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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive January 7-13 2007 | ||
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Saturday January 13, 2007 |
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Disney doubles Iger's payout to $25 million LA Times - Walt Disney Co. more than doubled its annual payout to Robert Iger in 2006 after his role was expanded from president to chief executive. The Burbank entertainment powerhouse spent about $25 million on Iger's compensation during his first year atop Disney. His base salary rose to $2 million from $1.5 million, and his bonus jumped to $15 million from less than $8 million, according to a proxy statement Disney filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. "Bob Iger had a very good year — both for Disney and for Bob Iger," said Greg Taxin, CEO of proxy advisory firm Glass, Lewis & Co. In Iger's initial year at the helm, Disney's net income rose 33% to $3.37 billion, while its stock climbed 28% to $30.91. The stock has continued to gain since, closing Friday at $35.21. The Disney board's compensation committee said it ordered the big bump after weighing "broad-based operational improvements made during the year," including the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios and moves by the company to "leverage technology in the creation and distribution of its products." Disney's stock had a banner year, outperforming shares of rival media companies, and Iger's big payday merely puts him "in the middle of the pack" for big-company CEOs in the industry, said Frank Glassner, who heads San Francisco's Compensation Design Group. "Disney has very well-linked plans that truly pay for performance, especially in light of the senior executive reorganization," Glassner said. "It's no longer pay for attendance or pay for ego." Under former CEO Michael Eisner, Disney drew repeated fire for its pay practices. In 1998, Eisner cashed in a hoard of stock options and collected $576 million. And when Michael Ovitz, Eisner's choice as the No. 2 executive, lasted just 15 months, he left with a severance payment later valued at $130 million. That outsized payment prompted a futile but excoriating lawsuit by shareholders. Iger also cashed in stock options in the last fiscal year, collecting 1.6 million shares and selling the vast majority, Friday's filing shows. He turned a profit of $7.9 million that way, on top of his $25 million in compensation. A Disney spokesman said Iger's options would have expired this year if he hadn't exercised them. The $25 million includes newly granted stock options. Also in the filing, Disney announced that it would hold its annual meeting March 8 at the New Orleans Convention Center, the scene of much televised suffering more than a year ago. The company has no major operations in the city, but Iger asked shareholders in his opening letter to "join us in supporting the revitalization of New Orleans following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina." Shareholders also were asked to vote to increase the number of options and shares available for grants to employees. One shareholder proposal that called for a study of ethnic and gender stereotypes in the company's characters was excluded from the ballot. Disney also disclosed that it was paying new Chairman John E. Pepper Jr. $500,000 a year — far more than the other directors were being paid. Taxin said it was an unusually high amount for a nonexecutive. Pepper took over the leading oversight role Jan. 1 from former Sen. George J. Mitchell, who retired. Director Steve Jobs, who became Disney's largest shareholder with the company's acquisition of Pixar, asked not to be paid. Pepper, 68, is the former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co. Disney said another long-serving director, former Georgetown University President Leo O'Donovan, 72, would step down after the annual meeting, shrinking the board to 11 members. By Disney's reckoning, eight of the 11 meet the standard for independence required for membership on some board committees. |
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Disney to hold annual meeting in Big Easy MarketWatch - Walt Disney Cowill hold its next annual meeting for shareholders in New Orleans, the company said in its proxy filing on Friday. Disney said that it hoped to help revitalize the stricken city, which was flooded after being hit by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. |
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Disney embraces
jumping rope Monsters and Critics - With the U.S. airing of the new film, 'Jump In,' the Disney Channel is likely to give a new boost to the popularity jumping rope. The film, which is scheduled to run each day this weekend, focuses on Double Dutch jump-roping in a way that will likely build on the family fan-base of the channel's 'High School Musical' film, the New York Daily News said. 'It's one of my favorite movies we've done in a long time,' Disney Channel Worldwide exec Gary Marsh said. 'It`s emotionally honest in a way that doesn't often happen in family filmmaking.' In the film, 'High School Musical' star Corbin Bleu plays an amateur boxer who finds himself on a jump-rope team to help a friend. While 'Musical' garnered 19 million viewers during its first weekend alone, Marsh suggested that if 'Jump In!' doesn't find its target audience right away, it will still stand as a well-made Disney project. 'We've made a terrific movie,' he told the paper. 'If the audience finds it, that's great. If they don't, I'm still really proud of the movie we've made.' 'Jump In' preems on The Disney Channel, Jan 12, 2007. |
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For
Disney, puppets are quite an adventure A little-known fact about puppets: They get pretty worn out. "It's essentially a very complicated piece of cloth," said Schupbach, the show's puppet designer and co-art director. "So if you can imagine wearing a sweater every day, eventually you've got to start cleaning it and sewing up holes." With 24 unique characters and an extensive collection of small hand puppets called Fuzzies, the cast of "Johnny and the Sprites" kept the crew busy. Walking onto the set of the show, which will premiere as part of the Playhouse Disney programming block today, felt like entering a fully realized world. On a soundstage at Kaufman Astoria Studios, a lush forest adorned with twinkling lights and huge flowers soared up to the ceiling. Tucked in the middle of the greenery sat a wooden house with brightly lighted stained-glass windows. The house is the domain of Johnny T., a singer-songwriter played by Broadway star John Tartaglia, who created the show. The premise: Johnny inherits his uncle's home in the forest, where he discovers a tunnel in his backyard that leads to Grotto's Grove. There, he meets the Sprites, winsome creatures that represent different aspects of nature. Together, they embark on adventures aimed at teaching preschoolers about accepting each other's differences. The program takes the popularity of incorporating music into children's programming to another level. Tartaglia, who received a Tony nomination for his work in "Avenue Q," recruited top Broadway talent to compose tunes for the show. Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz of "Wicked" wrote the theme song, as well as other pieces. Additional songs were composed by Mark Hollmann ("Urinetown") and Michael Patrick Walker ("Altar Boyz"). "When you're working in the Broadway community, it really is like a little family, so everyone kind of knows each other and supports each other," said Tartaglia, 28, who is also playing Lumiere in the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast." That tight-knit feeling extended to the cast members. Many knew each other from "Sesame Street," where Tartaglia got his start, and other children's shows. "My favorite thing about this group is that we're all really 5," said Tim Lagasse, the puppeteer behind Basil, the bookish Earth Sprite. "We all get on the set and put the puppets on and act like little idiots and giggle all day." |
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NFFC Show
and Sale - January 14, 2007 NFFC.org - This is just a quick reminder that the NFFC will again be hosting the World's Largest STRICTLY Disneyana Show & Sale - on Sunday, January 14, 2007 at the spacious Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel in Garden Grove, California (about 1-miles South of the Disneyland Resort on the Southwest corner of Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue). We'll have 150+ tables covered with every imaginable Disney-themed collectable - old and new. From classic toys to Litho art and PVC action figures to Walt Disney Art Classics pieces - paper and buttons and mini-bean-bag plush and clothing and plates and books and decals and videos and DVDs and music and promotional items and PINS! Something for every Disney collector! Plus some special guests will be available to sign autographs. You can even get Walt Disney Imagineering Cast EXCULSIVE merchandise direct from our friends at Mickey's of Glendale! The entry price for the Show & Sale is $5 for NFFC members (with valid NFFC membership card) $6 for the general public $5 for Disney Company Cast Members (with valid ID card). There is also a $25 early-bird entry for those wishing to enter the show at 10:00am. Show & Sale hours are: 9:00am to 11:00am - for NFFC members 11:00am to 5:00pm - for the general public. The show and sale closes promptly at 5:00pm so come early. A limited number of tables for the sale are still available for information and a downloadable NFFC dealer contract you can contact Nicolasa Nevarez at (818) 901-7244 or email vendors@nffc.org. The festivities for this wonderful weekend will begin on the evening of January 13th at 5:00 with the Part of Their World dinner. This is your rare opportunity to dine with a Disney notable and hear first-hand stories about making Disney magic. Disney notables will be seated randomly at tables, and everyone will have ample time to meet all our Disney guests. It's a great chance to get autographs, take pictures and make new friends. The evening includes a sit-down dinner (tenderloin of beef in a wild mushroom Madeira sauce and pecan-crusted chicken), a silent auction to benefit charity, door prizes and more. The price for the evening is $75 per person; you must be an NFFC member to participate. Registration forms are available online. After the dinner, the NFFCs Hospitality Suite will be open. Come catch up with old friends or make new ones. You might even find some pin trading. The suite will be open from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. There will also certainly be rooms open for the NFFCs famous Room Hopping! All events will take place at the Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel, 12021 Harbor Blvd. in Garden Grove. You can reach the hotel at 714/867-5555. |
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Toon Zone - Toon Disney has announced ratings
highlights for 2006.
The year of 2006 was Toon Disney's most-watched year in the channel's history in Prime in Total Viewers, Kids 2-11, and Kids 6-11. Toon Disney also broke records in Total Day, as 2006 delivered the network's largest audiences of all time in Total Viewers, Kids 2-11, and Kids 6-11. Individual programming highlights for 2006 are as follows: Toon Disney's premiere of The Polar Express on Friday, December 22, stood as the network's most-watched movie ever in Total Viewers, and the best of 2006 in Kids 2-11. Toon Disney's "Big Movie Show" (M-F, 5:00pm - 7:00pm) exceeds year-ago levels by 11% in Total Viewers, by 9% in Kids 2-11, and by 13% in Kids 6-11. Finally, as previously reported by Toon Zone, the launch of Yin Yang Yo! in September 2006 (Monday, 9/4/06, 7:30pm - 8:00pm) in its regular time period debuted as Jetix's most-watched animated series premiere on record in Total Viewers, Kids 2-11, and Kids 6-11. |
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Friday January 12, 2007 |
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Walt Disney
Hits New 52-Week High AP - Media conglomerate Walt Disney Co., which operates television networks, theme parks, and a film studio, hit a new 52-week high on Friday. Shares added 7 cents to $35.06 in afternoon trading after earlier in the day hitting a new 52-week high of $35.16 on the New York Stock Exchange. Previously, the stock traded in a 52-week range between $24.90 to $35.03, and is up 36 percent in the same period. Credit Suisse analyst William B. Drewry in a client note dated Thursday reiterated an "Outperform" rating on the stock.The analyst noted that Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger earlier this week gave a keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and emphasized the company's focus on technology, including online partnerships and online content distribution. Disney has guided for $700 million in revenue from advertising and digital downloads in 2007, the analyst noted. "We believe there could be potential upside given Disney's slate of high quality content and increased adoption of new technologies in consumer electronics," wrote Drewry. |
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Orlando Sentinel - Here’s my six-thumbs-up review for
a handful of DVDs me and the two little cineastes have
been enjoying recently.
No, not ‘Cars’ or ‘Over the Hedge’ or any of the other latest releases at Blockbuster or Netflix. Lately I’ve been renting DVD collections of Disney cartoons made during the’40s and ’50s and ’60s. The Orange County public library has been a great source of DVD collections, too. I’m generalizing on the years here, but you know what these are: old Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Chip 'n' Dale shorts. Minnie Mouse and Goofy and, of course, ever-faithful and playful Pluto. These are the old color shorts many of us parents once saw either before the Saturday matinees of our youth or on TV later, perhaps on Sunday nights as we sat before many kids’ first must-see TV: ‘The Wonderful World of Disney.’ Yet for my 2- and 4-year-olds, these old color flicks are as new as the latest Pixar/Disney release and just as entertaining. And, what’s more, they give the kids a sense of context for the creation and longstanding allure of Disney.
You see, since we live in Orlando and have taken the
kids to the WDW theme parks since before their
births (literally), they’ve grown up knowing Mickey
and the gang as 6-foot-tall furry characters who
roam the parks and pose for pictures and autographs.
It’s kinda strange to think about it, yet my kids knew the characters before they ever saw a single cartoon or movie. Sure, they’ve grown up on Disney Channel fare, but that’s all mostly new stuff, and most of the programs don’t show the classic characters, with the exception of the recent ‘Mickey Mouse Playhouse.’ And that show doesn’t, to my knowledge, have cameos by Chip, Dale, Clarabelle Cow or Uncle Scrooge and the like. Now, for the first time, the kids are seeing the cartoons and are amazed at the old-school shenanigans of some of Disney’s first stars. There’s a lot more slapstick in the old flicks, of course, so some of the humor is more physical (slaps and falls and the like), yet so far I haven’t seen anything that gives me pause in showing to the kids. (One Chip 'n' Dale short did, though, use an Asian stereotype to make a joke at Donald Duck’s expense – you know, the slanted eyes and wide smile, even a traditional bamboo Asian hat. I didn’t like it yet, frankly, the kids didn’t get it, so I didn’t bring it up with them.) Who knows? Maybe these old Disney cartoons might be the perfect springboard (in a year or so) for the Tom and Jerry hilarity I grew up with so many Saturday mornings ago and that I hope to share with the kids one day. Or maybe the classic, laugh-at-loud Warner Bros. stuff (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Yosemite Sam, et al.). ("Look, kids! Didja see how that anvil flattened the coyote’s head right before he was shot by the cannonball and then fell off the cliff and into the path of the speeding train? Ha ha ha! Now THAT'S funny! But don’t ever try this or Daddy will be mad and you WILL get a timeout …") Some of the old shows I haven’t shown, though, are the early black and white flicks. I can hear it now: "Daddy! Fix the TV. The picture is broken." Sorry, Steamboat Willie. |
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Buena Vista Games Enters Agreement with SUNFLOWERS
Buena Vista Games Press Release - Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), today announced it has entered into a publishing agreement with German-based SUNFLOWERS, to publish ANNO 1701 for the Nintendo DS across EMEA and Australia and New Zealand in Q2 2007. "We are looking forward to building a strong relationship with the team at SUNFLOWERS to expand and develop the gaming experience that ANNO 1701 offers," said Thierry Braille, vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games EMEA. "With BVG's expertise in publishing a broad portfolio of video games for the entire family and titles for the Nintendo DS, ANNO 1701 is an optimal addition to our portfolio because it appeals to both males and females alike, and also attracts younger as well as older gamers." "ANNO 1701 stands for great quality and extraordinary gameplay," said Wilhelm Hamrozi, CEO SUNFLOWERS. "When expanding the property onto other platforms, we don't simply port the game design, but we develop new concepts that satisfy the familiar high standards in terms of quality and gameplay appropriate to the platform", he continued. "We are delighted about this collaboration and view Buena Vista Games as the ideal partner to begin a sensible expansion of our ANNO brand onto other platforms", Hamrozi concluded. About ANNO 1701 for the Nintendo DS The ANNO 1701 universe is based on the successful PC games by SUNFLOWERS. The developers Keen Games will bring the ANNO 1701 universe onto the Nintendo DS for the very first time where players can enter a unique empire-building experience set between the 17th and 18th century. The game is based on creating, building and developing civilisation in this important historical period with a cast of likeable characters telling a compelling story about their adventures in the new world. Additionally, ANNO 1701 for the Nintendo DS features a fully configurable endless game mode with AI players and a multiplayer mode for up to 4 players with Nintendo DS, as well as a series of features unique to the Nintendo DS. The ANNO series earned widespread acclaim and has sold 4.4 million copies. It is one of the most successful games of all time in German-speaking countries. About Buena Vista Games Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG) is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company. BVG publishes, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with third-party interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. For more information, please log on to www.bvg.com. About Sunflowers Company founders Adi Boiko and Wilhelm Hamrozi of Heusenstamm-based company established in 1993, include creativity, innovation, strength and flexibility, coupled with an uncompromising claim to quality and highly developed process management. In order to guarantee the high quality of the company's own products, the entire added-value chain from planning to marketing comes from a single source. The games are sold internationally by exclusive partners. For more information on SUNFLOWERS, go to www.sunflowers.de About Keen Games Based in Frankfurt, Keen Games is one of the most experienced game developers in the German speaking territories. It has a development team of 30 people, whose founding partners and lead team members have developed high-quality games for different platforms for over 15 years as part of the Neon Studios; Keen Games is now developing videogames for current handhelds and next-gen consoles. For more information go to www.keengames.com |
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Disney and Digital Blue Launch Kid Cameras
DigitalCameraInfo.com - With all the grown-up point-and-shoots models announced for CES, Digital Blue Corp. and Disney couldn’t forget about the kids. The entertainment product manufacturer Digital Blue and Disney announced three new kid-friendly cameras, ranging from 1-megapixel at under $20 to a 3-megapixel resolution at nearly $80, all available now at retailers. Disney and Digital Blue partnered just last year to launch the American Idol Digital Camera and the American Idol Digital Camcorder that some parents may be familiar with. The American Idol products have witnessed an “usual success,” particularly with sales generated from drugstores, according to Digital Blue Vice President of Marketing Julie Gibbons in an interview with DigitalCameraInfo.com. The new Disney-themed cameras are expected to do similarly well. Designed for ages 9 and up with camera style and functionality, the products are geared towards the teen and tween market of kids who are “old enough to know what they like…but are not buying the $250 product,” said Gibbons. The cameras come with Disney themes and basic automatic features. Their most economic model, the Disney Pix Micro Digital Camera fits in the palm of a hand and can be used as a camera keychain. At a thrifty price of $19.99, the Pix Micro has a limited 352 x 288 resolution, no viewfinder, and no LCD preview, but it does have a photo counter for a maximum storage allowance of 40 CIF (352 x 288) images. Themes include the Disney movie titles, including The Little Mermaid, Cars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. The next model up is the Disney Pix-Click Digital Camera for $49.99. The camera has a resolution of 640 x 480 that can store 16MB of memory. The Pix-Click also has a built-in auto flash and 1-inch LCD preview screen. Their flagship kids’ camera is the Disney Pix Max Digital Camera. At $79.99, the camera has 3 megapixels and 16 MB of internal memory. Unlike the other cameras, the Pix Max accepts additional memory with compatible SD and MMC slots. The camera has a 4x digital zoom, auto flash, and a 1.5-inch LCD screen. The real component of all the Disney cameras is the included free editing software, Disney Pix 2.0. The colorful, icon-based editing software allows users “to make their pictures extra special,” said Gibbons. With each move complimented with a sound effect, a user can add border frames, stamps, and characters including Aladdin or Johnny Depp. Users can then print their images via a USB connection. Digital Blue is in talks with online photo-sharing sites for direct upload, although no official partnerships have been announced yet, said Gibbons to DigitalCameraInfo.com. The Disney Pix Micro, the Pix-Click, and the Pix Max are available now at retailers including Circuit City and will be available at Target in the spring. |
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High
School Musical Redux for Disney
Multi Channel News - Warning to parents with tween-aged Disney Channel zombies at home: The sequel to the network's immensely popular original movie, High School Musical 2, is scheduled to debut in August, Disney Channel Worldwide president of entertainment Gary Marsh said here Wednesday during the network's Television Critics Association Tour presentation. The original movie, which premiered in January 2005, has reached more than 100 million television viewers worldwide and has sold upward of 6 million CDs on route to becoming the best-selling record on the Billboard charts in 2006, according to Disney. To drum up interest in the sequel -- not that it has to do much, given the overwhelming success of the original -- Disney will give its audience an opportunity to influence via the Web some of what will be seen in the movie. The online poll, dubbed High School Musical 2: Play Your Part, goes live Jan. 12 and allows kids to influence such things as some of the dialog in the movie, as well as which star from Disney hit series Hanna Montana they'd most like to see have a walk-on role in HSM2, Marsh said. Marsh also announced that the network will debut the fourth season of animated series Kim Possible Feb. 10. The new season of the show will feature guest appearances from such celebrities as Debbie Reynolds, Elliot Gould, George Takei and Fred Savage, according to Marsh. As for the network's preschool block, Playhouse Disney, Marsh said it renewed animated series Hanny Manny for a second season. |
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'Tomb
Warriors' Surface at Epcot
WDW News - The China Gallery at Epcot has debuted Tomb Warriors: Guardian Spirits of Ancient China, a new exhibit showcasing 2,000 years of Chinese funerary art. The new exhibit combines Mingqi artifacts that were placed inside tombs to protect, guide and provide for a spirit in the afterlife; pint-sized replicas of the life-sized tomb warriors found in the 22-square-mile tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang; and cases displaying archaeological tools and photos. |
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Mel Gibson to Attend Premiere in Mexico
AP - Mel Gibson will travel to Mexico next week for the Mexican premiere of his new movie "Apocalypto," about ancient Mayans, his publicist said. "Apocalypto" tells the story of the Mayan people -- who built their civilization in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras -- and is in a Mayan language. Gibson employed Mayans for the film and has said he wants to make the Mayan language "cool" again and encourage young people "to speak it with pride." However, the movie also depicts Mayans as being extremely violent and carrying out beheadings and human sacrifices. Some Mayan descendants in Mexico and Guatemala say the portrayal is derogatory, showing them as being savage. Publicist Alan Nierob confirmed that Gibson will attend the premiere on Monday. "Apocalypto" has broken box-office records for foreign-language films in its opening weekends in several countries, including Britain. It has also earned a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign-language film. The film was produced, directed and co-written by Gibson for Disney's Touchstone Pictures banner. |
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Disney Musicals Extend: Mary Poppins & Lion King
What's on Stage News - Disney's two current West End musicals have extended their booking periods. Both Mary Poppins and The Lion King are now booking through to autumn 2007. At the Prince Edward theatre, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's stage adaptation of Mary Poppins, has extended by two months to 29 September 2007. The musical, which opened in London on 15 December 2004 (following previews from 6 December), was previously booking to 28 July 2007 (See News, 11 Oct 2006). The Broadway production opened this past November. Based on the children's stories by PL Travers and the Disney film, Mary Poppins has a book by Julian Fellowes and new music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, in addition to many of the Sherman brothers' original film songs. It's co-directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne, choreographed by Bourne and Stephen Mear, and designed by Bob Crowley. The current cast features Lisa O'Hare as the eponymous nanny, Gavin Creel as Bert, Aden Gillett as George Banks and Rebecca Thornhill as Winifred Banks. At the Lyceum Theatre, The Lion King, which was previously booking to 29 July 2007, has extended by just over two months to 7 October 2007. Based on Disney's 1994 animated feature film, the stage adaptation opened first on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in November 1997. The original Broadway creative team, led by director and designer Julie Taymor, reunited for the London production, with choreography by Garth Fagan, costumes by Taymor, puppetry and masks by Taymor and Michael Curry and set design by Richard Hudson. It opened at the Lyceum on 19 October 1999 (previews from 24 September). The Lion King features 15 songs, including the five from the film. Unlike the screen version, however, African sounds and rhythms are fused on stage with Western popular music to create the musical's distinctive sound. The stage score comprises three new songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice, with additional numbers by South African-born Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Hans Zimmer and Julie Taymor. The book is by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi. |
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Disney gives more than $22 million in 2006
Orlando Sentinel - Walt Disney World Resort, along with thousands of its employees, contributed more than $22 million in cash and support to Central Florida organizations in the year 2006. Almost 200,000 volunteer hours were donated as well through its VoluntEAR program. "Our company and our cast members take great pride in supporting community organizations that demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the lives of children in Central Florida," said Diane Ledder, Walt Disney World Co. director of community relations. A few highlights of the company's giving over the last year include: 38 organizations received $700,000 through DisneyHand-Helping Kids Shine $245,000 to Central Florida teachers and school as part of Disney's Teacherrific Symposium and Awards $2 million to the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management More than 41,000 theme park tickets and merchandise was given to Give Kids the World Village and other wish-granting organizations. |
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Joseph Howland from Missoula,
Montana wins a Major "Dream" at the Disneyland
Resort
DLR News - Joe Howland and his family visited the Disneyland Resort on Thursday, January 11th, 2007 and came up a big winner. While being at DCA at the right place at the right time this morning, the "Dream Squad" handing out the Year of a Million Dreams Prizes (1.25 million prizes over 15 months) approached him and asked him to step backstage to verify that he was a major winner of the YOAMD contest. He was eligible, and won a Disney Cruise Line 10-night Mediterranean Cruise for 4, one of the 60 "Grand Prize" winners in the giveaway. |
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Disney resorts look to lure Canadians despite pricey
new passport rules
Canadian Press - Walt Disney World says it's dreamed up a solution to the impending passport requirements and what it means for families who want to travel on budget. The company has created a "Passport to Dreams" booklet that not only contains information on how Canadians can go about obtaining their passports, but also offers discounts on vacations to its Florida and Southern California theme parks. Disney marketing director Bruno Jauering says the Canadian market is an important one. He believes potentially costly new passport requirements shouldn't be the reason families put on hold or opt out of vacations. Starting Jan. 23, all Canadians flying to the U.S. will require passports. The Disney booklet will be available on its website as of Thursday. |
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Alternative
Power at Disney
TMCnet - While it may seem that 'alternative power' is mostly a topic of interest for policy makers and the environmentally conscious, it is beginning to be more noted as different energy sources are essential to maintain and protect the world.
Several key players are recognizing this need and
doing their part in raising the awareness of
"green" alternatives via promotional campaigns,
new products, and now-- exposure at a theme park.
General Motors (GM) is bringing alternative power
solutions like their FuelCell technology, hybrid
vehicles and ethanol (E85) powered cars to a
highly interactive display at Walt Disney World
Resorts Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of
Tomorrow) theme park in Florida.
The display, "Fuel For Thought" features games
and kiosks based on fuel cell facts and hybrid
technology as well as an interactive plasma
screen display taking visitors through a corm
field.
It also provides a peek at what GM is doing
environmentally around the world and an actual
E85 powered car for visitors to examine
including a chassis demonstration to show how it
works.
Targeting the younger generation, frequent
visitors to the theme park, is especially
important as it is their future that will be
mostly impacted by the undertaking of various
alternative power sources for the environment.
General Motors also first presented in 1999, the
"Test Track" exhibit at Epcot, an auto-testing
ride that takes visitors through various
terrains and conditions at racing speeds.
The "Fuel For Thought" exhibit is in the theme
parks 'Future World' section and can be easily
accessed following the "Test Track" ride.
Commenting on the exhibit, Betsy Lazar,
executive director of advertising and media
operations for General Motors said in a
statement, "With the addition of 'Fuel For
Thought,' visitors will now have an opportunity
to explore innovative aspects and applications
of automotive technology through a fun-filled
experience."
"Epcot is a place of endless possibilities for
adults and children, and 'Fuel For Thought'
provides a fun, interactive experience that
shows the endless creativity of the General
Motors team," Brad Rex, vice president of Epcot
also commented.
GM's expanding line of FlexFuel vehicles both
reduce gas emissions that are harmful to the
environment and offer an alternative fuel source
to lower current dependency on petroleum. Their
FuelCell vehicles have zero gas consumption and
instead emit only water vapor.
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The Hollywood Reporter - Disney Channel has ordered a second season of "Handy Manny," with Wilmer Valderrama returning to voice the title character, and is giving "High School Musical" fans a chance to take part in the sequel. Those were among the announcements made Wednesday by Disney Channel Worldwide president of entertainment Gary Marsh during Disney's portion of the Television Critics Assn. press tour at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel. The animated series "Handy Manny," part of Disney's preschool programming block "Playhouse Disney," airs at 9 a.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. on weekends. Marsh also said that "Playhouse Disney" is getting new hosts, the puppet monkeys Ooh and Aah, and new graphics starting March 31. Meanwhile, "HSM" fans can go online starting Friday to determine elements of "High School Musical 2," which begins filming in Utah in the spring for an August premiere. At the Web site, they can answer 10 poll questions that will determine such elements as the type of dessert that Zeke bakes for Sharpay and the clever sayings on Chad's T-shirts. In addition, the fourth season of the animated series "Kim Possible" is set to debut with a two-hour marathon from 8-10 p.m. Feb. 10, while "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," the sequel to the movie "Johnny Tsunami," is going into production this month in Auckland, New Zealand. Earlier in the day, Billy Campbell, president of Discovery Networks U.S., said that Discovery Channel is planning to devote an entire evening to programming on "living with cancer." The special night of programming, airing April 29, will feature a documentary followed by a live town-hall discussion involving Ted Koppel, cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and Leroy Sievers, former executive producer of ABC's "Nightline," who is battling cancer, Campbell said. In addition, Animal Planet executive vp and general manager Maureen Smith said her network will premiere its first-ever on-air/online series, "Saving Grace," with a half-hour special March 2 followed by 20 five-minutes webisodes available starting March 5, with a final half-hour special to air March 30. The show centers on a family's commitment to help an abandoned baby otter return to the wild. Also present was Philippe Cousteau, chief ocean correspondent for Animal Planet and a panelist for the network's upcoming six-week "Spring Watch USA" event, who was asked about the "Ocean's Deadliest" documentary he was filming with Steve Irwin when Irwin died from a stingray attack. "It's a good tribute to him and his work," he said. "We were able to film pretty much everything we planned on filming. There are some pieces missing that we didn't get to film, but that's the case when filming any nature program." The docu airs from 8-10 p.m. Jan. 21. Also on Wednesday, TV One said it is going into production on a new theatrical competition series, "David E. Talbert's Blackstage," with playwright Talbert and Edmonds Entertainment. Eight contestants and two alternates will compete for the chance to be understudies in Talbert's latest play, a touring production of "Love in the Nick of Tyme," which stars Morris Chestnut and R&B singer Avant. |
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Thursday January 11, 2007 |
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Web
watchers await Disney site's revamp Los Angeles Times - The new-look site aims to get its over 25 million monthly visitors to stay online longer and deepen their connection with its characters, beside providing multi- player online games. The stakes could scarcely be bigger for Walt Disney Co. as it unveils a revamped flagship website. Reversing the company's past Internet stumbles is a top priority for Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger, whose reputation as a new-media leader in an old-media business could be tarnished if the site fails to attract more viewers. Disney.com is already among the most popular sites with kids, so company executives have tried to convey modest goals. They say Disney simply wants the current 25 million monthly visitors to stay longer, watch more ads and deepen their connections to the company's characters. But investors will be looking for more dramatic results. "We've seen a lot of announcements out of Disney with respect to the Net. Now the expectations are higher," UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff said. "This year, the focus has to be on execution." Since assuming the top Disney job from Michael Eisner 15 months ago, Iger has dropped Disney's previous antagonism toward Web innovations and struck such pioneering deals as the first one to sell prime-time television shows and movies over Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store. But Disney's own website has changed little, and the zealous policing of its creations has limited the environments kids can create using its characters. "I believe we successfully strike the right balance between the huge strength of the existing business and the potential of new media," Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group, said in an interview. More than any other big media company, family-oriented Disney must worry about navigating between the strict controls that appeal to parents and children's increasing expectations of freedom. The new Disney.com will present itself differently to various age groups, although all will get expanded video, games and other interaction. As on MySpace, visitors will be able to create their own Web sites, communicate with each other and mash together and share music and videos — as long as it's Disney music and videos. Parents will have to use their credit cards to register their children as regular site visitors and will get detailed options for limiting what their kids can do. Although Iger has predicted a substantial gain in Disney's digital revenue in the current fiscal year, he isn't predicting any meaningful increase in profit. Disney's current Web revenue of more than $500 million comes in roughly equal parts from product sales, advertising and subscriptions to such premium services as the multiplayer kids game Toontown Online, in which the virtual world's characters team to play practical jokes on humourless robots. Now is a time for more Internet investment, analysts said — as long as it is better managed than the more than $800 million Disney blew during the dot-com bubble on the failed Web portal Go.com. As for the concept of controlled creativity, probably the clearest precedent for the new Disney.com is Toontown, Wadsworth said. Kids who play there can chat with each other with pre-approved phrases, unless they show that they know each other in real life. In that case, they can converse normally. Disney based Toontown on a theme-park attraction. "It's a good analogy, and we've been quite successful even though Toontown is not a major franchise," Wadsworth said. Imagine, he suggested, what could happen with an immersive environment stemming from hit movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, which will spawn a multiplayer online game on Disney.com within a few months. Analyst Li Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li said other Disney.com mini-worlds could please kids, too. "If they can write anything they want on the homepage and if the interactions themselves have a safe environment, I think it will work pretty well," Li said. "It definitely draws an affinity to the brand, and branding in the end produces commerce." |
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Disney
Gets 'Handy,' Seeks Viewer Input Back Stage - Disney Channel said Wednesday it ordered a second season of "Handy Manny," with Wilmer Valderrama returning to voice the title character, and will give "High School Musical" fans a chance to help make the sequel to the hit TV movie. The animated series "Handy Manny," part of Disney's preschool programming block "Playhouse Disney," airs at 9 a.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. on weekends. "Playhouse Disney" is getting new hosts, the puppet monkeys Ooh and Aah, and new graphics starting March 31, said Gary Marsh, president of entertainment at Disney Channel Worldwide. Meanwhile, kids can go online starting Friday to determine elements of "High School Musical 2," which begins filming in Utah in the spring for an August premiere. At the Web site, they can answer 10 poll questions that will determine such elements as the type of dessert that Zeke bakes for Sharpay and the clever sayings on Chad's T-shirts. In addition, the fourth season of the animated series "Kim Possible" is set to debut with a two-hour marathon from 8-10 p.m. February 10, while "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," the sequel to the movie "Johnny Tsunami," is going into production this month in Auckland, New Zealand. |
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General Motors Opens Interactive "Fuel For Thought"
Exhibit at Epcot Web Wire - General Motors will bring the wonder of fuel cell technology, hybrid vehicles and ethanol-powered cars and trucks to life with the newly opened "Fuel For Thought" display at Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot theme park near Orlando, Florida. The exhibit features unique, interactive components to provide edutainment for visitors of all ages about advanced automotive technology and the road to a greener future. "Epcot is an amazing imaginative theme park," said Betsy Lazar, executive director of advertising and media operations for General Motors. "With the addition of 'Fuel For Thought,' visitors will now have an opportunity to explore innovative aspects and applications of automotive technology through a fun-filled experience." "Fuel For Thought" is comprised of interactive kiosks and games, a special floor projection, plasma wall elements, bright graphics and messaging, vehicle displays with information conveyed through lighting and video, and live narrated presentations. The walk through "Fuel For Thought" begins down a livegreengoyellow.com pathway designed with brilliant graphics and a plasma wall with an expansive photo of a cornfield. As visitors pass by, they will see the cornstalks parting in a wavelike fashion. The opposite wall is dotted with porthole-like windows that provide an introduction to different GM environmental activities throughout the world. The yellow pathway leads up to the exhibit's open bi-level space filled with a variety of activities to enjoy. Five touch-screen games are stationed in the backside of the porthole-like windows, including a trivia game about hybrid technology, a Stalk Car racing game, and a memory game where one matches the photos from a fuel cell marathon. Three free-standing kiosks have numerous buttons, dials, video screens, lighting effects, factoids and more for interactive learning about fuel cells, hybrids and E85. The kiosks provide learnings such as how a hydrogen atom is used ultimately in a fuel cell stack to create energy and eventually exhaust made of water. The main exhibit space floor is highlighted by a giant projected circular graphic controlled by motion sensors. At one point the circle appears to hold corn kernels and as someone walks across it, the kernels pop into popcorn while E85 messages traverse the area. The themed graphic also presents an electricity show while emphasizing hybrid technology and a pool of water is at the forefront when fuel cell messages are shared. An actual FlexFuel E85 compatible vehicle is housed on the main floor for visitors to climb in and out of, while one wall houses a Chevy Tahoe chassis that demonstrates through vibrant lighting effects how a two-mode hybrid works. Upon exiting "Fuel For Thought," the future of the automotive industry is expanded upon with a display featuring the AUTOnomy. The AUTOnomy, first introduced at the North American International Auto Show in January 2002, marked a bold push from GM to reinvent the automobile. The world's first vehicle designed from the ground up around a fuel cell propulsion system is viewable in a display surrounded by extensive graphics and looping video to watch, and features a live presentation narrator four times per hour. "Epcot is a place of endless possibilities for adults and children, and 'Fuel For Thought' provides a fun, interactive experience that shows the endless creativity of the General Motors team," said Brad Rex, vice president of Epcot. "We share GM's passion for preserving our environment and are thrilled with this wonderful addition to Epcot." The "Fuel For Thought" exhibit is easily accessed upon exiting the thrill ride "Test Track presented by General Motors" in the park's "Future World" section. Theme park admission is required to experience "Fuel For Thought." General Motors has been an active partner at Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) since the theme park opened its doors October 1, 1982. Epcot was the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort. The first thrill attraction at Epcot – "Test Track presented by General Motors" – was added on March 17, 1999. Test Track takes riders through the hair-raising world of auto testing on one of the longest, fastest attractions in Disney history. The ride races up a bumpy terrain, roars around hair-pin turns, travels through freezing cold chambers, and rushes onto 50-degree banked curves at 60 miles an hour. "Fuel For Thought" is the most extensive interactive exhibit attached to "Test Track presented by General Motors" to date. General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 318,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. Walt Disney World Resort is a contiguous 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation center featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon); 32 resort hotels (22 owned and operated by Walt Disney World); 99 holes of golf on six courses; two full-service spas; Disney's Wedding Pavilion; Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex; and Downtown Disney, an entertainment-shopping-dining complex encompassing the Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side. Located at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971. Open daily, year-round. |
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Lawyer: 'Tigger'
Swat Was Instigated Local6News - The attorney who successfully defended a Disney employee accused of groping a girl spoke out Wednesday about the latest incident involving "Tigger." Jeffrey Kaufman, a former Disney cast member himself, said he sympathizes with Michael J. Fedelem, the man playing Tigger who was recently accused of punching a teenager in the face. Kaufman, the attorney who represented Michael Chartrand two years ago, donned the Tigger costume during closing arguments then and said that the outfit was too bulky and the view from the mask was too obstructed for his client to have intentionally groped the girl. Chartrand was found not guilty. Kaufman is not representing Fedelem, but he feels bad for him. "Imagine what (Fedelem) is going through right now, realizing, 'I get paid $6 to $7 an hour, and I'm being accused nationally of hitting a child.' It's a rough world," Kaufman said. Fedelem was suspended by Disney after a confrontation at Walt Disney World with Jerry Monaco Jr., 15. Jerry's dad, Jerry Monaco Sr., said Fedelem sucker-punched his son and has hired an attorney for representation. Kaufman said he believes Jerry Jr. instigated the incident. "(Jerry Jr.) is smiling the whole time. He's even smiling bigger when he gets a reaction (out of Tigger)," Kaufman said. "It's beyond ridiculous because you can see it from here." Kaufman said Fedelem's swiping motion at Jerry Jr. was simply an involuntary reaction to pain, which he thinks was inflicted by the 15-year-old. "You're cone of vision is from about here. You have some slits here, but your hand, you wouldn't be able to see out here," Kaufman gestured. "The costume is tied from the back. So if somebody pulls down, automatically the fur under the neck is going to cut off the air that you're breathing." Kaufman also questioned the Monaco's reaction to the situation. "The family didn't react like they wanted justice, they reacted like they wanted cash," Kaufman said. "I think its unfair because it could happen to any character in costume. That's the reason I represented the first character, because I realized that could have happened to me." |
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Disney launches Chicken Little: Ace in Action for the
Wii El33t Media - Disney recently launched their first self-published video game for the Wii, Chicken Little: Ace in Action. The game was developed by Avalanche Software and the Buena Vista Games' Salt Lake City Studio focused on Disney's family-friendly entertainment and feature animation properties. Players can expect plenty of action and humour along with innovative use of the Wii Remote. The 'movie within a movie' ending of the film Chicken Little inspired the game which also features the movies super hero alter-ego characters including Ace, Abby and Runt. Players will blast their way through various environments in outer space as they battle to save the Earth. Bringing diverse brands to the Wii "Being part of the largest family entertainment company in the world and having access to a treasure trove of company-owned franchises enables us to continue to bring diverse brands to Nintendo platforms," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager of Buena Vista Games. "In its first month of existence, the Wii has captivated gamers, and we look forward to continue creating high-quality titles for the new console." Buena Vista Games is committed to offering diverse games to Nintendo platforms, recently demonstrated by the formation of a development studio in Salt Lake City, called Fall Line Studio, which will create games for the Wii and DS. Buena Vista Games has two more Wii titles under their belt which they plan to release in the first half of 2007: Disney's Meet the Robinsons (inspired by the upcoming film from Walt Disney Pictures) and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (inspired by the upcoming third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series). Foxy Loxy and Goosey Loosey Players can expect to meet new characters and environments in Chicken Little: Ace in Action as they square up against villains including Foxy Loxy, Goosey Loosey and Sleazel Weasel. Chicken Little and his friends (Abby, Runt and Fish) from the film are featured in cut scenes. They also provide commentary for players as players navigate through the game using the Nunchuck and shoot enemies using the Wii Remote. Fans can look forward to Adam West (Ace), Zach Braff (Chicken Little) and Joan Cusack (Abby) reprising their film roles as the voices of their characters. Chicken Little: Ace in Action will be available for the Wii at a suggested retail price of $39.99. It is rated 10+. Separate versions of the game for the Sony PS2 and the Nintendo DS are available at a suggested retail price of $29.99. |
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Record breaking plant at the Land pavilion
WDW News - The Land pavilion at Epcot
is now home to a record-setting plant. A single tomato
vine -- known unofficially as a "tomato tree" for the
unique way the vine grows -- was recently recognized as
an official "Guinness World Record Holder," with a
one-year harvest of more than 32,000 tomatoes and a
total weight of 1,151.84 pounds. |
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Disney powers it up with the first 'Power Rangers' tour
in India Indiantelevision - Setting the stage for a mammoth on-ground initiative, the Walt Disney Company has brought the Power Rangers to India for the first time in a multi-city tour called 'Jetix Live.' This also marks their first visit to the Asia Pacific region. One of the key properties of Disney, the Power Rangers that airs weekly at 4 pm on 'Jetix', the action adventure block on Toon Disney, will tour six cities. It will perform a sequence of four half-hour live shows in each city. As a prelude to the event, Disney hosted a special welcome for the action heroes at the Gateway of India in Mumbai today. The company has launched a mass media campaign and has conducted a three week contest on the Disney Channel, Hungama TV and Jetix that short listed children to attend the performances, as entry is by invitation only. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing and communications Tushar Shah said that besides using outdoor and print in the six cities, radio will also be used in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata. The company has roped in sponsors to initiate a multimedia co-promotional activity. Partnering Disney are Dabur, Real Fruit Juice, Colgate, Boost ChocoBlast and Nerolac on radio and retail activation. Additionally, a special edition of the Power Rangers game was added to the official website www.toondisneyindia.com. While on the mobile route, the Power Rangers Gaming Challenge across principal mobile networks in the country was used to promote the arrival of the super heroes. Mumbai's Inorbit Mall will house the first show on 14 January. Other cities on the agenda include Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The channel promises that the shows will be charged with high octane music, dynamic action, interactive games and on ground contests in each of the six cities. Welcoming the action heroes was Walt Disney Company (India) Managing Director Rajat Jain. He said, "Power Rangers is amongst the most popular action adventure series of all time around the globe. With over two years of television viewing on Jetix in India, Power Rangers has created a captivating experience for Indian audiences in the form of merchandise, on air contests, mobile gaming and home entertainment. Power Rangers Dino Thunders Live performance in the country will complete our 360 degrees entertainment offering to consumers around this popular franchise. " The Power Rangers franchise lends itself to a range of kid's merchandise including toys, books, clothes, bags, stationary and bed linen. The Power Rangers mobile game claims to be the most downloaded game in India with over a million downloads. The schedule for the six city tour is as follows: |
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Disney's Couture Wedding Collection by David Tutera
WDW News - Many brides-to-be dream
about a grand wedding in a storybook setting with a
designer flair. Now the dream is a reality at Walt
Disney World Resort with a new line of celebrity-style
weddings -- Disney's Couture Wedding Collection by David
Tutera. |
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Disney to
Launch Movie-Based MMORPGs Warcry - Disney told people at CES, in an article by Reuters, that they hope to launch more MMOs tied into their movies, such as the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean from Disney's VR Studios. Disney, whose Mickey Mouse brand is a household name around the world, aims to reach a new generation of kids and young adults who are as likely to be clutching digital music players and watching online videos as sitting in front of the television. "We plan to build more virtual worlds like "Pirates" based on a broad range of our properties," Iger told attendees of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, referring to a Web game based on its "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. |
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Disney's passport plan Calgary Sun - Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, aims to help Calgarians traveling to the U.S. by offering a package that might help make the passport process a little easier. Disney's Passport to Dreams package contains useful information when looking to apply for a passport. Calgary is an important market for Disney. Rose Gonzalez, associate manager, International and Multicultural Segments for the Disneyland Resort, says their program will help clear up passport confusion and provide travelers with attractive offers for the Disneyland Resort in southern California or the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The packages include Canadian passport application forms, along with information on how and where to submit those forms, passport photo information and access to online applications. Disney's Passport to Dreams program is available for download starting today at www.disneyparks.ca. |
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New Passholder Room Discounts Released Select Disney Value Resorts for $79/night (+ tax) Book now at disneyworld.com/passholder When you call, be sure to mention booking code FCQ. As a Passholder, you can save on other Disney
Resorts, too! |
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Disney
Films Sailing Movie In Hawaii KHNL-TV - A bunch of young sailors could soon make history. They're trying to become the youngest crew to sail the Transpacific Yacht Race. And Disney Studios is capturing it on film in Hawaii. "The first thing I want to reassure you is that this is not one of those reality shows," said Roy E. Disney, executive producer. "The Morning Light Project" will be a documentary film about this group trying to become the youngest crew ever to sail halfway across the Pacific. The race will cover more than 2,200 miles. It will begin in July in Los Angeles and end in Honolulu. "I'm very happy that this film that the Disney Group is going to put forward, allows us to showcase to the world, our proud history," said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. More than 500 people applied to be a part of this, but only 15 were selected. Only one is from Hawaii. Eighteen-year-old Mark Towill is a Punahou senior and is also the youngest crew member. "It's going to be really great experience to sail home and have that goal, that finish line be somewhere really, really special to me," said Towill. The team is now training on Oahu. That will be a part of the movie, along with the selection process and the competition. "So far it's been a lot about team bonding and becoming a team," said Genny Tulloch, one of two female crew members. But by the end of this project, crew members know they'll learn a whole lot more, about hard work, determination and courage. The movie is expected to be released in mid-2008. |
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S&P
revises Disney outlook to positive BusinessWeek - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Wednesday it affirmed its 'A-' long-term corporate credit rating and 'A-2' short-term credit rating on Walt Disney Co. but revised the outlook to positive from stable. "We based our actions on Disney's improving credit measures, better performance in filmed entertainment, and a return to profitability in the company's TV operations," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Heather M. Goodchild. S&P said Disney's credit measures have improved during a year of very high share repurchases, on the heels of its $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar. Moreover, the company has reinvigorated performance of its filmed-entertainment and broadcasting businesses, with filmed-entertainment EBITDA more than tripling in fiscal 2006, and the ABC television network turning around to profitability. S&P said its ratings on Disney reflect the company's strong creative franchises, extensive media distribution, conservative capital structure, and good discretionary cash flow, partially offset by keen competition from larger, well-capitalized rivals. |
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Ex-Disneyland
engineer dies Press-Enterprise - For a guy with a keen sense of humor like Don Edgren, working for the Walt Disney Company was a dream come true. What better way to earn a paycheck, the Murrieta resident said when discussing his career last year, than to rub elbows with the man who practically invented animation and his legions of off-the-wall-thinking cartoonists, engineers and other artistic wizards charged with making people laugh? Mr. Edgren traveled the world bringing Disney magic to California, New York, Florida and Japan. Along the way, he racked up a substantial list of credits, working as a structural engineer on the Matterhorn ride and original Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland in Anaheim, among others. He often spoke to community groups about life at Disney and last year was honored with a Disney Legends award for his work with the company. Mr. Edgren died suddenly Dec. 28 while visiting relatives in Eugene, Ore. He was 83. "He was a jokester, and he insisted that we have humor in our lives," said Evie Edgren, Mr. Edgren's wife of 61 years. Mr. Edgren was born in Los Angeles and graduated from J.C. Fremont High School in 1942. He flew 45 combat missions as the pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber stationed in the Pacific theater of operations, helping U.S. forces liberate the Philippines. Mr. Edgren returned to California in September 1945. On Sept. 21, 1945, he married his high-school sweetheart, a union that produced two daughters. He and Evie Edgren moved to Murrieta in 1990. In recalling his 30-year association with the Disney company, Mr. Edgren said the work was daunting at times but never boring. "Walt Disney was a great man," Mr. Edgren said in October. "To think I worked for Disney studios; my God, it was great. It wasn't just a plain old job. People treated each other like family. I'm proud to have that association." Mr. Edgren's survivors include daughters, Kathee Partee, of West Covina, and Colleen Ramme, of Eugene, Ore.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A wake and celebration of Mr. Edgren's life is pending. |
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Wednesday
January 10, 2007 |
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"Pirates," Depp win top People's Choice awards Reuters - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" earned two awards for favorite movie and best film drama at the People's Choice Awards on Tuesday in a show filled with popular Hollywood stars and jokes about Britney Spears' panties -- or lack thereof. "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp, who plays fanciful Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie that raked in over $1 billion at global box offices, earned awards for best male movie star and favorite male action star. Jennifer Aniston, the star of relationship film "The Break-Up," was named top female movie star while her co-star and former boyfriend, Vince Vaughn, was best leading man.
Cameron Diaz earned the title favorite leading lady,
and Halle Berry was named best female action star.
Rounding out the film awards were Adam Sandler's
"Click," best film comedy, and animated hit "Cars,"
favorite family film.
Aniston, appearing in a flowing short skirt, took the elevated stage and looked down at the fans directly below her. She flashed her famous grin and said, "Man, I tell you, it's a lucky thing we do wear underwear, huh?" It was a comedic jab at pop singer Spears who made headlines late last year when Hollywood's paparazzi snapped photos of her in a short dress and no panties underneath. Aniston wasn't the only one with a panty quip, either. Berry, in a stunning Gucci-designed skirt cut high across her thighs, thanked God for remembering her underclothes, and comedian Robin Williams -- named funniest male star -- said about Berry: "Thank God for having her wear that dress ... Britney -- underwear -- remember that." POPULAR WITH PEOPLE The People's Choice Awards are one of Hollywood's first shows in a roughly two-month stretch of award celebrations leading to the Feb. 25 Oscars, the film industry's top honors given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Unlike Oscar winners and others who are chosen by critics, media groups and industry guilds, People's Choice winners are picked by film and television fans who vote online, and the awards are a measure of mass popularity. Backstage, Williams turned a bit more serious when talking about the awards and what they truly meant to him. "It's the idea that the people said, 'We like what you do,' and they are the ones who go to the movies and watch the television shows," he said. In television awards, hit hospital show "Grey's Anatomy" was named best drama and "Two and a Half Men," about a pair of adult brothers raising a boy, was best comedy. "Heroes," was picked as best new TV drama, "The Class" was the top new comedy, and hit talent show "American Idol" won the award for best reality program for the second year in a row. The award for favorite male TV star went to Patrick Dempsey and the sexy doctor McDreamy on "Grey's Anatomy," and Eva Longoria, the vixen of "Desperate Housewives," was picked favorite female TV star. Ellen DeGeneres walked away with two awards, favorite TV talk show host and a second as favorite funny female star. Finally Country and Western star Kenny Chesney was named best male singer and another country star, Carrie Underwood, was best female singer. Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" was best R&B song, and was Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" was top pop song. |
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Disney takes back
brochures Orlando Sentinel - Hotel lobby racks filled with tourist brochures advertising whales, gators and horses are now missing one very significant critter: the Mouse. Walt Disney World has pulled its colorful brochures from thousands of hotels, motels, restaurants and businesses throughout the state, maintaining they do little to attract visitors staying at other Florida tourist destinations. Disney officials call it a business decision, but the move has angered some hoteliers and tourism executives. They say their guests have been inconvenienced by the absence of information about Florida's most popular attraction. "Shock; that was my initial reaction," said Bob Davis, president and chief executive officer of the Hotel Motel Association of Volusia County, which represents more than 100 hotels. "I am questioning why they would not want 8 million visitors who come to Daytona Beach and Volusia County every year. I think they made a poor decision." "We made a business decision," said Bill Warren, Disney's vice president of public affairs. "Our research indicated that the brochures that were in the hotels were not the reason for people to come to Disney. We are always evaluating the effectiveness of our marketing, and if something is not effective, it doesn't necessarily make sense to keep investing in it." Steve Baker, an Orlando theme-park consultant and former Disney executive, said the move is in line with the company's increased emphasis on getting visitors to stay at Disney-owned hotels and spend several days visiting all of the company's theme parks. "A hotel guest is a much more lucrative guest than a day guest," Baker said. Disney ordered distributors to remove the brochures by Sept. 30, 2006, and destroy all of the remaining ones to ensure they would not become outdated. Brochures remain in the Orlando and Kissimmee areas and at a few tourist information centers throughout the state. Warren would not say how much the company spent on the brochures. Even with all the information available on the Internet and through devices such as cell phones, PDAs and BlackBerrys, tourism officials say low-tech brochures remain a staple of vacations. They're easy to produce, they can be distributed easily, and they're packed with essential information such as hours and directions. They also save time for busy hotel employees. Davis of the Volusia hotel association was so upset at losing the brochures that he wrote a letter to Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton, telling her that he was appalled at the decision and asking her to reverse it. He received a call and a letter from Ed Fouche, a Disney senior vice president. "While we value all guests regardless of where they are lodged," Fouche wrote, "we've elected to distribute our brochures throughout the state at venues such as AAA offices, Florida Turnpike Service Plazas and Florida Welcome Centers to accommodate those who need information while they are en route to Florida or traveling within the state." Davis is still not satisfied and plans to write Bob Iger, president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Co. "The problem is the hotels are absolutely furious that they can't have Disney brochures," said Terry McDonough, whose company, Brochure Displays Inc. in Port Orange, distributed Disney information to hotels for 34 years. "I have never heard of anything like this. I can't fathom a reason, and I don't even know how to explain it to people." The fallout from Disney's move is not limited to Daytona Beach. Susan Teller, the front-office manager at a Sleep Inn hotel in Clearwater, said that every week guests ask for Disney brochures. "Now that there is no brochure, people are kind of like, 'Could you look this up for me; could you look that up for me?' " Teller said. "As much as I want to help people, it's kind of hard when I have five people standing in front of me waiting to pull this information up on the computer. And the computer is slow. They get frustrated and say, 'We'll just go to Busch Gardens instead.' I've had that happen to me twice." Drake Decker, owner of Florida Suncoast Tourism Promotions in Largo, the company that provides brochures to Teller's hotel, said that since removing the Disney brochures from about 1,800 to 2,000 locations on Florida's west coast, his employees have gotten a lot of complaints and questions. "As soon as we pulled them from the racks, we had a deluge of calls and questions," he said. "There has been quite a bit of dissatisfaction about not having the materials." Rhonda Murphy, a spokeswoman for Universal Orlando, said her company has no plans to scale back its brochure distribution. "We think brochures are a great way for Florida residents and day-trippers to learn more about our parks," Murphy said. Baker, the theme-park consultant, said although brochures are especially important for smaller attractions such as Gatorland, Arabian Nights and water parks -- they are not essential to Disney. "Everybody knows Disney," Baker said. "It's not like a tertiary attraction that has to let people know it is open." Warren said Disney is not taking any visitors -- including one-day visitors -- for granted. But Davis remembers an era before Disney had very many hotels, when day guests from places such as Daytona Beach were vital. "When they first opened up, we had 36 Greyhound buses going back and forth to Disney from State Road A1A," said Davis, who has been part of Daytona Beach's tourism industry since 1966. "When they had [few] hotels, we supplied them with a product, and now they forgot about us." |
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Disney creates online world for virtual pirates Addict3D - Walt Disney Corporation has created an online world in which people can be virtual swashbucklers in the spirit of iconic movie company's blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. A massively multiplayer online role-playing game with a pirate theme befitting the film's beloved Captain Jack Sparrow will be online by the spring, Disney revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. People will be able to find the gateway to the game at the revamped Disney.com then create animated "avatar" characters to "crew-up and live the life of a pirate," Disney executives said. |
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AP - Thirteen months after being seriously wounded by
a roadside bomb in Iraq, ABC News journalist Bob
Woodruff will tell his story in a prime-time special.
The network, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., has scheduled the special for Feb. 27. It's expected to be Woodruff's first on-camera appearance since he was injured. Woodruff will interview eyewitnesses to the explosion and the medical team that saved his life on Jan. 29, 2006, ABC said last year. The special, tentatively titled "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports," will also focus on the military's medical recovery teams and how they are helping injured soldiers and their families. Random House has also announced that it's publishing a memoir by Woodruff and his wife, Lee, discussing how their family was affected by the injury. Random House, the world's largest publishing house, is owned by German media group Bertelsmann AG. |
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Two Epcot Tours going away
WDW News - Both at Epcot, The Hidden Treasures of World Showcase will no longer be offered as of April, 27, 2007, and Gardens of the World at Epcot will no longer be offered as of June 9, 2007. |
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Beat the Winter Blahs with Ideas from FamilyFun
Disney Insider - The excitement of the winter holidays is over, but Old Man Winter is just getting settled in -- for a long, chilly stay. It can be a hard icy slog to spring, as kids and grown-ups alike get more than a touch of cabin fever. Fortunately, we've got some great ways to enliven gray days, courtesy of FamilyFun. Stage a thrilling pirate weekend at your house, or unleash your inner princess. And don't forget that even the snowiest days can sparkle with Disney magic! INDOOR PIRACY Why not surprise young buccaneers (or invite some grown-up friends who remain young at heart) with a pirate treasure hunt? Here are step-by-step instructions: http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/game/famfgam_pirate/ Just keep your clue hunt indoors, unless your hearties are very hearty indeed and willing to dig for snow-covered buried treasure. In addition to chocolate coins and other prizes, your treasure chest can contain a clutch of pirate movies to enjoy in the warmth of the captain's cabin, with a steaming mug of "grog" (mulled cider works fine for this). Try "Treasure Island," or "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl," followed by "Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest" -- which is newly available on DVD. Add to the fun with pirate costumes like these: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10238 and http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11110, and you're guaranteed a swashbuckling good time. SNOWBOUND PRINCESSES If royalty is more your line, stage a day for princesses young and old to explore your snowbound palace. Whether you've got young ladies on hand to amuse, or want to gather your grown-up girlfriends for a frosty afternoon, princess themes are always a hit. FamilyFun has plenty of ideas for royal attire, including these: http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/sew/feature/famf88fantasy/famf88fantasy2.html and http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10236. Princesses of all ages will love creating their own tiaras. We have a few castle decorating ideas to get you started: http://familyfun.go.com/decorating-ideas/decorating/feature/doca0703_feat_kidsroom/doca0703_feat_kidsroom5.html. Once your tiaras are complete, princesses enjoy do-it-yourself manicures, dainty cakes and cookies, and a screening of a few classic fairytales. "Beauty and Beast" is a particularly nice choice, with its snowy winter scenes, but don't overlook princesses from "Snow White" through "The Princess Diaries" to make up a double or triple feature. Very brave princesses may enjoy venturing outside to craft a Snow Queen -- simply bedeck your snowperson with discount-store plastic jewelry and gems, then dust her with glitter for a truly enchanting outdoor decoration. FUN WITH SNOWMEN Give your crafty winter creations a Disney touch! Sew a pair of black felt ears onto the hat of FamilyFun's Teabox Snowman to transform him into everyone's favorite Snowmouse: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10825. Give the Dangling Snowman a pair of black button or craft foam mouse ears and paint his bottom section red with a couple of yellow trouser buttons, and you have a Mickey fit to adorn a window shade pull or next year's Christmas tree: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11567 GET AWAY FROM IT ALL Don't forget that sunny Orlando and Anaheim are just a plane flight away -- a midwinter getaway can be just the thing to send you through the rest of the winter refreshed. |
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New
Disney site limits self-expression
LA Times - Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger unveiled an overhauled company website Monday that will greet its 25 million monthly Internet visitors with a broader array of rich videos, music and games, but limited means of self expression. Iger had identified the new Disney.com as one of the company's most important initiatives to come this year, and the changes are bringing added scrutiny because of Iger's reputation as a supporter of Internet distribution and new media models. As previewed by Iger at his keynote address to the annual Consumer Electronics Show here this week, the new website emphasizes Disney's varied content rather than means for fans to create their own material or find and communicate with one another. "People are going online looking to be entertained," Iger said. "This gives you, in effect, a character experience online." Site visitors can enter pages devoted to many of Disney's most popular animated figures. They can customize the Disney page so it greets them with their favorite movie clips, music videos and games. They can alter the appearance, size and number of a handful of windows, which have such features as a media player or a list of friends who might be available for online chats. Visitors can also share what they have done with others. But unlike the vast majority of social networking sites, Disney.com won't let users post photos or write about themselves or other things on their home pages. Paul Yanover, the executive vice president of Disney Online, said in a briefing that the company was "looking at creating a journal system." But he added, "We are not going to jump into a place where users can upload pictures of themselves." Yanover said Disney was imposing the restrictive atmosphere out of concern for children's safety, which has been a hot-button issue at MySpace and other major networking sites. Analysts said that the more than 50 games already available, plus other content, could be a draw for younger children, and forthcoming immersive and multi-player games including one based on "Pirates of the Caribbean" could bring in older children. But they cautioned that the closed universe might turn away some of the teenagers Disney has been reaching on the Disney Channel with such hits as "High School Musical" and the "Pirates" movies. "For the teenage segment, they are already so exposed to other sites, it could be limiting," said UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff. "Teenagers are so desirable to both Disney and its advertisers because they spend their own money." Iger said the site's emphasis on videos, which start playing as soon as a Web surfer arrives, should open the door to Web commercials. But he and other executives said little about how much they intended to push advertising. Given the strength of Disney's popular stable of entertainment products, Bourkoff said the website should attract more than its current level of visitors and hold them for longer periods. "The vision is a strong one, even if the monetization model isn't proven," he said. "Disney is a content company and one that is very much bound by its own product offerings. That's fine, as long as the products continue to be this strong." The new site will be available to Web users later this month. |
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Tuesday January 9, 2007 |
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Disney President And CEO Bob Iger Delivers Keynote
Address At The Consumer Electronics Show The Walt Disney Company - The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is committed to working with consumer electronics as it builds on its tradition of using the newest technology to create high-quality content, Bob Iger, president and CEO of Disney said today in a keynote address to the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show. "We are witnessing an explosion of media and Disney is both reaping the benefits of that explosion and acting as a catalyst by taking a technology-friendly approach," said Iger, noting that the company was the first to offer movies and TV shows for download on iTunes last year. "Our history of bringing our storytelling and our roster of characters to the frontiers of technology is unrivalled. Since the day Mickey dared to speak in a `talkie,' Disney has boldly taken its content to the cutting edge. Wherever the path of unfolding technologies and imaginative new platforms may lead, Disney will be there. Year in and year out, we are proud to bring our creative content to your innovative products." Iger today unveiled the latest example of Disney's use of technology by giving the CES audience a first look at the newly redesigned and enhanced Disney.com Web site, which will launch later this month. Taking advantage of the strong growth of broadband and new Web tools, Disney.com is a compelling interactive experience that offers personalization and community-building amidst a broad array of Disney entertainment, products and services. "No other media company has the breadth of quality family entertainment that can be brought together to create such an exciting online experience," Iger said. "Disney.com is the digital doorway into Disney and both a destination and a portal into a vibrant, rich online entertainment experience for children, parents and people genuinely interested in Disney." Already a number-one ranked site among kids and families with 24.8 million unique monthly visitors (comScore MediaMetrix: November 2006), Disney.com is poised to continue its industry leadership when the new site launches. Disney Xtreme Digital (Disney XD), the broadband centerpiece of the new site, will allow guests to personalize their favorite Disney content as well as watch and share with others videos, including television shows and shorts; chat with friends, listen to music; create playlists; and enjoy a stunning array of games. Disney.com guests will also be able to access premium content through Disney XD, such as the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean Online massively multiplayer game, which is set to launch in 2007. |
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It's a Boy! The Walt Disney World animal care team welcomed a healthy baby White Rhinoceros to Disney's Animal Kingdom family last week. Kendi, an eight year old White Rhino gave birth to her second baby – a male named Tom, early the morning of January 4th.  Tom
is the sixth White Rhino born at Disney's Animal
Kingdom, and his mother, Kendi, was the first. Tom, the
Rhino, was named in honor of Dr. Tom Foose, President of
the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) is remembered
for his leadership, growth and strengthening of the IRF,
and the continued survival of the world's rhinos for
future generations to enjoy. There are five Southern
White Rhinos in the herd at Disney's Animal Kingdom –
three males and two females of various ages. A Rhino birth is a notable event – in the past two years there have been 29 births in North American zoos. At one time White Rhinos were nearly extinct, numbering less than 100 animals. They were protected and managed well thanks to conservation efforts are now approximately 11,300 worldwide, with 196 in North American zoos. Many of the older animals in the population have not bred and it is critical to the long term survival of the North American population for this species to continue to reproduce. The gestation period is 16 months and normally results in a single birth. Look for Kendi and Tom to join the other rhinos on the savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom soon. Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org. |
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Footwear firm teams with ESPN on X Games bizjournals - Implus Footcare plans to push its Yaktrax footwear product at the 2007 ESPN Winter X Games. The Morrisville, N.C.-based company, which purchased
the Yaktrax brand in May, said it has signed on with
ESPN as an on-site partner for the annual event, which
is to be held in Aspen, Colo., from Jan. 25-28. Yaktrax stretch over shoes and boots and, using a grid of steel coils, help increase traction for walkers or joggers on ice and snow. The brand is available at more than 10,000 retail locations around the world, according to Implus. ESPN's Winter X Games is a winter sports festival featuring competitions in skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. The 2006 event marks the Winter X Games' 11th anniversary. Bristol, Conn.-based ESPN is a unit of the Walt Disney Co. |
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Disney
World events for early 2007 AP - Disney World events for the first half of 2007 range from themed children's parties to annual events showcasing flowers and sports. The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival unfolds over two glorious months of spring, from April 5 to June 3, with topiaries, flower beds, water gardens and many other exhibits, along with seminars on gardening and crafts, a children's garden, a butterfly garden, nightly "Flower Power" concerts and themed festival weekends celebrating bugs, art and Mother's Day. Details at http://www.disneyworld.com/flower. The Atlanta Braves begin spring training in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex following the start of workouts in February. Tickets are on sale; for information and prices, go to http://www.disneyworldsports.com. Sports fans will also want to check out the fourth annual "ESPN The Weekend," March 2-4, at Disney-MGM Studios, with on-site ESPN telecasts, star motorcades, interactive sports activities and Q&A sessions with athletes and ESPN commentators. Disney's Pirate & Princess Party takes place in the Magic Kingdom on 13 evenings between Jan. 22 and March 8 and includes fireworks, a parade and a treasure hunt. Guests may want to attend in costume. Tickets are $36.95 plus tax for ages 10 and up, $29.95 plus tax for ages 3 to 9, and can be obtained by calling 407-934-7639 or visiting http://www.disneyworld.com/pirateandprincess. Also this year, as part of Disney's "Year of A Million Dreams" celebration, guests will be randomly chosen while visiting the park to spend the night in Cinderella's Castle. The suite accommodates up to six and includes a bedchamber, salon and bath off a private marble-floored lobby four stories above the Magic Kingdom. As part of the "Year of A Million Dreams" on the West Coast, Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., will be selecting guests randomly to stay in the Mickey Mouse Penthouse at the Disneyland Hotel. |
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Disney introduces 'Johnny and the Sprites' 7online - An actor who's risen to fame working with puppets is back at it with a new gig.
Eyewitness News reporter Lauren Glassberg takes us on
a behind the scenes look at the show.
You may know John Tartaglia from "Avenue Q," the Broadway musical with puppets. He was nominated for a Tony in that show. Or you may know him from Sesame Street, he was on that show for 10 years too. Puppets are often his co-actors, and his new show is no exception. He's Johnny and then there are the creatures that are called "Sprites". They're the main characters in a new show being shot in Queens. It's a dream come true for the star, John Tartaglia. He came up with the idea when he was just 16. "When I was asked to create a show about three years ago, that's when it all came back to me," Tartaglia said. "And I was looking over my old stuff, I was like, 'oh my gosh, I forgot about this,' It all started from there." And now "Johnny and the Sprites" will air on the Disney channel. Johnny discovers the Sprites and their magical grotto when he moves into his uncle's country house. The puppeteers and cast work long days to create the magic. Michael Schubpach is the master puppet designer. He's also worked on "Avenue Q," the Tony Award-winning Broadway show featuring puppets. This show, however, has a much larger cast. "We've got a cast of thousands with these little guys," Schubpach said. "These are the 'fuzzies.' They're essentially just little balls of fur with eyes." The fuzzies don't have much to say, but those sprites sure do. Lauren: Tell me about this Johnny guy. Sprite: He's nice. Sprite: He's our favorite human. Sprite: He's a good singer. Singing is a key element. Each show features two new songs, written by Broadway composers. Tartaglia also starred in "Avenue Q", but your kids may know him from Sesame Street. And now he's hoping families with young children get to know Johnny, the sprites and their music. "Our hope is that a 2- to 5-year-old could watch it and be inspired by the music," Tartaglia said. "But that their mom and dad could come in, or their older brother or sister can come in and watch it with them." Johnny and the Sprites premiers this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on the Disney Channel. Disney is the parent company of WABC-TV, and you'll be able to see the show every Saturday and Sunday morning on the Disney Channel thereafter. |
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InfoSonics to Distribute a Disney Branded Cell Phone
in Latin America
BusinessWire - InfoSonics Corporation (NASDAQ:IFON), one of the fastest growing distributors of wireless handsets and accessories serving Latin America and the United States, announced today that it has an agreement with Broadlink Research (“BLR”) for the distribution of a Disney branded cell phone designed and produced to meet the communication and security needs of parents seeking a responsible solution when they decide to give their children a cell phone. BLR is a non-exclusive licensee of Disney Consumer Products International (”Disney”) for selected regions outside of the United States. The phone incorporates different Disney characters, themes and designs. InfoSonics will provide certification, sales, marketing, assembly and distribution services for this branded cell phone in Latin America, including the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The product has been delivered to major carriers including two in Chile and one in Mexico. The phones for Mexico were assembled at the InfoSonics facility in Mexico. “We are very excited to be bringing the Disney phone to our carrier partners in Latin America. The phone, with its unique features, is targeted at parents who decide to give their children a cell phone and offers carriers the ability to further develop a new, rapidly growing market segment,” said Joseph Ram, President and Chief Executive Officer of InfoSonics. “This innovative product addresses the increased concerns over child safety by allowing parents to communicate with their children, while using easy-to-use parental controls to protect them as well.” “As BLR continues its product developments and global sales activities we are delighted to be working with InfoSonics, as they bring a solid foundation and professional service to support our efforts in Latin America,” said Hamid Najafi President and Co-Founder of Broadlink Research. “We believe InfoSonics’ distribution solutions make them a great fit for our needs in Latin America to promote and distribute our unique products.” The product appeals to children and parents alike. Children are given a variety of characters to choose from, and parents are provided with a feature set which includes the ability to control the usage and functionality of the product, as well as interchangeable four and twelve buttons keypads. For more information on the product please visit www.infosonics.com/disney. About InfoSonics Corporation InfoSonics is one of the fastest growing distributors of wireless handsets and accessories serving Latin America and the United States. For the wireless telecommunications industry, InfoSonics provides flexible and cost effective solutions, including purchasing, marketing, selling, warehousing, order assembly, programming, packing, shipping, and delivery. InfoSonics supports manufacturers in moving their products to agents, resellers, distributors, independent dealers, retailers and wireless network operators in the U.S. and Latin America. For additional information, please visit www.infosonics.com. About Broadlink Research BLR creates unique wireless products targeted towards market segments not addressed by major wireless product suppliers. BLR focuses on delivering unique telecom solutions to global operators and distributors. BLR has relationships with most of the global operators and with its extensive expertise in product design, development, manufacturing and sales, continues to develop unique product solutions to meet consumer needs. For additional information please visit www.broadlinkresearch.com. |
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Cartoonist Who Created Scooby-Doo Dies AP - In a career that spanned more than six decades, Iwao Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows, including "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones." But it was Takamoto's creation of Scooby-Doo, the cowardly dog with an adventurous heart, that captivated audiences and endured for generations. Takamoto died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said. He was 81. Born in Los Angeles to parents who had emigrated from Japan, Takamoto graduated high school when World War II began. He and his family were sent to the Manzanar internment camp in the California desert, where he learned the art of illustration from fellow internees. Despite a lack of formal training, he landed an interview with Walt Disney Studios when he returned to Los Angeles and was hired as an apprentice. Takamoto worked under the tutelage of Disney's "nine old men," the studio's team of legendary animators responsible for its biggest full-length films before moving to Hanna-Barbera Studios in 1961. There he worked on cartoons for television, including "Josie and the Pussy Cats," "The Great Grape Ape Show," "Harlem Globe Trotters" and "The Secret Squirrel Show." Takamoto said he created Scooby-Doo after talking with a Great Dane breeder, and named him after Frank Sinatra's final phrase in "Strangers in the Night." The breeder "showed me some pictures and talked about the important points of a Great Dane, like a straight back, straight legs, small chin and such," Takamoto said in a recent talk at Cartoon Network Studios. "I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin and such. Even his color is wrong." Takamoto also created other famous cartoon dogs such as Astro from "The Jetsons" and Muttley, the mixed-breed that appeared in several Hanna-Barbera animations. He also directed the 1973 feature "Charlotte's Web." Takamoto was survived by his wife, Barbara, son Michael and stepdaughter Leslie. Funeral arrangements were pending. |
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Monday January 8, 2007 |
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Brazilian Adriano Bastos Captures Historic Fourth Win
at 14th Annual Walt Disney World Marathon
Disney to unveil website revamp High School Musical Was Top Seller |
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Brazilian Adriano Bastos Captures Historic Fourth Win at
14th Annual Walt Disney World Marathon WDW
News - In what has almost become a Disney tradition,
Brazilian Adriano Bastos ran away with his fourth Walt
Disney World Marathon title, becoming the first runner
ever in the event's 14- year history to win four races
and sweep three in a row. Bastos, 28, of Sao Paulo
posted a time of 2:19:24, nearly 13 minutes faster than
his closest competitor.
In the women's field, Gabriela Trana of Costa Rica, running her first marathon ever, pulled away down the stretch to win the women's title. She crossed the finish line at 2:57:03 just ahead of Christa Benton of St. Petersburg, Fla. (2:57:25) and Elizabeth Cruz of Sao Paulo, Brazil (2:59:38). In the wheelchair division, Renzo Martinez of Boca Raton, Fla. streaked to a third consecutive victory with a time of 2:24:34, followed by Rick Thigpen of Murfreesboro, Tenn. at 2:58:55. Also, Mary Peters, of St. Augustine, Fla., became the 100,000th finisher in the event's history, finishing with a time of 4:50:19. As Peters crossed the finish line, race officials surprised her with a special award ceremony, replete with confetti and celebratory music. She was presented a one-of-a-kind, oversized marathon medal and commemorative Mickey Mouse ears. In addition, Peters was awarded a complete 2008 Disney Marathon vacation package, including airfare, accommodations at a Disney hotel, meals, Disney theme park tickets, a VIP party and entry into both the 2008 Walt Disney World Half Marathon and 2008 Walt Disney World Marathon races. Like last year, Bastos was virtually unchallenged over the 26.2-mile course through all four Disney theme parks, grabbing the lead at the start and never relinquishing it. Matthew Dobson, the West Florida University head track coach in Pensacola, Fla., was a distant second (2:32:22), followed by Roy Vargas of Costa Rica (2:33:42). Bastos, who has become known for his unique and colorful hair styles he sports in past Disney Marathons, had this year's hair style -- braids in Brazilian-flag-inspired colors of yellow and green -- done by Disney's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a Downtown Disney salon that specializes in "magical makeovers." Also new to Bastos this year are two Mickey Mouse tattoos -- fittingly, one on each leg -- that he received in February 2006 following the 2006 Disney event.
"It's a very unique feeling knowing that no one else has won this race so many times," Bastos added. "I love Disney and I love running in this event." Trana, 26, provided the most dramatic finish of the day, bolting from fourth place in the final four miles to challenge for the lead. With less than a mile to go, she overtook Benton to claim the title. "I ran really hard at the end," said Trana, whose victory has inspired her to go after a spot on the Costa Rican team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "It was so good to win because it was my first marathon and because it was so much fun running through the different Disney (theme) parks and seeing everything like Cinderella's castle." The Walt Disney World Half Marathon was held Jan. 6, 2007. Jarrod Shoemaker and Melissa White won the men's and women's divisions, respectively, in the event. Leading a field of more than 12,500 runners, Shoemaker, 24 of Sudbury, Mass., easily won the 13.1-mile race in 1:10:28. White, 25 of Rochester, Mich., dominated the women's field, crossing the finish line at 1:15:41 for her second straight Walt Disney World Half Marathon title. A record 32,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes registered for the 2007 Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. Both events are among the 10 largest fields at their distance in the country. For the second time in the event's history, the marathon weekend included a "Goofy's Race-and-a-Half Challenge" for participants who competed in both races and the overall 39.3 miles across Walt Disney World Resort during the two days. The runners who accomplished this impressive physical challenge received a special Goofy Medal in addition to the Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse medals, which are awarded to half marathon and marathon finishers, respectively. The 2008 event will mark its 15th anniversary and again consist of a split-day format with the Walt Disney World Half Marathon scheduled for Jan. 12, 2008 and the Walt Disney World Marathon on Jan. 13, 2008. Registration for both races opens on January 8, 2007. For more information, to register for the 2008 Walt Disney World Marathon or Half Marathon and to view complete searchable race results for the 2007 events, guests may visit http://www.disneyworldmarathon.com/. |
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Disney to
unveil website revamp Sun-Sentinel - The stakes could scarcely be bigger for Walt Disney Co. as it unveils a revamped flagship website today. Reversing the company's past Internet stumbles is a top priority for Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger, whose reputation as a new-media leader in an old-media business could be tarnished if the site fails to attract more viewers. Disney.com is already among the most popular sites with children, so company executives have tried to convey modest goals. They say Disney simply wants the current 25 million monthly visitors to stay longer, watch more ads and deepen their connections to Mickey, Pooh and mermaid Ariel. But investors will be looking for more dramatic results. "We've seen a lot of announcements out of Disney with respect to the Net. Now the expectations are higher," UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff said. "This year, the focus has to be on execution." Since assuming the top Disney job from Michael Eisner 15 months ago, Iger has won praise for dropping Disney's previous antagonism toward Web innovations and striking such pioneering deals as being the first one to sell prime-time television shows and movies over Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store. But for all of Iger's proclamations about finding new ways to reach consumers over the Internet, Disney's own website has changed little, and the zealous policing of its creations has limited the Web environments that children can create using its characters. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, Iger will give a preview of the overhauled site that will be accessible to the public later this month. "I believe we successfully strike the right balance between the huge strength of the existing business and the potential of new media," Steve Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group, said in an interview. More than any other big media company, family-oriented Disney must worry about navigating between the strict controls that appeal to parents and the increasing expectations of freedom held by their children. Disney is aiming its site at preschoolers on their parents' laps to the 14- and 15-year-olds who populate MySpace, the enormously successful social-networking site News Corp. acquired in 2005. The new Disney.com will present itself differently to various age groups, though all will get expanded video, games and other interaction. As on MySpace, visitors will be able to create their own websites, communicate with each other and mash together and share music and videos — as long as they're Disney music and videos. Parents will have to use their credit cards to register their children as regular site visitors and will get detailed options for limiting what their kids can do and how they can do it. Current and former Disney Web executives said the balancing act would be a tricky one to pull off, especially on the older end of the target audience. "Children don't go to Disney.com. Parents go to Disney.com," one former executive said. On their own, children as young as 10 go to MySpace after lying about their age to gain entry, said Fred Stutzman, a University of North Carolina graduate student and consultant who tracks social-networking sites. "Once the hormones start kicking in — at 11, 12, 13 — they're getting on these sites." Disney will have a much better chance with those younger than that. The younger set probably won't be very interested in networking to find new friends, but would welcome the chance to chat about characters and shows they like, Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li said. Eight- to 12-year-old girls, Li said, "will be interested in meeting up with other kids who like the same things, such as 'The Cheetah Girls,' and 'Hannah Montana,' " the Disney Channel shows that have spawned hit CDs and DVDs. Several social-networking sites that emphasize privacy protection for children have emerged, and the competition is intense. Most do not have the content restrictions that Disney will impose, which could hurt the Burbank entertainment giant. Users elsewhere are generally allowed to post whatever they want, not just photos and clips from a pre-approved stockpile. And even teenagers aren't going to register with more than two or three sites. "It's as hard to knock off MySpace or Facebook as it is to knock off Google," Stutzman said. The key for Disney, Stutzman and others said, will be emphasizing content. Communities and games set around desirable characters would make sense, while a generic community with more controls would not. Yet too much emphasis on branding can backfire, as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. learned last year after it launched a teen-networking site that flogged the retailer's products so relentlessly that all credibility evaporated. Wal-Mart folded The Hub within months. That's why it's encouraging to Wall Street analysts such as Bourkoff that although Iger has predicted a substantial gain in Disney's digital revenue in the current fiscal year, to $700 million before online ticket sales, he isn't predicting any meaningful increase in profit. Disney's current Web revenue of more than $500 million comes in roughly equal parts from product sales, advertising and subscriptions to such premium services as the multiplayer children's game "Toontown Online," in which the virtual world's characters team up to play practical jokes on humorless robots. Now is a good time for more Internet investment, analysts said — as long as it is better managed than the more than $800 million Disney blew during the dot-com bubble on the failed Web portal Go.com. As for the concept of controlled creativity, probably the clearest precedent for the new Disney.com is "Toontown," Wadsworth said. Children who play there can chat with each other with pre-approved phrases, unless they show that they know each other in real life. In that case, they can converse normally. "It's a good analogy, and we've been quite successful even though 'Toontown' is not a major franchise," Wadsworth said. Imagine, he suggested, what could happen with an immersive environment stemming from hit movies such as "Pirates of the Caribbean," which will spawn a multiplayer online game on Disney.com within a few months. Although hardly a threat to the largest multiplayer games such as EverQuest, Toontown thrives in its niche, said analyst Li. She said other Disney.com miniworlds could please kids, too. "If they can write anything they want on the homepage and if the interactions themselves have a safe environment, I think it will work pretty well," Li said. "It definitely draws an affinity to the brand, and branding in the end produces commerce." |
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High School
Musical Was Top Seller Deutsche Presse-Agentur - The soundtrack for the Disney movie High School Musical was the top selling album of 2006, with 3,719,071 sales in the US according to figures released Thursday by Nielsen SoundScan.
Hard-rockers Nickelback were fourth with All the Right Reasons followed by Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Love and Back to Bedlam from James Blunt. The Top 10 selling albums of 2006 were: 1. Soundtrack / High School Musical 3,719,071 |
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Toon
Disney Finds More 'Yin Yang' Balance Zap2it - There is still more Woo Foo to be learned. Toon Disney has picked up its highest-rated animated series "Yin Yang Yo!" for a second season. The cartoon revolves around sibling rabbits Yin and Yang who learn about the mystical martial art Woo Foo from their panda master called Master Yo. The new season will find the bunnies discovering more of their own powers, new villains cropping up and old villains revealing new motivations. Toon Disney ordered 26 more episode for its "Jetix" programming block. "Yin Yang Yo!" debuted in September to the channel's highest ratings for an original animated series bringing in nearly 500,000 total viewers and drawing in kid demos kid demos 2-11 (334,000) and 6-11 (217,000). |
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Walt Disney’s Original Classic Cinderella Continues
With An All-New Movie
Walt Disney Pictures - Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo! Disney's original classic continues in the all-new, animated motion picture, Cinderella III: A Twist In Time, premiering only on Disney DVD. Featuring all the magic and wondrous spirit of Walt's original "Cinderella," this new, spellbinding story takes a daringly different turn. When the Fairy Godmother's magic wand falls into the wrong hands, the glass slipper no longer fits Cinderella! Instead, her evil stepsister Anastasia is slated to marry Prince Charming! But with her loyal mice friends, Gus and Jaq by her side, Cinderella is determined to make things right again.  Cinderella
and Prince Charming are happily married, but the evil
Stepmother steals the Fairy Godmother's wand! In her
very wrong hands, the Stepmother turns back time, and
enchants the glass slipper so that it fits her jealous
daughter Anastasia instead. It's up to Cinderella and
her friends to undo the Stepmother's plans and get
things back as they should be.All your favorite characters return in this all-new movie. Cinderella is joined by the delightful mice duo Gus and Jaq. Lady Tremaine the evil Stepmother once again menaces Cinderella, accompanied by her deliciously horrible daughters Anastasia and Drizella and their wicked cat Lucifer. Prince Charming returns with the King, and the Grand Duke, and of course there is the beloved Fairy Godmother. Family-friendly bonus features include a "Bibbidi Bobbidi Choose" game, where players can put the Fairy Godmother's wand in the hands of different characters from the movie, including Gus and Jaq. "Cinderella's Ballroom" DVD Rom invites viewers to enter Cinderella's ballroom and discover a world of beautiful gowns, music and dance. There, players can choreograph different ballroom dances, try out different gowns, import printable photos to turn themselves into a princess or royal court member, dance to the Princess jukebox, print Princess party invitations for their own Princess Ball and more. Filled with enchanting new songs, including the end credit song "I Still Believe" by Hayden Panettiere, and spectacular animation, Cinderella III: A Twist In Time is magical entertainment for the whole family. Available on February 6, 2007 for U.S. $29.99 (SRP), Canada $36.99 (SRP) from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Written by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, Eddie Guzman, Margaret Heidenry, Robert Reece, Colleen Millea Ventimilla. Directed by Frank Nissen ("Pooh's Heffalump Movie"). |
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Awards for several Walt Disney World Restaurants
WDWNews - Florida Trend magazine's annual listing of "Florida's 500 Best Places to Dine," published in the December issue, features several Disney restaurants including California Grill (one of 25 restaurants statewide to earn a Golden Spoon), Chefs de France, Cítricos, Flying Fish Café and Victoria & Albert's. Additionally, Sonya's Restaurant at Disney's Vero Beach Resort was one of only two restaurants mentioned in Vero Beach, and one of only eight listed for the entire Treasure Coast area. For the seventh year in a row,
Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort
& Spa is winner of the AAA Five Diamond Award. And for
the fifth consecutive year, Jiko-The Cooking Place at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has landed the AAA Four
Diamond Award. |
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IC
grad and CEO of Walt Disney honored
Ithaca Journal - Bob Iger, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company and a 1973 graduate of Ithaca College, has been named MarketWatch CEO of the Year. A subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, MarketWatch is a leading provider of business news, financial information and analytical tools. Iger was most recently on campus in October to help Ithaca launch its $115 million “Making a World of Difference” fund-raising campaign. As the campaign's honorary chair, he delivered an address to the campus community and met with students and faculty. After earning a degree in television-radio from Ithaca College in 1973, Iger joined ABC. He was named president and chief operating officer of ABC's corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC, in 1994. In that role he helped guide the merger two years later with the Walt Disney Company. In October of 2005, he succeeded Michael Eisner as the sixth CEO in Walt Disney's 83-year history. |
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BusinessWeek - It's been the worst kept secret in dot-com land of late. The Walt Disney Co., after nearly a year of rethinking its flagship Disney.com site, will soon unveil a major overhaul in an effort to make it less of a promotional site and more of a social-networking site for kids and their folks. Call it the PG MySpace, or at least that's what they're hoping for at Disney. The official announcement is expected from Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger during a Jan. 8 keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Details of the new site have been leaking out for months, mostly through well-placed hints that Iger and Disney's chief financial officer, Thomas Staggs, have dropped to analysts and investors at various conferences. "Will Disney.com be sort of a 2- to 15-year-old portal the way News Corp.'s MySpace is to 12[-year-olds] to twentysomethings?" Iger asked rhetorically during a recent New York media conference. "Well, one of the features it will have is a customized point of entry" much like MySpace, he said. Such customization would enable kids to log on to a world tailored to their needs—with Disney characters and games and eventually with movies to be downloaded from the Disney Channel or other company outlets—while teens could log on to take a shot at a new array of online games that the site will also offer. Iger has said that kids will be able to swap music lists, send messages to one another, and do other things that qualify as social networking in the new MySpace-style Disney.com. Sticky SitesIt all sounds great, of course. But Disney is playing catch-up in a big way. The Disney sites, which include sites for the Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, and Toon Disney, have been lagging the sites operated by Viacom's Nickelodeon powerhouse for much of the last few years. Nickelodeon has better mastered "stickiness," or the amount of time that kids stay online to play games, watch videos, and—most important—buy stuff or soak up advertising. In the most recent numbers from Nielsen//NetRatings, kids and their folks stay on Viacom's Neopets site—a social-networking site where some 25 million folks have created their own pets and play games—for a whopping 114 minutes per visit, on average. That compares favorably to the nearly 124 minutes per visit that teens stay on MySpace.com, although MySpace lures a massive 53.6 million unique users a month while Neopets lures 3.4 million a month. Disney isn't even second on the list in terms of stickiness, with the 55 minutes its Playhouse Disney site keeps kids around, less than the 70 minutes that users of Viacom's Nick Jr. hang around for games, videos, and more. The site also lets kids "mash up" videos—that is, create their own videos by altering videos Viacom has given to them. What Disney does have, however, is massive reach and name recognition that means a hefty audience—if it can manage to hang on to its users. In November, the most month for which numbers are available, Disney's online unit lured 21.4 million users to its sites, including 7.6 million who found their way to the Disney Channel site and 10 million who logged on to Disney.com. Before its relaunch, the site was heavily promoting new Disney movies and TV shows and directing visitors to buy Disney products. Duking It Out with NickelodeonThe Disney-Nickelodeon fight is a long and competitive one that started when both were pitching their shows to kids on cable. For years, Nickelodeon has been the top-rated channel in the cable and satellite world among kids 2 to 11, luring more than 1 million. Disney has been coming on strong in recent years, especially in prime time among tweens and 6- to 12-years-olds with shows like Hannah Montana and movies such as The Cheetah Girls. Now Disney intends to close in or overtake the Viacom kiddy powerhouse online as well. The company has major assets, including a worldwide household name and family-friendly brand. Indeed, Iger says that the company has a list of some 58 million Disney-philes that it can promote to, enticing them to buy tickets to theme parks, Disney cruise vacations, and Mickey Mouse ears. Now it intends to use that same list to get them to log on to the revamped Disney.com site. And, if Disney works its magic right, perhaps they'll stick around. |
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Mainstreet
Market House to close WDWNews - The Market House shop on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom will close and be converted into a new Arribas Brothers store. The store will showcase glass creations like other such stores owned by the company. The Market House previously offered disney themed kitchen utensils and supplies. Arribas Brothers small store in the Main Street Bakery will also close and be removed as the new store location opens and will be replaced with more seating for the bakery. |
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Kids in
Italy Banned From Disney Film AP - An judge in Rome on Monday temporarily banned children younger than 14 from seeing the bloody epic movie "Apocalypto," according to the consumer group that requested the ban. The ban is in effect until Jan. 17, after which a
panel of judges is expected to make a final ruling. Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli said last week that Italy needed to review its rating system, claiming the rules are 45 years old and "no longer suited to current times." Movie ratings by review boards made up of parents, industry officials, a psychologist and a lawyer can be appealed only by production companies and cannot be overturned by ministry officials. "Apocalypto" -- produced, directed and co-written by Mel Gibson for The Walt Disney Co. -- takes place during the decline of the native Maya culture of Mexico and Central America, depicting gruesome slayings and human sacrifices. The film was released in Italy on Friday and was the weekend's second most popular movie, after opening in the United States last month with an "R" rating, which allows those younger than 18 to view it only if accompanied by an adult. It debuted in the U.S. as the No. 1 weekend movie, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign-language film. Italy's rating board decided Dec. 19 to allow people of any age to see it. But cinemas in Rome put up notices advising those under 14 not to watch the film after Rutelli urged them last week to discourage unaccompanied minors from going to see it. Most European countries that have rated the movie set minimum age limits for viewers. Disney shares rose 34 cents to $34.53 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. |
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Reno Gazette - Corbin Bleu is living a rock star's
life, or at least a well-scrubbed Disney version.
The 17-year-old actor of "High School Musical" fame is
on a nationwide concert tour that's delivering the
young cast of Disney Channel's hit TV movie to fans,
who amount to horde status at each stop.
The 40-city schedule is hectic, the bus travel is taxing and the audiences are in full scream. To hear Bleu tell it, there isn't enough time -- or energy -- for outrageous rocker misbehavior. "At this moment, I am ready to fall," Bleu said by phone from New York, a few hours before a Long Island concert. "Last night, we finished our show (in Washington, attended by 14,000-plus), got on the bus, drove until 4 in the morning to get here, then woke up to go to a hotel. "At 6:30 a.m., we got up to do 'Good Morning America.' Then we came here to do the show," he said. "The thing is, I'm having so much fun that it's hard to notice when my adrenaline goes." In between the concerts, which began in San Diego in late November and are set to end Jan. 29 in Los Angeles, Bleu is promoting a new Disney Channel movie, "Jump In!" This time, he's the star. "That sounds so weird, that kind of thing," he said, laughing at the heady title being affixed to him. It's among the refreshingly unstudied reactions from Bleu, who is poised beyond his years but comes across like an actual teenager (of the good-natured variety). He plays a younger boy, Izzy, in "Jump In!", about a 14-year-old New Yorker from a long line of boxing champions who's expected to keep the tradition alive. He's on board until he discovers another, very different sport -- double-Dutch jump rope. There's a gulf as well between the frothy "High School Musical," in which he played a basketball hotshot, and "Jump In!", Bleu said. The new movie is "a whole different tone, more gritty, more urban. Even the look of the movie is darker," he said. "What I'm hoping is (fans) see I can play a jock who's always up, but can play more a soft-spoken edgier guy. I'm just hoping it can show my different characters." Bleu still boasts his glorious mop of hair in the film, which co-stars Keke Palmer ("Akeelah and the Bee") and an actor close to Bleu's heart, his real-life dad, David Reivers. Reivers, who has appeared in TV series including "24," "My Name is Earl" and "Charmed" and in "Poseidon" and other films, plays Izzy's dad, a former boxer who's unsettled by his son's decision to abandon the family pursuit. Working with his father, who's also his longtime acting coach, was a goal for Bleu. "I look up to him so much. I always said the three people I want to work with are Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington and my dad," he said. "There's one off my list." |
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Sunday January 7, 2007 |
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Dad:
'Tigger' attacked son at Disney Disney Marathon Wraps Up Today Fantasia gift shop at Contemporary Resort to Close Adriano Bastos, three-time Disney Marathon winner, receives a pre-race hair style courtesy of Disney's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Red-hot Bleu, 17, already knows showbiz ropes Disney Concert Hall to be transferred to county ownership |
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Dad: 'Tigger'
attacked son at Disney Orlando Sentinel - Tigger, the bouncy sidekick to Walt Disney World's Winnie the Pooh, is in trouble with the law, again. A Disney employee playing the famed cartoon character is under investigation after a New Hampshire family accused him of punching their 14-year-old son during a home-video session at Disney-MGM Studios. The Orange County Sheriff's Office on Saturday said it took a report from Jerry Monaco Sr. stating that Tigger struck his son Jerry Jr. on the head about 12:30 p.m. Friday. "He felt that Tigger essentially punched his son and he filed a police report," said Deputy Carlos Padilla, a sheriff's spokesman. "Right now the allegation is that a battery occurred. Of course, we see a little of that [family video] tape, and we see what appears to be a battery. We need to talk to all sides to see exactly what happened." Padilla identified the man in the Tigger costume as Michael J. Fedelem, 31, of Kissimmee. Fedelem could not be reached for comment Saturday evening. Padilla said deputies have interviewed Fedelem and the investigation is "ongoing." Friday's incident is the second in nearly three years involving Tigger-costumed Disney workers. In February 2004, a 13-year-old girl and her mother reported being groped and molested by someone dressed as Tigger at Magic Kingdom's Toon Town. Sheriff's officials arrested Michael Chartrand, 38, but a jury later acquitted him, and he was reinstated as a Disney employee. In that case, the girl and her mother reported Tigger had groped their breasts during a photo session. Padilla said Friday's confrontation was taped by Jerry Monaco Sr. and after reviewing the footage with his family, they decided to come forward. Disney officials said Fedelem has been suspended until an internal investigation and the sheriff's criminal inquiry are completed. "We received a complaint that a character allegedly struck a guest," said Zoraya Suarez, a Disney spokeswoman. "Naturally, a physical altercation between characters and guests is not tolerated." The Monacos' home video, shot by Jerry Monaco Sr., shows a towering Tigger standing next to Jerry Monaco Jr. while his mother and two brothers kneel or stand in front of the costumed character. In a series of seconds, Tigger grabs and locks Jerry Jr.'s left arm with his right arm and then throws a left jab at the teen's face. The Monacos could not be reached for comment Saturday at their Greenville, N.H., home, but father and son told television reporters that Tigger threw a punch without provocation. "At first, I thought he was kidding and all, just playing around, and then when he actually grabbed my arm. . .," Jerry Jr. said. His father said their Disney vacation was marred: "You don't come here for this, I mean, Disney is supposed to be a safe place. It's supposed to be a place that you come and enjoy with your family." "At first, I was upset at my son," he said. "I thought he did something to Tigger. But then I reviewed it and it is pretty clear; for no reason he just clocked him in the face." |
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Disney Marathon
Wraps Up Today Central Florida News 13 - Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World wraps up today with the Walt Disney World Marathon. Thirty-two-thousand people are expected to take part
in the biggest on-property event of the year. Today's race starts at Epcot, winds though all four Disney parks before ending where it started, at Epcot. You can expect delays if you are driving in the area. Tonight the Marathon weekend wraps up with an awards ceremony at Downtown Disney. |
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Fantasia gift shop at Contemporary Resort to Close Tourplans
- The Fantasia gift shop, offering children's gifts and
plush toys will be closing in order to be converted into
a 4th Floor arcade for the Contemporary Resort. Official
paperwork for this construction was signed on December
28th, 2006.
This is one of many coming changes to the 4th Floor Concourse at the Contemporary Resort. Earlier, when the Pin Station shop which previously existed on the Concourse was being demolished, the refurbishment walls contained images of the finished 4th Floor Concourse conceptual artwork - rather, how it will appear when all construction phases are complete. The Sundries shop located adjacent to the Fantasia gift shop is mentioned in the paperwork to only be involved minimally in the current phase of construction. |
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Adriano Bastos, three-time Disney Marathon winner,
receives a pre-race hair style courtesy of Disney's
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique  WDW
News - Adriano Bastos, three-time winner of the Walt
Disney World Marathon, shows off his special pre-race
hair style Jan. 6, 2007, courtesy of
 Disney's
"Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique" at Downtown Disney in Lake
Buena Vista, Fla. This year's style was inspired by the
Brazilian flag, with braids of yellow and green. Bastos
has become known through the years in the Disney
Marathon for his unique and colorful hair styles. The
Sao Paulo, Brazil resident is the only three-time winner
of the Disney Marathon. He will defend his title Jan. 7,
2007 in the 26.2-mile race which will wind through all
four Walt Disney World theme parks. |
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Red-hot Bleu, 17, already knows showbiz ropes AP - Corbin Bleu is living a rock star's life, or at least a well-scrubbed Disney version. The 17-year-old actor of ''High School Musical'' fame is on a nationwide concert tour that's delivering the young cast of Disney Channel's hit TV movie to hordes of fans. The 40-city schedule is hectic, the bus travel is taxing and the audiences are in full scream. To hear Bleu tell it, there isn't enough time - or energy - for outrageous rocker misbehavior.  ''At
this moment, I am ready to fall,'' Bleu said by phone
from New York, a few hours before a Long Island concert.
''Last night, we finished our show [in Washington,
attended by 14,000-plus], got on the bus, drove until 4
in the morning to get here, then woke up to go to a
hotel. ''At 6:30 a.m., we got up to do 'Good Morning America.' Then we came here to do the show,'' he said. ''The thing is, I'm having so much fun that it's hard to notice when my adrenaline goes.'' In between the concerts, which began in San Diego in late November and are set to end Jan. 29 in Los Angeles (the tour skipped Salt Lake City, where the movie was filmed), Bleu is promoting a new Disney Channel movie, ''Jump In!'', debuting Friday. This time, he's the star. ''That sounds so weird, that kind of thing,'' he said, laughing at the heady title being affixed to him. It's among the refreshingly unstudied reactions from Bleu, who is poised beyond his years but comes across like an actual teenager (of the good-natured variety). In ''Jump In!'', he plays Izzy, a 14-year-old New Yorker from a long line of boxing champions who's expected to keep the tradition alive. He's on board until he discovers a very different sport - double-Dutch jump rope. Far removed from the realm of typical playground games, the athletic version uses two ropes moving at rapid-fire speed and relies on gymnastics, martial-arts moves and dance steps. There's a gulf as well between the frothy ''High School Musical,'' in which he played a basketball hotshot, and ''Jump In!'', Bleu said. The new movie is ''a whole different tone, more gritty, more urban. Even the look of the movie is darker,'' he said. ''What I'm hoping is [fans] see I can play a jock who's always up, but can play more a soft-spoken edgier guy. I'm just hoping it can show my different characters.'' Bleu still boasts his glorious mop of hair in the film, which co-stars Keke Palmer (''Akeelah and the Bee'') and an actor close to Bleu's heart: his dad, David Reivers. Reivers, who has appeared in TV series including ''24,'' ''My Name Is Earl'' and ''Charmed'' and in ''Poseidon'' and other films, plays Izzy's dad, a former boxer who's unsettled by his son's decision to abandon the family pursuit. Working with his father, who's also his longtime acting coach, was a goal for Bleu: ''I look up to him so much. I always said the three people I want to work with are Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington and my dad. There's one off my list.'' Reivers, accompanying Bleu on the tour, returns the compliment. He and his wife, Martha, also have three daughters. ''It was probably the best working experience of my life,'' said Reivers, who calls Bleu ''an old soul'' and proudly deems him one of the best young actors around. Reivers and Bleu - who dropped the family name so the two could have separate professional identities - appreciated the movie's portrayal of a black man, a widower, who is devoted to his children. ''People don't get to see positive African-American father figures [in movies] really working hard to raise their kids in positive ways and not have it be about drugs or alcohol or something negative,'' Reivers said. Bleu was literally carried into acting on his father's shoulders: When Reivers was auditioning for roles in New York, he would bring Bleu along in a knapsack. Soon, the father's agents were suggesting the photogenic boy try for his own gigs. He started appearing in print ads and commercials at age 2, then moved on to films (including ''Catch That Kid,'' ''Galaxy Quest'' and ''Soldier''), stage (''Footloose,'' ''Grease'') and TV (''Flight 29 Down,'' ''Hannah Montana'' and ''Malcolm & Eddie''). The work ''was playtime, it was Corbin getting to be around people and adults, which he was so used to and so loved doing,'' Reivers said. ''But at the same time, my wife and I always made sure that school was important.'' Although Bleu attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (finishing work for his degree with home schooling) and studied dance with Debbie Allen, he planned on becoming a pediatrician until a year ago. After attending a program at Johns Hopkins University that immerses students in medicine, he realized he had to pick between his passions. ''Medicine is something I love. But I love acting way too much and I wouldn't give it up for the world,'' he said. He's also added singing to his repertoire, with the concert tour and his own CD coming out. Bleu is living a dream that materializes for few, his father said. ''Starting with the success of 'High School Musical,' my speech to him has been, 'Really enjoy the moment.' . . . You may have a successful career after this, but you may never have anything like this. So take what you can from this and enjoy the ride.'' "Jump In!" premieres at 9 p.m. Friday on the Disney Channel. |
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Disney Concert Hall to be transferred to county
ownership AP - Walt Disney Concert Hall will soon be taken over by the city. County supervisors are expected to vote Tuesday to transfer ownership of the property from a Disney Hall nonprofit organization to the county, which plans to sublease it to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said the county's top administrator, David E. Janssen. Though largely symbolic, city officials say the transfer highlights an extraordinary turnaround that Los Angeles has experienced in recent decades. Opened in 2003, the $274-million landmark now anchors downtown's resurgence as newcomers stream into refurbished lofts amid a budding arts scene. For several years, however, many doubted it would never be built. Lillian Disney's 1987 gift of $50 million for a world-class concert hall to honor her husband, Walt, had languished for years while the city and county negotiated plans, costs escalated and fundraising sputtered. Through those years the local economy sagged and in 1992 the riots left the city smoldering and disconsolate. "Los Angeles was kind of down on itself at that point in time," said county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. "Disney Hall was the first civic project that got successfully built after that down period in the L.A. economy and the L.A. psyche." Under the leadership of then-Mayor Richard Riordan and his billionaire friend Eli Broad, a civic elite once wary of investing in downtown rallied around the challenge of building what would become a renowned monument to music. |
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| Back News |
"I
love coming to Disney and feel like I am almost a Disney
character myself," Bastos said through his interpreter.
Country
rock band Rascal Flatts were the year's biggest band,
coming in at No 2 with 3,479,994 sales for Me and My
Gang. Carrie Underwood was the top selling individual
artist with sales of 3,015,950 for Some Hearts.