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March 16 - 22, 2008 |
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News |
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Thursday
March 20, 2008 |
Disney
to buy back part of Disney Store chain
Children's
Place to Exit Disney Stores
Save Small World, ride creator's family begs Disneyland
Highlights of Disney Cruise Line's deal with Port Canaveral
Jonas Brothers
to star in reality show
Mouse overhauls Euro distribution team
Disney
Destinations chief Robertson quits
2008 Disney
Channel Games concert tickets
Disney film crew could show up in financial district building
soon
Television's
History Channel Is History |
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Disney
to buy back part of Disney Store chain
Pasadena Star-News - The Walt Disney Co. said today it is
talking with The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. about
buying back a North America-based portion of the Disney Store
chain that it sold off in 2004.
"The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS)
today confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with The
Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., to explore terms under
which Disney might acquire ownership of a portion of the Disney
Store chain in North America," a company statement said.
"The Company believes the Disney
Stores can be an important extension of the "Disney" brand and,
with the improved economics provided by a smaller store
footprint, could add value to the Company in the promotion and
monetization of its growing number of robust franchises."
In 2004, Disney sold the Disney
Stores to Children's Place, which is based in Secaucus N.J.,
after finding retailing challenging, even though the stores are
popular with children.
An international entertainment
conglomerate, Disney reported annual revenues of more than $35
billion in its most recent fiscal year and, as of yesterday, a
market capitalization of nearly $59 billion. |
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Children's Place
to Exit Disney Stores
The Wall Street Journal - Children's Place
Retail Stores Inc. announced plans to exit the Disney Store
chain in North America and cut 130 jobs as it swung to a fiscal
fourth-quarter loss on write-downs and other costs related to
the exit.
In getting
out of its relationship with Walt Disney Co., for with
talks are ongoing, Children's Place interim Chief Executive
Chuck Crovitz said the company's namesake brand "is
well-positioned in this environment."
Disney and
Children's Place, which launched a strategic review in October
-- a month after founder Ezra Dabah resigned as chief executive
-- haven't had a smooth relationship since Disney turned over
operations of the Disney Store chain in 2004.
In a separate
statement, Disney confirmed the discussions and said the stores
"can be an important extension of the 'Disney' brand and, with
the improved economics provided by a smaller store footprint,
could add value to the company." The chain suffered earlier this
decade after going on an expansion binge during the 1990s.
The 130 job cuts
in Children's Place's shared-services business are a combination
of layoffs and not filling open positions. Savings of $12
million a year are projected from the reduction.
In addition, the
company is slashing its capital-spending target for the year by
at least 50% to between $65 million and $75 million. Such
spending in the prior fiscal year was $200 million. The cuts
reflect exiting the Disney business and not building a new
headquarters.
"Given the
challenging macroeconomic environment," said Mr. Crovitz, "we
believe the steps we are taking today, while difficult, will put
The Children's Place in position to realize its full potential."
For the quarter
ended Feb. 2, the children's clothing retailer reported a net
loss of $58.5 million, or $2.01 a share, compared with
prior-year net income of $44.7 million, or $1.48 a share. The
latest results include a pretax write-down of $80.3 million
related to the Disney exit.
Gross margin
slumped to 37.3% from 43.7%.
Children's Place
reported last month that fourth-quarter sales climbed 4% to
$670.9 million as same-store sales rose 3%, rising 7% at
Children's Place stores and falling 4% at Disney stores.
Mr. Dabah, the
company's largest shareholder with a 17% stake, resigned from
his post in September after an internal investigation found
violations of company policy. He announced in October he was
considering buying Children's Place and looking into
alternatives to finance a bid.
Mr. Dabah said in
late February he was confident he will be in a position to make
a formal proposal to acquire Children's Place for $24 a share.
The bid values the firm at about $700 million.
Looking ahead, Mr,
Crovitz projected sales will grow in the mid-single digits in
the fiscal year. Analysts were expecting sales to grow 8% to
$2.34 billion.
Shares of
Children's Place closed Wednesday at $19.60 and rose to $20 in
premarket activity. |
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Save Small World, ride creator's family begs Disneyland
LA Times - An "idiotic plan" to add Mickey Mouse and other
Disney characters as well as an American tribute scene to
Disneyland's It's a Small World represents a "gross desecration"
that would "bastardize" the stylized artwork and "marginalize"
the original theme of the boat ride, wrote the family of the
classic attraction's creator in an open letter to Disney
executives.
 Disney
Imagineers are considering changes to Small World that include
adding Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Belle, Simba, Nemo,
Lilo and Stitch to locations throughout the ride while replacing
the Papua, New Guinea, rain forest scene with an American
tribute, reported MiceAge's Al Lutz.
"Ripping out a rain forest
(imaginary or otherwise) and replacing it with misplaced
patriotism is a public relations blunder so big you could run a
Monorail through it," wrote Kevin Blair, son of Small World
creator Mary Blair, on behalf of the family.
Disney officials said some
additions — known as "plussing" in Imagineering parlance — will
be made to Small World but that no decision had been made on
specific creative changes to the 14-minute ride despite the
speculation.
"No one approaches our classic
attractions with more reverence than Disney Imagineers who take
great care when refreshing beloved attractions," said Marilyn
Waters, a Disney Imagineering spokeswoman. "As with all our
classics, any enhancements made to It's a Small World will be in
the original spirit of celebrating the children of the world."
ReImagineering, an unofficial
online forum for past and present Disney Imagineers to catalog
missteps and debate solutions, called the "egregious and
downright disgusting" proposed Small World changes a "brutal
dismissal" of Mary Blair's "profound and enduring influence on
the Disney aesthetic."
"This is not a change at
Disneyland to take lightly," the ReImagineering editorial
stated. "Letters should go out to all corners of the company
pleading for a halt to the desecration of Small World once and
for all."
MiceAge's Dateline Disneyland
columnist Andy Castro has championed an online campaign to "Save
the Rainforest," urging Small World fans to call, write or
e-mail Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering or Disney's
corporate headquarters to put a halt to the proposed changes.
Kevin Blair sent snail-mail
versions of his protest letter to Disneyland President Ed Grier,
Disney Imagineering's Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter and Pixar
chief John Lasseter.
Small World went down for a
10-month rehab in January to replace the original flume and
fleet of boats used at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, where
the ride debuted.
The Mouse still insists the
Small World overhaul has absolutely nothing to do with the
ever-increasing waistlines of Americans. |
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Highlights of Disney Cruise Line's deal with Port Canaveral
Orlando Sentinel - In return for a promise
from Disney Cruise Line to continue making at least 150 calls a
year, Port Canaveral must spend as much as $10 million building
a 1,000-space parking garage for Disney.
The
port will also borrow an additional $22 million to finance
further upgrades to Disney's custom-built terminal, work that
will include extending docks, expanding check-in space and
installing environmentally sensitive technology. The debt
ultimately will be paid off by a new, $7-per-round-trip charge
on Disney Cruise Line tickets. A Disney spokeswoman said the
charge would begin in 2010.
After more than a year of negotiations,
Disney Cruise Line and Port Canaveral struck a deal Wednesday
that will keep Disney ships sailing out of Brevard County for
the next 15 years.
Under the agreement, Disney will station the two new cruise
ships it is having built in Germany at Port Canaveral for at
least three years after they begin sailing in 2011 and 2012.
Each of the ships will carry 4,000 passengers, or 1,300 more
than the existing Disney Magic and Disney Wonder liners.
The agreement also ensures that some combination of Disney's
four ships will remain based at Canaveral until at least 2023,
making a combined 150 calls every year.
For its part, Canaveral will spend as much as $10 million to
build Disney a 1,000-space parking garage. The port will borrow
an additional $22 million to finance further upgrades to
Disney's custom-built terminal, work that will include extending
docks, expanding check-in space and installing environmentally
sensitive technology.
The construction work must be complete by Oct. 1, 2010.
The debt ultimately will be paid off by a new, $7-per-round-trip
charge on Disney Cruise Line tickets. A Disney spokeswoman said
the charge would begin in 2010.
Stan Payne, Canaveral's chief executive officer, said the deal
gives the port the assurance it needs to embark on the
multimillion-dollar upgrades required to accommodate the next
generation of ultra-sized ocean liners.
Disney's new ships, for instance, will each be three decks
taller, 150 feet longer and 15 feet wider than its existing
ships.
"Our key objectives during the negotiations were balancing
Disney's needs for flexibility . . . with our need for a
commitment," he said.
He projected that the agreement would generate at least $200
million in revenue for the port in the next 15 years.
Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin called the promise to
keep the new ships in Brevard until at least Dec. 31, 2014, "a
pretty big commitment on our part."
But he also said it was vital that Disney have the freedom to
begin deploying some of its ships full-time to new locations all
over the world.
The company is increasingly experimenting with far-flung
itineraries, sending the Magic to the U.S. West Coast during the
summer of 2005 and to Europe last summer. The ship will return
to the West Coast this summer.
"When you invest hundreds of millions of dollars in an asset,
you'd like to maintain flexibility," McAlpin said. "The benefit
of our industry is that our assets our mobile."
Disney is expected to send ships even further afield in the
coming years.
The company views the cruise line as a way to introduce
consumers in new markets to the Disney name and spark demand for
its other parks and products.
Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger has called the
cruise line "an important brand-builder."
McAlpin would not discuss where Disney might station the Magic
and another ship, the Wonder, once the new ships arrive.
"We're still studying that," he said.
Disney's inaugural 10-year deal with Port Canaveral was set to
expire this summer, and the negotiations on an extension haven't
always been easy. Disney executives suggested, publicly and
privately, that they were considering moving ships to rival
ports in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. They toured the Port of Tampa
last year.
The talks "reached a pinnacle on Christmas Eve when my wife
wanted to know what I was doing standing in my front yard
without shoes on, talking on my Blackberry to Tom McAlpin,"
Payne said.
Port officials were still scrambling to finalize the deal as
late as Wednesday morning, just hours before Canaveral Port
Authority members voted to approve it.
Payne said the port faced an extra hurdle because the nation's
credit turmoil made finding a way to finance the construction
improvements difficult.
"This is a complicated deal," McAlpin said.
Port officials also announced Wednesday that they have reached a
tentative agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in which
the Miami-based cruise operator will station its Freedom of the
Seas liner at Canaveral beginning in May 2009.
The Freedom-class vessel, which will have room for more than
3,600 passengers, will become the largest ship home-ported at
Canaveral when it arrives.
It will replace the roughly 3,100-passenger Mariner of the Seas,
which Royal Caribbean plans to send to Los Angeles in early
2009, and ensure that the company continues to have two ships
stationed in Canaveral.
Payne said he expects to sign a five-year contract with Royal
Caribbean for the ship soon. |
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Jonas Brothers
to star in reality show
Digital Spy - The Disney Channel has announced that it is to
make a reality show about US pop-rock band the Jonas Brothers.
The series, currently titled
Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream, will follow Kevin, 20,
Joe, 18, and Nick, 15, on their 'Look Me in the Eyes' tour,
which kicked off in January.
The new series is the latest in a number of projects Disney has
spearheaded for the platinum-selling group. They released second
album Jonas Brothers through
the company's Hollywood Records last August and recently opened
for Disney star Miley Cyrus on her
Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus:
Best of Both Worlds concert tour.
They will embark on their own 'Burning Up' tour in July to
promote their third album and original Disney TV movie
Camp Rock.
They will also appear in scripted spy comedy series
J.O.N.A.S. for the channel.
Gary Marsh, president of entertainment at Disney Channel
Worldwide, said: "The Jonas Brothers are an unstoppable force
that has exploded onto the music scene." |
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Mouse overhauls Euro distribution team
C21Media - Disney Media Networks has made several new
appointments in its program distribution and new media
divisions, following the recent restructure of its European TV
operations.
Catherine Powell has been appointed senior VP of program
distribution, EMEA (North) at Disney-ABC International
Television. She will drive content sales in the UK and Ireland,
Germany, France, Nordic, Israel and Benelux, working with
program sales heads and their teams in local markets.
Powell was previously VP of sales, UK/Ireland, Nordic, Israel
and Benelux, and joined the company in June 2004. She will
continue to be based in London.
Francesca Tauriello has been appointed senior VP of programme
distribution, EMEA (South). She will lead program sales
activities in Italy, Spain, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa,
Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East, working with program
sales heads and their teams.
Tauriello will remain based in Rome. She was previously
Disney-ABC International Television’s VP of sales, Northern
Mediterranean and Middle East, and joined the company in May
2001.
Maria Kyriacou has been appointed senior VP of new media
distribution, EMEA and Canada. She will focus on leading new
media sales and strategy within the integrated business, across
both channel and program distribution, with a focus on
developing activity with new platforms such as PC, IPTV, mobile
and other consumer devices.
Kyriacou be working closely with Powell, Tauriello and Simon
Amselem, senior VP of channel distribution, EMEA, and will be
based in London.
Other appointments include Adam Tow, who has been appointed VP
of business and legal affairs, EMEA and Canada. He swaps with
Simon Taylor who takes Tow's role as VP of business and legal
affairs, Disney Channels EMEA.
The appointments follow Disney's move in February to integrate
channel, new media, program distribution and business and legal
affairs teams in EMEA. All will report to Tom Toumazis,
executive VP and MD of the integrated business. |
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Disney
Destinations chief Robertson quits
PrecisionMarketing - Disney Destinations International (DDI)
head of marketing UK and Ireland Adrian Roberston has left the
company without a job to go to.
Robertson joined Walt Disney,
Theme Park Operator, in 2004 as head of direct marketing and
new media before moving through the company.
With 20 years in marketing,
Robertson started his career at the Royal Heritage Life
Assurance as marketing executive, before moving to NatWest
as an account executive on its direct marketing team.
He later joined Empire
Stores, before moving to BT, where he was communications
manager of direct marketing.
In 1999, Robertson switched
to the travel market as online and direct marketing manager
at Thomas Cook Tour Operators. He was tasked with launching
JMC Holidays’ website, as well as relaunching and rebranding
the company’s key brands. He later joined competitors First
Choice – before the TUI buyout – as group CRM manager.
While at Disney, Robertson
was instrumental in developing Walt Disney World’s online
activity, targeting many of its customers via the Internet
and shifting a major portion of its TV ad spend online.
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2008 Disney
Channel Games concert tickets
Theme Park Rangers -
As of late last
night, Walt Disney World passholders could begin requesting free
tickets for the 2008 Disney Channel Games concert, which will
feature The Cheetah Girls, The Jonas Brothers and others on
Saturday, May 3, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
Here's what to
do:
Email dcgamesconcert08@gmail.com with your name, e-mail
address, phone number, number of tickets you'd like (maximum
of 6) and passholder ID number.
Requests are
honored on a first-come, first-served basis, and you will be
notified by email. There are no guarantees that you will
receive tickets.
Keep reading
the jump for what to do if you're not a passholder.
Sentinel TV critic Hal Boedeker points readers of his blog
to the Disney web site, which posted information yesterday
for tickets for the general public. It indicates those
without annual or seasonal passes should
check here
on Tuesday, March 25, for details on how they can request
tickets.
Remember, this is a television
production, so there will be down time during the taping.
But how can you beat a free concert with at least two of the
hottest teen acts whose tour tickets are almost impossible
to snag?
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Disney film crew could show up in financial district
building soon
bizjournals - A movie crew from The Walt Disney Co. was
spotted at 160 Federal St in Boston's financial district on
Thursday, scouting the location for an upcoming film.
Building management did not
return calls seeking comment. But spectators early that
morning said Disney wanted to scenes in a few weeks for a
film starring "Speed" actress Sandra Bullock.
Bullock's film "The
Proposal," co-starring Ryan Reynolds, is to start shooting
in Massachusetts on March 31 through Disney's Touchtone
Pictures imprint, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Beverly Citizen, citing
unnamed sources, reported recently that the film's producers
are scouting locations in Gloucester, Manchester and Beverly
airport.
Boston Casting is reportedly
handling casting of extras for the movie.
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Television's History Channel Is History
AP - The History Channel is now history.
Make that History. The cable
network quietly dropped "the" and "channel" from its name
recently, claiming History for itself.
"Our brand is, in the media
landscape, synonymous with the genre of history so I don't
think it's presumptuous of us to call ourselves History,"
said Nancy Dubuc, the network's executive vice president.
That's how many viewers
already refer to it, she said. "Channel" is a drag on
efforts to establish the brand in other media, like on the
Internet. There were no licensing issues involved in the
switch, she said.
The network has even changed
its "H" logo to make it look bolder, less ancient.
Once dubbed "The Hitler
Channel" for all of its World War II documentaries, History
has switched to a more "immersive" style that tries to show
rather than tell, she said. Adventure-seeking is in. Sitting
in an armchair telling war stories is out.
History is following the
model of Discovery, whose popular "Deadliest Catch" series
about Alaskan crab fishermen is one of the most influential
shows on cable. History, owned by the A&E Television
Networks, has its own "Ice Road Truckers" about drivers on
frozen lakes in Canada and just started "Ax Men" about
loggers.
The series "MonsterQuest"
may sound like a video game; it's about searches for mythic
creatures.
"It's not exactly history,
is it?" said Sean Wilentz, award-winning history professor
at Princeton University.
"Anybody who thinks that
there's only one place to go for history is badly mistaken,"
Wilentz said. "Why are they doing that? I don't know.
Especially at a time they are moving away from history? I
don't get it."
Although the
attention-getting "Life After People" special dramatized a
world after the human race had been wiped out -- prehistory,
in other words -- Dubuc said she's concentrating on building
signature series that people will return to each week.
Despite his bewilderment at
the change, Wilentz and another prominent historian said
they appreciated any efforts to get more people interested
in the topic.
"Truth is that I love
history so much and if the changed name brings more people
to watch more history it's all to the good," said Doris
Kearns Goodwin.
Gordon Wood, a Pulitzer
Prize-winning historian at Brown University, doesn't watch
the network much.
"I must confess, I'm still
back in the reading-of-books stage," he said.
A&E is a joint venture of
Hearst, Disney ABC Cable and NBC Universal Cable.
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Wednesday
March 19, 2008 |
Spring in Bloom, Disney
Style
Disney To
Bring Megaships To Port Canaveral
Disney Says Narnia Not
Over
Broken Bridge
Famous Five go high-tech in new books and film for Disney
Channel
Van Dyke Sings
'Supercali ... ' Etc.
Disney Helps Open
Boys & Girls Club
Disney Interactive Studios’ Original
Franchise Continues with Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for
Nintendo DS
Shanghai to Welcome
Disneyland
Alaska
extends 'kids fly free' Disney promotion
Cyrus' Child Is No Destiny
Disney
announces shoot of DCOM in Rajasthan
ABC to Air Prostitution News Special
Dancing with the Stars Round One - Ladies' Night
Disney Garden begins shipping to Mexico
Q&A: ABC Family's Paul Lee |
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Spring in Bloom, Disney
Style
Disney Insider - Have you ever wondered what it's like to enter
a lush garden aflutter with hundreds of butterfly wings? Or how
about escaping into a serene water garden? These are just some
of the adventures awaiting Guests at the Epcot International
Annual Flower and Garden Festival.
 Celebrating
its fifteenth year, the flourish-filled fest has extended its
run to 75 days, from March 19 to June 1, offering a magical
journey into the world of gardening. Guests are greeted by a
14-foot topiary of Goofy riding the waves at the Epcot's front
gate while Mickey and Minnie relax beachside in a nod to this
year's theme, "Fun in the Sun." More Disney Characters will be
blooming than ever before, along with specialty gardens geared
toward food lovers, English tea aficionados, and even those with
not-so-green thumbs.
The festival's most popular event is Minnie's Magnificent
Butterfly Garden, where Guests can surround themselves with 500
American butterflies in a 1,400-square-foot enclosed house. With
a little patience, you can observe an amazing metamorphosis as
the chrysalis opens and a butterfly emerges, gently pumping
newborn wings for its first attempt at flight. But there's more
to observe here than just the obvious beauty. Eric Darden,
Horticulture Manager for Epcot and the Food and Garden Festival,
explains that, "Telling the story of our native butterflies
informs our Guests while promoting butterfly-friendly
gardening."
In addition, the festival features numerous activities that
focus on green issues. Xeriscapes, a brand-new exhibit, provides
an eco-conscious choice for the horticultural challenged. Taking
the country's recent droughts into account, Eric states, "we are
asking Guests to consider the environmental impact when they go
home." This easy-to-care-for garden is packed with plants
requiring minimal water aside from natural precipitation,
illustrating a worry-free option for the water conscious.
 Advanced
gardeners looking to unearth some new tips and tricks will enjoy
the ongoing lecture series featuring the man in red suspenders
himself, Roger Swain, longtime host of PBS's "The Victory
Garden," along with many of the country's top horticulturalists.
Although Disney might be the "House of Mouse," 2008's Year of
the Rat is the perfect time to explore the Chinese zodiac at the
festival's Topiary Chinese Zodiac Garden.
There's plenty to do with little ones in tow. Every year the
festival adds more activities the entire family can enjoy. For
boys who don't want to grow up, Peter Pan's Never Land Garden is
a great place to explore, with Captain Hook and Peter Pan
topiaries whisking them away to a make-believe world.
Proving fun is for kids of all ages, the Flower Power Concert
Series, features stars like Davy Jones, the Nelsons, and other
memorable acts from decades past. Annual Passholders can unwind
from the afternoon grind and get grooving to some of their
favorite artists.
Whether your thumb's ever-green or you're a gardening
washout, Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival offers
blooms, tunes, and something truly spectacular for every member
of the family. |
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Disney To
Bring Megaships To Port Canaveral
Local6 - Disney Cruise Line has agreed to make Port Canaveral
home for both of the newest super liner cruise ships in its
fleet beginning in 2011, Local 6 News partner Florida Today
reported.
In addition, Royal Caribbean
International has signed a letter of intent to bring its Freedom
of the Seas to be home-ported at Port Canaveral in 2009.
The deals are the culmination of
a year of negotiations.
In 2011 and 2012, Disney will put both of its mega-size
4,000-passenger ships at Port Canaveral in a deal in which the
cruise line will pick up the $22 million cost for improvements
to its land-side terminal at the port and construction of a new
parking garage.
Under terms of the 15-year deal,
the ships will remain at Port Canaveral at least until 2014, at
which time Disney has the option to move the ships. At least two
of the four Disney ships will remain at Port Canaveral for the
duration of the contract.
"This is the most exciting
development," said Stan Payne, chief executive officer of
Canaveral Port Authority. "The trend in the cruise industry is
to put the bigger ships at the strongest ports in the country,
and for Disney to put both of its newest ships here is a big
statement."
With Royal Caribbean, the deal
to bring Freedom of the Seas to Port Canaveral in 2009 was
critical to replace the Mariner of the Seas, which leaves for
Los Angeles that year.
The five-year deal, which
includes two one-year contract extensions, is the longest term
of any contract the port has had with Royal Caribbean. It took a
year to work out the Disney deal because of issues related to
the overall deal, particularly financing the terminal
construction, which needs to be completed by October 2010.
In February 2007, Disney announced the deal with Germany's
Meyer Werft Shipyards to build the two 122,000-ton ships. |
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Disney Says Narnia Not
Over
411mania - Reports broke earlier this
week that Disney may pull the plug on their Chronicles of Narnia
franchise after the third film, but Disney is denying those
reports today. It appears that Disney still plans to bring all
seven Narnia books to the big screen.
Meanwhile, John Carter of Mars is still on track and should take
off in the not too distant future. |
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Broken Bridge
Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square
Bridge is indeed in trouble. As reported here a few weeks ago,
the Bridge that carry's thousands of people a day and makes way
for all of Magic Kingdom's Parades is in need of repair or
complete replacement. Disney World has already filed the
appropriate paperwork for the job and only time will tell how
this will affect the day to day workings at the Magic Kingdom.
To view the paperwork click this
LINK |
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Times Online
- They solve mysteries with a laptop while tomboy George has
become Jyoti - the Famous Five have been rebooted by Disney in a
“relevant” form for today's children.
Enid Blyton's celebrated characters are being revived in a
new series of books, accompanied by an animated television
series, screened on the Disney Channel.
The amateur sleuths still stop for ginger beer and are
accompanied by their faithul dog, Timmy. But much has changed
since the quintet first investigated Treasure Island in 1942.
Famous Five: On the Case introduces the children of Blyton's
original adventurers, and rumours that George nurtured sapphic
tendencies have proved wide of the mark. Her anglo-Indian
daughter Jo, short for Jyoti, is the new team leader.
Wimpish Anne became a successful California art dealer and
produced Allie, a shopping-obsessed Malibu girl who shares her
mother's disdain for dangerous antics.
The five are again packed off to the Devon moorlands and are
soon on the trail of smugglers. But they encounter a more
sinister threat on their first adventure: a phoney
“environmentalist” is running a DVD bootlegging operation on
Shelter Island, just the kind of activity that is threatening
Disney's profits.
Our heroes discover that the DVDs are embedded with
subliminal messages that brainwash children into craving Fudge
Fries candy. The villain is brought to book.
The new five are “sassier” than their upper-middle-class
parents. Describing a monster, the laptop-wielding Dylan (son of
Dick) exclaims: “It's been around for centuries — longer than
Prince Philip.”
When Anne uses the light from her mobile phone to plot their
escape from a pitch-dark tunnel, she reminds viewers: “Cell
phones are the greatest invention ever — you can order pizza
with them.”
The original Blyton titles sell one million copies a year and
Hodder is publishing 12 new books. They are top-sellers in
India, inspiring Jo's ethnic background.
Jeff Norton, director of Brand Development of Chorion, which
owns the rights to all the Blyton books, said: “The new Five is
a fresh, modern concept which relates to audiences in a
multimedia age.
“They are smart, cool and hip kids, but like their parents
they use their resourcefulness and survival skills to bring down
the bad guys.”
Like The Dangerous Book For Boys, the new Famous Five is
intended as a riposte to a society in which children are told it
is too dangerous to play outdoors. Although the children are
notionally under the sway of Aunt George, they are encouraged to
sleep rough on the moors, go kayaking and explore deserted mines
and Kirrin Island.
Hodder is also encouraging children to read the original
books, which have sold one million copies, and write their own
Famous Five story. The best entry will be turned into a podcast.
Famous Five: On the Case begins on the Disney Channel in May
with the first new book following in July. |
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Van
Dyke Sings 'Supercali ... ' Etc.
AP - Dick Van Dyke may be 82, but he can still get 14 syllables
into a single word. Van Dyke sang
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" on Monday night at the
Geffen Playhouse during a tribute to actress Annette Bening and
studio chief Robert A. Iger. The ceremony honored their efforts
to support the arts — live theater in particular.Van Dyke
even recreated a bit of the choreography from "Mary Poppins"
with the current Broadway stars of "Poppins" and "Mermaid,"
Ashley Brown and Sierra Boggess.
"The secret to keeping moving," Van Dyke said, "is keeping
moving."
Not coincidentally, Julie Andrews served as co-chair of the
tribute with Van Dyke, marking a "Poppins"-movie reunion on the
arrivals line.
"It's one of those friendships where we do see each other,
occasionally," said Andrews, 72. "Not as much as I like, but
it's as if we never said goodbye, and we never did say goodbye."
While the spotlight was on three-time Oscar nominee Bening
and Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the
stage loomed larger than both of them — and it's clear that's
just as the two preferred.
The star of such movies as "American Beauty" and the upcoming
"The Women," Bening, 49, told AP Television, "The non-profit
theater is where I started. It's where I saw my first play. I
don't know how many people out there were taken to the theater
for the first time by their English teacher or their drama
teacher, but that's where I went, which is The Old Globe in San
Diego. ... So, for me, it's where I started, and I feel so
grateful."
The Tony-nominated Bening won wide acclaim for her lead in "Hedda
Gabler" at the Geffen in spring 1999. "I'd rather watch her on
stage than anyone else," noted Bening's husband, actor Warren
Beatty, 70. "And I'd rather watch her at home than on stage."
Bening has been a longtime supporter of the Geffen, as well
as a member of the California Arts Council. When Iger, 57, took
over for Michael Eisner as Disney chief in 2005, he quickly made
it clear that he shared his predecessor's passion for theater.
Disney now has five shows on Broadway, including the just-opened
"The Little Mermaid" and the West End smash, "Mary Poppins."
Other celeb attendees included Oscar-winner Anjelica Houston,
who presented to her "The Grifters" costar Bening; Tony-winning
director Julie Taymor ("The Lion King"), who presented to Iger,
as well as producer Gil Cates, writer Bruce Vilanch, and actors
Sharon Lawrence, Dana Delany, James Cromwell and Jane Lynch. |
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Disney Helps
Open Boys & Girls Club
WESH -
A grand opening in Pine Hills on Wednesday is being called a
dream come true.
Disney is helping the Boys and Girls Club to open a new
center there today in an area known for crime and violence.
The new building sits at 5211 Hernandes Drive.
Mickey himself is expected to attend for the grand opening.
Disney offered the same support to another Boys and Girls
Club last month in Osceola County. |
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Disney Interactive Studios’ Original
Franchise Continues with Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for
Nintendo DS
Business Wire - Details of the next game in the highly popular
anime-inspired, sci-fi action/role playing game series
Spectrobes have been uncovered. Disney Interactive Studios today
announced the name of Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, the sequel
to Spectrobes, which shipped more than 1 million units worldwide
and was the best-selling third-party Nintendo DS™
game of 2007 in North America.
Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for Nintendo DS continues the
story of Rallen and Jeena, interplanetary patrol officers who
discover, excavate, awaken and train mysterious fossilized
creatures known as Spectrobes and then use them to battle
enemies. The story surrounds the origins of mysterious portals
that lead to distant dimensions.
Developed by Kyoto, Japan-based Jupiter Corp., the studio
behind Spectrobes, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals has a wealth
of new features, including an entirely new story; a new
three-dimensional perspective; a map to assist with exploration;
new excavation and battle features; more creatures; and the
debut of an online battle system utilizing the Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals also includes DGamer,
Disney Interactive Studios’ innovative
new technology that provides a fun, connected online game
community for Disney video game fans. Spectrobes: Beyond The
Portals is currently planned for a Fall 2008 release.
“Spectrobes has become an
international sensation,” said Craig
Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney
Interactive Studios. “By continuing to
build on its enthralling story, unique gameplay features and
memorable characters, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals will
continue to thrill fans. This second game is part of our plan to
expand the series in the coming years.”
The game is being overseen by Disney Interactive Studios’
Tokyo office.
“With Spectrobes: Beyond The
Portals, we’re working with Jupiter
Corp. again and ensuring the series adheres to its defining
features while capturing new elements of anime style and
storytelling,” said Kentaro Hisai,
producer, Disney Interactive Studios, based in Tokyo.
“Spectrobes was a major success last
year and we look forward to continuing the series.”
In Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, players can take on the
role of either Rallen or, for the first time, Jeena. Jeena uses
her research and technological skills so the duo can solve
puzzles and complete their missions.
With the game’s inclusion of
DGamer, players can customize a unique 3D avatar, earn exclusive
Disney content, interact and chat with their friends via
their Nintendo DS using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or on a
computer through the Disney.com website. DGamer is the first
online community developed exclusively for Disney Gamers and
will be offered in North America in Nintendo DS games from
Disney Interactive Studios with a future launch scheduled in
other global regions.
For more information about Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals,
log on to
www.spectrobes.com/beyondtheportals.
About Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Interactive Studios is the interactive entertainment
affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney
Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad
portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive
entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties
and works directly with other interactive game publishers to
bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive
Studios is based in Glendale, California and has five internal
game development studios around the world including Avalanche
Software, Fall Line Studio, Propaganda Games, Black Rock Studio
and Junction Point Studios.
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Shanghai to Welcome
Disneyland
Trading Markets - US-based Walt Disney Company has decided to
build a Disneyland at Chuansha town, Pudong, Shanghai, expected
to be announced around the period for the opening of the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, according to reliable news.
Shanghai mayor Han Zheng once said that the city, having the
ability to build a Disneyland, was preparing for the
construction and waiting for approval from the State Council,
China's cabinet.
Shanghai Current Economics Research Institute head Wang Liang
said that the location of Disney had started to influence the
city's every aspect, such as stock market, real estate, tourism
and retail business.
For instance, Disney concept stocks, Shanghai Lujiazui
Finance & Trade Zone Development Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600663),
Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE:
600836), Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Company
Limited (SHSE: 600284) and Shanghai Construction Co., Ltd. (SHSE:
600170) kept rising from middle February when the whole stock
market was down.
Meanwhile, Pudong concept stocks, Shanghai Shimao Co., Ltd. (SHSE:
600823), Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE:
600836), Shanghai Xinmei Real Estate Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600732)
and Shanghai Wanye Enterprises Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600641) aslo
gained strong performance.
Moreover, all houses at a building under construction, which
nears Disney Shanghai theme park, have been sold out.
An insider pointed out that the to-be-built Disneyland, a
large tourism project able to accept customers to stay for two
nights, would double the Shanghai tourism industry's current
revenue, which was good for China's domestic tourism in spite of
a certain impact on Hong Kong Disneyland.
As early as five years ago, rumors reported that the Walt
Disney Company was to build a Disneyland in Shanghai, the
nation's financial hub, with acreage three times that of
Disneyland Hong Kong.
Until March 9, 2008, an insider told journalists that the
Chinese watchdog had in principle agreed the foreign giant to
locate the Disneyland in Shanghai. In addition, subways and
light rails to the Chuansha town will be available in 2009 and
so did the related supporting facilities around.
As a matter of fact, China's other large cities, like
Beijing, Chengdu and Tianjin have also gotten into a fierce
struggle in hopes of locating the Disneyland there, which is
expected to boost a city's economy and industry to a new high,
said Zhu Lianqing, director at Shanghai Academy of Social
Sciences research center.
(USD 1
= CNY 7.08) |
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Alaska
extends 'kids fly free' Disney promotion
Cheapflights - Alaska Airlines Vacations has extended its Kids
Fly Free to Disneyland Resort promotion through September 30.
Bookings must be made by May 31.
Children aged between 2 and 11
can qualify for free airfare when travelling with an adult
on one of Alaska Airlines' Southern California Vacations
package.Four-night
packages to Disneyland, including round-trip airfare,
accommodations and admission to the theme parks start at
$699 for one adult and one "free" child travelling from
Seattle to Long Beach.
Prices do not include taxes and
are based on off-peak travel for one child and one adult
from selected cities only.
Blackout dates for the
promotion apply between March 20-23 and 28-31, April 4-7 and
11-15, May 23 and 26, June 28-29, July 5-6 and September
5-9.
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Cyrus' Child Is No
Destiny
ABC - Hannah Montana is leaving destiny behind.
Miley Cyrus, whose given name is Destiny Hope Cyrus, has
filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her
full legal name to Miley Ray Cyrus.
The 15-year-old singer and TV
star is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who
filed the papers last Friday with wife Leticia. Her father
writes in the filing that the request was "to make her
commonly used name the same as her legal name."
The name-change request was
first reported by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
Miley Cyrus has said her
father gave her the nickname "Smiley Miley" as a baby
because of her sunny disposition. On the Disney Channel
tween hit "Hannah Montana," she plays a teen who hides her
singing stardom.
Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus
are hosting the Country Music Television ceremony together
at Nashville's Belmont University on April 14.
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Disney
announces shoot of DCOM in Rajasthan
India Infoline - Disney Channel
announced the shoot of Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM)
‘The Cheetah Girls One World’, a musical sequel to its
hugely successful movie in Udaipur, Rajasthan. To be shot
completely in the Indian setting, the sequel continues the
story of best friends Chanel, Aqua and Dorinda as they
embark on their biggest adventure yet – a role in a
Bollywood movie.
Filmed in historic Udaipur, Rajasthan (India), and alive with
music, dance, color and Indian culture, the movie celebrates
friendship, cultural diversity and encourages tweens to pursue
their goals and dreams.
Antoine Villeneuve, Senior Vice President and Managing
Director, Walt Disney Television International (India), said,
“the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be ever shot in
India, The Cheetah Girls One World is part of the hugely
successful tween-driven, family inclusive franchise. Localizing
international franchises has been a Disney Channel benchmark
across the world. The movie uses local settings, talent and
creativity to further strengthen our brand affinity while
providing the environment that Indian kids relate to.”
Based on the book series for kids and tweens by award-winning
journalist-turned-author Deborah Gregory (Jump at the Sun/
Hyperion Books for Children), the movie stars Sabrina Bryan (
from the ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ fame) as Dorinda Thomas;
and platinum-selling recording artists Adrienne Bailon and Kiely
Williams of the R&B/ pop music group 3LW, as Chanel and Aqua,
respectively.
The movie also stars Roshan Seth as Uncle Kamal, Kunal Sharma
as Amar, Rupak Ginn as Rahim, Michael Steger as Vikram "Vik"
Bhatia and Deepti Daryanani as Gita. Debra Martin Chase is the
Executive Producer and Paul Hoen is the Director of this movie.
The production includes 1500 local extras for the movie, 450
local dancers and 45 principal core dancers from Mumbai.
The feel-good story of "The Cheetah Girls One World" begins
when Galleria heads off to Cambridge and her fierce, fabulous
and 'Cheetahlicious' friends, Chanel, Dorinda and Aqua, are
readying for college prep courses and dance camp. Soon, the trio
takes a break, journeying to Mumbai when an aspiring Bollywood
movie director, Vikram "Vik" Bhatia, offers them roles in his
movie, "Namaste Bombay," a love story starring renowned
Bollywood star Rahim.
Upon their arrival in the bustling city, their dreams of
international stardom are in jeopardy when Kamal, the movie's
producer (and Vik's uncle), announces that there's just one role
available. Now, The Cheetah Girls must compete with each other
for the lead in the movie and prove to the talented young
choreographer, Gita that they can dance. Before long, the three
girls begin to question their commitment to The Cheetah Girls'
dream and each must weigh her own aspirations against the
group's future.
With change in the air and their world expanding, the
Cheetahs experience many cultural traditions including Holi
Festival, the joyous, colorful spring ceremony and are
personally affected by the Indian culture. This music and dance
adventure will premiere in October 2008 on Disney Channel India
and, on Disney Channels around the world.
‘The Cheetah Girls’ first premiered on Disney Channel in US
in August 2003 and was followed by "The Cheetah Girls 2" in
November 2006. The movie was the highest rated for a Disney
Channel Original Movie at the time of its release. In India, the
movies premiered on Disney Channel in 2007 and engaged over 4.7
million audiences. |
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ABC to Air
Prostitution News Special
AP - Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's call girl scandal
prompted ABC News to give the go-ahead to a two-hour prime-time
special on prostitution that includes Diane Sawyer's visit to a
legal brothel in Nevada.
The "20/20" special, which airs 9 p.m. EDT Friday, has been in
the works for two years. It was expected to be on sometime in
May or June, but ABC moved it up because Spitzer's resignation
last week put the topic in the headlines, said David Sloan,
executive producer of ABC's newsmagazines.
"It has taken a lot of time and I think it's going to be very
provocative," Sloan said.
The special's lengthy gestation did not indicate any cold
feet on the part of ABC about airing it, he said. It will be on
during the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court announced that
it would hear a major case about broadcast indecency. ABC is
owned by The Walt Disney Co.
On "Prostitution in America: Working Girls Speak," Sawyer
interviews sex workers in poor neighborhoods outside
Philadelphia and in one of Nevada's legal brothels. ABC
hurriedly set up interviews with some highly paid prostitutes
who work the luxury penthouses in a nod to the Spitzer scandal.
The New York Democrat is accused of spending thousands of
dollars on expensive prostitutes, most recently paying for a
woman to travel from New York to Washington where he was
spending the night.
"Much of the coverage on prostitution is as a cultural
phenomenon, when it's really about human beings that are in
crisis," Sawyer said. "There is a lot of denial about the
suffering these women experience."
Sloan said the special is structured so much of the racier
material is confined to the second hour.
ABC speaks to experts on the issue, including columnist
Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, particularly during the
first hour.
"Behind every prostitute is a story of sex abuse, drug
dependency or mental illness," Sloan said. "No one chooses
this."
He said it was a serious look at the issue, not an attempt to
be salacious.
"We're very proud of it," he said. |
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Dancing with the Stars Round One - Ladies' Night
Disney Blog - So now it's the ladies' turn to take the stage and
show us what they've got. The more I've thought about it, the
more I was disappointed with the men last night. So we'll see
if the ladies can impress me more. Of course, we are more then
overdue for a woman to win again, so it wouldn't be a bad thing
if they are better then the men.
Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough - Cha Cha -
The women get things off to a hot start. That was a wonderful
Cha Cha with plenty of technique. If the rest of the women are
at this level, the men have plenty to worry about. The judges
picked on her legs and techniques, but they were mostly
positive.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 7 Bruno - 7 Total
- 21 A little lower then I would have scored it, but I'm not
too surprised after the judge's comments.
Monica Seles & Jonathan Roberts - Foxtrot -
After all the talk about her being stiff and nervous, this was
actually fairly good. Yes, there have been better Foxtrots, and
she could have flowed better. But it was better then I thought
it might be after the background segment. The judges were
rather hard on her for not being smooth enough. And they seemed
surprised to see that she didn't do better considering her
athletic background. I'll agree I expected a little more from
her because of that. But there is definitely promise there.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 5 Len - 5 Bruno - 5 Total
- 15 Okay, I think that's low. I think it belongs in the 18-20
range, so it's not that low. But still, I thought she did a
better job then that.
Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani - Cha
Cha - Well, I hope Marissa is happy because she got to start off
with the shaking she wanted to do. In fact, she seemed to do
more of that then the actual Cha Cha. I picked her to be an
early favorite based on her musical theater experience, but I'm
rethinking that. I mean, this was an okay first week
performance. But it wasn't anywhere near the level I thought it
would be. The judges certainly agreed with me. Lots of flash
but very little real content.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 6 Len - 6 Bruno - 6 Total
- 18 See, now I would have scored this less then Monica's
dance. I'm not quite sure what the judges saw here they didn't
see in Monica's, but there you do.
Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel -
Foxtrot - For all her talks about nerves, she looked great. It
had content, it looked on, and it was rather smooth. Even the
death spiral she was concerned about look great. The judges'
only comments were on posture. They absolutely loved it and
gave it the best praise of the night by far. I'll be interested
to see how she does at the Latin dances, but she could easily be
someone to watch.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8 Len - 8 Bruno - 8 Total
- 24 The scores definitely reflect the comments. There was
room to improve, but it was a very strong first week dance.
Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas - Foxtrot -
As she worried, the bar is high. At least my expectations for
her are high. I think she'll do well at the Ballroom dances,
but I'm not too sure about the Latin dances. And it sure looks
to me like I was right. I know I just said this, but that was
the dance of the night so far. She was so in tune with the
music. It was smooth. It looked absolutely great. Bruno said
it was one of the best first round dances he's ever seen, and I
certainly agree. Len said he noticed little nit picks he
wouldn't even consider looking at during the first round. While
there are lots of differences, I'd say her background in skating
has certainly given her an early lead.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 9 Len - 9 Bruno - 9 Total
- 27 Absolutely great. A well deserved high score. Hopefully,
she continues to be strong because I'd love to see her go far.
Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez - Cha Cha -
Okay, so here's the performance I've been waiting all week to
see. While she can still feel the beat, I'm looking forward to
seeing what she can do. I do think, however, it is a huge
disadvantage for her to be paired with the only new pro of the
season. It seems fairer to pair her with someone who knows the
ropes already so they can guide her through the process better.
I could see Fabian using a few hand signals to help guide her.
Or at least what looked like hand signals to me. But if I
didn't know any better, I'd say she could hear. That was
incredible. She did better then some of the stars who could
hear. It looked smooth with plenty of hip action and tighter
choreography then I expected. The judges were floored as well.
Once again, they have promised to judge her like everyone else,
which is what they should do. But if this is any indication of
what she can do, she has absolutely nothing to fear going
forward.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 7 Bruno - 8 Total
- 22 I expected more 8's and maybe a 9, but this was a strong
debut. I could see the frequency of the dances becoming too
much for her, but I think she could go far.
So, after both nights, here are the standings of all 12
couples.
1. Kristi - 27
2. Priscilla - 24
2. Mario - 24
4. Marlee - 22
4. Jason - 22
6. Shannon - 21
6. Cristian - 21
8. Marissa - 18
8. Steve - 18
10. Penn - 16
11. Monica - 15
11. Adam - 15
There are so many ties up there. And it is rather amazing
that every tie has one guy and one lady at the same level.
Obviously with another week of dancing plus the voting to go,
there is no way to come close to predicting anything right now.
But I will say that Adam, Monica, and Penn had better step up
their game next week if they want to stay in the competition
very long. And Steve and Marissa need to watch their backs as
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Disney Garden begins shipping to Mexico
The Packer - Disney Garden is going bilingual and international.
Imagination Farms LLC, the Indianapolis-based company that
licenses the Disney brand for produce, reports the company’s
supplier partners are shipping product to Mexico.
Chief executive officer Matthew Caito said in a news release
that Mexico was a natural extension of the brand because many of
the company’s suppliers already have retail customers or growing
operations there.
“Our team has been working for nearly a year to build a program
that will speak directly to Mexican consumers with branding and
marketing programs tailored to Mexican consumers,” he said.
The Mexican program will feature products and packaging similar
to what consumers see in U.S. stores, but text will be in
Spanish. Like the U.S. products, the Mexican program will
include fresh-cut items as well as whole fruits and vegetables.
Imagination Farms said in its release that the company is
working with growers and suppliers to make sure that products
meet standards for Mexico’s Calidad Suprema good agricultural
practices program.
The brand made its Mexico debut in January with apples and pears
from Chelan Fresh Marketing, Chelan, Wash., and Raleigh,
N.C.-based L&M Cos. Inc.
Fruit Patch Sales Co., Dinuba, Calif., plans to introduce Disney
Garden-branded peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots to the
market in May.
Progreso Produce Ltd., Boerne, Texas, will offer watermelons and
mangoes in the spring.
Imagination Farms introduced products and growers at its ANTAD
booth during the Mexican trade show March 4-7 in Guadalajara.
The company plans to add cherries, berries, bananas, pineapples,
papayas, tomatoes and vegetables in the Mexican program, but
grower-shippers have not yet been announced.
Sources have said that Imagination Farms also plans to expand
the program into Canada. |
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Q&A: ABC
Family's Paul Lee
Forbes - When former Walt Disney chief Michael Eisner
spent $5 billion to buy what is now ABC Family in 2001, much of
the industry scratched its head. Some seven years later, the
proclaimed failure is proving anything but.
Paul Lee, ABC Family president,
deserves much of the credit. Since taking the reigns in 2004,
the London-born executive has transformed the channel from a
home for bland family fare and reruns to a destination for
original series television. Powered by both original programming
like Geek and Kyle XY as well as reruns like
Gilmore Girls and 7th Heaven, the
young-skewing cable network is coming off its highest-rated year
to date.
Lee spoke to Forbes.com about
courting a fickle demographic, why the Hannah Montana
tween audience isn't of interest and what's driving his cable
channel's success.
Forbes.com: ABC Family is
coming off its best year to date. What's working?
Paul Lee: It does feel
like ABC Family is really starting to fire on all cylinders. The
reality is we picked a key demo and we've gotten to know them
very well. We call them the millennials: 14-to-28-year-olds. Not
only did we acquire shows that they love like Gilmore Girls,
but we started to make shows and series that really resonate
with them. First it was Wildfire, then Kyle XY
and then Greek last year, and each one of them grew in
that core audience both in buzz and in ratings. And then our
creative guys wrapped it in this really optimistic, great
story-telling brand.
There's been a tremendous
amount of buzz surrounding the tween demographic (aged 7 to 13)
thanks to the success of Hannah Montana and High
School Musical, and yet you're going after the generation
above them. How come?
First, the Walt Disney Company
already has the best channel in America to go after the tween
demo. And second, from an advertiser's perspective--unlike the
Disney channel, we are advertiser supported--the time in your
life when you're making the most brand decisions that you'll
hold on to for a very long time is when you get into your late
teens and early 20s. We're really dealing with people as they
leave high school, go to college and maybe get their first
job--and it's an audience that commands a very high CPM [cost
per thousand, from advertisers]. You only have to look at Viacom
to see that big companies have been built on that audience--and
they're big because advertisers are willing to pay more to get
access to and brand loyalty from them.
For a network that is duel
revenue streamed--we get revenue from our cable affiliates and
advertisers--it has proved a very smart model. And in terms of
moving audiences around, we're able to say to our audiences on
Thursday nights at 7:59 p.m., "Switch over now to Ugly Betty
on ABC." Or ABC is able to say, "Watch Greek on ABC
Family." So we really do benefit from being able to move
audiences around the portfolio.
You use the term optimistic to
describe your programming at a time when so much of cable fare
is increasingly dark and edgy. What gives?
I have kind of fallen in love
with this generation, and only part of that is that I have two
kids in it. But this is not a generation that feels everything
is good--they certainly know that it will fall to them to solve
a lot of the problems that we have created. But they have this
innate and profound optimistic feeling about being able to solve
these problems. What we've found out is that they're in many
ways the most loved generation, a generation that is used to
getting a lot of trophies on the soccer field. They feel good
about themselves and their lives, and that has really played to
the strength of this brand.
ABC Family seems to be striking
a nice balance between saccharine sweet (think Disney's
Hannah Montana) and edgier fare (think ABC' Desperate
Housewives), how do you do it and is that where you're
looking to stay?
Absolutely--and it's a very
sweet place to be. Within Disney's portfolio, we are older than
the Disney channel and younger than ABC. But let's not forget
that this is an audience that's not just defining television,
but defining all of the brands that are out there. And there's
some evidence that the boomer brands like Starbucks are having
more trouble than the millennial brands like Apple. The key for
us is to be real and really relatable, and at the same time
escapist in terms of our storytelling.
This is the group that is
largely responsible for today's shifting landscape--they're the
ones watching TV shows on video iPods and Google's YouTube. How
have you adapted?
Our audience loves entertainment
on all platforms, and they really don't care which box or
platform that storytelling comes out on. So that's why we so
strongly embraced iTunes when it first came out. That's why we
built the first sort of social network to support a television
launch. And that's why we've put so many of our shows online. I
think the best example would be Kyle XY, which we
launched about 18 months ago. We put it out first on iTunes,
then it went on ABC Family, then it was repurposed on ABC and
then we put it on our ABCFamily.com player. At each point, it
was No. 1 in its time period. That shows you that an audience
will not only follow it, but that you can actually get a
positive effect of putting your story on all platforms. |
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Tuesday
March 18, 2008 |
Lead found
in popular Hannah Montana items
Taylor Morrison to build dream home in Disneyland
Final Disneyland Condo Plan Pulled
Animated
Repatriation: Disney Art Returns
Disney offers sneak peek at Toy Story Mania ride
Contemporary Resort Concourse Steakhouse closing date
Enchanted on DVD and Blu-ray
Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites on DVD
Greek: Season
One Chapter One on DVD
Springs to make Wamsutta for Disney Resort line
Disney bus
bursts into flames in Cerritos
Antin to write,
direct Disney project
Disney's Soda Fountain and Studios Store Hosts Signing for "The
Return of the Gremlins" Comic Book
Arbitron to Measure Radio Disney's Youth Audience
Dancing
with the Stars - Round 1 - Men's Night
Lincoln Center to Honor Disney's Iger at Spring Gala
Doubletree
hotel at Disney goes green |
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The Fifteenth Annual Epcot
International Flower & Garden Festival Blossoms to 75 Days!
Celebrating "Fun in the Sun," the
Epcot International
Flower & Garden Festival is packed with new experiences for
the entire family. See millions of blooms and the largest
collection of Disney Topiary anywhere! Interact with top
horticulturists at Garden Town, a new festival addition,
where you can get gardening tips, participate in
demonstrations, plan your day, and more! Have a fun evening
"under the stars" at the America Gardens Theatre and enjoy
the music you grew up with during the Flower Power Concert
Series. Try our new "Easter Brunch" on March 23rd. And mom
will love our scrumptious "Mother's Day Brunch" on May 11th
so make your reservations early.
Event Dates: March 19 – June 1, 2008
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Lead found
in popular Hannah Montana items
High levels of lead
were found in various items branded with Disney's
popular Hannah Montana character, the Center for
Environmental Health said Tuesday.
Vinyl backpacks, a
vinyl purse and other Hannah Montana items purchased
from Wal-Mart, Target and Toys "R" Us stores
contained the toxic metal, some of them in excess of
the federal standard for lead paint, the CEH said.
According to the
organization, it purchased 28 Hannah Montana
products in stores and online. Five of them tested
between three and fourteen times the federal
standard, which is between 1,800 and 8,300 parts per
million.
"Lead can impact
girls' learning and development throughout their
youth and later can reduce their ability to have
healthy children. It's the worst of both worlds,"
said CEH director Michael Green in a statement.
The CEH called on
parents to avoid exposing their children to vinyl
items, calling it a "poison plastic."
Representatives from
Wal-Mart, Target and Toys "R" Us stores were not
immediately available for comment.
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Taylor Morrison to build dream home in Disneyland
Herald Tribune - Bradenton-based home builder Taylor Morrison
has agreed to build Disneyland 's "Innovations Dream Home" at
the California theme park. The 5,000-square-foot house, to be
built in Tomorrowland, will showcase current and future
technological advances in home building, featuring actors
playing the fictional Elias family as they move from room to
room preparing for a trip to China. It is scheduled to open in
late May.
"We're excited to partner in
this venture with Disneyland," said Sheryl Palmer, Taylor
Morrison's president and CEO. "I'm sure many of us remember the
wonder and excitement of visiting Tomorrowland for the first
time as children."
Taylor Morrison will work with
Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and software maker LifeWare
on the attraction. The home will replace the park's "House of
the Future" attraction, originally built in 1957 and demolished
10 years later. |
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Final Disneyland
Condo Plan Pulled
AP - A developer has withdrawn its proposal for a
condo-hotel complex close to Disneyland, effectively ending a
long-running political battle over whether homes should be built
in the theme park area, an Anaheim city official said Monday.
Newport Beach-based Renaissance Pacific Properties LLC last week
pulled its plan to build 191 condominiums and a 102-room hotel
on a 4.8-acre site by a road leading to the theme park complex,
planning director Sheri Vander Dussen said.
"We believe the project would
have been a positive addition to the Anaheim resort, but timing
issues do not allow us to move forward at this time," Steve
Sheldon, a consultant for the developer, told the Orange County
Register.
The company might consider
another plan for the property, Sheldon said.
A message left Monday for
Renaissance principal Michael Capaldi by the Associated Press
was not immediately returned.
Renaissance was the last of
three developers that had planned to build residential units
within the city's 2.2-square mile resort district. Walt Disney
Co. officials opposed the move, arguing that housing would
interfere with the area's lucrative focus on tourism.
Earlier this month, developer
Urban West Strategies dropped its plans to build a mixed-use
project with 449 condos earlier this month, De Vander Dussen
said.
Another developer, SunCal Cos.,
abandoned its plans to build about 1,500 homes in the area last
year, citing a conflict with the family that owned the land, she
said.
Starting in June, voters will
have to approve all housing proposals in the resort area thanks
to an initiative championed by Disney and adopted by the city
council. |
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Animated
Repatriation: Disney Art Returns
New York Times - Disney said that the art — cels, backgrounds,
preliminary paintings and storyboard sketches — was part of a
collection that was handpicked by Walt Disney himself. It was
sent to Japan in 1960 for a touring exhibition timed to the
opening of the film “Sleeping Beauty.” The exhibition opened at
Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo in May of that year and
traveled to 16 other stores throughout Japan.
 “Walt
wanted to explain every element of the animation process, so he
chose artwork from all phases of production and a number of
films,” said Lella Smith, creative director of the Disney
Animation Research Library in Burbank, Calif., which preserves
the studio’s artwork. “But the primary focus was ‘Sleeping
Beauty.’ ”
Although most of the art is from
that film, the collection also includes rare set-ups (cel and
background combinations) from two Oscar-winning Silly Symphony
cartoons: “Flowers and Trees” (1932), the first Technicolor
cartoon and the first film to win the Academy Award for animated
short film, and the landmark short “Three Little Pigs” (1933).
“The ‘Flowers and Trees’ set-up
is an extremely important piece,” Ms. Smith said in an interview
at her office in the library. She said other highlights included
two backgrounds from the “Nutcracker Suite” and “Rite of Spring”
sequences in the 1940 film “Fantasia.”
Among other striking works is a
sequence of images by the designer Eyvind Earle that show how he
created the stylized forest backgrounds for “Sleeping Beauty.”
The delicate clusters of leaves and intricately textured bark on
the trees reflect Mr. Earle’s interest in 15th-century French
manuscripts and the painting of Van Eyck, and foreshadow his
later serigraphs.
After the department store tour,
Disney donated the artwork to the National Museum of Modern Art
in Tokyo. But the material was not considered a good fit for its
permanent collection, so the museum gave the pieces to Chiba
University to enhance the study of the visual arts.
Chiba’s academic focus was on
science, engineering and medicine, however, and the Disney art
was consigned to a janitor’s closet and forgotten until it was
found by chance four years ago. Although the artwork suffered
some damage because of dampness, the rarest pieces were sealed
in frames, which protected them somewhat.
After a year of restoration work
by technicians at Disney’s Animation Research Library, some 200
works went on tour in Japan, along with 350 additional pieces
lent by the studio in an exhibition titled “The Art of Disney.”
The show toured seven museums around the country in 2006 and
2007, including the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. At the end
of its run, Chiba University offered to return the artwork to
Disney.
In a statement
Chiba University’s president, Toyoki Kozai, said, “The response
to the exhibit gave us a new appreciation for the historical and
artistic value of these works.”
Because the
university was concerned about keeping them in good condition
for the next generation, he said, it “concluded that entrusting
them to Disney would be the best route to take.”
In return,
Disney is giving Chiba University high-resolution digital copies
of the artworks and $1 million for scholarships. But both sides
said the deal should not be viewed as a sale.
In 1960 little value was placed
on artwork from animated films, and cels were sold at Disneyland
for a few dollars apiece. Today animation art is prized by
collectors, and a top-quality Earle background from “Sleeping
Beauty” might sell for $20,000 to $30,000. Given the rarity of
some of the pieces, it is hard to assign a dollar value to the
collection over all, because nothing comparable has been offered
for sale.
“There is no way to put a price
on these works — they represent our artistic heritage,” Ms.
Smith, of Disney, said. “That said, their value as archival
materials for study and research is very high.” She added that
when the works were discovered, they did not have much
commercial value because of years of accumulated damage from
mold.
Mr. Kozai said that Chiba
University would channel the donated money into its overall
educational programs and into research on art and animation and
what he called “the sound growth of children.” |
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Disney offers sneak peek at Toy Story Mania ride
LA Times - Disney Imagineers allowed me to “play test” the new
Toy Story Mania dark ride coming to California Adventure in
June. From the preview I got, it’s clear the theme park giant
has raised the bar again with this latest interactive
attraction.
Inside an unmarked, low-slung
brick warehouse in Glendale dubbed the Walt Disney Imagineering
Concept Lab, I climbed aboard a plywood and 2-by-4 mock-up of
the Toy Story Mania ride vehicle quite literally held together
in some places by electrical tape.
The stripped-down surroundings
and slap-dash ride vehicle belied the technological wonders I
was about to behold.
While Disney struggles to call
Toy Story Mania more than a ride-through 3-D video game, it is
just that and then some.
Poised
behind a spring-action shooter, I fired virtual ammunition at
virtual targets in an immersive environment unlike any other
I’ve experienced — including Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear’s Astro
Blasters, which the new ride is often compared to.
Capable of firing up to six
rounds per second, the spring-action shooter is nothing more
than a rope with a bob tied on the end that works like a slack
pinball machine plunger.
The ride starts with a practice
round hosted by “Toy Story” characters Woody and Jessie before
moving through five scenes that become increasingly difficult.
The two-stage lightning round finale, the easiest of all the
games, is where players rack up a majority of their points.
To call me competitive is to
call Napoleon short.
My initial strategy of focusing
only on high-point targets proved only partially correct.
Another key to success in the target-rich environment was
continuous firing. I discovered with my unlimited ammo supply
that I could rack up plenty of unintended points while moving
from one bull’s-eye to the next.
I found most of the high-value
targets at the top and bottom of the 10-foot-square video screen
in front of me. The most difficult prizes requiring the greatest
accuracy resided in the top corners. In several instances,
hitting one target triggered another of higher value. In other
cases, taking out a group of identical targets generated
substantial bonus points. Low-value, special effects-laden
spoilers served only to distract me from my mission.
On my first attempt, I finished
with 102,000 points to 112,000 points by new friend (and mortal
enemy) Arthur Levine.
In my utter humiliation, I
turned to Toy Story Mania chief Imagineer Chrissie Allen for
assistance in finding the much-rumored “Easter Egg” targets
within the game. She refused to budge (though I am determined to
break her and reveal said secrets in future posts).
Kind and wise Imagineer
Estefania Pickens, holder of the current in-house high score
(210,000) among Disney staffers, offered to mentor me and guide
my training. Her patient tutelage soon paid off.
On my second and final attempt
at the game, I scored 125,000 points, besting my Disney host
(who will remain nameless to avoid bringing shame on him, his
family and his future generations).
The only downside to my new
favorite ride is the repetitive stress injury I’m sure to suffer
from repeatedly playing the game.
Toy Story Mania seems to be just
the E-ticket that Disney’s California Adventure needs to draw
bigger crowds. Expect a long line. |
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Contemporary Resort Concourse Steakhouse closing date
Disney News -
The Concourse Steakho |