January 27 - 31, 2008
 

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Thursday January 31, 2008

Disney World resorts and villas offer golfers numerous lodging options
Disney World part 4
A Pirates Life for She
Play in Disney's world
Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace location closed and under major refurbishment
'Ratatouille' Had Best Picture Pedigree
Epcot adding 'green' exhibit
Disney in 2010
AP Graduate To Sing, Dance At Walt Disney
Walt Disney Records Gets the Party Started with Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party
Classic Disney coming to iTunes
Cook's Corner Recipe: Disney Crystal Palace Ambrosia

Disney World resorts and villas offer golfers numerous lodging options

WorldGolf - Walt Disney World has just about as many accommodation possibilities as it has furry little characters running around its many attractions.

For golfers, staying at a Disney resort property comes with many benefits. Guests receive free transportation to and from whatever golf course they play and receive discounted green fees. You can book your tee times up to 90 days in advance (visitors may only book within 30 days). You're also never more than a few minutes from a golf course, which means no long commute and waiting in Orlando-area traffic.

The golf at Disney is also top notch. Two courses, the Palm and Magnolia, play host to the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Classic presented by Wal-Mart, which culminates the Fall Series. Each of the four championship courses at Disney recently replaced their greens with a new TifEagle Bermuda grass over the last several years.

Though just minutes from the parks, Osprey Ridge is secluded from all the action, with only wildlife as your gallery. Lake Buena Vista on the other hand is set right in the heart of all the action, just around the corner from the Disney Institute and Downtown Disney.

The Polynesian Resort: One of Disney's Deluxe Resort properties, the Polynesian Resort is a Pacific-themed village that features tiki torch-lined walkways and lush tropical vegetation. It's also complete with a white sand beach, where you can lounge in the sun or strike up a volleyball match. Dining options are highlighted by the all-you-care-to-eat Spirit of Aloha open-air dinner theater.

The Polynesian also boasts a fantastic location for both golfers (located across the street from the Palm and Magnolia) and families, as it's on the monorail line, which offers access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot in minutes.

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Spa buffs will want to stay just down the monorail line at the elegant Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which is set in a classic Victorian theme paying homage to Palm Beach's golden era. Like the Polynesian Resort next door, it's also within the Magic Kindgom and on the monorail line.

Disneys' Luxury Resort Villas are another way to go at Disney. Rather than a single bedroom, they are spacious, condo-style accommodations in studio, one and two bedroom units that can accommodate up to eight guests, making it ideal for golf groups or families.

The Boardwalk Villas - The Boardwalk Villa Resort is awash in nostalgia and old-fashioned charm. Ragtime and carnival sights light up the waterfront entertainment district. Villas are airy and spacious, and many feature balconies or patios. One and two bedroom villas feature whirlpool tubs as well. There are numerous dining options, from the ESPN Club and Big River Grille & Brewing Works, to signature dining at the Flying Fish Café.

The Boardwalk also features an onsite health club with exercise equipment and massage treatments.

Yacht & Beach Club - Disney's Yacht & Beach Club is one half resort (Yacht Club) and one half villa resort (Beach Club). The resort sits across the water from the Boardwalk and is within walking distance to Epcot. The Yacht Club is themed in a late-19th century Nantucket Club, while the next door Beach Club is inspired by colorful mid-Atlantic décor. Both the Yacht & Beach Club are rife with water fun, including watercraft rentals and three acres of water slides, currents and sand-bottomed areas at Stormalong Bay. The Shipshape Health Club features exercise machines and a spa.

Old Key West Resort Villas: Victorian themes and a laid-back Florida Keys atmosphere welcome guests at the Old Key West Resort Villas, which wind through the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. Each room is appropriately pastoral and tropically themed and one and two bedroom villas feature full kitchens with everything you need to cook a feast of your own among your group. The resort feels more like a small community, with numerous pools, restaurants and bars dotted amongst its confines.

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Disney World part 4

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian - In the late 1960s, Walt Disney had a crazy idea. Crazier than making full-length animated films for a living, crazier than building a living on a cast of mice, ducks, and dogs, crazier even than opening theme parks based on those animals. Disney had the crazy idea of one united Earth, where everyone lived and worked in harmony, using new technologies to benefit everyone, not for new power plants or weapons of mass destruction. He called this place EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Today, Epcot is a favorite destination of many a Disney guest. Opening in 1982, the park has 11 countries represented in its World Showcase, employing people who call those countries home, along with the front section completely devoted to technology and new innovations.

There is so much to do and see. Art Ramos, a cast member at Disney for the past four years, had the right idea when he said you need "three days for Epcot - a day for the front, a day for the showcase, and a day for stuff you want to do again."

Now of course, spending three days at one park is not an economical use of time for the average Disney-goer, so here are the top rides and shows to experience while in Epcot, along with tips to make the most of the World Showcase.

A lot of people are unaware that the huge thing resembling a golf ball at the entrance of Epcot is actually a ride, called Spaceship Earth. Guests travel back to the beginning of recorded time, taking a trip through history to discover the evolution of communication. At the end of the ride, during your return to "present" time, you are asked a series of questions, which then are compiled to show you your own future. It's worth a visit if only just to say you've been inside the Epcot ball.

If you've ever wanted to travel through space, this is the ride for you. Located in Future World, Mission: SPACE "sends" you to Mars, but not before you get a briefing by Gary Sinise. If you're prone to motion sickness, you might want to go on the green line version, that omits the spinning to simulate the G-forces. If you want the real space experience, go for the orange line, where you are so plastered to the back of your seat you can barely move.

Test Track makes you the test dummy in this GM test track simulation. At one point, you are racing through the open skies at 67 mph, and another time you are sent through intense heat, cold and corrosive materials.

Soarin' simulates a hang glider ride over the beautiful scenery of California. This is a great ride, and definitely one to Fast Pass, if you can find it. Down a long pathway in a building called The Land, Soarin' is not to be missed.

World Showcase is a beautiful collection of 11 countries from around the world. The best way to enjoy the showcase is to eat and drink your way around. Each country, from Mexico to Norway to Italy to England have restaurants serving ethnic food - most have both sit down and take out places. There are kiosks serving beer and other mixed drinks unique to each of the 11 worlds..

Some countries have rides, like Norway's Maelstrom, and others, like China, have videos about the culture and heritage. Each country has shops selling traditional wares from the country.

The biggest draw to Epcot is the nighttime fireworks, IllumiNations. Set to music, the fireworks are a breathtaking display, during which a mechanic Earth floats into the World Showcase Lagoon. The Earth is a giant screen, displaying scenes from around the world. If there is one fireworks display to see, it is Epcot's IllumiNations.

After about 50 years of making dreams come true, Disney has only gotten better, and will continue to get better for years to come.

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A Pirates Life for She

Disney News - A new name and face are joining the ranks of those infamous pirates whose images appear inside the entrance to “Pirates of the Caribbean” in Disneyland.

Alongside such legends of the high seas as Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa, a specially created portrait of Jenifer Greenwell of St. Petersburg, Florida, now appears along the wall where queuing guests approach the dock to board the attraction. Jenifer was selected at random as the grand prize winner from hundreds of thousands of entries in the “Become a Disney Pirate” sweepstakes conducted in connection with the DVD release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.  Her likeness as “Mademoiselle Greenwell” in pirate costume will stand alongside the others and be viewed by millions of Disneyland guests.

Jenifer’s pirate journey, following the news of her big win, took her to the headquarters of Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California. There, in May 2007, she was sketched as a pirate in full costume by Imagineer artist Jim Crouch. She also was given a tour of Imagineering, which few non-Imagineers ever get to experience.

Jenifer returned to California in July where, in the Pirate Suite of the Disneyland Hotel, Jim Crouch and other Imagineers showed her the original artwork that he would paint as a four-foot-tall mural on the wall of the attraction. (The other notable pirates in this Pirates of the Caribbean rogues gallery were also painted by Crouch.)

 The art was unveiled the morning of Tuesday, January 29, in a special presentation featuring Jenifer and some of the pirate denizens of New Orleans Square in Disneyland. “Mademoiselle Greenwell” will remain on view in “Pirates of the Caribbean” through June 2009.

In addition, Jenifer was given a VIP tour of Disneyland Resort during her January 29 visit. She met and posed for photos with Disneyland pirates, and took home the original “Mademoiselle Greenwell” artwork developed for the attraction.

About Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort includes two theme parks – Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure – three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district. Disneyland Resort is celebrating its “Dreams Come True” heritage with the Year of a Million Dreams through 2008. In addition to meeting and playing with Disney Princesses at the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, guests can experience other Dream Come True opportunities such as dueling with Darth Vader at Jedi Training Academy, creating mayhem with the denizens of Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and showing their school spirit by joining in the fun of “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” at Disney’s California Adventure park. The Year of a Million Dreams is being celebrated at both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

For more information about new attractions, the Year of a Million Dreams, and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or visit local travel agents. Please visit our podcast at www.disneyland.com/podcast.

About Walt Disney Imagineering

Walt Disney Imagineering is the unique innovative organization that creates – from concept through construction – all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships, real estate developments, and regional entertainment venues worldwide. Imagineering’s unique strength comes from the teamwork and synthesis of creative and technical professionals representing more than 140 diverse disciplines.

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Play in Disney's world

Bakersfield Californian - It's OK to let the kids scream and jump around in the crowd. This is Disney. It's totally forgiven. Playhouse Disney Live!, an interactive children's show coming to Rabobank Arena with two shows Sunday afternoon, features preschool favorites from the Disney Channel, such as Pooh, Tigger, Mickey Mouse and the Little Einsteins.

Trina Shumsonk, 24, plays the mail-carrier-turned-hostess, or "postess." She's all for getting the little ones ramped up.

"Be as fun and crazy as you want," she says. "We want their full participation."

The show follows Mickey as he plans a huge musical party for his friends. Shumsonk delivers the invitations to pals throughout the show, including Tigger and Pooh's new human friend, Darby.

The kids will also hang out with Handy Manny the handyman and his friends from Sheetrock Hills.

Children are a tough crowd, Shumsonk says.

"If you don't grab their attention right away, it's hard to get it back," she says. "When I welcome them, I'm as energetic as I possibly can (be). Children have all the energy in the world."

The characters encourage activity. The Little Einsteins power their rocket ship by patting their laps with their hands, so they ask the children to do the same.

Other highlights include Darby, Tigger and Pooh singing a nature song using sounds from the forest. Handy Manny and friends make music with instruments from the toolbox. And your child might be picked to dance with Mickey.

Be prepared to call Mickey onto the stage once in a while, Shumsonk says, with the magic words, "Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse."

When the show rolls out of town, Shumsonk encourages parents to continue to take their children to the theater, especially local children's productions.

"I feel even just watching and participating, you don't have to be a performer, but it really gives children a wonderful sense of themselves and self-esteem ...," she says. "You can learn a lot by visiting the theater."

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Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace location closed and under major refurbishment

Disney News - The Marketplace location of Wolfgang Puck Express is currently closed and under major refurbishment until Spring 2008. The West Side location is still open as usual.

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'Ratatouille' Had Best Picture Pedigree

AP - Among the tales of depravity and violence that dominate this year's Academy Awards race sits the bright and shining "Ratatouille." A rat never seemed so sanitized.

The Pixar film landed five Oscar nominations and was ranked by many critics as one of the year's best, yet was never a serious contender for best picture. Instead, it was relegated to the relatively new category of best animated feature, which the academy began dolling out in 2002.
Directed by Brad Bird, "Ratatouille" has garnered an aggregate score of 96 on Metacritic.com, ranking it above "Pulp Fiction," let alone this year's best picture candidates: "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Juno," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton."

And its other nominations across three different disciplines -- best original screenplay, best score, best sound mixing and best sound editing -- suggests the kind of broad consensus that often results in bigger awards like best director or best picture.

Its five nominations rank as the most ever for a computer animated film, and rate second among all animated films, only surpassed by the six received by Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." That picture, done in the traditional Disney style in 1991, stands as the only animated film to ever be nominated for best picture.

If not for the best animated feature category, it's safe to say "Ratatouille" would have been strongly considered for best picture. Brad Lewis, the film's producer, is quick to point out that he has no sour grapes with the academy -- and that he's ecstatic about the five widespread nominations.

Still, he has to wonder.

"Ultimately, it makes it perhaps too convenient for people to look at an animated film from an isolated perspective," said "Ratatouille" Lewis. "Somebody can say, `You know what? We have a place for that, so we don't necessarily have to give it broader consideration."

Tom O'Neil, a columnist specializing in awards coverage for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site, has pondered whether "Ratatouille" -- which he calls the best reviewed movie of the year -- is the equivalent of "Beauty and the Beast," only it had to deal with the specialized category.

"Is this a case where it's penalized and ghettoized because there's a separate category for animated fare?" O'Neill said. "It seems to have the same respect in the industry and among film critics as `Beauty and the Best.'"

"Ratatouille," made by Walt Disney Company and its Pixar Animations Studios, is also not a conventional animated movie. Its framing is largely based on the techniques of classic filmmaking, and the story of a rat who dreams to be a chef has been called a Joycean "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Rat."

"I don't think people when they walk out of `Ratatouille' the first thing that they're thinking about is `I went and saw an animated film today,'" said Lewis. "It's partly because we're telling more sophisticated stories and I think it's because we have a more sophisticated filmmaking tool."

"Ratatouille" also has the support of that great international critical body: the French. The film, which is set in Paris and imbued with French culture, was No. 1 at France's box office for six weeks in a row -- surpassing a record set by "Titanic." After making $206 million at the domestic box office, "Ratatouille" made $410 million internationally.

Those totals are much greater than any of the best picture nominees, which combined haven't grossed as much domestically as "Ratatouille."

New York Times film critic A.O. Scott listed "Ratatouille" as one of the five films that deserved to be nominated for best picture. He earlier called it "a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film."

That judgment is notable in part because it doesn't make use of the word "animated."

Lewis, who's working on directing a film for Pixar, cited fellow nominee "Persepolis" -- an animated French language film about a girl coming of age during the Islamic Revolution -- as proof of the breadth to animation today. (The third Oscar nominee is the more standard family fare of "Surf's Up.")

"The type of filmmaking that's taking place in the animation category is very broad," said Lewis. "And it's perhaps traveling beyond what people felt the parentheses of the industry were before."

And considering the increasing role that digital animation and computer-generated imagery play in the making of nearly all movies today, it's becoming difficult to firmly say what is and isn't animated. Just as "Ratatouille" reflects live-action filmmaking, live-action films like "King Kong" and "Transformers" often reflect animated works.

"It's folly to have a separate animated category because it hurts the chances of a movie like `Ratatouille' for being in the best picture race," said O'Neil. "But considering the academy history and the fact that only once did they have the guts to do it, at least the little rat is getting the chance to be a big cheese in one category."

Pixar is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co.

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Epcot adding 'green' exhibit

Disney News - In conjunction with Waste Management's think green website, Epcot is set to launch a new 'Don't Waste It' exhibit.

Innoventions will be home to this new interactive experience which features a recycling line. Visitors can feed the furnace and operate the bulldozer as waste is converted to an energy source.

Previously, General Motors launched an exhibit at Test Track focusing on their hybrid line of vehicles.

This year's International Flower and Garden Festival will feature displays and seminars featuring 'green' gardening tips.

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Disney in 2010

Motley Fool - Are you digging my mouse ears? It's actually the number two, a mouse ear, a one, and the second mouse ear, because that's the 2-0-1-0 trinket that Disney (NYSE: DIS) was selling at its theme parks as we counted down to 2010 a few weeks ago.

That's right. You're still ankle-deep into 2008, aren't you? I've been taking an "unauthorized field trip" through time this week, checking in on what many of my favorite companies are up to two years later.

Think you know Disney? You won't believe what the company is up to in 2010.

A walk around the theme park
We'll start at the theme parks, because that's what many people associate with the Disney brand. They're doing great, by the way. Even Disney's California Adventure is a hotbed of turnstile clicks. Since Disney telegraphs its expansion plans early, you already know about the makeover that has added the popular Little Mermaid ride and will soon add the highly anticipated Cars Land.

It worked. Attendance at DCA still can't rival what Disneyland is drawing next door, but no one laughs at Disney's investment in the park anymore.

Out in Florida, Disney finally announced plans for a sixth theme park. It won't open for several more years, but the company finally dusted off the plans for the villains-themed amusement park that has been part of cyberspace chatter for ages.

The huge role that Expedition Everest played in turning Animal Kingdom around inspired Disney to make a gated attraction that caters to thrill-seekers. It's not all coasters, though Disney is really pushing the envelope on that front. Don't worry. There will still be plenty of rides for the entire family. I just can't wait for the park to open in a few years. I hear Disney is actually going to top the creepy Halloween scare houses that you find at your local Six Flags (NYSE: SIX) and Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) October events.

Oh, and speaking of regional amusement parks, Disney is a hit in Canada. It acquired a Canadian amusement park from a publicly traded operator. Was it the Six Flags park in Montreal or the Cedar Fair property just outside Toronto? I'm not at liberty to say. Since Disney is now building smaller, localized themed experiences like indoor water parks and high-tech arcades, it was able to get a great deal from a cash-starved operator and enter a lucrative market that won't cannibalize its coastal bookends back home.

Animation in motion
Disney's back on track in animation. Those Pixar folks did a great job of reshaping Disney's full-length features. There are no more Home on the Range or Treasure Planet stinkers. Those direct-to-Blu-ray sequels also don't go out unless they're actually good.

The company's rebirth as an animation studio -- now well ahead of DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) -- has helped it in other ways. Along with its continued stream of hip live-action releases, Disney is a character magnet again.

Sure, that has boosted the company's licensed consumer products division, but Disney is also now one of the largest music labels. The Mickey Mouse company is also huge in cyberspace. The 2007 purchase of Club Penguin was really just the beginning. The company has created virtual worlds online, beyond the Disney Princess, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Virtual Magic Kingdom experiences that you already know about.

The hottest Disney virtual community is themed to WALL-E, the 2008 Pixar smash that got kids -- and kids at heart -- online to create their own virtual robots. Collectively, Disney's online communities in 2010 have a wider audience than World of Warcraft. Really.

Big things on the small screen
Are the writers still on strike? That's right. An amicable resolution didn't come together until the third week of February. Regardless, Disney's ABC resumed its golden network status by the time fresh shows emerged for the new fall prime-time season. No, Cavemen isn't on the air anymore. Breathe easy.

Since the economy didn't get back into high gear until after the summer, the programming gap was a mixed blessing. The advertisers came back just as consumers resumed their couch-potato poses.

ESPN is even bigger now in 2010 than it was in 2008. Pro sports are somehow even more popular. ESPN even shows hockey sometimes. You can thank the 2009 fashion trend that made hockey fantasy leagues hip for getting the NHL back on ESPN.

The Disney Channel is huge, too. Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon is doing OK, but Disney is where young pop stars are born. Even after the Hannah Montana craze died out in the summer of 2009, Disney had the pipeline ready to go with more fresh talent.

M-I-See
Bob Iger is still CEO. Yes, he's still a Wall Street and shareholder darling. Even when eBay's (Nasdaq: EBAY) Meg Whitman returned to Disney's executive ranks after a brief retirement from the auction giant, there was no perceived power struggle at Disney. This is Iger's show, but he knows how to share the spotlight.

Disney's stock bounced back, as did most media companies. Seasoned media conglomerates like Disney and CBS (NYSE: CBS) should never have been fetching dirt-cheap multiples in the low teens the way they were when they bottomed out in the spring of 2008.

Well, I have to get back to the future. I'll see you here. I'll save a pair of the 2-0-1-0 mouse ears for you.

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AP Graduate To Sing, Dance At Walt Disney

Tampa Tribune - Any "tween" or parent of one can confirm that "High School Musical 2" is totally cool, so when Derrick Roper had the chance to become part of the Wildcat fever, he jumped on board.

Roper, of Avon Park, has been cast in the lead role of Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios performance of "High School Musical 2."

Tweens will squeal when Roper, who uses the stage name Antwuan, takes the stage to sing and dance in the daily performances in front of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat on Hollywood Boulevard in the park formerly called Disney-MGM Studios.

The role is a dream come true for the 23-year-old, who said he has always wanted to be in a professional musical.

"The director said the audience gets really into the show, and the kids love all the characters," Roper said. "We will have people really energized and singing and dancing along."

He has to be energized as well. He described the dance choreography as "very aerobic," and the cast has about six performances per day. He likes the message of the movie and show, and thinks its an important one to convey to kids.

"The theme of the movie is all about coming together as a team," Roper said.

Cynthia Barrett, one of Roper's mentors, said she cannot think of anyone to better convey that theme and serve as a role model.

"Children naturally look up to him as an idol because he has made great decisions and is a great person," Barrett said. "He is a very positive role model, and I am so excited for him."

Barrett, a social sciences teacher at Avon Park High School, had Roper in class for four years and served as his mentor through the College Reach Out Program. She is one of the first people Roper called when he went to auditions and again when he was offered the part.

"Some people discouraged him, but I always stood by him and believed in him," Barrett said. "I believe in my students and always tell them to follow their dreams."

Roper, a 2003 graduate of Avon Park High School, was president of his class, homecoming king and active in community choir, cheerleading and dance. Barrett said she recognized his potential right away.

"I saw something special in Derrick the first time I met him, and I wanted to make sure he reached his full potential," Barrett said. "I think he is a great success story – a kid from a single-parent family, who grew up in Avon Park, and is proving that you can succeed."

The transition into professional theater has been a whirlwind for the performer. Roper found the audition information online while looking for an internship and decided to go for it. The hiring director called him a few days after the audition to offer him the role.

Before accepting the part, he consulted with Barrett and Felicia Dozier, a counselor at South Florida Community College, who was his advisor when he was a student there, about putting his education on hold.

Roper, a senior performance major at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, was set to graduate this year.

"He was very torn between whether to finish college or take this role," Dozier said. "We decided this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that he just can't pass up.

Now I just can't wait to take a group of kids up there and see him."

FAST FACTS
When "High School Musical 2" debuted Aug. 17, 2007 on the Disney Channel, more than 17.3 million viewers tuned in making it, at the time, the highest-rated basic cable broadcast in U.S. history.

The record was broken Dec. 6 when 17.5 million viewers watched the Patriots vs. Ravens football game on ESPN.

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Walt Disney Records Gets the Party Started with Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party

Walt Disney Records - Walt Disney Records throws a full-on non-stop dance party with the release of the Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party CD on January 29, 2008.

Following up on last summer's #1 Billboard 200 release: Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus two disc set – and on the phenomenally successful 70-date Best of Both Worlds Tour – the Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party CD is a fresh mix of the complete hits from the Hannah Montana 2 disc, remixed into one continuous dance party mix.

All tracks were remixed by Chris Cox (Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna). Cox is a Grammy-nominated producer, chart-topping solo artist, Grammy-winning label owner, club DJ, and mixmaster who specializes in dance music and club-friendly electronica. Bonus features include a Chris Cox Megamix, live performance videos from the London concert, a photo slideshow and a link to printable party invitations.

The Hannah Montana franchise continues to break records. Hannah Montana ranks as the #1 cable show with girls 6-11, and its soundtrack Hannah Montana 2 was the #6 best-selling CD of 2007 (according to Nielsen SoundScan), scanning over 2.6 million units to date. The original Hannah Montana soundtrack release is triple platinum and was the first TV soundtrack to land at #1 on The Billboard 200. Miley Cyrus is the youngest-ever recording artist with two #1 albums in less than one year.

The Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party track list is as follows:

1. "One in a Million" (Remix)

2. "True Friend" (Remix)

3. "Old Blue Jeans" (Remix)

4. "Make Some Noise" (Remix)

5. "Nobody's Perfect" (Remix)

6. "Rock Star" (Remix)

7. "Life's What You Make It" (Remix)

8. "We Got the Party" (Remix)

9. "You and Me Together" (Remix)

10. "Bigger than Us" (Remix)

Bonus Features:

-- Chris Cox Megamix
-- Live Performance Videos from the London Concert:
-- "Nobody's Perfect"
-- "Life's What You Make It"
-- Photo Slideshow
-- Printable Party Invitations

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies plus contemporary acquired programming. Currently available on basic cable in over 95 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on 27 Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group. Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party will be available at retail nationwide wherever music is sold. All Walt Disney Records and Buena Vista Records audio products also can be ordered by visiting DisneyRecords.com.

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Classic Disney coming to iTunes

Disney News - New Releases - Italiannette (BV 3304) Remastered from the original 3 track Master Annaette Sings Anka (BV 3302). Remastered from the original full track Master Westward Ho the Wagons (WDL 3041). Remastered from the original full track Master Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (DQ 1257). This is the original White-Cover release, with side one narration by Laura Olsher, and was remastered from the original full track master.

Previously Released on the WONDERLAND MUSIC CD BURNING SYSTEM Meet Me Down On Main Street, A Musical Tour of France with Maurice Chevalier, Songs from Lady and the Tramp, The Disney Afternoon, The Country Bear Jamboree

Walt Disney presents 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

When you purchase this title, you can also download a Digital Booklet with behind-the-scenes photos, and illustrations. There's a wonderful essay by composer John Debney, as well as a brief Producers Note outlining the background of the project. Its taken over 10 years to get this released, and it was definitely worth the wait!

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Cook's Corner Recipe: Disney Crystal Palace Ambrosia

MiamiHerald - DESSERT

DISNEY CRYSTAL PALACE AMBROSIA

Ambrosia is one of those nostalgic recipes Cook's Corner readers love. It's perfect for a potluck, takes little time to put together, and can serve as a salad or dessert. We snagged this recipe from Disney World's Crystal Palace in the early 1980s.

• 1 cup mixed fruit or canned fruit cocktail

•  ½ cup mandarin oranges

•  ½ cup pineapple tidbits

•  ¼ cup crushed pineapple

•  ½ cup miniature marshmallows

•  1/3 cup flaked coconut

•  ¾ cup sour cream

•  ¼ cup maraschino cherries, halved

•  ¼ cup red seedless grapes

Drain fruits well. Combine with marshmallows, coconut, sour cream, cherries and grapes, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Chill well. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 114 calories (42 percent from fat), 5.7 g fat (3.7 g saturated, 1.4 g monounsaturated), 9.5 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 16.2 g carbohydrates, 0.9 g fiber, 18.3 mg sodium.

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Wednesday January 30, 2008

Disney's chief financial officer defends performance of parks, resorts
Disney Stock Rating Raised to `Buy' by Pali Research
Hannah Montana concert movie sets presale records
Disney Guests Love Interactive Nintendo DS Guide
Wal-Mart Teams With Disney to be Hannah Montana Retail Headquarters
Walt Disney World's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Walt Disney World part 3: Animal Kingdom an African experience
Disneyland contract talks taken to city council
Disney taps Coleman for toons
Concert Preview: The Jonas Brothers
Midvale outlet store feeds Disney mania
Mickey Mouse celebrates Year of the Rat
Metro students get a taste of their own Tomorrowlands

Disney's chief financial officer defends performance of parks, resorts

Orlando Sentinel - A stock analyst's concerns over Walt Disney Co.'s theme park and resort prospects in 2008 and the company's stock Tuesday led Disney's chief financial officer to defend the performance of the company's parks and resorts business.

"Thus far, we're pleased with the pace of business in our parks, especially considering the fact that we had record attendance at our domestic parks last year," said Disney Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs.

The company's stock closed at $28.69 a share this afternoon, down 68 cents a share.

The stock had slipped after analyst Jason B. Bazinet of Citi Investment Research, a division of Citigroup Global Markets, issued a report expressing concerns about how the company's theme parks and resorts business would do in 2008. Bazinet downgraded his recommendation of Disney stock to "sell," from "hold," early Tuesday and cut his target price to $26, from $36.

Bazinet cited three trends he perceived: the probability that Walt Disney World and other East Coast resorts' hotel room sales were down in the first quarter of Disney's 2008 fiscal year; that hotel room spot pricing fell at both Disney World and Disneyland; and that this could mean that Disney anticipates lower demand in 2008.

Disney officials would not comment in detail on Bazinet's findings, noting that much of the response will be detailed in the company's first quarter earnings report, due next Tuesday, covering the three-month period ending Dec. 31. However, Staggs took the unusual approach of responding enough to address the division's general performance, and raise questions about Bazinet's observation of the company's hotel room rates and bookings.

"Currently, our room reservations at our domestic resorts for the remainder of our fiscal year are modestly ahead of where they were this time last year," Staggs said. "And as for the pricing of our rooms at our domestic resorts, it's tracking slightly ahead of last year."

A Citgroup spokeswoman said Bazinet was traveling late Tuesday and would not be available to respond to Staggs' statement.

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Disney Stock Rating Raised to `Buy' by Pali Research

Bloomberg - Walt Disney Co., the second-largest U.S. media company, had its stock rating raised to ``buy'' at Pali Research, which cited improved prospects at the company's theme parks.

Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield, in a note to investors today, also increased his estimate for fiscal 2008 earnings to $2.15 a share from $2.13. The average of 22 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg is $2.14.

Disney Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs said yesterday he was ``pleased with the pace of business'' at the company's parks. He was responding to a report from Citigroup Inc. analyst Jason Bazinet, who said a reduction in rates for Disney's hotel rooms indicated diminished demand.

``We take this to mean that Disney will maintain an upbeat view of their theme-park business,'' Greenfield said of Staggs's remarks. Greenfield previously rated the stock ``neutral,'' meaning he didn't expect the stock to rise or fall meaningfully over the next year.

Disney gained 55 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $29.35 at 9:59 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock had fallen 16 percent in the past year before today.

Greenfield also said that cable network advertising is ``very strong,'' which will benefit Disney's ESPN.

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Hannah Montana concert movie sets presale records

Reuters - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Hannah Montana concert film dominated U.S. online movie ticket sales on Wednesday, a day ahead of its debut, despite opening in fewer than 1,000 theaters.

The 3D movie, which features a filmed concert by "Hannah Montana" singer-actress Miley Cyrus, opens on Thursday at midnight in 684 digital 3D theaters, a Disney spokeswoman said.

Fandango.com and MovieTickets.com, the top online ticket sellers, said "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" accounted for more than three-quarters of their ticket sales as of Wednesday morning.

Fandango.com said "Hannah Montana" was the site's best-selling concert film ever, selling out more than 1,000 showings and accounting for 91 percent of sales as of Wednesday morning.

MovieTickets.com reports that the film ranked eighth on its all-time presale list and was tracking at nearly 90 percent of sales on Wednesday.

The Hannah Montana character, which originated on a Disney Channel television series of the same name, has proved phenomenally popular with "tween" girls who have turned out in droves to see Miley Cyrus and her father and co-star, Billy Ray Cyrus, perform in concert.

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Disney Guests Love Interactive Nintendo DS Guide

Wired News - The results are in, and Walt Disney World park goers love "Disney Magic Connection," a modified Nintendo DS Lite console that feeds you up-to-the-second information about where to find rides and how long the lines are.

Last week, Disney field-tested the devices, which receive data from hundreds of wireless sensors scattered throughout the park, by giving them out to guests as they came in the turnstiles. Although the $300 deposit required to test a unit caused many would-be participants to turn away, the ones who did came back with rave reviews.
Disney only currently plans to rent the devices at the parks, rather than let consumers purchase or rent the software and use it with their own Nintendo DS.

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Wal-Mart Teams With Disney to be Hannah Montana Retail Headquarters

CNNMoney - Fans who love Hannah Montana will soon find more than they imagined at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart Stores, together with Disney Consumer Products, will bring more families more affordable access than ever before to Hannah Montana merchandise and activities in 2008.

The strong connection kids and families have to Disney Channel's hit series "Hannah Montana" has made Miley Cyrus a sensation across the country. Throughout the year Wal-Mart will offer more ways for fans to express their inner pop star, with more than 140 unique Hannah Montana-inspired products.

Hannah Montana fans can already begin to browse new accessories in Wal-Mart's "Hannah Montana Shops" in 750 Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. Wal-Mart will offer unique assortments of Hannah Montana-inspired products, including apparel and footwear, handbags and cosmetics, bedding, room decor, games, music and more. The new line will appeal to tweens looking for on-trend casual and athletic-inspired styles as well as accessories and decor.

"Beginning now and continuing through the fall, parents and kids can depend on us for the best selection of Hannah Montana merchandise at the Wal-Mart price," said Janet Bareis, marketing vice president.

Hannah Montana items available in Wal-Mart stores now include:
    --  Exclusive sportswear collection and T-shirts
    --  Exclusive watches, handbags, luggage and room accessories
    --  Exclusive shoes and flip flops
    --  New sleepwear
    --  Makeup, spa and bath kits, fragrance, nail kits and wigs!
    --  Assorted dolls, microphone, play stage and play set
    --  Board game and electronic games for Nintendo DS and Wii

In celebration of the theatrical release of "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Movie" in Disney Digital 3D on February 1, fans can pick up an "all access pass" at Wal-Mart stores, which will give them a secret code to download Hannah Montana's Rock Star music video at DisneyChannel.com/AllAccess. Movie goers will see more of what's planned at Wal-Mart with national advertising and in-theatre marketing starting this week.

Released nationwide Tuesday, Jan. 29, the new "Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party" CD includes an additional track when purchased at Wal-Mart. To coincide with the CD release, Wal-Mart will also offer the "We Got the Party (Remix)" ring tone, available for $1.99 on Wal-Mart mobile (http://www.wmtmobile.com/hannah or text HM to 77888).

"Fans across the country will now have more access than ever before to Hannah Montana-inspired product," said Kathy Franklin, vice president, global franchise development for Disney Consumer Products. "We are excited to be showcasing this unique product line in Wal-Mart stores."

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club locations across America or log on to its online store at http://www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfacts.com, http://www.walmartstores.com, or http://www.walmartfoundation.org.

About Disney Consumer Products

Disney Consumer Products and affiliates (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home decor and books and magazines to interactive games, foods and beverages, stationery, electronics and fine art. This is accomplished through DCP's various lines of business which include: Disney Toys, Disney Apparel, Accessories & Footwear, Disney Food, Health & Beauty, Disney Home and Disney Stationery. Other businesses involved in Disney's consumer products sales are Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines, Disney Interactive Studios, a leading developer and publisher of video games and interactive entertainment, and disneyshopping.com, the company's official shopping portal. The Disney stores retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and operated by unaffiliated third parties in North America and Japan under a license agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Disney owns and operates the Disney Store chain in Europe.

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Walt Disney World's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course

WorldGolf - Of all the golf courses at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista Golf Course is the one that will make you feel the most like you're in the heart of a bustling resort town. It's set in the shadows of the Disney Institute and Downtown Disney. A series of canals filled with tour boats and water taxis pass by on several holes, filled with passengers who serve as a temporary gallery.

The majority of Lake Buena Vista's front nine weaves through the Old Key West Resort, while the back side takes on a bit more of a wooded, natural look, with more tree-lined holes than the front side.

In 2007, Lake Buena Vista was the latest of the four Disney courses to receive a facelift, which included laser-leveling of tees, a new bunker and the installment of TifEagle Bermuda greens.

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Walt Disney World part 3: Animal Kingdom an African experience

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian - Ever wonder what a trip to the Cretaceous period would be like? What about how it would feel to finally reach the peak of Mount Everest, only to find a Yeti waiting to throw you back down? Or what about taking a safari through the open African savannah? At Disney's Animal Kingdom, added to the theme park family in 1998, all of this is possible...sort of.

There are seven themes sections of Animal Kingdom, with animal exhibits from monkeys to warthogs lining the streets. Each section is unique, representing a different part of animal conservation. Beautifully and accurately designed, Anna Shaketange from Namibia and Mayenziwe Ntando Khuluse, known around Animal Kingdom as "Prince" from South Africa, both agree that Animal Kingdom makes them feel at home.

At the center of the 500-acre expanse is the Tree of Life, a massive tree, into whose trunk is carved an intricate array of wildlife, from horses to lions to gorillas to bugs.
 
Underneath the Tree of Life is the 3D animation show based on the movie "A Bug's Life," called "It's Tough to Be a Bug." After waiting in a line that weaves around the base of the tree, which offers a fantastic up-close view of the carvings and is lined with spoof movie posters like "Beauty and the Bees," audience members are welcomed to sit back, relax and enjoy a show all about the beneficial nature of insects.

Things get out of control when Hopper, the villain from "A Bug's Life," gets wind that bugs and humans are consorting. It's an entertaining sensory experience, and definitely something to Fast Pass, if you're not squeamish about spiders, stinkbugs and other creepy crawlers.

If there is one thing to do in Animal Kingdom, it's the Kilimanjaro Safari, found in the Africa section. According to Prince, "they did the safari ride beautifully…I see the animals and I feel at home."

The 20-minute safari takes you on a journey through wetlands and forests and out onto the Serengeti. Riders get to see okapis, elephants, lions and much more. Riding in the morning is the best chance you have to see the most animals and avoid the longer lines that will develop in later hours.

Also in Africa is the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, where you follow a self-guided tour to see hippos, birds and gorillas. You are left to take as much or as little time as you want while traveling through - there are signs with information not only on the animals, but on steps taken toward conservation as well. In Asia, there is another version of this walk-through animal viewing called the Maharajah Jungle Trek, on which you see animals native to Asia's jungles, like Komodo dragons and tigers.
As far as thrill rides go, Animal Kingdom doesn't have too much to offer. The Kali River Rapids found in Asia are a white-water rafting adventure with a warning - you will get wet. You most likely will get drenched. This ride is a Fast Pass must, but as you're breezing down the Fast Pass lane, make sure to check out the ornate and unique decorations that are lining the walls. This is one to do at the hottest point during the day, and if you're wearing white, buy a poncho from the conveniently located poncho kiosk located right outside the ride's entrance.

In 2006, Disney unveiled Expedition Everest, a new roller coaster thrill ride that puts you face to face with the legendary yeti. The coaster takes you forward on a slow climb up the mountain, and then sends you careening backwards through the dark.
The Dinosaur ride, located in DinoLand USA, is also partially in the dark, but in this ride you are sent back to just a few brief moments before the fatal meteor collision that wiped out the colossal beasts. You are charged with task of returning safely with an Iguanodon for study purposes. How could anything go wrong?

Primeval Whirl, also in DinoLand USA, is a slow-moving coaster with a lot of twists and jerks. Those who are prone to motion sickness should probably avoid this ride, but otherwise, it's a surprisingly good time.

Since there are so few thrill rides, the lines are usually pretty long, and Fast Passes in Animal Kingdom are pretty necessary. There are plenty of things to do while waiting for your return time, as Animal Kingdom plays host to a huge variety of shows. While you're walking around, take time to stop if you see something interesting. There are clown shows, acrobats, African Drummers and more lining the streets, and it's these types of shows that make Animal Kingdom really worthwhile.

The stage shows, like "Festival of the Lion King," a 30-minute adaptation of the movie, or "Flights of Wonder," about the beauty and majesty of birds, are both nice reprieves from the blazing sun. There's also a train that leaves every few minutes from Rafiki's Planet Watch and takes you to the petting zoo, which, in the Disney style, is called Affection Section.

Because of all the animals, the park generally closes at 5 p.m., which lets you explore other parks at night. Disney's Animal Kingdom is the park to see for animal lovers of any age.

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Disneyland contract talks taken to city council

Disney News - The president of Disneyland's hotel workers UNITE HERE 681 appeared before the Anaheim City Council accusing Disney of exacting 'political payback' during the current contract negotiations.

Union president Ada Briceno claims that Disney has drawn out talks and that the company's choice of negotiation site makes attendance by the rank and file problematic.

Ms. Briceno further stated that the union members are being punished due to their support of the now defunct low cost housing proposal.

Disneyland's vice president of communications, Rob Doughty, responded to the union claims by stating "We're disappointed the leadership of 681 is trying to negotiate this contract in the media and at a City Council meeting."

There are 24 unions in Disneyland. Union 681 represents the 2300 room attendants, dishwashers and cooks at the three Disney owned hotels. The contract in dispute is scheduled to expire at 12am on Friday.

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Disney taps Coleman for toons

Hollywood Reporter -
Former Nickelodeon exec Eric Coleman has been named SVP, Development, for Walt Disney Television Animation, it was announced by Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom Coleman will report. Coleman joins Disney after 15 years at Nickelodeon, where he most recently was VP and Exec Producer, Animation Development and Production, and was the Exec in Charge of Production on the iconic series SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, among others.

Meredith Roberts, SVP, Creative Affairs, Walt Disney Television Animation, has been named to the new role of SVP and General Manager at DisneyToon Studios.

With a mandate to lead Disney's animated TV development into a new phase of growth, Coleman joins the company on Feb. 4 to spearhead development of animated short-form and long-form series for Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Jetix platforms, which are available to over 219 million homes worldwide. Coleman will also oversee Walt Disney Television Animation's Casting and Music departments.

In addition, he will provide development guidance and leadership for global partners of Disney Channel and Walt Disney Television Animation who are engaged in creation of original animation in the U.K., China, Japan and India, among others.

Coleman is credited throughout the industry as being the executive who championed the development and production of SPONGEBOB and AVATAR, two of Nickelodeon's most successful series.

Coleman began his career at Nickelodeon in New York where he worked on the first wave of original Nicktoons: RUGRATS, REN & STIMPY and DOUG. He then moved to Los Angeles and, as Manager of Development, he worked on numerous animated pilots including ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE, HEY ARNOLD! and ANGRY BEAVERS. In recent years, Coleman served as Exec Producer on AVATAR, CATSCRATCH, and EL TIGRE and was the Exec in Charge of Production on INVADER ZIM.

Coleman was raised in Scarsdale, New York, and graduated Cum Laude from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He resides in Los Angeles.

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Concert Preview: The Jonas Brothers

The Oregonian - They're so wholesome, they make a glass of milk look like gin. Their tween and teen female fans go nuts at the sight of them. And with a television show in the works, a third album slated for the summer and a touring deal with massive promoters Live Nation, the trio known as the Jonas Brothers, who perform Wednesday at Arlene Schnitzer, could get even bigger.

Kevin, 20, Joe, 18, and Nick, 15, have released two albums: "It's About Time" in 2006 and last year's "Jonas Brothers." That second album, on Disney's Hollywood label, broke through in a big way and went platinum, largely with heavy support from Disney, which has lately owned the tween market (think Hannah Montana).

They've been called Disney's version of Green Day and there's a painful accuracy to the description. Like the older band, they have a big, hook-filled sound, with punk's confident brashness and pop's playful energy. But the Jonas' rhymes are more facile, their lyrics more conventional, their music less interested in making pointed observations or potentially controversial statements and more in memorializing this specific moment in their lives.

During a phone interview, Joe notes at every turn how fortunate the trio feel, how "amazing" and "cool" their fans are, and how much they enjoy the opportunity to make music. He talks about finishing up school (he's in his last week), his desire to attend college someday, perhaps online, and the time his dad and others had to pull female fans off his brother Nick. A television show is on hold because of the writers' strike, he explains, but a third album, with a more mature sound, is coming in July.

He's courteous, respectful and, if not especially revealing, he knows how to keep an interview going. Many adults do far worse in similar situations.

Music is his life, he says. "Hopefully when I'm 50 years old I'll still be playing music and touring." For now, though, the band isn't courting an adult audience. "We are not in any rush to branch out into a different audience because we know that our audience is going to grow up with us," he says. "Disney's the best thing that's happened to us in a long time ... I don't think we'll ever be one of those artists who say we don't need them anymore."

It's a smart decision, not least because they're simply not ready for the adult market. While some teen stars make music beyond their years, others grow into the role. Some, of course, never make it at all. The Jonas Brothers are clearly not in the first group; their music is like puppy love, earnestly sweet if not terribly insightful, a sound that fits kids on the cusp of adolescence. Their choice to try the more patient route could bear fruit in the future.

"To be onstage every night, there's nothing like it," Joe says. "I don't think I'd ever give it up for anything."

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Midvale outlet store feeds Disney mania

Salt Lake Tribune - Travis Farley and sister Tracy are die-hard Disney fans. The twentysomethings, who live in Taylorsville, have annual passes to Disneyland and visit the California park four to six times a year. And they buy a lot of Disney merchandise.

 That's why they are so fond of the Disney's Character Warehouse Outlet Store in Midvale.
   
The outlet, operated by liquidator Asset Management & Sales LLC, sells a variety of overstock and discontinued merchandise, primarily from Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., at a discount of up to 80 percent (sometimes more). It sells an array of trading pins, collectibles, adult and children's apparel, toys and, of course, those famous Mouse ears.
   
The outlet (one of four nationally) is not related to The Disney Store, a full-priced retail format that operates only one location in Utah, in the University Mall in Orem.
   
For many Utahns, the Disney Outlet is the first stop before a family vacation to the park, where merchandise is anything but cheap.
   
A gold-colored Mouse ear hat that sold in the park during Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005 and retailed for $10.50 is selling for 99 cents at the store. A 50th anniversary men's leather jacket that sold for $385 in the park is marked $76.99. And sweatshirts that once sold for $54 are on sale for $27.99.

"It's great because it's the same stuff that's in the park, but it's always so much cheaper," Travis Farley said.
   
The Midvale location is one of four Disney Outlet stores operated by the Tennessee-based liquidator. The small company - not owned or affiliated with Disney, other than through its agreement to sell its merchandise - also has stores in Fullerton and Pomona, Calif., and Las Vegas. In addition, the company operates a number of temporary sales of Disney merchandise, over periods of six weeks to two months, around the country.
   
Unlike the Las Vegas and California outlets, the future of the Utah location remains uncertain. Asset Management & Sales is leasing its store in the Family Center in Midvale on a month-to-month basis. At one point last year, because of legal wrangling between its landlord and an adjacent property owner, the outlet had to move to another location, in Taylorsville. It has since moved back but its operators have been told it could be asked to move out at any time.
   
Since returning to Midvale, the outlet's sales haven't been the same, said Janie Stump, whose husband started the liquidating company 11 years ago after leaving an executive-level position with a major retailer in Los Angeles. "A lot of people don't even know we're back," she said.
   
Stump said the company has looked elsewhere in the Salt Lake area, but finding a more or less permanent location with affordable rent and good access to customers has proved difficult. She notes that the company already operates on a smaller profit margin than many other retailers.
   
Many regular customers say they hope the company will work things out.
   
Doug Maxwell, of Sandy, a Disney fan and outlet regular, said he doesn't understand why the location isn't busier, given Utah's large family size, the popularity of Disneyland among the younger set and the deep discounts.
   
"The greatest thing about having the store is you can buy things for 50 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent off (before you go on vacation) and then you don't have to buy anything while you're at Disneyland," he said.
   
"Why buy one shirt in the park when you can get as many as five for the same price at the outlet?" Maxwell said. "There's a huge Disney audience here. We're lucky to have this store, and I hope it doesn't go away."

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Mickey Mouse celebrates Year of the Rat

LA Times - In honor of the Year of the Rat, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will ring in the Lunar New Year at Disneyland with traditional red and gold Chinese attire Feb. 5-29.

Mickey will don a Mao Zedong suit with a Mandarin skullcap and Minnie will wear a cherry blossom-colored dress while posing for photos with visitors on Town Square along Main Street U.S.A. at the Anaheim theme park.

The happy couple, who aren't married but share the same last name, will also serve as co-grand marshals of the 109th Annual Golden Dragon Parade on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. in Los Angeles Chinatown.

Hong Kong Disneyland rolled out similar Mickey and Minnie costumes last week along with an Asian-attired Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto to boost appeal to Chinese tourists after the 2-year-old park experienced a steep decline in attendance.

How can Mickey live in Hong Kong and Anaheim at the same time? He's magic.

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Metro students get a taste of their own Tomorrowlands

Detroit Free Press - Ariel Gardner aspires to be an actress; Brittany O'Neal a chef.

Omari Cook Jr. wants to expand his lawn care business to all 50 states. And Tevyn Cole hopes to be a successful clothing entrepreneur.

These metro Detroit teens have different goals in life. But they share a common thread -- they all have a dream. And their dreams earned them a spot this month in Disney's Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World in Florida. They came home last week.

The foursome -- as well as Detroiters Devin Whitfield of Henry Ford High School in Detroit and Kamila Ayanna Powell of Fraser's Arts Academy in the Woods -- were the six students from Michigan to join 94 other high schoolers from across the country at the four-day, career enrichment program.

Ariel, a 15-year-old Pontiac Central High School sophomore, summed up the academy this way: "It was about dreamers and people who don't give up on their dreams even though they have a lot of obstacles and that they try to do something good with their dream."

Ariel, of Pontiac, already has dealt with struggles. She was born with HIV and her parents died of AIDS before she was 3. Ariel, who lives with her aunts, has not developed AIDS. She's a drama club member who shares her story and hopes to tell more people when she becomes an actress.

While at Disney, the students went behind the scenes, participating in workshops on a variety of subjects, including entertainment and culinary arts, all geared toward giving them tools to make their dreams come true.

Disney cast members, executives and celebrities, such as Steve Harvey, shared their success stories with the students. They also got to hop on the theme park rides.

They were selected from among 3,000 nominees. Most learned about the opportunity through the "Steve Harvey Morning Show."

One of the skills the teens learned at the academy was networking.

For instance, future chef Brittany, 16, a sophomore at Clintondale High School, said she met and talked with the head chef at Disney. The Clinton Township girl said the experience will help her "because I know what I want to do, and I know people who love what they do, and I want to be just like them when I grow up."

Omari also has no doubt about his career -- spreading his 2 1/2-year-old lawn care, landscaping and gutter-cleaning business from his Inkster home and surrounding communities to every state in the union. While at Disney, the 14-year-old John Glenn High School freshman met a man who's living a similar dream -- having a lawn service franchise in all 50 states.

"It was something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Omari said.

Tevyn -- who took his first plane ride to go to the Sunshine State-- agreed. The teen from Maybee said his experience has led to a connection that may help him get his line of urban-style T-shirts, whose theme is the accomplishments of African Americans, incorporated into a video game.

"They shared a lot of information," the 15-year-old Milan High School freshman and track and field athlete said. "It was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's up to the dreamers to seize the opportunity and turn that into a reality."

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Tuesday January 29, 2008

Analyst sees Disney park pitfalls; company disputes
Don't Sell Disney
Disney Grad Nite 2009 moves to Disney Hollywood Studios
Docs: TV Drama Perpetuates Autism Myth
Walt Disney World Resort Offers Romantic Playground for Lovebirds on Valentine's Day and Every Day
Disney-ABC, Raimi Adapting Wizard’s First Rule for Syndication
Disneyland Dream Suite to be awarded most nights starting Jan. 31st
The sounds of Peru at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Imagination to be Demolished?
Hanaro Telecom signs content deal with Disney for HanaTV service
Hannah Montana One In A Million on DVD
Twitches Too on DVD
Walt Disney World: Part two of a magical investigation
Missy Goes 3-D For New Videos
Disney Chief Exec Bob Iger Gets 7% Boost
Cruising with the family on Disney
Disney's The Aristocats Special Edition hits February 5
School's back: Disney cashes in on new musical
Campbell Soup, ABC Doing Heart Programs

Analyst sees Disney park pitfalls; company disputes

MarketWatch - Shares of Walt Disney Co. dropped Tuesday after it was downgraded by a Wall Street analyst over concerns about the company's theme park business, and that prompted a rare response from the entertainment giant.
 
Citigroup's Jason Bazinet cut Disney to sell from hold and reduced his target price to $26 a share from $36, saying that weakness in the company's parks business could be on the horizon.
 
Bazinet said in a note to clients that the probability of selling out rooms at Disney's East Coast properties slipped during the last three months of 2007 vs. the year before. He added spot pricing for hotel rooms was down, and that weakness was spilling over to forward pricing.
 
Disney hotel rooms also were cheaper to book one week prior to travel than three months ahead from October to January, Bazinet noted.
 
"This suggests the calendar [fourth quarter] demand Disney anticipated did not materialize, prompting last-minute rate reductions to fill vacant rooms," Bazinet said.
 
Disney Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs took the unusual step of responding to Bazinet's claims. Normally, Disney and other companies don't reply to analyst reports or ratings.
 
"Thus far, we are pleased with the pace of business at our parks, especially given the fact that we had record attendance at our domestic parks last year," Staggs said in a prepared statement.
 
"Currently, our room reservations at our domestic resorts for the remainder of our fiscal year are modestly ahead of where they were at this time last year," Staggs went on to say. "Thus far, pricing of rooms at our domestic resorts is tracking slightly above last year."
 
Disney shares were down 2.3% in recent action to $28.70.
 
Bazinet noted there has been no issue with strategy or execution by Disney management. Instead, his concerns stem from whether the company will be able to sustain robust results at the parks.
 
He offered one caveat: that he had similar concerns in 2007 that never materialized.
 
"But now, as we enter 2008, we are getting increasingly concerned that Disney's strategy and strong execution may simply get overshadowed by macroeconomic forces. That is, as energy costs remain stubbornly high, the housing market falters, and equity values pull back, we think it's only natural for consumer spending to slow," Bazinet wrote.

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Don't Sell Disney

Motley Fool - I don't get it.

Dramatically slashing his price target from $36 to $26, Citi analyst Jason Bazinet downgraded shares of Disney (NYSE: DIS) to "sell" this morning,

His reasons for concern are the ones you'd expect. "As energy costs remain stubbornly high, the housing market falters, and equity values pull back, we think it's only natural for consumer spending to slow," Bazinet writes.

But the rub here is that these issues have been around for several quarters now. Those $3 gallons of gasoline aren't something new. They didn't get in the way of road trips to Disney World or Disneyland this past summer.

In fact, Disney's theme parks posted double-digit top-line gains just this past quarter. The same can't be said of smaller regional amusement-park chains, such as Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) and Six Flags (NYSE: SIX), which struggled to keep the turnstiles turning.

Bazinet also alludes to recent last-minute discounting at Disney-owned hotels as a sign that trends are turning. Now, granted, Disney isn't immune to economic pressure. Its theme parks took a hit the last time the country dipped into a recession. However, Disney's parks also have a habit of bouncing back quickly.

It's not just that high-end vacations tend to hold up a little better than a day trip out to the area amusement park -- although there is something to that. Great Wolf Resorts (Nasdaq: WOLF), the company behind the lavish lodges with huge indoor waterparks also came through with healthy year-over-year metrics in its most recently completed quarter.

The case for Disney's parks -- if not for Disney as a whole -- is that we really do live in a global marketplace these days. Oh, and we can't overlook that Disney is on much sounder fundamental footing now than it was the last time the economy took a slip.

It's a small world after all

Bill Mann's look at the banged-up buck shows us the blessings of a freefalling dollar. It makes homegrown products cheaper overseas, and the same goes for tourism. You might pay more to go to Milan or Paris, but the plunging buck also makes it that much cheaper for European and Asian tourists to vacation in the United States.

Some of those tourists go to Vegas. Others go to New York City. However, the sunny realms where Disneyland and Disney World reside are also popular escapes. If a family from Des Moines has to pass on its annual trip to Disney World, that's unfortunate. But Disney will probably find it more lucrative if the room our Iowans passed up goes to a family from Kyoto.

Regulars know how to save money at the parks. They bring their own snacks and juice boxes, and they leave the property to find cheaper meals. Foreigners, on the other hand, will stick closer to the familiar theme park. And since prices are lower than what they had back home anyway, they'll have no problem loading up on lavish dinners, not to mention souvenirs.

I'm not suggesting that Disney is better off without the locals. The ideal scenario would be for it to attract everyone. However, our country's attractiveness as a tourist getaway gets more economical with every downtick of the dollar, and that scenario helps iconic destinations such as Disney.

More than just the Mouse

Disney has also evolved beyond its theme parks and animated features. The Disney Channel has become a rock star after launching the careers of Hannah Montana and the High School Musical franchise. There's no denying that the Writers Guild of America strike is hurting Disney's ABC, but the company is blessed to have ESPN, a magnet these days as a perpetual source of fresh content.

Disney's studio has improved, too, since becoming relevant again in animation after the Pixar acquisition. That move has also created a consumer-products boost, given Disney's fatter collection of characters. The company is also in the process of doubling its cruise-ship capacity.

In short, Disney is about more than just the turnstile clicks, even if I firmly believe that per capita guest spending will rise dramatically as a greater chunk of its theme-park attendance comes from out-of-towners.

Media is medium rare

My biggest beef with the Disney downgrade is the timing. Over the weekend, Barron's pointed out that Disney's price-to-earnings multiple is near a 10-year low. Yes, Disney is now trading at just 13.5 times this year's Wall Street target of $2.13 a share and 12.3 times next year's estimate.

Is Disney really worth a multiple in the low teens? The major networks are dirt cheap right now. CBS (NYSE: CBS) and NBC parent General Electric (NYSE: GE) are also fetching just 12 to 13 times forward profitability.

I'm not suggesting that one should back up the truck to the Mouse at the moment, but it certainly seems like a lousy time to bail on the family-entertainment giant. If the valuation appears reasonable, remind yourself that Disney has actually beaten analyst estimates in each of the past 11 quarters.

Maybe Bazinet has seen the cracks before anyone else has. Maybe next week's fiscal first-quarter report proves Disney to be mortal. Such things would worry me if Disney were trading at some stratospheric multiple, but it's not. With the recent share weakness already discounting a lackluster report, I would argue that the bears need to worry more about the upside than the bulls do with the downside.

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Disney Grad Nite 2009 moves to Disney Hollywood Studios

Beginning in 2009, Disney Grad Nite will take place at Disney's Hollywood Studios™. The class of 2009 will be the first to experience this all new event.

Disney's Hollywood Studios is the perfect venue for this event created for graduating seniors. The theme park is great for live performances and features some the most popular rides for teens.

The event team is creating a one-of-a-kind celebration for high school seniors where the grads will create magical memories for the first time at Disney Hollywood Studios.

Attraction Highlights:
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  • Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  • Star Tours
  • Toy Story Mania! (opening Summer 2008)

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Docs: TV Drama Perpetuates Autism Myth

AP - The nation's largest pediatricians' group says ABC should cancel the first episode of a new series because it perpetuates the myth that vaccines can cause autism.

ABC's new drama, "Eli Stone," debuts on Thursday. It features British actor Jonny Lee Miller as a prophet-like lawyer who in the opening episode argues in court that a flu vaccine made a child autistic. When it is revealed in court that an executive at the fictional vaccine maker didn't allow his own child to get the shot, jurors side with the family, giving them a huge award.

The show's co-creators say they're not anti-vaccine and would be upset if parents chose not to immunize their children after seeing the show.

But, said Dr. Renee R. Jenkins, president of the influential American Academy of Pediatrics, "A television show that perpetuates