They'll all be at The Sculpture Barn in New Fairfield on Saturday, Oct. 25, lending their talents to a launch party for the Wyatt Foundation. The new organization aims to raise awareness and support for finding a cure for Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy ­-- two of the 42 types of MD. The hope is that this new nonprofit will also serve the needs of individuals and families affected by a host of chronic or terminal diseases and disabilities.

The organization was formed by Joanne and Wayne Keeley and named for their oldest child, Wyatt, 11, who was diagnosed with Duchenne when he was 3. Duchenne is "an always terminal, muscle-wasting disease, which affects one in 3,500 male children," said Joanne Keeley.

Eventually, Wyatt, like all Duchenne patients, will be confined to a wheelchair and finally lose the battle sometime in his late teens.

For now, though, Wyatt's need to find a suitable place to play has inspired his parents to pursue a special goal through the foundation. They would like corporate involvement in order to build a "boundless playground," similar to one in Stamford, "where special needs children as well as other kids can play," said Wayne Keeley.

This is not the first time the Keeleys have focused their energy on projects that help others dealing with illness. A writer, teacher and media attorney, Wayne Keeley created a fictional one-act play to raise awareness about Duchenne. He and his wife have also worked with organizations such as Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and the Jett Foundation.

The vehicle for the Wyatt Foundation's debut is the Oct. 25 party they've dubbed "That's Entertainment." It is, said Wayne Keeley, "an immersion into arts, entertainment, fine food and wine, and a silent auction."

Featured in this mix will be performances by stage and screen actor Samuel Wright, aka Sebastian the Crab and Mufasa, Broadway dancer Elizabeth Parkinson, the Doug Wahlberg Band and acoustic guitarist Marc Huberman.

Kelly Burger, a very special person in Wyatt's life, will also be a guest performer. Burger, Wyatt's music teacher at the Meeting House Hill School, will be singing "This is the Moment," one of Wyatt's favorite songs.

Though Wyatt is a bright, well-spoken kid ­-- who tends to see a glass half full rather than half empty ­-- he also tires easily and falls a lot. He's ambulatory now, but in school is dependent on a wheelchair.

When asked to describe how she sees Wyatt, Burger didn't hesitate.

"He's a great kid," she said. "He's a kind, cheerful soul and a great student. He always has a smile and always can make you laugh."

In her classroom, she added, "there's no stopping him. He's able to physically participate in class activities because of a special chair that enables him to move about. If he needs a hand, his paraprofessional (since the second grade) Patti Canale, is there to help."

Helping the Keeley family to make this launch a success is the area's business community. Food is being catered by Tom Devine of Ciao! Catering and Events and Two Steps Downtown Grille. Wine has been donated by Stew Leonard's Wine Shop and desserts and a cake will be coming from The Goodie Shoppe in New Fairfield. Flowers have been donated by the Village Flower Shop, also in New Fairfield, while photographs will be taken by White Light Inc. of Bethel. All print and Web materials have been created by Dactyl Technologies of Danbury.

Joanne and Wayne Keeley, and their two younger children, Dylan, 9, and Sarah, 7, are looking forward to the fundraising party. And so is Wyatt.

"I'm excited about it," he said. "I'm going to meet a lot of people who are going to be playing and singing my favorite songs. It should be a lot of fun."

The fundraiser is Oct. 25, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sculpture Barn, 3 Milltown Road in New Fairfield. For more details on the event or about donations and sponsorship, call (203) 312-9804, e-mail thewyattfoundation@gmail.com or visit thewyattfoundation.org.

Tickets are $75 per person ($100 at the door) and may be purchased by sending a check payable to The Wyatt Foundation, P.O. Box 8030, New Fairfield, CT 06812.

The sweeping overhaul will transport visitors to the California of the 1920s, when Walt Disney first arrived in Hollywood. In the same way that Disneyland's Main Street evokes Disney's hometown of Marceline, Mo., at the turn of the last century, the new California Adventure will follow the young animator on his journey to Los Angeles.

Instead of Sleeping Beauty's castle, California Adventure will feature a towering structure reminiscent of Hollywood's golden era: a recreation of the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles where Disney premiered the movie " Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937. A Red Car trolley, recalling the Pacific Electric Railway, will clang through the new entrance area, conjuring up the bygone era -- and winking at Walt's love of trains.

Also on the drawing board is a 12-acre expansion of the park that will bring to life the town of Radiator Springs, the setting for Disney/Pixar animated film "Cars," with three new attractions including the E-ticket "Radiator Springs Racers."

Sketches illustrate the planned changes for the Paradise Pier, which will take on a nostalgic feel and feature classic Disney characters in new boardwalk games re-themed as attractions, such as Mickey's Fun Wheel (now the Sun Wheel.) One highlight is the planned "World of Color" nighttime display of water effects, color lighting and music to bring new energy to the pier.

Disney's sizable investment, to be spent through 2012, comes atop the $1 billion the entertainment giant committed to build the park, which opened in 2001, and $100 million more spent on new attractions. The stakes for Disney are higher than boosting anemic attendance at California Adventure, which has always been overshadowed by Disneyland.

"What's at stake for Disney is their reputation," said Gary Goddard, head of Gary Goddard Entertainment.

Visitors to Disney's California Adventure will get their first glimpse of plans for the reimagined park Monday, when the Walt Disney Imagineers put dozens of working models, concepts and sketches on display in the Golden Vine Winery.

While all the characters from the original animated movie are represented — the sleeping beauty Aurora, the valiant Prince Phillip and the three kindly fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather — the castle walk-through really belongs to the wicked Maleficent. More than half the scenes inside the castle belong to the villainess. In fact, we never actually see the castle’s namesake princess awake. (Read a scene-by-scene breakdown of the re-created Sleeping Beauty castle walk-through.)

Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter, who shepherded the walk-through restoration, understands that the best new Disneyland attraction is an old attraction conceived by Walt Disney himself. Resurrecting the past plays into one of the Anaheim theme park’s core assets: nostalgia.

“I still have very strong memories of taking a journey through this castle,” said Baxter, Disneyland’s chief Imagineer.

The castle walk-through closed shortly after 9/11, in the ensuing weeks when terrorism fears gripped the nation. While no reason was given at the time for the shuttering of the largely unsupervised self-guided tour through the iconic symbol of American pop culture, Disney now admits the tired and dated 1970s remodel of the attraction needed a rest — pun intended. In either case, the walk-through remained closed for the better part of this decade — long enough for the casual visitor to forget it ever existed and far too long for the die-hard fan.

The original castle walk-through opened in 1957, two years after the theme park debuted and two years before the movie premiered. For 20 cents, visitors walked through a labyrinth of staircases, past a series of dioramas that told the story of “Sleeping Beauty” — essentially a life-size three-dimensional pop-up storybook preview of the animated movie.

Each tableau employed a series of smoke-and-mirror illusions — multi-layer scenery, forced perspective views and ghost effects — to create the impression of the detailed and elaborate hand-painted set coming to life.

“They had to use extreme forced perspectives to make these things feel much bigger than they were,” Baxter said. “It meant that they were bending depths and using mirrors to trick your eye into thinking you were looking a great distance.”

Walt Disney tapped animation artist Eyvind Earle, who would later work on the “Sleeping Beauty” movie, to design the walk-through scenes. Earle teamed with Imagineer Ken Anderson, who turned the walk-through concepts into architectural drawings.

The A-ticket attraction resulted in what Baxter called “the zenith of our artistry,” with much of the future “magic” to be found later in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean taking embryonic form in the castle walk-through.

“That was the first application in Disneyland of some artistically brilliant and technically stunning special effects,” Baxter said.

Like any work in progress, the 1957 walk-through featured story concepts that never made the movie and omitted crucial scenes that ultimately made the film’s final cut.

The climatic battle between Prince Phillip and Maleficent’s dragon was nowhere to be found inside the castle. And the penultimate kiss that awoke beauty was inexplicably missing — not to appear until six weeks after the walk-through’s opening (at Walt Disney’s insistence).

Instead, the castle walk-through story ended with a shadowy silhouette of Maleficent that brought children to tears and traffic to an abrupt halt in the narrow stairwells. So much for happy endings. (The spectral antagonist lasted only a few months before disappearing for good.)

Other gags worked much better — with identical bottleneck-inducing results. A series of medieval dungeon doors offered visitors the enticing opportunity of peeking through a keyhole. The clever illusion took your own eye and superimposed it on the faces of imprisoned goons. The mesmerizing effect stopped stooping visitors in their tracks — further backing up queues in the cramped castle. As a result, the popular scene was boarded up within a year.

Another early concept — involving visitors walking outside the castle to peer over the turrets and parapets — never made it past the planning stages.

By 1977, the original castle walk-through had run its course and Imagineers ripped out the guts of Earle and Anderson’s work to install a version of the story more faithful to the movie. The ill-advised move replaced the hand-painted cutouts with costumed figurines that looked like Barbie dolls. The inferior substitutes didn’t hold up well over time.

“In 2001, we took a long, hard look at it and we said, ‘Gee, you know, this doesn’t live up to what people remember in the movie,’ ” Baxter said, being as charitable as possible.

With the 50th anniversary of the movie on the horizon, the decision was made in mid-2007 to re-create the walk-through by mapping the 1950s hand-painted scenes onto turn-of-the-millennium computer-generated cutouts.

But after the closure of the walk-through in 2001, layer upon layer of additions — fireworks displays, faux snow-making machines, elaborate Christmas decorations — had chewed up precious real estate inside the castle.

By the time Imagineers stepped back inside the castle in 2007, they found the walk-through in disarray. Like excavators on an archaeological dig, Baxter and company discovered complete sets from the 1957 version still intact behind untouched 1977 scenes. In other places, air conditioning ducts snaked through long-abandoned scenes. They wondered how some sets — 20 feet tall in places — were ever shoe-horned into the castle’s tight confines.

Disney archivists tracked down the original 1957 concept art and blueprints, but deciphering the complicated layouts proved daunting — like trying to figure out a half-century-old multi-layered jigsaw puzzle. Only one photo existed of the original walk-though — a thumbnail-sized slide from an old Viewmaster toy.

Over the ensuing 18 months, Baxter and his team set about deciding what to remove, what to leave intact, what to reinstate and what to improve. And how to strike a delicate and seamless balance between the original concept and the new elements.

“We’ve definitely got everything and then some of what was there before,” Baxter said. “I don’t think anybody will be disappointed that it’s not what they remembered.”

Content will be available free for seven days and will then be available again on-demand after airing on free TV.

Series available as part of the service will include "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs."

Fernando Madeira, Terra Latin America prexy, said the new offering would drive online advertising revenues for Terra TV, which boasts eight million unique users per month.

Terra Latin America has portals in 18 countries and around 60 million unique visitors monthly.

New programming on Terra TV will also include Disney films such as "The Incredibles," "King Arthur" and "Flight Plan."

Director Kenny Ortega will join the trio on the red carpet in Sydney on November 10, followed by Melbourne on November 12.

The High School Musical series follows the story of basketball captain Troy (Efron) and brainy but shy Gabriella (Hudgens) who discover they have a secret passion for singing and try out for the student musical.

In the third film, the students hit senior year. Amidst a basketball championship, prom and a big spring musical, Troy and Gabriella vow to make every moment last as their college dreams put the future of their relationship in question.

The High School Musical series has sold 15 million CDs, 50 million books and 4.8 million video games and spawned stage shows, concerts and an ice tour since the first TV movie screened in 2006.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" began with a poem by Burton that was considered a special or video short. Years later the movie was released in 1993. This was not your average Disney film; first of all, it was done in gorgeous stop-motion animation. Second, it was considered too dark and scary for Disney, so they released it under Touchstone Pictures instead. Yet it exceeded expectations by making $50 million. With several DVD versions and two runs of 3-D releases, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" has risen from being just a cult classic to a genuinely beloved film. Original, bizarre, and absolutely gorgeous, this movie takes all of the Gothic beauty of Burton's particular style and marries it to Disney's positivity and musical affinity.
The film is about Jack Skellington, the most beloved and favored leader of the fantastical Halloween Town. It is a world where Halloween creatures thrive and plan their entire year around that one special day when they can come out and play. The movie manages to make monsters, ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and others into scary yet sympathetic characters. Jack is weary of his job and longs for something new and exciting. He accidentally stumbles upon Christmas Town and falls in love with its different feel and purpose. When he tries to bring it to his town, they simply do not understand and warp it to their perception of the world. Jack allows them to do so and steals Christmas away to serve his own obsessive need. In the meantime, ragdoll Sally hides her love for Jack and sees where his path will take him. Jack has to accept who he is, where he belongs, and find a way to save Santa Claus from the evil Oogie Boogie before it is too late.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a movie full of dark humor, weird imagery, and a soul so deep it seems misplaced in a children's film. The stop-motion animation is stunning, and the setting is a monstrous kind of wonderland. Each character design is detailed and flawless, both terrifying and amusing. This movie was released in Disney Digital 3-D in 2006 and 2007. Well get ready, because it is here again. Every scene has been re-imagined to fit the 3-D world, and it is more entertaining to watch than ever. A limited 3 week engagement begins October 19. To find out if it is coming to a theater near you, keep an eye on the official website at disney.go.com/disneypictures/nightmare.

Winner Announced in Taylor Morrison Dream Home Giveaway

Business Wire - Jennifer Draa, a single mother from Citrus Heights, Calif., has won the Taylor Morrison Dream Home Giveaway which generated more than half a million entries from all 50 states.

Inspired by the Innoventions Dream Home at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., which opened in June, the sweepstakes was held June 20-Aug. 20.

"Providing the most positive home buying experience we can is at the top of our customer service goals," said Sheryl Palmer, president and CEO of Taylor Morrison, Inc., headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. "There's nothing more positive than providing a family with a new home that they otherwise might have delayed for now. We were able to fast-forward the dream a little."

On the corporate level, Palmer said the giveaway was an overwhelming success, pointing out that there were a total of 637,956 entries as well as 22 verifiable new home sales as a result of entrants either researching Taylor Morrison communities online or visiting the models on site.

And while entries came from all 50 states, 61 percent were from Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida, all Taylor Morrison markets. Nearly 700 entries a day were received during the 61-day sweepstakes.

Draa, 46, selected a Taylor Morrison home in the Lincoln Crossing: The Courtyards community in nearby Sacramento. Included in the home will be a state-of-the-art custom home technology package incorporating Innoventions Dream Home technology created by Microsoft, HP and Life|ware that will be tailored to the family's lifestyle. The Draa family will have the opportunity to select the products, software and special features that best fit their lives directly from the Dream Home partners.

In addition, as part of the grand prize package, Draa will receive new home furnishings courtesy of World of Decor, a national upscale home furnishings and decor destination. Draa will receive a private design consultation in the coming weeks.

It is anticipated that Draa will move into her new home in February 2009.

"Winning was the last thing I suspected would happen to us," said Draa. "When the call came through, I didn't recognize the number and thought it was a telemarketer—imagine not taking the call!

"This is a dream come true for us and we're so excited to watch our new home get built. It's exactly what we always hoped for."

Draa also received a dream vacation for four to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 17-19 when she will be given a private tour of the Innoventions Dream Home and view the technology that she will select for her new home. During a brief ceremony scheduled for Oct. 17 at the Innoventions home to launch her three-day stay, Draa and her son will be honored by Taylor Morrison executives and representatives of Disneyland Resort along with a few special guests of the Tomorrowland attraction where the Dream Home is situated.

The Innoventions Dream Home features a "high-tech, high-touch" experience within 5,000 square feet and showcases the latest in mobile devices, PCs, digital music, entertainment and gaming technology in a connected environment that adjusts to the preferences of its occupants. Since opening, approximately 535,000 Resort visitors have toured the Innoventions Dream Home to marvel at the Taylor Morrison design elements and technology from Microsoft, HP and Life|ware.

"The Dream Home has been overwhelmingly positive for our guests and our partners," said David Miller, director of Alliance Development at the Disneyland Resort. "Our partners, such as Taylor Morrison, are finding innovative ways to build excitement for the Dream Home among our guests and a wider national audience."

And now, budding actor Corey Bearman-Worthington (11) has become a voice-over artist for a Disney cartoon – following in the footsteps of Hollywood luminaries such as Tom Hanks, who lent his dulcet tones to the character of Woody in Disney film Toy Story.

What makes his achievement even more impressive is that Corey, of Fulbridge Road, Werrington, Peterborough, has cystic fibrosis (CF) – a cruel condition which often leaves him struggling for breath and unable to digest food, and could take his life before he is 30.

But he is determined not to let it stop him pursuing his dreams.

Corey, who is a member of a drama club, got a call from his agent telling him about the Disney audition.

His mum Kim travelled with him to London, where he wowed judges with his bubbly personality.

He was picked to record the voice-over for a character called Jamie, who will appear in six mini cartoons made for the Disney TV channel – and are due to hit the screen in about a week.

Proud gran Jan Bearman-Brown said he had a natural flair for acting.

She said: "He was the artful dodger in Oliver at the Key Theatre, he was in the background in EastEnders and he played a naughty boy who had to sit outside the headmaster's office in Thieves Like Us.

"He got a call from his agent to go for an audition for Disney TV. He was successful and did a recording.

"Then they called him back and asked him to record the rest.

"But he is also a race car fan, and I think he wants to go into engineering.

"Acting is something he's good at and he enjoys it, but he is down-to-earth for an 11-year-old and knows it's not an easy profession."

She said he amazed her with his mature attitude.

America's favorite high school seniors from "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" celebrate their final year of high school in authentic style as a result of the relationship between the movie and school tradition expert, Jostens. Many "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" characters sport custom-designed high school class rings created specifically for the film at Jostens' Denton, Texas, jewelry facility. The characters receive their East High diplomas in Wildcat red graduation regalia, all courtesy of Jostens. HSM3 students also celebrate and share their most memorable high school stories on the big screen with the help of East High yearbooks designed and produced at Jostens' Topeka, Kansas, yearbook facility.

"Our mission is to help schools achieve their mission, and that includes promoting the importance of graduation, building great school communities, and capturing once-in-a-lifetime high school moments so they can be celebrated and shared for a lifetime," said Kim Noonan, vice president, Marketing, Jostens. "We were thrilled to work with the producers of HSM3 and honored to have this opportunity to continue reinforcing the timeless significance of high school traditions."

The Jostens' team delivered one-of-a-kind products customized to meet the specifications required to create an authentic high school setting for the movie. Jostens' jewelry design experts created custom ring side panels on more than 100 rings provided to the film, showcasing the authentic East High Wildcat mascot, colors and basketball team's State Championship. Each ring was personalized with the name of the character, school and mascot.

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year' is all about celebrating high school and the stories that surround senior year," said Noonan. "Senior year is an important milestone for young adults and their families and helping Walt Disney Pictures bring the traditions to life on screen in an authentic manner really reinforces the importance of celebrating high school achievement."

In this latest set of Yuletide adventures the Little Einsteins are taking off for fun-filled winterwonderland adventures around the globe! From the Himalayas to Switzerland to Iceland, Leo, Annie June and Quincy are on the hunt for the perfect Christmas – and they need YOUR help! Come along as the gang deliver presents, reunite a baby reindeer with its mother and help with a special ballet performance for a toy prince. It's the perfect treat for Little Einsteins everywhere this Christmas time, so join in and help ring in the season for all the family.

In never-before-seen episode Show & Tell, it's time for the Little Einsteins to show off their favorite things. Everyone has something special – instruments for Quincy, ballet shoes for Lily, a microphone for Annie and baton for Leo – until Big Jet swoops in to try to ruin the day! It's a race against time as the gang rush to reclaim their items and get back to school to share them with everyone.

Starting the holiday season off right, this collection also contains well-loved seasonal episodes, including The Wind-Up Toy Prince, where the Little Einsteins travel to Iceland and a magical ballet performance takes center stage. Featuring iconic music and art by Tchaikovsky and Degas, this classic story comes to life when the gang jump in to help the Prince defeat the Mouse King and his army with music and teamwork.

In The Christmas Wish, it's up to the Little Einsteins to make sure everyone has a happy Christmas, even when presents go missing. Rocket whisks the gang away to the snowy Himalayan mountains where they must work as a team and sacrifice their own Christmas wishes to make Annie's come true. There's more holiday journeys and adventures on the way in The Northern Night Light, where the Little Einsteins are on the search for a baby reindeer lost in the snow, and call on the brightest star in the sky to light the way home. Featuring a special keepsake ornament insert to hang on your Christmas tree, The Little Einsteins are ready to bring their own brand of holiday cheer to your home this season!

I had just stopped in to the Rose and Crown during the Food & Wine Festival, when Carol launched into a takeoff of "Do-Re-Mi" from "The Sound of Music." This takeoff is all about buying beer -- Maria von Trapp would not have been singing it, let alone teaching it to children.

At the conclusion of the humorous piece, I told her I had been taught that song by the Colonel at the Adventurers Club, to which she replied, "So was I!" She then launched into the Adventurers Club theme song, and more than a few people hollered back "Kungaloosh!"

Her next number, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" had funny, extremely fast-moving lyrics and seemed a hit -- even with the Brits in the pub.

Face Painting Tips from a Disney Parks Expert

Disney News - A glitter-dusted tiara for a dainty princess…a bandana, eye patch and a scruffy beard for a pirate...whimsical wings for a fairy...brightly colored stripes and wispy whiskers for a not-so-ferocious tiger.   

Instead of buying additional costume accessories to create these looks, why not try painting them on?  Face painting is popular with guests of all ages at Walt Disney World, and it’s a great – and safe – way to enhance any costume.  Not only can the looks be more customized to the child’s personality, the child’s range of vision is not affected as it could be in a store-bought mask.

Here are some timely tips for applying face makeup from Rebecca Downin, one of the face painting artists in Mickey’s Toontown Fair in the Magic Kingdom:

-Always use a water-based theatrical makeup, one that is hypo-allergenic and non-toxic.

-Begin the design by using a soft, round sponge to apply the larger areas of color on the child’s face.

-Then, use thin brushes (smaller brushes from local craft stores will do nicely) to paint on details and lines.

-Once done with the design, use baby wipes and moist cotton swabs to clean up the edges.  Then, make any needed corrections.

"It's only fitting that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is Disney's first show to premiere in Russia since it was also our first show on Broadway almost fifteen years ago," said Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical Group. "It's a timeless story that translates beautifully across all cultures and languages. We're incredibly proud to work with our friends and partners at Stage Entertainment to bring BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to Russian audiences using Russian actors speaking in Russian."

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has been charming audiences all over the world for more than 14 years. Around the world BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has played in a total of 14 countries and 116 cities, including record-breaking box office runs in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom. The show has been translated into seven languages including Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, German, Portuguese, Korean and now Russian. Adapted from the Academy Award®-winning animated film, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has thrilled more than 27 million people worldwide with breathtaking musical numbers, astonishing sets, lavish costumes and never-before-seen special effects. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST closed on Broadway in July, 2007 after a record-breaking 13 years of performances.

"The musical genre is gaining popularity in Russia," says Dmitry Bogachev, producer of the Russian production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and managing director of Stage Entertainment Russia. 'We are sure BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be successful here, because we offer our audiences exactly what they want to see. Record ticket sales and huge interest from the media demonstrate that the Russian theatre-going audience is really looking forward to seeing this brilliant and highly entertaining show'.

Designed to look like the interior of an artist's studio, Blue Sky Cellar will feature Walt Disney Imagineering models, sketches, concept art and videos of a nighttime water show, Little Mermaid dark ride, Cars Land themed area and overall 1920s Los Angeles re-theming planned for the under-performing park.

Concept art of the Silly Symphony Swings shows the Orange Stinger ride re-envisioned with a Mickey Mouse theme based on the 1935 cartoon "The Band Concert." The re-themed ride is expected to reopen in 2009.

Concept art of the Paradise Pier makeover evokes a 1920s California seaside amusement park with a continuation of the Victorian architectural styling previously introduced at the Toy Story Mania attraction.

The Walt Disney Company Grants $1.5 Million to Tree People to Reforest Fire-Ravaged Areas Surrounding Los Angeles

MarketWatch - The Walt Disney Company announced a grant of $1.5 million to TreePeople, a non-profit organization, to help reforest fire-ravaged areas in the mountains surrounding greater Los Angeles. Under TreePeople's California Wildfire Restoration Initiative, of which Disney is the biggest financial supporter, thousands of volunteers will plant an estimated 60,000 new trees over the next three years.
 

In a move that thrilled animal-rights activists but disappointed some gourmet diners, Walt Disney World has quietly dropped a controversial delicacy from its menus.

Au revoir, foie gras.

On Oct. 1, Disney dumped the traditional French appetizer, made of fattened duck or goose liver, at the last four Disney World restaurants to offer it -- Victoria & Albert's, California Grill, Citricos and Les Chefs de France.

Disney insisted Friday that this was no political statement. Officials wouldn't even comment on the international animal-rights campaign that calls foie gras production cruel and inhumane and seeks to persuade restaurants to drop the dish.

"It's really just about making adjustments to the menu," Disney World spokeswoman Andrea Finger said.

Nonetheless, activists consider the Disney decision a victory. Bryan Pease, co-founder of the anti-foie gras Animal Protection and Rescue League, called Disney's choice "huge," regardless of the company's official motives. According to his organization, farmers produce foie gras by forcing a metal pipe down the throat of a duck or goose and force-feeding it massive amounts of grain until its liver swells to 10 times the normal size.

"I think if they [Disney officials] make a policy decision to ban the product from all their menus, there must have to be a social reason for that," Pease said. "It wouldn't be because people don't like it anymore."

Actually, people who like foie gras like it a lot. John Bergan, an insurance consultant from New Jersey who's planning a Disney vacation for next month, considers it a rare treat. His Disney plans include dining at Victoria & Albert's, and he was looking forward to the foie gras. So he's angry and said the next time he schedules a Disney vacation, he'll be sure to book a special night out at an Orlando restaurant that, in his view, doesn't compromise its menu.

"What I have a problem with is any restaurant giving in to a special-interest group to the detriment of their customers," Bergan said.

Disney's decision might not be political, but it's clearly strategic, said Kevin Yee, author of the unofficial guide The Walt Disney World Menu Book. He equated it with the giant resort's recent decisions to eliminate trans fats from its fried foods and to replace french fries with apple slices on children's menus.

But that's just one of Timothy's complaints. His problems with Disney started when he suffered an injury at work and was put into a 'transitional duty stage'—which means he was removed from his regular work and placed in another position that wouldn't require the use of his arm. "I worked for Disney WorldWide Services' restaurants and was diagnosed with advanced carpal tunnel in both wrists and torn rotator cuffs," says Timothy.

Timothy collected workers compensation benefits but says Disney caused him to lose workers compensation benefits. "Twice, they told my insurance adjustor that I had returned to work, but I hadn't returned," he says. Timothy was eventually reinstated but he didn't have any income for weeks and has a family to support.

"I'm not Disney's only workers compensation case but after my injury it has been one problem after another," he says. "I know other employees who have had medical problems—they were transferred to positions where they have to use their hands in repetitive motions even though their doctor has given notification.

But this is my biggest beef with Disney: I came back to work on September 22 and they took union dues from my pay when the union has no standing contract with Disney and they haven't taken any dues from other union members since February. They took $140 off my check and on my pay stub it states this amount went to 'Local 681 union dues'. I phoned accounting and was told to talk to my immediate supervisors. They sent me to HR and HR told me to call the union. I even called my workers' compensation adjustor and he advised me to contact a lawyer.

The union called Disney's payroll department and Disney told the union that I would be refunded $105 on October 16th. Had I been fired, I would have been given a check immediately. Why do I have to wait for this money?"

Thirdly, Timothy says Disney has also violated California state labor law because it "owes me money from the time when I was in transitional duties one year ago," he says.

"That position came with a premium pay which means that if I am not making tips, I get paid a higher rate than basic minimum wage. They didn't inform me that I was entitled to this premium and instead they paid minimum wage: $7.50 per hour. However I was entitled to receive $8.36 per hour. Again I called labor relations, accounting and HR and they told me to call transitional duty. Guess what—transitional duty told me to call labor relations.

The tale of the young deer whose mother is shot by hunters came top of the poll despite being made 66 years ago.

Fans have included Sir Paul McCartney, who credited the animated classic with turning him vegetarian.

Mystic romance Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, came second.

Another animated Disney film, The Lion King, was third, sharing its place with Steven Spielberg's ET.

Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Beaches, starring Bette Midler, Philadelphia, with Tom Hanks as a gay lawyer with Aids, and Watership Down also featured in the top ten.

Disney, 78, bears an uncanny resemblance to his late uncle Walt, the movie titan who had his first hit with 1928's Steamboat Willie, starring the mouse we would all come to know as Mickey. Walt went on to create the Magic Kingdom empire and make hundreds of wholesome family films. Mickey did pretty well for himself, too.

Roy Disney, whose father Roy Oliver Disney was co-founder of the Disney studio, believes his sailing documentary Morning Light, in theatres Oct. 17, would strike the right chord with Uncle Walt.

"I think he would like it, but I also know that any time I ever did anything for him he breezed right in and said, `Let's do this and this and this to it.' I never knew what those things would be, so I'm sure he'd do that again," Disney says with a chuckle.

Disney was in Toronto last weekend, along with the movie's co-executive producer Leslie DeMeuse and two sailing crew members. A lifelong sailor, Morning Light is his labour of love.

"I had a friend who sailed who I worked with at Disney, and he talked in very romantic terms about the crossing of oceans, and he had done it himself," Disney recalls of how he first started racing in his 20s.

"It sounded like a wonderful, romantic thing to do, and I got involved."

Morning Light follows 15 young people, all sailors under age 23 with varying levels of experience, who are chosen to train for the 4,000-kilometre California to Hawaii Transpac ocean race.

Disney knows the challenges the Transpac offers well – he's done the race 16 times.

Soft-spoken and relaxed, Disney refused to say what Morning Light cost – nor would he reveal the purchase price of the Morning Light racing sloop.

"We would like our films and the rest of our work to be judged on their quality and not how much they cost," he said, citing "policy" not to disclose costs.

Disney said there was far more to the production than just filming the race itself. Some 550 people applied for the chance to train for 15 spots on the team.

The movie opens before the final 11 are chosen to sail the race, and follows them through six months of training in Hawaii – all sharing a house – and in California.

He agrees the tone of the film hearkens back to the documentaries that helped build the studio's reputation in the 1950s and '60s. The younger Disney got his start making films in the True Life Adventure series in 1954.

"It's something that would have been a kind of a Disney film in those days," he says of Morning Light. "It is a documentary and it is made in similar ways to what we did in a lot of the major films that I got to work on for a good part of my career. It's about real life."

Making movies about real life and staying true to the studio's vision has always been important to Disney, the sole family member still working at the company. Also a ranking board member, he's perhaps best known for spearheading the ouster of two top Disney execs: Ron Miller in 1984 and Michael Eisner three years ago.

"I have tried," he said of his push to maintain the integrity of the Mouse House brand. "It should have been important to a lot more people, too."

But he says the company is now on the right track.

"I think we're in good shape. Nice things are happening. It's not the same company as it used to be, it's more worldwide than it was 50, 60 years ago when I started working there. And that's why it's hard to keep its integrity – the bigger you get, the easier it is to lose sight of the quality and figure out how to make another dollar."

He's certainly not the first person to voice a fatigue for big-budget films with lots of stuff blowing up. "I hope that exploding buses eventually go the way of all flesh," he says with a chuckle.

As for his Uncle Walt, Disney says he was "a born storyteller."

"There were two Walts to me," he says. "One was Uncle Walt, when I was a little kid, who was a great storyteller. But he was a wonderful guy to be a grown-up around and that was early days when it was just a bitty movie company."

The other side came when Disney went to work for his uncle at the studio and "he was Walt the boss. But still a great teacher."

Disney says his uncle's way of telling a story was impossible to replicate and he loved to try out ideas for movies and TV shows by telling stories to both kids and grownups.

Brad Pitt? Nah. Michael Phelps? Wrong again.

How about Capt. Mickey?

Or, as one child after another gushed upon encountering the world's most famous mouse - the nautically costumed version, of course - "Miiickeeeeeeeee!''

Disney at sea is a remarkably successful production through which families can combine a three- or four-night Bahamian cruise from Port Canaveral, Fla., with a stay at Walt Disney World in nearby Orlando.

The combo package conveniently fits a one-week vacation timetable. At first blush, prices may stagger. But by Disney standards, it's a bargain: A family of four - two adults and kids ages 8 and 10 - pays as little as $4,300 for a week's vacation in November that includes an interior stateroom on a four-night cruise, Disney World lodging for three nights, theme-park tickets, transportation, taxes, fees and insurance.

Not enough time at sea for cruise buffs? The near-identical Disney Magic operates weeklong itineraries from Port Canaveral to the eastern and western Caribbean.

Each ship carries 1,754 passengers based on the industry's two-people-in-a-stateroom formula. But because adults tend to bring along the kids to any Disney product - and accommodations are spacious - it's not unusual to sail with as many as 3,000 companions.

Imagineers go to sea

In their appearance, Disney's vessels, which debuted in 1998 and 1999, resemble sleek ocean liners of yesteryear. Except I don't remember Goofy positioned on the Queen Mary's stern.

Even a short voyage illustrates that this venture is as much a floating theme park as a traditional cruise experience.

I was just finishing a delectable butternut squash soup in Animator's Palate - the most innovative of the Wonder's multiple restaurants - when my eyes fixed on the wall panels. Animated black-and-white sketches of Disney film scenes seemed to be adopting a tinge of color. Was I feeling the effects of that pre-dinner martini? No, only the creativity of Disney's imagineers - the same folks who design attractions in Fantasyland. The transformation continued, with characters growing more and more vivid as I proceeded through a maple-glazed salmon and toward a chocolate and peanut butter pie. Even the waitstaff, which began the evening dressed in stark back-and-white, changed into a rainbow of fashions.

This was only an appetizer for the evening's entertainment specialty - The Golden Mickey's, a tribute to animation magic featuring music, video and special effects from Disney productions. It's touted as the most technologically advanced production at sea, and guests enter the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre via a red carpet.

The applause stopped just in time to move on to the Pirates in the Caribbean deck party, a swashbuckling extravaganza capped by fireworks.

Beyond The Golden Mickeys, clean-as-a-whistle production shows include a Disney Dreams bedtime story starring Peter Pan with help from Tinker Bell, Cinderella, Aladdin and others.

The most elaborate show yet is the Wonder's newest offering, Toy Story, the Musical, showcasing Buzz Lightyear, Woody and a 9-foot-tall Rex the dinosaur.

And Disney's cast of singers and dancers is a cut above the roster on most ships: Among those who got their start on the Wonder - just before her American Idol audition - is Jennifer Hudson, Oscar-winning star of Dreamgirls.

Kids and adults

The Wonder's year-round itinerary - which includes a stop at Nassau and a day of sun and fun on Disney-owned Castaway Cay, a 1,000-acre private island - is packed with activities for kids. Frequent meet-and-greet sessions, including character breakfasts, showcase Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale and other Disney legends. The fun also includes do-si-do dancing with Snow White, learn-to-be-a-pirate interaction with Captain Hook, a visit to Neverland with Wendy Darling ... well, you get the idea.

The kids activities are arranged for five age groups, with venues as diverse as a marine science lab and a teen disco. Ready to splash? You'll find three age-specific swimming pools.

A Disney cruise can be enjoyable for adults, too.

Granted, it helps if you appreciate the company of, or easily tolerate, hordes of children experiencing the time of their life. (Read that: Screams, giggles and pleas for "Just five more minutes, Mommy.'')

Escapes are available for grownup reflection. And grownup partying.

During my four-night Disney Wonder cruise, I was surprised to discover late-night comedy shows; an adults-only entertainment district with a sports pub, dance club and piano bar; a Quiet Cove pool (quiet by comparison but still jam-packed); and a 10,000-square-foot spa and salon. Indulge in flights of martinis or beer, then unwind with a volcanic-stone and warm-oil massage.

Don't anticipate Crystal-, Cunard- or Celebrity-style spa and fitness facilities, though. And don't bother looking for slot machines or poker tables; there are no casinos on Disney ships.

Casting away

Castaway Cay is a staple of all Wonder and Magic itineraries. Like other lines' private islands, this is a haven for sunbathing (with family and adult beaches), paddleboating, sailing, kayaking and games guaranteed to get you soaked.

Ships dock only a short distance from the beaches, sports activities and all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet. Trolleys meet the vessel, and you may well be accompanied by Jack Sparrow or other characters on your journey.

One potential bonus on four-night voyages: If your scheduled day at Castaway Cay is a washout - as ours was when heavy rains drenched the area - the distance back to Port Canaveral is so short that the ship can meander about overnight and dock again the next morning.

It's little Wonder - or Magic - that these ships are so well-received that Disney, which will send the Magic to Europe for a second time in 2010, plans a major expansion. Two significantly larger vessels are due in 2011 and 2012. No itineraries have been announced but Disney has applied for a 10-year permit to visit Glacier Bay National Park, signifying interest in Alaska.

Disney's family comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," with Drew Barrymore providing the voice of the pooch, was the No. 1 flick for the second-straight weekend with $17.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $52.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is the only light comedy in a market heavy on drama. Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution, said movie-goers may be turning to the perky pooch to help forget the market free-fall on Wall Street.

"This is only word-of-mouth coming back to us from theaters. I don't have any statistical proof. But they're telling us we're getting more unaccompanied-by-children adults coming on their own. They're looking for a little entertainment," Viane said. "The axiom we've always lived by is funny is money. People come out for comedy. They love to sit back and let someone give them a couple of hours of escapism."

The weekend's No. 2 flick - the fright film "Quarantine," which debuted with $14.2 million - filled the escapism needs for the horror crowd. The Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ) Screen Gems release centers on a contagion that turns an apartment building's tenants into flesh-hungry monsters.

"It's probably the perfect kind of movie for today's climate," said Rory Bruer, Sony head of distribution. "Let's just get away from the news, from all that's going on, and go someplace else, and this is something that'll take you someplace else."

The marquee trio of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott had to settle for third-place with their terrorism thriller "Body of Lies," which had a $13.1 million debut. The Warner Bros. film centers on a CIA operative hunting the terrorist responsible for bombings around the world.

"Body of Lies" may have dealt with too sober a topic after all the disastrous financial news, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

"I think we ran into really difficult timing. The nation suffered such an economic loss this week that the mood of our audience was such that they were probably looking for a little more escapism than to see a movie on terrorism," Fellman said.

The weekend's other new wide releases, Universal's football drama "The Express" and 20th Century Fox's family fantasy "City of Ember," opened weakly.

"The Express" - starring Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid in the story of Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy - came in at No. 6 with $4.7 million.

"City of Ember," with Tim Robbins and Bill Murray in a post-apocalyptic adventure set in an underground realm, took in $3.2 million to finish at No. 10.

Keira Knightley's historical saga "The Duchess" climbed into the top 10 as it expanded nationwide after three weekends in limited release. The Paramount Vantage drama, which stars Knightley as an 18th century aristocrat stuck in a loveless marriage, pulled in $3.32 million to place No. 9.

Two British movies started well in limited release. Guy Ritchie's London crime romp "RocknRolla" opened with $141,000 in seven theaters. The Warner Bros. release features Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton and Tom Wilkinson heading an ensemble cast.

Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky," a Miramax release starring Sally Hawkins as a woman whose eternal optimism is continually challenged, premiered with $80,000 in four theaters.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," $17.5 million.

2. "Quarantine," $14.2 million.

3. "Body of Lies," $13.1 million.

4. "Eagle Eye," $11 million.

5. "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," $6.5 million.

6. "The Express," $4.7 million.

7. "Nights in Rodanthe," $4.6 million.

8. "Appaloosa," $3.34 million.

9. "The Duchess," $3.32 million.

''It was kind of a sacrifice -- but we had to go,'' he said.