According to a doctor's certificate, the performer, identified only as Michael, suffers pain in his neck, back and thigh from wearing the heavy costume, especially the head.

He played the role of the Toy Story character between September and July when he was sacked after taking six weeks' sick leave.

Explaining how the neck injuries were caused, Michael said: "We have to lower our heads all the time because we look through the mouth of the character. On top of all the nodding and dancing, our necks are subjected to extra pressure when kids press down on us."

The pain intensified over the summer when he performed in five or six parades a week. "Sometimes I woke up at four in the morning shivering with pain, but whenever I got back to my duties from sick leave I was still asked to attend the parade twice a day," he added.

He was sacked on July 31 after he returned to work after a week of unpaid sick leave.

Hong Kong Disneyland human resources senior vice-president Kerry Chandler said Michael was sacked following an evaluation of work-related factors, including attendance, performance and conduct. His dismissal was not related to the injuries, Chandler said.

This photo of the new Clam-Mobiles at The Seas with Nemo was just posted recently.

THE LITTLE MERMAID, which launched Disney’s animation rebirth in 1989, made its digital debut last night (Sept. 7, 2006) at Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre. The special limited engagement runs through Sept. 24, celebrating the Oct. 3 release of the special edition DVD from Walt Disney Home Ent.

As part of the opening night festivities, there was an informative panel discussion hosted by veteran Disney animation producer Don Hahn (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT). Directors John Musker and Ron Clements participated along with composer Alan Menken, supervising animator Glen Keane, Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel) and Sherri Stoner (the live-action reference model for Ariel). A surprise treat occurred when Benson sang “Part of Your World” accompanied by Menken at the piano.

They discussed how in 1985, at the start of the Michael Eisner/Jeffrey Katzenberg era, the animators were kicked off the lot and set up shop in a warehouse on Flower Street in Glendale and the tremendous influence of Menken’s late partner Howard Ashman, who served as lyricist, writer, producer and overall impresario. It was Ashman who transformed Sebastian from a stuffy Brit to a Caribbean crab, utilizing calypso and reggae musical influences to make the movie more accessible. Meanwhile, Keane, who had specialized in villainous animals and was all set to animate Ursula the sea witch, changed his mind when he heard Menken perform “Part of Your World.” He was transfixed by the notion of Ariel as a character striving to achieve the impossible.

Prior to the event, Musker, Clements and Keane reminisced about THE LITTLE MERMAID and discussed the new regime under John Lasseter with AWN. As previously reported, the directors are developing a traditional musical fairy tale, THE FROG PRINCESS, as the studio’s re-entry into 2D, while Keane proceeds in his directorial debut with his own traditional fairy tale, RAPUNZEL, in 3D.

Were they aware that, with THE LITTLE MERMAID, they were embarking on a new Renaissance at Disney? “We were the younger generation chomping at the bit [to get our chance],” Clements said. “We thought that THE BLACK CAULDRON was supposed to be the next SNOW WHITE but it didn’t turn out that way. But we sensed that this had great potential. This was the first fairy tale since SLEEPING BEAUTY. These were realistic human characters, and there were effects and moving hair. It was intimidating and scary. Katzenberg was very demanding and there were budget constraints. Fortunately, AMERICAN TALE had good production values and that helped, and ROGER RABBIT helped take some of the curse off — there was that perception that animation was for kids. Howard had a fresh sensibility and understood musical theater.”

Musker added that LITTLE MERMAID contained a strong story crew, including the likes of Brenda Chapman, Joe Ranft and Roger Allers, among many others. “Jeffrey liked the script, which was a bonus. This was the only one [out of the big four that also included BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN and THE LION KING] that didn’t explode.”

As for THE FROG PRINCESS, they admitted that there are some interesting parallels as they embark on a new 2D revival. “Music and animation are innately appealing,” Musker suggested. “There’s a stylization to musicals that moves it away from live action. John [Lasseter] loves 2D. He wants to aim high, be timeless, raise the bar [with every animated feature]. John embraces Disney. He’s not negative, like the last regime. He believes that quality will win out and that problems can be fixed.”

Musker, who attended CalArts with Lasseter, Brad Bird and Tim Burton, enjoys the new collegial atmosphere at Disney Feature Animation, carried over from Pixar, in which directors from both studios share notes on projects. “It harkens back to the atmosphere at CalArts.”

Keane agreed: “I’ve known John since high school and it’s hard to think of him as my boss. We share an excitement about ideas. He’s empowered the directors. We fly up to Pixar and they have their brain trust and we have our story trust. We have different solutions but you search for the white, hot center [where the problems are]. I recently flew up to talk with Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and some of the other directors seeking advice about directing. We have experimental scenes on RAPUNZEL to prove out — story and visual at the same time.”

Keane admitted that he considered starting over in 2D with RAPUNZEL after Lasseter took over Disney Feature Animation, but was too committed to 3D to abandon it. “After two years of finding that there is something special about hand-drawn pushing CG in a direction that can happen, I realized that this is a necessary drive. I want to make the computer bend its knee, to execute what an artist envisions, to make it respond like a pencil.

There are a lot of ways of making the world inside the castle incredibly imaginative and then exciting when she gets out for the first time. There’s no photoreal hair. I want luscious hair, and we are inventing new ways of doing that. I want to bring the warmth and intuitive feel of hand-drawn to CG.

“It’s interesting how Renaissances [in animation] start with fairy tales. There’s a lot of drawing in the movie: it’s organic. It’s that sincerity and appeal [that’s the driving force], which goes back to the Nine Old Men. It was the sincerity and appeal of Ariel that inspired me to want to draw her in LITTLE MERMAID.”

Daily showtimes for THE LITTLE MERMAID at The El Capitan are 10:00 am, 12:30 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:45 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the El Capitan box office, on line at www.elcapitantickets.com, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. Group rate tickets are available for parties of 20 or more by calling 1-818-845-3110.

The launch of Yin Yang Yo! on Toon Disney's Jetix block in its regular time-slot (7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m) debuted as Jetix’s most-watched animated series premiere on record in Total Viewers (491,000), Kids 2-11 (334,000), and Kids 6-11 (217,000), delivering triple-digit percentage gains over year-ago time period levels.

The series more than tripled year-ago time period levels (9/5/05) in Total Viewers (213%; 491,000 vs. 157,000), more than quintupled in Kids 2-11 (414%; 334,000 vs. 65,000), and almost quintupled in Kids 6-11 (372%; 217,000 vs. 46,000). Yin Yang Yo! also scored triple-digit percentage increases in Boys 2-11 (358%; 165,000 vs. 36,000) and Boys 6-11 (284%; 96,000 vs. 25,000).

In addition, Monday’s “Yin Yang Yoverthrow!” Labor Day marathon (6:00 a.m. - 12 a.m.) more than doubled year-ago time period levels (9/5/05) in Kids 6-11 (108%; 160,000 vs. 77,000), Boys 2-11 (110%; 141,000 vs. 67,000), and Boys 6-11 (122%; 91,000 vs. 41,000), with considerable double-digit growth in Total Viewers (36%; 320,000 vs. 235,000) and Kids 2-11 (71%; 224,000 vs. 131,000).

Add a bit of magic to your child's room with a brand new collection of Disney character light switch plate covers. What makes these bright and adorable fixtures special is they're removable peel-and-stick decorative tiles to match your kids' light switch plates.

The Qunico's Smart Tiles collection of favorite Disney characters is a welcome addition to any child's bedroom, bathroom and playroom.

There's also a lovely line of small wood accessories such as coat hangers, two-step benches and chalkboard that can be easily decorated with Smart Tiles.

Recognized for their innovation, Quinco & Cie specializes in the production of self-adhesive wall tiles for the kitchen and bathroom under the trademark Smart Tiles name. You'll find the regular Smart Tiles and Disney Collection Smart Tiles products, as well as the wood accessories, in all Home Depot stores across Canada. Prices vary and start from $4.50 to $12.95 per tile kit.

Free speech be damned, U.S. government officials proclaimed in a letter threatening the Walt Disney Company: take your movie off the market or risk the wrath of the state. That is the gist of the latest assault on individual rights, another advancement toward fascism.

The government has no moral right to dictate how or what Disney creates and broadcasts, yet that's exactly what a band of Democratic senators presumes to control. This historic state-sponsored demand that a television network withdraw its program was made in a Sept. 7 letter to Disney President Robert Iger, who, as of this writing, has resisted the dictate, which followed a demand from former President Clinton that the Disney-owned ABC movie be cancelled. Amid the complete disregard for our nation's founding principle—individual rights—comes not a hint of renunciation from the Republican president or Congress, who routinely wage their own attacks on free speech and have zero credibility on the subject.

At issue is a made for television movie called The Path to 9/11, a documentary-like dramatization of the Islamic terrorist attack. Like most docudramas, it contains elements of truth and fiction in a selective depiction of the event. Apparently, among these is the assertion that the Clinton administration chose not to respond militarily against the Islamic terrorist responsible for attacks on the United States. The manner in which the point is portrayed caused the censorship.

None of that matters now—the movie is under siege and every freedom-loving American must defend Disney's right to air it. By sending the letter, these government officials—who ought to be censured and removed from the Senate—are using the authority of the state, i.e., the power of law enforcement, to violate free speech.

It is an outrageous injustice that ought to be—and probably won't be—rejected by the president, denounced by every major motion picture studio and opposed by every actor, director and patron of the arts for what it is: government control of speech, or, censorship.

Freedom of speech is inalienable—which means absolute—and it is not subject to the whims of politicians. If any portion of the ABC program's content is a distortion of facts, like numerous news reports, books and based-on-a-true-story movies on the market, so be it. Let the buyer beware—or not watch the program. Government has no say in the matter.

In a free society, government exists primarily to defend the nation against attack and protect individual rights and, to that end, it has a monopoly on force. That is precisely why the Democrats' demands are immoral. Any government communication calling for cancellation is censorship; the Democrats are state-sanctioned bullies.

If Disney deserves criticism, it is not for yanking the program if it comes to that—which it may—because, in this era of rule by force and intimidation, no business or individual can be expected to easily withstand the power of the welfare state with a gun. Of course, Disney should air the program—but a threat from fascist senators and ex-presidents is not to be taken lightly.

Whatever airs on ABC this Sunday and Monday night—conservative propaganda, liberal propaganda, or The Path to 9/11—should be decided solely by the Walt Disney Company, not by Washington's thugs, and Americans, censored and still heading down the path to dictatorship, should support Disney 100 percent.

Theme parks: Is tighter security tight enough?

Motor vehicles are kept at a distance. The skies over Walt Disney World are clear of aircraft. Back entrances are well-guarded and in some cases even fortified. Delivery trucks are searched. And millions of visitors' bags are checked.

Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks changed the world, Central Florida theme-park operators insist they have also taken stronger, less-visible measures to tighten security they won't talk about.

"It's really become the new normal," said SeaWorld Orlando spokeswoman Becca Bides.

Yet some analysts are concerned that theme parks remain highly vulnerable.

The parks face the challenge of allowing tens of thousands of strangers to enter and congregate each day, and keeping them safe while not letting them feel caught up in a security net. For many visitors, the bag checks are the only security measures they notice.

David Cid, a former FBI counterterrorism specialist who is deputy director for the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City, said nothing short of airport-style security could keep the parks as safe as they should be. Person-by-person searches. Metal detectors. Bomb-sniffing stations.

"If you want to make sure somebody is not bringing a weapon into a facility or wearing some sort of device under their shirt, you've got to put them through some sort of detection system," Cid said.

He acknowledged the huge and disquieting inconvenience of such measures. And he said they could be impractical. But he worries the parks might one day be sorry they aren't doing them already.

"The first time somebody walks into a theme park with a bomb, everything will change. And then everyone will expect you to do this sort of thing," Cid said.

It's a prospect the tourism industry doesn't like to talk about but clearly thinks about.

"The bag check -- it's very cosmetic. It just puts people at ease and once in a blue moon might prevent something," said Abe Pizam, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida and editor of the book Tourism, Security and Safety: From Theory to Practice. "But somebody who is very sophisticated, they can slip through," Pizam said.

Many visitors also recognize the risk. Janene and Andy Bougetz of Cambridge, Minn., who were visiting Disney-MGM Studios this week, were pleased to see more uniformed security guards. But much like Cid and Pizam, Janene Bougetz scoffed at the bag checks.

"It's pretty lame. If you really wanted to get something in here, I think you could," she said. "They never check the guys' pockets. He had a camera in it."

Theme-park officials insist they are doing all they can.

"The safety of all of our guests and cast members is our top priority," said Disney World spokesman Jacob DiPietre. "In today's environment, like all Americans, we are exerting extra vigilance and asking our guests and cast members to do the same."

Such vigilance, in the nation's family playground, begins largely at the airports.

A record 51 million people are expected to visit Central Florida this year, with Orlando International Airport serving as the gateway for many.

Their experience flying is far different from the one shared by travelers before the terrorist attacks five years ago.

Passengers these days likely head to the gates by themselves, with no loved ones to say goodbye to before their flights. Their carry-on luggage may be swabbed for traces of explosive material. And they may be on a flight with an air marshal.

Last month's undoing of an alleged plot to blow up planes departing England for the United States has prompted further restrictions, including prohibitions on liquids and gels in carry-on bags.

At the parks, the only security measure many visitors see is the bag check, begun at the gates shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. For some visitors, as Pizam suggested, the checks offer comfort.

"I know I don't have anything to hide, but I don't know about the next person -- and I feel safer because of it," said Vivian Jones of Detroit, who was visiting Universal Orlando this week with her husband, Arlington Jones, and adult son Denny Jones of Destin.

SeaWorld, Universal and Disney officials all insist they work closely with local, state and national law-enforcement and security officials. That includes sharing ideas, receiving briefings and hosting mock emergency drills. It also probably includes intelligence information, Cid said. And that, he added, likely would be as crucial as any physical precautions.

The parks were designed so cars and trucks park far enough from trafficked areas that they would be unlikely weapons -- and that line of defense has been strengthened. At Disney, employee and vendor entrances were outfitted two years ago with gates that could withstand a crashing truck. Trucks are frequently searched at all the theme parks.

Disney also got the airspace above Walt Disney World declared a no-fly zone in 2003.

The skies above Universal and SeaWorld remain relatively open. "We are comfortable with the existing height restrictions for aircraft," said Bides, the SeaWorld spokeswoman.

Plainclothes guards and surveillance-camera systems are reportedly employed throughout the area's theme parks, though none of the venues will discuss those security measures. With proper training, Cid said, the measures would be highly effective as a second line of defense, after scrutiny of guests at the entrance.

Terrorists' nerves can give them away. "Those pre-operational indicators we see, that puts up a cop's antennae when he walks into a 7-Eleven and someone is just standing there. He [the officer] might not be able to articulate it, but he knows it," Cid said. "That's absolutely essential."

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada denounced the television movie, set to air in two parts on Sunday and Monday nights, as "a work of fiction."

"Yes, they should pull it," Reid said as he unveiled Democrats' latest proposals to improve domestic security and reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The furor comes as Democrats and Republicans jockey for political position in advance of the Nov. 7 congressional elections over who can best secure the United States from another attack.

Democrats have chided Republicans for failing to implement security recommendations by the 9/11 commission, and Republicans have portrayed Democrats as soft on terrorism.

In recent days, members of the Clinton administration also complained about the movie and urged ABC and its parent company, the Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N), to fix or eliminate what they called errors and fabrications.

ABC issued a statement saying the production, "The Path to 9/11," was still being edited and that criticism of the film's specifics were thus "premature and irresponsible."

Chronicling events leading to the Sept. 11 attacks, the movie suggests the Clinton administration was too distracted by the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal to deal properly with the gathering threat posed by Islamic militants.

A number of Clinton administration officials, including then-national security adviser Sandy Berger, are portrayed as having bungled an opportunity to capture al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in the 1990s.

The Sept. 11 attacks occurred about eight months after Clinton turned over the presidency in January 2001 to Republican George W. Bush.

ABC said the movie was not a documentary but a dramatization drawn from the official 9/11 commission report, personal interviews and other materials.

"As such, for dramatic and narrative purposes, the film contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue and time compression," ABC said.

The statement concluded: "The attacks of 9/11 were a pivotal moment in our history, and it is fitting that the debate about the events related to the attacks continue. However, we hope viewers will watch the entire broadcast of the finished film before forming an opinion about it."

Telecom services provider Verizon Communications Inc. said Thursday that ABC Entertainment will use its media platform to distribute digital content to affiliate networks, wireless providers, mobile devices and Web portals.

Financial terms weren't disclosed. ABC is a unit of Walt Disney Co.

Verizon's media platform is designed industry producers, directors and post-production personnel to manage digital content. Previously, taking digital content from a "rough cut" through editing, finish-out and distribution often involved deploying a number of disparate systems and formats, which could drive up the time and expense of production.

Verizon's shares fell 13 cents to $35.32 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Scheduled to attend the premier are Costner, Kutcher and other celebrities, as well as Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

"Given the economic benefits associated with world premieres and the positive light this throws on our city, we are proud to host this exciting event," Mayor Tony Williams says in a statement. "Promoting and filming movies in Washington pays off for our city by bringing in millions in tax revenue for our residents."

D.C. generated more than $61 million in revenue last year from all forms of production, including feature films, television series and commercial documentaries.

Disney's Touchstone Pictures is putting out "The Guardian," about a troubled young man (Kutcher) who enlists in the Coast Guard and is taken in by a rescue swimmer (played by Costner) who lost his teambecause of an accident years earlier.

Proceeds from the world premier will go to the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation.

Williams says the event will cause some lane restrictions, but traffic will continue to flow along Connecticut Avenue during the evening.

The movie is set for general release Sept. 29.

Kidz Act was to perform the musical, following two months of rehearsals, at the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre in late September. Disney, however, informed the School of Performing Arts group a professional company had bought exclusive Australian rights to the production.

No other public performances of the show were allowed to be held within the time frame of that agreement.

Janet Baldam's son, Rowan, was to play Aladdin.

Mrs Baldam said she was shocked by Disney's demand.

``It would have been a very small audience and it was never going to threaten anybody else's musical,'' she said.

Rowan, 12, said he had been looking forward to his stage debut.

``It's disappointing,'' he said.

``I was excited about performing here.''

Rowan has been involved with Kidz Act for two years but previous performances were held at smaller venues.

Nick Taylor, 11, was to play a guard.

He said the group had been rehearsing every Sunday and Monday afternoon for about two months.

``It's unfair,'' he said.

The group has permission from Disney to hold two invitation-only non-public performances for families and friends.

Mrs Baldam said it was disappointing because Rowan wanted to invite friends from school, and family from other places would have attended the musical.

``It's just happened and there is nothing we can do but they really would like to show it to a lot of people,'' she said.

Four Hong Kong Disneyland staff members are taking legal action against the resort after they were fired for cavorting naked in the changing rooms in an incident captured on video, a union spokeswoman has said.

The Hong Kong Disneyland Cast Members Union said Monday it had reported the American company to Hong Kong's labour disputes tribunal because it felt Disneyland had acted unfairly in dismissing the men for sexual harassment.

"This is a serious accusation and it is being dealt with without any transparency," said union spokeswoman Elaine Hui. "The four have not been given an opportunity to give their side of the story."

Hui said the video purportedly showed the four men larking around naked in the changing room after a day's shift.

One was allegedly wearing a towel around his waist that the other three were accused of trying to pull off.

More worrying, Hui said, was that the Disneyland management should have based its decision to fire the four on surreptitiously shot videos of the incident.

"Who was filming it? How was a camera allowed in that part of the resort where cameras are strictly forbidden?" she asked. "There is no closed circuit TV (CCTV) in that room so where did it come from?"

The union said the four were dismissed without seeing the video or being able to give an explanation for their behaviour.

Disney was preparing a response to media inquiries about the incident.

Disney's High School Musical, inspired by the mega-hit TV movie seen on The Disney Channel, will have its professional premiere Jan. 13-21, 2007, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

Christopher B. Manos, producer of Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, announced the production Sept. 5.

"We are thrilled to be one of a handful of regional theatre which were chosen by Disney Theatricals to produce this marvelous new musical sensation," Manos stated. "We'll present the show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre for 10 performances…"

A modified version of the property is already spreading in student and amateur venues around the country. The TOTS staging will be a full-length legit production and include members of Actors' Equity Association. A cast and creative team has not been announced, and it's thought at this time that the TOTS staging will be independent of other Equity productions in 2007 — it's not a co-production or tour at this point.

Disney's High School Musical, according to TOTS, " tells the story of a group of high school students who are struggling with issues of popularity, first love, balancing education with extra curricular activities, and the value of friends and family. With positive themes like the importance of expressing yourself, believing in yourself and following your dreams, this new family-friendly musical is sure to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages."

Disney's High School Musical will replace the previously announced Dr. Dolittle in the 2006 series lineup. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Oct. 22 at the Fox box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

"Disney's High School Musical," the TV musical, has broken records in television viewership and in CD and online sales. The first broadcast on Jan. 20, 2006, garnered more than 7.7 million viewers in five million households. Within 24 hours the show's web site received more than 500,000 hits with visitors downloading lyrics to the song "Breaking Free." The soundtrack climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts in March and the single "Breaking Free" has since been certified platinum, along with five other songs on the soundtrack going gold.

Atlanta's Theater of the Stars is celebrating its 54th anniversary this year as one of the nation's major regional theatre companies. A civic non-profit cultural organization, Theater of the Stars "is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theatre."

To learn more about TOTS history, visit http://www.theaterofthestars.com/.

• Sawyer: Josh Holloway paid $153 in fines for going 53 miles-per-hour in a 35 mph zone Sept. 21, 2005.
• Charlie: Dominic Monaghan has had two speeding tickets that have ended up costing him $324 in fines. A citation issued Mar. 10 for driving without a valid license has since been dismissed.
• Sayid: Naveen Andrews had to shell out $122 after breezing through a 45 mph zone at 70 mph Oct. 15, 2004. He then topped himself Mar. 9, 2005, going 70 in a 35 mph area. Andrews pleaded no contest and paid $232.
• Boone: Ian Somerhalder was lucky to not meet the same fate as his Lost character, after going 42 in a 25 mph zone. He shelled out $202 and landed a role in the Wi-Fi horror flick Pulse.
• Steve: Flashback denizen Christian Bowman was fined $112 for going 53 mph in a 35 mph zone. He wrote a letter to the court, and the citation was reduced to 48 mph.
• Michael: Harold Perrineau Jr. got a ticket for having no car insurance and no safety check. Case dismissed after the actor was able to produce proof of insurance.

We think it's about time ABC cuts its losses and commissions a bus to ferry the large cast around.

Actually, the customers are all southern stingrays, and we’re feeding them the fish, not eating it ourselves. My two 10-year-old companions, Max Weinberg and Jackson Solis, giggle as a big ray (some are 6 feet wide) snatches a piece of shrimp off a black plate that resembles Mickey Mouse ears.

The boys and I are at Stingray Lagoon, home to 43 extremely well-trained rays (whose stingers, incidentally, have been removed) on Castaway Cay, the Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas. Along with some 2,700 other passengers, nearly 1,000 of them kids, and scores of crew members who are seem to always smile, we’ve been traveling aboard the Disney Wonder and have just arrived for a day of fun and games on and around the beach. Amazingly, the place doesn’t seem overly crowded, even with so many people here. The boys, who think the cruise ship is as close to heaven as they could get, now think they’ve arrived in paradise.

Pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow (at least, an amazing look-alike) is here to greet us, and the Flying Dutchman ghost ship (which figured prominently in the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie sequel) is anchored nearby.

Besides playing with the stingrays, there’s a 12-acre snorkeling lagoon, a giant play structure in the water with shrieking kids all over it, banana-boat rides, kayaks and paddleboats, beach volleyball, basketball, and all the burgers, ribs, chicken, ice cream and pop that I’ll let the boys consume. Did I mention the separate beach for teens and the other one just for grown-ups? (Massage, anyone?) And if parents want a little adult time, or if kids want time away from their parents, there’s a full schedule of supervised activities.

All around us, families are playing in the water and on the beach, tossing footballs and Frisbees, posing for pictures with Minnie and Goofy, sipping frothy concoctions.

The Stingray Lagoon earned praise from parents such as Katy and Dean Boshart of Wilmington, Del., even though their kids preferred to play in the sand rather than in the water with the rays. When the two young Boshart boys became skittish, Disney staffer Navardo Johnson immediately started building a giant sand castle with them. "He turned what could have been a disaster into an adventure," said Ms. Boshart.

There was another reason she was having such a good time on the island and the cruise: all the less-than-perfect moms’ bodies on display. "I don’t feel so self-conscious," she said.

On the ship and off, it’s clear that Disney knows how to please its guests, whether they’re 3 months old (Disney Cruise Line has one of the few infant day-care facilities at sea), 3 years old (there are lots of little princesses in sparkly dresses and pirates with plastic swords running around) or 83 years old (grandparents are everywhere on this ship).

Castaway Cay has proved so popular that, bowing to customers’ suggestions, the ship now stops here twice on some seven-day sailings. I’ve been on a lot of private islands owned by cruise lines, but I’ve never seen one that works as well for all age groups.

And I’ve been on lots of cruise lines, but never have I met so many satisfied family cruisers.

"This has more than lived up to my expectations," said Robbi Wood of Bronx, N.Y., as she sat on the beach at Castaway Cay while her two kids played in the water. "I would do this again, and I don’t say that about a lot of places."

The only complaint I heard in four days was from a 21-year-old who had been dragged along by his family. This ship seems more geared to kids 16 and younger, and teens seemed especially happy when they had been allowed to bring a friend along on the trip.

This month, Disney is offering two longer itineraries in the Caribbean, and next summer it will offer a European cruise for the first time, with 10- and 11-day sailings from Barcelona. There are also fall deals, with seven-day combined Walt Disney World and cruise vacations starting at less than $1,000 a person. Four-day cruises start at less than $500. (Visit www.disneycruise.com.) If you can’t get enough of Mickey and pals, sign on for one of two 14-night transatlantic sailings.

Jackson and Max certainly would love that. They’re just worried they would run out of arcade money. (Their parents had decreed a $10-a-day limit.)

The two boys loved not having to make their beds and finding elephants, monkeys and stingrays fashioned out of towels when they returned to the cabin at night. Free room service was "awesome," the boys said, and they were very impressed that our waiters not only knew their names the first night, but also quickly learned that they liked vanilla smoothies and Caesar salads with dinner. Even better, we could sample three restaurants and have the same wait staff guaranteed to show them magic tricks.

Most important, they loved the freedom. Where else but on a kid-centric ship with such an attentive staff could two 10-year-olds roam on their own, toy pirate pistols in their belts?

Maybe Capt. Jack Sparrow has some ideas.

Wearing a bright yellow vest, yellow striped pants and a straw hat, his bass blended smoothly with the other three Dapper Dans of Disneyland voices to keep park visitors tapping their toes and smiling.

Today, photographs fill two walls of his home, showing the quartet singing on street corners, from the back of old-time buses and while riding a four-seated bicycle.

And before he was a Disneyland singer, he worked park security, dressed as a Keystone Cop.

In 1967, after graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles and becoming a high school social studies teacher, Scott applied to work part-time security at the Anaheim amusement park.

"I knew they liked to hire teachers and, in those days, you had to be at least 6-foot 4-inches and male to work security," he said.

Scott, who is 6-foot 7-inches, said the security guys referred to themselves as the "Jolly Blue Giants."

His security job paid $2.35 an hour. "That was really good pay for a part-time job," he said.

But when he was recruited to be a Dapper Dan, his paycheck increased to $6 an hour and he was in fat city.

"My teaching contract was for $4,500 a year and my part-time work at Disney nearly doubled that amount," he said.

He worked weekends, holidays and full-time during the summers.

A work day as a Dapper Dan consisted of a half-hour on and a half-hour off for eight hours a day.

"We strolled, rode the bicycle around, did little skits. During our half-hour off, we'd rehearse and try new and more entertaining bits," he said. "We were always trying to improve the act. We described our work as singing and dancing our way into the hearts of thousands."

Today, Scott, 69, says he noticed a mindset shift when he traded in his Keystone Cop uniform for a Dapper Dan outfit.

"In security, I sort of thought everyone coming to the park wanted to rip us off. But once I got into entertainment, I saw that everyone was there to have fun."

Scott started working at Disneyland three months after Walt Disney died.

"In those days, Walt's philosophy dominated and that was to have small, intimate entertainment going on throughout the park," Scott said.

"Walt wanted people to happen upon a performance. He liked the intimacy of that. He wanted people to have a charming experience. The big, extravaganza stuff came much later."

Scott, who grew up in Los Angeles, came from a musical family. His mother was a church organist and choir director. His father played the organ in silent movie houses around Long Beach.

"There were three movie theaters, and my dad would actually carry the movie from one to the other with him, and then would accompany the movie as it played," said Scott with a chuckle.

Scott is a professional musician who has played the trombone and tuba in night clubs from LA to Las Vegas.

He wrote songs throughout college, and one of them, "Cherry Lips" made the top 40.

It was recorded in 1957 by The Robbins, later to became The Coasters, he said.

Scott says he never considered himself a singer, but that changed when the Dapper Dans sang for jazz great Count Bassie's 75th birthday party at Disneyland.

"That was our biggest moment," he says, his voice and face glowing with the memory.

"They wrote a special song for us to sing and everyone was there — Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Sarah Vaughn. I remember Sammy Davis Jr. He was sitting about 10 feet from us, looking up at us with this big smile and I was thinking: I'm singing for these guys? Wow!"

Scott retired from teaching in 1995 and from Disneyland in 1998.

He and his wife, Mary, moved to their Forest Meadows home full-time in 1997.

Today, they're both involved with the Arnold Rotary. He is past president and she is current president.

He's also a docent at the Old Timers Museum in Murphys and he's a regular with Stage 3 Theatre Company in Sonora.

Founded in 1993, Stage 3 focuses on new and contemporary works by upcoming playwrights and is located at 208 South Green St. in downtown Sonora.

"I auditioned in 1998 and was cast in two plays that season," he said. "Since then, they call when they have something for a senior citizen in various stages of decay."

Stage 3 Artistic Director Don Bilotti called Scott an excellent actor.

"He's got all the tools that really good actors have —- a great sense of humor, great sense of timing and he's got a really big soul, to say nothing about his amazing voice. He's also fun to work with."

Bilotti said Scott will play three different characters when the curtain goes up next month on Stage 3's production of "The Elephant Man."

"He's going to play a really bad guy and a really good guy and the elephant man's manager," Bilotti said. "He's been a pillar of Stage 3 for years."

Scott, sitting in his living room, thumbing through "The Elephant Man" script, said the enjoys acting in Stage 3 productions.

"If it ceases to be fun, I won't do it anymore," he said. "But they're great people to work with and you meet an awful lot of nice people there."

One thing Scott's not about to do is head south to hear the Dapper Dans again.

"They fired the quartet last year and now they have four guys who lip synch," he said, shaking his head.

At least he was there when the kingdom really was magical.

The Metropolitan Evansville Chamber of Commerce will host the Disney Keys to Excellence program at The Centre on Sept. 14.

The Disney Keys to Excellence program is ideal for any size business – from leaders to Fortune 100 companies and mid-sized organizations to small businesses. Whether you are the newest member of an organization or a seasoned executive, you will find enormous value in this program.

Space is filling up quickly! If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact Ann Moore at 812-425-8147 or via e-mail at amoore@evansvillechamber.com.

Like many second-grade students, Whitney Hamilton just wanted to go to Walt Disney World. Her wish came true Friday, when she won a trip for four to Walt Disney World as part of the American Heart Association’s “Jump Rope for Heart” program.

“We couldn’t have afforded to go without this,” said Mike Hamilton, her father.

Whitney, a second-grade student at Deer Creek Prairie Vale Elementary School, was chosen out of all students who raised more than $150 to help cure heart disease in a five-state area. She raised close to $200 as a first-grade student, dedicating it to her grandmother who died of heart disease.

Her parents were told she won the trip almost two months ago, but had to keep it a secret from Whitney until Friday. Prairie Vale students were asked to wear Disney or Prairie Vale clothing to the assembly where she was told about the trip.

“I had no clue,” Whitney said. “I was like, ‘What is going on here?’”

Whitney’s initial reaction of tears of happiness turned into excitement as she tried to plan when her family would be going on the trip, asking her mother if they could go tomorrow.

“She wanted to go right away,” said Joanna Hamilton, her mother.

Whitney will take her parents and her older brother, Lance, on the trip, which will last four days and three nights. She already has been assured the trip will be based on whatever she wants to do, and Lance promised her he’d ride any ride with her that she wanted.

“Anything you want to do at the park,” he promised Whitney, giving her a hug. “It’s all your day.”

The trip to Walt Disney World won’t be the only first for Whitney on the trip. She’s not only looking forward to meeting the Disney characters, but also to her first plane ride and her first trip to the ocean.

Jennifer Jones, the AHA representative who gave the award to Whitney, said it was an emotional moment for many people involved.

“I had to fight the tears back,” she said. “When I saw her crying, I started crying.”

Jones added that Prairie Vale was one of the top fund-raising schools in Oklahoma, raising $18,000 in the program. Whitney’s own dedication toward helping with that may have been in memory of her grandmother, but the unexpected result was the fulfillment of a dream.

“I can’t think of one kid in the school who deserves it more,” said Michelle Anderson, principal of Prairie Vale.