As
in Michael Barrier's excellent book The Animated Man, Walt
Disney emerges as a mercurial, unpredictable, and ultimately
unknowable figure; his employees were still trying to fathom him
even after years of retirement, and it emerges in these
interviews that most of them never will. There is, however,
agreement among them on some facets of Walt Disney that are
already well known to most of Disney's historians and serious
fans. 
Buzz’s
dream of going “to infinity and beyond” will finally come true
during the mission when -- with the help of the crew -- he will
fly in zero gravity inside the International Space Station as
part of NASA’s “Toys in Space” initiative. Through this program,
Buzz will help introduce fun elements from space into science
and math classrooms across the country. 
Buzz’s
groundbreaking mission into space also coincides with the launch
of his latest debut on earth in Toy Story Mania!, Disney Parks
new attraction that opens May 31 at Walt Disney World in Florida
and June 17 at Disneyland Resort in California.
The
Disney Rewards Visa Card is one of the fastest growing
rewards cards for families, with over 2 million Cardmembers
joining since its launch in 2003. In addition to receiving
Disney Rewards on everyday card purchases,
Cardmembers receive special savings and benefits, making the
Disney Rewards Visa Card the all-access pass to Disney.
Keeping up
with the (Indiana) Joneses
Theme Parks - It's time to break out your bullwhip and
weathered fedora. Indiana Jones is back at the multiplex for
another round of retro movie fun. But Indy never left the
Disney parks. He's been narrowly escaping that giant boulder
a few times daily for years now in the Indiana Jones Epic
Stunt Spectacular! at Disney's Hollywood Studios, part of
Walt Disney World in Florida. And he's been helping
countless guests escape the wrath of Mara, the fearsome idol
inside the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland park. The
California ride, which features Disney's Enhanced Motion
Vehicles, is among my picks for the very best theme park
attractions. Disneyland is capitalizing on the Jones for
everything Indiana by presenting the Indiana Jones Summer of
Hidden Mysteries. Among the events, which kicked off earlier
this week, are an Indy-focused storytelling adventure at The
Oasis in Adventureland, an Indiana Jones doppelganger who
makes appearances at the park, and some Indy touches added
to the Jungle River Cruise.
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Highlights for this
Weekend Gone But Not Forgotten: The Disneyland E Ticket John Lasseter unveils 'Tinker Bell,' costly star of new Disney Fairies initiative Disney throws open Narnia premiere to fans Disney Helping Kids Shine With $700,000 In Grants To Nonprofits | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Highlights for this
Weekend A reminder that this is the last weekend to catch the 15TH Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Toy Story Mania! Officially opens today at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  and
finally: TO INFINITY...AND BEYOND!: A 12-inch-tall toy Buzz
Lightyear is posed at Kennedy Space Center May 30, 2008, as
Space Shuttle Discovery sits behind it on the launch pad.
Discovery will launch Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Fla. for
mission STS-124. Aboard Discovery is a similar Buzz Lightyear
toy action figure. Disney Parks worked with NASA to include the
toy on the mission to celebrate the opening of a new attraction
-- called "Toy Story Mania!" -- that features Buzz Lightyear.
The toy on the spacecraft will be transferred to the
International Space Station where it will spend several months,
before being sent back to Florida later this year on a future
Space Shuttle mission. A series of educational programs for
school children has been planned for the toy's time in space.
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Gone
But Not Forgotten: The Disneyland E Ticket
SF Gate - I've been working on a Chronicle magazine article about Bay Area roller coasters, which doesn't suck as far as assignments go. You can expect a lot of coaster-themed posts when it comes out in July. While conducting my research, I ran into an article about the Disneyland ticketing system, which I remember from when I went to the park in 1978. Up until 1982, Disneyland sold booklets of tickets, marked A through E, which included corresponding lists of the rides. The A Tickets were usually a waste of valuable park time -- who wants to spend time in Sleeping Beauty's Castle when Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was around the corner? -- and I suspect every patron in the history of Disneyland walked out with a small ream of A tickets. (I still have some that my father saved in a junk drawer somewhere. I dream of returning to the front gate of Disneyland with my own kids in the year 2013 and demanding entrance to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house.) The E Tickets included all the best rides, including Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. I think each booklet came with two or three E Tickets, although it might have varied. We may have been among the poorer families at Disneyland, so maybe all of your booklets had 20 E Tickets. The one-price-for-everything policy probably makes more sense, but I definitely miss the ticket system. Just like food tastes better when you're forced to ration, I think I enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean that much more because of the long debate we had deciding between Pirates and the Submarine ride. My older sister wanted to use an E Ticket on It's a Small World, which even as a 7-year-old I thought was totally insane. Thirty years later and we still have a rift over that . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Lasseter unveils 'Tinker Bell,' costly star of new Disney
Fairies initiative LATimes - Cue the pixie dust. Walt Disney Animation is taking direct aim at little girls with a business initiative called Disney Fairies whose long-awaited star is finally ready for her small screen debut. John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, announced the much delayed "Tinker Bell" DVD on Friday, the first original title in a series of company-wide animation initiatives meant to capitalize on the fairy and princess craze among little girls. "Tinker Bell," the first
character to take wing from the Disney Fairy canon, is scheduled
for direct-to-DVD release in late October, after being pushed
back a year due to reported production complications. In this
particular 2008 incarnation, Tink actually has a voice (actress
Mae Whitman, although at one point Disney announced that
Brittany Murphy would play Tink), and a lovely pair of
iridescent wings. The female character's success should be an interesting test for Lasseter, whose Pixar animated films over the past decade have largely catered to boys. Consider the upcoming robot tale "Wall-E" (June 27), and earlier blockbusters "Cars," "Bugs," and "Monsters, Inc." Somehow Pixar and parent company Disney have managed to largely overlook a marketplace filled with little girls fixated on princesses and fairies. Disney Animation hasn't introduced any new animated girl-centric titles and characters -- such as "The Little Mermaid" (1989), Princess Jasmine in "Aladdin" (1992), "Pocahontas" (1995) and "Mulan" (1998) -- in close to a decade. (Even "Enchanted," which was live action, was released just last year.) But Disney's animated princess hiatus is about to change, both with the so-called Disney Fairies initiative and when Disney Feature Animation releases theatrically "The Princess and the Frog" (Christmas 2009) and "Rapunzel" (Christmas 2010). Until then, it will be hard for parents to avoid the Disney Fairies juggernaut, which the Walt Disney Company promises to incorporate across its many divisions, including Disney Consumer Products, Disney Publishing, Disney Interactive Studios, Disney on Ice, Disney Parks and Resorts, and Disney Online. And with that, Disney's finally going full-bore with faith, trust and pixie dust. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney
throws open Narnia premiere to fans Telegraph UK - Walt Disney will create what it describes as "the largest cinema in history" when it opens up the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian premiere to 10,000 fans. The event will be held in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital's redevelopment appeal and will allow fans to rub shoulders with the show's stars such as Ben Barnes, the young British actor playing Prince Caspian, Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan the lion, and director Andrew Adamson, who also made the Oscar-winning Shrek. The film also sees the
introduction of new characters including swashbuckling mouse
Reepicheep, voiced by Eddie Izzard, and the faithful badger
Trufflehunter, voiced by veteran TV actor Ken Stott. Technicians will install a giant cinema screen into The O2 arena in London to screen the follow-up of the 2005 film The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Prince Caspian is the second of seven planned films based on the work of CS Lewis. Tickets for the premiere on June 19th cost £12.50. The film is released in cinemas across the country on June 26. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Helping Kids Shine With $700,000 In Grants To Nonprofits Central Florida News - Thanks to Disney's Helping Kids Shine grant, 44 nonprofit organizations have the ammunition to strengthen their programs, and the people they serve. The grant is giving $700,000 to groups serving a five-county area, continually encouraging the arts and education. The awards were recently handed out, and recipients, including Sister Ann Kendrick, said it would help keep their programs running. "We just got two women full scholarships to Trinity University in Washington, D.C. -- immigrant young people who not normally have a chance to do that," Sister Kendrick said. "This money will help float our boat in these tough economic times." "When they make our children stronger, safer and healthier, that all is going to help everybody in Central Florida, including Walt Disney World," said Disney spokesman Eugene Campbell. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Airline baggage fees cause headaches for Disney's Magical
Express Disney Takes Jonas Bros. to the Movies Working with Walt: Interviews with Disney Artists Mad Tea Party assailant completes jail term Disney to launch stationery line Disney Voice Over by Jeff Brown is His Dream of a Million Dreams Why Disney should buy TiVo Revver Founder Selling Stealth Startup Digisynd To Disney Disney Stage Performance, Record Development Deal with Centricity Music Disney Content Now on iTunes in France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Airline baggage fees cause headaches for Disney's Magical
Express Orlando Sentinel - The new fees airlines have begun charging passengers who check a second bag aren't just aggravating travelers -- they are causing headaches for Walt Disney World and its Magical Express airport shuttle-and-luggage service. The problem The fees are complicating Magical Express' early baggage-check service, which encourages departing guests to check in for their flights and drop off their luggage in their hotel before leaving the giant resort. Disney then has those customers -- along with other hotel guests who are unable or choose not to use the resort check-in option -- bused to Orlando International Airport. Disney offers Magical Express for free to its hotel guests, using the service as way to keep those guests on company property longer by eliminating the need for visitors to rent a car and sparing them from long airport check-in lines at the end of their vacation. But because it doesn't charge for the shuttle or the baggage service, Disney World does not have an obvious way to collect the new baggage-check fees -- as much as $25 a person -- from guests who want to check two bags through Magical Express on the way home. The changes have already caused some confusion at Disney hotels. Disney says it has continued to allow departing guests to check two pieces of luggage at their hotels, but some employees when questioned this week said their understanding was that people flying home on an airline with a second-bag fee have to check that second bag by themselves at the airport. The complications could grow further if more U.S. carriers follow American Airlines' lead and charge passengers to check their first piece of luggage, too. On June 15, American will begin charging $15 for the first checked bag. The solution Temporary: Disney says it and the company it contracts with to run the luggage service, Orlando-based Bags Inc., have worked out agreements with the airlines to temporarily waive the luggage fees for guests who use the remote check-in service. But those agreements end this week. Starting Sunday, Disney says, guests who want to check their luggage before leaving their hotels will first have to contact a Bags Inc. call center and pay the appropriate luggage charges over the phone. Permanent: Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty says the company is still trying to devise a permanent solution. Disney and Bags are considering installing payment registers at the airline check-in counters in each Disney hotel, so guests could pay their baggage fees directly. That would spare guests from having to pay the fees over the phone by credit card or from having to check a second bag themselves at OIA. But Prunty said Disney is weighing several possibilities. What are the hurdles? *Effect on speed. Having to process baggage payments for departing guests could gum up the airline check-in process at Disney's hotels, where lines can already be long on busy mornings. About one in five Disney guests who use the Magical Express baggage check-in option surrenders more than one piece of luggage, and roughly 1 million bags a year are now checked early at Disney hotels, bypassing the usual check-in process at Orlando International. "When it's free, obviously the transaction time is much quicker," said Craig Mateer, president of Bags Inc. *Lack of standards. The fee schedules for checked luggage vary from airline to airline. Amounts range from $10 to $25 a bag each way. Also, some airlines exempt certain passengers, such as high-level frequent fliers or passengers traveling on more expensive fares. It can even make a difference if the passenger checked in for the flight online or in person. *Communication. Disney wants to ensure that its employees and guests are aware of the changes as the system continues to evolve. Disney is in the midst of updating its Magical Express materials -- such as letters to preregistered guests, in-room booklets and Web-site information -- to reflect the new policies. "The important piece is communication," Prunty said. What others are doing Some other local locations that offer similar airline check-in services -- such as the Orange County Convention Center and several hotels owned by International Drive hotelier Harris Rosen -- have already begun charging departing guests the new luggage fees. But it has been easier for them because they already charge guests to use Bags Inc. service for their flights home. Guests at the Rosen Plaza Hotel, for instance, pay $10 a person to check their bags at the hotel before heading to OIA. Mateer says Bags Inc. is also working with the cruise lines that offer onboard airline check-in programs at Port Canaveral; some of them are already testing new payment systems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Takes
Jonas Bros. to the Movies Adweek - The Disney Channel, looking for another High School Musical-size franchise, has put budding superstars The Jonas Brothers into a musical TV movie called Camp Rock, which debuts June 20. And for the first time, the cable network is buying ad time in theaters, via a deal with Screenvision. The 30-second spot will air through June 19 before all G- and PG-rated films in the current moviegoing season. This will give the effort "prime advertising real estate with the maximum exposure possible in cinema in terms of available audience for viewing," said Mike Chico, Screenvision's evp, sales and marketing. Disney has been working for many months to pump pop-rock teen band The Jonas Brothers (Kevin, Joe and Nick) as "the next big thing," including a recent performance on Fox's well-watched American Idol finale and one of the high-profile results editions of Dancing With the Stars. The brothers toured in the past as the opening act for teen pop singer Miley Cyrus and plan their own tour this summer in advance of a new record in August. The Camp Rock soundtrack will be released a few days ahead of the movie's premiere, and its first single, "We Rock," has already debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Promotional videos sprinkled around YouTube of Camp Rock, the band members and their upcoming TV series J.O.N.A.S., having logged hundreds of thousands of views. Camp Rock is "a huge priority for the network," said Richard Loomis, svp, marketing and creative at the Disney Channel. Snagging the premium pod -- running the spot before movie trailers -- makes the most of the cinema ad buy, he said. Screenvision, which sells ad time on some 14,000 screens in such chains as Mann and Pacific Theaters, Carmike Cinema and National Amusements, works with a number of TV channels like Showtime, ABC Family, MTV and HBO. Network and cable channels are among the most aggressive cinema advertisers, particularly in the busy summer period when blockbusters draw desirable young audiences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Working with Walt: Interviews with Disney Artists Animation World Network - Don Peri, no stranger to the world of Walt Disney Productions, has finally released 15 interviews with some of Disney's best-known (and lesser-known) creative minds. The interviews were conducted from 1974-1980, and one immediately regrets that they were not collected and published sooner. In reading these interviews, however, one increasingly gets the sense that the title is somewhat of a misnomer: there is never the sense that any of the interviewees worked with Walt. Rather, they worked for him, and Walt Disney would be the last one to let any of them forget that fact.
For example, Harper Goff and Herb Ryman relate that Walt always had an unerring feel for the public's taste. Disney's unceasing drive and determination are chronicled by Jack Cutting, Ken O'Connor, Ben Sharpsteen and Wilfred Jackson. Dick Huemer, Jackson, and Ryman attest to Walt's ability to instantly solve seemingly impossible problems in any production. O'Connor and Sharpsteen chronicle Walt's perfect judgment of his employees' talents and abilities. Everyone marvels at his uncanny acting ability. Still, none of the interviewees in this book, not even Eric Larson, one of Disney's famed "Nine Old Men," truly knew the man they worked for. Ken Anderson and Herb Ryman both use the term "impenetrable" when talking about Walt Disney, and Ken O'Conner reiterates this. Harper Goff remembers his boss as "a difficult and frightening man" who still gave him nightmares years later. Both Cutting and Ryman mention that Walt was so multifaceted that no one knew him; Les Clark, the first of the Disney Nine, maintains that Disney wanted no one close to him. Nearly every interviewee agrees on one thing: Walt Disney was all about his business and, outside of his all-consuming studio, there was little time for diversions, small talk -- or other people. Walt Disney dominates this book like a looming spectral force, a living memory of difficult and temperamental genius. When Herb Ryman states that "Walt was not a deity, Walt was not a superman, Walt was just a regular, live, flesh-and-blood person... " it almost seems that Ryman has to convince himself that it is true. "Awe" is used by several of Peri's subjects in describing their feelings about Walt Disney. As the interviews continue, it becomes apparent that the only method of knowing what it was like to work for Walt is to see him reflected through the prism of his employees. That is the genius of Peri's book: as an interviewer, Peri always manages to ask a question that reveals each of his subject's unique psychology in relation to their legendary boss. Wilfred Jackson, despite his undeniable talent and creativity, comes off as oddly insecure, his humility reading much like a lack of self-esteem. Ken Anderson presents with almost worshipful fervor. Ben Sharpsteen and Don Duckwall recount the abject terror that came with having a cartoon short go sour at its premiere. Peri asks many of his interviewees similar questions, mainly about their first encounter with Walt, joining the studio, their experiences of the infamous strike (Art Babbit is universally reviled), and legendary moments such as Disney's performance that accompanied his announcement that the studio would begin production of Snow White. This technique, however, does not make for repetition, since Disney had a different effect on each of those interviewed. A multifaceted portrait of Disney is the only viable one; having several anecdotes and viewpoints of the same events only serves to deepen the book's scope. Peri interviews some of the lesser-known entities at the studio, and acknowledges that he has done so in order to fill some of the gaps in Disney history; thus, Jack Cutting, Harper Goff, Larry Clemmons, and Don Duckwall are given their due. Their memories of working for Walt are just as revealing as those given by Les Clark and Eric Larson. Of particular interest is a rare interview with Marcellite Garner. Although she voiced Minnie Mouse, one of the most legendary female characters in animation, we learn that it was actually just a side job added to her regular duties in the ink-and-paint department. Such historical tidbits abound throughout the interviews. Those interested in the early days of Disney, how directors and animators were chosen to work on projects, how production methods and the division of labor evolved, and what Burt Gillett did when he first came to the studio will be rewarded as they read through these lively interviews. Clarence Nash, the longtime voice of Donald Duck, details how he developed the duck from a character he originally called "Mary," and Floyd Gottfredson reveals why his name never appeared on the Mickey Mouse comic strip -- despite Walt's willingness to let him put his signature to it. In short, Working with Walt is a terrific passel of interviews that easily holds its own against the masterful six-volume effort edited by Didier Ghez. Peri's desire to add information to the Disney story is matched only by his sincere questioning about what it was like to have Walt Disney as your stern employer, enthusiastic leader, savage critic, and shining idol. It is recommended (but not necessary) that the reader have some familiarity with Disney history and personnel, as Peri appears to take this for granted in some of the more in-depth interviews. This is a highly recommended and important book; at a mere $14.95 on Amazon, it's impossible for any Disneyphile to pass it up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mad Tea
Party assailant completes jail term Florida Days - Victoria Walker has been released from prison having served 48 days following her battery conviction in the Mad Tea Party case. Additionally, Walker has fulfilled the anger management portion of her sentence and has nine months of probation. Walker was found guilty of assaulting Aimee Krause at Disney's Mad Tea Cup Party attraction in May of 2007. The two were involved in an altercation which led to Walker's arrest and subsequent conviction. During the trial, Walker claimed she acted in self defense and that Krause pushed her first. Following the verdict, Krause filed a lawsuit charging Disney with lax security. Walker contends that Krause incited this incident with the goal of seeking monetary compensation. She stated "And I believe if it hadn't have been me, it would have been somebody else. She was looking for a victim, and that's my honest belief. It's a sad thing when a person would try to ruin another person's life just to get money." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney
to launch stationery line Daily News - Disney debuted a new stationery line at New York's National Stationery Show. The upscale pens and paper products are part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection which currently features fine furniture pieces. The Walt Disney Stationery line will be available at retailers this Fall. Among the manufacturers of the products are Crane & Co., Eccolo and Monteverde. As with the Disney furniture line, the emphasis is on quality and is devoid of the familiar characters. The stationery items will include Italian made pens with gold, silver and diamond embellishments as well as journals and note cards. Plans include a commemorative Sleeping Beauty Collection marking the movie's 50th anniversary. The journal will have gilded edges with pearl trim and a magnetic closure and the pen will be heavily jeweled. In describing its continued advances in the luxury marketplace, a Disney spokesperson commented “It’s popular with consumers who have grown up with the Disney brand. While they might not want something with Mickey Mouse on it any more, they still want the brand in their lives. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Voice Over by Jeff Brown is His Dream of a Million Dreams NewsBlaze - Renowned voice over artist Jeff Brown sets his sights on Disney during its Year of a Million Dreams. A member of the VoiceOverMiami voice over talent website, expert talent Jeff Brown has been selected by highly discerning talent scouts for big brand companies like Tylenol and Health First. Billed as a seasoned voice artist and voice over professional, Jeff Brown's voice has a genuine real person, guy next door appeal to the 25-40 demographics, and it is the standout quality of his voice that makes listeners sit up and take note. This of course makes him a talent of great interest to the Disney Company and a recent visit to Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort confirmed that the believable casting choice for narrator, expert, young adult counterpart, or genuine Generation X/Y advocate, Jeff Brown is interested in the opportunity and fulfilling his dream! Much like Epcot was born from the inspiration of Walt Disney's never ending creativity, Jeff Brown's rare voice over talent that seems to draw on a never ending supply of energy, ingenuity, and originality makes the two a perfect fit. This puts him in good company with the likes of talented voice genius Eric Idle of Monty Python fame and Jim Hill's "Turtle Talk with Crush" at Epcot, whose friendly surfer voice bedazzles children from everywhere. It is only a matter of time until Disney and Epcot will discover the voice over talent Jeff Brown. As his dream of finding the perfect partnership appears to have found its answer in Disney's Epcot visit, the company will do well to remember that this is The Year of a Million Dreams and perhaps their very own will come true when they decide on teaming up with the industry leader and realize that their latest ventures, ad campaigns, entertainment offerings and of course overall public relations will enjoy a unique and most likely highly profitable impact they might not yet have dreamed of! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Why Disney
should buy TiVo MarketWatch - The recent announcement that Walt Disney Co. will use TiVo as a mechanism for what appears to be a crude entry into Internet protocol television, or IPTV, by distributing movies on the TiVo box may portend even a more important possibility.
That possibility is that Disney
will buy TiVo.
TiVo is credited with
inventing the personal video recorder, or PVR, and
popularizing time-switching and the ability to stop live
content. The TiVo phenomenon cannot be ignored as a
major sociological event in the history of media. Anyone
who uses such a device, whether the TiVo itself or a
derivative, never watches TV the same way again.
In the process, it has
forced content providers to rethink their business
models, especially when you consider the fact that
you can effortlessly skip commercials with these
devices.
The company is a
pioneer, but never quite had the marketing chops
to ramp up like a typical consumer electronics
company. This is coupled with the fact that in
the U.S. the target market consists of too many
people who cannot even set the time on a VCR.
The TiVo does
require some learning skills. Also the idea of a
monthly subscription isn't necessarily a
welcoming feature since it requires hooking some
sort of network connection to the device.
But TiVo has become
a verb and holds all the best patents on this
sort of technology -- and it is addictive.
More importantly it
can be effortlessly turned into a conduit for
the next generation of TV -- IPTV. This is
television delivered via an IP connection either
over the Internet or over a private closed IP
network.
Everyone knows that
eventually IPTV will become the dominant form of
TV show distribution. Just as news distribution
is being converted online because you save money
on paper, ink, printing presses and delivery
trucks, a similar change will take place in
broadcast media.
With online
broadcasting you don't need expensive
transmitters, antennas, licensed personnel and
government licenses to operate. IPTV makes
things cheaper.
That said, the form
that IPTV will eventually take is not certain.
The Web made the online newspaper popular since
the web was a perfect platform for print-style
content. This is not the same for video content.
Video content on
the web is a novelty, a diversion. There has to
be some link to the TV set in the den for the
IPTV initiative to ever take off. This means
some sort of set top box or a direct connection
between the TV and the Internet.
TiVo is sitting in
the sweet spot. And when I see a company like
Disney playing around with a company like TiVo I
begin to wonder if Disney is getting its feet
wet in advance of a buyout deal. With a market
cap just under a billion it might be too much to
swallow, but it would give Disney a technology
it could use and leverage.
While some
observers in the movie business see Disney as
moving away from the content creation business
insofar as movies are concerned, it seems to be
solidly into TV content which is perfect for
TiVo. And it does have movies that need
distribution.
Besides giving the
company more control over content by controlling
such a device it might find it a good vehicle
for delivering targeted advertising to the
viewers. This has been the holy grail of
broadcast advertising. The possibilities are
endless if you can control a box like this and
make it even more popular.
The only problem I
would foresee is that nobody at Disney could
grasp all the possibilities and the whole thing
would languish leaving an orphaned platform and
irritated users.
I recommend that
they think about it seriously if they are not
already.
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Revver Founder Selling Stealth Startup Digisynd
To Disney
Washington Post - Revver co-founder Oliver Luckett (on right in picture) and CTO Rob Maigret left Revver in a management shakeup in late 2006. By June 2007 they had founded their new venture, Digisynd, based in Burbank, California. In May 2008 they raised a seed round of financing from Greycroft Ventures and Villiage Ventures.
Digisynd has been deep in stealth mode,
although we've been able to gather some
basic details about them based on
information from Greycroft's site and a job
listing from late 2007:
DigiSynd is an outsourced packaging, syndication, and marketing solution that enables digital studios and other content creators to get the most value out of their content online.The company uses time-honored storytelling techniques and valuable lessons from traditional media, but applies them in a medium of online communities, virtual experiences, interactivity and user-generated content. That's not much to go on. But rumor is the company has sold to Disney, months before the actual launch of the product. We have this from multiple sources, although the company will not comment. Literally, in fact. When I cornered Luckett at the D6 conference yesterday and asked him about the deal he literally walked away from me. His VC, Dana Settle from Greycroft, pretended she didn't hear my question the three times I asked her, and then also walked away. Sounds like a confirmation to me. From what we can tell, the deal is not being done through the strike team Disney set up last year to do Internet based acquisitions, but is being led by someone else in the organization. More details as they emerge. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Stage Performance, Record Development
Deal with Centricity Music
PR Web - Artists, songwriters and worship leaders will come to GMA Music in the Rockies to be a part of the premier gathering, training camp, and competition, and some will come away with even more - including top prizes offered by Centricity Music and Walt Disney World. And, just for signing up on the website at www.musicintherockies.com, entrants will be eligible for a chance to win an iPod and other free stuff. GMA Music in the Rockies is planned for August 3-9, 2008. GMA Music in the Rockies features daily classes designed for artists, songwriters and worship leaders and also offers career development and networking opportunities. One of the week's highlights is the GMA Academy National Competition, the official GMA talent competition for unsigned artists and songwriters that has in recent years seen entrants like American Idol champion Jordin Sparks and finalist Chris Sligh; Chris Tomlin, Matthew West and BarlowGirl go on to successful music careers. More than $50,000 in prizes will be awarded in all, but two of the biggest prizes include a GMA Music in the Rockies first -- a recording development deal with Centricity Music; a rising independent label with worldwide distribution through Word Distribution and World Wide Web distribution with Echo Music. Centricity Music's artist roster includes downhere, Jaime Jamgochian. Daniel Kirkley and a former GMA Academy winner Circleslide. Walt Disney World provides another coveted prize. One finalist will be named Disney's Best of Show winner and will receive a performance slot at the "Night of Joy" event at the Walt Disney World® Resort, September 5-6, 2008 in Florida! The prize includes a vacation package for the winning artist, including accommodations at a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotel, airfare, Disney theme park tickets and Night of Joy tickets. As well as the Centricity and Disney prizes, this year's Academy National Competition will present grand prizes titles for: Solo 2008, Duet/Group 2008, Band 2008, Instrumental 2008 and Song of 2008 with additional prizes from the American Bible Society and Compassion International. The first step to winning the valuable prizes is registering for GMA Music in the Rockies at www.musicintherockies.com. Early registration rates for GMA Music in the Rockies are available now with a 30 percent discount off on-site rates offered until May 27 and a 20 percent discount until June 30. There is also a special rate for bands that enter the GMA Academy National Competition. In addition
to the competitions, GMA Music in the
Rockies offers an unsurpassed variety of
training and career development classes
taught by artists and other industry
professionals. This year's event will
emphasize being a creative Christian in the
music industry and how to make an impact in
mainstream entertainment. Topics cover
everything from pitching songs to singing in
pitch and include creative workshops for
songwriting and practical training in song
publishing, legal matters and performance
booking. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Content Now on iTunes in France
World Screen News - Television programming from The Walt Disney Company is now available on Apple’s iTunes Store in France, including Lost, alongside fare from French networks like TF1, France Télévisions and Arte and content owners such as Mediatoon. Television shows can be purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store for viewing on a Mac or PC, iPod nano with video, iPod classic, iPod touch, fifth generation iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. The shows are priced at 1.49 euros, 1.99 euros and 2.49 euros per episode. Disney-ABC dramas such as the second and third seasons of Lost, the first and second seasons of Desperate Housewives and the first season of Ugly Betty will be available through iTunes. Programming from the Disney Channel will soon be added to the iTunes lineup. Furthermore, content from MTV Networks is on offer as well, including Comedy Central’s South Park, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and MTV shows like Made and Pimp My Ride. French television programming on the iTunes Store in France includes shows from TF1’s VOD subsidiary TF1 Vision: the crime drama La main blanche and Paris Enquêtes Criminelles, as well as selections from French comedy performer Coluche. Additional French content includes France Télévisions’ drama Les Contes de la Collection Chez Maupassant and the family soap Coeur Océan, and Arte’s geopolitical series Le dessous des cartes. “iTunes is the number one digital music store in France and we’re off to a great start with TV shows,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s VP of iTunes. “We’re thrilled to launch with over 25 programs and 450 episodes available on the iTunes Store in France.” Animated French content from Mediatoon will also be available through iTunes, including Tintin TV’s long-running animation Tintin; Dupuis TV’s Spirou et Fantasio; and Dargaud TV’s Les Nouvelles aventures de Lucky Luke. Other offerings from Mediatoon include Kid Paddle and Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline. Throughout 2008, programs produced by Dargaud Media, Dupuis, Ellipsanime and Storimages will be added to the catalogue of Mediatoon cartoon series available on iTunes. Isabelle Denis, the manager of Mediatoon Interactive, commented: “We’re very happy to be part of this launch. Our aim is to offer end users fast and easy access to our content wherever they are, at any time and on any screen. The presence of our cartoons on iTunes means they can now be watched on increasingly widespread mobile formats.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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To Infiniti and Beyond! Disney Parks and NASA Send Buzz
Lightyear into Space Disney, Chase Renew Multi-Year Credit Card Agreement, to Continue Tradition of Rewards Magic A Whole Summer of Disney Fun The American Idol Experience logo unveiled Trial Date Set For Man Accused Of Molesting Girl At Disney Hotel Disney hopes Colleyville teen will launch their next big brand Disney Open to Basic-Cable-Network Buys Bringing Imagination to Life through Science at the World Science Festival Downsview Park Welcomes Disney Music Block Party Tour This Summer Melbourne to host production of Disney Channel's "As the Bell Rings" second series Disney Channel Tests Cinema Advertising With ‘Camp Rock’ Walt Disney "long term buy," target price raised | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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To Infiniti and Beyond! Disney Parks and NASA Send Buzz
Lightyear into Space Disney News - It’s a dream come true for Buzz Lightyear as Disney Parks and NASA send the 12-inch-tall action figure “to infinity and beyond!” Buzz Lightyear will blast off aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-124. Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for 5:02 p.m. ET on May 31.
With Buzz will launch the aspiration of millions of school children who dream of space travel. STS-124 will coincide with the kickoff of the Space Ranger Education Series – part of NASA’s “Toys in Space,” an educational program for teachers and students. The program builds on NASA’s educational goals of encouraging students to pursue studies in science, technology and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which are vitally important in sustaining U.S. economic competitiveness and technological leadership. Developed by Disney and NASA, “Toys in Space” features materials for educators to download and integrate into their classroom curriculum as well as online, educational games linked to each key component of the mission. The series, hosted at www.nasa.gov, will be available throughout 2008. “NASA is excited to help students understand the science and engineering currently underway on the International Space Station,” said Dr. Joyce Winterton, NASA Assistant Administrator for Education. “The educational games and resources from this partnership will allow students to explore the science and math behind space exploration with a beloved character.”
“The Space Ranger Education Series will give teachers an opportunity to incorporate a fun and engaging moment into the classroom with a character that children really love,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We’re pleased to join NASA in creating a program that can help keep kids excited about math and science.” Buzz’s Space Itinerary Buzz will spend several months in space at the International Space Station (ISS) testing the limits of zero gravity before returning home to a hero’s welcome at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida later this year. While in space, Buzz will participate in an experiment flying in zero gravity and appear in a video downlink from the ISS. The Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-124 will travel with seven astronauts to install Kibo’s large Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) and the lab’s robotic arm system. For additional information about the educational series and NASA programs, guests may visit www.nasa.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney, Chase Renew Multi-Year Credit Card Agreement, to
Continue Tradition of Rewards Magic Business Wire - Disney Credit Card Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), will continue their successful card alliance, renewing their co-brand card agreement for the Disney Rewards Visa Card from Chase.
“With rewards redeemable for most everything Disney, magical card designs and benefits like a Cardmember–exclusive Character Meet ‘N’ Greet at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, the Disney Rewards Visa Card from Chase is a great way for cardmembers to take advantage of experiences that only Disney can deliver,” said Disney’s Senior Vice President Jenny Cohen. “Disney is thrilled to continue the tradition of rewards magic with Chase.” This year marks the fifth anniversary that Chase and Disney have offered consumers the Disney Rewards Visa Card. The renewed, multi-year agreement will bring new offerings from Chase. “Chase is pleased to renew our relationship with Disney, whose reputation for customer service and creativity is unparalleled,” said Sisy Vicente, General Manager, Chase Card Services. “The Disney Rewards Visa Card from Chase will continue to offer cardmembers competitive interest rates and superior benefits, while also providing the unique rewards and experiences Disney Cardmembers desire.” A Tradition of Magical Rewards The Disney Rewards Visa Card provides unparalleled flexibility with global Visa acceptance, no annual fee, and countless “Disney” opportunities to redeem rewards. Cardmembers earn Disney Dream Reward Dollars on everyday card purchases, which can be redeemed for most everything Disney – from Resort stays and Theme Park tickets to Disney DVDs, toys and movie tickets at participating theaters. Cardmembers can begin redeeming with just 20 Disney Dream Reward Dollars, a low threshold compared to other rewards cards, and can combine Disney Rewards with other special Disney offers and discounts. Additionally, the Disney Rewards Visa Card from Chase offers the following features: No annual rewards cap, no annual fee and a competitive interest rate. Seven enchanting card designs. Special Theme Park benefits at both the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort. Special financing on select Walt Disney Travel Company vacation packages and all Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney vacations booked directly with Disney or a travel agent. The Disney Rewards Visa Card also offers cardmembers purchase protection, travel insurance, and zero liability on fraudulent card use. About The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of over $35.5 billion in its last fiscal year, and an equity market capitalization of around $63 billion as of May 27, 2008. About JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.6 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The company has more than 154 million credit cards issued. Under the Chase and JPMorgan brands, the firm serves millions of consumers and businesses in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com. **Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort benefits for Disney’s Visa Cardmembers are subject to restrictions and change without notice. Valid theme park admission is required to take advantage of some benefits. Visit www.disneyrewards.com for more details. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Whole Summer of Disney
Fun Disney Insider - It's oDuring the STS-124 mission, the 12-inch-tall action figure will partner with astronauts to deliver daily blog journals from space and launch a series of educational games and online sessions related to the mission. Official - now that Memorial Day has come and gone, summer is here. It's a time to slow down, relax, and start thinking about fun. And this summer, Disney has no shortage of ways to make the most of those long, lazy days. From spectacular Theme Park events to diversions right in your own hometown, there's more than enough excitement to last until the days go longer and the leaves begin to fall. How to keep on top of it all? Try our summer tip guide: Keep your cool at the Multiplex - popcorn, icy drinks, and air-conditioned comfort make it the perfect summer retreat. The whole family can enjoy "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (now playing!) or Disney·Pixar's "Wall·E" (opening June 27). And you'll be able to wish summer farewell with "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," coming in September. If the Force is with you, mingle with the Jedi at Star Wars Weekends, June 6 through 29, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Take a Disney fun break right on your home computer at Disney.com's Summer Splash site. It's loaded with video clips, info on your favorite stars, and surprises. When the heat gets unbearable, don't forget Disney on Ice, specializing in spectacles that are cool in every sense of the word. With five shows currently touring, there's something for everyone, from Princess fans to "High School Musical" mavens. No room in the budget or the schedule for summer camp? A getaway is as close as your remote control with Disney Channel's summery new original musical movie "Camp Rock." On June 20, join Mitchie (Demi Lovato), Shane (Joe Jonas), and the rest of the campers for the debut of a spectacular movie event loaded with original songs. Or catch "Camp Rock" on Disney.com - the entire movie will be broadcast on the Web site on June 23 -- for 24 hours only, your computer can truly rock out. Make this a summer to remember with a trip to the Water Parks of Walt Disney World Resort. Florida may be balmy in the summer, but that just makes the waters of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon even more refreshing. If summer takes you to Anaheim or Orlando, be sure to take a whirl on Toy Story Mania, the newest attraction at Disney's California Adventure and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Not only is it a high-tech marvel with interactive features you won't believe (and a ton of fun to boot), but its carnival theme spells "s-u-m-m-e-r" as surely as lemonade and corn on the cob. Make this summer special, because those long days fly by before you know it - and you'll have sweet family memories to look back on in the fall. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The
American Idol Experience logo unveiled Disney
News - Pictured is the new logo for "The American Idol
Experience," a new attraction coming to Disney's Hollywood
Studios in January 2009. The interactive attraction will bring
all the excitement of the popular television show to Disney's
Hollywood Studios theme park. Disney's Hollywood Studios is one
of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena
Vista, Fla. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Trial Date Set For Man Accused Of Molesting Girl At Disney Hotel
Local6 - A trial date is set for a man accused of molesting a young girl at a hotel on Disney property William Bishop, 57, is accused of molesting a child in the bushes at the Swan hotel. An 11-year-old tourist saw what was happening and told authorities. Bishop is also charged with videotaping the incident. He says he's innocent. The trial is expected to start on July 28. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney hopes Colleyville teen will launch their next big brand Pegasus News - The Observer has a very detailed piece on Demi Lovato, the Colleyville teen starring in the upcoming Disney flick, Camp Rock (not to be confused with Girls Rock!, despite some tenuous similarities). The movie, about a teenager attending a competitive rock camp, learning music while undoubtedly learning more about herself and colorful, trendy clothing, premieres on the Disney Channel on June 20 and features the Jonas Brothers. Following the Disney premiere it will also play on ABC, ABC Family, and Disney.com on the respective, consecutive days. Lovato expects to release her debut album this Fall following a rather long summer tour opening for the Jonas Brothers. They'll stop through Dallas on July 9 at the Superpages.com Center. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Open to
Basic-Cable-Network Buys Broadcasting & Cable - Disney would consider consolidating its hold on basic-cable ventures Lifetime Networks and A&E Television Networks, but it would not seek more broadcast-TV stations, president and CEO Bob Iger told an investor conference Wednesday hosted by researcher Sanford C. Bernstein. He indicated on-and-off discussions to increase Disney’s 50% stake in Lifetime and 37.5% stake in A&E, although nothing is imminent. “We’ve talked about it over time and seeing whether there is a way to restructure in some fashion,” he said, “and we will continue to explore those discussions.” Minimizing taxes on any transaction would be difficult but can be structured, he added. Disney would love to buy the remaining 20% of its profit-spinning ESPN juggernaut that is owned by Hearst, but Iger said that stake would be too expensive. Plus, Disney has “a great relationship” with Hearst that makes joint ownership easy from an operational viewpoint, he added. He said Disney looks at every basic-cable network that is up for sale, “but if we were to step up [to buy], it would be with great caution. We are fairly rigorous.” Any purchase price would have to meet Disney’s steep goals for return on invested capital and not strain its financial balance sheet. Also, Disney would have to see a clear path on how its skills would significantly grow the network, and Disney wants a focused cable brand, as opposed to a general-entertainment basic-cable network. Those comments did not point to any great enthusiasm for The Weather Channel, which is currently up for auction with forecasts of a $3 billion-$5 billion purchase price. Its name did not come up. There’s little Disney interest in buying more TV stations to augment ABC, given that broadcast-TV growth prospects are cloudy and its existing 10 owned-and-operated stations are “solid,” Iger said, adding that Disney won’t be a seller, either. He said Disney is committed to broadcasting because it can generate decent profits from program creation -- the affiliated business of TV-program production that creates intellection property. “If we were not in the studio business in this day and age, it would be pretty challenging” being in the broadcast-network business, he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bringing Imagination to Life through Science at the World
Science Festival Disney News - What do walking dinosaurs, haunted mansion apparitions, missions to Mars and a conversational turtle have in common? These magical Disney characters and attractions are the result of the blending of creativity with technology. And at the World Science Festival in New York City on Saturday, May 31, kids and families will get a fun peek at how Disney Imagineers make all this come to life. The Science of Disney Imagineering will be held several times during the day at the NYU Skirball Center at Washington Square South. From simulating roller coasters to creating color with fireworks to animating characters using human motion, Walt Disney Imagineers and family volunteers will take an exciting step into the science of Disney Magic. This innovative and fun session will showcase the robotics, chemistry, physics and creative storytelling that make the Disney Theme Park attractions a one-of-a-kind experience. Families will hear from Crush the Turtle (Finding Nemo) and interact with Disney's Lucky the Dinosaur, a free-roaming, friendly Audio-Animatronics dinosaur that laughs, snorts, winks and purrs. "As storytellers and creators of fantastic experiences, our job is to hide the technology behind our magic," said Scott Trowbridge, VP of Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development. "Disney innovates in surprising ways with science, and we want to inspire young people by sharing the excitement and thrill of creating some of the most amazing rides and shows anywhere in the world." Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm of Disney parks worldwide, is made up of scientists, artists, ride engineers, computer programmers, writers, video gaming experts, model makers, and even virtual reality developers. There are hundreds of jobs at Disney involving the use of science and math to create rides like Space Mountain, Extreme Stunt Show, Haunted Mansion and Soarin' Over California. Members of the R&D team will showcase their work in robotics, special effects, amazing sound technology and roller coaster simulators at three high-energy sessions during the first-ever World Science Festival. Imagineering is collaborating with Organic Motion to bring a special touch to the festival, demonstrating Organic Motion's innovative markerless motion capture technology. During the session, audience members will be selected to spring cartoon characters to life by using their own gestures and movement. With no special equipment or suits, the person's motions will be used to instantly animate cartoons on the screen. The science behind Organic Motion's technology allows computers to see a subject's full range of body motions as they happen, and then lets artists instantly use the movements for the creation of animation and special effects. Imagineers seek out all types of new technology to tell their stories and make the impossible possible. And when that technology doesn't exist, they invent it. Imagineering is responsible for more than 115 Disney-owned patents in areas including special effects, ride systems, interactive technology, live entertainment, plastics fabrication, fiber optics and advanced audio systems. Disney rides and attractions are often sophisticated beyond existing technology, since they must be durable enough to operate every day, 365 days a year, and must achieve and maintain the highest safety standards in the industry. When Imagineers cannot find the technology they need, they invent it! Ingenuity in Engineering at Disney: The first computer-controlled thrill ride (Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, 1975; Hong Kong Disneyland, 2005). The United States' first daily operating monorail system (Disneyland Resort, 1959) A thrilling free-fall attraction with random programming for an unpredictable ride experience ( The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at four Disney Parks around the world).State-of-the-art vehicles that move through three-dimensional environments with a capacity for random motion-simulator effects (Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland, 1995). Trackless ride vehicles that follow a random path by relying upon unseen transmitters in the floor (Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Tokyo Disneyland, 2000). A virtual hang-gliding experience that provides a panoramic view of sweeping landscapes augmented by scents released during key scenes (Soarin' Over California, Disney's California Adventure, 2001). Parade floats act as rolling stages, featuring distinctive design elements like jumping fountains, confetti blasts, wafting bubbles and elaborate, oversized puppetry. Some float units reach heights of nearly 20 feet (Parade of Dreams, Disneyland, 2005). The World Science Festival (www.worldsciencefestival.com) will take place from May 28th through June 1st, 2008, at 15 venues throughout New York City, many in the Washington Square Area of Greenwich Village. It will bring together over a dozen Nobel Laureates, leading researchers, top-level technologists, dedicated educators, and high-level policy makers with creative artists, filmmakers, and performers to create more than 40 unique events that will shine a spotlight on science and explore the many ways in which scientific discovery and innovation are shaping modern life. Walt Disney Imagineering is the unique, creative force behind Walt Disney Parks and Resorts that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships, real estate developments, and regional entertainment venues worldwide. Imagineering's unique strength comes from the dynamic global team of creative and technical professionals building on the Disney legacy of storytelling to pioneer new forms of entertainment through technical innovation and creativity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Downsview Park Welcomes Disney Music Block Party Tour This
Summer Market Wire - Parc Downsview Park Inc. (PDP) is pleased to welcome the Disney Music Block Party Tour to Downsview Park this summer - as the exclusive Canadian host site for their tour! The Disney Music Block Party's 23-date tour spends only 3 days in the country - at Canada's Downsview Park on August 15-17, 2008. This engaging music festival for the whole family features performances by favourite Disney recording artists and special guests, with fun-filled activity zones for children to explore and experience a variety of toys, arts, crafts, dance and so much more! "As the exclusive Canadian host for the Disney Music Block Party, we are excited to add an event of this magnitude to our programming calendar. We welcome the public at large to enjoy the family fun that Disney provides," said Tony Genco, President and CEO of PDP. "Downsview Park embraces activities that engage the public in the spirit of our vision and values." Activity areas for the tour are as follows: PLAYSKOOL Play Experience - PLAYSKOOL Play Experience tent. From petting KOTA THE TRICERATOPS to playing shop keeper in the adorable CHERRY BLOSSOM MARKET, this amazing hands-on play environment is full of exciting new toys sure to delight kids and parents alike. The Arts 'N Crafts area will be a place for children to showcase their creativity in a sit down environment. The interactive area will feature coloring sheets, PLAY-DOH modeling compound, new CLIPO toys and NOODLEBORO games. NAMM's Wanna Play? Musical Instrument Area - NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, will sponsor an interactive "Wanna Play?" music learning area where children can participate in an organized drum circle, an instrument petting zoo with musical instruments available for children to experiment and play, plus an interactive exhibit to experience and explore the evolution of music. In NAMM's Wanna Play? area, parents can also discover how playing musical instruments helps kids learn and grow as well as have fun. Playhouse Disney - This area will feature games from Disney Online, a screening area where kids can watch their favorite Playhouse Disney programs, Playhouse Disney activities and coloring area, plus photo opportunity stations - an Imagination Movers green screen section and Handy Manny character. Dance Party - Interactive music-based dance activities to also include contests and giveaways. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 30, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone (416)-870-8000. Visit: www.disneymusicblockpartytour.com for more information. Produced by Buena Vista Concerts & AEG Live. About Downsview Park Downsview Park consists of 572 acres of land in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area. Formerly a military base (CFB Downsview), the site was designated by the Government of Canada to be developed as "a unique urban recreational green space for the enjoyment of future generations." The Park attracts more than a million visits annually and is home to numerous enterprises, including the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the Downsview Park Merchants Market and Farmers Market, GrandPrix Kartways, The Toronto and Region Conservation, Treble Clef Music School, The HoopDome, The Toronto Wildlife Centre, Area 51 Paintball and Downsview Park's The Hangar, which offers indoor soccer and beach volleyball within the larger Downsview Park Sports Centre. Downsview Park also hosts a roster of community and school programs year-round to create a vibrant resource for the national community. All these attractions and a host of other business relationships and opportunities help set the stage for the future development of an internationally significant sustainable community at Downsview Park. For more information, visit www.downsviewpark.ca, email info@pdp.ca or call 416-952-2222. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Melbourne to host production of Disney Channel's "As the Bell
Rings" second series eBroadcast - Melbourne will again play host to Disney Channel Australia and New Zealandâs locally produced "As the Bell Rings," sitcom shorts based on Disney Channel Italy's hugely popular short form series "Quelli dell'Intervallo," when production commences for the second series later this year. Reinforcing the global television networks commitment to local production and programming, the leading kids and family channel will produce 26 six minute episodes of As the Bell Rings in the home of comedy. Production of As the Bell Rings Series 2 will commence mid June 2008 and conclude mid July 2008 at the ABC Studios, Elsternwick in Victoria. Locally-produced adaptations of the sitcom shorts also air on Disney Channels in the U.S., UK, France, Germany and Spain among other territories. Disney Channel Singapore presents episodes specially produced for mobile platforms. The original short-form series will offer a fly-on-the-wall look at the everyday antics and tween drama that takes place in the school corridors, in between classes. From school crushes, exams and teachers, the series will explore a variety of themes as seen through the eyes of Australian tweens. Melissa Dixon General Manager and Vice President, Disney Channel (Australia/New Zealand) said: We are thrilled to be green-lighting production on the second series of As the Bell Rings. The first series premiered on September 24 2007 and the show has consistently been among the top three series on Disney Channel since its launch. Its success in Australia and New Zealand is based on its relatable characters and engaging, contemporary storylines. The series will premiere on Disney Channel Australia in early 2009. As The Bell Rings will be directed by David McDonald Comedy Inc The Late Shift, Life Support,The Election Chaser and produced by FremantleMedia. Disney Channel first launched in Australia in June 1996, and has since grown to become the first-choice TV destination for Australian kids and families. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Channel Tests Cinema Advertising With ‘Camp Rock’ Television Week - The Disney Channel has partnered with cinema advertiser Screenvision to promote the cable network’s upcoming original movie “Camp Rock,” starring the Jonas Brothers. The campaign marks the Disney Channel’s first attempt at cinema advertising. Under the agreement, Screenvision will feature a 30-second commercial for the made-for-cable movie in its Premium Pod before movie previews. The ad will run May 23 through June 19 before all G and PG rated films, including “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” and “Kung Fu Panda.” “Through our Premium Pod we’re able to offer marketers such as Disney Channel prime advertising real estate, with the maximum exposure possible in cinema in terms of available audience for viewing. This is a great way for Disney Channel to first experience the power of cinema advertising,” Michael Chico, Screenvision’s executive VP of sales and marketing, said in a statement. Screenvision’s cinema advertising network reaches more than 14,000 screens across 2,300 theaters nationwide. “Camp Rock” debuts June 20 on the Disney Channel. Preview clips of the program will be available on Disney Channel on-Demand beginning June 16. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Walt
Disney "long term buy," target price raised newratings - Analyst Jeffrey S Thomison of Hilliard Lyons maintains his "long term buy" rating on The Walt Disney Company (DIS), while raising his estimates for the company. The two-year target price has been raised from $43 to $44. In a research note published on May 23, the analyst mentions that the company has reported its F2Q diluted EPS ahead of the estimates and the consensus. The total revenues posted for the period increased by over 9%, and the business across all segments, including the economically sensitive ones, improved during the period, the analyst adds. The target price has been revised upwards to reflect the continued healthy earnings and impressive utilization of cash flow, as well as low double-digit percentage growth assumptions over the next few years. The EPS estimates for FY08 and FY09 have been raised from $2.21 to $2.30 and from $2.42 to $2.45, respectively. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney's Iger: 'Narnia' falls victim to crowded field The Walt Disney Studios Forms Kingdom Comics to Create Graphic Novels & Film Projects Disney's Celebrate America! - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky Jonas Brothers Sign First Ever Book Deal with Disney Book Group Disney’s Lucky The Dinosaur Visits the Big Apple Is Disney's stock headed for a fall? TiVo to offer on-demand movie rentals from Walt Disney Studios Disney Channel Spain goes free Disney: No plans to make UK channel free-to-air Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party Paparazzi have their lenses on Miley Cyrus Buena Vista Concerts and AEG Live Announce the Launch of the Disney Music Block Party Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney's Iger: 'Narnia' falls victim to crowded field MarketWatch - A highly competitive film season is weighing on the returns of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger said at an analyst conference Wednesday. Speaking at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference, Iger said the second installment in the "Narnia" series is not doing as well as the first, nor as well as Disney officials had hoped.
Iger pointed out that the movie
business is a crowded field, and the marketplace can't
always accommodate all the releases that a studio puts out.
"I think there are too many
movies being released in the marketplace," Iger said, later
adding, "It's a very delicate, very fragile marketplace."
"Prince Caspian" was released
May 16 and has made an estimated $146 million in worldwide
receipts thus far. But the movie's production costs are
estimated at $200 million. In order to turn a profit in
theaters alone, "Prince Caspian" would have to make roughly
$500 million worldwide when marketing costs are included.
The film is expected to have a home video life, however.
Iger says this latest
installment is a better film than the first in the
series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe," which debuted during the 2006
Christmas season. That film went on to make $744.8
million worldwide on a production budget of $180
million.
But the first "Narnia" film
benefitted from more favorable scheduling. "Prince
Caspian" was sandwiched between two high-profile
releases from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures unit --
"Iron Man," with $487.8 million in worldwide returns
since its May 2 debut, and eagerly awaited "Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The latter
film was released Thursday and has made roughly $300
million worldwide thus far.
"Prince Caspian"
originally was scheduled for a Christmas 2007
release but Disney's partner on the series, Walden
Media, had another film debuting in that time frame
with Sony Corp. "The Water Horse: Legend of the
Deep."
A third "Narnia"
film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader," is tentatively scheduled for
release on May 7, 2010. While that's the same
general time frame for release as "Prince
Caspian," Disney could benefit from having it
debut the first weekend in May. That's
considered the first weekend of the summer
season and the time in which "Iron Man" debuted.
Iger pointed out
Disney has cut back on film production and is
trying to be more selective. He added the
company won't always score a hit every time out.
"It's a good
lesson," he said. "It just informs us that much
more of what we need to do."
Disney shares were
up 30 cents to $33.94 in recent action.
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The Walt Disney Studios Forms Kingdom Comics to
Create Graphic Novels & Film Projects
PRNewswire - The Walt Disney Studios has signed a multi-year deal with Ahmet Zappa, Harris Katleman and Christian Beranek to oversee the newly christened Kingdom Comics, an innovative new venture of developing graphic novels to create new film projects for the Studio as well as re-imagining and rejuvenating motion pictures from the Disney live-action Vault, it was announced today by Oren Aviv, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production. Kingdom Comics will soon announce some of the top graphic novelists and artists in the genre who will collaborate on upcoming projects. Disney Publishing Worldwide, the largest distributor of comic books in the world, will have the first opportunity to distribute publications created by Kingdom Comics. Commenting on the announcement, Aviv said, "We're very excited to be working with Harris, Ahmet and Christian in developing this new business devoted to creating stories and properties for the graphic novel audience, as well as for moviegoers. They are three of the top talents in their respective fields and together they have the knowledge, expertise and instincts to create great publications and film properties. Some of these exciting publications will be inspired by films and characters in the vast and storied Disney library, while other original graphic novels are sure to spark great ideas for future Disney classics. Our vision for Kingdom Comics is to bring a fresh, contemporary approach to Disney properties that already have a strong connection with moviegoers and readers all over the world, and to add to that storytelling legacy." Zappa added, "The ability to create new publications based on properties from the Disney vaults, and to develop original ideas for graphic novels and possibly future Disney films, is a dream job filled with enormous fun and potential. Being a storyteller myself, I can't wait to work with some of today's top writers and artists in bringing a fresh approach to graphic novels and the movies. We're also excited to discover and develop promising new talents in this field." Katleman said, "I have been involved with my share of exciting projects and worked with lots of great talent over the years. Working with Ahmet and Christian in creating Kingdom Comics for Disney is as exciting as anything I've ever done. We're all looking forward to working with Oren and his team in developing some fantastic new projects for the printed page and the silver screen." Beranek added, "Graphic novels continue to have an enormous following all over the world and we're hoping to bring something new and different to those devoted fans. There are a lot of great stories waiting to be told, including some familiar properties residing in the Disney vaults. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and we can't wait to get started." Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa, the third of four children born to the late rock musician/composer Frank Zappa and super-powered psychic witch businesswoman Gail, started out as an actor on such shows as "Roseanne" and "Growing Pains." This led to feature film work and a run as a host on many popular reality shows. In 2006, he sold the rights to his first novel, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, to Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. He is currently writing the second installment in that series, and executive producing "Fraggle Rock" with The Jim Henson Company. Harris Katleman served as president and CEO of Twentieth Television from 1980 to 1992, during which time the Studio developed such landmark programs as "L.A. Law," "The Simpsons," "Anything But Love," "In Living Color," "Doogie Howser, M.D." (in association with Steven Bochco Productions), "Civil Wars," and "NYPD Blue." He also oversaw production on the final four years of "M*A*S*H," and "Trapper John," and guided the development of "The Tracey Ullman Show," and "Picket Fences," among others. Following his tenure at Twentieth Television, he joined Mark Goodson Productions as Chief Operating Officer (1993-95), followed by a stint as Chief Operating Officer and Partner in Jonathan Goodson Productions. Katleman continues to be in partnership with Jonathan Goodson Productions. His recent credits include executive producing the syndicated shows "Forgive or Forget," "House Calls" and "Dirty Rotten Cheater." An accomplished writer and editor, Christian Beranek formed his own publishing company, Silent Devil, in 1996, and turned it into an indie powerhouse, producing such hits as Dracula vs. King Arthur and Super Frat. He parlayed that success into consulting for companies such as Universal Music Publishing, Harley Davidson, AOL, and Mazda on graphic novels and their value as both intellectual properties and marketing devices. As a writer, he penned the origin of John Doe for the New Line/Zenescope series Se7en and scripted the creator-owned franchise Willow Creek. He recently finished the latest draft of the "Dracula vs. King Arthur" screenplay. The deal was negotiated by Steve Katleman of Greenberg Traurig. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney's Celebrate America! - A Fourth of July
Concert in the Sky
Disney News - This years 4th of July show at the Magic Kingdom will be an all new presentation with new music and new name. The title of the show will be "Disney's Celebrate America! - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky". The show will be presented on July 3rd and 4th, and will feature the normal Wishes firing locations, the castle, lagoon island and full 360 perimeters. Disneyland will also feature the same soundtrack in an all new presentation, but with different firework design. WDW's version is being designed by Brad Cicotti (who has designed most of the other WDW special event shows). There will be two rehearsal nights for the show that will be presented to guests in place of Wishes on Sunday June 29th and Tuesday July 1st. The rehearsal shows will not have the lagoon island launch site, one night will be a full perimeter show, and the other night will feature only two of the perimeter sites. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jonas Brothers Sign First Ever Book Deal with
Disney Book Group
Business Wire - Disney Book Group will publish an exclusive behind-the-scenes book from the chart-topping Jonas Brothers—one of the hottest bands in the world today—on tour. The Platinum-certified recording artists and stars of the upcoming “Camp Rock” Disney Channel Original Movie will share never-before-seen photos along with exclusive commentary. The announcement was made today by Jeanne Mosure, senior vice president, global publisher, Disney Publishing Worldwide. The book will be published in fall 2008 and will give fans a backstage glimpse at the Jonas Brothers—20 year old Kevin, 18 year old Joe, and 15 year old Nick. Disney Book Group has acquired world rights for the title. “We have such an amazing time performing at our concerts, and to be able to chronicle all of the fun for our fans and readers is just incredible for us,” say brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick. “We hope our fans get to relive our shows and discover things they haven’t seen before through our book.” “The Jonas Brothers are such a huge multi-media phenomenon.” says Mosure. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to share their tour with their fans and to help kids connect with the Jonas brothers in this exclusive way.” The book deal was negotiated by Jonathan Yaged, vice president, North America publisher, Disney Book Group and will be published under the Disney-Hyperion Books imprint. The Jonas Brothers are exclusively managed by Philip McIntyre/Philymack Inc.; Kevin Jonas/Simple Days Management; and John Wright/Wright Entertainment Group. Yaged added: “We are extremely excited to give fans this unique opportunity to see what really happens backstage with one of the world’s biggest bands. The Jonas Brothers signed with Hollywood Records and released their self-titled sophomore record in August of the same year. Within a week it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. From October 2007 through January 2008, they launched a solo headline tour in spring of 2008, breaking the record for fastest sellout in the history of the Gibson amphitheater. The band will star in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock, which will premiere in June 2008. They will be embarking on an international tour beginning this summer. Additionally, a 3-D concert feature film starring the Jonas Brothers will hit theaters in January 2009. The Jonas Brothers third album is set to release August 12th 2008. Since its inception in 1991, Disney Book Group has amassed an array of best sellers from key Disney franchises including High School Musical, Disney-Pixar Cars, Disney Fairies, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Playhouse Disney properties. Disney Book Group also publishes books from award-winning authors including Eoin Colfer, Jonathan Stroud, Rick Riordan, Caroline Kennedy, and 3 time Caldecott Honor recipient Mo Willems. Recent best sellers include High School Musical: All Access; Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship; Ally Carter’s popular young adult novel I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You; Gail Carson Levine’s Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand; Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine, Eoin Colfer’s blockbuster Artemis Fowl series, and most recently, Mo Willems’s Knuffle Bunny Too! and The Pigeon Wants a Puppy. Upcoming titles for 2008 include such highly anticipated books as Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson’s Science Fair, Jon Scieszka’s Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, and the highly anticipated fourth book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Battle of the Labyrinth. Disney-Hyperion Books is an imprint of Disney Book Group (DBG); additional DBG imprints include Disney Editions, Disney Press, and Disney-Jump at the Sun Books. DBG is part of Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world’s largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, with over 400 children’s magazines published and 120 million children’s books sold each year. Headquartered in White Plains, NY and Milan, Italy, Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books and magazines in 85 languages in 75 countries, reaching more than 100 million readers each month. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney’s Lucky The Dinosaur Visits the Big Apple
 Disney
News - Disney's Lucky the Dinosaur will be
roaming Washington Square in New York City this
weekend during the first-ever World Science
Festival at New York University. Lucky is a
friendly, oversized Audio-Animatronics dinosaur,
and the first Disney character of its kind to
roam freely and interact with children and
families. Lucky can laugh, wink, snort and
sneeze. Lucky will be in Manhattan on May 31 as
part of the Science of Disney Imagineering event
where Disney Imagineers will give guests a rare
glimpse into how Disney uses science to bring
stories to life in magical ways.
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Is
Disney's stock headed for a fall?
BloggingStocks - A recent article at Barron's Online about media and theme-park operator Disney (NYSE: DIS) seems to imply that now might not be the best time to purchase shares of the Mouse. Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs and General Counsel Alan Braverman each reported selling over 100,000 Disney shares not long ago. According to the article, this was the first sale for both in over two years. Shareholders should certainly take note of this event. And potential investors should really take note. On the surface, the sales appear to portend a negative track for the stock. Plus, it reminds me of a call made by some analysts at Citigroup a little while ago. They devised an options trade based on the belief that the stock wouldn't be much above $37 per share come October. After all, no matter how well Disney seems to be doing in this rough economy, it might eventually get derailed by it. Now that I see some insiders lightening their stock loads, I can't help but begin to wonder. So, what am I doing in terms of my Disney position? Nothing, to be honest. I'm in it for the long term (as of now, anyway). However, I probably won't initiate any new buys right now, because I think it's entirely possible that the stock could be heading lower during the summer trading sessions. If you've been looking at Disney but haven't bought yet, you better do some more due diligence before pulling the trigger. With gas prices pretty steep around the country, and with movie content having a bit of a problem right now -- see my thoughts on Disney's Prince Caspian -- Disney could, as many articles have suggested, be facing some difficult quarters. Simply put, the insider transactions don't do a lot in terms of inspiring confidence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TiVo to offer on-demand movie rentals from Walt
Disney Studios
Forbes - TiVo Inc. Wednesday said it would offer on-demand movie rentals from Walt Disney Studios by the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, TiVo (nasdaq: TIVO) subscribers will be able to download Disney movies to their TiVo recorders. The movies will be available for a 24-hour rental period. Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed. Shares of TiVo closed Tuesday at $8.26 while shares of Disney, a Dow industrials component, closed at $33.64. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney
Channel Spain goes free Variety - Disney has signaled another shift in how it distributes the Disney Channel in Europe by announcing that Disney Channel Spain will relaunch as an ad-funded free channel. The channel will bow on DTT in Spain July 1 in what Disney described as a global first. The hope is that Disney Channel Spain will become a key driver of the country’s DTT platform and that being on DTT will significantly boost the station’s audiences. John Hardie, executive vice president and managing director Disney Channels EMEA, said: “Our goal is to deliver Disney Channel programming to the most viewers and DTT, as the technology of the future, will enable us to reach our goal." When two years ago, Disney switched the Disney Channel from premier pay to basic pay in Blighty, its reach rocketed by 60%. The company clearly hopes that the decision to move Disney Channel Spain to free-to-air reaps an even bigger dividend and, as a result, raises the profile of other related Disney products in the Spanish market. A company spokesperson said there were no plans to embrace a free, ad-funded service in other European markets. “We remain a subscription-based channel and are happy to follow both business models,” she said. In Spain, Disney Channel debuted on pay cable in 1998 and will continue to be available on pay platforms. Jose Vila, vice president and general manager, Disney Channel Spain, said: “This is not just important news for Disney Channel, but for the success of DTT in Spain. “There is a big call for family-appropriate content and making Disney Channel available is an incredibly attractive incentive for families to make the switch over to DTT before the official date.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney: No plans to make UK channel free-to-air guardian - Disney is making its Spanish kids' TV channel free to air - a first among the 27 Disney Channels worldwide - but says it has no plans to ditch the pay-TV model in the UK. The US entertainment giant announced today that Disney Channel Spain will launch on free digital terrestrial TV on July 1, after 10 years in the country as a pay cable channel. Disney Channel in Spain will shift from carrying no commercials to become ad-supported, and it joins the DTT service as Spain gears up for a switch from analogue terrestrial TV in Spring 2010. John Hardie, head of the Disney Channels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the move to DTT mirrors a push for bigger audiences, which in turn will deliver bigger brand awareness, a new stream of advertising revenues and higher sales of spin-off merchandising such as High School Musical CDs and Hannah Montana paraphernalia. "There is currently 32% penetration of DTT [in Spain]. There is a target to do analogue switchover in just two years' time," Hardie said. "The prospect that within a three-year period Disney Channel could be in 100% of Spanish homes is a very powerful prospect for us." He predicted that Disney Channel Spain would go from being in 2 million households now to more than 6 million on July 1 thanks to its availability on DTT, satellite, cable and internet TV. "Over the next three years, we think we can go from 6m to 14m households," Hardie added. But he said the Spanish free-to-air move should not be seen as the start of a roll-out programme for ad-supported models elsewhere in Europe, particularly the UK, where the paid-for Disney Channel is already in 9 million homes. "We are adjusting our model to suit the market conditions we find," Hardie said. "We start with the very clear objective of maximising the reach of the Disney Channel, but always in a business sensible way. We will take each market in turn and it's a little bit horses for courses. "In different markets we find different situations. In the UK there is a well developed pay market so we decided to stick to a model there of basic subscription. "In Spain we saw the growth of DTT seemed to be accelerating much faster than the growth in the pay-TV market so we decided to change the business model here." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mickey's Trick-or-Treat
Party Disney News - The Disneyland Resort's popular Halloween party is coming back for 2008 with a new name — Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party — and Annual Passholders can take advantage of a special opportunity to purchase advance tickets. Plus, save with discounted prices on select dates! This "spirited" event at Disney's California Adventure® Park includes: Amazing attractions to get you spinning, looping and free-falling. Lively music to boogie your bones. Trick-or-Treat for candy at treat stations. Fun crafts and activities for some family fun. A nightly Character cavalcade. Enjoy an unforgettable evening of Disney Halloween fun for everyone! Complimentary parking for one vehicle at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure — larger vehicles may require an additional fee. Passholder Discount Available for Event Dates October 3, 16, 22, 23, 28, 29 Passholder Discount Not Available for Event Dates October 10, 17, 24, 30 Only Day of Event Tickets Available on Event Date October 31 Event Times Monday to Thursday — 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday — 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Ticket Prices Passholder Advance Ticket: $25 — Only Available on Select Dates General Advance Ticket: $29 Day Of Event Ticket: $37 Ages Two and Under: No Charge Buy your tickets now and print at home — or call (714) 781-4400†. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Paparazzi
have their lenses on Miley Cyrus LATimes - How much is Miley Cyrus’ first kiss worth? Anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000, depending on which paparazzo you ask. A photo's price could be higher if her designated love object happened to be camera-worthy like a Jonas brother, or Shia LaBeouf, not just some cute Kevin Federline-esque wannabe. Yes, the paps have discovered the "Hannah Montana" star, forming a scrum of ferocious men-dogs who camp outside her North Hollywood home. They follow her shopping at the Malibu shops, lurk around her lunch spots, accompany her to church, riding her bike, and then pop up again down in Nashville, where's she's recently gone to shoot the "Hannah Montana" movie. No one in the Cyrus camp (not Miley, pa Billy Ray Cyrus, her publicist, or her agent) would comment, though one person close to the star notes that the phenomenon started around February, when Cyrus returned to Los Angeles after finishing her world tour. Let's repeat one salient fact about Miley: She's all of 15. She can't drink, drive or serve her country, but she can provide a profitable stream of income to those devoted to chronicling her every move? Every milestone in her young life is going to have some fairly concrete monetized value -- if the photographer can get the shot. But will all the attention ultimately corrode the very wholesomeness that makes Miley so popular? It doesn't appear that the 24/7 spotlight has helped the mental health of such fore-gals as Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. Indeed, it's their unseemly public antics that have stoked the appetite for Miley, the paragon of Disney-branded civility and niceness. "She's much more attractive than Britney Spears," says Frank Griffin of the Bauer-Griffin paparazzi agency. "It's much more of a success story. [Consumers] want to see success. They don't want to see failure. If someone famous falls on their face, you have to report it . . . but Miley is going to steal all of Britney's thunder. Kids want to see her. They don't want to see ripped fishnets and fear and mascara-streaked cheeks." "I think one of the reasons she's so popular is after all the train wreck girls, the Britneys, there's a move toward all-American clean living," says Gary Morgan, CEO of Splash News, another paparazzi behemoth. "Everyone is looking for a moral teenager, someone they can look up to." To François Navarre, the proprietor of the X17 photo agency, the leader in candid celebrity shots, the market for Miley really began to pick up after the notorious Vanity Fair incident in which Annie Leibovitz photographed the teenager seemingly nude covered by a sheet. "She's started to sell more," says Navarre. "Now the pictures are going for a higher price. It used to be $300" for a shot, "and now it's $2,000 for a picture. It has to be a nice picture. I have a couple of guys working on her. It's not like Britney [Spears], where we have 24/7 coverage, but we are watching her. If she goes out of town, we try to follow her." The Cyrus conundrum I tend not to feel too sorry for celebrities and their paparazzi issues. They're usually grown-ups, and they did sign up for a life of fame and fortune. Anyone who shops at Kitson or eats at the Ivy is courting attention. Admittedly, I did think Britney Spears should be allowed to have her nervous breakdown in peace, and I'd prefer that the LAPD use its limited resources catching gangbangers and drug dealers rather than accompanying distressed pop stars on jaunts to the psychiatric hospital. I am also ambivalent about the tsunami of baby pictures hitting the tabloids. As a mom, I'm all for leaving Shiloh and Maddox Jolie-Pitt alone -- it's not their fault their parents are world-famous movie stars. Yet I must confess, I do love those pictures of her Royal Adorableness Suri Cruise. I'm ashamed to admit I'd sooner pay 14 bucks to see Suri toddling around her playhouse than watch her dad star in "Valkyrie." And I have a good sense of the scary lengths photographers are willing to go to get the shot. Apple Martin (the progeny of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin) attended my son's preschool for a couple of months. On occasion, a throng of 3- and 4-year-olds tumbled out of the gate, away from their mommies' outstretched arms into a big scary photog, who'd happily mow them over to get closer to Apple. And there was the write-up of the kids' school concert in one of the tabloids. Creepy. Definitely invasive. I wish Us magazine would stop feeding me this kiddie crack. I'm resolving right now to go cold turkey. Miley Cyrus presents a whole other conundrum. At some level, she and/or her parents want the media spotlight. She's a kid, but she's also a public figure, one of the most popular pop stars in the world, who according to Parade magazine earned more than $18 million last year. She's product for the Walt Disney Co. She's product for Vanity Fair. She has a clothing line. She's writing her memoirs. She hawks milk. She was invited to the Academy Awards, although she's only acted in a small part in only one movie (Tim Burton's "Big Fish"). Every commercial enterprise wants to cash in on the Miley magic, so why should the tabloid press be any different? Still, the nonstop attention can't be good for her developing psyche. Blair Berk is a defense lawyer to the stars, the one Spears and Lohan have tapped for their legal woes. She's also helped prosecutors go after reckless paparazzi. "The problem with the paparazzi is they literally and figuratively take away your ability to be off camera," says Berk. "You're never offstage. When you're walking down a sidewalk and there are 50 cameras, it's an entirely artificial existence. It seems to me, particularly with teenagers, there's already so much self-consciousness. To force that on children who may be precocious -- but that has nothing to do with how emotionally mature they are. I think it leads to disaster, frankly. From my perspective, during those formative years, the whole point is to be able to screw up and make wrong choices and have failures and learn how to deal with that and how to form character. To do that without any privacy is really unfair." Not to mention the pressure of having conglomerates like Disney relying on a young performer never to break character. Judging from some of the Miley Cyrus footage on the X17 website, the teenager handles her throng of photographers with friendly aplomb. She's also always accompanied by her mother, Tish (which is a different kind of nightmare for your average 15-year-old). Still, an insider in the Cyrus camp says there have been occasions when her father, Billy Ray, has gotten upset about the paparazzo's growing ferocity, and the family has noticed how the photographers try to ingratiate themselves with their 15-year-old target. "They try to befriend her. They buy her coffee. They buy her dinner. It's despicable how they try to take an advantage of her," says the source close to the Cyrus family. She's coming of age Of course, Cyrus isn't in the stratosphere of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Katie Holmes, the holy trio of 2008 for the tabloid press. Cyrus has a largely teenage audience rather than a broad fan base. What's also saved Cyrus is the seeming benign nature of her day-to-day existence. She's relatively boring -- at least by tabloid standards. "You're not going to get cocaine-snorting, addled teen queens, are you? You're not going to find her in a clinch with some young dude," says Griffin. "You're stuck with her buying a new puppy or going out with her dad. There's been a lot of pictures of the tour. The first kiss is going to be worth a lot of money." "Her mom is constantly with her," adds Navarre. "Which is different from ['High School Musical' stars] Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. They're always without their moms, whereas Miley is always with hers. Miley's really monitored, really watched and controlled by her parents, whereas the other girls are driving their Porsches and going to stores by themselves. "She has people waiting for the moment she starts to be less traditional," Navarre says. "It's going to come. It's natural. Any teenager. Sure, she's going to have a boyfriend. Even if People and Us start to buy her, it's still the beginning (of the Miley Cyrus phenomenon). But it's going to come very fast. It's going to be in the coming months . . . as soon as her mom lets her go out by herself. 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Buena Vista Concerts and AEG Live Announce the Launch of the
Disney Music Block Party Tour Business Wire - Buena Vista Concerts and AEG Live announce the Disney Music Block Party tour, an engaging concert festival experience for kids and their families featuring favorite recording artists performing live on stage. Families can spend the afternoon exploring the festival grounds with fun-filled activity zones where kids can try out the latest toys at PLAYSKOOL’S Play Experience area, make their own music at NAMM’s Wanna Play? Musical Instrument area, move and shake on the dance floor, plus play games and watch Playhouse Disney programming in the Playhouse Disney tent and much more. Participating artists on select dates will include They Might Be Giants, Imagination Movers, Barenaked Ladies, Dan Zanes, Ralph’s World, and Choo Choo Soul, plus special guest host Raven-Symone. Artist line-up varies by market; details are available on the tour website. The 23-date national tour embarks Friday, July 25 in Toms River, New Jersey and concludes in Long Island, New York on Sunday, August 24. Tickets for all dates go on sale starting Friday, May 30 at 10:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets and online via the tour website DisneyMusicBlockPartyTour.com. Activity areas for the tour are as follows: PLAYSKOOL Play Experience PLAYSKOOL, a key sponsor of the tour, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year by providing children with the imaginative and engaging PLAYSKOOL Play Experience. From petting KOTA THE TRICERATOPS to playing shop keeper in the adorable CHERRY BLOSSOM MARKET, this amazing hands-on play environment is full of exciting new toys sure to delight kids and parents alike. Children can also showcase their creativity in a sit down environment with PLAY-DOH modeling compound, new CLIPO toys and NOODLEBORO games. NAMM's Wanna Play? Musical Instrument Area NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, will sponsor an interactive "Wanna Play?" music learning area where children can participate in an organized drum circle, an instrument petting zoo with musical instruments available for children to experiment and play, plus an interactive exhibit to experience and explore the evolution of music. In NAMM's Wanna Play? area, parents can also discover how playing musical instruments helps kids learn and grow as well as have fun. Playhouse Disney This tent will feature a screening area where kids can watch their favorite Playhouse Disney programs, Playhouse Disney activities and coloring area, pre-school games from Disney.com, plus photo opportunity stations -- an Imagination Movers green screen section and Handy Manny. Dance Party Interactive music-based dance activities to also include contests and giveaways. The concert dates are as follows:
About BUENA VISTA CONCERTS In September 2006, the Disney Music Group launched Buena Vista Concerts, its concert production arm. In less than two years, the division has been responsible for three of the most successful concert tours in recent years -- The Cheetah Girls: The Party’s Just Begun Tour (2006/2007 - 86 dates), High School Musical: The Concert (2006/2007 – 52 dates) and the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007/2008 – 70 dates). About AEG LIVE: AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming, and multi-media production. AEG Live, the nation's second-largest concert promotion and touring company, is comprised of special event, broadcast and exhibition divisions, fourteen regional offices, and numerous state-of-the-art venues nationwide. The company's national promotion arm is currently producing tours and productions including Bette Midler "The Showgirl Must Go On" and Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; and "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recent and upcoming promoted concert tours have included artists such as Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, Hannah Montana, Spice Girls, Prince, Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, So You Think You Can Dance, Paul McCartney, High School Musical, American Idols Live and The Color Purple. Goldenvoice, the company's Southern California-based regional promotion division, created and operates the award-winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival as well as Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival. The company operates NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas, NOKIA Theatre Times Square, and recently opened NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE. For more information, go to www.aeglive.com. About PLAYSKOOL: Since 1928, PLAYSKOOL, the infant/preschool toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), has provided toys that help infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop and learn as they play. PLAYSKOOL believes that play is the first and most important building block for all learning, and encourages parents and grandparents to play with their children everyday. About NAMM's WANNA PLAY? CAMPAIGN NAMM’s nationwide Wanna Play? campaign is dedicated to increasing awareness of the proven benefits of playing musical instruments for people of all ages. Since the campaign’s launch in November 2006, the key messages of why it is important to play music have reached more than 24 million people through national public relations efforts. In addition, Wanna Play? has the support of many celebrities who make music from all walks of life, including campaign ambassador Gavin DeGraw, Ashlee Simpson, Taylor Swift, Robert Downey Jr., John Taylor, the Second Amendments and Band from TV. For more information and to get involved, interested parties can visit www.wannaplaymusic.com. About PLAYHOUSE DISNEY Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on ten Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters. More information on They Might Be Giants, Ralph’s World, Imagination Movers and Choo Choo Soul can be found on DisneyRecords.com. Information on Dan Zanes can be found at danzanes.com and on Barenaked Ladies at bnlmusic.com/snacktime. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney, Sharp intro the Cinderella-themed Cell Phone Dinner at Disney's Hollywood & Vine Cory in the House: Newt & Improved Edition Minutemen Disney holds Hannah Montana Pop Star auditions in Mumbai New Jonas Brothers Video Shows Disney Table-Jumping Audition Broadway's Mary Poppins set to tour with show Mathison, Shepherd to host Daytime Emmy Awards Haygarth wins Walt Disney Studios DVD brief | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney, Sharp intro the Cinderella-themed Cell Phone Gadgetell
- This may be a ridiculous idea to some, but we have to admit
that for others, Walt Disney is such a cult that would merit its
own mobile phone model. Hence, Walt Disney has partnered up with
Sharp to develop a Disney-inspired mobile handset. Don’t even
think of protesting against the idea, as both companies are
about to launch the new mobile phone, dubbed as the DM002SH on
June 7 in Japan.
And what a better way to launch the said Disney phone but to pour in some good old Cinderella content into it? Cute? Well, that’s not to say that the DM002SH is nothing but cutesy Disney stuff, as the phone is also packed with some basic features including a 2.6-inch internal display with WQVGA resolution, a 0.5-inch external OLED display, 50MB of internal memory, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD slot and 1Seg Tuner. In addition the DM002SH will also use the Disney Mobility service which is available with Softbank in Japan. No pricing details are available yet, but we know for sure that this mobile phone will come in Clear Crystal, Brown Topaz and Pink Diamond colors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dinner at Disney's Hollywood & Vine Theme Park Rangers - Every once in a while, I realize "Hey, I've never done that!" while in the theme parks, and it happened the other day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Out-of-town guests suggested eating at Hollywood & Vine, and I realized I had never given the buffet-style restaurant a try.
Well, I might just have a new
favorite restaurant at the Studios.
It is a cafeteria-style buffet, but your cafeteria never served food like this. Everything in it seemed to have a special touch. The wide varieties of salads, for example, had ingredients like cranberries or walnuts or roasted red peppers. Just little things like that to lift them from basic fare to something special. There were several choices of high-quality meats, too. The roast beef was delicious, and thankfully, was available medium or well-done. (I like my meat good and dead.) The accompanying wine sauce was delicious, too. Parents, don't worry: The kids assortment had the usual chicken nuggets, etc. But it also featured some delicious meatballs that I snuck onto my plate when the grownups with me weren't looking. Desserts were delicious ... a trifle-like strawberry-shortcake offering, a berry cobbler with soft-serve ice cream or a hot vanilla sauce, mini Key lime pie tarts... There was chocolate mousse, but alas, that ran out before I could get some. My only quibble, in fact, was that is was never refilled. The nitty-gritty details after the jump. The food is all-you-can-eat, so for $24.99, you can get a good deal if you're a big eater. Even if your appetite isn't huge, the quality of the food makes it worth it. Kids pay $12.99. The menu changes from day to day, but always includes fresh fish, carved meat, a selection of salads and that dessert bar. Also, non-alcoholic beverages are included in the price. Hollywood & Vine is located right next to the Prime-Time Cafe, toward the front of the park. I would make reservations. Right up until closing time, the place was mobbed. (Must be everyone else already knew how good it is.) As always, Disney restaurant reservations can be made at 407-WDW-DINE or in the parks at the restaurant or at a Guest Relations location. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cory in
the House: Newt & Improved Edition
Kyle Massey (That's So Raven) stars as teen Cory Baxter, a budding entrepreneur with a talent for getting himself—and his pals—in hot water by launching some of the most hare brained get-rich-quick schemes ever. His digs in the staff quarters of the White House are headquarters for Cory and his best friends Newton "Newt" Livingston III (Jason Dolley, breakout star of the hit Disney Channel Original Movie Minutemen) and Meena Paroom (Maiara Walsh) as they make an indelible mark on the nation's capitol—while still trying to finish middle school. Now that Cory (Kyle Massey) and his dad (Rondell Sheridan) are settled into life in the White House, Cory is cooking up even zanier schemes with his friends Newt (Jason Dolley) and Meena (Maiara Walsh). Viewers will laugh out loud as Cory and Meena dream up a clever plan to help Newt in the "romantical department" and get land first kiss. Cory and Newt clash when they have to write a hot new song for their band—before sundown! And things really heat up when Cory almost destroys the cherished Presidential Seal and Newt comes up with an outrageous idea for a replacement. All this and they still have to pass Chemistry, steer clear of Sophie (Madison Pettis) and avoid causing any diplomatic crises. Cory in the House: "Newt and Improved" Edition is priced at $19.99 SRP in the US and $24.99 SRP in Canada. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Minutemen Buena Vista Home Entertainment - Who hasn't dreamed of going back for a "do-over" of the one critical moment that could make or break a high school career? Three socially backward high school seniors discover a unique way to do just that in the Disney Channel Original Movie Minutemen, coming to DVD on May 27, 2008 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, with an exciting never-before-seen extended ending, an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette and a Corbin Bleu music video. 
A trio of the hottest young actors star in this hilarious high tech adventure as the Minutemen, teenaged heroes out to combat social injustice and level the high school playing field. Jason Dolley ("Cory in the House"), Luke Benward (Because of Winn-Dixie) and Nicholas Braun (Sky High) play three friends whose ingenious solution to the bullying and humiliation of the past backfires on them when they accidentally jeopardize the future of the universe. High school senior Virgil Fox (Jason Dolley) is still trying to live down his first day as a freshman, when he was hung up on a giant statue in a cheerleader's uniform. The lifelong nerd and his comrade in geekdom Charley Tuttle (Luke Benward) come up with an inspired solution to their social ostracism. With the help of fellow outcast Zeke (Nicholas Braun), they build the world's first time machine. Calling themselves the Minutemen, the trio returns to undo past humiliations for themselves and other teenage misfits, but they don't count on their adventures changing the fabric of the universe. As a cavernous black hole created by their trips widens, the Minutemen don't have a moment to spare if they are going to save the planet! The Minutemen DVD is priced at $26.99 SRP. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney holds Hannah Montana Pop Star auditions in Mumbai Indiantelevision - Disney Channel's Hannah Montana -The Big Pop Star Dream auditions were held on 24 May in Mumbai. The closed door auditions selected 400 finalists from over 2000 kids. These kids sang and grooved to Bollywood hits and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies - High School Musica 1 and High School Musical 2. These performances will be reviewed by Anushka Manchanda, the pop star of the VIVA band fame. The final winner will feature in a music video that will play out for a month prior to the new season show of Hannah Montana. The winner will also get to meet Hannah Montana in US and feature on the cover of the Disney Adventures magazine.
Disney Channel is touring
Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to "help tweens
discover the star within themselves". The channel will fly
the four semi-finalists to Mumbai to give them a complete
Hannah Montana makeover and record the Hannah Montana title
track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists'
performances will then be aired on Disney Channel for an
audience poll.
Walt Disney Television International (India) AD and SVO Antoine Villeneuve said, "Hannah Montana - The Big Pop Star dream offers kids across the nation an opportunity to express themselves and pursue their dreams. We are extremely happy to see so many tweens across the country emulate Hannah Montana while they demonstrate their passion for music and dance." One lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers, who participates in the voting to select the final winner, will also win a chance to accompany the contest winner to meet Hannah Montana in the US. Other prizes to be won include guitars, accessories and loads of Hannah merchandise. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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New Jonas Brothers Video Shows Disney Table-Jumping Audition The 2006 video shows the three brothers, with much shorter hair and not nearly as polished, playing the guitar and even leaping up onto a table. It was the band's first audition in front of the Disney folk. In case you haven't heard, the Disney folk took the group and ran with them, turning them into teen heart throbs and musical sensations. In honor of the brothers, the current People Magazine has an entire section called "All About the Jonas Brothers" on stands now. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Broadway's Mary Poppins set to tour with show
San Francisco Chronicle - These days, not too many original stars of Broadway productions tour with their hit shows. Carol Channing did, of course, with "Hello, Dolly!" Julie Harris took "The Belle of Amherst" on the road. And, most recently, Cherry Jones traveled in John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt." Now the two original Broadway stars of "Mary Poppins," will take the stage version of Disney's hit movie musical across the country. Ashley Brown, who plays the world's most competent nanny, and Gavin Lee, as Bert the chimney sweep, will reprise their roles on the tour, which begins performances March 11 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago. Engagements at the State Theatre in Cleveland, the Fox in Atlanta and Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre follow. Additional cities will be announced. Until then, you can catch the original stars on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. For tickets, call a special Disney Ticketmaster hot line, 212-307-4747 or go online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information on the show, visit the Web site, www.disneyonbroadway.com. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mathison, Shepherd to host Daytime Emmy Awards
AP - Cameron Mathison has a new partner: Sherri Shepherd. The soap star and former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant will host the 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards with "The View" gabber and actress-comedian live from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on June 20. Neither Mathison nor Shepherd has ever hosted the Daytime Emmys, nor has either won one. Mathison plays playboy Ryan Lavery on ABC's "All My Children" and hosts SOAPnet's competitive reality series "I Wanna Be a Soap Star." He was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in 2002 and 2004. During the fifth season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," Mathison came in fifth place with his professional partner, Edyta Sliwinska. Shepherd has been a co-host on ABC's "The View" since 2007. She has appeared in TV shows such as "30 Rock," "Less Than Perfect" and "The Jamie Foxx Show." The born-again Christian shocked audiences last year when she told "View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg she wasn't sure whether or not the world was flat. She later acknowledged it wasn't. Shepherd, Goldberg and their "View" co-hosts Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar are among the nominee for best talk show host at this year's ceremony. They've lost the category 10 times. While "The View" itself has been honored, Ellen DeGeneres' show has dominated the best talk show category in recent years. A new category -- best informative talk show -- will be presented this year. The Daytime Emmys will air on ABC. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Haygarth wins Walt Disney Studios DVD brief
Brand Republic - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment UK & Ireland has appointed Haygarth as its customer marketing agency, following a pitch. Haygarth will assist the in-house customer marketing team at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in campaigns to support DVD releases of new Walt Disney blockbusters. These will include the latest Narnia instalment, 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian', and classic titles such as 'Sleeping Beauty'. It will also work on promoting new formats such as Blu-Ray and high-definition DVD. Philippe Roucoule, executive director for sales and customer marketing at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, said: "The DVD market is very fast, varied and constantly changing -- we need an agency that can play to the strengths of all our customers, be they a specialist, an e-tailer, a generalist, a grocer or a wholesaler." The six-strong customer marketing team at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is responsible for the planning and implementation of retail marketing activity. This ranges from working with trade customers to maximise in-store presence to devising bespoke promotions for Walt Disney titles in shops. Sophie Daranyi, CEO at Haygarth, said: "This is a great appointment for us; we're looking forward to using our wealth of customer marketing experience and integrated marketing expertise to really drive business for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney cruise
returns to Port of L.A. Keeping up with the (Indiana) Joneses Tracking Disney on your cell phone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney cruise returns to Port of L.A. Daily Breeze - After a three-year absence, Disney Cruise Line is scheduled to return to the Port of Los Angeles today, offering a dozen seven-night summer cruises to the Mexican Riviera. The Disney Magic cruise ship last stopped at the Port of Los Angeles in 2005, when it enjoyed a sold-out trial run that coincided with the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. This time around, prices start at $1,449 per person with stops at ports in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, said Jason Lasecki, a spokesman for Disney Cruise Line, based just outside Orlando, Fla. Although the trips are expected to sell out this season, a few spots are still available on the ship, which accommodates up to 2,700 passengers. "I hate to sound clich , but you could say that it's back by popular demand," Lasecki said. "I think there's a significant fan base in the Los Angeles area because you have a lot of Disney heritage with the theme park and studios." Like its theme parks, Disney Cruise Line boasts a "vacation experience" that caters to every family member. One deck on the Magic is dedicated to youth activities. Families can catch a live stage show at the Walt Disney Theater. A nursery is available for children under 3. Children dress up as princesses and pirates for poolside parties, complete with a fireworks show. During the Los Angeles cruises, Disney will throw a Mexican-style fiesta, a pi ata party and offer classes on how to make churros. Parents looking for some "alone time" can drop off the kids at a supervised activity and head to adult-exclusive areas of the ship, which include nightclubs and bars, a spa and a restaurant that serves up fine Italian cuisine. To give it that extra Disney touch, the ship's horn blares a seven-note melody from "When You Wish Upon A Star" each time the cruise leaves port. "It's all about paying attention to detail and providing tailor-made experiences," Lasecki said. The cruise is no Mickey Mouse operation. Each ship's call generates about $1 million in local economic spending, which includes purchases by the crew and passengers, according to figures provided by the Port of Los Angeles. In total, more than 1 million cruise passengers pass through the port annually. "We're very excited about this, and we hope that Disney will eventually make L.A. a permanent home," said Camilla Townsend, chief executive of the San Pedro Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. "It would be another way to introduce people to Los Angeles as a cruise destination, and it would also introduce more people to San Pedro," Townsend said. "When people think of places to visit in Los Angeles, they usually think of Hollywood, not San Pedro. More cruises will only help us become a major tourist destination." Disney has no immediate plans to permanently berth at the Port of Los Angeles, but the option remains viable because the company's cruise line is expanding operations, Lasecki said. "We're constantly in talks with various ports," he said. "So you never know what the future will bring." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tracking Disney
on your cell phone
Theme Park Rangers - On your next Magic Kingdom visit, your grandmother in Wisconsin can virtually tag along. So can your college roommate, your boss and your mortal enemy through a new Web site that enables users to post and plot their current whereabouts in the Walt Disney World theme parks. Twisney.com is the brainchild of Scott Mitchell, a software developer from Naples, who initially was improving his skills at online applications such as Twitter, Flickr and Microsoft Virtual Earth. That morphed into a personal use during an upcoming trip to Disney with his son. "I thought it would be pretty neat to just take some pictures while I was there and get those to automatically plot on a map so that my wife and daughter, who were going to be home for that trip, could see our progress," Mitchell says. He launched Twisney in late April, and Disneyphiles, especially those trapped at their desks, latched onto it. "You need that Disney fix every once in a while," Mitchell says. "It's giving people the chance to live the experience and be there — without being there." Here's how it works. Park guests snap photos with their cell phones and e-mail them to twisney@twisney.com. The location (Epcot, the castle, Tomorrowland) is the first words of the subject line, followed by other pertinent text ("Checking out the butterfly garden"). After sending the e-mail, the photo and text are automatically placed on a map on Twisney.com for the world to see, bird's-eye view style. That may sound a little Big Brother or stalker-ish, but remember, posters willingly share this information. No chips have been planted in their heads. "It's pretty simple. It takes about 30 seconds to go through the whole process of uploading a picture," Mitchell says. Another posting method is available through twitter.com, a micro-blogging site. In fact, the Twisney name is a blend of Twitter and Disney. Mitchell hopes Twisney users will share more real-time information, such as wait times for popular attractions. And he wants folks to be able to receive that data on mobile devices. "I'm really trying to build some things to encourage more stuff being posted inside the parks," he says. "Not so much photos, but quick tweets about what people are doing." On a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom, Mitchell's children wanted to ride the Barnstormer, a kiddie roller coaster that can have long lines but has no FastPass capacity. "It would have been really helpful just to have gone on to something and say, 'What's going on with the Barnstormer?' and see like maybe the last four or five recent posts there." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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