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March 16 - 22, 2008 |
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Main Back
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 Steakhouse at the Contemporary Resort is set to
permanently close on May 31, 2008 to make way for the
Contemporary Resort's new quick service restaurant. No word and
what the new area will be called. |
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Enchanted on DVD and Blu-ray
Buena Vista Home Entertainment - An acclaimed new Disney classic
with a hilarious twist casts a heartwarming spell when Enchanted
comes to stunning Blu-ray High Definition and DVD on March 18,
2008 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Shining a
witty and charming new light on a beloved genre, Enchanted is a
modern day musical fairytale filled with uproarious surprises
that the entire family will enjoy again and again. Both the Blu-ray
Disc and DVD boast a vast kingdom of entertaining bonus
features, including the trivia based BD-Java feature "The
D-Files" available only on Blu-ray Disc.
Enchanted
cleverly combines a heartfelt romance with a gentle spoof of
Disney films of the past as an animated heroine from a far away
kingdom finds herself transformed into a real live woman in
bustling New York City. Academy Award® nominee Amy Adams (2005
nominee for Best Supporting Actress; Junebug) leads an all-star
cast as the lovely Giselle, a storybook princess-to-be lost in
the Big Apple. Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (1996 winner
for Best Actress in a Leading Role; Dead Man Walking) plays the
evil sorceress Narissa who exiles Giselle from her fairytale
kingdom and James Marsden (Hairspray) is her handsome prince,
with Patrick Dempsey ("Grey's Anatomy") as a contemporary knight
in shining armor and Tony Award winner Idina Menzel (2004 winner
for Best Leading Actress in a Musical; "Wicked") as his
girlfriend Nancy who suspects Giselle might just be a little too
good to be true.
The film features dazzling
animation sequences, spectacular costumes and unforgettable
songs by award-winning composers Alan Menken (Aladdin, Beauty
and the Beast) and Stephen Schwartz (Pocahontas, The Hunchback
of Notre Dame).
Enchanted begins in the animated
fairytale land of Andalasia where the charming and perky Giselle
(Amy Adams) instantly captures the heart of the dashing Prince
Edward (James Marsden). Desperate to keep the young lovers apart
in order to preserve her control of the throne, the prince's
evil mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) transports Giselle
from her whimsical homeland to the worst place she can think
of—Times Square. Suddenly transformed from animated beauty into
flesh and blood girl, the comely lass twirls her way through the
urban jungle, blissfully unaware that dreams don't always come
true. Rescued from the streets by divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick
Dempsey), who suspects she'd be better off in Bellevue, and
pursued by Edward, who finds that a sword is useless against a
modern day dragon—er, make that city bus—the eternally
optimistic Giselle starts to wonder if "happily ever after" is
what she really wants.
Enchanted on DVD has a suggested
retail price of $29.99 in the U.S. and $37.99 in Canada. The
Bluray Disc is priced at $34.99 in the U.S. and $44.99 in
Canada. |
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Johnny
and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites on DVD
Buena Vista Home Entertainment - What critic's are calling
"Everything a show for kids should be" – Barry Gordon,
HollywoodReporter.com is Disney's hit series which debuts on DVD
with Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites March 18, 2008.
Meet Johnny and the magical and friendly sprites – Ginger, Lily,
Root, Basil and all of their friends – in the enchanted woods of
Grotto's Grove. With music, laughter and a sprinkle of magic,
Johnny and his new-found friends experience the fun of
friendship and learn to be accepting of others.
Episodes
"Ginger's Antenna Dilemma", "Root's Dadoots", "Where the water,
Lily?", "Basil's Band" and "The Sprites and the What?!" take
viewers on a magical journey through Grotto's Grove. Each
episode is filled with music and spritely mischief! Along the
way, Ginger learns it's ok to be different, little Root gets the
hiccups and Basil discovers the importance of keeping promises
when he joins a band and forgets about his friends.
Johnny and the Sprites stars
Tony Award Nominated John Tartaglia and features musical numbers
written by various notable Broadway composers such as Gary
Adler, Bobby Lopez, Laurence O'Keefe and Michael Patrick Walker.
This series aims to expose preschoolers to the beauty of music
from a young age, as well as teach lifelong lessons about
friendship and tolerance.
Since premiering as a full
series in January 2007, Johnny and the Sprites has become one of
Playhouse Disney's top rated preschool series with over 17.6
million unique vewiers. Additionally, it ranks in the top 10
among basic cable morning programs with kids 2-5 – proving that
anyone can be a Sprite!
Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the
Sprites is available for U.S. $19.99 (SRP), Canada $24.99 (SRP)
from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
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Greek: Season One Chapter One on DVD
Buena Vista Home Entertainment - The rocky road to campus social
success leads a new generation of sorority sweethearts and
fraternity brothers into an action-packed semester of side
splitting misadventures, hilarious hookups and hard won triumphs
in Greek: Season One-Chapter One, coming to DVD on March 18,
2008 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Sexy, funny,
and completely cool, Greek: Season One-Chapter One features the
first 10 episodes of television's most entertaining look into
the world of contemporary fraternities and sororities. The DVD
also features exclusive bonus material including deleted scenes,
interviews with the cast and creators, an extended music
sequence and a sneak peek of Chapter Two.
Greek:
Season One-Chapter One begins with the students of Cyprus-Rhodes
University as they navigate the social minefield of college life
in the original hilarious series, Greek. Join Casey, a sorority
social climber during her quest for President of Zeta Beta Zeta.
Casey's world begins to spin out of control when she finds
herself in the middle of a love triangle between her
ex-boyfriend Cappie, a fifth year slacker, and Evan, the
handsome president of the top fraternity on campus. To top it
off, her nerdy little brother Rusty is about to destroy her
reputation as he tries to join Evan's fraternity and finally
make the transformation from geek to Greek.
Pledge with the hippest young
cast on TV. Experience every moment of Greek: Chapter One, Get
initiated into an entertaining world full of people and
relationships that you won't want to miss.
Greek: Season-One Chapter One
showcases the talent of a hot young cast of rising stars
including Spencer Grammer ("As the World Turns"), Jacob Zachar,
Scott Michael Foster, Jake McDormand (Bring It On: All or
Nothing), Paul James (Cry Wolf), Clark Duke (Superbad), Amber
Stevens (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Dilshad
Vadsaria, Jessica Rose ("Lonely Girl 15"), Tiffany Dupont (One
Night with the King) and Aaron Hill ("Lost at Home") as
undergraduates eager to experience the joys and drama of college
and build lifelong relationships. |
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Springs to make Wamsutta for Disney Resort line
Home
Textiles Today - Springs Global will make Wamsutta bedding and
bath products in an exclusive partnership with Buena Vista,
Fla.-based Walt Disney World Resort to supply its deluxe hotels
and Disney Vacation Club villas.
The Wamsutta goods,
part of the Disney Resort Collection, will be offered
direct-to-consumer at
www.disneyresortcollection.com
online and via in-room services.
“This is an exciting alliance
for Wamsutta, bringing together two strong brands that are
compatible in their values, heritage, quality offerings and
service,” said Tom O’Connor, president of Springs Global US,
which with the alliance becomes Disney’s exclusive bed and bath
supplier for its premium properties.
The Disney Resort Collection
marks the first time Disney has taken a brand alliance into its
resort rooms, the companies said.
The products include deluxe bath
towels, fleece blankets, sheet sets, bed pillows and a mattress
pad. |
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Disney bus
bursts into flames in Cerritos
Long Beach Press-Telegram - A charter tour bus from Disneyland
caught fire on the eastbound Artesia (91) Freeway in Cerritos
Monday, causing traffic jams and forcing the passengers to walk
to the next freeway exit, authorities said.
The fire was reported at 4:08
p.m. A witness said passengers complained of smoke, and when the
driver pulled over to investigate, the bus burst into flames.
Almost two hours later, two
lanes of the freeway were still blocked while towing equipment
was called to take the disabled vehicle off the freeway, said
California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez.
He said Disney arranged for
another bus to pick up the passengers, and sent a representative
to the scene. |
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Antin to write,
direct Disney project
Variety - Walt Disney
Pictures has set Steven Antin to write and direct an untitled
music-driven project that Scott Sanders will produce under his
first-look deal at the studio.
A big screen
newcomer, Sanders is well known in stage and music circles. He
most recently developed and was lead producer on hit musical
"The Color Purple" and collaborated with Queen Latifah in a
music partnership to record and produce Grammy-nominated disc
"The Dana Owens Album."
Sanders drew a
Disney deal after working with Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
production president Oren Aviv on projects that go back to ad
campaigns Aviv developed at Grey Advertising for Radio City
Music Hall while Sanders was exec veep and exec director of the
venue. When he set Scott Sanders Prods. at Disney with Aviv last
year, Sanders simultaneously pacted for stage productions with a
private equity investment group that includes New England
Patriots owner Robert Kraft, David Kraft and investment bankers
Roy Furman and Jim Fantaci.
For his first
Disney project, Sanders turned to Antin, with whom he worked on
the TV series "Young Americans." Antin's script credits include
"Gloria" and "Chasing Papi," and he was exec producer of TV
series "The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next
Doll."
Antin said the
title and plot of the musical were being kept under wraps at the
request of Disney.
"It's a
music-driven movie set in a high school, geared toward a Disney
audience," he said. Antin has written much of the screenplay,
and the project becomes a candidate, along with the Screen Gems
musical "Burlesque," to be the film he directs in the fall.
"It is neck and
neck right now, as 'Burlesque' just got a rewrite from Diablo
Cody and the script is really strong," said Antin, who wrote the
original draft of "Burlesque."
Sanders said the
goal of the Disney musical is to discover new talent, as he and
Antin did on "Young Americans."
Mara Jacobs will be exec
producer. |
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Disney's Soda Fountain and Studios Store Hosts Signing for "The
Return of the Gremlins" Comic Book
Disney News - Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store
will celebrate the publication of Dark Horse Comics all-new
comic book, The Return of the Gremlins #1, on Wednesday, March
19th with a special appearance and book signing by writer Mike
Richardson, artist Dean Yeagle, and noted film historian/author
Leonard Maltin, it was announced today by Lylle Breier, senior
vice president, worldwide special events, for Walt Disney
Studios Motion Pictures.
Richardson and Yeagle will sign copies of the newly released
comic book, which features characters created by acclaimed
author Roald Dahl. Maltin, who wrote the introduction to the
2006 edition of The Gremlins (A Royal Air Force Story by Flight
Lieutenant Roald Dahl), will also be on hand to sign his latest
book, Leonard Maltin’s Movie Crazy: For People Who Love Movies,
a collection of insightful articles and essays about Hollywood’s
Golden Age and its legendary talents.
The book signing will take place at Disney’s Soda Fountain and
Studio Store (at 6834 Hollywood Blvd, adjacent to the El Capitan
Theatre) from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Books and other “Gremlins”
collectable items (figurines, statues, etc.) will be available
for purchase. Adding to the festivities, an original 1943
“Gremlins” plush doll prototype made by seamstress Charlotte
Clark (who created the first Mickey Mouse plush toys) will be on
display along with rare photos of Walt Disney and Roald Dahl.
Dahl came to the
Disney Studios in the summer of 1942 to work with Walt Disney on
a proposed animated film about Gremlins, the mischievous
mythical creatures who sabotaged flights. Only 26 at the time
and a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, Dahl had told
stories about the Gremlins to his fellow fliers who encouraged
him to take a stab at writing a story. His work at Disney
resulted in a seven page story for Cosmopolitan Magazine, and a
subsequent 1943 book copyrighted by Disney. The movie was never
made. The book, which had a reputation for being one of the
rarest and most collectable Disney items of all time, was
reprinted in 2006 by Dark Horse Books. |
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Arbitron to Measure Radio Disney's Youth Audience
Radio Online - Radio Disney
signs with Arbitron to provide measurement and research of kids,
tweens and family radio listening patterns on a national scale
-- the first time that the ratings giant will measure listening
behavior in the 6- to 12-year-old age groups. Radio Disney
reaches about 97% of the U.S. with its kid-friendly and
mom-approved music programming.
Executive VP/Disney Media
Advertising Sales & Marketing Group Tricia Wilber said, "This is
a turning point for Radio Disney and with Arbitron's recognition
of the importance of monitoring the kid, tween and mom market
that Radio Disney exclusively serves, we will be able to
quantify and further enhance the growth of advertising sales
targeted to Radio Disney's audience."
"Radio Disney has built a strong
connection with millions of kids and tweens who have driven
recording artists including Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana and
Jonas Brothers to the top of the charts and
Multi-Platinum-selling status," added Arbitron VP/Advertising
Sales Jon Sayer. "Advertisers value the power of the youth and
mom demographic and Radio Disney's unique approval among moms
who trust the programming and the brand."
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Dancing
with the Stars - Round 1 - Men's Night
Disney Blog - So we're off and
running with season six. Once again, they are doing a two night
premier with the men dancing tonight and the women dancing
tomorrow night. And the first elimination doesn't happen until
next week. But we'll be losing two stars at that time, one man
and one woman. That will be interesting.
But before we get there, we've
get to enjoy week one. I don't know why, but I enjoy week one
so much. Probably because it's a fresh slate. We really don't
know what to expect from anyone and there's so much potential to
be surprised by the dancers. After a few weeks, we know who is
good and who should be going home. Not that people necessarily
go in the order they should, but that's beside the point, right?
But let's get to tonight's
dances, shall we?
Penn Jillette & Kym
Johnson - Cha Cha - I'll admit, this is one of the
stars I'm most excited to see. Ever since he and Teller showed
up on Babylon 5, I've been a fan of his clean stuff. I was
beginning to worry that he wasn't a dancer with all those tricks
they had in the beginning. And still, it wasn't the best first
dance of the season, but there was definitely potential there.
When Penn actually danced, he looked good doing it. It was lots
of fun, and I loved that magic trick at the end. (It was great
to see Teller in the audience, too.) The judges seem to be on
the same wavelength with me, lots of fun but the footwork and
hips were stiff. I saw it, too.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 5 Len - 6 Bruno - 5 Total
- 16 I'll admit, I probably would have given it a 7, but these
are more honest scores. Especially after watching more of the
performances.
Jason Taylor & Edyta
Sliwinska - Foxtrot - Okay, I may have to root for
Jason after his quote, "Real men ballroom dance." And he'd be a
good choice to root for based on this dance. That was a smooth,
fun Foxtrot with much more content then Penn had. The judges
picked on him for not having enough "acting" in it, but those
are details that can hopefully be added later. I say hopefully
because not all the stars have been able to do that in previous
seasons (90210 cast, I'm looking at you.)
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 8 Bruno - 7 Total
- 22 I'm more with Len on this one then the other two. I
obviously need to get in sync with the judges again.
Cristian de la Fuenta &
Cheryl Burke - Cha Cha - I'll admit I'm rooting for
them just because I'd like to see Cheryl get a better partner
then Wayne Newton this go around. So after them talking about
his hips, so much, I spent a lot of time watching them. They
seemed to come and go. At times they seemed smooth and at other
times they were a little stiff. Granted, at all times they were
smoother then mine, so I shouldn't be saying too much. Again,
it was a first week performance, but I'd say it was a rather
strong one. I was so busy watching the hips that I missed the
shoulders and upper body that the judges picked on.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 7 Bruno - 7 Total
- 21 So, you know how I was saying I needed to get in tune with
the judges? I guess I've gotten there because I would have
given it sevens as well.
Adam Carolla & Julianne
Hough - Foxtrot - I'm sure lots of people will be
tuning in to watch him, but I'm not familiar with his comedy. I
am interested to see how Julianne will fare and if she can go
for win number three. Adam seemed a little wooden to me. I'd
say he's still not comfortable with the idea of dancing. Not
the strongest debut we've seen tonight, but not the worst by
far. Julianne is going to have her work cut out for her if
she's going to win again. Heck, Len even said that after I
typed it. I think either Adam will do very well or he will go
early.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 5 Len - 5 Bruno - 5 Total
- 15 I thought this was better then Penn's dance, so maybe I
spoke too soon about being in sync with the judges.
Mario & Karina Smirnoff
- Cha Cha - Now this is the debut I've been waiting for. I'm
not an R&B fan, so I wasn't familiar with Mario, but he's off to
a great start. But it looked great and very little wrong with
it in my eyes. The judges picked on a few things like heel vs.
toe leads, but they seemed to like it best so far.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8 Len - 8 Bruno - 8 Total
- 24 Definitely agree with this one. A great score to match
the best dance so far.
Steve Guttenberg & Anna
Trebunskaya - Foxtrot - Okay, while I'm a fan of Steve
Guttenberg's work, it's not for the franchises he's most famous
for. And can we just leave it at that? I'd like to see him go
far here, but that's all up to his dancing. I'll admit I didn't
give him much of a chance. Not quite sure why that is. But I
was pleasantly surprised. Granted, there is still a long way to
go. And I'm not sure if he's got the Latin dances in him. But
I'm holding out a little more hope for him then I was before the
show started. And I'll agree with Len that he looked like he
was enjoying himself. The technique could use a little work,
but it was certainly a good first week.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 6 Len - 6 Bruno - 6 Total
- 18 Okay, I knew this wasn't the best, but I was expecting at
least one 7.
So the men don't seem to be the
strongest this season. There's plenty of potential here. None
of them seem to be horrid, and none of them have no promise.
I'll be interested in watching how they progress as the season
moves on.
In the mean time, I'll be back
tomorrow night to see how the women do on their first round of
dancing. |
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Lincoln Center to Honor Disney's Iger at Spring Gala
Playbill - Lincoln Center's annual spring gala will honor Disney
Company president and CEO Robert A. Iger April 9 at Frederick P.
Rose Hall.Diane Sawyer
will present Iger, who has served on Lincoln Center's board of
directors for over 12 years, with the Lincoln Center Laureate
Award. The black-tie gala will feature the musical catalogue of
Disney's most popular films performed by the 65-member Orchestra
of St. Luke's.
Grammy Award winner and Tony
nominee Vanessa Williams will host the evening and perform in a
line-up of talent that also includes Michael Bolton (who will
perform “Go the Distance” from the movie "Hercules"), soprano
Angela M. Brown, Ann Hampton Callaway (Swing), Jane
Krakowski (Grand Hotel, Nine) and jazz guitarist John
Pizzarelli.
Also scheduled to appear is
composer Alan Menken, who will perform a medley of his works
from Disney film and stage musicals. The Little Mermaid's
musical supervisor Michael Kosarin will musical direct the
evening, which will feature direction by Peter Flynn (Actors'
Fund Chess, Funny Girl) and choreography from Christopher
Gattelli (South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George).
Single tickets for the gala
begin at $1,500, with additional packages and support available.
Proceeds from the annual gala fund programming for the 400
performances produced by Lincoln Center each year.
The April 9 gala begins at 6 PM
with cocktails and the presentation of the Lincoln Center
Laureate Award, to be followed by a 7 PM performance and 8:30 PM
dinner in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. For tickets phone
(212) 875-5461. |
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Doubletree hotel
at Disney goes green
Orlando Sentinel - Another local hotel is going green.
After undergoing a renovation of
its guest suites, lobby and public spaces, The Doubletree Guest
Suites in the Walt Disney World Resort has scheduled a grand
reopening celebration for this afternoon. The hotel also
announced it is being awarded a Green Lodging Certificate from
the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The
designation recognizes eco-friendly practices.
The renovation included things
such as efficient lighting, renewable energy, eco-friendly
products and low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads, the
hotel said.
The ribbon cutting for the hotel
-- and for its new restaurant called EverGreen Café -- is set
for 5 p.m. today. |
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Monday
March 17, 2008 |
Toy Story Mania
to surge in "late May"
Curtain almost up for "Toy Story - The Musical" aboard Disney
Wonder
Disney Gives
Gamers Some Irish Pirates
Disney’s Iger says the Web is replacing children’s TV
Radio Disney
Signs Deal With Arbitron
Disney’s Pixar
Play Parade is all wet
Disney-ABC's 'Wizard' Rules
New from Disney
Smoking ban may hit Disney
Eurostar launches more services to Disneyland
Port Discovery looks
to future |
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Toy Story Mania
to surge in "late May"
Theme Park Rangers - This just in from our friends at Walt
Disney World. The opening date for the upcoming attraction Toy
Story Mania has been more defined a bit. Instead of "Summer
2008," as previously advertised, the new interactive, shoot-em-up
ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is now set for a "late May"
opening.
The version at Disney's
California Adventure will open in late June, they say. |
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Curtain almost up for "Toy Story - The Musical" aboard Disney
Wonder
Theme
Park Rangers - Gee, it's all-Toy Story, all the time today on
Theme Park Rangers. This afternoon we have pics from "Toy Story
-- The Musical," a Broadway-style show coming to Disney Cruise
Line aboard the Disney Wonder. Guests on the March 20 cruise
will be the first to witness it.
Here's
Rex, a hybrid of human actor and inflatable puppet, alongside
Buzz Lightyear, who you can see is a "face character." (That's
actor Noel Orput).
Here's Ann Closs-Farley, costume designer for the production.
And of course, Mr. Potato Head, who seems larger than when I saw
him in action during rehearsals in December. Watch out for
falling ears! |
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Disney Gives Gamers Some Irish Pirates
G4
TV - We all know the best way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is
by drinking yourself into a alcohol induced stupor. So what
would Disney do to celebrate this day of inhebriation? Dye
everything green.
Pirates of the Caribbean Online
will show off some Irish pride today by having all bodies of
water dyed green. Characters will also have the chance to
acquire green haircuts and shamrock tattoos free of charge at
any local barber shop or tattoo parlor. |
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Disney’s Iger says the Web is replacing children’s TV
Broadcast Engineering - Robert Iger, Walt Disney’s president and
CEO, said last week that the computer is fastly replacing the
television set as children’s’ primary choice of media outlet.
“In the years ahead, broadband on the computer will be the
primary source of entertainment for kids,” he said. “It’s just
as important to them as the TV set now.”
Iger said social media is far
from a Gen X or Gen Y fad, but in fact a part of everyday life
for children. He was very positive about the possibilities of
digital media during remarks last week at the McGraw-Hill Media
Summit in New York City.
He said digital media has
changed the perception of the Disney brand since he took over
the company in 2005. He forecast $1 billion in digital revenue
for Disney this year — up from $750 million in 2007.
Iger said Disney is beefing up
its Internet presence in markets such as China and Australia,
and is enhancing its social media, including Disney’s
kids-friendly Club Penguin virtual world and an upcoming
interactive platform centered on the hit film “Cars.”
Iger also expressed pleasure in
Disney’s iTunes sales, saying that his company has sold around 4
million movies and 40 million to 50 million television episodes
through iTunes during its 18-month partnership. He said the
sales had not cannibalized Disney’s traditional media revenues.
In another prediction for
Internet dominance, Michael Eisner, formerly CEO of Disney and
now producer of programming for the Web, predicted last week
that the Internet will become as important as pay-television
within five years.
In an interview with Mark Cuban
at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Eisner said he
didn’t fully comprehend the details of the technology, only that
he predicted it would happen. “This is why I’m in content,”
said. |
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Radio Disney
Signs Deal With Arbitron
Streaming
Magazine - Radio Disney has signed a deal with Arbitron to
measure radio listening for kids, tweens (preteens roughly ages
8-12), and families.
EVP/Disney Media Advertising Sales & Marketing Group Tricia
Wilber called the deal a "turning point for Radio Disney." She
said, "With Arbitron's recognition of the importance of
monitoring the kid, tween, and mom market that Radio Disney
exclusively serves, we will be able to quantify and further
enhance the growth of advertising sales targeted to Radio
Disney's audience."
Arbitron Sr. Sales Manager Lung Huang said, "The ubiquitous
nature of radio and Radio Disney's multi-platform delivery
provides many opportunities to reach children and their parents.
This multiphase national study will look at Radio Disney's
target audience in a brand new way, capturing listening behavior
across emerging technologies."
Radio Disney has more than 50 affiliate nationwide and reaches
about 97 percent of the U.S. |
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Disney’s Pixar
Play Parade is all wet
LA Times - Disney’s California Adventure’s new Pixar Play Parade
— or, as I’ve taken to calling it, Pixar Puddle Parade — is
about as much fun as watching a parade in the rain. Actually,
it’s exactly like watching a parade in the rain.
Some people like to get wet at
theme parks. I prefer to keep water where it belongs — in water
parks. The mere sight of drenched people stepping off a white
water raft ride sends chills up and down my spine.
The new Pixar parade, which
features characters from the animated movies, replaces the old
Pixar parade, Block Party Bash, which — wait for it — featured
characters from the animated movies.
The water theme of the new parade is immediately evident as
“Cars” star Lightning McQueen leads the procession accompanied
by a pair of women dressed as mops (no, sadly, I’m not kidding)
who squirt the crowd with water bottles and sponge off the red
roadster. The car wash gag is an apt metaphor because you are
about to be put through a soaking fit for a Ford Mustang.
Before the first float had even
passed, I’d been squirted in the eye twice and dried my face
three times with my shirtsleeve. By the time the second float
went by, I was suitably annoyed — as were others who were
fleeing the parade route as if attacked by a swarm of bees. As
the third float passed, I uttered words not appropriate for a
family publication.
After the 12th and mercifully
final squirting, spitting and splatting float rolled by, a mop
brigade brought up the rear — a first for any parade I’ve ever
seen. And an apt ending to parade, that in my opinion, is all
wet (sorry, it was unavoidable).
It’s a shame, really, because
the Pixar Play Parade looks like an improvement over Block Party
Bash, of which I was never a big fan. I loved the beautiful new
floats, the must-see “Incredibles” hovercraft and the twirling
acrobats.
But mostly I felt bad for the
100-odd performers in the show, whom I shielded my eyes from for
fear they’d assault me with a water pistol or douse me with a
fire hose. Sadly, it may take a tragic slip and fall by one of
the 12-foot-tall stilt walkers to force the Disney lawyers to
switch the H20 to bubbles. |
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Disney-ABC's 'Wizard' Rules
Mediaweek - Wizards Don't Rule, the upcoming first-run,
live-action weekly from Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Distribution, has been cleared in 84 percent of the country to
date, including all of the top 50 markets.
In addition to its launch group, Tribune Broadcasting Company,
Wizards Don’t Rule has been sold to stations from the CBS
Television Stations Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group,
Hearst-Argyle Television, Acme Television, Barrington
Broadcasting, Belo Corporation, Clear Channel Broadcasting,
Gannett Broadcasting, Hubbard Broadcasting, LIN Broadcasting,
Post-Newsweek Stations, Scripps Howard Broadcasting, Sunbelt
Communications and Weigel Broadcasting.
“Wizards Don’t Rule has generated tremendous response from the
broadcast community, resulting in outstanding clearances across
the country," said Jed Cohen, evp and general sales manager,
Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "To have reached 84 percent
coverage in less than six weeks is true testament to this
concept, the show's creative team, and the appetite for
network-quality, scripted programming in broadcast syndication."
Based on Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s First Rule and epic fantasy
series The Sword of Truth, Wizards Don’t Rule will follow the
transformation of woodsman Richard Cypher into a magical leader
who joins a mysterious, beautiful woman to stop a sinister
tyrant. |
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New
from Disney
Group
Travel Organizer - From March this year, Disneyland Resort Paris
will feature the new ‘Stitch Live!’ attraction, whilst in the
US, Walt Disney World Resort Florida has renamed Disney-MGM
Studios as Disney’s Hollywood Studios and will introduce a new
parade, ‘Block Party Bash’ this spring, and, open a new ride,
‘Toy Story Mania’ this summer.
Themed around the animated alien
and star of Disney film ‘Lilo and Stitch’, ‘Stitch Live!’ will
use computer graphics and special effects to create the
impression that you are communicating with the character via a
satellite link to his home in outer space.
Across the Atlantic, the ‘Block
Party Bash’ parade will give you the chance to dance to retro
music with costumed Disney characters. ‘Toy Story Mania’,
meanwhile, will be an interactive ride, where, wearing 3D
glasses, you will shoot virtual reality darts at balloons, rings
at alien characters and eggs at barnyard animals. |
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Smoking ban
may hit Disney
Metro - Films featuring smoking could be slapped with an 18
certificate to stop children being encouraged to take up the
habit.
The ban could
hit many children's favorites including Walt Disney's 101
Dalmatians, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Pinocchio.
The call for the
age limit to be raised has come from Liverpool City Council
which is threatening to overrule the British Board of Film
Classification.
It claims
research shows that young people are heavily influenced by
seeing smoking depicted on the big screen.
'The
international evidence is that one in two children between 11
and 18 who witness smoking in movies actually experiment with –
and therefore start – smoking,' said Andy Hull, of Liverpool
council.
But Neil
Rafferty, of pro-smoking group Forest, said: 'It's an absolutely
absurd idea to make a film with smoking an 18 but one that has
extreme violence a 15. Of course smoking is bad for you but you
need to get a sense of perspective.'
Amanda Sandford,
of anti-smoking group, Ash, said: 'Where there's a lot of
smoking in a film or where actors are making it look cool then I
think there is a case for making it an 18.'
But Ms Sandford
said that campaigners would not look to re-certificate old movie
classics that feature heavy smoking.
The BBFC said
heavy alcohol use and smoking is already taken into
consideration when classifying films.
For example, the
BBFC would take it 'very seriously' if a character such as Harry
Potter were to take up cigarettes, a spokeswoman added. |
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Eurostar
launches more services to Disneyland
opodo - Eurostar has announced that it is to introduce extra
direct services to Disneyland Resort in
Paris this summer.
From 18 July, the operator will provide an additional 33,000
seats to Disneyland from St Pancras International and Ashford
International stations.
The train company claimed that its existing connections to the
Paris attraction have proven more popular since it launched its
new high-speed line last November.
Simon Montague, Eurostar's director of communications, said:
'These extra services will make it even easier for families and
friends to visit Europe's leading tourist attraction during the
summer holidays.
'The midday departure times are ideal for travellers living in
towns and cities beyond London, who can buy through fares
and use domestic rail to St Pancras International, King's Cross
and Euston to connect with Eurostar high-speed trains.'
Eurostar will host a promotional event at Bluewater shopping
centre in Kent this weekend to publicize the new services, which
will feature a Disney jazz band. |
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Port Discovery looks to
future
Baltimore
Sun - Baltimore's Port Discovery children's museum will turn 10
in December, which is older than most of the kids who come
through its doors, and it has launched a year of festivities to
celebrate the milestone.
Museum leaders recently unveiled the first new permanent exhibit
since the building opened -- a $400,000 aquatic playground
called Wonders of Water. They've also scheduled a series of
programs and events called Ten for Ten to mark the anniversary
and give visitors different experiences throughout the year.
They're counting down to kindergarten in April, learning about
robots in June and celebrating Hispanic heritage in July.
Built at a cost of $32 million, Port Discovery opened Dec. 29,
1998, with exhibits and activities spread over three levels
inside Baltimore's historic Fish Market at 35 Market Place.
Initial exhibits were designed by Walt
Disney Imagineering, an arm of the company that runs Disneyland
and Walt Disney World.
Today, Port Discovery has 34 full-time staffers, 35 to 75
part-timers depending on the season, and an annual budget of
$3.8 million. We asked President and Chief Executive Officer
Bryn Parchman about the anniversary and what's in store for the
next 10 years. Why are you doing so much to call attention to
Port Discovery's 10th anniversary?
We're calling attention to it because 10, in a kid's life --
double digits -- that's a big deal. Ten years for Port Discovery
is a big deal. There are a lot of people who didn't think we'd
make it to 10 years, and we're here and we're doing well. That's
the message we want to get out. Port Discovery drew 415,000
visitors during its first year of operation, 313,000 the second
and 268,000 the third. What is the attendance today?
It's stabilized at around 250,000 a year. If you look at
children's museums around the country, we are No. 10 or 11 in
terms of attendance, and we are not a top-10 market in terms of
size. So that's a good number for us. We feel good about it.
We're making the budget work at that number. You're breaking
even?
We're breaking even from operations. How has Port Discovery
changed over the past decade?
The first thing is the target age. We're focused now on
[children ages] 2 to 10 years old, as opposed to 6 to 12. That's
what we were [focused on] at the beginning.
We're also focused on community initiatives in ways that we
weren't when we first opened, such as our Healthy First
Saturdays program. On April 19, we're holding Countdown to
Kindergarten. For every Baltimore City child who's entering
kindergarten, we open the doors to the museum for free. We'll be
doing vision screening, hearing [testing], teaching kids about
safety in terms of riding the bus. We'll have other institutions
here. The Walters will be here. The Aquarium will be here. Why
did you shift the focus to younger children?
First, the demand was there. When Port Discovery opened, the
idea was to push the envelope in terms of [attracting children]
ages 10 to 12 and beyond. We had many more visitors coming at an
early age than was originally anticipated, and we realized we
needed to supplement what we offered in terms of programs and
experiences for them.
Second, research was coming out and continues to come out that
underscores the importance of working with children at an early
age. A lot of other children's museums were aimed at ages 0 to 8
or 2 to 10. Our model was older than that. The 2-to-5 age range
was not one of our core markets. We took a hard look at who was
coming and what we could be offering and said we need to adjust.
Port Discovery is the only children's museum with exhibits
designed by Disney Imagineering. They include Adventure
Expeditions, where kids cross a simulated Nile River, and Miss
Perception's Mystery House, where kids follow clues to find a
missing family. The Disney exhibits are sophisticated and
immersive, but they're not aimed at younger visitors and don't
have a particularly strong connection to Maryland. In
retrospect, was Disney a good choice?
The way I look at it is, it gave us an advantage that set us
apart and made a lot of people want to come here initially. It
gave us something to build on. But then it was up to us as a
team [to modify the museum to suit Port Discovery's target
audience]. So we had that kind of uniqueness that was the Disney
piece and then added what we know works for us as a community,
as Baltimore and as an institution, and we've married that with
the target age of who is coming here. We made this place our
own. Many of your changes seem to involve exhibits and
activities that are more practical and relevant to the
real-world experiences of younger children in this region: a
diner, a farm exhibit, a gas station, an exhibit about water.
Was that the thinking?
It's been part of our learning as an institution. You have
ancient Egypt and Miss Perception's and that piece of it. But
then how do you take the base of what we have and make it our
own? What's the right model here? That was the challenge. What
distinguishes Port Discovery from other attractions for kids in
Maryland?
We're unique in that we're multidisciplinary. We cross over
different areas: the arts, history, culture, science, math. ...
That's the wonderful thing about a children's museum. It's not
collections-based. Our content is really the kids. What are the
most popular exhibits and activities?
Adventure Expeditions is still one of the most popular
[exhibits]. In MPT Studios, we do drumming circles, and that's
one of the most popular activities. We have drums made out of
recycled materials by one of our very creative staff members.
And then we do story times. One of the most popular is something
called kamishibai, which is based on the ancient art of Japanese
storytelling. You also present traveling exhibits?
We typically have about three a year.
We have Robots coming this summer, based on the movie. This fall
we have, from the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, an exhibit
called How People Make Things. It's all about manufacturing,
die-casting, forms. How does the red tractor get made? We'll
have Joshua's Journey in the spring, which is about a black
cowboy on the Chisholm Trail. It's neat because, culturally
speaking, you haven't seen a lot of black cowboys, right? It's
getting kids to think about that.
Curious George is coming, too. The price of admission can be a
barrier to some children. How do you address that?
We have grant opportunities available for after-school visitors.
We have programs that are funded through private foundations,
corporations. We have a lot of partners, such as Baltimore
Health Care Access and the Baltimore Leadership in Action
Program, that are out there with the community groups. We're
working with partners like that to get families and children
here to the museum.
One of our goals is to build up our endowment to a place that
allows us to offer access in a way that we aren't doing today.
We have an endowment campaign that we're going to be launching
soon, within the year. We have a wonderful pledge to that
endowment, a seven-figure pledge, that's going to kick off the
campaign. Our goal is to have a $10 million endowment over the
next five years. How will Port Discovery be different in the
next 10 years?
My hope is that it will be an even greater community resource
than it is today. That we'll be accessible to more children.
That we'll be able to open our doors to those who are need-based
and enable them to come in for free in ways that we aren't able
to do now.
Above all, we want to do it in a careful, thoughtful way that
can preserve the integrity of the experience. I think we're
doing it in the right way and, hopefully, a lasting way. We want
to be here 10 years from now, talking about what a great
resource this institution is for the community. |
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Sunday
March 16, 2008 |
Disney sets its own
cruise course
Disney dining
plan a delicious bargain
Create your own Mouse Ears Coming Soon to Magic Kingdom
Dartmouth veteran honored at Walt Disney World
No more Indy at
Tomorrowland Speedway
Disney
pleads ignorant to sweat shop
The Housewives
Are Now Desesperadas |
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Disney sets its own cruise course
Kansas City Star - It has been 10 years since Disney started its
cruises with the Disney Magic ship, followed in 1999 by Disney
Wonder. Two more Disney ships will launch in 2011 and 2012.
Although you won’t find casinos on any Disney ships, you will
find plenty of other facilities and diversions on board for
every age group — including grown-ups. That, along with the
appeal of the Disney brand, has ensured the cruise line’s
success.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say
that Disney invented family cruising, because a lot of cruise
lines made efforts to attract families to their ships starting
in the ’90s, but I do think it’s fair to say that Disney
reinvigorated the idea of family cruising,” said Douglas
Stallings, who edits Fodor’s cruise guides. “Disney proved there
is a large market for family cruises. They inspired other large
cruise lines.”
Christine Koubek, who reviewed
the Wonder for the Web site CruiseCritic.com, said: “What Disney
Cruise Line does best is prove that ‘elegant’ and ‘family
friendly’ don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Disney is a great
choice for families that want excellent supervised children’s
programs as well as activities they can enjoy together.”
My children, my wife, Mary Lou,
and I cruised last year on the Wonder. It was memorable and fun
for all of us.
I couldn’t tear Isabelle, 9,
away from her science experiments in the Oceaneer Lab. Her
masterpiece was a green glob that resembled something from the
Disney movie “Flubber.”
Vinny, 16, spent all of his time
in the Aloft nightclub, which is just for teenagers. After the
club closed at 1 a.m., Vinny and other teenagers hung around
shooting hoops under the lights.
For adults, Disney ships offer
nightclubs, classes, fitness centers, an adult-only restaurant
called Palo, and wine, beer and martini tastings. While the kids
played, my wife and I relaxed on our stateroom terrace with some
wine and cheese. We also attended a Disney Vacation Club
cocktail party (we are DVC timeshare members) and Mary Lou
browsed the shops for souvenirs.
The Wonder stops at Disney’s
private island, called Castaway Cay, on its Bahamian cruises.
Here, too, there is something for everyone, including a
teen-only beach, an adults-only beach and a family beach.
Vinny and his friends signed up
for a couple of teen-only excursions with Disney counselors and
headed out for snorkeling, kayaking, banana boat rides, a
barbecue lunch and bicycling around the island, while the rest
of us snorkeled, lunched and swam with stingrays elsewhere on
the island.
Castaway Cay also has Scuttles
Cove, where kids, supervised by counselors, dig for whalebones,
make beach musical instruments and play water relay games.
We returned to the ship for a
pirate-themed dinner and deck party, which culmiinated with a
spectacular fireworks show, launched from the stern of the ship.
We then saw “Pirates of the Caribbean” on a giant movie screen
that was attached to one of the ship’s smokestacks on the top
deck. The screen displayed a pirate flag for the remainder of
the evening.
For families with young
children, Disney’s nurseries, Flounder’s Reef, take infants as
young as 12 weeks old and toddlers up to 3 years. Some cruise
lines keep parents on call to change diapers, but the Flounder’s
Reef staff takes care of that for you. Disney’s Magic and Wonder
also have pools with separation filtration systems that allow
diapered toddlers to swim.
And each stateroom has a
bathroom with a bathtub, also relatively uncommon on non-luxury
cruise ships. No wonder a survey conducted by
BudgetTravelOnline.com rated Disney Cruise Line No. 1 for
infants and toddlers, and children 3-7. (It was ranked No. 3
among cruises for kids 8-11, and No. 5 for 12-to-17-year-olds.)
There are also scheduled
opportunities onboard to meet characters like Mickey and
Cinderella, and to attend character breakfasts like the ones
that are so popular in Disney parks.
Other programs for different age
groups include the Oceaneer Club for kids 3 to 7, a playroom
designed like Captain Hook’s ship, filled with soft, climbable
sculptures. Also featured are puppet shows, storytelling and
singalongs. Children must be signed in and out by their parents,
and they do need to be toilet-trained for this program.
The Oceaneer Lab (ages 8 to 12)
is an interactive playroom with a giant video wall,
music-listening rooms and flat-screen computers with software.
Activities include making TV shows and radio commercials,
brainteasers and scientific creations.
On Disney Magic, kids also can
“take command” of the ship in Ocean Quest, a scaled replica of
the bridge. Kids can sign in and out at their parents’
discretion. Parents are provided with a pager when dropping off
children 12 and younger at any of the centers.
On Disney Magic, teenagers hang
out at the Stack, a teen-only lounge area with a dance floor,
Internet cafe, big-screen plasma TV and video games.
The ships also offer
full-fledged musicals in onboard theaters. This year, a new
musical of “Toy Story” will premiere on the Wonder. Disney
Cruise spokesman Jason Lasecki says the company plans to keep
the show exclusively for its cruise passengers.
If you’re considering cruising
with Disney, here are some tips for getting the most from
your trip.
Book early. This allows you
to secure the best staterooms and bargains for the peak
travel seasons (spring break, summer, Thanksgiving and
Christmas). Disney cruises often sell out well in advance.
The best bargain months to
cruise are January, the early part of February and end of
August, September, October and non-holiday weeks of November
and December.
If you have a particular
itinerary in mind, book at least 90 days in advance for the
best cabin availability and rates. If itinerary isn’t
important, check cruises that are departing within 30 days
to land the best last-minute discounts.
Disney Wonder sails from
Port Canaveral, Fla., on three- and four-night Bahamian
cruises with stops in Nassau and Castaway Cay. Rates start
at $349 a person for three-night cruises, $399 for four
nights,
The Magic will alternate,
departing from Canaveral to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and
Castaway Cay on Eastern Caribbean itineraries, and from
Canaveral to Key West, Fla.; Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico;
and Castaway Cay, Bahamas, on Western Caribbean itineraries.
Beginning in May, the Magic will have 12 seven-night
sailings departing from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera
with port calls in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto
Vallarta, and two repositioning 15-night cruises through the
Panama Canal as the boat travels between Florida and
California. Rates start at $649 for seven nights, and can
run nearly $2,500 a person for seven-day itineraries in the
best rooms on peak holiday weeks.
Contact Disney Cruise Line
at DisneyCruiseLine.com or call 1-888-325-2500.
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Disney
dining plan a delicious bargain
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - It's easy to get caught up in the
amusement rides, beautiful resorts and dazzling shows of
Disney World without giving much thought to the food. Yet,
the dining opportunities may be among the best attractions
of all.During four
trips to Disney over the past four years, my wife and I and
our three children, ages 10, 8 and 6, have sampled flavors
from around the world at Epcot, participated in the
enchanting Princess breakfast in Cinderella's castle, and
joined the company of Mickey and Minnie during one of many
character meals.
There is something for
everyone, even Fred Flintstone wannabes strolling Disney
grounds gnawing on the largest turkey drumstick I've ever
seen.
The food, like anything
Disney, doesn't come cheap, but the company has introduced a
resort "dining plan" that at least provides some price
breaks. We tried this for the first time in 2007 as part of
our vacation package and quickly discovered an incredible
value. Changes made for 2008 make it less economical by not
including gratuity (a hefty cut) and eliminating an
appetizer from the adult table-service dinners. However, at
the current daily prices of $37.99 for adults and $9.99 for
children 9 and under, you can still save money without
sacrificing taste or variety.
With the Magic Your Way
Package Plus Dining you can eat at more than 100 restaurants
throughout Disney World. You get one quick-service meal, one
table-service meal and one snack for each night of your
resort stay. Children must order off a children's menu when
one is available. We have found that these offerings appeal
to the youngest Mousketeers but aren't enough to satisfy the
older children.
The quick-service meal
includes one entree or one combo meal, one dessert and one
non-alcoholic beverage. Table service is one entree, one
dessert and one nonalcoholic beverage. Snacks come in all
shapes and sizes: from water and soda to cinnamon rolls on
Main Street, USA, to a three-scoop ice cream sundae with
Mickey sprinkles and whipped cream at the Port Orleans
Riverside resort.
For those with larger
appetites, there's also a Deluxe Dining package that
includes three meals and two snacks per night for $69.99.
It did help us to first
experience Disney without the dining plan. Our first resort,
the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, provided a kitchen, so we ate
breakfast in the cabins, packed our lunches for the parks
and made burgers and hot dogs on the cabin grill at night
when we didn't eat out.
Making the switch to the
dining plan took a little adjustment.
First, we had to make
table-service dinner reservations, which forced us to see
the parks on a schedule. Logistics also was an issue. It's
important to allow plenty of time to get to your dining
destination, especially in Epcot, where you will have quite
a hike to the World Showcase.
With or without the plan,
dinner reservations are a must and can be made up to 180
days in advance. This year, we didn't get some of our first
picks but still experienced several outstanding meals.
During a 45-minute call my wife and I made reserving our
meals for this trip, there were more than 500 reservations
being made at the same time.
But what restaurants do you
choose? A difficult and delicious dilemma to chew on indeed.
Dining in Disney should be enjoyed for both the meal and
venue. Some of the reservation agents are quite helpful in
offering opinions and can review menus. But this can get
quite tedious over the phone. While the Disney Web site
doesn't offer much detail, there are a number of
"unofficial" Web sites that can assist.
In Epcot we dined in France
at Les Chefs de France, Morocco at Marrakesh, and the Coral
Reef, with its amazing aquarium wall. We ventured to
Wolfgang Puck's Cafe in Downtown Disney and the fabulous
Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. The best experience this year
was watching the fireworks timed to synchronized music from
the veranda of Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian Resort &
Spa.
Our Port Orleans Riverside
Resort offered an incredible selection of food in its
Riverside Mill food court, all quick-service options.
Breakfast included pancakes, French toast, waffles, omelets
and more. Lunch through dinner selections were pizza, a
pasta station, a grill station and a carving station, with
turkey and beef. And the food court offers what may be the
best bakery this side of Dudt's on the South Side, with
killer brownies, cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, etc.
We also were able to share
some quick meals, saving room for the bountiful dinners, as
well as meal tickets. At Pizza Planet, for example, in the
Hollywood Studios we were able to split four meals among the
five of us, and two uneaten desserts were added to the
collection of food tickets in the backpack for future sugar
boosts.
For those times when the
food court wasn't convenient, we brought snacks (Pop-Tarts
and granola bars) and as much bottled water as we could
pack. At $2 a bottle anywhere in Disney vs. the $2.99 I paid
for a case, it was worth the extra suitcase.
Off the dining plan, you can
figure that a quick-service breakfast or lunch, on average,
will cost between $10-$15 and a table-service dinner $25-$40
per adult. Our family's dining plan (for three adults and
two children) was $133.95 per day for a seven-day total of
$937.65. Based on menu prices we would have spent out of
pocket a total of $1,446.25, saving us $508.60. Our
table-service dinners alone averaged $154.
No matter how you slice it,
the Disney Dining Plan worked for us. We even came home with
chocolate muffins and cookies, using leftover snack credits
as we dashed to catch the bus to the airport.
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Create your own Mouse Ears Coming Soon to Magic Kingdom
Disney News - The Chapeau on Main Street USA is scheduled to
reopen from it's refurbishment soon and should include a
new sure to be a hit: design your own Mouse Ears.
Guests will be able to choose the beanie (cap) portion, then
the ears, then accessories and finally have the back
embroidered with their name. Let's see what creative minds
can come up with.
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Dartmouth veteran honored at Walt Disney World
SouthCoastToday - William J. O'Connor of Dartmouth, a Marine
Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, was honored as Veteran of
the Day during the flag retreat ceremony at Walt Disney
World's Magic Kingdom in Florida. The ceremony began with a
fanfare by Disney's Main Street Philharmonic Marching Band.
The ceremony continued with The
Dapper Dans, Disney's strolling barbershop quartet, which
led the crowd in singing "God Bless America." Disney's color
guard security detail and Mr. O'Connor marched to the flag
in the center of Town Square. The band played the National
Anthem as the American flag was folded and presented to Mr.
O'Connor. The whole detail, including Mr. O'Connor's family,
marched down Main Street, where the veteran was presented
with a commemorative certificate and limited-edition Veteran
of the Day pin. Present were Mr. O'Connor's wife, Marcella,
son Kevin O'Connor, sister Dorothy Mullen, brother in-law
Edward Mullen, and Rhonda Mathews.
Mr.
O'Connor, known as Bill to his friends and family, served in
the Marines from August 1961 to May 1969. He was honorably
discharged Oct. 9, 1974, as a major. He fought in Vietnam in
Phu Bai from April to June 1967; in Dong Ha from July to
November 1967; and in Khe Sanh from December 1967 to May
1968.
Mr.
O'Connor, known as Bill to his friends and family, served in
the Marines from August 1961 to May 1969. He was honorably
discharged Oct. 9, 1974, as a major. He fought in Vietnam in
Phu Bai from April to June 1967; in Dong Ha from July to
November 1967; and in Khe Sanh from December 1967 to May
1968.
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No more Indy
at Tomorrowland Speedway
Disney News - The Tomorrowland "Indy" Speedway at the Magic
Kingdom will be dropping the "Indy" from it's name as the
sponsorship deal for this attraction has ended. The removal
of all signs with the word "Indy" to the attraction is in
the process of being removed.
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Disney pleads
ignorant to sweat shop
The News Journal - A year after Walt Disney Co. banned Hao
Wei Metal Plastic Manufactory as a supplier, Huang Renzhong
got a job there sculpting melted globs of poly-resin into
statuettes of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Snow White.
Starting at 8 a.m., Huang
regularly pulled 15-hour shifts. Sometimes he worked through
the night in the dust-filled factory. Sometimes a month
would pass before he had a day off. He said he was never
compensated for overtime. When he demanded back pay, he
said, the factory owner threatened to have him beaten up.
Huang and four co-workers
sued the labor bureau in Shenzhen, scoring a victory when a
court ruled that the labor bureau hadn't properly considered
their demand for more than $90,000 in unpaid wages. The
ruling, and the five workers' audacity, was extraordinary in
China. The local media picked up the story.
It was only then, Disney
executives said, that they learned that Hao Wei Metal
Plastic Manufactory was still in the business of making
Disney merchandise. Hao Wei ran afoul of the code of conduct
that Disney asks manufacturers to follow, but the company
was powerless, the executives said, because it was unaware.
If that seems implausible,
consider the way Disney, like many other multinational
corporations, has managed its international supply chain.
Disney has agreements with
6,000 licensees that make their own production contracts
with factories.
Although Disney
investigators conduct spot-check audits and the company
keeps a database of 40,000 plants to eliminate problematic
suppliers, Disney must rely on its licensees to follow the
rules -- and to tell the truth about which plants have been
hired to make Disney goods.
In the case of the Shenzhen
factory, a Japanese licensee had hired it on the sly, said
Mark Spears, Disney's director of international labor
standards, telling Disney that another plant was making the
figurines.
To some labor-rights
activists, Disney's arm's-length dealings with manufacturers
has given it an easy out, said Jenny Chan, chief coordinator
of Hong Kong-based Students & Scholars Against Corporate
Misbehavior, which is pressing Disney to change its policies
with a campaign called Looking for Mickey Mouse's
Conscience.
"Whenever there are
problems, Disney tends to shift the responsibility to its
licensee," said Chan, who wrote to Disney's board asking
that it open its outsourcing practices to more public
scrutiny, timing the letter to arrive before last week's
annual shareholder meeting. "They just shift responsibility
downward."
At Disney, a $35.5 billion
corporation, executives disputed Chan's characterization.
But Spears said the case of the Hao Wei factory was
something of a wake-up call for the company, which said last
week that it planned to step up enforcement of its code of
conduct.
"The tremendous growth of
our business over the last several years requires us to
further increase our efforts" to ensure the well-being of
factory workers, he said. "Immediate steps" would be taken
to "more effectively enforce our policies," he said,
declining to provide specifics.
The pressure on
multinational corporations that outsource to China has never
been more intense since Chinese factories in the past year
have been found to have been producing tainted -- in some
cases deadly -- prescription drug ingredients, pet food and
toys. Labor-rights activists have kept up the drumbeat.
"The brands, up until
recently, have been able to say, 'This is not our problem.
We were lied to. We were deceived,' " said Mary E.
Gallagher, an associate political science professor at the
University of Michigan and an associate at its Center for
Chinese Studies. "That's getting less convincing over time.
More and more activists are saying, 'You're responsible.' "
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The Housewives
Are Now Desesperadas
New York Times - There's a new Gabrielle Solis on the
American airwaves, but this desperate housewife prefers to
be called Gabriela. And she speaks Spanish all the time.
In one of the more unusual
programming moves of recent years, the Spanish-language
network Univision in January began televising “Amas de Casa
Desesperadas,” a remake of the ABC hit “Desperate
Housewives.”
Not subtitled or dubbed,
this is a new version of the comic soap opera-mystery.
Except it’s not.
The story of the intertwined
lives of women in a fictional American suburb takes place
not on Wisteria Lane but on Calle Manzanares (or apple
orchard, after the apple motif in the opening credits of
this four-year-old series), and apart from
Gabrielle/Gabriela, the characters have new Hispanic names.
But otherwise the two versions have an eerie sameness to
them. Most members of the multinational cast of Univision’s
show bear uncanny resemblances to their English-language
counterparts. (In one notable exception, Edie Britt, a k a
Roxana Guzman, is a brunette, not a blonde.) And the
episodes are largely scene-for-scene re-creations of the
first season, having been shot from the same scripts, with
Spanish dialogue substituted.
“Amas de Casa Desesperadas”
is a departure for Univision, which has been the dominant
Spanish-language network in the United States for years
thanks to its steady diet of imported blockbuster
telenovelas. This is the first time the network has remade a
popular show from its English competition in the United
States, a series that its viewers, many of whom are
bilingual, could and presumably did watch in the original
version. Moreover, the 23 episodes are running once a week
at 10 p.m. on Thursdays, not every night of the week, as
traditional telenovelas do.
Still, Univision was
attracted to the show precisely because “to us, this is a
telenovela,” said Alina Falcón, the network’s executive vice
president and operating manager. “It has a continuing story
line, a very dramatic story, and deals with the daily trials
and tribulations of very strong characters. It’s got all the
elements: romance, drama, intrigue and, in this case,
mystery.”
For those who have seen the
English version, she said, executives thought it would be
interesting “to see the characters they knew in a new and
different light.”
The cast includes telenovela
stars like Lucía Méndez of Mexico, Scarlet Ortiz of
Venezuela and the Colombian actress Lorna Paz, who was in
the original cast of “Yo Soy Betty, la Fea,” which ABC
remade into “Ugly Betty,” as well as the singer and actress
Maria Conchita Alonso, in a return to Spanish-language TV.
About 5.5 million viewers tuned in to the first episode, on
Jan. 10, and the program has since drawn nearly three
million viewers per episode on average. Among Hispanic
adults 18 to 49 years old, the show ranks among the Top 10
on TV, in either English or Spanish.
The series got to Univision
through a circuitous route. It is actually the fourth clone
of “Desperate Housewives”: viewers in Argentina, Brazil,
Colombia and Ecuador already have their own
country-customized versions. (Colombia and Ecuador share.)
Separate casts of well-known actors were hired for each
version, and some details were tweaked for cultural
differences. The Univision take was adapted to reflect that
Gabriela was no longer the only Hispanic in the
neighborhood, for instance, and Roman Catholic icons now
decorate the homes on Calle Manzanares. But all four clones
followed identical plots and were shot on the same 10-house
set, which was built from scratch on the outskirts of Buenos
Aires by Pol-Ka, Disney’s Argentine partner in the
productions. (HBO’s “In Treatment,” which began life on
Israeli television, has followed the “Desperate Housewives”
model.)
Latin American broadcasters
were initially reluctant to pick up “Desperate Housewives”
in a dubbed English version, but the localized adaptations
made the series exportable, said Diego Lerner, president of
the Walt Disney Company Latin America. Disney and its ABC
Studios developed the show and sold the format rights.
As the television business
has become global, cross-country pollination has picked up,
but so has the demand for individualized productions. In the
last decade, the Dutch reality series “Big Brother” has been
recreated with local casts in dozens of countries, and a
number of British comedies have flowed to American networks,
some (like “The Office” on NBC) more successfully than
others (like “Coupling,” also on NBC).
But those series aren’t the
mimics that “Amas de Casa Desesperadas” is. Mr. Lerner said
some clients at first wanted to make major changes from the
English original, but Disney and ABC Studios stuck to their
guns. “We were big believers in the strong respect for the
quality of that content,” he said. The show’s creator, Marc
Cherry, wasn’t involved in the remakes but says on the
Season 3 DVD that his attitude toward the clones was, “Vaya
con Dios.”
With successful runs in
Latin America, Univision was persuaded that it could succeed
with its own remake, and the circle was completed.
Univision’s version is now expected to be exported back to
Mexico.
Ms. Falcón said her network
was open to similar remakes, but only selectively: “It’s not
a strategy.” Disney, however, is exploring using the model
for other series, Mr. Lerner said, although not every show
is appropriate for similar adaptations.
Anne Sweeney, president of
the Disney-ABC television group, called the deals an
important step toward Disney’s goal of moving from “being
U.S.-centric to something that is truly global.” The
realization that “Desperate Housewives” could be a format in
other countries, she added, was a “creative moment that no
one had anticipated.”
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