will be produced by his production label Panico Films and Franck Ribiere`s Fabrique de Film and budgeted at upward of $15 million. The project, which the director - who has made a name for himself with his original style of black comedy - said will be the "quintessential" de la Iglesia film, begins shooting in 2007. 'Disney' shows de la Iglesia`s growing comfort with working in English. It will follow the helmer`s 'Oxford Crimes,' an English-language mystery set in England that will begin shooting later this year. "These kinds of super-ambitious projects need to be made in English because of the budget involved and because the story lends itself to the language," de la Iglesia said. 'Disney' tells of a man who goes insane because he discovers the true essence of the world around him and lives in a hell of his own creation. The only salvation he finds comes through thinking about cartoon characters. "It is a very visual film," said the director, who is shopping around for further financing. While casting has yet to be decided, de la Iglesia said he intends to seek international actors. |
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Karmazin's
Sirius, ESPN Create Spanish Sports Channel
Toyota Motor (nyse:
TM) acknowledged Spanish-speaking consumers during Super
Bowl XL. General Electric's (nyse: GE) NBC Universal upped
its viewership considerably by buying Telemundo. |
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Walt
Disney Pictures' BAMBI II Sells over 2.6 Million Units on
DVD In First Week
In its first week of availability, Walt Disney Pictures' BAMBI II sold over 2.6 million units on DVD in North America, it was announced today by Bob Chapek, President of Buena Vista Home Entertainment (NYSE:DIS). The sequel to "Bambi," the 1942 Academy Award nominated family film, BAMBI II is on track to become another Disney animated treasure. "BAMBI II continues the legacy that Walt began many decades ago and we are thrilled that consumers across the country have become enamored by BAMBI II in such a wonderful way," said Chapek. "Our research indicated that consumers were very excited about this film. But, no amount of research could have ever predicted this type of overwhelming response. As a result, we are working diligently to keep retail stores in stock given the huge consumer demand." In tribute to the 70th anniversary of Walt Disney's inception of his animated classic, BAMBI, Walt Disney Home Entertainment will place the extraordinary, must-own Disney DVD BAMBI II under moratorium just 70 days after its street date. "The success of BAMBI II is very exciting," said Sharon Morrill, President of DisneyToon Studios. "Director Brian Pimental and his amazing group of artists deserve enormous credit for bringing this beautiful film to life." Produced by DisneyToon Studios, BAMBI II is the heartwarming story of a son's courage and a father's love. The continuing story finds the young fawn reunited with his father, The Great Prince (voice by Patrick Stewart), who must now teach Bambi (voiced by Finding Nemo's Alexander Gould) the ways of the forest. Their adventure together helps them overcome their initial awkward relationship, and allows father and son to discover in each other something neither expected: family. DVD bonus materials include "The Legacy Continues" Featurette on the making of the film; and games and activities including "Thumper's Hurry and Scurry," "Bambi Trivia Tracks," "Disney Sketch Pad," and DVD-ROM "Disney Sketch Pad" printables, where Disney animator Andreas Dejas teaches you how to draw Thumper. About Walt Disney Home Entertainment Walt Disney Home Entertainment is distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., a recognized industry leader. A subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, Buena Vista Home Entertainment Inc. is the marketing, sales and distribution company for all Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax, Dimension and Buena Vista DVDs and videocassettes. |
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Raglan
Road Celebrates St. Patrick's Day
The newest venue, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, at Downtown Disney will host an authentic Irish celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17. There will be a $15 cover charge per person from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Live Irish music and dance, favorite Irish foods and a wide selection of Irish beers will be offered. Pleasure Island will join in on the St. Patrick's Day festivities March 16-18, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The island will turn "green" with music, videos, leprechauns and stilt walkers. Pleasure Island club admission is not required for this event. |
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Did
Eisner Try To Shoot Down Iger's Pixar Deal?
Michael Eisner lobbied members of the board of the Walt Disney Co. as part of an effort to scuttle CEO Robert Iger's $7.4-billion acquisition of Pixar Animation, the New York Post reported today (Tuesday), without citing sources. The newspaper's report did not indicate which board members had been contacted by Eisner, or even how many. It said that he attempted to make the case that the deal was too expensive. In reporting on Eisner's alleged activities, the Post commented that "his open lobbying against [the deal] so soon after passing the reins to Iger is a remarkable breach of corporate decorum and served to undermine his own handpicked successor." A spokesman for Eisner was quoted as saying, "Mr. Iger has Mr. Eisner's complete support in sustaining the growth of Disney." |
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Disneyland
Railroad gets first new engine in nearly 50 Years
In an exclusive ceremony today at
Disneyland in southern California, hundreds of Disney
“Cast Members” came together to show their love for one
of the park’s original attractions - - the Disneyland
Railroad - - and to join in the dedication of two additions
to the famed railway - - the new Ward Kimball steam engine
and the returning Lilly Belle VIP parlor car. Created
with interior design inspiration from Lillian Disney
herself, the car welcomed its first VIP guests in 1975.
During the first-ever visit to the United States by Japanese
royalty, their Majesties Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako
of Japan enjoyed a grand circle tour of Disneyland aboard
the Lilly Belle during the park’s celebration of the
American Bicentennial. |
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Hit And Run Driver Injured On Disney Property After Trying To Flee
The
Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit and run crash
involving a Disney security worker on Disney property. Troopers
said a driver sideswiped the Disney security van early
Wednesday morning and then took off. But,
before he could get away, the driver crashed into a ditch.
He was injured and taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The Disney worker was not hurt. |
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Disney releases first 2006 podcast
Walt Disney has released its first 2006 episode of the "Official Disneyland Resort Podcast," available via download from Apple's iTunes podcast directory or from the Disneyland website. This month's release focuses on the opening of the new attraction "Monsters, Inc. Mike-and-Sulley to the Rescue!" at Disney's California Adventure Park, and goes behind-the-scenes for an inside look at the workings of the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride, according to Designtechnica. The show offers interviews with people involved with the attractions, and the podcast itself is hosted by Michael Geoghegan. The Official Disneyland Resort Podcast first launched in October of 2005, and has achieved a good ranking on iTunes, scoring four-and-a-half stars out of five, according to Disney. |
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One
of Disney's newest stars is from Tennessee. Troica an
Alaskan malamute plays Shadow in the new movie “Eight
Below."
He was found in a Knoxville shelter by Hollywood dog trainer Mike Alexander. Alexander said he was looking for a dog who would respond to his commands when he spotted Troica. A female named Nikki was also saved from the same shelter. She was a stand-in for the movie. You can see Nikki and Shadow in theaters starting Friday. |
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Veteran
Walt Disney World RailRoader To Retire
For over three decades, George Britton and the steam-powered narrow gauge railroad at Walt Disney World have been inseparable. Since opening day, October 1, 1971, the four vintage locomotives and 20 observation passenger cars have operated under the close supervision of the first and only railroad foreman in the history of Walt Disney World. This illustrious career will come to an end the afternoon of April 6, 2006, when Britton leaves the backstage steam train facilities building for the last time as a Walt Disney World cast member after nearly 35 years of service. In 1969, Britton was working as a machinist at Tampa Ship Repair & Dry Dock Company. That spring, he received a visit from Roger Broggie and Earl Vilmer, who needed a crew to rebuild railroad equipment that had been acquired from the United Railway of Yucatan, Mexico. Britton made it clear that he didn’t have any experience with steam locomotives. The Disney Imagineers informed him that he would be taught everything he needed to know in order to restore four vintage steam engines and tenders that had been built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s and sold to the Yucatan government. Intrigued by the challenge of learning something new, Britton agreed to shift from repairing huge oil tankers to steam engines. With a crew of only five, they completed the rebuilding and restoration on time and under budget. In addition, they built 20 passenger observation cars from scratch. When it came time to hire a foreman to run the steam train operations at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, George Britton was recommended for the position by Earl Vilmer, superintendent of the railroad at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Roger E. Broggie approved Vilmer’s recommendation. When asked what message he would like to leave with his successors at the Magic Kingdom, Britton said, “When people look at those beautiful trains, they should see the pride of your work. If you take care of your work today, you will always have a job tomorrow.” Britton has long felt a strong connection with the Disney and Broggie families that have had the most to do with preserving the railroad legacy of Walt Disney in each of the Disney themed amusement parks. He is a life member of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society, founded by Michael Broggie, son of Roger E. Broggie, the first Disney Imagineer. Society member Roy E. Disney presented Britton with the Carolwood Society’s highest honor, the Walter E. Disney Railroad Preservation Award in 2002, at the rededication ceremony of the restoration of the Roy O. Disney steam engine. Over a five year period, each of the locomotives has undergone complete restoration. The names on the engines are: Walter E. Disney, Lilly Belle (for Mrs. Lillian Disney), Roger E. Broggie and Roy O. Disney. A celebration of George Britton’s career will be held at the Central Largo Railroad Winter Meet on March 25, 2006. For information, please contact Jerry Smithson, the clubs’ vice president, at (727) 841-9600, (727) 243-3692 or e-mail: JerrySteam@Access4less.net, or visit the club’s Web site at www.lcrailroad.com. |
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In a secluded cove, a ghastly gray ghost ship festooned with howling sea monsters awaits the likes of Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and the rest of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" cast. On a recent January morning, however, the only character resembling a pirate aboard The Flying Dutchman, the ship featured in Part 2, "Dead Man's Chest," due out July 7, is a Disney goon threatening to send a bunch of tourists down to Davey Jones' locker for pointing cameras at his prop.
No point in risking the plank when Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow isn't even around. We forget the scallywag, hoist our Jolly Roger and set out to splice the main brace with a ration of grog. Filming on Grand Bahama of Disney's wildly successful "Pirates" (Part 2 and Part 3, which opens in 2007) was set to resume a few days after my visit, and has unleashed a cascade of pirate metaphors and promotions on the Islands of the Bahamas, a breathtaking archipelago 50 miles off the coast of Florida. Locations have included this island as well as the Exumas, part of the Bahamas Out Islands. Filming also has taken place elsewhere in the Caribbean, including Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Though the actual sets are closed to the public and security is tight, every resort, tchotchke shop and colada hut here stands ready to capitalize on pirate mania. Pirate hotel packages abound for families and couples. The pirate museum in nearby Nassau, a favorite excursion for families who arrive there on cruises, seems invigorated. And residents of Grand Bahama tend to have stories about brushes with "Pirates" fame. Take Greg Vincent, a Welshman who operates bone fishing charters based at the Pelican Bay hotel. Vincent worked as an extra, he said, donning the military uniform of an East India Company militiaman. A less-than-glamorous 15-hour day of filming at sea followed. The rumble of passenger planes overhead often interrupted filming, while Vincent shouldered an 18-pound gun in the heat. A fellow "soldier" fainted, he said.
The fishing boat captain also was tapped for his special expertise. He provided director Gore Verbinski with a fisherman's stew of un-cleaned conch, sardines and squid to spew from a sea monster's belly during a battle scene. Vincent said he dyed the squid yellow and bleached some of the chum to create the proper appearance of a sea monster's half-digested diet. "I want a (film) credit," he said, added with a grin, "Chief of guts." During my stay, I opted to try bone fishing sans sea monster guts (we used shrimp on our hooks).
A 63-year-old taxi-driving grandma named Paddy, a former paralegal, said she had spent months driving makeup artists and other behind-the-scenes crew from their hotel (most are staying at The Westin at Our Lucaya) out to filming locations, including a 60 million-gallon, open-water filming tank operated by the Bahamas Film Studios at Gold Rock Creek. Paddy described getting her picture taken with Depp and other "Pirates" stars as bright spots in what have been some brutal years on storm-battered Grand Bahama. The island suffered direct hits from two hurricanes in two years and took another blow from Hurricane Wilma last fall. Remnants of the hurricanes' wrath were still visible. Shingles were missing from some of the finest resorts. And a handful of empty properties in Freeport awaited renovation. "I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly," Paddy quipped while burning rubber up the battered Grand Bahama Highway. Though it's hard to spot the films' stars --
Depp reportedly is staying on a yacht while the others are in
private rented homes -- some of the less recognizable pirate
actors have been known to hang out at hot spots here including
Yellow Tails at Pelican Bay.
Other
tales of pirate lore on Grand Bahama come from nature guide
Wellington Clark, a father of five who grew up in a tiny
village here. Clark, who earned degrees in biology and
political science, works for Grand Bahamas Nature Tours (www.gbntours.com)
and leads treks through the Lucaya National Park out to Gold
Rock Beach. At sunset, a glowing rock several hundred feet
offshore once lured merchant ships into the shallows, where
pirates pounced, he said. |
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Tuesday February 14, 2006 |
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A man in his early 70s was injured while boarding the Peter
Pan ride at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Tuesday night,
but early reports that he suffered life-threatening injuries
were not accurate, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said
in a news release.
The man, who's identity was not immediately released, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to sheriff's office spokesman Jim Solomons. "At this point in the investigation it appears as though the wife and granddaughter got on the ride," which consists of moving vehicles designed to look like miniature pirate ships, Solomons wrote in a news release. "The man apparently fell off of the moving conveyor belt into the path of the next vehicle." Solomons said because the man's injuries are not serious and there is no crime associated with the incident the Sheriff's Office is clearing the scene and will conduct no investigation. |
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Disney Bringing Back MovieBeam Set-Top Box The Walt Disney Co.'s MovieBeam set-top box is coming back in an upgraded version that clearly aims to be a Blockbuster in a box. The box receives movies through over-the-air broadcasts and stores them on a hard drive. Disney started testing the service in three cities in 2003, then put it on hiatus in April. This time, Disney is relaunching the box as a separate company, MovieBeam Inc., with several new new financial backers, including Cisco Systems Inc. and Intel Corp., and is expanding the service with plans to eventually make it available on laptop computers and other devices. The new set-top box can show movies in high definition and display DVD extras such as directors' commentaries. Unlike cable TV video-on-demand services that keep movie files on a central computer and send them to an individual consumer when ordered, MovieBeam boxes come preloaded with 100 films. About 10 new movies are sent each week over an unused part of the broadcast TV signal using a technology called datacasting. Consumers will pay $199 for the box after a rebate, and a $29 activation fee. After that, they pay video store prices for the movies they watch. A rental is good for a 24-hour period. "We're targeting people who rent a lot of movies and who have horror stories about going to the video store," said Tres Izzard, MovieBeam Inc.'s chief executive officer. The service will launch in 29 large markets with plans to take it nationwide by the end of next year. MovieBeam plans to introduce a standalone antenna with a USB port that can be attached to a computer or other portable device, eliminating the need for a box. But the real goal is to get ready for the ultimate video store end-run -- allowing consumers to buy films and burn them to a DVD. "Those rights don't exist today, but they will be coming and we want to be a part of that," Izzard said. The set-top box will be made by Cisco's Linksys division. Cisco has embarked on an ambitious plan to expand Linksys' technology into all types of home audio and video gear, hoping to connect the home the way it has connected the corporate world. Intel is also making a big push into home entertainment with its "Viiv" PC platform, a branding campaign for its newest chips. "As the lines between computing and consumer electronics devices continue to blur, it is imperative that high quality premium content be readily available and accessible," Intel CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement. Disney remains MovieBeam's largest investor. The service has been championed by Robert Iger, who took over as Disney CEO last October and has been a strong proponent of embracing new businesses made possible by technology. Disney was the first studio to allow its TV shows to be downloaded from Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes service. |
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Following the many ticketing problems that
clients of Hong Kong Disneyland experienced during Chinese
New Year, the company has been meeting and communicating
with travel industry leaders, wholesalers and retail agents
to map out future plans which may include adding additional
date-specific ticket days to the calendar.
In letters to wholesalers and travel agents, Hong Kong Disneyland Executive Vice President and Managing Director Bill Ernest wrote, "For the convenience of the travel trade, if your clients are unable to reuse their tickets within the six-month window and you choose not to resell these tickets, we will be happy to discuss with you a refund of the tickets directly to you." For people who were unable to use their Hong Kong Disneyland tickets on February 1 or 2 and cannot return to the park during the six-month validity period and would like a refund, they should return their tickets to the location where they were purchased. Over the course of last week, Hong Kong Disneyland executives met with their Travel Industry Advisory Board, leaders of the Travel Industry Council, inbound operators and individual wholesalers in Hong Kong and Mainland China. "We've always had a close working relationship with the trade in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia. They've helped us by offering valuable input and insights in the Disney ticketing process and doing business in Asia. We are committed to continuing this important relationship moving forward," said Roy Tan Hardy, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Hong Kong Disneyland. "We are very happy Hong Kong Disneyland is meeting with the various travel trade groups and seeking our counsel. We support the six-month flexible ticket option because it was developed in response to feedback from wholesalers, retailers and guests. And we know Hong Kong Disneyland is looking at options to be better able to meet high guest demand," said Joseph Tung, Executive Director, Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. In response to the overwhelming during the Chinese New Year holidays, Hong Kong Disneyland is exploring the option of adding more Special Days, which require date-specific tickets, for expected high-demand periods, such as the upcoming Golden Week in May. "We look forward to working with Hong Kong Disneyland and know that new procedures will be put in place to ensure an enjoyable experience at the park for all guests," said Charles Ng, Managing Director, Sincere Travel in Hong Kong. |
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Disney
Publishing Worldwide Debuts New Parenting Magazine
Carrying nearly 70 pages of advertising, Disney Publishing Worldwide introduces Wondertime, on newsstands this week. Designed to help moms understand how children are learning and growing, Wondertime, the first new U.S. magazine from Disney Publishing Worldwide in more than a decade, promises to create a refreshing new niche in the parenting category. Wondertime helps education-focused parents understand how their children learn and grow, inspiring them to see the world through the eyes of their kids. A celebration of the wonder of this all-too-fleeting time, Wondertime mixes playful learning activities and everyday adventures with compelling insights into the fascinating ways children develop physically, socially, intellectually, creatively, and emotionally. "Just as recently successful magazines have redefined women's service books, Wondertime will do the same for the parenting category," said Glenn Rosenbloom, senior vice president, group publisher, Disney Publishing Worldwide. "The other parenting titles focus on do's and don'ts. Wondertime will focus on the joy - not the job -- of parenting." "Wondertime will be the magazine that goes beyond potty training, colic, and tantrums to help us understand and celebrate the amazing things our kids are learning everyday," said Alexandra Kennedy, vice president, editorial director, Family and Children's Magazine Group, Disney Publishing Worldwide. "We hope that Wondertime will serve as a lively forum for parents to swap stories about their children's development." Wondertime launches as a quarterly, with plans to increase frequency to six times a year in 2007 and ten times thereafter. The oversized book has a soothing, airy feel and an earth-tone color palette. Wondertime sells for a cover price of $4.95 and has a rate base of 300,000. Major advertisers in the launch issue include Kraft, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Kimberly Clark, Playtex, Quaker, Hanna Andersson and General Mills -- and a substantial 11-page commitment from the Playskool division of Hasbro. In addition, The Walt Disney Company support for Wondertime includes signage at the Disney parks, a web site in development through the Walt Disney Internet Group, and subscription offers inserted in upcoming video and DVD releases. About Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW): Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines with 441 children's magazines published and 120 million children's books sold each year. Headquartered in New York, DPW publishes books and magazines in 85 languages in 75 countries, reaching more than 100 million readers each month. |
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Somerset canines featured in upcoming Disney movie Move over, Lassie. There are new canine stars in town, and these high-strung Siberian huskies are Somerset County born and raised. Disney chose four huskies bred at Dale and Lorri Barron's Lauradale Kennel for the film "Eight Below," a story about eight huskies left to survive in the Antarctic wilderness. The feature is to premiere Friday. "It really surprised me," Lorri Barron said. "Here we are in this rural setting. Disney found us and loved our dogs." The Somerset dogs' tale of stardom began more than a year ago, when trainers contacted Barron after a look at her Web site. Trainers took eight or 10 of her prized huskies to the Oakhurst Tea Room to see how they reacted to a strange setting. "I never expected to hear back from them," Lorri said. She did, and they wanted two of her 21/2-year-old pups. Mojo and Sir Prize, both with red markings, won a place in the movie. Trainers picked another two Siberians from nearby Ravenwood Kennel, Chase and Dakota, who also were bred from Barron's huskies. The four joined 36 other similar dogs and spent about six months in training and filming. Animal trainer Sally Jo Sousa remembers them well. Mojo and Chase were backup dogs to the film's leading role of Truman, a Siberian with red markings. "There is one specific scene where Mojo is Truman capturing seagulls to eat," said Sousa, a trainer with Los Angeles-based Birds & Animals Unlimited. "We trained him to snarl for the scene, a 'get-away-from-my-bird' kind of thing." Prize and Dakota spent a lot of time sledding, Sousa said. "Chase was this round fluff ball," she said. Like Mojo, Chase did his share of seagull snagging. "He was a major, major action dog," Sousa said. Mojo and Chase traveled to Greenland as well as Smithers, British Columbia, to shoot the movie. Because the film doesn't use computer animation to make the dogs talk, their behavior must tell the story. "Basically, it's all about the plight of the animals," Sousa said. In the movie, the troupe tries to survive more than 100 days before researchers return to save them. "It's about the dogs and their compassion for each other and what develops, who takes the lead," Sousa said. Back in Pennsylvania, Lorri and her 14-year-old daughter Laura were thrilled to hear that Mojo helped portray the film's leading role. When the two noticed a preview for the Disney film on television, it was a moment of celebration. "There was one dog bouncing around, and it had to be Mojo," Laura said. "I know it was him." Lorri Barron and her daughter can't wait to see their dogs in action on the big screen. "We want to go the first night we can find it anywhere," Lorri Barron said. "We are just so proud," she added. "This started as a hobby." She and her husband started breeding huskies in 1994 and now they have dozens of dogs. "It really is a family thing," she said. Laura does her part, too, by keeping up the kennel's Internet presence. The dogs even get a serenade every once in a while when Laura and her mom feel like a little country music. For now, the huskies are getting used to being back at home. "They wanted to buy Mojo," Lorri Barron said. "I told him he will be here if they want a sequel." |
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Magic
Kingdom's Timekeeper Closing for good!
The Timekeeper Attraction in Tommorowland will be permanently closing on February 26th. A new attraction is set to take it's place, although at this time, there is no information on what that new attraction may be. |
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Ready,
Steady, BUZZ!
Disneyland Paris - Cast members and Disney management were among the first to test ride Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in the last few days at Disneyland Paris. Now everything seems to be ready for the grand opening on April 8 - only a few last minute preparations are needed. Still shareholders and Annual Passport holders have to wait for their are opportunity to test the ride themselves - so far no dates have been made public.To help shorten the wait shareholders were treated to a first look inside the ride during the general shareholders' meeting on February 10 as a short movie was presented presumably showing the interior of the Paris' version. Shareholders could witness as one of the lasers was fired on a target on the ride resulting in an increase of the score as displayed on the ride vehicles. In addition a trailer for the ride was presented. And for the "grand finale" of the presentation an Imagineer was interviewed in front of the huge score board near the future exit. Cast members who were able to test the ride seemed to have had a lot of fun and enthusiastically shared their stories with guests in private conversations. There is a lot to look forward to, especially since Paris received the improved ride vehicles, which different from the first incarnation of the ride in Walt Disney World allow guests to move their lasers guns freely around, holding them in their hand - opening a whole new range of possibilities. Now, while the vehicle is turning one way, the guest can still point the opposite way and try to shoot a target, or even go to shot targets above their heads. Certainly on-ride pictures will be available in the exit area to commemorate the exciting experience - a must for every true fan of the ride, since the photos will include the personal score of teh guest, such functioning as proof of the performance. Cast members and Disney management were among the first to test ride Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in the last few days at Disneyland Paris. Now everything seems to be ready for the grand opening on April 8 - only a few last minute preparations are needed. Still shareholders and Annual Passport holders have to wait for their are opportunity to test the ride themselves - so far no dates have been made public. To help shorten the wait shareholders were treated to a first look inside the ride during the general shareholders' meeting on February 10 as a short movie was presented presumably showing the interior of the Paris' version. Shareholders could witness as one of the lasers was fired on a target on the ride resulting in an increase of the score as displayed on the ride vehicles. In addition a trailer for the ride was presented. And for the "grand finale" of the presentation an Imagineer was interviewed in front of the huge score board near the future exit. Cast members who were able to test the ride seemed to have had a lot of fun and enthusiastically shared their stories with guests in private conversations. There is a lot to look forward to, especially since Paris received the improved ride vehicles, which different from the first incarnation of the ride in Walt Disney World allow guests to move their lasers guns freely around, holding them in their hand - opening a whole new range of possibilities. Now, while the vehicle is turning one way, the guest can still point the opposite way and try to shoot a target, or even go to shot targets above their heads. Certainly on-ride pictures will be available in the exit area to commemorate the exciting experience - a must for every true fan of the ride, since the photos will include the personal score of teh guest, such functioning as proof of the performance. |
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Do
not go to Disneyland
Very soon, you can go to "Dubai
Land" instead. The biggest amusement and theme park in
the world will be right next door, with double the size and
hopefully the magic of Disney World. This should be welcomed
in a region that lacks in children entertainment. Mediocre
amusement parks are the most one hopes for, unless willing
to make a long trip either to Paris Disney or to Hong Kong.
This is all about to change. |
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Fools'
First Loves: Disney
You know you've found that special someone when she gives you the first stock you'll ever own. In 1986, I was a freshman in college, majoring in journalism with a minor in music. I already knew that the girl that I had been dating for a few months was special. One share of Disney (NYSE: DIS) confirmed it. I framed the certificate and ultimately married the girl (because framing the girl and marrying the stock just wouldn't have made much sense). This simple gift opened my eyes in many ways. The sports section had always satisfied my statistical appetite, but now I found myself tantalized by the business section of the paper as well. It wasn't long before I switched majors (hello, business management and organization) and developed an interest in investing. ... K-E-Y. Why Disney? Ten years after the ABC buyout, Disney is working on yet another meaty acquisition, preparing to absorb Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR) later this year. It's the perfect match, since Pixar -- whose stock has soared 129% higher since its first recommendation to Motley Fool Stock Advisor subscribers nearly three years ago -- helps fill Disney's surprisingly widening gap in theatrical animation. Disney has always attracted bright thinkers, but they haven't always stuck around. Michael Eisner's micromanagement drove many of those sharp minds away. These days, you'll find ex-Disney executives running eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and working on turnarounds at both Six Flags (NYSE: PKS) and Gap (NYSE: GPS). Recently promoted Disney CEO Bob Iger is making good on his promise to delegate authority. That could be monumental, if it helps to keep Disney's current brain trust in place. Disney recorded $2.5 billion in profits on $31.9 billion in revenues last fiscal year. Even before Pixar's high-margin gravy, Disney was expecting continued bottom-line growth by single-digit percentages over the next few years. To love, to honor, and to hold An investment in Disney made 20 years ago would have grown tenfold in value by now. Obviously, I'm not banking my retirement on that single gift. Now that I've got a family of my own, I've spent far more on Disney's parks and products than it has returned to me as an investor. That's not the point, though. Owning a piece of Disney, as small as my fractional stake may be, is a vote for pixie dust, ageless enchantment, and family entertainment. I've gone on to take much greater positions in companies of all sizes -- all because of that one introductory gift. Some shares have soared. Some have cratered. My stake in Disney has lived through it all. It's a company that I do love. It came from the hands of someone that I love even more. |
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Franco
Finn, using kids as his secret weapon
Franco Finn tucks a 10-foot personality into his 5-foot-7 frame. The 28-year-old San Francisco native has already snagged enough local gigs to fill up an impressive resume. He rides the airwaves of Radio Disney (KMKY-AM, 1310) as Freestyle Franco, amuses Golden State Warrior fans as their in-arena host, and stars in a televised segment of "The Raiders Report" called "The Finn Zone." In 2006, he plans to transition from discovered talent to spotlighted one. The only child of a single mother who has followed Warriors basketball since the Rick Barry days, Finn grew up watching sports. He lives in the Sunset District, a neighborhood populated by Giants and 49er fans, but calls himself a Bay Area sports fan -- if there is such a thing -- and entertains the idea of a battle of the bay Super Bowl as he sits in a disheveled conference room at Radio Disney. OK, so which side of the stadium would he sit on? Finn fumbles for words before answering, "I'm a 49er Faithful, but at this time I would put on my eye patch and go with the Raiders," he says. He never played high school football; he was sidelined by his mother, who feared he would get injured. Instead, he joined the wrestling team and student council. Finn was a senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep when he first entered the KGO building as a member of the studio audience for the then-popular show "Straight Talk N Teens," hosted by SuChin Pak of current MTV fame. After meeting weekday news anchor Cheryl Jennings, co-creator of the program, he told a friend, "I'm going to work here someday." Four years later, while studying communications at Santa Clara University and interning at Silicon Graphics, he made his way back to 900 Front St. on a public relations call with his boss. He grabbed a flyer in the lobby on the way out that called for young, energetic people to help start a radio station for kids. With boundless enthusiasm and no experience, Finn applied for the most senior position advertised -- promotion director. He was hired as a member of the street team setting up tents for promotions, but it wasn't long before the clean-cut college grad started manning the microphone at events, hamming it up for crowds. He has been with the station for seven years and is now production manager/on-air local personality. Marti Spisak, Radio Disney operations manager and marketing director, had called Finn the Prince of Prizes because he handed them out to listeners, but one day over lunch, the two discussed a more urban name for him. Since the X Games were in town, the term "freestyle" was tossed into conversation. It fit his carefree attitude, so Freestyle Franco was born. The name raises the question: Does Finn freestyle? Occasionally. Entertaining audiences at grocery stores led to small venues, then larger ones of a couple thousand people and finally a packed Arena in Oakland, where he had 15 minutes to hype up the audience before a Hilary Duff concert. The audience of screaming Lizzie McGuire fanatics expanded his fan base from just little kids to teenagers and their parents. "Kids are the secret weapon. It doesn't matter if someone is a CEO of a company -- they still want to be their child's hero," Finn said. At the Duff concert, a Warrior bigwig slipped him his card. While Jason Richardson and Baron Davis swish practice hoops, Finn rehearses his lines, engages in small talk with season-ticket holders and high-fives kids who hold their hands out as he passes by. When the cameraman throws the signal, Finn appears live on GTOE-TV (Great Time Out Entertainment Television) on the Jumbotron -- every jelled hair in place, holding the mike as though it were molded to his hand. After 21,000 fans file into their seats, and dramatic lighting sets the stage, Finn introduces the team in a voice reminiscent of a 1970s game show host: "At forward, playing his fifth season, from Notre Dame, No. 1, TRRROOOOY MURphy!!!" The crowd roars, the whistle blows and players swarm the court as Finn prepares for the rest of the night's promotions and contests. Five hours of sleep fuel his hectic bridge-and-tunnel lifestyle. "It's a hustle," says the bachelor, who finds juggling a budding career and the prospect of having a serious relationship tough. He admits that though he dates, it was not until recently that he started to look at the option of settling down and having a family. Finn is always on -- each word enunciated, flashing smiles between thoughts and gesturing over lunch on a lazy Sunday at the Canvas Gallery near Golden Gate Park. Though he has white-tablecloth manners, his tastes are simple. A conservative dresser who outfits himself in Kenneth Cole solids, he leaves wardrobe sprucing to his stylist. After dark, he migrates to spots like Gravity in the Marina or promotes parties he throws at local hot spots. He views any event he attends (with a stack of business cards) as having the potential to get him the next break. Thus far, it has paid off. "Every time I get frustrated that I'm not going anywhere, something else comes up," he says. Disney has long been a breeding ground for young talent, many of whom have taken it to the next level, something Finn is confident of doing after having been recognized at Costco, and asked for his autograph. As emcee of headliner events, he has met some people who owe their success to "the mouse," as he puts it -- former Mouseketeers Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. Radio Disney ties gave Finn the "in" for an audition with recently defunct StirTV, where he enjoyed a two-season run of his show, "Franco on the Go," a man-on-the-street-style program that targeted young Asian Americans. A self-described Filipino American French-speaking dude with an Irish last name, he covered the international dragon boat races at Lake Merced, NextFest and the World Cyber Games. In 2005, he added "The Finn Zone" to his mix. Working as a correspondent for "Raiders Report" host JT the Brick, Finn does two- to four-minute weekly segments with young members of the Raider Nation at the Oakland Coliseum, which air on the NFL Network and Comcast SportsNet. "Franco has a unique ability to connect with all kinds of people -- he understands television, the audience and the people he's working with," said Chris Gargano, Raiders director of broadcasting. "He is an emerging young talent in whatever he chooses -- radio, television or both." Last year, Greg Tantum, news director at KGO Newstalk AM (810), gave Finn what may be his biggest break to date, asking him to fill in for Joe Starkey, the voice of the 49ers anchoring the afternoon sports. Having tapped into a new audience while filling in for the Bay Area legend during a heavy-traffic time, Finn started doing sporadic features for the station, like "From the Vine to the Line," about the Raiders training camp in the Napa Valley, comparing the crushing of the grapes at harvest to the crushing of the football pads at practice. Tantum finds Finn, who recently launched his Web site, http://www.francofinn.com/, "creatively refreshing" in a business where many people try to be like the other guys. "I think it certainly demonstrates to the world and those making promotion and hiring decisions down the road an element of depth that some of the younger talent don't take the time to develop. They have a little success in one area and stick with it," Tantum said of what sets Finn apart. In today's media, being young is a double-edged sword. "For events like the Warriors, Raiders and Disney, being hyper has its perks. In regards to KGO, while they want the younger listeners, they are not just going to throw something into programming," Finn said of refining his skills to compete with those several years his senior. The Bay Area's oldest talent agency, Stars the Agency, signed him just over two years ago after rejecting him three times. "My mentor once told me your job begins when someone tells you 'no,' " Finn explained. "I met with a guy at Stars and he kept saying, 'You're not ready yet,' so I added things to my resume and went back asking, 'Am I ready now?' Finally, he said 'yes.' " Finn has been booked to work with clients like Any Mountain, Coca-Cola and Disneyland resorts. He is the youngest member of the executive board for Bay Area STAR (Society of Television Advertising and Radio), having been voted in by his media peers last year. One of the board's tasks is to award scholarships to young people in the broadcasting industry, something Finn is excited about after having been the STAR Intern of the Year in 1998 after interning at KRON's "Bay Area Back Roads." In the future, Finn wants to work both sides of the camera. "My goal is to own a production company and produce my own show -- the one everyone comes through when they are in San Francisco," he said, having staked his place in his hometown rather than New York or Los Angeles. "San Francisco is where it is at. You can find whatever you want here. Every diverse little pocket -- the North Bay, the South Bay, the East Bay -- has something else to offer." In the meantime, he is hustling toward his own deadline -- landing a broadcasting position at ABC by the time he turns 30. Finn will be 29 at the end of March, but is not fazed. "I am not nervous anymore. I'm no longer the intern. I've done professional things," he laughs. "I'm just the new kid on the block." Spisak sums it up: "Franco's a whirlwind of activity -- I don't know how he juggles his commitments. In this cutthroat, competitive industry that media can be, Franco is going to prove that nice guys finish first." |
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Grey's
Anatomy Season One
Own the complete first season of the show that has America's heart racing! GREY'S ANATOMY, the critically-acclaimed TV series, comes to DVD for the first time on February 14, from Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Touchstone Television. This sexy and exciting dramatic series, with hot stars Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Golden Globe Award winner Sandra Oh and a superb ensemble cast, has earned stellar ratings and captured millions of loyal viewers, with a fan base that is growing strong. The series also features music from the hottest bands including: Interpol, Keane, and Tegan & Sara. |
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GREY'S ANATOMY SEASON ONE focuses on five
interns who juggle the ups and downs of life, love, and
friendship. As they struggle to stay true to themselves,
they learn that neither medicine nor relationships can be
defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades
of grey.
GREY'S ANATOMY SEASON ONE features all episodes from the critically acclaimed first season. The DVD set is bursting with exclusive bonus features, including: "Anatomy Of A Pilot" which reveals the toughest cuts from the pilot episode and divulges additional character storylines; "Dissecting Grey's Anatomy" with exclusive unaired scenes; behind-the-scenes featurette; "Avant-Garde trailer"; cast and creator audio commentaries and more! Available for $29.99 (S.R.P.). GREY'S ANATOMY stars Ellen Pompeo ("Old School," "Catch Me If You Can"), Patrick Dempsey ("Sweet Home Alabama," TV's "Once and Again"), Sandra Oh (2006 Golden-Globe Award Winner Best Supporting Actress In A TV Series for "Grey's Anatomy"), Katherine Heigl (TV's "Roswell"), T.R. Knight (TV's "Charlie Lawrence"), James Pickens Jr. ("The XFiles"), Chandra Wilson (TV's "Bob Patterson"), Isaiah Washington ("Ghost Ship") and Justin Chambers ("The Wedding Planner"). |
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Proof
Hollywood superstars and Academy Award winners Gwyneth Paltrow (Best Actress "Shakespeare In Love" 1998) and Anthony Hopkins (Best Actor "The Silence of the Lambs" 1991) join stars Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brokeback Mountain," "Jarhead") and Hope Davis ("The Weather Man," "American Splendor") in PROOF, the stirring and emotionally engaging film based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning play, available on DVD February 14 from Miramax Home Entertainment. In the spirit of "A Beautiful Mind," PROOF explores family issues of truth, love, genius and aging with superb performances from its all-star cast. |
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On DVD, PROOF offers the never-before-seen
bonus features: deleted scenes (with optional director
commentary); "From Stage to Screen: The Making of
Proof"; and Feature Commentary with director John
Madden.
PROOF is directed by John Madden, director of "Shakespeare In Love." The film is based on the Broadway play that won the prestigious 2001 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for author David Auburn, and won the 2001 Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Direction and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Screenplay by David Auburn and Rebecca Miller. Directed by John Madden. Available for $29.99 (S.R.P.). PROOF follows Catherine (Paltrow), a devoted daughter who struggles to come to terms with the death of her father Robert (Hopkins), a brilliant mathematician whose genius was crippled by mental insanity. Catherine is forced to face her own long-harbored fears and emotions when she and her estranged sister Claire (Davis) try to settle their father's affairs and their own longrunning feud. When one of Robert's students (Gyllenhaal) finds a notebook in Robert's desk that may be a new, priceless mathematical proof, it is discovered that Catherine may have inherited her father's genius, but at a painful price. |
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The
Golden Girls The Complete Fourth Season
Own all 26 episodes from the hysterical fourth season of the multiple Emmy and Golden Globe-winning comedy THE GOLDEN GIRLS, on DVD February 14 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), Sophia (Estelle Getty), Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) are four mis-matched housemates living together in Miami. Season 4 features some of the funniest antics of the fabulous foursome, including adventures with charming Cubans, dirty dancing lessons, and a marriage! |
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With incredible guest stars including famed
director Quentin Tarantino (in his TV debut), bestselling
recording artist Julio Iglesias and legendary entertainer
Bob Hope, THE GOLDEN GIRLS THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON is a
must-have for any DVD collection. Plus, meet these guest
stars and more in the "Top Ten Guest Stars From Season
4" exclusive bonus feature.
Available just in time for Valentine's Day. |
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GOOF TROOP
vol. 1
Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents Disney's GOOF TROOP, a Classic Disney Animated TV treasure of laughs and fun, on DVD for the first time ever February 14. DVD contains 3 episodes from the classic series and is available for the value price of $14.99 (S.R.P.). |
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Disney's GOOF TROOP – That lovable
superstar Goofy and his sly son Max find themselves up to
their necks in the kind of mishaps that made their family
famous. Whether diving for buried treasure or appearing in
the "World's Most Painful Home Videos," Goofy and
Max know that no matter how badly things go awry, they will
always have each other. With three of the most hilarious
episodes – "Slightly Dingy," "Wrecks, Lies
& Videotape" and "Shake, Rattle &
Goof," it's easy to see why Goofy is the first name in
comedy.
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QUACK PACK
vol. 1
Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents QUACK PACK vol. 1, a Classic Disney Animated TV treasure of laughs and fun, on DVD for the first time ever February 14. DVD contains 3 episodes from the classic series and is available for the value price of $14.99 (S.R.P.). |
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Disney's QUACK PACK – Everyone's favorite
feathered hero, Donald Duck, stars in this hilarious series.
Donald's life is turned upside down when his mischievous
teenage nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie move in and embark on
a series of wacky adventures. Join the boys as they unlock a
secret TV channel that transports treasures over the
airwaves, and make an appointment with a mysterious dentist
and his mind-controlling braces. Featuring three episodes
– "Transmission Impossible," "Heavy
Dental" and "Feats of Clay" – they're
web-footed fun for the whole family.
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Disney
Princess Sing Along Songs Volume Three: Perfectly Princess
Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents a new title in the enormously successful "Disney Princess" collection of titles, DISNEY PRINCESS SING ALONG SONGS VOLUME THREE: PERFECTLY PRINCESS. A powerhouse of family entertainment, Disney Princess is the #1 selling Disney property for Valentine's Day. |
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The Princess Collection titles bring together
classic Disney princesses such as Jasmine, Ariel, Cinderella
and more. Through stories, songs and learning activities,
little girls are invited to enter a world of imagination,
enchantment and happily-ever-afters. DISNEY PRINCESS SING
ALONG SONGS VOLUME THREE: PERFECTLY PRINCESS is available
for $19.99 S.R.P. on both DVD and VHS.
This sparkling collection of Princess-themed songs includes "It's Not Just Make-Believe" from the movie Ella Enchanted. It's loads of laughter and musical fun, and every little princess is the guest of honor. This winning collection of best-loved songs from Disney's award-winning classics stars everyone's favorite Disney Princesses. DVD bonus features include Dance Along and Karaoke. |
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Toy
biz sees the big picture at N.Y. fair
Toy Fair opened amid a fierce New York snowstorm Sunday, with "Superman Returns," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Cars" the biggest hits in licensed toys, and technology and role-play toys the hottest industry categories overall. Despite the two feet of snow that covered the city, toy industry officials said attendance was strong and it was business as usual on the official opening day. But attendance did appear to be somewhat lower than last year's opening day. Warner Bros. Pictures' "Superman Returns," opening in theaters June 30, created excitement among toy retailers with its own share of electronic role-play toys like a flying radio remote-controlled Superman that can soar up to 300 feet in the air for two minutes of nonstop flying. "It's the first time ever kids can make Superman fly," said Geoff Walker, vp entertainment marketing for master toy licensee Mattel. Other Superman role-play toys include the Inflato-Suit, which uses a battery-operated minifan to fill the suit with air to mimic the muscular physique of Superman, and Punch n' Crunch gloves, which mimic the sounds of punching and crunching metal when kids bend a toy steel bar sold with the gloves. "We've tried to build in as much as we can in terms of the themes of Superman, the role playing and the things that Superman does, so kids can experience that in the toys," Warner Bros. Consumer Products president Brad Globe said. SUPERHERO TECH Superman also is soaring into the realm of technology toys. There is an S-shield-shaped educational laptop from Oregon Scientific that pops open to the Superman theme song when kids wave their hands over it and an extensive line from Kids Station Toys International that includes an MP3 player, a digital camera, TV sets, DVD players, CD players and long-range heat-vision headset walkie-talkies. There also will be a second line of products for girls featuring Supergirl. "The new Superman movie coming out this summer is going to be hot because it will propel action-figure sales and role-play products throughout the summer and fall," said Reyne Rice, toy trend specialist for the Toy Industry Assn. For its part, Disney, which missed the boat with the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie in terms of toys, is hoping to turn "Pirates" into the main boy franchise for the studio. "It's a long-term opportunity like Disney Princesses is for girls," said Joe Lawandus, vp and general manager of Disney toys. "Our hope is it's going to live in the aisle for at least two years. We're managing it for the long term." Zizzle, founded less than two years ago by Tiger Electronics veterans Roger Schiffman and Marc Rosenberg, is on board as the master toy licensee for "Pirates" with the most sculpted and detailed action figures in Disney's history, Lawandus said. The highlights of the extensive line include the Black Pearl Play Set, a 2 1/2-foot version of Johnny's Depp's pirate ship; a smoking cannon that shoots a cannonball along with a puff of water-based smoke; and a $300 pinball machine for the home that is two-thirds the size of an arcade pinball game. HOT WHEELS For Pixar's "Cars," Disney has teamed with Mattel, makers of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, putting the studio in the toy-vehicle aisle for the first time. Rice said there is "pent-up demand" for "Cars" toys after the movie's release date was pushed back from November to June. The lead item from "Cars" is the Fast Talkin' Lightning McQueen vehicle, with a mouth that moves as it says one of more than 30 phrases recorded by Owen Wilson, who plays the lead car in the film. The extensive "Cars" line includes several racetrack sets based on scenes from the movie. With Disney launching two major new movie franchises in "Pirates" and "Cars," as well as a Disney Fairies toy line based on the world of Tinkerbell and a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse toy line based on the new CGI-animated preschool series premiering in April on the Disney Channel, Lawandus said this is probably the biggest toy fair for the studio in a decade. On the TV front, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is launching a new interactive board game from CSI creator Anthony Zuiker that is being manufactured by SBG/b Equal. "American Idol" is launching an interactive DVD game from Screenlife called American Idol All Star Challenge that incorporates clips, music and trivia from the show, said David Luner, vp licensing Americas for Fremantle Media Enterprises. And a new mini digital video camera with software allows users to create their own "Idol"-themed music videos. |
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Jakks
Pacific Agrees to Buy Creative Designs
Jakks Pacific Inc., the Malibu-based maker
of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. action figures, said
it had agreed to buy Creative Designs International Ltd., a
Pennsylvania firm that makes girls' dress-up tiaras and
vanity tables, for $116.5 million. Shares of Jakks Pacific surged 75 cents to $20.98. |
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Billion-Dollar
Babies
When Shane Grant leaves her 3-year-old, Andrew, alone in front of the TV set in the morning, the Buffalo, N.Y., mom hears him pat the ground and call out Italian musical terms: Adagio! Accelerando! Allegro! What has her tot sounding like a music aficionado is Disney Channel’s Little Einsteins, one of the hottest preschool shows on TV. After its multicultural cast of four kids and their trusty rocket ship starred in a best-selling DVD last summer, they debuted on TV last fall in a half-hour animated adventure series set to classical music, earning the highest-ever ratings for any of the network’s Playhouse Disney preschool shows, and now a second-season pickup. These cute little characters regularly trounce their competition at 8 a.m. ET—Noggin’s Blue’s Clues and Cartoon Network’s The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy—and have some parents gushing that they’ve turned their tots into prodigies. "Andrew’s just riveted by it,” says Grant. “He thinks about the show even when he’s not watching it.” Disney’s bet on Little Einsteins reflects one of kids programmers’ highest hopes these days: Hook ’em early and keep them loyal as they grow. The TV series is the second act of the country’s most popular line of infant DVDs, Baby Einstein. Today, two out of every three mothers in the U.S. own a Baby Einstein product, and Disney executives project that the brand and its extensions will bring in $1 billion annually by 2010. Each of the Baby Einstein videos and DVDs is set to soft classical music, designed to “expose little ones” up to 2 years old to music, art and language through puppetry and film of real kids. With titles including Baby Mozart Musical Festival and Baby Van Gogh World of Colors, Einstein gained popularity with parents enchanted that their infants were mesmerized by symphonies. After spinning off Baby Einstein into some 500 consumer products from bath puppets to dessert plates, Disney is now putting its corporate muscle into making Little Einsteins a bankable phenomenon on television, using the same type of classical music and art to reach 2- to 5-year-olds and convince moms that TV can be good for kids. Disney has tripled the number of Baby Einstein video and DVD titles to 21 and sold more than 20 million units. To date, the Baby Einstein brand, stamped on books and products in 30 countries, has brought in more than $500 million. Disney hopes that Little Einsteins will command a chunk of the estimated $20 billion in annual worldwide retail sales of licensed products for preschoolers. The show is set to debut later this year in France, India and Taiwan. The company plans to spin off a volcano of consumer products: books, music and theme-park attractions this spring and a bigger line of consumer products in 2007. But major roadblocks lie ahead for Little Einsteins. Competition has never been more cutthroat in the preschool TV market. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and new digital channels such as PBS Kids Sprout are all trying to capture the 2- to 5-year-old audience—and parents’ wallets. Nickelodeon programs the two top-rated preschool shows, Dora the Explorer and its spinoff Go, Diego Go!. Both premiered to higher ratings than Little Einsteins, (an 11.2 and 6.5 rating, respectively, in the demo, versus a 5.6), and Dora generally averages double the preschool audience of Little Einsteins. A show set to debut next month in the Nick Jr. preschool block and its digital spinoff network, Noggin, is similar in theme: The Wonder Pets! is a “photo-puppetry animation” in which a crew of animals travels the world to orchestrated original music. As the industry grows, experts question the TV set as a teaching tool. Pediatricians recommend that children over age 2 should be limited to “high-quality educational media,” but there are no government standards defining “high quality” and “educational.” While many preschool-TV providers conduct formative research on their programming, it is concentrated on production needs: to make sure kids are entertained by the programs. Few do scientific quantitative long-term (read: expensive) research on how much their shows educationally affect their young viewers. “The industry, when pressed, acknowledges they have no proof these products do what they say they do,” says Dimitri Christakis, a researcher at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and the senior author of “A Teacher in the Living Room,” a study on educational media for babies, toddlers and preschoolers released in December by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. “It’s important for parents to know. We have metrics to determine whether kids learn math or science or reading.” Children’s-TV companies often employ educational experts for marketing purposes, says Christakis. In the absence of formal standards, the only resource parents have in determining what constitutes “high-quality” entertainment is their own experiences and the company materials. “What they’re really interested in is sales,” Christakis says of children’s-TV networks. “Their own marketing is very effective, and products are selling. McDonald’s sells a lot of hamburgers; it doesn’t mean it’s good for us to eat.” The Baby Einstein brand was born in a basement in Atlanta in 1997. Julie Aigner-Clark, a new mother and former teacher, grew disappointed with the lack of arts-based programming for babies. She filmed a crude puppet and cartoon show to fill the hole with a little help from her husband, who had just sold his own kid-targeted science company to Cox Communications. In four years, the couple shot eight Baby Einstein videos. “I was trying to woo the Clarks by telling them nobody could really develop the property like we could,” says Russell Hampton, the Disney executive who in November 2001, after two years of dogged pursuit, sealed the deal for Disney to buy the company for $25 million. Now general manager of The Baby Einstein Co., he oversees all of Disney’s baby products worldwide, often packing Baby Einstein products in his carry-on bag on business trips to entertain potential consumers. In 2002, responding to parents’ pleas for a series for kids who had outgrown the Baby Einstein DVDs, Disney recruited a dream team of executives to craft an Einstein-branded show for TV. With Clark taking a back seat as a creative consultant, Nancy Kantor, Disney Channel senior VP of original programming tapped Eric Weiner, a two-time Emmy nominee, as executive producer. Weiner had been a co-creator and head writer on Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer. A producer at mixed- media animation studio Curious Pictures, he also worked on Disney’s preschool series JoJo’s Circus. Weiner crafted linear stories and sent the characters traveling around the world on missions. He set each episode to classical music, encouraging kids to interact with the program by singing, clapping to a beat, and solving musical and visual riddles. Clark consulted early on and offered a key piece of advice: Keep things light. PEDIATRICIANS: NO TV BEFORE AGE 2 “We want the series to be educational, but most of all we want it to be a fun, engaging adventure,” Weiner says. The ensemble cast of characters—redheaded leader Leo, his blond sister Annie, and their neighbors, African-American Quincy and Asian-American June—broke the one-hero mold set by previous preschool shows. Flying them to real locations like the Sydney Opera House and through paintings like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Weiner and his team raised the bar of how much preschoolers could digest. After conducting focus groups at 100 preschools, he saw that even kids who had no music training could understand the show. While a name like “Little Einsteins” implies brain-boosting power, Disney has gone to great lengths not to overstate the show’s educational benefit. There are no published studies on the cognitive effects of any educational videos currently on the market for children under age 6. Plus, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies under age 2 should not watch any TV. Children over age 2, the group suggests, should watch no more than two hours a day of high-quality educational media. “The edutainment industry has emphasized the 'tainment’ part more than the 'edu’ part,” says Christakis. Since its inception, Little Einsteins has employed Valeria Lovelace, a former advisor to Sesame Street and Dora as curriculum advisor. Disney and Curious Pictures test each episode throughout its development, and the show promises nothing other than that it will get toddlers listening, thinking, answering and moving through music, interactivity, and missions and adventures, says Gary Marsh, president, entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide. “It sparks preschoolers’ imaginations and sends them on the journey of discovering more information, whether it’s about music or nature or art or the things that are in the particular context of a mission of a show,” he says. “To me, the core attribute of both Baby and Little Einsteins is curiosity and exploration of new things.” Even without governmental regulation, preschool-content providers take responsibility for making their programs educational as well as entertaining, says Sandy Wax, president of PBS Kids Sprout. The new preschool VOD and linear network from PBS, Comcast, HIT Entertainment and Sesame Workshop launched last year to directly compete for toddlers’ attention. They “can’t be bought,” says Wax, a Disney staffer for seven years, who helped research Little Einsteins. Co-viewing by parents and kids is crucial to a program’s success. “The purple dinosaur is a lovely creature, but when you hear 'I love you, you love me’ a thousand times…,” says Disney’s Marsh, explaining why Barney has fallen off parents’ radar in recent years. “You can listen to a Brahms concerto or a Mozart symphony many times over, and you’re still engaged by it.” Researcher Christakis calls Little Einsteins a “reasonable-quality program,” with age-appropriate features that include slow pacing, a coherent story, adequate repetition to reinforce learning, and opportunities to interact. Disney premiered Little Einsteins on DVD, a format with which Baby Einstein fans were already familiar. The hour-long movie, Little Einsteins: Our [Big] Huge Adventure, also gave Disney more time to introduce Little’s cast. Disney laid out its most aggressive marketing plan for a preschool property, tacking a sneak preview of the show onto Baby Einstein videos and teasing a clip on its February 2005 feature film Pooh’s Heffalump Movie. After an August launch, the DVD soon became a bestseller, with 750,000 projected to be sold in its first year. With 12 animators at Curious Pictures working up to nine months to complete each episode, Little Einsteins debuted with a prime time special in October to the highest preschool rating of any premiere in the history of Disney’s Playhouse Disney block: a 5.6 rating and 737,000 viewers 2-5. Since then, it has averaged a 4.3 and 519,000 viewers in the demo. Although Disney executives predict Baby Einstein and Little Einsteins will log $1 billion combined in annual retail sales by 2010, it still has a lot more ground to cover. By comparison, Nickelodeon’s Dora, which premiered in August 2000, has brought in $3.6 billion in retail sales from 27 videos and DVDs and assorted merchandise. It averages a 7.36 rating and 908,000 viewers 2-5. But even ratings success won’t guarantee success for Little Einsteins. In its 26-year history, Nick claims only four “home-run” properties that have transcended high ratings to achieve successful consumer products sales, says Cyma Zarghami, head of MTV Networks’ Kids and Family Group: Dora, Blue’s Clues, SpongeBob SquarePants and Rugrats. Nick’s program Hey Arnold!, was a runaway hit on television, but viewers weren’t interested in its consumer products. “Honestly, we couldn’t sell a T-shirt,” Zarghami says. “What you want to watch and what you want to wear are not necessarily the same.” |
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Chief Off
"Commander in Chief" has again been pulled off the air. New episodes of the new drama, starring Geena Davis as the first female president, were supposed to air through February and take a six-week break in March. But late Friday, ABC said the show will come off the air this week and return mid-April. |
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Monday February 13, 2006 |
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Don Hahn, a producer at Walt Disney Feature
Animation, will assume the role of interim head of WDFA
until Disney's acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios is
complete.
Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook informed studio employees of Hahn's assignment late Thursday in a company-wide e-mail. "I am pleased to announce that Don Hahn has graciously agreed to be the interim head of Disney Feature Animation until the Pixar acquisition is complete," Cook wrote. "Effective immediately, Don will be responsible for all aspects of this incredible organization. I know that you will give Don your full support and cooperation." Hahn will take over many of the duties of outgoing president David Stainton, who is expected to take another position within the Disney organization. Hahn stood beside Ed Catmull and John Lasseter last month when the newly appointed president and chief creative officer of the Pixar and Disney animation studios toured WDFA a day after Disney announced its plan to buy Pixar. Hahn and Lasseter have a history dating back almost two decades. The two first worked together at Disney on the 1981 production of "The Fox and the Hound," the crew of which is a veritable who's who of power players in today's animation community. Hahn was an early and ardent champion of Pixar inside Disney when the fledgling computer animation boutique first began producing "Toy Story" in the early '90s. When Disney's first deal with an as-yet-unproven Pixar was challenged by doubters, Hahn was quoted as saying, "Pixar has the ability to be small and naughty, to be fleet of foot." Hahn is known to be an advocate of the many styles and techniques of animation, from 3-D to hand-drawn 2-D and stop-motion as well as integration of 2-D and live action. He was an associate producer on 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and a producer on 1991's "Beauty and the Beast," 1994's "The Lion King" and 1996's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." |
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Disney ABC Kids Networks kicked off the
upfront presentation season with a multiplatform pitch,
including an upcoming broadband service featuring full
episodes of Disney Channel series that could be preceded by
commercials.
Starting this spring, Disney Channel series That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Kim Possible, among others, will be available free and on-demand at an enhanced DisneyChannel.com. Similarly, installments of Power Rangers and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! will be available on JetixTV.com STREAMED ADS Advertisers can stream full-length or customized spots before the shows, or static ads adjacent to the programming, in addition to the banner ads that already appear on DisneyChannel.com, said Tricia Wilber, senior vice president of advertising sales and promotions at Disney ABC Cable Networks Group. Disney Channel — which, through its affiliate deals, is prohibited from running commercials — has pacts with a dozen marketers for PBS-style sponsorship ads, Wilber said. "We're well aware of what the brand means on-air," said Wilber, who says the site will also feature short-form content, music video and bonus materials from original movies. During the "Mix It Up" presentation, Wilber emphasized marketers could attach themselves to Disney Radio, Disney Publishing, the cable networks, Saturday morning block ABC Kids and Disney Online. "We're leveraging our platforms more so than in the past. That's what hearing from advertisers. After years of hearing about kids multitasking, that's what's really happening now," said Wilber. Gary Marsh, entertainment president for Disney Channel Worldwide, said that during the 2006-07 season, 11 new series and 25 new films, including seven Disney Channel Original Movies, will bow across the networks. All told, the company will introduce 849 episodes of new and returning series. Continuing its multiplex strategies, new original animated series The Replacements will premiere on both ABC Kids and Disney Channel in September. Live-action series Hannah Montana, starring country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter, Miley, will premiere on Disney Channel on March 24 and encore on ABC Kids in the fall. With High School Musical and Twitches both drawing more than 7 million total viewers to their premieres, Disney Channel has high hopes for upcoming original films Cow Belles (March 24), Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (June), How My Personal Journal Became a Bestseller (July) and The Cheetah Girls 2 (August). MICKEY RETURNS In the preschool space, Disney Channel's "Playhouse Disney" block in May will roll out Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, an animated aimed at developing kids' cognitive, social and creating learning skills. In the fall, a new multicultural animated series Handy Manny, featuring Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show) as the voice of tool expert Manny Garcia will bow. The four new series joining the Toon Disney/Jetix lineup are: the 15th iteration of Power Rangers; acquisition Jackie Chan Adventures; Oban Star Racers; and Yin Yang Yo, in which a panda and a pair of bunnies team to ensure the world's survival. With Toon Disney now in 50 million homes, the action Jetix programming block will no longer appear on ABC Family, starting in the fall. |
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Disney
Channel's "High School Musical" Re-Airs Feb. 13
Disney Channel's popular original movie, "High School Musical," will revel in the news that a DVD release is in the works and the network is planning a sequel. The teen-aimed tuner rebroadcasts Feb. 13 at 8 PM (ET). Check your local listings. Producer Bill Borden has previously stated "High School Musical" was planned as a three-part series. No timeline has been announced for either the sequel or release on DVD, according to a Disney spokesperson. The "High School Musical" soundtrack has done well by the company released on Jan. 10, the album entered the Top 10 on The Billboard 200 in its third week, bolstered by its download popularity. At press time, the album was No. 6 on Apple iTunes' "Today's Top Albums." The singles "Breaking Free" and "Get'cha Head in the Game" continue to place in and out of the top 10 of "Today's Top Songs." For more information, visit www.disney.go.com/disneychannel |
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Polynesian
Resort Spirit of Aloha Cancelled 2/14/06 at 8:00pm
Due to the cold weather forecast, the 8:00pm Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, at Disney World's Polynesian Resort, has been cancelled for Tuesday, February 14. |
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Atlanta
Braves Return for Spring Training at Disney's Wide World of
Sports
The Atlanta Braves, champions of the National League East for 14 straight years, will battle several key rivals during the 2006 Major League Baseball Spring Training season at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. After two weeks of February workouts, the Braves will play a 17-game home schedule that includes marquee clashes with the Mets, Astros, Cardinals and Yankees, making this one of the club's fiercest spring training schedules ever at The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Braves pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 16, with their first workout set for Feb. 17, marking the beginning of the ninth year the perennial champions have come to Walt Disney World Resort for spring training. Position players arrive Feb. 21, with the first full-squad workouts on Feb. 22. Individual game tickets for the Braves home spring training games are currently on sale through Ticketmaster (407/839-3900 and www.ticketmaster.com) and at the Disney's Wide World of Sports box office. Prices range from $13.50 (general admission lawn seats) to $22 (lower reserved). |
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For
Disney, ESPN & ABC News are the Gems
For Citadel Broadcasting, buying a 48
percent stake in ABC Radio, which included long-established
radio outlets in eight of the top 10 markets and ABC Radio
Networks, was like nabbing the crown jewels. |
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Disney
Upfront Reveals Broad Slate
Disney got an early start on the 2006
kids’ upfront season, announcing a slate of 11 new series
and 25 movies to run across its four TV platforms. |
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Slow Dogs
Following on the success of such films as
“Glory Road,” “Eight Below,” and “The Greatest Game
Ever Played,” Walt Disney Pictures has green lit “Slow
Dogs,” an inspirational true story starring Cuba Gooding,
Jr. about the first racially integrated mentally retarded dog
sled team to finish the Iditarod. “This is the ultimate
inspirational movie,” said Walt Disney Pictures Chairman
Dick Cook. “For anyone who loves dogs or sports and has a
spot in their heart for a ragtag group of racially integrated,
mentally retarded dogs, ‘Slow Dogs’ is the film for
you.” |
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In the film, which takes place in 1958,
Gooding plays Jack Brown, a Korean War veteran determined to
become the first wheelchair bound African-American to finish
the famous Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. When local dog
trainers refuse to sell him their pure bred St. Bernards, he
adopts the few animals left from a local pound. The dogs,
which range from a yellow golden retriever to a black
Doberman and a white Chihuahua, have all suffered brain
damage in some way and are mentally disabled. Against all
odds, Brown trains the diverse, retarded mutts from his
wheelchair and goes on to finish the Iditarod in second
place.
It’s based on the true story of Andrew Clements, a man who once spent 6 weeks in a wheelchair after breaking his leg and went on to install trail markers at the Iditarod in the late 1970s. Gooding will receive second billing in the film after Moose, the dog who played “Eddie” on “Frasier” for 10 seasons. Other inspirational sports stories in development at Disney include “Curling Iron,” about an Ontario man who becomes a quadriplegic after a spinal cord injury and is told he’ll never curl again; “Jumping Jaguar!” about the first jaguar to compete in the Olympic ski jumping competition; and “Miracle 2,” in which the 1980 U.S. gold medal winning Olympic hockey team reunites to compete in the 2006 winter Olympics after the then-current U.S. team dies in a bus crash. |
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Sunday February 12, 2006 |
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Big
Tokyo Disneyland News: New Hotel, New E-Ticket and
"Mystery Tour" Closes
Oriental Land Co, Ltd. has announced that the
new Disney hotel scheduled to open in Tokyo Disney Resort in
Japanese fiscal year 2008 will be named "Tokyo
Disneyland Hotel." The new hotel will be built in front
of Tokyo Disneyland Park, with the Disney Resort Line's
Tokyo Disneyland Station in between. The hotel will reflect
the early 20th-century Victorian architectural style found
in the Park's World Bazaar themed land, the monorail station
and the main entrance area. While grand and elegant, the
hotel will generate a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for the
Guests. A new attraction inspired by Disney's presentation
of Pixar's Monsters, Inc. will open in "Tomorrowland"
in "Tokyo Disneyland Park" in Japanese fiscal year
2009. The Fantasyland attraction "Cinderella Castle
Mystery Tour" will be permanently closed, with its
final day of operation on April 5, 2006.
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On a
cruise, a painful lesson
Blair and Becca. West Coast and East Coast. Seattle and Medford Lakes meet, becoming friends and companions on a weeklong Disney cruise in August 2001. Doesn't seem so special until the realization hits that these two girls looked beyond outward appearances and each enjoyed the other for the person she was. A Disney cruise is not typically viewed as the place one would go to learn about cultural and racial differences and to have to teach your child about bias. But, in parenting, expecting the unexpected is what keeps your skills honed. Becca, then 12, and Blair seemed drawn together from the moment they spied each other. We struck up an easy conversation with Blair's parents, and the girls began making plans. The week that followed was delightful, filled with plenty of family activities and always lots of Becca and Blair. The two families found that we had much in common, and became unbeatable in any of the ship's trivia contests. Then reality struck. Enter a third preadolescent girl, who seemed to want the attention of Becca. A few middle-school barbs, a mean look, and, eventually, "Don't play with Blair, because she is black." Our daughter was caught off guard, taken aback and hurt. You see, she did not realize that Blair was different from her, nor could she understand why it mattered. Our daughter came to us in a state similar to when she was putting together the Santa Claus/Easter Bunny reality. Some innocence was lost when we had to talk her through her first face-to-face experience of bias. Becca was angry, and she was unwilling to accept that Blair was of a different race. She also expressed sorrow for the girl who was not allowed to hang out with them. We had to walk her through the painful reality of how our world categorizes people based on skin color. We asked our daughter if she had noticed anything different about Blair's parents. She had noticed that Blair's parents were an interracial couple, and she seemed surprised that this would matter to others. The remaining days flew by on the ship, and the two girls remained tight. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were exchanged on the last night. Blair and Becca have remained in contact. When our vacation plans took us to the West Coast, we made sure to plan a rendezvous with Blair and her family in Seattle. This simple experience, which we took in stride while living it, has haunted me. It is possible to raise children to be color-blind, to enjoy others for the true person. Tolerance and acceptance are learned at home. Our family is enriched by the addition of our Seattle friends. |
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