Guests who purchase a four night/ four day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Co. Magic Your Way hotel and ticket package at a select Disney moderate or deluxe villa resort for stays most nights from Nov. 1 to Nov. 24 , Nov. 29 to Dec. 24 and Jan. 3 to
March 27, will receive for free three extra nights of hotel accommodations and three more days added to their theme park tickets.

Guests who purchase a five night/ five day non-discounted hotel and ticket package during the same dates will receive two extra nights of hotel accommodation and two more days added to their theme park tickets for free.

A family of four could spend as little as US$1,441 or about US$52 per person per day by using the special offer for stays from Jan. 3 to Feb. 11.

Guests staying at select Walt Disney Resort hotels get an extra dose of pixie dust with great perks and services including free on-property transportation, free airport shuttle and luggage delivery and extra magic hours.

Walt Disney Resorts has also added new attractions and entertainment offerings over the past year.

New signature attractions such as Toy Story Mania and traveling entertainment such as Block Party Bash have become guest favourites and the addition of The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios allows guests to live the dream of becoming part of the American Idol phenomenon.

Without competition, Moses is a world class athlete in withdrawal, which is precisely what he is following the premiere episode of
Big Break Disney Golf. He lost not only an elimination challenge, but something far greater - the right to continue in the series after becoming the first contestant eliminated from the series.

Competing against Kevin Erdman (Arcadia, Calif.) and Mike Perez (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in a stroke-play match on the 10th and 11th holes at the Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World Resort, Moses' opening par failed to match his competitor's birdies on No. 10 and was staring down a double bogey on the next hole when Erdman and Perez ended the challenge by making par. Each of the trio failed to gain immunity in two previous challenges leading to the final contest.

"It was a tough day for me," said Moses. "But coming here and feeling the competitive sensations that Big Break put me in will pay
off astronomically in my game."

Elimination by Episode:

Show 1: Ed Moses
While Moses was disappointed, others expected his minimal competitive experience to hinder his success in the series. After
reaching the pinnacle as a swimmer, he was a gold (4 x 100 medley relay team) and silver (100 meter breaststroke) medalist in the 2000 Summer Olympics, he is in the deep end of the golf pool while learning the skills needed to become a PGA TOUR caliber player.

In addition to pursuing golf, Moses operates a production company that prevents him from playing in as many tournaments as he needs to keep his game sharp. The inexperience was exposed against the most talented field in Big Break history

"The crazy thing about golf is it is an all or nothing thing for me," he explained. "I have to balance my competitive drive that challenges me in everything I do versus getting specific in a career. That is a challenge for me. I want to do so many things and want to be the best at all of them."

Unfortunately, Big Break Disney Golf will not be one of them.

Big Break Disney Golf premiered with a field of 12 men - collectively the most talented cast in series history, but individually at different stages in their careers - battling for the opportunity to fulfill the desire to play professional golf at the highest level.

Shot mainly at both the Magnolia Course and Palm Course at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., the winner of the 10-week series will receive an exemption to compete in the 2010 Children's Miracle Network Classic. The series marks the first time that a Big Break winner will compete in a TOUR event on the same course in which the series was filmed.

Utilizing unique venues at Walt Disney World Resort, Big Break Disney Golf's challenges also will take place at Main Street U.S.A., Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and the Walt Disney World Speedway. Intertwined into several episodes will be cameos by TOUR players and memorable moments from the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

In addition to the tournament exemption, the winner will earn cash and prizes with a potential value of more than $50,000 that includes entry fees paid to compete in the 2010 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament from SkyCaddie, a $10,000 shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods, free golf for a year courtesy of GolfNow.com, and an endorsement contract from Adams Golf including $10,000 cash.

GOLF CHANNEL's Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks will reprise their roles as co-hosts to add insight to the series.

Past Big Break champions won tournament exemptions to compete on some of the world's top professional circuits, such as the
PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Canadian Tour. Former Big Breakers Tommy Gainey and James Nitties currently compete on the PGA TOUR while four previous female contestants currently play on the LPGA Tour, including Kristy McPherson, a member of the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team.

The network said Thursday the Hall of Fame coach will serve as the analyst for the weekly "Big Monday" Big 12 game during the college basketball season. He will also call some nonconference games.

Knight worked Thursday night games during his first full season with Disney-owned ESPN last year.

Texas Tech, Knight's former school currently coached by his son Pat, is not scheduled for a Big Monday game this season.

Brian Frons, president of ABC's daytime unit, made the announcement Friday. "All My Children" will celebrate its anniversary on Jan. 5, 2010.

Ripa and Consuelos' episodes will air Jan. 4-5. It will be the first time either actor has appeared on "All My Children" since they left the show in 2002.

She is now co-host of the morning talk show "Live With Regis and Kelly."

Ripa says "Live With Regis and Kelly" will air behind-the-scenes footage next month of the couple's return to Pine Valley.

• George Aguel, Walt Disney World senior vice president of Sales and Services, Alliance Development and Operating Participants, who is currently serving a two-year term as chair  of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. 
• Sol Fontanes, Disney Cruise Line industrial engineer, who was named a 2009 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Conference Luminary Honoree. 
• Betty Martinez Lowery, manager of Minority Business Development, who received a lifetime achievement award from La Prensa newspaper and was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Hispanics in Central Florida by Ahora Orlando magazine.

AP - Kids tired of experiencing the same old roller coasters have a new ride to tackle.

Walt Disney World opens an attraction Wednesday allowing them to design their own ride, then experience it on a giant robotic arm simulator.

"Sum of All Thrills" is the first ride in Epcot's Innoventions pavilion, where businesses sponsor educational attractions and hawk their brands.

Unlike IBM and Liberty Mutual, which wouldn't mind selling tomorrow's customers a policy or laptop, "Sum of All Thrills" sponsor Raytheon has nothing to offer the average consumer. But the high-tech defense and homeland security contractor does have jobs for those passionate about engineering, and would like to broaden the field.

"Our aim is to show kids how math and engineering make the things they care about really come to life and happen," said Kristin Hilf, vice president of Raytheon public affairs.

The ride begins, after a tutorial, in a design room. On a touchscreen computer, visitors pick a vehicle shape and determine how fast the ride should go based on ascent, inversions or corkscrews.

The information is saved on a magnetized card strip and fed into the simulator, where visitors experience the track they just designed. The cards are imprinted with numerical identifiers kids can use at home for a Raytheon educational Web site with more math and science problems.

"I did a lot of talking to kids before we got started. What I found is kids typically didn't like math, and didn't understand how it applied in their lives," said Eric Goodman, Disney Imagineer and "Sum of All Thrills" project manager. "They always felt there was one answer, and that's what you've got to do — find that one answer. What this does is show kids and adults the possibilities. If you have a math-controlling view, you get to control it."

On Monday, Kalogridis, 55, toured a torn-up park undergoing a $1-billion renovation - and realized he’s now in charge.

Disney announced Monday that Kalogridis was named the new president of the Disneyland Resort, Orange County’s largest employer with 20,000 employees in two theme parks, three hotels and Downtown Disney.

Kalogridis took over after Ed Grier retired from the company on Friday.

From 2000 to 2002, Kalogridis was here as a vice president, to specifically oversee operations during the resort’s expansion - California Adventure, Downtown Disney and two hotels opened. Kalogridis most recently worked at Disneyland Paris.

On Monday, Kalogridis spoke to the Register in an exclusive interview.

Q. What do you plan to do in your new job?

A. I suggest that if you spoke to cast members or guests that I have worked with … (you’ll find) I’m in the parks and hotels more than I’m not. I’m a visible person. I very much believe in, that’s how you operate best - if you are in the park and in the environment and understand what is important to cast members and your guests. My goal is to be very visible. And in my time with the company, that’s always proven to be something that’s doable.

Q. What is your first priority?

A. I think just making sure cast members can (put my) name and face together is really important to me. That will be priority No. 1.

Q. What have you learned from other resorts and your previous stint here that you can bring to the new job?

A. Probably, the one thing that’s most interesting is Disneyland Paris and Disneyland California are the two sites that are the most similar. Both have two theme parks, resort hotels and a retail-entertainment center. Both are in an urban environment. Secondly … in the last three years, I’ve opened a new major attraction each year in my time in Paris. So, I think I also have very recent experience opening a big new attraction. I see the same opportunity here.

Q. What lessons did you learn from the similarities of Disneyland and Disneyland Paris?

A. I think the dynamic of guest visitors and whether or not they choose to cross over to the other park and what makes them choose to do that. It’s an interesting dynamic. There’s no recipe for it. But it’s a big issue as to how you operate. I think we had some learning in Paris. For example, turning the direction of the parade made a big difference in terms of the crush exiting to get to the other park. Again, it’s not that it’s the right thing or the wrong thing here, but it’s learning. … I think the Paris site and this site are the only ones where guests can walk between two parks without a mode of transport.

Q. How do you see your role with guests?

A. I hope, first of all, to be able to meet many of them. … My job has to make sure everything is in place for everyone to take care of the guests and the product.

Q. As Orange County’s largest employer, how do you see your role in the community?

Over 400,000 school children have seen the show as part of The Lion King's education program. There have been over 225 adult cast members from 22 countries, and 64 children have played the roles of Young Simba and Young Nala. Many of them have gone onto successful entertainment careers, including Luke Youngblood (seen subsequently in the "Harry Potter" film series), Vanessa White (who became the youngest member of the girl band The Saturdays) and Jade Ewan (winner of BBC's reality TV contest "Your Country Needs You," as a result of which she represented Britain in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, and is now a member of the pop group Sugababes). The production has established The Lion King cub school in 2009 to train young performers for the show; the first graduates from the program joined the production in September 2009.

In a press statement, Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions, commented, "I am tremendously proud of our entire creative team as well as our cast and crew in the West End who bring Julie Taymor's glorious production to life each and every time the curtain rises." Taymor added, "Over the past 10 years, more than 220 performers from all over the world have been part of the incredible company in London, each bringing their own unique talents, energy and joy to help tell this universal story. The thing that moves me most about the success of The Lion King is the fact that it truly transcends the barriers between culture and between races and is able to tell a story in a style that speaks to everyone equally."

While filming a scene for his new ABC crime drama, "the forgotten," the 40-year-old actor locks his eyes on a barky Rottweiler while his character, former detective Alex Donovan, questions the dog's owner.

Later, during a break in filming, Slater says the acting pooch was a total pro.

"It's actually really nice when the dog shows up and he's ready and prepared, and he definitely hit his cues and knew his lines," Slater jokes. "He was perfect. He gave me a lot to work with. It's like a tennis match, being an actor, and you're only as good as the people you're playing opposite against, and today I have to really take my hat off to this dog."

Slater was drawn to "the forgotten" because of executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of "Without a Trace," "Cold Case" and the "CSI" franchise. However, it was the show's team of Average Joes and Janes who solve crimes involving John and Jane Does that piqued Slater's interest.

"This was kind of an interesting angle by making these people not necessarily experts," Slater says. "I mean, they really are people like you and me. They're not a `CSI' team, for example. They really are just human beings. These are real people willing to do something in a volunteer type of fashion that, I think, at the end of the day, is very, very noble."

Since "the forgotten" debuted last month, CBS' political drama "The Good Wife" has been taking a big bite out of the Tuesday-night audience. It's a foe Slater knows all too well. His first TV series, last season's NBC spy thriller "My Own Worst Enemy," struggled to find an audience early on.

Much like his on-camera canine encounter, Slater remains cool.

"You don't know," he says. "Every time, it's a gamble. You roll the dice. You take your chances. You work with the best possible people. You try and stack the deck, I guess, in the best way you possibly can for as many people as possible to see it. At the end of the day, you've got to remember, there's so many elements that are out of your control."

At a time when many retailers are still cutting back or approaching strategic shifts with extreme caution, Disney is going the other way, getting more aggressive and putting into motion an expensive and ambitious floor-to-ceiling reboot of its 340 stores in the United States and Europe — as well as opening new ones, including a potential flagship in Times Square.

Disney Stores, which the media giant is considering rebranding Imagination Park, will become more akin to cozy entertainment hubs. The chain’s traditional approach of displaying row after row of toys and apparel geared to Disney franchises will be given a high-tech makeover and incorporated into a new array of recreational activities. The goal is to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer, perhaps bolstering sales as a result. Over the next five years, analysts estimate that Disney will spend about $1 million a store to redecorate, reorganize and install interactive technology.

“The world does not need another place to sell Disney merchandise — this only works if it’s an experience,” said Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide. The company plans to unveil the new look in May in Southern California, Long Island and Madrid, and is close to signing a lease for that Times Square flagship.

Theaters will allow children to watch film clips of their own selection, participate in karaoke contests or chat live with Disney Channel stars via satellite. Computer chips embedded in packaging will activate hidden features. Walk by a “magic mirror” while holding a Princess tiara, for instance, and Cinderella might appear and say something to you.

It’s your birthday? With the push of a button, eight 13-foot-tall Lucite trees will crackle with video-projected fireworks and sound. There will be a scent component; if a clip from Disney’s coming “A Christmas Carol” is playing in the theater, the whole store might suddenly be made to smell like a Christmas tree.

The makeover happened only after much internal debate at the company. Indeed, some Disney board members fretted that the concept was so lavish that parents would try to use the stores as day care centers. Others worried that people would come for the entertainment but not buy anything.

“It’s time to take risks,” Mr. Fielding said he told them. “When consumers are ready to spend again, we will be ready.”

The involvement of Mr. Jobs, the Apple chief executive who joined the Disney board with the 2006 acquisition of Pixar, is particularly notable. For the first time, Mr. Jobs’s fingerprints can be seen on Disney strategy, in the same way that he influenced the look and feel of Apple’s own immensely popular retail chain. While Mr. Jobs did not personally toil on the Imagination Park concept, he pushed Disney to move far past a refurbishment.

“Dream bigger — that was Steve’s message,” said Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products.

Mr. Jobs provided access to proprietary information about the development and operation of Apple’s highly successful stores, and Disney executives visited Apple’s research operation in Cupertino, Calif. Mr. Jobs, who declined to comment, also insisted that Disney build a prototype store to work out kinks, a costly endeavor that most retailers skip.

The company followed his advice, working for the last year on a full-scale, fully stocked store inside an unmarked warehouse in Glendale, Calif. The prototype was crucial to shaping an overall philosophy, Mr. Fielding said, noting that he discovered the shops needed more “Pixar-esque winks and nods.” To that end, one sales area is now labeled “WWTD: What Would Tinker Bell Do?”

Disney will adopt Apple touches like mobile checkout (employees will carry miniature receipt printers in their aprons) and the emphasis on community (Disney’s theater idea is an extension of Apple’s lecture spaces). The focus on interactivity — parents will be able to book a Disney Cruise on touch-screen kiosks while their children play — reflects an Apple hallmark. Employees can use iPhones to control those high-tech trees.

Disney is a merchandising titan whose licensed consumer products generated $30 billion in global sales last year, up from $12 billion when Mr. Mooney joined the company a decade ago. But Apple is king of the mall. Its fleet of stores generated sales of about $4,700 a square foot in 2008, by far the highest for any retail chain, said Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company. In comparison, Best Buy’s sales are about $1,000 a square foot.

Inside Walt Disney's World

Wall Street Journal

For generations, Disney characters have been indelibly stamped on our imaginations, and boomers can easily call to mind the smiling, avuncular Walt Disney himself, as seen on the studio's prime-time TV series. But what do we really know about his history and personality? Probably not very much if we haven't read Neal Gabler's exhaustive 2006 biography. That's a situation the new Walt Disney Family Museum has set out to rectify. Housed in a former army barracks in the Presidio, this series of galleries built around a miniaturized replica of Disneyland tells three different stories. As Richard Benefield, the executive director, explains, the narratives cover "Walt's work and his achievements, his relationship with his family, and the technology of animation."

The entryway, lined with vitrines filled with a generous sampling of Disney's 932 awards and trophies, sets up expectations of dry and respectful hagiography, happily dispelled as one ventures farther into the museum. Through photos, touch-screen kiosks and samples of Disney's earliest cartoons, the first galleries trace his hardscrabble beginnings. Disney, born in Chicago, moved as a small boy to Missouri. When living in Kansas City, he worked on a train, got up at 3:30 a.m. to deliver newspapers, and developed an early passion for movies and vaudeville performances. When the family relocated to Chicago in 1917, Walt drew his first cartoons for the high-school magazine. "He was always a storyteller, more than anything else. Even when he was playing with a little movie camera, doing trick photography, making it go backwards and forwards, making the milk go back in the bottle, things like that," Mr. Benefield says. "He and his friend Walt Pfeiffer would sneak out at night and go to vaudeville shows and perform sometimes." A reproduction of an ambulance he drove in France and other memorabilia sum up his experiences in World War I (an audio offers Walt's story of forging an added year to his birth certificate to qualify for the Army).

Back in Kansas City, Disney discovered the young medium of animation and began making the first of his "Alice" shorts featuring a live girl in cartoon settings. With $40 in his pocket, wearing a mismatched suit, the fledgling entrepreneur headed off to Hollywood. He had some early success with a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but was swindled out of his rights to the series by his New York distributor. On the train ride back to California after a disastrous meeting on the East Coast, he floated the idea of a talking mouse to his wife, Lillian. She liked it, but vetoed the name Mortimer in favor of Mickey.

An entire gallery documents the almost spontaneous explosion of mousemania: Interactive displays demonstrate how Disney joined the vanguard of the talking-picture revolution by creating an animated film with synchronized sound. Vitrines display the earliest ventures into marketing—Mickey dolls, lunch boxes, tricycles and even an English hood ornament. But the most fascinating relics may be the 348 drawings from the third Mickey Mouse film, "Steamboat Willie" (1928), half a day's work for Disney's chief animator, Ub Iwerks. "And that's about how many were necessary for 16 to 17 seconds of film," says Mr. Benefield. The stalwart little rodent has often been seen as Disney's alter ego. "He even did Mickey's voice until he couldn't achieve the high pitch anymore," adds the museum's director.

At age 27, Disney was firmly in control of the nascent Walt Disney Studios, producing one-reel shorts called Silly Symphonies and venturing into his first Technicolor cartoons. By Gallery 4 of the museum, Disney hits the big-time with the feature-length "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937). Released after four years in development, it was an achievement that earned Disney a special Academy Award and honorary doctorates from Yale and Harvard. For this and other movies, Disney brought in art instructors to work with his team and introduced the labor-saving multiplane camera (cameras on display throughout the museum provide a lesson in the evolution of animation technology). Character drawings and plaster models here and elsewhere give a sense of the protracted effort that went into making a single Disney film. Audiotapes let visitors listen to employees reminisce about working with the maestro, who often acted out how his characters should move and sound.

'Snow White" led to new studio buildings in Burbank and the production of "Bambi," "Pinocchio" (1940) and "Fantasia" (1940). Of the last, Mr. Benefield says, "This is where Walt is really rubbing elbows with the great artists of the time." Clips from the movie, photographs and documents, including a long hand-written paean from Diego Rivera, give the back story to what some still regard as Disney's most artistically ambitious venture.

The growth of the Disney empire was checked only by a 1941 strike that threatened the company's viability, a dark period that arrived on the heels of the death of both of Walt's parents. When the studio closed down regular production to produce propaganda and training films for the U.S. government during World War II, Disney embarked on a goodwill tour of South America. He would later testify to the House Committee on Un-American Activities about his belief that Communists had strong-armed the studio into a strike, an episode the curators present without flinching.

The last galleries of the museum cover the rebuilding of the studio and the success of Disney's nature documentaries, such as "Seal Island" (1948); the animated features "Cinderella" (1950) and "Lady and the Tramp" (1955); and hit movies such as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) and "Mary Poppins" (1964).

On display are more family photos and personal artifacts, such as replicas of cans of Walt's two favorite kinds of chili and the miniatures he loved to craft in his spare time. A ramp leads downward to a 12-foot-diameter model of Disneyland. "Walt considered the park something that would never be finished," says Mr. Benefield. "Disneyland became another way for him to tell stories."

A final gallery presents reactions to Disney's death from lung cancer in 1966, including Eric Sevareid's announcement on CBS and 36 commemorative editorial cartoons.

ESPN said Tuesday the five-game finals averaged 548,000 viewers, up 73 percent from 316,000 in 2008. The 13 postseason games aired on ESPN2 averaged 435,000 viewers, a 54 percent increase from the 282,000 last year.

The Phoenix Mercury won their second WNBA title Friday, beating the Indiana Fever 94-86 in Game 5.

Daily Mail - Does your home town have that extra bit of sparkle? Is it a magical land where dreams come true and every path leads to ‘happily ever after’? And is it populated by princesses, fairies, and six-foot tall talking mice in human clothing?

If so it’s in with a very good chance of being ‘twinned’ with Walt Disney World in Florida.
Mickey Mouse has packed his bags and swapped sunny Florida for the grey skies of Britain in his search of a UK ‘twin town’.

Armed with just a map and a pair of his snazziest red trousers, Mickey is going in search of the most magical place in Britain, worthy of teaming up with his home town.

Anyone who thinks their town, village or city deserves the accolade is being invited to make their case in writing to a panel of judges who will decide on the winner.

Entrants are also being encouraged to take photographs, write a poem or make a video of their home town. The judges say they will be focusing on the following key factors:

• How does your town celebrate its traditions?
• How does your town appeal to people of all ages?
• How does your town look to the future?
• How is your town family friendly?
• Who’s your town’s inspirational person?

Entries on the website so far include Newquay, Leeds and Reigate.

Sophie, who nominated Newquay, says: ‘Newquay is a place of beauty, with sun, sea and sand, a perfect place for a Disney prince to propose to take my hand.”

For the record: Disney (DIS) says it always intended to move the company, which offers “bite-sized ideas for green living” via email and a Web site, from its corporate strategy group to its interactive division, which will happen later this year. At that point, “it will still continue in some form,” says spokesman Michelle Bergman.

That doesn’t sound good. Disney says it plans to conduct a review of the unit, so it’s not ready to answer some basic questions about the email newsletter company. Like: Are co-founders Heather Stephenson (who lives and works in San Francisco) and Jennifer Boulden (who until this summer lived and worked in Bozeman, Mont.; she’s now in Los Angeles, I’m told) staying on? Will Disney have to take a write-down on the property? Will there be layoffs? “It’s too early to say. I can’t tell you,” Bergman says.

Okay. But If I had to bet, I’d say at least some of the dozen-plus employees will be hitting the job market.

Disney paid a reported $20 million for the property a year and a half ago, and the plan was to create a big green-centered business around it, but that hasn’t panned out, sources said. The company, founded in 2005, is one of the many lifestyle newsletter businesses backed by Bob Pittman’s Pilot Group.

Sherman Brothers Songbook Set for Release on October 13

BusinessWire - On October 13, 2009 Walt Disney Records releases a two-disc retrospective collection of music by award-winning songwriting team, Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman. Hired by Walt Disney himself as his first and only staff songwriters, the Sherman Brothers music has been an important part of motion pictures, theme park attractions, television productions, records, compact discs, and Broadway shows – entertaining millions of people all over the world.

The two-disc set includes 59 songs highlighting the Sherman Brothers' incredibly prolific Disney years – from Annette's 1959 hit “Tall Paul” to their work from The Tigger Movie in 2000. Newly restored with the latest digital technology, this collection features not only their landmark hits from Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, The Jungle Book, and “it's a small world,” but a number of their other classics – many available for the first time on CD.

Their voluminous repertoire is only matched by their musical versatility – composing in styles from Rock 'n Roll and English Music Hall to Samba and March. These genres and more are represented throughout the Sherman Brothers' Disney career. The extensive liner notes reveal the stories behind the songs and are illustrated with candid photos of the Shermans at work, and also with the star-studded gallery of artists who performed their classic songs.

Artist highlights include Annette Funicello (“Tall Paul” and “Pineapple Princess”), Hayley Mills (“Let’s Get Together”), Annette and The Beach Boys (“The Monkey’s Uncle”), Louis Prima (“I Wan’na Be Like You”), Louis Armstrong (”Ten Feet off the Ground”), and Maurice Chevalier (“The Aristocats”), plus beloved songs from Mary Poppins featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (“Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”) and many others. The collection also includes three bonus tracks from the 1969 Disneyland Records release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang performed by The Mike Sammes Singers.

Among the 150-plus Disney songs that Robert and Richard Sherman co-wrote are more than 35 songs for Annette; the songs and oftentimes score to such classic films as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Aristocrats and Winnie the Pooh; and it’s a small world, one of the many unforgettable tunes for Disney’s Theme Park attractions. Between 1961 and 1974, the Shermans penned the songs for 28 Disney films, wrote music for Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions, and composed songs for 25 Disney television shows including The Horsemasters, and the theme from The Wonderful World of Color. During the course of their career, the Shermans received two Academy Awards and two Grammy Awards for Mary Poppins as well as numerous other Academy nominations over the years.

Throughout their long association with The Walt Disney Company, The Sherman Brothers proved to be one of the most creative, influential and prolific songwriting teams. The Sherman Brothers Songbook documents the extraordinary career of Robert and Richard Sherman and celebrates an unquestionable standard in popular music. With their genius for songwriting and storytelling, the Shermans will always be part of the magic of Disney.

THQ Goes Full Throttle with the Launch of DisneyPixar's Cars Race-O-Rama

BusinessWire - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Disney•Pixar’s Cars Race-O-Rama, the company’s third installment in the highly successful Cars video game franchise, has shipped to retail outlets throughout North America across six game systems, including the Wii video game system, Nintendo DS, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP^® (PlayStation Portable) system. Cars Race-O-Rama is now available for the suggested retail prices of $39.99 (Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 system), $29.99 (PSP and DS) and $19.99 (PlayStation 2). The game is rated E for Everyone.

In Cars Race-O-Rama, players will join Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks in Radiator Springs as they prepare their academy of student racers to compete in the Race-O-Rama Racing Series. Players will encounter 15 newly playable characters making their video game debut. As they progress through the game, players will be able to unlock special racing kits for Lightning McQueen, allowing him to better maneuver brand new, action-packed tracks that will take players to metro city streets, the Baja desert and sandy beaches. In addition, players are able to modify Lightning McQueen’s wheels, rims, hood, side skirt, rear bumper, spoiler and paint with special customization features, giving Lightning a personalized style and look like never before. As players compete in this high-speed, racing adventure game, they will be able to utilize Lightning McQueen’s newly designed drifting abilities and perform “Ka-chow” poses for enthusiastic reporters and fans encountered throughout the game. Cars Race-O-Rama will also feature multiplayer mini-games based on Disney●Pixar’s Cars Toons, a series of animated shorts that are currently being aired on the Disney Channel.

For more information on the Cars Race-O-Rama video game, please visit carsvideogame.com. Information on the rest of THQ’s line-up of family-friendly titles can be found on playthq.com.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL•E and most recently, Up. The Northern California studio has won 21 Academy Awards and its ten films have grossed more than $5 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney•Pixar is Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010).

About Disney Interactive Studios

Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games, mobile games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to disneyinteractivestudios.com.

About THQ

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

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Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

— Jim S., Medford

We quacker backers here at SYA suspect you may be a diehard beaver believer but we won't let you ruffle our feathers, Jim.

We would have you know that UO is the only major university to have as a mascot a popular film and television cartoon character, thanks to a licensing agreement between the Disney Co. and the university.

It all started in 1947 when then-university Athletic Director Leo Harris and Walt Disney shook hands on an agreement allowing the school's sports teams to use Donald Duck's image as its fighting duck mascot. Prior to that, the university's athletes were known as the Webfeet, although the school's national champion basketball team in 1939 was known as the Tall Firs. (As to the choice of a duck, if you spend anytime in the wet Willamette Valley, a duck mascot seems all too appropriate.)

The fighting duck has had to fight to keep his title. After Walt died in 1966, the Disney company became concerned there was no formal written contract for the use of Donald's image. In 1973, a written contract between Disney and the university resolved the duck issue.

But the fighting duck still had to keep his beak sharp. In 1978, there was a move to replace him with "Mallard Drake" followed by a duckish creature called "Mandrake" in 2003. Fortunately, for those of us who are proud Donald Duck alums, the two fowl were too foul for the mascot-minded.

Incidentally, Donald Duck was made an honorary alumnus of the University of Oregon during his 50th birthday celebration in 1984. During a visit to the Eugene airport, some 4,000 fans gathered for the presentation of an academic cap and gown to the famous duck.

Kalogridis, 55, is replacing Ed Grier, who announced his retirement last week and had his last day Friday.

Kalogridis most recently worked as the chief operating officer for the Disneyland Resort Paris.

But he served at the Anaheim resort at a crucial time — serving as senior vice president of Disneyland Resort operations from 2000 to 2002 when Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney opened.

Kalogridis was brought in specifically for the addition. Now, California Adventure is in the middle of a $1-billion expansion, which began two years ago.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Disneyland, particularly during this exciting time of significant expansion,” said Kalogridis in a prepared statement.

“George is a proven strategic thinker whose operational expertise and strong leadership skills will serve him well in leading the Disneyland Resort,” said Al Weiss, president of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in a prepared statement. “We are excited to welcome him back to California and look forward to his leadership as we continue to expand and grow this beloved place.”

Travel agents looking for a memorable Christmas experience for their clients will find these new elements added to favorite Disneyland Paris traditions of seasons past including the sparkling crystal lights of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the festive winter costumes of Mickey and his friends and the chance to meet Santa Claus himself.

KIDS UNDER 7 STAY AND PLAY FREE

And, for each package booked at a Disney and Selected & Associated hotel to arrive between now and Jan. 2, 2010 inclusive, kids under 7 stay and play free. This means free hotel accommodation and breakfast and free entrance to both Disney Parks for the length of the stay.

SAVE 15 PERCENT ON PRE-BOOKED TICKETS

For clients that only have one day available, but still want to discover Christmas magic in both Disney Parks, the Magic Ticket may be the one for them. Clients simply pre-purchase tickets before departure and save 15 percent on the gate price.

For more information about how to take advantage of these special offer or others, travel agents should contact their preferred travel wholesaler.

SANTA CLAUS RETURNS TO DISNEYLAND PARIS

Santa with his fluffy white beard, red suit and bag overflowing with presents has set up his workshop in the heart of the Disneyland Park where he and his elves will greet clients and their children in this fun holiday tradition. "Santa Claus' Post Office" can be found at the Critter Corral in Woody's Roundup Village of Frontierland at Disneyland Park for children to "mail" their letters and wish lists.

Riding in his shiny red sleigh, Santa Claus will be the guest of honour in Disney's Once Upon a Christmas Dream Parade! Escorted by wooden soldiers and elves and accompanied by special Christmas music, Santa will spread all the magic of winter and fairy tales.

ENCHANTING ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DISNEY PRINCESSES

The magic of Walt Disney's first masterpiece, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," will come to life on the Castle Stage for an unforgettable encounter with Snow White and Prince Charming.

Disneyland Paris guests can enjoy the charm of Belle's Christmas Village this Christmas season including picturesque taverns and traditional chalet stands blanketed in snow. Clients can meet Belle or the Beast while strolling down the streets of this authentic medieval village.

DISNEY CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT

Every evening, guests are invited to a stunning brand-new show that culminates in the lighting of the majestic Christmas Tree in Town Square. The enchanted illumination orchestrated by Mickey and Minnie Mouse promises to dazzle young and old alike with myriad magical Christmas surprises.

Disney's Fantillusion Parade will be at its brightest for this Fairytale Christmas. Every evening, from 8 November 2009 to 6 January 2010, the dazzling night parade shimmers on Main Street U.S.A. with the help of thousands of lights. Ariel, Aladdin and Jasmine, Snow White, Belle, Beast, Mickey, Minnie and their friends will join the parade unveiling a lovely story with a happy ending.

Beginning 21 November 2009, "it's a small world" also celebrates the end-of-the-year holidays with special costumes, music and decorations. The attraction pays tribute to the holiday traditions of various regions and countries around the world.

MICKEY AND HIS FRIENDS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

To celebrate Mickey's Magical Party, the Disney Heroes take the new Central Plaza stage by storm and perform their show "It's Party Time… with Mickey & Friends!" During the Christmas Holiday season, the Disney Characters put on a daily finale with a magical Christmas signature. Following the day's last show, the Sleeping Beauty Castle is transformed into a crystal palace by more than 400,000 twinkling lights.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Chip 'n' Dale share the joy of winter sports during "Mickey's Winter Wonderland" -- a show on ice for the whole family. The show's slapstick falls and snowball fights celebrate the fun and laughter of the winter season several times a day at the Chaparral Theater in Frontierland, Disneyland Park.

Mickey's Christmas Dinner

Mickey's Christmas Dinner is a feast sure to thrill the palates of both young and old alike and is followed by a lively dance party with Disney characters in the Disneyland Park. It can be savoured exclusively on 5, 12, and 19 December from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., and includes private access to the Pavilion in Disneyland Park and meet 'n' greets with Disney Characters.

Mickey's Magical Christmas Dinner tickets will be available at €65,70 for adults and €27,60 for children (3 to 11 incl.). The price for this event does not include a Disneyland Park entrance ticket. Attendance is limited. Clients are encouraged to book in advance online www.disneylandparis.com or by calling 0825 30 60 30.

Happy New Year!

- Ryan Merriman is the ideal man: The golden boy of the DCOM era, Merriman was cute, charming and smart. So smart, he outsmarted the Smart House, for P.A.T.’s sake! Plus, he even pulled off the pointy-eared, red-haired leprechaun look in “The Luck of the Irish.” That takes a true stud.

·Never make assumptions: Yes, Piper, your African exchange student is white. Now, don’t you feel ridiculous in your African garb? And yes, Mahree, you are a racist for living in South Africa and supporting apartheid and assuming any American host family would be white.

·Sometimes, it pays to be ignorant: If Duncan (Will Friedle, aka Eric from “Boy Meets World”), a resident of Washington D.C., had been a fully-functioning human being and actually known that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the address of the White House, he might never have shown up to take the girl he met at the mall on a date, and would subsequently not have scored his dad a sweet promotion and himself an awesome relationship with the President’s Daughter. Take that, common knowledge!

·In high school, freedom reigns: Wow, I can’t wait to be in high school! I can be like Hayley from “Wish Upon a Star” and wear a literal dominatrix outfit: chains, leather, fishnets and all, and do a striptease dance on a cafeteria table! What an education! (Seriously, find the clip on YouTube if you don’t believe me). And yet, Hayley gets her retribution in the end by coupling with the unfortunate-looking, gnome-like mute, Simon. Mixed messages…..

, Disney has released four more posters to make a total of five new characters posters for Toy Story 3 this weekend. The trailer arrives online officially on Monday - stay tuned to see it then. It's exciting to see the whole gang back again on the big screen. Although I think we're missing some key characters like Woody's horse Bullseye, Mr. Potato Head, and Slinky, his dog. Don't fear though, they are all in the trailer. I have a feeling once these start to show up in movie theaters, the buzz will really start to pick up. Though that actually makes me wonder… How many people out there don't yet know that Toy Story 3 is being made?

Tom Hanks returns to voice Woody, Tim Allen returns as Buzz, and Joan Cusack is back again as Jessie.

What's Disney willing to do for high-speed rail?

Orlando Sentinel - C.C. "Doc" Dockery, the retired Lakeland insurance magnate who has championed high-speed rail in Florida for decades, was ecstatic when he learned Walt Disney World was offering free land for a station if the train gets the go-ahead.

"What a marvelous opportunity," said Dockery, who added that the marketing muscle of Disney could bring countless riders to the system that also would link Orlando International Airport with International Drive, Lakeland and Tampa.

But whether Disney will do anything to get its millions of customers to actually ride the train is unclear.

Disney officials are mum about their intentions, telling the Orlando Sentinel only that "it's premature to speculate on the details surrounding high-speed rail" because no one knows whether it will be built.

And the state Department of Transportation, which is overseeing the high-speed-rail effort, is far from sure what Disney will do.

"We haven't had a serious dialogue with them. We haven't gotten that far," said DOT Assistant Secretary Kevin Thibault.

Industry analysts say it is unlikely Disney would steer guests toward the train because it could conflict with its shuttle and luggage service at OIA known as Disney's Magical Express.

The complimentary program, available to guests staying in Disney World hotels, ferries more than 2.2million people a year between the airport and the giant resort.

Buses: Disney 'edge'

Since it was launched four years ago, Magical Express has become an integral part of Disney's strategy to get vacationers to spend all of their time — and money — on company property.

It helps lure people to Disney's own hotels and makes it less likely they will leave the resort at any time during their vacations.

Magical Express "is a big deal for them, and it should continue to be," said Steve Baker, who runs Baker Leisure Group in Orlando. "It gives them a competitive edge when people are deciding where to stay."

What's more, through Magical Express, Disney can oversee its guests' vacations almost from the moment they step off a plane in Orlando.

"I think it's important for them to control the experience. They feel like they do it different and better than other people," said Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando.

Back in 2003, Disney had an informal arrangement with the state to provide a stop for a proposed high-speed train from Orlando to Tampa. Disney, which had a less-ambitious shuttle and bus arrangement for OIA passengers then, promised to move its visitors on to the train, even including passes in its standard vacation packages.

They have made no such vow this time. Instead, Disney says the train would "complement" Magical Express.

'Incredibly popular'

"Our Disney's Magical Express Service, which was introduced in 2005, has been incredibly popular with our guests," Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said. "Based on this feedback, it is important that we continue to offer our guests a direct connection between the airport and Walt Disney World Resort."

As long as Disney continues to run the shuttle service, analysts say it is unlikely that many of those riders would shift over to high-speed rail.

For one thing, Disney offers Magical Express for "free" — the cost is rolled into the regular hotel-room rate — whereas customers might have to pay for a high-speed-rail ticket.

Trains also aren't usually conducive to traveling families, who often are shepherding children and luggage, Aldrich said.

"Typically," he said, "trains are high-speed, and they move you from one point to another, and maybe you have a briefcase or something small."
 

Thibault said the state could negotiate any number of options with Disney, including offering an express route straight from OIA to the attraction depot.

It also could discuss costs, possibly undercutting the expenses of the Magical Express, although Thibault said he had no idea what Disney spends on the service.

"That's part of the discussions we'll have," he said.

Disney has made one big concession with the train by agreeing to a stop by International Drive and the Orange County Convention Center, where there are thousands of hotel rooms owned by rivals.

The attraction previously balked at an I-Drive station. A spokeswoman said the reluctance was more about fear that a high-speed train could interfere with the operation of a planned commuter system than worries about the competition.

High-speed rail, in fact, is supposed to work in tandem with a planned commuter train called SunRail that would run from DeLand in Volusia County through downtown Orlando to Poinciana in Osceola County.

Running by 2014?

Democrats at Disney Hope Their Dreams Can Come True

The Jacksonville Observer - Some 3,000 Florida Democrats gathered Saturday for a state party conference at Disney World — a place where the signs say `dreams come true.’