Central Florida News - Light sleet and snow flurries in Central Florida didn’t stop thousands of runners braving the cold for the Disney Half-Marathon.

The race Saturday morning was the first of two during Walt Disney World’s Marathon Weekend. A full, 26.2-mile marathon is on for Sunday in even colder temperatures.

Participants started arriving in Central Florida earlier this week. Some runners from up north told News 13 they were disappointed the weather in Florida is chilly, but they’re used to it.

The Disney Marathon attracts more than 100,000 people every year, with nearly 24,000 people running in the full marathon alone.

Experts said dressing in layers is key. As runners got hot, they started taking off a layer at a time. All disregarded clothes along the course will be donated to charity.

AP - The home of superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men sued one of its most successful artists Friday to retain the rights to the lucrative characters.

The federal lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan by Marvel Worldwide Inc. asks a judge to invalidate 45 notices sent by the heirs of artist Jack Kirby to try to terminate Marvel's copyrights, effective on dates ranging from 2014 through 2019.

The heirs notified several companies last year that the rights to the characters would revert from Marvel to Kirby's estate.

The lawsuit said Kirby's work on the comics published between 1958 and 1963 were "for hire" and render the heirs' claims invalid. The famed artist died in 1994.

The lawsuit was dismissed by Kirby's attorney Marc Toberoff, who issued a statement saying the heirs were merely trying to take advantage of change to copyright law that allows artists to recapture rights to their work.

"It is a standard claim predictably made by comic book companies to deprive artists, writers, and other talent of all rights in their work," the statement said of Marvel's lawsuit.

"The Kirby children intend to vigorously defend against Marvel's claims in the hope of finally vindicating their father's work."

The statement claimed Kirby was never properly compensated for his contributions to Marvel's universe of superheroes.

"Sadly, Jack died without proper compensation, credit or recognition for his lasting creative contributions," the statement said.

Comic book characters such as Spider-Man and the X-Men have become some of Hollywood's most bankable properties in recent years.

The lawsuit said the comic book titles in the notices to which Kirby claims to have contributed include "Amazing Adventures," "Amazing Fantasy," "Amazing Spider-Man," "The Avengers," the "Fantastic Four," "Fantastic Four Annual," "The Incredible Hulk," "Journey into Mystery," "Rawhide Kid," "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos," "Strange Tales," "Tales to Astonish," "Tales of Suspense" and "The X-Men."

John Turitzin, a Marvel lawyer, said in a statement that the heirs were trying "to rewrite the history of Kirby's relationship with Marvel."

He added: "Everything about Kirby's relationship with Marvel shows that his contributions were works made for hire and that all the copyright interests in them belong to Marvel."

Marvel Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co., sought a judge's order that the Kirby notices have no effect.

time with the Cast and benefit from their knowledge.” And this week, he’s doing just that.

During his visit to Walt Disney World, Tom spent time learning the business firsthand during a whirlwind tour that included meetings with Cast, time in the parks and interaction with backstage operators. One important stop was Fantasyland, where Tom learned more about plans for an upcoming major expansion. He also met with Cast Members at the Disney Reservation Center, Space Mountain Operations Center (where he worked in a spin on Space Mountain) and other locations around Walt Disney World Resort property.

And at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, Tom met with Cast Members during a backstage tour of The Festival of the Lion King attraction before enjoying a live performance. He also visited with the animal programs team and observed a cardiac ultrasound on a gorilla.

As Tom wrapped up his first Walt Disney World visit in his new role, he noted that he will celebrate two decades with The Walt Disney Company this month. “After 20 years, it’s nice to say I just had two of the best days of my career, being out on the property and seeing the Cast in action.”

Disney News - If you want to be the first to see Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy in a parade at Disneyland park, check out the video above. We taped this during a rehearsal after Disneyland park closed on Wednesday night. The video gives a first glimpse of the new “Disney’s Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade” that will debut today at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida.

As you’ll see, the cavalcade celebrates volunteerism and features Kermit, Miss Piggy, along with special floats and vehicles festooned with bright balloons and flanked by parade dancers. They’re all excited about the new “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program happening in 2010 (see www.disneyparks.com for terms).

“Disney’s Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade” precedes “Celebrate! A Street Party” at Disneyland park. You can catch the show at Disneyland park once a day, and there are a few things you should know about the current schedule:

• If there is only one performance of “Celebrate! A Street Party” scheduled for the day, then the cavalcade will happen at that time.
• If there are two performances of “Celebrate! A Street Party” planned for the day, then you can catch Kermit and Miss Piggy as part of the Cavalcade at the evening parade.

As always, check for show times because they’re subject to change and cancellation.

Disney News - Hi, I’m Steve Davison, and I’m an Imagineer with Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. I’m joining the Disney Parks Blog this month to talk about a project that’s very close to my heart – “World of Color.” In the coming months, I’ll be sharing the latest updates on the show, some inside information and exclusive photos and videos.

As testing begins in the Paradise Bay Lagoon, through periodic blog posts, we’re going to be giving guests a behind the “water screen” look at the show as it is created. It will take months of programming to bring all the elements to life as we weave the tapestry of the show together. When you create a show you mentally put it together in your mind. Then you take those initial ideas and test them looking for the right look and feel. After a lot of trial and error, you finally get to see it come to life in front of your eyes.

But even before the programming sessions can begin, all the effects systems have to be brought on-line and fleshed out. With thousands of individual effects in the show, this meticulous initial testing process takes time. Every device has to be individually tested and programmed into the master show matrix. Once this is complete, the actual programming can begin.

One of the first effects elements to be tested was the fire system. Audiences are going to be really surprised by the World of Color fire effects. Because the units are randomly placed throughout the show platform, they will shock you when they appear. Here is a test video of the first look at the fire. While it is not the final program, it will give you a sense of the visual power it yields!

"The Walt Disney Studios has produced and released more 3D content than any other major studio to date and remains at the forefront in the continued innovation and development of today's most advanced digital 3D and Blu-ray technology," commented Bob Chapek, President of Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios. "We are excited to offer consumers an incredible line-up of true three-dimensional films and footage that will revolutionize the in-home entertainment experience."

The 3D-enabled Blu-ray release of Disney's A Christmas Carol, available broadly in fourth quarter of 2010, will represent the studios' debut title that will launch a new premium line-up of Disney Digital 3D movies for the home. Disney's A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey, will be a groundbreaking multi-sensory, three-dimensional hi-def home entertainment experience that captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale. Re-envisioned by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Best Director, Forrest Gump, 1994), Disney's A Christmas Carol will be sure to mesmerize audiences of all ages in its new technologically-advanced digital 3D home video presentation.

U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel in San Francisco threw out anti-competition claims yesterday by Seattle-based RealNetworks, a maker of software for playing music and video games that in 2008 was blocked from selling a DVD-copying product after Patel ruled that it violated laws protecting copyrighted works.

Movie studios last year won their lawsuit claiming RealNetworks’ RealDVD product violates federal statues prohibiting circumvention of encryption technology that prevents copyrighted works from being duplicated.

The $30 product would encourage people to copy movies they rent and spur other forms of illegal copying and sharing of films, leading to billions of dollars in lost sales, the studios claimed. They sell DVDs that can be copied once and stored on a computer, though these cost more than a regular DVD.

RealNetworks had countersued, claiming the film companies operate a “cartel” by requiring a license for the Content Scramble System, or CSS, which controls the ability to make a digital copy of a DVD.

Patel said RealNetworks can’t show it’s being harmed by the studios’ policy because the company’s inability to sell RealDVD is its own doing.

“Real’s purported injury stems from its own decision to manufacture and traffic in a device that is almost certainly illegal,” Patel said in a ruling.

Bill Hankes, a RealNetworks spokesman, didn’t immediately respond to a voice-mail message.

Race officials already are warning runners the weather is going to be cooler than normal, especially for Saturday’s Half Marathon and Sunday’s most popular 26.2-mile marathon, according to the event’s Web site.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s in the early morning hours and most likely will no go above 50. Forecasters also predict snow flurries in the overnight hours.

“The best approach is to plan to dress in layers so that as you warm up during your race you can remove layers as needed,” officials said. “Mylar blankets will be available for runners at the finish line on both Saturday and Sunday.”

In case it gets too warm under those gloves, hats and coats, you can toss them off and know they’re going toward a good cause. Officials plan to donate all discarded clothing to charity.

Both marathons begin at 5:40 a.m. Runners in the half marathon, just over 13 miles, start their course at the Magic Kingdom and race to the end at Epcot.

Disney News - Disney’s official fan community, D23, is starting off 2010 with a unique gift that’s sure to get any Disney fan excited — Disney Undiscovered: A 23-Month Calendar of Disney’s Unrealized Masterpieces.

The calendar is brimming with rare and never-before seen images from Disney theme-park, live-action and animation projects that were not completed, many of which have achieved legendary status among Disney fans. “Disney Undiscovered” features art from never-built project like the Mineral King ski resort and Walt Disney’s St. Louis Project, theme park lands such as Discovery Bay at Disneyland, and unproduced films including a watercolor from the original Little Mermaid that Walt had in early preproduction in the late 1930s.

D23 is giving Disney Parks Blog readers a first look at three of the pages in this stunning calendar. They show Mickey’s Madhouse (conceived as part of Dumbo’s Circusland at Disneyland back in 1976 before Toontown was created), the Swiss pavilion at Epcot (designed in 1985 and meant to stand between the Italy and Germany pavilions), and Rock Candy Mountain (which, had it been created back in 1957, would have been Disneyland’s first “mountain”). Have a look and enjoy!

Everyone who joins or renews their D23 Membership in 2010 will receive a calendar.

USA Today - Rising oil prices have triggered a provision in Disney Cruise Line's fuel surcharge policy that will result in some passengers on upcoming voyages being subject to the fee.

Orlando Sentinel - Passholders, here’s a pretty sweet deal if you’re into NASCAR. Stop by Walt Disney World Speedway — it’s situated right in front of Magic Kingdom — and you can do a Ride Along from Richard Petty Driving Experience for free. This program normally costs more than $100 per person.

Show your Disney pass and you’ll get to ride shotgun for three mile-long laps in a NASCAR-style race car reaching speeds up to 140 mph with a professional driving instructor. This offer is good through March 31.

You must be at least 14 years old to ride, and participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Free ride-alongs are limited to one per passholder for the three-month promotion.

Orange County Register - Crews began work this week on the Red Trolley Cars attraction that is part of a major, $1 billion renovation of Disney’s California Adventure.

Walls went up late Monday in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot as workers began the first phase of the project. When completed in 2012, the trolleys will travel and carry guests from the park’s entrance around to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride area.

On Tuesday, visitors started seeing the walls by the Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage theater and the Tower of Terror ride. Signs announce the upcoming Hollywood Land-Buena Vista Street line with four stations, which are set to be completed in May 2012.

The work in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot is scheduled to run through April, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman. The attraction is expected be installed in phases and will be one of the last parts to be completed in the project, he said.

Signs of GM’s restructuring at Epcot’s Test Track

Orlando Sentinel - By all appearances, General Motors, the Detroit auto giant forced through bankruptcy last year, remains sponsor of the Test Track attraction at Epcot. Even though GM’s $100 million sponsorship contract with Walt Disney World is believed to have expired last year and there was never any announcement of a renewal, the company’s logo and presence is still splashed all around the pavilion.

Still, there are some signs around Test Track of the painful restructuring that GM is going through.

For example, GM has pulled cars from the brands it plans drop (Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Pontiac) from the swanky showroom that guests walk through when they exit the ride, such as a Saturn VUE hybrid that until recently was on display in the area. The only cars displayed now are from GMC, Chevy, Buick and Cadillac, GM’s remaining core brands.

They both have thick, padded coats with hoods and gloves. One pair of gloves was always enough in the past because the days they were actually worn in sunny Florida were few and far between. But now I worried that a child would lose a glove or rip one on the playground and subsequently end up with numb fingers because more gloves were not available.

And so began our search for back-up gloves in the middle of a cold snap. Good luck, right? Most store shelves were wiped clean, we soon found out. My husband ran up to the nearest Target and returned home with a tiny pair of black gloves. Black for my daughter? If they were the only pair in town, we’d use them, but we were really on the hunt for a pair that featured the Disney Princesses.

I went to three more Target stores the next day plus Toys R Us and Children’s Place, stopping as I passed by on my way to other destinations. Finally, I found a pair of Toy Story gloves for my son and Snow White and Little Mermaid gloves for my daughter, and they even were on clearance.

I felt a small sense of accomplishment when I got home — until I saw the notice from my daughter’s preschool about Winter Wonderland day at the end of the month. It asked that the children wear gloves and scarves. Scarves???? Of course we do not own scarves! And while scarves are not mandatory, my daughter was really excited about wearing one.

BusinessWire - Experiment 626 is rearing his adorable blue alien head once more in a new video game. Disney Interactive Studios today announced the upcoming release of Disney Stitch Jam, a rhythm-based music and adventure game being developed exclusively for Nintendo DS. Scheduled for release March 2010 in North America, the DS game will introduce players to the latest adventures set in the popular world of Stitch, a classic character from the Walt Disney Pictures’ 2002 film “Lilo & Stitch.”

Players will remember Stitch as the character that was born out of a genetic experiment and exiled to Hawaii in the film. The DS game takes place in exciting locations, from tropical beaches to outer space, and introduces a new storyline involving Stitch’s kidnapped girlfriend, Angel, by his evil nemesis Dr. Hamsterviel. Stitch must embark on music-based missions and defeat Dr. Hamsterviel in an epic galactic showdown.

“Disney Stitch Jam will deliver a brand new set of adventures for a beloved Disney character who has been a fan favorite for years,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Filled with catchy music, dynamic characters and fun environments, this new DS game will offer great content for kids with a high replay value.”

Disney Stitch Jam features intuitive side-scrolling gameplay that is appropriate for young gamers who want to immerse themselves in the lovable character’s world as he sets off on his many adventures. Kids have the option of stylus or button controls as they catch, shoot and collect musical notes to release melodies and clear 10 missions to save Angel. Disney Stitch Jam is equipped with two-player co-operative play via download, where players can share the game with friends – a second game cartridge is not needed.

The game also includes a customization feature that allows fans to personalize Stitch with special costumes and accessories that can be unlocked in the game. Filled with a variety of original music created exclusively for the game, players will watch Stitch dance and groove on tropical beaches, the frozen city, the deep forest and other, numerous exotic locations.

The latest new image comes via Facebook and features Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in front of what appears to be the White Army. He looks more concerned than mad, possibly because an epic clash is about to take place.

Michelle: Can you tell us about the “Happiest Memories on Earth” program?

Summer: We wanted to create something dynamic and special for our guests this year. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Disneyland park, and we want to make sure that our guests have the opportunity to take home a memory from their visit that they can treasure through the years. We really aimed for a retro-style look to give guests a sense of nostalgia, in the hopes that they will remember some of their favorite memories and experiences from past visits. The program features some of our beloved characters, including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Thumper, Huey, Dewey and Louie as well as Mr. Toad.

Michelle: Can you give us a little insight on what type of merchandise our guests and collectors will see over the next year?

PRNewswire - Champion Athleticwear, the official performance apparel of Disney’s Wide World of Sports, announces the continuation of the Champion Innovation Lab at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA January 7 – 10, 2010. 

The Champion Innovation Lab underscores the brand’s heritage in competitive sports while bringing to life its "How You Play" mantra through the experiences of real, everyday athletes.  This year, the 2010 Innovation Lab works with nearly half of the "Perfect 17," those who have participated in the Disney Marathon Weekend since its inception 17 years ago, as well as runners, race-walkers and wheelchair athletes from all skill levels, to test Champion Athleticwear.

“True to the Champion brand, we are able to develop great performance apparel by getting real feedback from everyday athletes who participate in our Innovation Lab,” said Claire Powell, Director Champion Brand Marketing.  “We are excited to bring the program back to the Disney Marathon Weekend for a third year to see how the athletes have responded to our products.” 

Disney Sports Area Manager, Kathleen Duran returns the sentiment.  “The Disney Marathon Weekend is comprised of events that are defined by fun competition, much like the Champion brand.  We are thrilled to have some of the “Perfect 17” runners participate in the Champion Innovation Lab program during the Disney Marathon weekend.”

Participants are given a variety of Champion performance apparel and, starting in September 2009, asked to catalogue their experiences in a Training Log and share real-time insights with the Champion New York Design Team and Champion Athleticwear Consumer Research.  The runners receive apparel from the brand’s popular Double Dry line featuring wicking technology, compression tanks and briefs and athleticwear from the Seamless product line.  Questions include pace, weather, route (e.g., trail, street, treadmill), comfort, fit and washing machine care. Runners will also be outfitted in Champion apparel for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events and will be announced as Champion Innovation Lab participants when crossing the finish line.

"I look forward to the Disney Marathon Weekend every year as well as participating in the Champion Innovation Lab. It's exciting to test out their new products and important to me as an athlete that they are listening to the feedback I have to share," said Dee Dean, marathon runner and Champion Innovation Lab participant.

“Perfect 17” runner and Champion Innovation Lab participant Seth Elsheimer agrees.  “It's refreshing to see a brand that has stayed focused on regular, everyday athletes who are competitive as well as those who just want to have a good time and be active.”

The two-way dialogue generated by the Champion Innovation Lab has proved to be a critical in keeping the brand grounded in its roots of delivering top performance athleticwear for the everyday athlete. 

Disney News - If you live in Southern California and are looking for value and the best way to spend your entertainment dollars, you’ll find a great offer is back at the Disneyland Resort. With the “Southern California Resident 2fer Ticket,” you can buy a ticket to take advantage of the attractions and entertainment at Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure Park on one day, and then come back on another day to play in the other park – for free. Valid for residents within Zip Codes 90000-93599 with valid ID. Check here for more details.

Here are some tips on how you can make the most of a deal that gives you two days of magic for only $36 a day per person:*

• Plan ahead: This is a limited-time offer. You must purchase and use a “Southern California Resident 2fer Ticket” in one theme park by April 12, 2010. Then you can bring the ticket back within 30 days to play all day in the other park – for free.
• Double the fun: Go wild in both Disney parks, making this a special time for residents of Southern California to enjoy the fun, entertainment, restaurants, shows and attractions that are found in Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. The two parks feature a mix of classic attractions and immersive experiences that will entertain guests of all ages.
• Celebrate special occasions at the Disneyland Resort: With a 2fer ticket, you can visit one park in honor of a special day – perhaps a birthday or anniversary – and come back to play in the other park for a second celebration. It could be a championship season, an engagement or a child’s first visit to see Mickey Mouse.
• Can’t choose? The 2fer ticket allows you to enjoy some of your favorite attractions in both theme parks on separate days. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight on one day, and then come back on another day to try Soarin’ over California, California Screamin’ and Disney*Pixar’s Toy Story Mania!
• Visit the two parks on consecutive days: Southern California residents can turn the 2fer ticket into a mini-vacation and it’s easier than ever to make that happen this year with special offers at the Disneyland Resort hotels. Guests can save up to 30 percent** when they book a two-night hotel stay by April 1, 2010, for stays during select dates through April 29, 2010. Click here for all the details.

The 2fer ticket can be purchased now at Disneyland.com, The Disney Stores, Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros, Gelson’s, Food 4 Less, Toys R Us, Dearden’s, Korea Daily, Irvine Spectrum and other locations. Guests who purchase online can print their tickets at home and avoid waiting in ticket lines.

For more information on the 2fer ticket, visit www.disneyland.com/2fer or call (714) 781-7290.

*$36 per day price is based on the purchase of an Adult 2fer Ticket for $72.
**30% savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room at the same hotel.

Orlando Sentinel - During a seven-year span as leader of the Walt Disney Co.’s parks-and-resorts business, Jay Rasulo presided over the opening of just a single new theme park — yet he boosted sales from less than $6.5 billion when he arrived to nearly $11 billion this past fiscal year.

The results reflect Rasulo’s emphasis on growing by tweaking Disney’s existing theme parks rather than building new ones and by expanding into new businesses entirely, transforming Walt Disney Parks and Resorts from a theme-park operator into a “family vacation” company.

Rasulo’s tenure as Disney parks chairman ended this week as he traded jobs with the company’s longtime chief financial officer, Tom Staggs, in an executive shuffle designed by Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger. In a recent interview, the 53-year-old Rasulo looked back on his time as parks chief.

At Disney’s U.S. resorts — which remain by far the biggest pieces of Disney’s theme-park empire — Rasulo green lit a number of new attractions, including the popular Toy Story Mania! rides developed jointly for Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando and Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. But some of the biggest growth drivers under Rasulo’s watch were less tangible additions.

At Walt Disney World, for instance, the launch of initiatives such as the Magic Your Way multiday-ticket price tiers and the Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttle-and-luggage service helped the giant resort capture more of its guests’ vacation spending. Disney also devised successful marketing campaigns, including a 50th anniversary celebration at Disneyland and the two-year “Year of a Million Dreams” promotion at both parks.

Rasulo said his approach was “based on making our existing destinations the strong ambassadors of the parks-and-resorts brand that they could be, whether through investment, pricing strategy, marketing strategy.”

Rasulo worked aggressively to extend Disney into vacation venues beyond its theme parks. Under Rasulo, Disney approved a multibillion-dollar expansion of Disney Cruise Line, more than doubled the time-share inventory of Disney Vacation Club, and started the Adventures By Disney guided-tour operation. “We need to be known as a player in the family-vacation business,” Rasulo said.

Similarly, Rasulo said he made it a priority to expand Disney’s geographic footprint, too, with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, the start of construction for a standalone hotel and time share in Hawaii, and the purchase of land for a future resort near Washington, D.C. Even more importantly, Disney this year finally won approval from the Chinese government to build a new theme-park resort in Shanghai, a project that Disney hopes will serve as a beachhead for companywide growth in the world’s most populous country.

“Just a couple of years ago, [Shanghai Disneyland] looked like a faint hope,” Rasulo said. “I look back at that as something that will serve our company incredibly well.”

Not everything has gone smoothly. Hong Kong Disneyland, for instance, has struggled to meet attendance goals and has been criticized for being too small, though Disney last year unveiled plans for a broad expansion of the park. Some former park executives and Disney fans have also criticized his decision to centralize leadership of Disney’s theme parks rather than permit them to operate independently, an approach that detractors say has sacrificed the individual parks’ unique identities and resulted in bland, “Disney Parks”-branded offerings.

Rasulo says the approach has resulted in best-management practices being shared among the resorts and has ensured a consistently high-quality experience for guests. The approach has also helped Disney shave overhead costs.

“It is crystal clear that our consumers see the product we deliver — the deep, immersive storytelling experience — as not geographically bounded,” he said. “So when people go to the Magic Kingdom in Paris, they expect it to be something like they receive at Walt Disney World at the Magic Kingdom, or at Disneyland.”

Looking forward, Rasulo said one of the biggest challenges for his successor will be overseeing the completion of the half-dozen major projects now in the pipeline, including the new cruise ships; the Hawaiian resort; park expansions in Orlando, Anaheim and Hong Kong; and, soon, construction of Shanghai Disneyland. All of those projects are scheduled to be completed between 2011 and 2016.

In their heyday, and my youth, the Muppets were hugely popular. I remember the anticipation of going to see The Muppet Movie at the theater with my cousins in 1979, and the weekly television show featured top celebrities of the time. The hit song “The Rainbow Connection” plays in the background of many of my happy childhood memories.

But now? My children know who the fuzzy friends are only from Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They find the attraction amusing, but they don’t clamor for the merchandise because they don’t really know the characters.

That’s about to change, though. Disney has been re-introducing the Muppets by linking them to causes that today’s youth care about, such as the environment and volunteering. Who’s more green than Kermit, right?

More merchandise is showing up in stores, including Once Upon A Toy Store at Downtown Disney. We noticed quite a lot displayed up front by the registers when we were shopping during Christmas week.

And now visitors will be able to see the characters in the Disney parks. Beginning Friday (Jan. 8), each afternoon Kermit, Miss Piggy and Sweetums will be part of a pre-parade celebration at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland in California. Muppets characters and parade dancers will join special floats and vehicles celebrating volunteerism and presenting honorary VoluntEARS as grand marshals of the parades. Can meet-and-greets be far behind?