The event, held on February 28, 2007, marked the first Park "buy-out" for Hong Kong Disneyland since celebrating its grand opening in September 2005.

Hong Kong Disneyland is rapidly developing a reputation as a MICE venue of choice in Asia having been the stunning backdrop for small to large scale events for companies such as AXA, Li & Fung Limited and ZTE Corporation.

Hong Kong Disneyland Vice President Sales and Travel Trade Marketing, Josh D'Amaro said, "The resort's capabilities in producing high quality events have created an unrivalled edge which attracts international clients looking for world-class service and entertainment.

"Our Convention Sales & Services team respects the culture and practices of each client to ensure that all requirements are met. The Disney Difference is all about creativity and innovation - it is about the dedication and the commitment of our Cast Members to make every dream event come true. Our Cast Member's creativity and their ability to creatively tailor the evening to the needs of the Charle Group ensured that the event was a great success."

For the Charle Group, hosting their event at Hong Kong Disneyland meant that their delegates could enjoy the rare opportunity of experiencing the park on their own, which included riding the classic Disney attractions, and watching Broadway-style shows such as the popular Festival of the Lion King and the Golden Mickeys as well as Mickey's Philharmagic and Stitch Encounter.

Throughout the evening, the group was treated to special entertainment performances including a juggling and drumming show by the "Jammitors" which was produced by the Entertainment Team at Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as meet and greets with loveable Disney characters throughout the Park.

In order to ensure the Japanese guests had a magical experience at the Park, all announcements and communications were in Japanese, with Japanese-speaking cast members flown in to deliver the exciting commentary on the Jungle River Cruise.

A special highlight of the event was when the Charle Group President, Ms Yuko Mitsuya, appeared in the finale of the night parade down Main Street U.S.A. in a convertible car, the first time an executive has appeared in "Disney On Parade" at Hong Kong Disneyland. The parade was also the first night parade ever performed in the Park.

Charle Group President, Ms Yuko Mitsuya said, "The Charle Group places great importance on rewarding our delegates, and we felt that a special evening out at Hong Kong Disneyland would be a perfect way to thank our team of 5,000 for their dedication to the company over the past year.

"We selected Hong Kong Disneyland to host our event as it offers a unique experience that spans the worlds of fantasy, adventure and innovation – truly something for everyone at whatever their age.

"Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" all come out in May. Industry experts have raved about the potential for these three films to kick-start a big summer movie season and possibly a record year for Hollywood.

The third Spidey movie comes out on May 4, the latest Shrek adventure will be released on May 18 and the third and supposedly last "Pirates" film sails onto the silver screen on May 25.

"It's a very unique situation. I've never seen this much box office power all at the same time," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers, an industry tracking firm. "It's so unusual to have three huge franchises with their third installment coming out all within three weeks of each other."

It's worth noting that when "Spider-Man" and "Shrek" went head to head in 2004, the movies were not released so close together. "Shrek 2" came out on May 19 while "Spider-Man 2" hit theaters June 30.

Still, expectations for all three movies are high given how successful the previous films in each franchise have done. As such, several entertainment companies have a lot riding on the performance of these movies.

The first "Spider-Man" movie, based on the comic book from Marvel Entertainment and released by Sony's Columbia Pictures in 2002, took in a whopping $404 million in U.S. ticket sales, according to figures from movie research firm Box Office Mojo.

The movie sold some $115 million worth of tickets in its debut weekend - a record at the time. "Spider-Man 2," which came out in 2004, failed to top the original but still spun box office gold, grossing $374 million.

The first "Shrek" grossed nearly $268 million in 2001. And the sequel, "Shrek 2," topped "Spider-Man 2" as the highest-grossing film of 2004, with $441 million in ticket sales. DreamWorks Animation produced all three movies and "Shrek the Third" is being distributed by Viacom's Paramount Pictures.

Then there's Walt Disney's "Pirates." The first film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was a surprise hit in 2003 - few expected a movie based on a theme park ride to do so well.

But the movie went on to gross $305 million at the box office and even snagged star Johnny Depp an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his bizarre performance as Jack Sparrow.

Last year's sequel, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," raked in even more treasure, grossing $423 million. And the movie's opening weekend take of $135 million or so broke "Spider-Man's" record.

But will cinema junkies have an appetite for all three films in such a short period of time? The studios behind the movies are already jockeying for position, trying to drum up interest in the sequels.

A long trailer for "Spider-Man 3" appeared during a commercial break on NBC's comic book-inspired hit "Heroes" while a sneak peek of the new "Shrek" aired during an episode of Fox's "American Idol" last month. And a high-definition trailer of "Pirates" debuted on Yahoo! this week.

Robert Bucksbaum, president of Reel Source, a box office tracking firm based in Los Angeles, said that even though the three movies are coming out relatively close to one another, there will probably be enough money to go around to make them all huge hits.

"This has never happened before and probably won't happen again. All three will probably easily do over $300 million domestically. There is so much buzz about them," he said.

Bucksbaum predicts that "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates" will wind up grossing close to $400 million and that "Shrek the Third" will lag behind a bit. But all three movies should make a killing overseas, he added.

They brought him visions of a massive expansion near Disneyland that included an international theme park, three resort hotels and a 6-acre lake.

That vision never came to fruition, but Disney did open a second theme park in 2001 -- part of a larger goal to build up the Disney Resort and entice tourists to stay longer, like they do in Orlando.

Now, Disney is mulling its third act.

Disney won't say what the latest plan is for Anaheim, but sources familiar with the planning process said Disney wants to mimic its Florida blueprint in Anaheim: Add time-share units, bring its popular cruise line to the West Coast and zero in on high-end consumers with boutique hotels. New attractions for its lackluster California Adventure are in the works, and Disney is giving fresh consideration to its long-promised third theme park.

Now in complete recovery from 9-11 -- and sitting on a pile of cash after posting 30 percent revenue increases following its successful 50th anniversary -- Disney is looking ambitiously toward the future.

"It's about changing Anaheim into Orlando -- making this into a national and international tourist space," said blogger Jim Hill, a Disney watchdog.

But Disney's ambitions are ruffling feathers in Anaheim, where some city leaders think the corporate giant has tried to bully a town that has been its ally for more than 50 years.

The Walt Disney Co. sued the city last month to protect zoning in the 2.2-square-mile Resort District and block construction of a residential project that includes affordable housing. This week, it joined business leaders in seeking a ballot initiative that would lock in the resort-themed zoning it desired and require a citywide vote before changes could be made.

Corporate attorneys succeeded in forcing a councilwoman to abstain from voting on the housing proposal. And the company had confidential meetings with city officials, presenting to council members a preview of some of its closely guarded plans.

Disneyland President Ed Grier would not give specifics but noted that some plans are "around the corner."

"It is very, very important for us," Grier said. "I don't think that can be underestimated. There's much more of an opportunity for us here."

50th-anniversary windfall

Disneyland may be where it all started, but it was long ago outpaced by its Central Florida counterpart, with four theme parks, two water parks, six golf courses and 22 hotel resorts. Walt Disney World accounts for about 80 percent of the company's theme-park operating income, said David Miller, an analyst with Sanders Morris Harris.

"Florida means so much more to the company than Southern California," Miller said.

Still, it was Disneyland's 50th anniversary that spurred people to the parks in 2005 and 2006, contributing to a 30 percent increase in the parks' income in 2006.

In Anaheim, there's no shortage of demand. Disney's three hotels -- the original Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian -- are operating at an extraordinary 93 percent occupancy. Citywide occupancy rates hover around 72 percent.

The company has slowly but steadily amassed 460 acres in Anaheim, including a prime chunk of strawberry fields that is the designated site of a third park.

And someone is approaching the fields' neighboring landowners, trying to buy up land.

Disney hasn't unveiled plans for the Disney Resort -- those typically come amid fanfare and orchestration -- but top executives have hinted at expanding existing markets and increasing its time-share offerings.

Among the first additions to a revamped resort is likely to be the Disney Vacation Club, which allows members to buy into time-share properties. Minimum membership is $16,400. Disney has eight locations either built or under construction, including six at Walt Disney World, and others in Vero Beach and Hilton Head, S.C. Membership has doubled since 2000, with more than 108,000 member families.

"We feel confident that there is still room to grow," Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said in a recent speech to investors. "The time-share industry is huge and expanding, and families will still look to Disney when they think of their vacations."

In addition to Anaheim, Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean have been mentioned as potential new destinations.

Orlando's model

But the key problem in Anaheim is the same as it has been since 1989, when Eisner first asked his top creative minds to think big.

"People come out to Southern California for a week," said Miller, the analyst. "Of that seven-day vacation, Disneyland used to only capture one day. Now it captures 2.5 days. They want to capture all those days."

The answer so far has been Disney's California Adventure, a companion park that opened in 2001 to offer more thrills than the nostalgia and fantasy captured at Disneyland. Fans have never fully embraced the underperforming park, and even Disney executives concede they need to add more attractions before embarking on a third gate.

The next solution, Miller said, is to follow Orlando's model and market a combo cruise and resort vacation.

Disney Cruise Line announced last month it is building two ocean liners to add to its fleet.

In 2005, for Disneyland's 50th anniversary, Disney Magic headed to the West Coast for sailings to the Mexican Riviera. The cruises sold out in minutes, Miller said, and were so successful that the company recently announced it would return to the West Coast in 2008.

'Niche parks'

Beyond that, Rasulo's talk of "niche parks" has sparked curiosity among Disney watchers. Those parks would be higher priced and offer a more intimate experience, Rasulo said during the investors speech.

The model is Discovery Cove at SeaWorld Orlando, which limits admission to 1,000 people a day for a hefty price tag of $259, including a swim with dolphins. The park is a blend of a day at SeaWorld and a vacation in the Bahamas.

"It's a fascinating idea, but it's a significantly different audience and a significantly different price point," Hill said.

That admission price might not sit well with vacationing families, though miceage.com editor Al Lutz noted that a niche park and boutique hotels would be Disney's attempt to attract "the W Hotel crowd."

"They've got something in mind," Lutz said, noting that Disney's fight against the city isn't about one proposal to put affordable housing near the resort. It's about the bigger picture.

"I get all my homework done during recess because then I can go home and play Webkinz," she says. "I play at least an hour a day, two hours tops."

Never heard of Webkinz? You will.

The site is the brainchild of Ganz, a Canadian toymaker with a popular line of plush pets. Two years ago Ganz created an online environment to entertain the owners of its stuffed animals and was quickly swept into the exploding world of virtual-reality gaming aimed at tweens, children between the ages of 8 and 12.

The value of this exact market hasn't yet been tallied, but a 2005 report by Packaged Facts counted 29 million U.S. kids ages 8 to 14, with a combined annual purchasing power of $40 billion. Nearly 90 percent of these children are now online, which means there's a lot of money to be made by websites that can capture the kids' attention and their impressionable eyeballs.

Ganz's Webkinz.com and a site called Club Penguin were early entries into this market, but they've been joined this year by the giants of tween marketing: Disney and Nickelodeon. What started as an Internet sideline for a plush-toy company is shaping up as a battle for the hearts and minds of a generation.

It's a battle that bears watching by anybody interested in making money on the Web, because once children aim their browsers at one of these virtual worlds, they tend to stay there, not just for a few minutes but for hours at a time. The sites are, in the jargon of the webmaster, extraordinarily sticky.

This is how they do it.

Imagine Beanie Babies in cyberspace and you have a pretty good picture of what Ganz is up to. The company sells its Webkinz--special-edition plush toys with names like Googles, Cheeky Monkey, and Love Puppy--for $10 to $12.50 apiece.

Each comes with a tag featuring a "secret code" that gets its owner into the Webkinz World website. There the toys come to life on the screen, ready to be adopted. The kids give each toy a gender and a name and can spend "kinz cash" to buy food, clothes, and furniture. They're also invited to play games, enter trivia contests, chat with other pet owners, and even take jobs--such as flipping virtual burgers--to earn more spending money.

It's a model that can be enormously seductive. Ganz reports that toy buyers have snapped up more than 2 million Webkinz pets since April 2005 and better than 1 million users have registered online. More than $20 million in retail sales in less than 24 months is considered pretty good money in the plush-toy business. Ganz is privately held and won't disclose its profit, but to put that growth rate in perspective, it took Second Life three years to attract the first 1 million "residents" to its virtual universe.

Club Penguin uses a different approach but gets similar results. There are no plush toys to buy or entrance fees to pay. New members are offered small virtual penguins that they can adopt, name, feed, and clothe. They can also chat, play games, and even help publish the Club Penguin newspaper.

Where creator New Horizon Interactive makes its money is in what it calls premium play. Any kid can have a penguin for free, but if he or she wants to decorate the penguin's igloo, Mom or Dad will have to subscribe--for $6 a month, or $58 a year. Traffic has mushroomed. Club Penguin saw 2.9 million unique visitors in January, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, up from just 705,000 in March 2006.

So what keeps Crandall and millions of other kids playing for more than an hour each day?

One thing that attracts them, experts say, is the sense of power that children get in a virtual world but rarely experience in real life. "This isn't rocket science," says Club Penguin founder and CEO Lane Merrifield. "A lot of virtual-reality companies look at these games like television--'We are going to entertain you, and you are going to enjoy it.' Ours is a two-way stream."

One way Club Penguin gives kids control over their environment is by letting them "bank" points they win in games and convert those points to "money" that can be used to customize their igloos. "Club Penguin Time," a standardized clock (actually based on Pacific time), lets kids from all over the world meet up online without having to worry about coordinating time zones.

Another trick used by Club Penguin to keep kids hanging around is throwing themed "parties." During the holidays, for example, Club Penguin's writers built a plot around a huge winter storm. News of the storm began leaking onto the site's weather reports in November to create a buzz of anticipation. When the storm finally hit in December, it dumped snow in every room on the site.

The penguins had to dig tunnels to get around. Captain Rock Hopper, the site's pirate, was delayed by the gale. When his ship finally landed, it was in shambles and the penguins had to repair it. The winter party was a big success: In December the number of unique visitors to Club Penguin jumped by more than 20 percent.

But kids are fickle. Bennett Morris, 7, and his brother Lawson, 5, used to live for Club Penguin but are now enthusiastic Webkinz players. The boys, who live outside Boston, like the variety of the Webkinz animals and the "houses" they live in. "I like the private rooms. I like to get furniture and decorate King Kong's house," Bennett says. King Kong is his Webkinz gorilla. He also has Coco (a monkey) and Gumdrop (a chihuahua). "I like Webkinz better because there are more games," Lawson pipes in. "My favorite is Wheel of Wow, but you can only play it one time a day."

This is an important feature: Webkinz puts strict limits on how much time kids can spend on any activity--a "leave 'em wanting more" strategy that is one of the secrets of the site's success. Webkinz's traffic ballooned from 1.1 million unique visitors in November to 1.9 million in December. Moreover, kids spent an average of two hours and eight minutes per visit on Webkinz between April 2006 and January 2007. (YouTube, by contrast, averaged 32 minutes per visit during the same period, while Club Penguin averaged 54.)

What will happen once Disney and Nickelodeon get their sites rolling is anyone's guess. Disney just relaunched an existing virtual-reality site under a new name: Disney Xtreme Digital (DXD). Users get to choose from among more than 500 Disney-branded character-and film-themed sites (Hannah Montana or Buzz Lightyear for tweens, Pirates of the Caribbean for teens, etc.).

Nickelodeon launched its entry, Nicktropolis.com, at the end of January. Kids are invited to create virtual identities and spend virtual currency in Nickelodeon stores or visit online versions of top-rated Nickelodeon shows like SpongeBob SquarePants.

Club Penguin and Webkinz trumpet their sites as safe, ad-free environments. Disney and Nickelodeon are more frankly commercial and--in a big shift--ad-supported. Marketing to kids is always tricky; no one wants to be seen shilling to children. And whether the kids will buy the branded content, or the products advertised, remains to be seen.

But the biggest question hovering over this whole market is what the kids will want in the future--like next week. The most carefully crafted strategies can be blown up by an overnight shift in whatever adolescents deem cool.

Happy Glass creator B.J. Sandiford made the Disney sale during an Atlantic Canada trade mission to Florida in November.

"There were 12 or 14 of us around the table and we showed the product," said Sandiford.

The movie revolves around a secret school in the clouds: Sky High, the first and only high school for kids with super-human powers going through crime-fighting puberty. At Sky High, the student body throw flames with their footballs, study Villainy with their Chemistry and are divided into Heroes and Sidekicks. It's an out-of-this-world yet completely recognizable place where cool gadgetry, rampant bravery and awe-inspiring magical skills mix it up with parental battles, peer pressure and dating trouble--with explosively fun results.

Will Stronghold is the son of the world's most legendary super heroes, and people expect him to live up to the family name. The problem is that he has no superpowers of his own. Now he must somehow survive his freshman year while dealing with an overbearing gym coach, a bully with super speed and a dangerous rebel with a grudge (and the ability to shoot fire from his hands)--not to mention the usual angst, parental expectations and girl problems that accompany teenage life.

The Walt Disney Company

--Issuer Default Rating (IDR) upgraded to 'A-' from 'BBB+';

--Senior unsecured debt upgraded to 'A-' from 'BBB+';

--Commercial paper affirmed at 'F2'.

Capital Cities/ABC Inc.

--IDR upgraded to 'A-' from 'BBB+';

--Senior unsecured debt upgraded to 'A-' from 'BBB+'.

Disney's ratings continue to reflect the company's leading market positions in core businesses, unique brand franchises, healthy operating EBITDA margins, strong conversion of EBITDA to free cash flow, and significant financial flexibility. The company has benefited from cyclical improvements related to the theme park business, solid growth in ratings and advertising at ABC Broadcasting, success in leveraging its content across multiple distribution platforms, and management's focus on strengthening the company's credit profile over the past several years. Credit concerns center on the volatility of its theme parks and resorts, studio and broadcast networks businesses, and secular challenges facing some divisions, namely the film studio and broadcasting businesses. Also, while credit metrics have improved from already strong levels, share repurchase activity has been aggressive and would be a more meaningful concern if sustained at similar levels while operations were enduring pressure.

Given the relatively flat credit curve, unprecedented supply of capital available in the market place, and heightened risk of shareholder activism, Fitch has questioned whether media companies have an incentive to retain a strong investment grade credit profile in this environment. Also, Fitch is cognizant that Disney's operating performance has been bolstered by cyclical and hit-driven strength. In addition to Fitch's increased comfort with management's commitment to retaining an 'A-' credit profile, Fitch focused its analysis on structural changes that better position the company for the next downturn: leadership changes, operational changes in volatile businesses, and better peak performance than previously expected.

First, Fitch believes that current leadership's operating philosophy and financially conservative nature incorporates past experiences from the earlier half of the decade, including enduring the impact of a drought of hits at the ABC network; a geo-political stress event (9/11) and subsequent cyclical downturn; an expensive capital structure altering acquisition (Fox Family); and event risk in the form of board room dissension and an acquisition attempt by Comcast. Also Fitch has gained comfort that in addition to the changes described below, the company's focus on cultivating and leveraging its global brand in the consumer marketplace is also translated to its approach to the financial markets. Fitch believes that management values the company being perceived as having a solid credit profile and understands that this may come at a cost periodically when the equity markets may penalize the company for not having a more aggressive mix of debt and equity in the capital structure.

Next, Fitch believes that the company has made prudent changes to its strategy and has improved execution at the more volatile business lines: the studio, theme parks and ABC. At the studio, Fitch believes Disney's decision to scale back the number of movies and focus on family entertainment that can be leveraged through the portfolio has proven to be a prudent strategy. Fitch believes that there are opportunities to drive additional upside at the parks through the company's efforts to cross collaborate rather than operating the parks as stand alone businesses. Also, Fitch believes that management at ABC has been aggressive at exploring alternative revenue opportunities for the company's content while remaining focused on costs. Management has also selectively pruned traditional media assets (like ABC radio), which have partially reduced consolidated business risk. Fitch continues to believe that prospects for Disney's core ESPN franchise remain very strong.

Finally, the cyclical and hit driven-peak performance has exceeded Fitch's prior expectations regarding the top of the cycle. Even with aggressive repurchases, Fitch believes the financial stresses required to impair the company's financial flexibility are consistent with an 'A-' rating. However, Fitch remains cognizant that ratings are largely within management's discretion and bondholder protection and event risk will likely continue to be correlated with equity prices. Over the past year, event risk has been low as Disney's stock price has appreciated more than 40% in the 15 months since Jan. 1, 2006. Fitch expects Disney will continue to demonstrate the difficult balance of being operationally aggressive in adapting to the evolving landscape while maintaining a conservative balance sheet.

For the latest 12 months (LTM) ended Dec. 30, 2006 consolidated gross (recourse and non-recourse) debt to operating EBITDA (excluding dividends from minority interests) was 1.6 times (x); while net recourse debt to EBITDA was near 1.0x. Free cashflow (after dividends) to gross debt was 25%. The company's financial metrics presently place the company comfortably within the 'A-' rating category and offer the company flexibility to address secular challenges facing its businesses, return capital to shareholders, make prudent (in terms of both size and strategy) acquisitions, and endure a cyclical downturn.

Disney's liquidity is solid with more than $2.4 billion of cash and strong free cash flow of approximately $4.1 billion generated during LTM ended Dec. 30, 2006. Liquidity is enhanced by bank facilities totaling $4.5 billion, which support the company's $4.5 billion CP program (availability as of Dec. 30, 2006 was $3.6 billion reflecting letters of credit and CP balances). The bank facilities consist of a $2.25 billion senior unsecured revolver expiring in February 2010 and a $2.25 billion senior unsecured revolver expiring in 2011.

The facilities have minimal covenant protections. They contain a financial covenant of 3x minimum EBITDA to interest coverage and cross-default on principal greater than $250 million. The facilities do not contain any credit ratings-based defaults or covenants specifically relating to a material adverse change in Disney's financial condition. Consistent with many other investment grade bond indentures Disney's indentures contain no significant protections from potential leveraging events.

The capital structure includes $1.32 billion convertible senior notes due in 2023. Fitch assigns these securities to class A (100% debt, no equity) as defined under Fitch's recently updated hybrid securities guidelines (published October 2006). Per Fitch's guidelines, these units are not considered mandatorily convertible units, and the underlying notes rank as senior notes (meaning that there is no loss-absorption benefit).

Last month, the council deadlocked 2-2 on the issue. Councilwoman Lucille Kring abstained from voting over a possible conflict of interest because she planned to open a wine bar nearby.

The project's developer appealed the council split and argued Kring, who could provide the tie-breaking vote, should have been able to vote.

The state's Fair Political Practices Commission told Kring on Monday that she could vote because she has yet to sign a lease for the wine bar.

She voted in favor of rehearing the debate.

The 2.2-square-mile resort district was established in 1994 by state, local and federal officials to control development. It allows only commercial, entertainment and tourism-related businesses in the area.

Developer SunCal Cos. has proposed to build 1,500 condos, including several hundred low-income units, on a 26-acre parcel just a few blocks from Disneyland and across the street from Disney-owned land that could someday be the site of another theme park.

Housing advocates said the units are needed to accommodate workers who are essential to the city's tourism industry but can't afford to live there or in nearby towns.

However, Disneyland and other tourism-oriented businesses say that housing will drive visitors away from the park.

Ripa revealed on Wednesday's show that Philbin, 75, had been released from the hospital two days ago. "We were sworn to secrecy, I don't know why," she said.

"So you couldn't even mention it to me?" asked comedian Howie Mandel, who was filling in for Philbin. Ripa replied: "I don't know if I can mention it to you now!"

Ripa, 36, said Philbin might call the daytime talk show Friday to give an update on his recovery.

Philbin told his audience last week that he was having the surgery because "there's some plaque in some arteries and I've got to get it cleaned out."

They include three series that debuted this season: the surprise hit "Ugly Betty," the drama "Brothers & Sisters" and Anne Heche's Alaskan sojourn "Men in Trees."

Most of the other returnees are no surprises. "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Boston Legal" will all be back.

ABC is also committed to several of its successful reality shows, including "The Bachelor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Dancing With the Stars," "America's Funniest Home Videos," "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap."

The late-night "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will also be back in the fall, said ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson.

None of the network's comedies, including long-running series like "According to Jim" or "George Lopez," received an early commitment for next fall. The broadcast networks all announce their fall schedule to advertisers in May.

ABC is averaging just under 10 million prime-time viewers, down from 11.4 million a year ago. The network argues that some erosion was expected with the departure of "Monday Night Football," but it has also been hurt by the unexpected decline of "Lost" in its third season.

The studio has pegged just 14 animated feature films for "Platinum Edition" treatment, and "Jungle Book" is No. 10. As with the other DVDs in the high-end series, the movie has been restored and includes such new features as a suite of games, deleted scenes and songs, as well as a retrospective feature with Bruce Reitherman, the voice of Mowgli.

The DVD release will be accompanied by an array of "Jungle Book"-themed consumer products so that big retailers will be able to create "Jungle Book" sections in their stores.

Each March and again in October, a new two-disc Platinum Edition DVD of an animated classic is shipped to retailers. Invariably, it tops the sales chart and sells millions of copies, often beating a hot new feature film fresh from a profitable theatrical run.

Foreman, 58, will be one of four judges on ABC's "American Inventor" when it begins its second season June 6, FremantleMedia North America Inc. announced Tuesday.

He will be joined by former NBA executive Pat Croce, British businessman Peter Jones and undergarments entrepreneur Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx. The show's new host is Nick Smith.

Julie Taymor said, "To be in South Africa for this production has been the realization of a dream 10 years in the making. When I first listened to Lebo's Rhythm of the Pridelands, I knew THE LION KING had to keep its roots firmly in South Africa. As THE LION KING has expanded beyond Broadway, I am proud to say that South Africans have been a part of every production worldwide and with Monday's rehearsal, I am proud to say we have brought the show home."

Thomas Schumacher said, "When we were preparing to launch the Broadway production, Julie was adamant that South African nationals be a part of the cast. This idea was met with substantial resistance by parties outside the production. She remained true to her extraordinary vision for THE LION KING and as a result the South African cast members who have appeared in our many productions worldwide have been instrumental in this global phenomenon. Julie's vision and the fundamental elements of THE LION KING have made the show a worldwide cultural and financial success.

During the traditional meet and greet, every member of the South African company introduced themselves with several electing to deliver their introduction in their native tongues.

During his introduction, co-composer and South African licensee Lebo M, told his story about the inspiration for his world famous chants for "Circle of Life," one of the show's landmark moments. As he sang the chorus of the song, many cast members spontaneously joined him.

Schumacher said, "I have been to many first rehearsals for THE LION KING, but this week's first rehearsal was moving beyond words. As Lebo began to sing "Circle of Life," and the cast joined him, we were all overcome with emotion at the significance of what we were witnessing. With Lebo M making his producing debut in a commercial production alongside veteran theatre producer Pieter Toerien, we all are very proud and deeply moved to be a part of this historic engagement and to experience THE LION KING returning to its roots in South Africa."

The new production will feature a local South African cast, many of whom have been in other productions of THE LION KING around the world and are now coming home to perform in their native country including: Buyi Zama (Rafiki) who has appeared in the US National Tour, London, Australian, and Shanghai productions; Sello Make (Mufasa) who has appeared in the London company; and Andile Gumbi (Simba) who has appeared in the Australian and Shanghai productions.

To date, THE LION KING has employed almost 100 native South Africans in its productions worldwide. After rehearsals wrap at the Pretoria State Theatre, THE LION KING will officially open in the Montecasino Theatre in northern Johannesburg, which has been built for this production.

The official 10th anniversary production of Disney's THE LION KING, is supported by principal sponsor South Africa Telkom (SA) Telkom and media sponsor SABC. Disney's award-winning musical will officially open on June 6th 2007 in Johannesburg.

Since opening on Broadway in 1997, THE LION KING is the winner of over 70 major awards worldwide and has become a global phenomenon seen by over 35 million people. In addition to New York City, where the record-breaking show is currently in its tenth triumphant year, THE LION KING can also be seen in London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Seoul and two touring companies throughout the United States. A new production will open later this year in Paris, France.

THE LION KING follows the adventures of lion cub Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of manhood and his future role as king. THE LION KING is the winner of six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical, eight Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the Evening Standard Award for the Theatrical Event of the Year, two Olivier Awards, a Theatre World Award, the Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreography, two Drama League Awards and a GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Show Album of 1998.

It was Christmas day when Allison nearly died on Lake Minnewaska.  She was playing under two ice slabs when one fell and hit her head.   It took some time, but now Allison is back at home with her family – something they count among the greatest of their blessings. 

The kindness of strangers has brought even more blessings to the Jeffords family.  One man heard Allison’s story and wanted to help. 

“What would a little girl want? ...I thought Disney would be a perfect place,” said Jim Palmer of Glenwood.  He raised $5,000 to buy the family vouchers for a free trip to Disney World. 

Allison and her family are touched by the good fortune.  Says Jennifer, “Sometimes words aren’t enough.”

The Jeffords say several people helped them rescue their daughter from the lake on Christmas day.  They don’t know all their helpers’ names, but they want to thank them personally.  

“If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have Alli here or doing as well,” said Allison’s mom.  She and the rest of the family are planning a private get together with the rescuers and the man responsible for the Disney vacation. 

He turned to Disney and apologized as they drifted past a bustling marketplace scene, where a pirate auctioned off a woman to a crowd of rowdy buccaneers.

"I'm sorry we can't hear all of their lines," Atencio said.

Disney responded: "This way, each time people go through it, they'll hear something new."

Atencio told that story to one of the ride's fans on Sunday – the 40th anniversary of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean.

Atencio, who wrote the "Yo Ho" song played during the ride, joined four other Disney artists who helped sculpt, paint and costume the pirates and their ships to sign pirate memorabilia and reminisce for about 250 park visitors at the Disney Gallery.

"With all the sounds, sights and smells, you really do notice new things each time you ride it," said Sandra Marshall, 31. "The ride is old, but it still holds up."

Nearly 315 million Disneyland guests have ridden Pirates since its 1967 opening, making it the theme park's most popular ride. It also inspired a movie franchise. Since then, many of the movie's characters – Capt. Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones and Barbossa – were added to the ride.

Blaine Gibson, who sculpted the pirates, recalls his wife scolding him for staring at people he saw on the street, at church or in restaurants when he was looking for inspiration to create the ride's characters. He changed one of the pirates' noses after his co-worker told him it looked too much like the nose of a man who worked in another Disney department.

Harriet Burns, who helped Gibson with the sculptures, helped ensure that visitors couldn't tell if some of the faces had been used in more that one spot in the ride by changing hair color or adding an eye patch. She had to apply each strand of hair to the leg of a pirate sitting on a bridge in one of the scenes.

Alice Davis, who costumed the pirates, reminisced about telling a Disney bookkeeper that the costumes cost twice as much as they really did so she could sew a second set, an expense that Disney officials told her they could not afford. Her husband, Marc Davis, now dead, drew up an initial vision for the ride.

A few months after the ride opened, a small fire burned a few of the costumes, and Davis revealed the extra set to Dick Irvine, one of Walter Elias Disney Enterprises' first executives.

"He didn't know whether to hit me or to hug me," Davis said.

The artists all remember their thrill over working with Disney. He handpicked each of them for the project. But none expected the ride would last long because Disney told them the attractions would change every decade or so.

Walt Disney first envisioned the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in the 1950s as a wax museum, then as a walk-through adventure. Later, the ride's creators decided to use the same type of boat system as It's a Small World.

Atencio never had written a song when he first half-sung, half-recited his lyrics to Disney.

He expected Disney to assign the job to the Sherman brothers, who had written the music for several Disney movies, including "Mary Poppins." But after hearing Atencio's idea, Disney insisted he write it. Years later, he was surprised to hear a group of kids reciting the chorus in a little boat in Laguna Beach.

Pirates was the last theme park attraction supervised by Walt Disney. He died before it opened.

"If I come back in 100 years, they'll probably change a few things, but the heart of it is still Walt's vision," said Bob Gurr, now 75, who helped build the ride's flat-bottomed boats.

"And I'll still be here signing autographs," Atencio said.

"Pirates" timeline

1961:Walt Disney initially assigned imagineer Walt Davis to design a pirate-themed wax museum.

December 15, 1966:Walt Disney died.

March 18, 1967:"Pirates of the Caribbean" opened in New Orleans Square.

March 7, 1997:The ride was redesigned to incorporate new scenes and updated technology for its 30th anniversary.

July 9, 2003:The movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," based on the Disneyland ride, was released.

June 6, 2006:Disneyland opened a redesigned ride, incorporating the voices and likenesses of the movie's actors Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy and Geoffrey Rush and a revised music track.

"Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise will experience adventures inspired by the second and third films while going far beyond the events of those films," said Craig Relyea, vice president of marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "With the action, excitement, unforgettable characters and expansive locations from the blockbuster films, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will be the definitive 'Pirates' video game experience for fans. Our games go beyond the films to introduce legendary pirates, new locations and unique endings that will satisfy the pirate in each of us."

While providing action that is distinctive of the franchise, the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End video games will feature gameplay that takes advantage of each platform. The "next-generation" console games have innovative dueling controls as well as special moves used to outwit and defeat enemies. In addition, the Wii version takes advantage of the Wii Remote for swinging and thrusting motions that are similar to fighting with a sword.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End games for consoles, Windows PC and the PSP system are rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and are being developed by Eurocom Entertainment Software. The Nintendo DS version of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has an ESRB rating of E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older, and is being developed by Amaze Entertainment, a division of Foundation 9 Entertainment.

About the "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" film

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" picks up where the record-breaking 2006 smash hit left off, with our heroes Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) allied with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in a desperate quest to free Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from his mind-bending trap in Davy Jones' locker. With the terrifying ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and its commander Davy Jones under the control of the East India Trading Company, there is havoc on the Seven Seas. Navigating through treachery, betrayal and wild waters, the heroic trio must forge their way to exotic Singapore and confront the cunning Pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). Now headed beyond the very ends of the earth, each must ultimately choose a side in a final titanic battle - as not only their lives and fortunes, but the entire future of the freedom-loving Pirate way hangs in the balance. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, our beloved cast sets sail again on a fresh new adventure in May 2007.

About Eurocom Entertainment Software

Eurocom was founded in October 1988 by current owners: Mat Sneap, Tim Rogers, Neil Baldwin, Ian Sneap and Hugh Binns. Since that time, Eurocom has steadily expanded to cover all major consoles and handhelds, and has developed over seventy titles. Eurocom's development team is based in Derby, UK. Further information on Eurocom can be found at http://www.eurocom.co.uk.

About Amaze Entertainment

Amaze Entertainment, a division of Foundation 9 Entertainment, consistently delivers world class multiplatform video games and has earned a reputation as an ideal partner, especially for high profile product launches based on popular brands and franchises. For more information, please visit http://www.amazeentertainment.com.

About Disney Interactive Studios

Not the kind of iPod nano I would buy, but perfect for Disney lovers, young children, and die hard iPod fans who want to complete their collection.

• Disney generated $4.8 billion in free cash flow.
• Diluted earnings soared nearly 35%, to hit $1.64 per share.
• Revenue clocked in at $34.3 billion, with all four segments (media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, and consumer products) showing significant improvement in operating income.

Three months into fiscal 2007, things have only gotten better. Disney kicked off the year by posting a 43% surge in profitability. Most major studios are lucky to sell 130 million DVDs in any given year, but Disney did that in its December quarter on the retail strength of The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Cars. Some pretty amazing things can happen when you have the two top-grossing movies of the 2006 calendar year in your portfolio.

Not just some Goofy Rule Maker

Disney's hot, but that obviously isn't enough to make a stock a quality Rule Maker. Let's go over some of the trademarks of Rule Makerhood, and see how the House of Mouse stacks up.

Have a strong, well-known brand that becomes increasingly relevant in our lives.
You bet. Disney runs the highest-grossing theme parks in the world. It's the one brand that should come to mind when you think of family entertainment. It was starting to teeter a bit in the realm of theatrical animation, but that should be fixed by its $7.5 billion acquisition of Pixar.

Make mass-market products or services that are purchased repeatedly.
I already covered those 130 million DVDs, but Disney's wares have also been brisk sellers on the digital front. Disney has sold 20 million television show downloads and 2 million films since setting up camp on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iTunes video store. On the consumer-products side, has anyone here never seen -- or owned -- a stuffed Mickey Mouse doll? Park yourself outside a Disney World turnstile and watch families walk out with Disney balloons, pirate patches, and princess costumes.

Make products that are easily accessible and convenient to consumers.
ABC is free to anyone with a television and rabbit-ear antennas. Disney makes a mint on advertising, thanks to hit shows like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. ESPN is the global juggernaut in sports programming. Digital downloads are cheap, and its Disney Stores retail empire -- now run by Children's Place (Nasdaq: PLCE) -- is only a shopping mall away.

Have very high margins and sales growth.
Revenues have grown by 50% over the past four years, yet net income has more than doubled, and free cash flow has nearly quadrupled in that time. Disney clocked in with 19% in segment operating margins last year. That may seem puny compared to the 24% operating margins posted by Viacom (NYSE: VIA), but it's better than what other media conglomerates like Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) have been producing.

Strong balance sheet and low debt.
Until the 2006 acquisition of Pixar, Disney's net borrowings had shrunk during every single year since 2002. Then again, what's $11.1 billion in debt when you're generating $4.8 billion a year in free cash flow?

Have expanding possibilities.
The opportunities to grow are real. So far this year, Disney has announced that it will double the size of its cruise-ship fleet; it's pondering expanding with smaller attraction-based venues all over the world; and it's striking deals to milk more out of it valuable theme-park real estate.

Disney is a global powerhouse, but it's just getting started on so many different levels. It is the family entertainment brand that everyone wants to be. With the world's perpetual supply of children, the Disney well is unlikely to ever run dry on pixie dust and capital appreciation.

The group Save Our Anaheim Resort Area, which includes The Walt Disney Co. and owners of nearby hotels and businesses, said it intends to launch a petition drive to gather more than 20,000 signatures and place the measure on an upcoming ballot.

Disney previously sued the city of Anaheim to stop the proposed construction of the 1,500 condos, including several hundred low-income units, near the theme park that bills itself as the "Happiest Place on Earth."

"Anaheim residents should have the right to decide whether our resort area should be changed -- both now and in the future," said Bill O'Connell, the owner of two hotels and a member of the coalition.

The resort district around Disneyland was established in 1994 by state, local and federal officials to control development. It allows only commercial, entertainment and tourism-related businesses in the area.

Last month, the City Council deadlocked 2-2 on a zoning change that would allow residential projects inside the district. The council is expected to decide soon whether to revisit the issue.

One councilwoman who abstained from the first vote because of a potential conflict of interest could break the tie if an upcoming state review finds she can participate.

Housing advocates said the units are needed to accommodate workers who are essential to the city's huge tourism industry but can't afford to live here or in nearby towns.

Trujillo is best known for his innovative choreography for the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys. His work was also seen in City Center Encores Kismet and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Broadway's All Shook Up. He recently launched the first national tour of Jersey Boys and will be on hand for the numerous national and international rollout productions.  "I am truly honored to be working with Disney," said Trujillo. "Tarzan is a wonderfully inventive show and I look forward to moving the characters and story in new and different ways."

He is considered one of the most prolific choreographers working in the business today. Last season, Trujillo choreographed the new classic Zhivago and a re-imagining of The Wiz, both at the La Jolla Playhouse, collaborating with director Des McAnuff. Zhivago will become his second West End production, following Peggy Sue Got Married, which appeared at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. The Wiz is expected to land on Broadway after next season. Sergio has been named director/choreographer for the new Broadway musical based on Carmen Miranda's life. He is well represented on the North American touring circuit this season with mega-hits Jersey Boys and All Shook Up.

He is the recipient of both a Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Nomination for Jersey Boys, a 2003 Ovation Award for outstanding choreography in Empire: A New American Musical, three Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for outstanding choreography in Swingstep at the Elgin Theater, Syncopations at the Winter Garden Theater, and Outrageous at CanStage in Canada, among many other credits.

Tarzan, starring Josh Strickland, Jenn Gambatese, Shuler Hensley and more, runs at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where it opened on May 10th, 2006.  It features a score by Phil Collins, a book by David Henry Hwang and direction by Bob Crowley.  Meryl Tankard choreographed the Broadway production.

When she was three years old, JorDan Tripp, a native of Orem, carried that blue balloon animal around with her everywhere until it popped in the bathroom. JorDan was devastated.

Yet this first emotional experience in Disneyland would not stop her from loving everything about the Disney experience.

Now, years later, JorDan Tripp is a finalist in Disney's "Dream Job" contest.

Disney is offering five people in five different categories the chance to live their dream as an honorary cast member for one day. Of 100 finalists, Tripp is the only one from Utah, and she is in the Princess-in-Waiting category.

Tripp, 22, is married, lives in Orem and commutes to Springville to work full-time as a conference-call operator.

"Basically I run conventions over the phone," Tripp said. "So this one-day experience really would be a dream come true for me."

Tripp has worked for many things in her life, but has always come back to Disney.

"She spent time figure skating and doing long-track speed skating," said Shauna Olds, Tripp's mother. "It's hard to commit to things like that after you get married. So this is her little dream."

One thing Tripp will never forget is when her parents drove her to California to audition to be a cast member at Disneyland three years ago.

"She made it to the final cuts," Olds said. "People would come out and tell us she was still in there. They were shocked when they found out it was her first time auditioning because most people audition several times before they actually make a cut."

Tripp said she hopes she makes this cut, because it's her last chance to work for Disney.

"They would dress me up, and I would get to be a princess for a day," Tripp said. "I really hope I win this."

Olds said she's hoping Tripp wins as well, but for a different reason.

"We have to get her to win so she can get that dream out of the way, and I can have grandchildren," Olds said.

Disney is giving away one million dreams this year, said Andrew Hill, who has worked as a Disney cast member since 2004 and is the Disney college program campus representative at BYU.

The students who will participate in the program will receive wages and instruction in the areas of hotel management and food and beverage.

The agreement will be signed on Tuesday, March 27 in Pucamaima, Santiago, during a ceremony headed by its president monsignor Agripino Núñez, and doctors Carl Haynes, Walter Poland, Kristi Breen and Lee Ann Demay.

In addition to operating the amusement park’s equipment, sales, and customer services, the training will be supervised and accredited by the State University of New York and the Disney Corporation.

“It’s a unique opportunity, conceived in very favorable and accessible terms, in order that hotel administration students of the Pucamaima develop abilities and add credits to their studies," said David Alvarez, dean of the Sciences and Humanities faculty.

In this brief, provocative, and incisive book, the authors examine the often surprising characteristics that have contributed to presidential greatness over the course of American history. When choosing a president should we look for the characteristics we value in ourselves, and others, or does history demonstrate that a mixture of darkness and light may be required to take command of our only national elective office? Using examples from the rich trove of the presidential story, THE PERFECT PRESIDENT seeks to answer that question.

"Ask the question of almost anyone - What characteristics make the perfect president? - and you immediately start a parlor game," says Stephanopoulos, "but as we approach what will be a pivotal presidential election, the question becomes one of grave importance." Adds Brewster: "There are, of course, the cliche answers - Teddy Roosevelt's grit, Reagan's optimism, FDR's courage in the face of tremendous adversity - but while recognizing some of the most powerful and undeniable lessons of presidential history, 'The Perfect President' will also dig deeper to discover those aspects of presidential greatness that have been overlooked."

George Stephanopoulos is Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and the anchor of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." A former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, he is also the author of the 1999 New York Times #1 bestseller, "All Too Human." Todd Brewster is a longtime print journalist who has worked for Time, Inc. as well as for ABC News. He was co-author with Peter Jennings of the 1998 New York Times #1 bestseller, "The Century" and co-author, with Jennings, of "In Search of America," which Hyperion published in 2002.

The announcement of the new book was made by Robert S. Miller, president of Hyperion. Of the book Miller said: "THE PERFECT PRESIDENT is a book that every American should read as we go about the critical job of choosing our next President, and we are very proud to be its publisher."

Miller negotiated the deal with Esther Newberg of ICM. The editor for the book will be executive editor Gretchen Young. Hyperion retains North American and audio rights.