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 September 7 - 13, 2008 |
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Saturday September 13, 2008 |
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Disney
CEO: Tourism business 'defying gravity' Disneyland work is just magic for disabled Magic of Disney's success unveiled Disney Channel launches Break Time Masti Time tool Disney Channels Look To Latin American Growth |
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Disney
CEO: Tourism business 'defying gravity' USA Today - Walt Disney Co.'s business, including its theme parks, is holding up under tough economic conditions, the company's chief executive said Wednesday. But Robert Iger added that the economic crisis is not yet over. "I think it's likely that it will have an impact on markets outside the United States, and in fact it is starting to," Iger told journalists before the European premiere of Disney's "Camp Rock" film in the British capital. He said Disney's travel and tourism business, encompassing its theme parks in the U.S., was "defying gravity given the circumstances," partly because of international visitors encouraged by a relatively weak U.S. dollar. "While the economy is definitely getting a bit tougher, our business has been quite resilient under the circumstances," Iger said. The family entertainment company and owner of Pixar Animation revealed in July that parks and resorts revenue grew 5% to $3.04 billion in the third quarter. Iger added that the company's ongoing expansion into markets outside the hard-hit U.S. had helped cushion the impact so far. "I think the U.S. consumer is definitely hurting ... but we have been helped immeasurably by our access to markets beyond the United States," he said. However, he added that situation was likely to change. "As we go into 2009, we believe that the challenges we have faced in 2008 will still exist," he added. Disney narrowly beat analysts' expectations for its third-quarter earnings, posting an almost 9% rise in net profit thanks to revenue growth at ESPN and strong results from its theme park near Paris. With the advertising market weakening because of the struggling U.S. economy, threatening Disney's ESPN and ABC networks, Iger stressed that advertising represented only 20% of the company's overall revenue. "That's not to say that it won't have an impact," he said. Iger said Disney was pushing ahead with its three-pronged strategy of investment in creativity, technology and globalization as the best way to meet the economic downturn. He added that the company remained interested in acquisitions around the world, including in Britain where it has already acquired gaming studio Black Rock, which is releasing the Pure road game for PlayStation and Xbox. Disney continued to invest in its gaming division, budgeting around $300 million for fiscal 2008, Iger said. "We believe that it's still a growth business," he said. "For the Walt Disney company, we are still in the development stage." |
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Disneyland
work is just magic for disabled
Lam and Liu joined the park's first apprentice program for the disabled in June last year, and since then have waved goodbye to the unhappy drudgery of working for fast-food chains. Liu, 25, who has Down syndrome, works in the staff restaurant after graduating from a nine-month apprenticeship. Now she enjoys her work, a far cry from being yelled at by her previous boss. "I'm always in a good mood. I get to meet so many people and make so many friends." Fellow apprentice Lam, 23, has a septal defect - a hole in the partition separating the left and right sides of the heart - and used to see the doctor every month. But after the tonic of working at the park she now sees the doctor only once a year. Secondary Four-educated Lam said she did not think the park would hire her when she was referred by the charity Caritas. She now works four days a week at Fantasyland. Director of staffing and human resources Greg Morley said the park has been hiring the disabled on an ad hoc basis since opening three years ago for tasks that include making calls and packing. In 2006, the park hired 80 disabled people through regular recruitment. Last year, the park began recruiting by referral and so far 15 people have been employed through the scheme. |
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Magic of Disney's
success unveiled Ventura County Star - It's no secret that the Walt Disney Co. is a success story. But what is the secret to its success? Nearly 100 Ventura County professionals from various industries paid $395 each to snag some tips from the entertainment company at a full-day event Friday at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Oxnard. "We're here to learn how Disney does it, and try to adapt their business practices for our organization," said Erin Antrim of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme. "Disney Keys to Excellence," sponsored by the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, featured program facilitators Fernando Beltran and Leslie Bays-Baker from the Disney Institute. They discussed effective leadership, management, brand loyalty and how to build relationships with customers. The purpose was to share the "business behind the magic," through stories about Disney's history and culture, for participants to apply to their own businesses. Most of the lessons were simple and based on common sense. For example, the importance of making eye contact and smiling at customers and treating employees well. "Our front line is our bottom line," Bays-Baker said. "They make or break the experience." She asked attendees to think about how their vision conveys their values and how they can inspire passion in others. Several people in the audience said they were inspired and that the seminar got them thinking. Dennis Madden, chief executive of Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association in Oxnard, called the ideas "thought-starters" that would require more reflection. He said it made him realize the importance of teaching employees about the company's origin and what role each employee plays. "Sometimes we get so involved in a task — we have to sit back and really examine what's important," Madden said. John Mussmacher and Jeff McCorkle both said they were there to learn how to be better managers and stronger leaders at Taconic, a biotech company in Oxnard. "A lot of times, seminars are a vehicle to remind us of what we should be doing," said Mussmacher, a site director. Nancy Lindholm, president and chief executive of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, had hoped attendance would be higher. There was space for 250 participants. She attributed the lower than expected turnout to the economic downturn. Those who did attend seemed to enjoy themselves, she said. "I know I've picked up tips," she said. "Development of culture is key, and the four building blocks (leadership, management, service and loyalty) really relate back to developing that culture." For Antrim with the Boys & Girls Club, a story that illustrated Walt Disney's passion stuck with her the most. In 1930, he gave a group of animators 50 cents each and told them to go have dinner and return to a stage afterward. They came back with full stomachs to a dark stage — to save money, there was just one light on — and then Disney launched into a lively tale of Snow White, selling them on the idea to create the first feature-length animated film. "If you have the drive and passion, nobody's going to hold you back," Antrim said. |
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Disney Channel launches Break Time Masti Time tool
Televisionpoint - Disney Channel, the number two Kids channel in India, will launch an new marketing property called Break Time Masti Time in early October, which is centered on hilarious situations. Every segment of the new series is six minutes long divided in three mini-stories of two minutes each aired between 6 pm to 7 pm. This format and the humour is recognized by kids as modern and connected with everyday life. Antoine Villeneuve, senior vice-president and managing director, Walt Disney Television International (India) said, "Disney Channel aims to connect with the audience through their own idioms. Break Time Masti Time reflects the lives of tweens, their dreams and their aspirations." Already popular in Italy, Australia and USA, Break Time Masti Time format is relatable to the audience. It will further strengthen the channels rapport with its viewers. There are nine main characters that have to deal with typical problems of kids their age such as surprise tests, competitions, quiz contest, Rose Day, and so on. Each character has a unique personality and has a varied but close group of friends who share emotions, thoughts, experiences and offer each other advice. Disney Channel has roped in young actors such as Devansh Doshi, Sagar Sawarkar, Parth Muni, Benazir Shaikh, Tanvi Hegde, Shivshakti Sachdevhas, Umang Jain, Rahul Joshi and Akash Bhatija, who have claimed to fame with acting stints in various serials such as Studio Disney, Son Pari on Disney Channel, Hungama TV series Hero, Disney Channel's comedy sitcom Agadam Bagadam Tigadam, amongst others. |
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Disney
Channels Look To Latin American Growth Animation World Network - Disney is looking at Latin America as a place of possible growth for the Disney Channel, per VARIETY. As it gets harder to earn money in Europe, execs predict that Latin America will be the place to be. President of Disney Channels Worldwide, Rich Ross, in talking to reporters during a visit to London for the Disney Channel movie premiere of CAMP ROCK, said, "In the next five years Latin America is going to be an economic powerhouse for us. Poland and Australia are other growth markets for us." In the main European territories, platforms are paying less to distribute the Disney Channel, the advertising market has slowed and a restriction on junk food ads aimed at children has forced the company to rethink how it operates the channels. "It's a little chilly out there right now," Ross said. A new experiment launched recently in Spain, where Ross was enthusiastic about a soft re-launch of the Disney Channel in Spain as a free-to-air web, following 10 years as a pay channel. It has its official launch on September 19 and is the first time Disney has offered any of its channels free-to-air supported by advertising. The upcoming re-branding of Jetix in the U.S. to Disney XD, set to launch next February, will not happen in Europe for the moment, but Ross did not rule it out in the long term. Another shift is one toward globalized local programming, including a new animated series GWYN co-written by PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN actor Giles New for the U.K. market. "Our strategy is to seek out the best creative talent from around the world to make shows for Disney Channel," he said. "The U.K. has incredible heritage in kids' TV and we're constantly impressed by the depth of the talent pool here." GWYN, originally written for BBC Radio, is "Narnia in reverse." A child's life is transformed when a giant elf, Gwyn, bursts out of a wardrobe pursued by a mob of mythical creatures. BBC sitcom star Keiron Self is the co-writer. |
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Friday September 12, 2008 |
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Pocahontas
final bow at Disney draws near Hong Kong Disneyland celebrates three years Disney Interactive Studios Announces New Songs for Ultimate Band Video Game ABC plans prime-time special on VP candidate Palin Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park Won't Help You If You Break Your Ankle On Their Rides Dancers prepare to step out as Disneyland Paris princesses Name change for Disney Dining Experience card Disney Parks on a nationwide tour visiting cities all over the USA this fall Disney gives High School Musical the Russian and Chinese treatment |
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Pocahontas
final bow at Disney draws near The end is near for Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends. The show, which opened with Disney's Animal Kingdom 10 years ago, concludes its run Sept. 27. The production is nowhere near as elaborate as its festive song-and-dance neighbor, Festival of the Lion King, but it has its own charms. Plus, the eco-friendly theme continues to resonate with parents and their children. Most charming is that it's a one-woman show, and requires the cast member who plays Pocahontas to be the queen of multitasking. She sings ("Colors of the Wind," naturally). She interacts with children. She banters with a youthful, animatronic tree named Sprig and a wise Grandmother Willow. She imparts wisdom. She completes a colorful leaves special effect. She repeatedly jogs across the stage. She works with a possum, a porcupine and ducks. Birds land in her hands. She's a snake handler. These all tie into a story about unity -- without breaking into High School Musical song. "The forest is being cut down tree by tree, limb by limb," Pocahontas says. She peers toward some unseen menace. She and Grandmother Willow review lessons to be learned from animals. Playing possum? That's just good strategy. Ducks tell us that "we must take control of the things that scare us." And that snake helps control the animal population. Yikes. Light-bulb moment for Pocahontas: Humans can contribute, too. "It takes all of us to protect the forest," she shares. Kids are encouraged to sit in the amphitheater's first four rows, the best spots to see the little critters. It lasts less than 15 minutes and goes by quickly. On a recent visit, a couple in front of me was startled that it was over. "Is that it?" That's all, folks. |
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Hong Kong
Disneyland celebrates three years
Mail and Guardian - Hong Kong Disneyland will celebrate its birthday on Friday after three difficult years, as its new MD juggles a grab for Chinese visitors with a battle over how to fund expansion. The theme park has struggled to attract enough visitors since it opened to great fanfare in 2005, and has faced criticism it failed to understand both the local and mainland China markets. But a shift to more Chinese-friendly marketing earlier this year was reinforced by the appointment of MD Andrew Kam, whose career has been spent selling another American icon, Coca-Cola, to China. "I have yet to go into the details of the plan we will set for next year, but it will be fairly aggressive in terms of [visitor] growth," Kam told a small group of reporters this week just two days after starting his job. "We are going to invest more resources in developing these markets ... China is the probably the single largest market outside Hong Kong for us -- we are looking for expansion there," he added. Kam said Disneyland will be employing more staff to market the park on the mainland and build better relationships with travel agents. He is also hoping the Chinese and Hong Kong governments will agree to a special visa scheme for visitors from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. But cooperation with the local government, which owns 57% of the park, has been strained. Legislators have criticized the $3-billion park for being a bad deal for taxpayers who paid the vast majority of the start-up costs. They have baulked at further investment when more pressing concerns, such as inflation, are vexing residents. "Disney has a huge credibility gap in this ... They got too good an original deal," said John Ap, an expert on tourism at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University. "When things go wrong, it has come back to haunt them." Kam insists new attractions are necessary, but there is no sign 18 months of funding negotiations will end soon. "[Both shareholders] have an interest in making this park work, and expansion is part of the strategy that will make this park work for Hong Kong," he said. The prospect of any new funding is not helped by a string of controversies over the first three years. A long-running feud with staff unions over working conditions, several food-poisoning scares and a mix-up that provoked a near-riot with customers clambering over spiked fences after paying for tickets forced the park to reshuffle its management team within just a few months of opening. But the biggest question mark remains attendance figures. The management has repeatedly refused to confirm figures despite the huge public investment, but a recent newspaper report said visitor numbers were expected to hit 5,6-million in the third year. This is still well below prior expectations, but would be a jump on the previous year's figure that government documents put at more than four million. Kam said he did not recognize the latest figure and a spokesperson would only say there had been "steady" growth. However, criticism has been muted in recent months, as the management has brought a much-needed focus on attracting Chinese visitors. It produced a beefed-up Lunar New Year program -- which it dubbed "The Year of the Mouse" rather than the traditional rat, and launched new advertising campaigns and a Chinese movie, The Secret of the Magic Gourd. But Kam said the park will remain true to its American roots, while expanding its appeal to Hong Kong and Chinese visitors. "This is a very American icon ... I won't say we are trying to make this park more Chinese; in fact, some of the core values of Disney we actually need to preserve," he said. |
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Disney Interactive Studios Announces New Songs for Ultimate Band
Video Game Gametactics - Disney Interactive has announced that more songs have been added to the track list for Ultimate Band on the Nintendo Wii: Including all Day and All Night, Stumble and Fall, Move Along and more. As Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda put it, the Projekt Revolution 2008 tour "showcases groups doing something revolutionary, something original, something different." The 33-city summer tour also does something good by raising money for the Music for Relief Project, Linkin Park's effort to respond to natural disasters and global warming. By the time Projekt Revolution wraps up in California's Silicon Valley, it will have connected audiences coast-to-coast with some of the country's most creative bands, including The Bravery, Ashes Divide, Street Drum Corp, Atreyu, 10 Years, Hawthorne Heights, and Armor for Sleep, as well as headliner Linkin Park. That creativity can also be found off-stage at a booth hosted by Disney Interactive Studios, which is celebrating its partnership with Music for Relief by previewing Ultimate Band, the show-stopping Wii title slated for this November. The interactive music video game lets you perform current and classic rock songs in venues large and small using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment. And long after this year's Projekt Revolution tour is a memory, some of its music will play on at a Music for Relief charity concert in the game, on the stage of Red Wolf Canyon featured in Ultimate Band. The Ultimate Band Song List Keeps on Growing We keep adding new songs to Ultimate Band, giving kids more ways to rock out this holiday season. Each song is recorded with both a female and a male vocalist, and, where appropriate, features dual lyrics that let players sing about a "he" or a "she." The latest additions: * All Day and All of the Night * Stumble and Fall * Move Along * Club Foot * Anna Molly * Debaser Already announced: * Beverly Hills * Fell in Love with a Girl * Whip It * Our time Now * CrushCrushCrush * Steady as She goes * I Want You to Want me * Just What I Needed * Hanging on the Telephone * Hold On |
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ABC
plans prime-time special on VP candidate Palin AP - Charles Gibson's interviews with Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will form the basis of a special prime-time edition of "20/20" Friday, ABC said Wednesday. Gibson is traveling to Fairbanks and Wasilla, Alaska, for the first TV interviews with Palin since she was selected as John McCain's running mate. The first excerpts of the talks will be shown on "World News" Thursday. Gibson is having three separate interviews with Palin, ABC said. Parts of the interviews will be spread around other ABC news programs, including "Nightline" and "Good Morning America." ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. The prime-time special, at 10 p.m. EDT, will also include a bio of Palin by ABC's Kate Snow and a round-table discussion on the presidential race moderated by George Stephanopoulos. The Alaska Republican has proven to be a ratings-grabber during her short time on the national political scene. Her speech to the GOP national convention last week was seen by more than 40 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. A Fox News Channel documentary, "Governor Palin: An American Woman" last Saturday was the highest-rated prime-time documentary in the network's history, with 2.7 million viewers. CNN is also planning a Palin special this weekend. |
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Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park Won't Help You If You Break
Your Ankle On Their Rides The Consumerist - When Adam got stuck on one of Blizzard Beach's tube rides, he injured his leg and had trouble getting out of the ride. He had to wait over 15 minutes for a wheelchair, and then the medical staff at the water park treated him more or less the way a school nurse would treat someone—with a brochure, some water, and some ibuprofen.
Here's the letter he sent to Disney
describing what happened on his visit last month: At the bottom of the slide, I called to my girlfriend for help. She told the lifeguard we needed help, and was ignored. Being a trained lifeguard herself, my girlfriend got into the pool to help me away from the slide. She pulled me to the stairs, where she again demanded help. The lifeguard said she was phoning someone. After several minutes, she said that someone would be coming with a wheelchair to assist us. In the meantime, people kept coming down the slide and haphazardly running into my leg. More time passed, and the lifeguard said the wheelchair had been moved, so we had to wait longer for someone to come and help. In total, I waited more than 15 minutes, writhing in pain at the bottom of this water slide. Once the person came with the wheelchair, I was assured that the nurse at the on-site medical center would be able to assist me. At the center, the nurse simply asked if I was able to bear weight on my ankle. When I replied that I was not able to, she handed me a brochure and said I could go there to get X-rays. I told her that I didn't have health insurance and this wasn't an ideal solution. She said it was up to me, and that they couldn't do anything else for me. I told her I was at least hoping for some ice and maybe some ibuprofen, and she complied. We then drove straight to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, a place where we knew I would be treated regardless of insurance status. They took X-rays and informed me my ankle was broken. I was then referred to a orthopedic doctor and set up an appointment. Within the next business day or two (either 8/15 or 8/18 around 2 pm), I called Blizzard Beach and filed an injury report and issued a complaint against the staff at the park. At the doctor's appointment, Dr. Klein confirmed I had broken my fibula, and in addition, I tore my ligament on the other side of my ankle. He said that I would need to get surgery to heal properly so that I could walk again. I had surgery on 8/22/08 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and I had a metal plate permanently screwed into my leg. I have spoken to several lawyers since the accident. They seem fairly confident that at least a claim can be made to recuperate some of the money lost due to my ever-increasing medical expenses (at the moment, they total more than $13,000). Without medical insurance and living below the poverty level, I know this serious debt will mire my possibilities in the future. I know Disney prides itself in providing entertainment for working families that's safe and memorable. I would very much like Disney's help in this time of need. I would particularly hope Disney would take responsibility for its loyal customers while they are on its very property. Adam, we're actually surprised Disney didn't contact you to resolve this. |
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Dancers prepare to step out as Disneyland Paris princesses
The Star - A troupe of young girls from Doncaster have booked themselves a trip to Paris with their dancing feet.
The 12 girls from the Dickinson
School of Dance at Intake impressed the judges at the
Retford Stage Dance Festival with their classical ballet and
returned home with the Adjudicators' Choice Trophy for the
most entertaining dance of the competition.
Their success has secured them an invitation to Disneyland Paris early next year to perform in the theme park's theatre, when they will be accompanied by teacher Tracey Dickinson. Ms Dickinson said she was proud of their achievements because her school has been open only three years. "The children are all very excited to be going to dance at Disneyland, she said." Another of her success was five-year-old Sivaanan Sivaanabu, from Intake, who won the junior bursary and a trophy at the festival. "The judge gives this prize to the child of her choice who she feels shows potential and promise for the future. Sivaanan has done really well because he was only four when he joined the school," said Tracey. |
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Name
change for Disney Dining Experience card
Disney Blog - I no longer use the Disney Dining Experience card, but I’m still on the the mailing list for some reason. It’s no big deal because now I know that on the occasion of the 13th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Disney will be switching to a new name for the Disney Dining Experience. The festival, which will take place from September 26 – November 9, 2008 will celebrate Cities in Wonderland, and following that theme, the dining club will be renamed “Tables in Wonderland” as of September 15, 2008. This new name will not alter any current benefits. But it will help distinguish the card membership from other dining privileges at Walt Disney World Resort that bares a similar name to the Disney Dining Experience. I can testify that it has been a source of confusion for many. But I have to wonder about the program name. Disney has never really branded their WDW Resort under the “Wonderland” name. Instead they’ve reserved that for specific events. |
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Disney Parks on a nationwide tour visiting cities all over
the USA this fall
Disney News
- Disney Parks is bringing the magic of Disney in an
interactive way to 30 cities this fall and winter. Colorful
vehicles roll out the fun from town squares to Times Square,
featuring a massive distribution of thousands of free Mickey
Mouse balloons with a chance for consumers to win a
celebration vacation to a Disney Park. |
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Disney gives High School Musical the Russian and Chinese
treatment
Telegraph - Rich Ross, the president of Disney Channels Worldwide, said there was demand for adaptations of the film in China and Russia. Already an estimated 50 million viewers have seen the original American production in China. Chinese and Russian 'High School Musicals' are being written in the new languages and are scheduled to be ready for production next year. Mr. Ross is also looking to strengthen the Disney brand in these emerging markets and was looking at introducing the Disney Channel in China, Russia and parts of Eastern Europe. High School Musical has already been adapted for the Argentinian market and two sequels of the original film have been made. The Emmy Award-winning television film became the most successful Disney Channel original movie ever after it was released in January 2006. A sequel High School Musical 2 was released the following year. High School Musical 3: Senior Year is to be released next month while a fourth version is at the writing stage. The third High School Musical film moves the franchise into the theatrical arena. A prom, a championship basketball game and the production of a big spring musical provide the dramatic highlights. Its stars include regular favorites including: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman. Kenny Ortega is the director. |
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Thursday September 11, 2008 |
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Walt Disney World resorts grab "World Travel Awards" Disney and Nick Face Off on the Net Disney may tackle BSkyB with bid for Premier League football rights 'Mermaid' sequel takes plunge in Monte Carlo Disney Academy Applications Disney's 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' - The stuff of nightmares Disney Channel commissions Gwyn |
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Walt Disney World resorts grab "World Travel Awards" Tourism Central - The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa were named North America's leading conference hotel and leading resort, respectively, in the World Travel Awards, announced this week. Based on surveys it conducts of travel agents worldwide, the independent World Travel Awards company awarded its 15th annual honors to scores of tourism and travel businesses throughout the world. The North and Central American awards were presented last weekend at ceremonies held at the Swan & Dolphin. Above, Victor Yordan, left, room operations manager, and Carlo Sarmiento, right, food and beverage operations manager of the Grand Floridian are shown receiving the award. Among other awards announced, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was named leading North American cruise line; American Airlines, leading airline; and Miami, the leading cruise resort. New York City won for both best tourism board and destination. London-based World Travel Awards earlier announced awards for similar honors in other regions, including Europe and Asia. The company will announce world awards in December. |
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Disney and Nick Face Off on the Net BusinessWeek - It's shaping up to be the hottest race on the Web. Much as they do on TV, Disney (DIS) and Viacom's (VIA/VIAB) Nickelodeon are ducking it out online. And if the most recent numbers from Web-traffic researcher comScore (SCOR) are any indication, Disney is pulling into the lead. Disney, which only a month back introduced a series of new features to its Disney.com site, saw its August traffic grow by a steep 9.6%, to 32.3 million unique users, according to comScore Media Metrix. Nick was second, with 28 million unique users, a 2.7% boost over the prior month. In a bid to lure more traffic, Disney in mid-August tweaked its site with the addition of a portal that ties together its popular Club Penguin virtual world for kids, the multiplayer game Toontown, and a game based on its Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Disney also added a portal that showcases its library of TV shows, movies, and music videos, and lets consumers upload music videos tied to Disney music (and screened for appropriateness by Disney staffers). Battle Heating UpDisney and Viacom are eager to win a growing share of the time—and money—spent by kids and their families who increasingly turn to the Web for entertainment. Their battle has been escalating since early 2007, when Disney unveiled a series of changes designed to make its site less product-promotional and more of a social networking hub (BusinessWeek.com, 1/8/07). Disney's video site alone proved to be a huge draw, with the company announcing it shipped 186.7 million online streams, boosted by a trailer of the megahit movie High School Musical. The company also showed music videos from its teen music stars Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. With that much firepower, Disney can claim a hefty chunk of the 67.3 million kids who went online in August, according to comScore. But Nickelodeon—a family of sites that includes Nick.com, featuring games and video clips, and Neopets, a virtual pet community—can claim a hefty advantage over Disney in user engagement numbers. In August, the average user stayed on one of Nick's sites for more than 93 minutes, compared with more than 53 minutes for Disney. Even there, however, Disney seemed to be cutting into Nick's lead in time spent, which declined by 2% from July. By comparison, Disney site users stuck around for 6.2% longer, most likely as a result of the added entertainment content. Disney Pushes Virtual WorldsBoth sites have come a long way since August 2007, when users spent an average of more than 43 minutes on Disney and 84 minutes with Nickelodeon, according to comScore Media Metrix. The next shot to be fired in the kiddie site war? Within the coming week, Disney intends to roll out a beta version of its online Fairies game that lets users play the role of one of six fairies who live in Disney's mythical Pixie Hollow. By the end of the year, the company intends to introduce a subscription version of the game. Disney.com has already had heady success with its year-old virtual world Pirates of the Caribbean game, as well as its Club Penguin, which the company purchased in August 2007. |
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Disney may tackle BSkyB with bid for Premier League football
rights
Times Online - The Walt Disney Company may consider mounting a challenge to BSkyB by bidding for Premier League football broadcasting rights next year. Robert Iger, chief executive of Walt Disney, said on a visit to London that ESPN, the company's sports broadcaster, was its second principal brand after the Disney name itself - and indicated that he hoped to expand it globally. "I know they [ESPN] will look at the Premier League rights again, both individually and in partnership with others," Mr Iger said. The next auction of Premier League broadcast rights is due to start next January. ESPN is also interested in pursuing the rights to show Premier League games in the United States, where the rights are held by Fox, the broadcaster owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times. It believes that there is a growing audience for football in the United States. Mr Iger said that ESPN's coverage of Euro 2008 had proved extremely popular and Disney chose to air the semi-finals and the final on its mainstream ABC network. Senior executives of the broadcaster believe that the arrival of David Beckham in the United States at the LA Galaxy had helped to lift interest in the sport in the one leading country that has largely ignored the world's game until recently. BSkyB, the satellite broadcaster 39.1per cent owned by News Corp, paid £1.31 billion to secure the rights to show 92 live games a season in the existing three-year contract, which expires at the end of the 2009-10 season. Setanta Sports paid £392 million for the rights to show a further 46 games a season live. The Disney chief emphasised that he had earmarked about $250 million (£142million) to $300 million for acquisitions in video games and said that the company was looking "at companies that fit well within the Disney or ESPN brands" that have "a foot[hold] into new technologies". Mr Iger specifically avoided directly commenting on ITV, but the criteria cited did not suggest that Disney had a strong interest in network broadcasters in Britain or elsewhere. The company has abandoned plans to introduce ABC-branded general entertainment channels in big markets globally. Most of Disney's recent acquisitions in Europe have been modest, with the company buying the websites Soccernet, Cricinfo and Scrum.com. It also bought NASN, a broadcaster specialising in transmitting American sports across Europe, for about £50 million in 2006. Mr Iger hinted that Disney had taken a brief look at Bebo, the social networking site, which was acquired by AOL in March. He emphasised the group's interest in social networks, saying that the model sat well with Disney. He said that, as the economy proved tough in the West, Disney continued to focus on emerging markets. It is looking to expand considerably its lucrative consumer products business in emerging markets, particularly in Asia. It is also creating films for local markets alongside local production groups. Roadside Romeo is a forthcoming Bollywood animated film, with the actors Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor lending their voices to animated characters. Disney intends to exploit India's undeveloped film merchandise market. Mr Iger said that Disney was relatively resilient to the global economic crisis, saying that advertising accounted for only 20 per cent of group revenue. However, he said that the company was still feeling the pinch, adding: "The global economic crisis affects us because of the impact on the consumer ... What's going on in the housing market has an impact, as do commodity prices and unemployment. The US consumer is definitely hurting." The number of visitors at the group's theme parks had stayed strong. Disney made almost a quarter of its $35.5 billion revenues outside North America last fiscal year. Its shares were up 52 cents at $32.95 in afternoon trading in New York yesterday. |
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'Mermaid'
sequel takes plunge in Monte Carlo The Hollywood Reporter - When Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment decided to launch its straight-to-DVD feature "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" in Monte Carlo, no one quite expected the minimalist dress attire. But on Tuesday, the audience will leave the diamonds at home and strip down to bathing suits for the splashy premiere, held at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort. To plunge the international press into a deeply authentic mermaid experience, French composer Michel Redolfi, will stage an underwater concert in a heated pool lined with state-of-the-art speakers and a live solo percussionist in full scuba gear for the floating audience. Redolfi, 56, who has been creating sound installations underwater in swimming pools and oceans around the world -- including La Jolla, Calif., Sydney and Cannes -- for more than two decades, admits that the underwater landscape is not as silent as you might think. "Besides the calls of the large mammals, there are about 20,000 different sounds in the ocean. Many shrimp and fish rely on sound to move together in the deep. It's a noisy world, so intense in some oceans that it actually blocks man's electronic communications," he said. On Thursday, listeners will be invited to try out the musical acoustics in the Mediterranean, both on the surface and, inevitably, under the sea. Disney also has teamed with French marine explorer Maud Fontenoy, who will speak about her environmental protection programs, and American choreographer Cecilie Stuart, whose dance team worked in sync with the animation artists. |
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Disney Academy
Applications Washington Post - Disney's Dreamers Academy is accepting nominations for high school students to take part in next year's programs. Sponsored by comedian Steve Harvey and Walt Disney World Resort, the event aims to inspire students.
One hundred youths from across
the country will be chosen to attend the academy at the
Disney Resort in Florida from Feb. 12-15. Students, who must
be enrolled in high school for the 2008-09 academic year,
can nominate themselves or be nominated by a parent,
guardian, teacher, church member or anyone else. Nominations
will be accepted until Sept. 30; finalists will be announced
in November.
Attendees will participate
in workshops with Disney cast members and executives, hear
stories from celebrities and professional athletes, and
visit Disney theme parks. |
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Disney's 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' - The stuff of
nightmares
The Scotsman - The latest tale of childhood from the Disney dream factory is a million miles away from its usual sanitised fare. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a harrowing insight into the Holocaust, with an ending that stays true to the shocking truth. By Stephen Applebaum IF YOU mainly equate Disney with cuddly and fuzzy, then you are in for a shock if you settle down to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas expecting to leave the cinema with a warm glow. For while the film's title makes it sound like a cosy bedtime story, Mark Herman's (Brassed Off, Little Voice) brave drama, from Disney subsidiary Miramax, is ultimately the stuff of nightmares. Though a tale of childhood set during the Holocaust, this is no Life is Beautiful. Where that film's mawkish coda offered the audience bogus consolation, the harrowing final few minutes of Herman's film rush us headlong into the infernal machinery of the Final Solution, to which the only responses can be silence, sorrow and tears. Survivors' stories, or the stories of so-called righteous gentiles such as Oskar Schindler, may be uplifting and life-affirming, but they do not reflect the truth of the Holocaust: that most people perished. Irish author John Boyne's 2006 best-selling children's novella did not duck this truth, and neither does Herman's adaptation. Even so, one British commentator recently accused the movie of representing a "Disneyfication of the Final Solution," before going on to wonder "whether The Gas Chamber ride is being installed outside Paris". It was a cheap shot, and Herman is rightly puzzled. "I found that a very muddled piece and didn't really understand what she was getting at because I can't find any Disneyfication in this film," he says. "I don't quite know what she means. It's almost as if that because it's from a child's angle, it becomes too sweet. But one of the points of the story is the innocence of the kids and the ignorance of the grown ups." "The kids" are Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the newly-appointed commandant of a concentration camp, and Shmuel, the Jewish boy on the other side of the camp's electrified fence, whom he befriends. Despite the charge above, there is virtually no sentimentality in Herman's portrayal of their journey from innocence to a grim realisation about the adult world surrounding them. Moreover, he has kept his word to Boyne that he would not dilute the book's shocking climax. "I met early with him and sort of promised that I would protect the ending. Although that was a promise, obviously, that wasn't really in my power to keep," he laughs, "because making movies doesn't work like that." It appears that Herman did not just want to be faithful to Boyne's vision. "In a way, the ending is sort of payback to the ending of Life is Beautiful," he says, referring to Roberto Benigni's lugubrious Oscar- winning comedy. "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas accelerates to the end, it gets ahead of you, and then it's gone. There's no sort of, 'Oh, I can meet my mother out in the countryside.'" The ending had actually been one of the key elements that appealed to Herman when he first read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in galley form, prior to its publication. There was already a buzz about the book but, unusually, no-one had picked up the film rights. "I was kind of surprised because the word was so good," he says. "But then you think about the subject matter and you can perhaps understand why (the studios] stayed clear. I just felt that if people read the book, they might think it's difficult to turn into a film, so if a film studio could read a screenplay instead of the book, they might get it. But the only way of doing that was to buy the rights myself." So that is what he did. Free to work without studio interference, Herman set about adapting the book. He took out one of his favourite scenes where Hitler and Eva Braun visit Bruno's family in Berlin – "we're making a fictional story, and putting in a real character would put it out of kilter", he explains – and made his version of the camp an unnamed place rather than Auschwitz, or "Out-With", as Boyne's Bruno calls it in the novella. Herman was fascinated by the ambiguities of looking at this world and its characters through the eyes of a German child. People who we would consider monsters in hindsight, such as Bruno's father (played by David Thewlis in the film), become more familiar. "These guys were really human beings," says the filmmaker. "They protected their family, they were decent fathers during the evening. And then the next day they'd go out and kill so many people. I love all that ambiguity." It also makes for a less clear-cut emotional response as a viewer. When tragedy strikes at the end of the film, you are unsure whether to feel sympathy for two of the central adult characters – they're Nazis, damn it! – or say they had it coming. "I love the fact that people are confused about their emotions and their feelings towards them." Researching the film was one of the most emotionally gruelling things Herman says he has ever had to do. Trawling the internet for information, "You find yourself on sites that you shouldn't be at, and you click a link and then you're on one that you really shouldn't be at. And then you get to a stage where you say, 'I really don't need to do research this far." It was a very depressing, upsetting time, really, while I was writing it." By the time he and everyone else arrived on the set, they had "all been to pretty dark places". When The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas was first published, people questioned whether the Holocaust was a fitting subject for a children's book. Herman, though, is not even sure that Boyne's novella – despite its deceptively simple, fabulist form, which the director/writer has striven to recreate – is actually a children's book. "I was always a little bit muddled about (that] because you have to be old enough to understand the Holocaust to be able to understand the ironies of Bruno's story, in a way," he explains. His film, he says, is only a family film in the sense that "parents can, and probably should, take their kids. I don't think it's specifically aimed at kids at all." Nonetheless, it is children who are likely to benefit most from the film, because of the journey that it takes the audience on as the scales slowly fall from Bruno's eyes. A continuous undercurrent of dread lets you know that it will probably not end well. And when the tragic denouement arrives, it is as uncompromising as almost anything in The Grey Zone, Tim Blake Nelson's flinty film (now available on Region 2 DVD) about the sonderkommandos of Auschwitz-Birkenau – arguably still one of the toughest, bleakest and most honest movies about the Holocaust, and, in particular, the moral dilemmas faced by prisoners in the camps, ever made. Shooting such scenes is always difficult, but staging the final moments of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was further complicated by the involvement of the two young boys playing Bruno and Shmuel, newcomers Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon respectively. "That was just a nightmare on so many levels," says Herman. "You've probably got more lawyers there than filmmakers. You had all the legalities of kids in amongst grown-up naked people, who can be where and when, and what they can see. It was really horrendous. You'd got the parents with them and all sorts of helpers. It's disturbing for us grown ups, but I'm sure it's even more disturbing for the kids." Viewers will have to decide for themselves whether it was worth it or not. But any parents looking for a way to introduce their children to one of the 20th century's darkest moments could do a lot worse than start here. According to Herman, the film has already received the seal of approval from several Holocaust survivors, including one woman who was herself in Auschwitz as a child. "She was saying how the film is more powerful than actually taking a trip to Auschwitz now," he says, "because Auschwitz has actually become a museum and kids can't quite get emotional contact, whereas this film seems to do it for them ." Any movie that helps to throw light on this terrible period and encourage a new generation to talk about it can only be a good thing, Disney or not. |
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Disney
Channel commissions Gwyn C21Media - Disney Channel worldwide global original programming division has commissioned Pirates of the Caribbean star Giles New and My Family actor Keiron Self to develop a UK kids show originally written for BBC Radio Wales. Gwyn (working title) was originally written for BBC Radio Wales and is being adapted as a long–form comedy animation for Disney Channel. The show is based on a six–foot elf named Gwyn who bursts out of a boy's wardrobe pursued by an angry mob of mythical creatures. As well as starring in Pirates of the Caribbean, New has written for Aardman's Shaun the Sheep and that Mitchell and Webb Look for BBC1. Self has written for a number of TV series, including Aardman Animation's Angry Kid, and has starred in UK sitcom My Family. Rich Ross, Disney Channel's worldwide president told a UK Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today that Disney Channel has optioned the rights to Gwyn and commissioned a pilot, with hopes of it becoming a full series. "Our strategy is to seek out the best creative talent from around the world to make shows for Disney Channel. The UK has incredible heritage in kids TV and we're constantly impressed by the depth of the talent pool here, " he said. Gwyn is just one project coming out of Disney Channel's Global Original Programming hub, which has also produced an updated animated version of Enid Blyton's Famous Five coproduced with Chorion. Ross said that Gwyn joins another pilot targeted at preschoolers called Jungle Junction, which is set to air in '09. Additionally, Ross did not rule out a UK launch for Disney's forthcoming boys–skewing channel Disney XD, which is set to launch Stateside in February '09, claiming that he expected the channel to have "legs beyond the US" within the next five years. |
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Wednesday September 10, 2008 |
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mDisney
Announces Fall Mobile Games Line-up The World According To Disney.com Disney motto helped dad, autistic son survive at sea Online dating new tool for zoos with rare species Disneyland Launches Web-Based Resources for Planners, Attendees Disney builds magical facilities for athletes of all ages Disney Looks At Possible Acquisitions in U.K. ‘Disney Puzzle Family’ Released as First Com2uS Game Integrated with Disney Branding Sacked Disney dancer appeals to Skelemani Disney-ABC Adds Three Execs to Digital Media |
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mDisney
Announces Fall Mobile Games Line-up Business Wire - mDisney, part of the Disney Interactive Media Group, announced today its line-up of mobile games slated for release during fall 2008 which includes new games based on Toy Story Mania, Pure and High School Musical. The announcement was made at the Wireless Association’s Fall CTIA convention in San Francisco. “We have an exciting and diverse line-up of games in the pipeline for fall based on some of the most popular and highly anticipated brands and franchises Disney has to offer,” stated Larry Shapiro, executive vice president and managing director, mDisney. New game releases for fall include: Toy Story Mania – Based on the new Disney Parks attraction, mobile users can join Woody, Buzz and the gang for wacky and fun carnival games on their phone to earn points redeemable for unique unlockable prizes. The game features one button quick-play for beginners and hidden targets and combo rewards for advanced players. The Academy Award® nominated song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from the original “Toy Story” movie is also featured in the game. Release date: just released and available now. Pure – mDisney worked closely with Disney Interactive Studios to bring this critically-acclaimed console title to the mobile platform. More than a standard racing game, “Pure” is about tricks, and, as players progress through the game, new tricks are unlocked. The more difficult the trick, the more points scored which can be used to unlock items in the garage for Quad ATV upgrades. Release date: September 2008. Cars Radiator Springs 500 – Based on the blockbuster film and franchise, this new “Cars” racing game was created by mDisney’s Living Mobile studio and features fast frame rates, great control and dazzling graphics. Players race as Lightning McQueen and can unlock six other tricked-out racers, each with special abilities. The game includes 15 diverse and challenging tracks loaded with power-ups and hazards, and build-a-track mode lets players create a custom race. Rascal Flatts’ hit song “Life is a Highway” is featured in the game. Release date: September 2008. High School Musical: Senior Year – Leading up to the highly anticipated theatrical release of “High School Musical 3,” mDisney’s upcoming game allows players to choose from two unique storylines based on Troy or Gabriella. Players can improve personal attributes by balancing academics and performance skills, and interacting with the other Wildcats to become the most popular Wildcat at East High. Mini-games include a brain challenge and a dancing rhythm-based game. Release date: October 2008. Bolt – Based on the upcoming animated theatrical release, this action-filled game allows players to control Bolt and his super power moves: Super Bark, Super Bite and Super Speed to defeat the evil Dr. Calico and save the world. The game features diverse environments and epic boss battles. Release date: November 2008. About mDisney mDisney publishes Disney-branded mobile games, graphics and tones based on popular Disney characters and franchises such as Hannah Montana, Pirates of the Caribbean, High School Musical and Disney Fairies to major North American wireless carriers. mDisney also recently launched a mobile Web site that allows users to access the world of Disney on their cell phones and will soon be connected across platforms with Disney.com, the No. 1 site on the Internet for kids and families. The mobile Web site can be accessed by texting the word MOBILE to 347639. Additionally, mDisney works closely with Walt Disney Studios, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Records, Radio Disney, Disney Interactive Studios and Disney Live Events to create unique mobile entertainment and content for key initiatives around The Walt Disney Company and its affiliated companies. |
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The World According
To Disney.com Disney Insider - For a quick getaway without leaving home, discover the global goodies found on Disney.com's International Web sites to see how Disney magic transcends cultures. Don't speak the language? No worries, Disney Insider plays personal tour guide to provide a glimpse of how your favorites look in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Need sunscreen and a passport? Nope, just a first-class click on the "International Sites" link via the Disney.com home page and you're off to faraway lands ... with a little help from Topolino and Aku Ankka. "Topolino" and "Aku Ankka"? That's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (respectively) in Italy and Finland, where the duo ranks as Disney's most loved Characters. On these and Disney's other European sites, home page designs feature easy, Guest-friendly navigation to games, videos, movies, and more. Reflecting each country's sensibilities and interests, they're lighter, more condensed versions of the Disney.com you've come to love. Aside from obvious language differences, cultural conventions determine the type of entertainment that appeals to Guests worldwide. Myles MacBean, Vice President, Disney Online EMEA, explains. "Each site is tailored to resonate with the culture as well as the brand. The tone of humor is skewed to translate culturally and colloquially ... it's not just about using the correct noun in each language. Characters must be funny to people in all countries." Just as Brits are bonkers for Winnie the Pooh because of the Character's English heritage, Disney.co.uk speaks to local Guests in subtle ways. Myles mentions how the UK team puts its unique spin on Disney faves by creating exclusive videos. "Aly & AJ gave a special performance at the London Eye [the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe] ... then there's behind-the-scenes footage from the recent opening of the High School Musical stage show in London. Producing original content gives us the opportunity to inject Disney talent with the product." "Stitch is the third most popular Disney Character in Japan after Mickey and Pooh ... the Japanese love his bad boy, break-the-rules personality as well as the property's family focus, which resonates well," says Justin Scarpone, Vice President and Executive Producer, Disney Online Japan. It's evident Stitch is a hit in Japan - in addition to his colorful Character page, the "Experiment with attitude" is the first to pop out from the Character section on the Japanese site's home page. Japanese Disney fans are so passionate about gaming that the games section of the site sports its own separate Web address, Disneygames.jp. In response to the popularity of Web surfing via mobile devices, Disney's Japanese site provides content for two distinct audiences. Kids and families rule online at the PC site while content accessed on mobile devices caters to an adult female audience of single working women and Disney fans. Pop culture may reign supreme in Japan, but the Chinese are steeped in tradition. After being introduced to the magic, they've embraced Disney Characters - particularly Mickey Mouse - with the warmth of an old friend. Norbert Chang, Vice President & Managing Director, WDIG China, points out that China's 50-plus spoken dialects are the least of the challenges. "Mainland China has only one major written language so there are no issues localizing the experience. We focus on supporting classic Characters like Mickey and Pooh, simply because they really appeal to the local sense of aesthetics." The playful, layered design adds flair that appeals to Chinese Guests while remaining true to Disney's heritage. Norbert adds, "Games are big and our Hong Kong Disneyland section welcomes many visitors as well. It's become a useful resource as the Park gains popularity." Aussies enjoy Disney.com much the same way Americans do - with strong family brand recognition - while evoking a distinctively Australian feel. Disney Channel is hot with Hannah Montana and High School Musical leading the pack. Games, Club Penguin, Princesses, and Fairies score high with younger kids. David Macdonald, Director WDIG Asia Pacific, tells us, "Our team's biggest challenge is talking to the Australian audience in their own voice by adding local flavor to the copy. While everyone loves Disney globally, each country has its differences. The more you're able to talk to people in their own voice, the more they appreciate Disney." From Japan and Australia to the UK and around the world, the International Web sites nestled under the Disney.com umbrella provide an inside look at how each country adds its own special brand of pixie dust to Disney's virtual mix. Just ask Topolino and Aku Ankka! |
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Disney motto helped dad, autistic son survive at sea MSNBC - Lost at sea with nothing to hold onto amid a dreadful darkness, Florida resident Walter Marino continually called out some of the few words his 12-year-old autistic son Christopher responds to. The pair, swept out in a late-afternoon current near Daytona Beach, had been treading water in shark- and jellyfish-infested waters throughout the night, slowly floating apart. “I’d be screaming, ‘To infinity ... and beyond!’ ” Marino said, referring to the Disney character Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase in “Toy Story,” one of Christopher’s favorite movies. “Then I would hear him and it would be more and more and more distant, until finally I couldn’t hear anything.” Happily — perhaps miraculously — both father and son survived the night, thanks to good Samaritans and the U.S. Coast Guard. Walter and Christopher Marino, along with Walter’s daughter Angela and the children’s mother, Robin Bishop, beamed their way through a joyous interview with Matt Lauer on TODAY Wednesday. |
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Online dating new tool for zoos with rare species The Associated Press - Attention, amorous guys: Killarney's an Australian cutie, but woo her with care. The feisty gal once swatted at a beau who got a little close, and gave another poor fellow the cold shoulder during their introduction. Undaunted, Killarney's friends keep updating her online profile in the hope of finding her Mr. Right. Like many of her contemporaries, the koala might find her dream date waiting somewhere in the files of a computerized matchmaking service, keepers at the Riverbanks Zoo theorize. Just like the digital dating services that pair up people, so-called studbooks are used to match most animals held in captivity. The databases containing information on sex, age and weight — not so much about favorite comfort foods or long walks on the beach — are used by more than 200 zoos nationally and some internationally. They're practically taking the place of Mother Nature in the not-so wild world of captive animal breeding. Now, new software is going to the Web, promising more easily accessible data, faster matches and — in a page out of the most particular of human dating sites — details on an animal's personality to ease what can be a testy process. Zoos won't be required to document the turn-ons and turn-offs of each animal in Zoological Information Management Systems, a collaboration between about 150 zoos and aquariums that's a year or two away from wide distribution. At the very least, though, the software will give zookeepers better access to species-level details currently found only in zoo husbandry manuals that now are mostly e-mailed back and forth, said Bob Wiese, director of collections for the Zoological Society of San Diego. While there's no candlelight or Marvin Gaye being played in the back rooms of zoos, there are endless tricks used to get the animals in the mood, said Wiese, widely considered the authority on ZIMS. In China, breeding experts have claimed success putting giant pandas in the mood by showing them images of other pandas mating — panda porn, as it's been called. "There are some frogs that you have to simulate rain for or they won't come out and breed," Wiese said. "Other frogs, they just need to hear the sound of rain and the sound of lightening and thunder. That's what sets off their hormones." Around since the 1980s in paperback form, most of today's studbooks are in computerized databases. Basic information such as family tree, medical history, age and weight are entered by studbook keepers, then sent to a central location where the data is analyzed and converted into a "master plan" for breeding. But the databases have their limitations. They aren't updated quickly and don't include the extra information from the dog-eared husbandry manuals on setting the optimal conditions for an animal's breeding. So zookeepers who rely on the databases might not know, for instance, that satanic leaf-tailed geckos like group sex, that fighting equals foreplay for giant leaf-tailed geckos or that expectant gecko moms should eat snails. That could mean the difference between a sustainable population and extinction of a species, said Ed Diebold, director of animal collections at Riverbanks Zoo, one of the only zoos to successfully breed several species of geckos. "Big populations out in the wild breed randomly," Diebold said. "In captivity, usually these populations are considerably smaller than wild populations, which is why you can't afford to allow animals to inbreed or breed along closely related lines. That's why you have the studbooks." Careful planning among zoos may take some of the wild out of "the wild thing" but it also ensures that the most genetically diverse animals breed, said Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquarium, which oversees the majority of studbooks for exotic species in the U.S. "To paraphrase an old Jeff Foxworthy joke, it's important that your family tree forks," Feldman said. "This way we can have a genetically diverse population." The Columbia zoo is one of about 20 chosen to test the ZIMS software once it becomes available. Walt Disney World, which manages one of the largest collections of studbooks in the U.S., will be another test site. "Studbooks are the key to our long-term breeding plans," said John Lehnhardt, animal operations director at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. "We want to ensure that these endangered species are here for the future and that's really what the studbooks are all about. What we're trying to do is maintain a savings account in species." Disney manages about 27 studbooks, like the one for the African elephant. It also holds one of the nation's largest herds of elephants, which includes a female elephant recently sent to Disney World from Riverbanks Zoo. Keepers remain hopeful that Tumpe is a good match for the young bull that's already fathered a few calves through artificial insemination. "She is now cohabitating with a very handsome young male," Lehnhardt said. "We have put these two together in the hopes that we'll have some success." It's not exactly animals finding love online, but experts say matchmaking software for zoos is bringing together the single most important factor in ensuring the survival of animals — people. "It's really about us gathering the best scientific information we can get to make the best decisions about the long-term viability of our populations," Wiese said. |
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Disneyland Launches Web-Based Resources for Planners, Attendees
Successful Meetings - Disney's Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., has introduced a suite of Web-based tools for meeting planners and attendees that it says will make it easier to book and manage group travel. Developed by Disneyland's convention and group reservations team, the new Internet-based tools include a special online reservations system—created by Quincy, Mass.-based Passkey—through which meeting planners can book and manage hotel room blocks, as well as track in real time their reservation status. Other features, meanwhile, allow planners to access theme park information, purchase theme park tickets and preview Disneyland's special events and services. Upon booking a meeting, planners can access the new tools in the form of a Web site that's customized for their particular event, featuring its unique dates, hotel information and event news. They can then forward to individuals a link to their event-specific Web page so that attendees can easily access resort information and event updates. "Our goal with this new online suite was to create the best of both worlds," Robert Donahue, director of resort sales and services for the Disneyland Resort, said in a statement. "The hotel reservation capability brings time-saving convenience to planners and attendees. At the same time, other features like the online ticket store and resort information help ensure that attendees can take advantage of all that Disneyland Resort has to offer." For more information on Disneyland meetings, visit disneylandmeetings.disney.go.com . |
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Disney builds magical facilities for athletes of all ages USA Today - For more than 30 years, Mickey Mouse and his pals have symbolized the fun-and-games fantasy that greets youngsters of all ages at Disney World. Now that it has successfully tapped into the youth sports market, Team Disney is banking on its "fields of dreams" Wide World of Sports Complex to enhance the magic that has made the Magic Kingdom the world's No. 1 theme park tourist attraction. In 1996, Disney dared to add athletics to its fantasy world with a $100 million sports facility that has lured the best pros, coaches and young athletes, and, of course, steered more tourists through the theme park's turnstiles. Designed to expose young male and female athletes to the highest level of competition and allow them to train in a pro-like environment, the complex, which is separate from the theme park, is a sports-lover's smorgasbord spread over 220 acres that hosts events year-round. "It's an overnight success that has taken 10 years to build," says Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. It is also, at times, a marvel to watch thousands of youngsters in uniforms, with families and friends close behind, scurrying from one field or arena to the next, swinging bats or shooting hoops on the same fields or in the same arenas where many top pros practice and play. Earlier this summer, more than 15,000 boys and girls (ages 9 to 18) — playing for more than 900 teams from the USA and countries around the world — moved through the Disney facility to compete in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships in basketball and baseball. John and Janice Rorke of Norton Mass., came to watch their son, Johnny, 12, play baseball for the South Shore Seadogs of Hingham, Mass. Johnny's sister, Mary, 9, came, too, but to see Mickey, not Johnny. "That's the only reason my daughter is here," Janice Rorke says. "After Johnny finishes, we'll go to the Magic Kingdom. If this event was held anywhere else, we would have stayed at home. We decided to make this our summer vacation and we're having such a positive time, we'd definitely do it again." Doug and Shannon Harrison of Goldsboro, N.C., accompanied their son, Jacob, who plays baseball for the Wayne Mavericks. Jacob's brother, Seth, 8, also plays baseball. "We're looking at doing some things (at the Magic Kingdom) but it depends on how long they play." Since the facility opened 11 years ago, nearly 2 million young athletes — averaging 250,000 the past two years — have competed there. With a hospital less than 5 miles away, paramedics and ambulances at the complex and multiple certified athletic trainers at every event, Disney also provides safety measures. Disney officials say they don't know the percentage of athletes and family members and friends who buy tickets to the theme parks, but they know many of them do. "One thing we do know is that 85% of people coming here to compete would not have come to Disney World otherwise," Potrock says. "So that's a big opportunity for us to bring in what we call incremental people to Central Florida and that's a wonderful benefit to Disney World Resorts. "Parents and coaches are looking for a way to make it fun. There's enough pressure in kids' lives today. When they come here they can say, 'You're going to compete, but you're also going to be running in a water park or through the Magic Kingdom.' That's a pretty exciting thing for any young athlete and it makes the parents feel good as well." AAU, Disney help each other Disney's alliance with the AAU, formed before the Sports Complex was completed, has keyed the facility's ongoing success. AAU President Bobby Dodd says the organization, which sponsors about 250 national championships annually in various sports, holds about 70 at the Sports Complex. "Our relationship with Disney has helped our brand," says Dodd, whose organization relocated from Indianapolis to Florida. "Since we've partnered with Disney, our membership has doubled. Until Disney came along, I don't think America realized that the youth sport industry was a big industry. Disney has given our athletes a chance to play in first class venues." When compared with other venues, Dodd says Disney prices are reasonable. "I still sponsor teams out of Memphis," Dodd says. "And because Orlando is a tourist destination, I can bring my teams here cheaper than I can take them anywhere else in America. I had two teams in Augusta, Ga., a couple of weeks ago and the bill for my teams for five days in a motel was more than $5,000," Dodd says. "I'm here (Orlando) this week with three teams, staying for 12 days or longer, and my motel bill is $4,500. Down here, you can get rooms for $45 up to $200. My kids are not staying at the Taj Mahal, but they're not staying at the Taj dump either. To me, Orlando is a team destination heaven." An ESPN rebranding in 2009 The Sports Complex also has become a training ground for high school teams during spring break. Ten years ago, 25 teams, consisting of 350 athletes, held spring training camps; this year, 670 teams, involving 12,000 athletes, converged at Disney over a 10-week period. Potrock says Disney is considering hosting similar camps when student/athletes take their fall breaks. "We're looking at the sports likely to be training and which high schools can come based on availability," Potrock says. "We know when kids are out of school state-by-state based on zip codes." Potrock, the force behind Disney's "I'm going to Disney World" Super Bowl ad, now is spearheading a rebranding initiative that will change Disney's Wide World of Sports to the ESPN brand, possibly ESPN's Wide World of Sports at Disney. Potrock says the rebranding should be completed next year. Disney owns ESPN. "The opportunity for ESPN to connect with young fans, players and families is really powerful for us," says Katie Lacey, ESPN's senior vice president of marketing. Lacey adds that it's "not in current plans," for the company to relocate from Bristol, Conn., to Disney World. Potrock is excited about the marketing opportunities ESPN will bring to the sports complex. "We could have one of the ESPN hosts welcome the competitors and later have highlights," Potrock says. "You can look up at a monitor and see your 12-year-old, just as if he was on SportsCenter. "We'll have monitors in restaurants, hotel rooms and on ESPN 360 or ESPN.com. Grandma back home in Washington, D.C., can be watching her grandson compete at Disney. The kids not only will feel like they're playing on fields that are big time, but they will feel like they've made the big time. That's the feeling we're trying to create." Dodd doesn't think South Williamsport, Pa., site of the Little League World Series, will be adversely affected if a rival little league baseball organization emerges when ESPN branding hits Disney's sports facility. "I don't know how many teams Williamsport takes, 12, 24, but whatever the number is, instead of just having 12 teams on television, you're going to have 24, 36, or 48," Dodd says. "I don't see that as competition. I see it as betterment for the industry we're in." Al Weiss, who oversaw development of the Sports Complex as Disney's executive vice president, is president of Worldwide Operations of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "We had a vision of how we thought phase I would be and we've achieved all that we expected," Weiss says. "The venue was designed to be very flexible and that's why we've started to expand." Weiss oversees operations at Disney's major theme parks — in Lake Buena Vista; Anaheim, Calif.; Hong Kong; Tokyo; and Paris. He says there are no plans to build similar sports facilities at the others. "But we are taking some of what we've learned and transporting it to the other parks," Weiss says. Walt Disney Co. reported revenue from Parks and Resorts for the second quarter this fiscal year increased 11% to $2.7 billion compared with the same period in 2007. Weiss wouldn't say if the Sports Complex had anything to do with the increase, nor would he quote figures related to the Parks and Resorts. Says Weiss, "The Sports Complex will never be predominant, but we wouldn't have continued to grow it if it wasn't doing well. The strategy is working very well and we will continue down that path." |
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Disney
Looks At Possible Acquisitions in U.K. Iger declined to comment on whether the company is interested in the U.K.'s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV, parrying the question by telling Bloomberg, "Hasn't everyone looked at ITV?" The company, home of the long-running soap opera "Coronation Street," is periodically the topic of takeover rumors. Speculation that the London-based company is vulnerable to a takeover has been fueled by the company's precipitous 45% stock decline this year. ITV rejected a 2006 offer for a controlling interest in the firm. Disney has shown heightened interest in the market, acquiring the parenting Web site raisingkids.co.uk in August to bolster its portal in the U.K. Iger told Bloomberg the company has a "very strong balance sheet," and that U.K. is one of the "primary markets" in which Disney sees opportunities. Spokespeople for Disney confirmed the published reports. |
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‘Disney
Puzzle Family’ Released as First
Com2uS Game Integrated with Disney Branding Business Wire - mDisney, the mobile content division of the Disney Interactive Media Group, announced today at the Wireless Association’s CTIA convention it has signed a new agreement with leading Korean mobile game publisher Com2uS. Under the new agreement, Com2uS will develop games for the U.S. market that will be published and distributed by mDisney. The first game to be released as part of the agreement, “Disney Puzzle Family,” will be available later this month. “Com2uS is one of the top mobile game publishers globally, and they have demonstrated clear industry leadership both in terms of content and forward-thinking business models such as micro-billing,” stated Larry Shapiro, executive vice president and managing director, mDisney. “This is a great opportunity for us to combine the Disney brand with their innovative gameplay to bring a unique mobile game experience to a broad U.S. audience.” “We’re excited to be working with Disney, the world's #1 entertainment company”, said Ji Young Park, president, Com2uS Corporation. “This partnership with mDisney will be very opportunistic for our growth in the US market. Integrating Com2us’ award-winning games with Disney branding is a solid strategy for mass-market adoption.” The first game to be released under the new agreement is “Disney Puzzle Family,” which offers in-depth game experiences and technological features based on five puzzle games that represent a different “Family” member. The puzzles are easy to play but difficult to master with simple and intuitive controls. Players can customize their characters and upgrade their Family with Disney wearable items such as hats and costumes. Network leaderboards track high scores and allow friend challenges. |
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Sacked
Disney dancer appeals to Skelemani Mmegi Online - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phandu Skelemani, and high ranking ministry officials were yesterday locked in a meeting with a Motswana man recently fired from Disney World allegedly for sexual harassment. The man, who was sent packing by the USA's glamorous entertainment company Friday last week, visited Skelemani's offices yesterday and by late afternoon, the ministry officials were still pondering how to assist him. The company that is accusing him of improperly touching a woman's breast during a photo shoot in July this year bought the 25 year old Gabane man, Odirile Jojo Rammoni, a ticket last week Thursday. Rammoni and the workers union at Disney however believe this is a classic case of human rights abuse by the entertainment company as there is nothing offensive in the picture that was used to implicate the Botswana traditional dancer. Rammoni yesterday showed pictures purportedly used to fire
him from the company he joined only in March this year. He also
showed the government officials the pictures. He says the woman
he is being accused of improperly touching had actually held his
hand closer to her during the photo shoot and never complained
of any sexual harassment. However, Rammoni and the union back in Florida, USA are unhappy that while they were still waiting for arbitration, Disney World bought him a ticket and sent him packing late last week. Now back in Gaborone, Rammoni is pleading innocence and wants the government to help clear his name. He believes the USA company used its financial muscle to bully him as he does not have money to fight them. "I am a dancer. That's my profession. I travel around the world to perform and I don't want this Disney thing to taint my image when I have to travel to the USA in the future. I did nothing wrong. No one complained that I improperly handled her, but Disney officials," he said. "They abused us while we are there. They underpay us and even accuse us wrongly," said the young man, yesterday. Rammoni wishes the government could help him go back to the USA so that he can wait for the case there. He fears that if he does not return to the USA for the case, the only alternative will be to attend the arbitration case via telephone from Gaborone. Rammoni is a founding member of the Gabane traditional dance troupe, Ngwao Letshwao, a breakaway of the Mokolodi Nature Reserve based company, Ditshwene. In 2006 his troupe toured London. They also toured the USA last year. He joined Disney World in March, through a Gaborone tour operator, Ezekiel Mokgosi, who previously worked at Disney World. While at Disney Rammoni, known as Jojo in Florida, played traditional music instruments, danced and discussed Botswana culture there. He also worked at Disney's animal kingdom, discussing the wildlife. Disney World has a program through which they attract international artists to go and showcase their various skills there. Many others are employed in various entertainment divisions. The Department of Culture responded: "The department is not aware of the individual and wish not to be associated with him or his actions. We do not have any information whatsoever on the mentioned Odirile Rammoni," read the response by PR officer, Thuso Palai. |
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Disney-ABC Adds Three Execs to Digital Media
mediabistro - The good people at Disney sent over this press release, touting their poaching of Karin Timpone and Lauren DeVillier from Yahoo! and Beth Johnson from BRAVO to come work here in L.A. Congratulations, ladies! Dedicated to expanding its network and channel brands across multiple platforms and connecting viewers with their favorite shows anytime and anywhere, the Disney-ABC Television Group has added three new executives to its digital media senior management team, it was announced today by Albert Cheng, executive vice president, digital media, Disney-ABC Television Group. Karin Timpone joins as senior vice president, product strategy and marketing for the digital media team; Lauren DeVillier joins as vice president, digital media, Disney Channel; and Beth Johnson has joined as vice president, digital media, ABC Daytime & SOAPnet. All three executives report to Mr. Cheng. "I am very pleased to add these talented individuals to our digital media management team," said Mr. Cheng. "The leadership, knowledge and distinguished track record of successes that Karin, Lauren and Beth bring, combined with that of our existing top-notch management team, will help us continue to lead the industry by extending Disney-ABC Television Group's quality brands and sought-after content into new platforms and new markets." As senior vice president, product strategy and marketing, digital media, Karin Timpone is responsible for leading the creative marketing vision, strategy and initiatives for product strategy for Disney-ABC Television Group's digital media team in partnership with digital product and platform leads and marketing heads across the television portfolio, working together to build brands and create new marketing models for the digital media future for the company's content platforms such as video-on-demand, broadband, web-based and mobile platforms, as well as interactive television technologies. Prior to joining Disney-ABC Television Group in August 2008, Ms. Timpone held senior leadership positions at Yahoo!, first as head of marketing for the media division, and then in corporate as head of consumer/customer innovation. While chief marketer for Yahoo! Media Group, she led all marketing for the portal's extensive content operations, including entertainment (movies, television, games, music), news, finance, sports, lifestyles and health verticals, many in No. 1 positions in their category. Her role spanned online and product marketing, promotions, partnerships and creative services. Ms. Timpone championed programming from the media division on the valuable front page, as well as cross-promotion across the company. She also developed new initiatives to support original productions as well as created a framework for external partnerships on the Yahoo! network. In her Innovation role, she conducted extensive research focusing on key audience segments, bridging editorial and sales, and then built applications and features to drive relevance and engagement. Before joining Yahoo!, Ms. Timpone ran a media consultancy with clients in the US and Europe. She was previously senior vice president, marketing, communications and research for a film and television unit at Universal Studios that launched international cable television channels and local production as well as the global television licensing arm for distribution of 40,000+ TV episodes and 4,000+ feature films to the world's television and new media outlets. Ms. Timpone holds a BA from Bryn Mawr College and a Masters degree in Media Ecology from New York University. A dual citizen of the US and Ireland, she resides with her husband in Los Angeles. As vice president, digital media, Disney Channel, Lauren DeVillier is responsible for overseeing the digital team that manages DisneyChannel.com, PlayhouseDisney.com, RadioDisney.com as well as kids-based mobile efforts. She will also partner with Disney Online on digital initiatives related to the recently announced Disney XD brand, which debuts early next year. Ms. DeVillier has over 15 years experience working in the online and emerging technology industry. Most recently, she oversaw the Yahoo! Kids business with responsibility for all aspects of the division, including strategy, content, research and business management. Prior to her role with Yahoo! Kids, she launched Yahoo! Green, a corporate initiative focused on an innovative site providing news and information on global warming and related environmental issues and drove strategic product initiatives for the Yahoo! Food and Yahoo! Health businesses. Ms. DeVillier has also held management positions at Microsoft including the MSN Kids channel, one of the first online networks aimed exclusively at childrens programming, and Corbis. At MSN, she helped pioneer creative online programming through partnerships with a variety of leading media companies. A graduate of Emerson College, Ms. DeVillier resides in Santa Monica with her husband and young daughter. As Vice President, ABC Daytime & SOAPnet Digital Media for the Disney-ABC Television Group, Beth Johnson is responsible for the oversight of ABC Daytime & SOAPnet digital media initiatives, including the recent relaunch of the all new SOAPnet.com, which now covers daytime and primetime soaps, expanding to include news and recaps related to over 30 shows across seven TV networks. She also oversees all digital initiatives related to ABC's Daytime programming -- The View, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. Prior to joining the Disney-ABC Television Group, Ms. Johnson worked at BRAVO where she served as Editorial Director, Digital Media. During her two years there, she was responsible for the development and implementation of digital initiatives for all shows across the BRAVO television network with supporting online original content, in addition to developing non-show related originals. Previous to working at BRAVO, Ms. Johnson was an editor and served as a part of the launch team for InStyle magazine's InStyle.com, where she oversaw fashion and beauty coverage. At InStyle.com she also coordinated the launch of the InStyleWeddings.com website. Ms. Johnson earned a BA degree in political science from the University of Chicago. She recently relocated to Los Angeles from New York with her husband and two young daughters. |
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Tuesday September 9, 2008 |
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Walt
Disney Studios look to extend brand further It's Official The Villas At Disney’s Contemporary Resort AARP and Disney Come Together to Unite Generations ESPN Pushing Social Sports Video Through Bebo Health Service Company CIGNA Named Presenting Sponsor of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Jungle Cruise skippers head for land Grey's Anatomy The Complete Fourth Season – Expanded on DVD and Blu-ray Ugly Betty: The Complete Second Season on DVD Disney Tops Hulu; Video Streams Hit 187 Million Disney Looks To Jump On The Comic Movie Bandwagon After Lackluster Summer Disney-ABC Adds Three to Digital Media Team Universal, Disney Bring Digital Theaters |
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Walt
Disney Studios look to extend brand further CNNMoney.com - Walt Disney Studios said Tuesday that it will spend $100 million over the next two to three years in an attempt to extend its brand into emerging markets. Speaking at the 2008 Merrill Lynch Media Fall Preview Conference in Marina del Rey, Calif., Walt Disney Studios President Alan Bergman said that the company has particular interest in Russia, China and India, with plans to make Disney-branded films in local languages. The studio's first foray into the arena was with last year's "The Secret of the Magic Gourd," which was released in China. It now has 15 movies in development and two in production for overseas markets. While international efforts currently comprise approximately 40 percent of Disney Studios' business, Bergman said the company would like it to grow more. Shares of Burbank, Calif.-based Walt Disney shed 26 cents to $32.66 in afternoon trading. |
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It's Official The Villas At Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney News - Paperwork was filed by Disney that officially christens the new north wing of the Contemporary Resort as “The Bay Lake Tower”, and home to the Disney Vacation Club “Villas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort”. A formal announcement should be made within a month, and then sales should begin sometime shortly thereafter. Until that time, you can see the paperwork filed by going to this LINK. |
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AARP and Disney Come Together to Unite Generations MarketWatch - Mickey Mouse Makes Appearance at AARP's Life@50+ Annual Member Event
AARP and The Walt Disney
Company today announced a new relationship that brings
together generations to have fun and celebrate one another.
Disney and AARP are in the
process of developing unique offers and benefits for AARP's
40 million members that will be unveiled in the months to
come. The new benefits under development will include
discounts on select merchandise available through
Disneyshopping.com (which includes personalized story books,
collectible pins, DVDs, apparel, and toys), unique AARP
member experiences at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, Epcot's
Flower & Garden Festival and Disney's California Food and
Wine Festival as well as other special offers for AARP
members.
The new relationship was
unveiled, complete with an appearance by Mickey Mouse,
during AARP's Life@50+ annual member event in Washington,
DC, attended by more than 20,000 AARP members. During the
event, AARP announced that American grandparents in the baby
boom generation spend $30 billion a year on their
grandchildren.
"Our members have a strong
desire to connect with younger generations and leave the
world a better place for their children and grandchildren.
The relationship with Disney creates opportunities to help
bring our member's families together in fun and exciting
ways," said William Novelli, AARP's CEO.
"As the worldwide leader in
family entertainment, Disney is incredibly pleased to
collaborate with AARP to provide great content and
experiences for people of all ages," said Robert A. Iger,
President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. "Disney has
been helping families connect for generations and we're
delighted to now be enabling AARP members to share great
times and memories with their kids and grandkids."
Highlights of the relationship
for AARP members include:
-- Upcoming discounts on select
merchandise available through Disneyshopping.com (which
includes personalized story books, collectible pins, DVDs,
apparel, and toys).
-- Unique AARP member
experiences at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, Epcot's Flower
& Garden Festival and Disney's California Food and Wine
Festival.
-- The potential for new and
unique offers for AARP members created by Disney in the
months to come.
-- Disney and AARP also hope to
work together on special initiatives for grandparents.
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ESPN
Pushing Social Sports Video Through Bebo paidcontent - Bebo and ESPN (NYSE: DIS) have partnered to deliver sports video highlights to the teen-oriented social net, in what is one of its first significant US-centric deals since its acquisition by AOL (NYSE: TWX). The hookup sees ESPN add 21 new video channels to Bebo's OpenMedia platform, which lets media owners offer video that users can add to their profiles. Short-form clips are culled from shows like Mike And Mike In The Morning, Pardon The Interruption and Around The Horn; other action also goes to specific channels for college basketball, tennis, martial arts and more. Users can adopt the skins from each show page as the theme for their own homepage. Bebo is still most popular in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, so this is one step to a bigger US ramp-up following its $850 million acquisition by AOL this year. AOL itself secured the online rights for ESPN video back in April. Contrary to reports, the ESPN videos are not proving to be limited to US viewers for me at least. |
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Health Service Company CIGNA Named Presenting Sponsor of Walt
Disney World Marathon Weekend Ad-Hoc-News - CIGNA (NYSE:CI), the Philadelphia-based health service company, will be the presenting sponsor of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for both 2009 and 2010. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which attracts more than 80,000 participants and spectators from all over the world, is one of the largest events held in Central Florida. 'The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is a blue ribbon event that combines fun, family and physical activity in a magical way,' said David Cordani, CIGNA Corporation's president and chief operating officer. 'As a health service company, we are intently focused on helping people improve their health and well-being,' he continued. 'Presenting this event with Disney enables us to reach thousands of people and celebrate their efforts to adopt a healthy lifestyle.' Approximately 45,000 runners will participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events which include the Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and Family Fun Run 5K and Kids' Races. 'We are excited to have CIGNA be a part of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend,' says Kathleen Duran, manager of Disney's Endurance Series. 'With CIGNA's support, we look forward to making this the best Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend ever.' Walt Disney World's
Half Marathon is a 13.1-mile course that will take runners on
Saturday from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and then back to Epcot for
the finish. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presents a wide range of fitness opportunities for all levels of athletes including the Walt Disney World Health and Fitness Expo which will be held Jan. 8-10, 2009, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. The Walt Disney World Health and Fitness Expo is a three-day celebration focused on health and fitness that involves celebrity runner appearances, seminars on training, racing, and nutrition, along with the opportunity to experience the latest in running and fitness equipment. CIGNA, as presenting sponsor, will participate in the Walt Disney World Health and Fitness Expo by providing attendees with information and activities to help them improve their overall health and well-being. The 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon is currently sold out, but those interested in participating in next year's race can find more information at www.disneysports.com. The marathon is still accepting participants who can register at www.disneysports.com. Race day registration is not available, so participants must sign up prior to the race. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is part of the Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort, which gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, bike and swim their way 'around the world.' From marathons to road races to triathlons, athletes from across the country and around the world compete to stay in shape, achieve personal-best times and raise donations for charitable causes. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, an organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancers. With the yearly support of thousands of volunteers, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend has helped Team in Training (TNT) raise millions of dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. TNT, the world's largest endurance sports training program, supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by raising funds to aid the organization's mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is its largest fundraising event. |
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Jungle Cruise
skippers head for land
Orange County Register - Famous folks, over the years, have been behind the controls of the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Like Richard Nixon's press secretary, Ronald Ziegler, and Disney/Pixar's creator of the Toy Story movie franchise, John Lasseter. Both cut their public-speaking teeth working as wise-cracking tour guides, or "skippers," on Disneyland's comedy-driven Jungle Cruise ride, on which park-goers experience African waters. On Sunday, skippers past and present, took their Disney-honed improvisation skills beyond the walls of Walt Disney's Anaheim theme park to the Maverick Theater in Fullerton. Every other month, since May 2006, skippers have gathered for "Skipper Stand Up," a night of live, standup comedy. David Marley, the "Skipper Stand Up" organizer and a former skipper himself, said he was bitten by the comedy bug while at Disneyland. After leaving to pursue a career as a history professor at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa in 2004, he began dabbling in semi-professional standup on the side. Marley wasn't exactly packing em' in at the Maverick. He needed a gimmick. So he organized what he thought would be a one-time show featuring a line-up of Jungle Cruise skippers. Immediately successful, "Skipper Stand Up" was born. The show has fast become standing-room-only affairs – Sunday was no exception: The 60-seat theater was packed. The delivery style was noticeably spattered with Disney showmanship: You could tell this troop honed its skills on the back waterways of Adventureland. But make no mistake – this is not a Disney-approved affair. Be ready to hear things typically reserved for late-night cable TV. This show is not about rehashing your favorite Jungle Cruise jokes, or getting an insider's look at skipper culture, if there is such a thing. This show is about young comics carving out a non-Disney niche for themselves. The standup fodder ranges from politics and religion to history and human sexuality. Skipper Stand Up is more HBO than Disney Channel. |
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Grey's Anatomy The Complete Fourth Season – Expanded on DVD and
Blu-ray
 Walt
Disney Studios Home Entertainment - Change is in the air for the
doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital when Grey's Anatomy: The
Complete Fourth Season comes to DVD and Blu-ray Disc on
September 9, 2008. Meredith Grey and her colleagues take on
their residencies in a season full of challenges, celebrations
and complications of the heart. The multi-disc sets include all
16 episodes of the Emmy Award winning drama's acclaimed fourth
season plus extended episodes, deleted scenes, bloopers and more
exclusive bonus features. Arriving just in time for fans to
catch up with their favorite characters before the premiere of
the highly anticipated Season Five, the five-disc DVD is just
$59.99 (U.S); the four-disc Blu-ray collection is $96.99 (U.S.)
Love, lies, and family ties are revealed on one of television's most talked about shows. Inject a generous dose of new, wide-eyed interns and it's the prescription for TV's most compelling drama. The show has earned two Emmy Awards plus 22 additional Emmy nominations, two Golden Globes and seven more nominations, and a Grammy nomination. "Grey's Anatomy" is produced by ABC Studios. Starring Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson James Pickens Jr., Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh and Brooke Smith, Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season – Expanded explores the private lives of the most irresistible doctors around set against the drama and intensity of a busy city hospital. Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season – Expanded is priced $59.99 (U.S. SRP); $79.99 (Canada SRP) on DVD and $96.99 (U.S. SRP); $109.99 (Canada SRP) on Blu-ray Disc., from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
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Ugly
Betty: The Complete Second Season on DVD  Walt
Disney Studios Home Entertainment - Take another cheeky peek at
the diva-licious drama of high fashion with Ugly Betty: The
Complete Second Season, coming to DVD September 9, 2008. An
entire season's worth of fashionista rivalries and romance,
confidences and betrayals, and grudges and alliances come in a
to-die-for five-disc set decked out with 18 episodes of one of
the most stylin' shows on television. Ugly Betty: The Complete
Second Season also comes tastefully accessorized with all the
year's must have bonus features.
Sunny, sweet-tempered and terminally style challenged, Betty navigates the ego-infested, high fashion halls of Mode magazine for a second season that is even brighter and bolder than the first. Star America Ferrera's (Real Women Have Curves) portrayal of the title role earned her a 2007 Emmy Award and a 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. The show's acclaimed ensemble cast also includes Eric Mabius ("The L Word," Resident Evil), Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz ("Boston Legal"), Ashley Jensen ("Extras"), Becki Newton ("American Dreams), Mark Indelicato, Michael Urie, Judith Light, Christopher Gorham ("Popular," "Jake 2.0"), Rebecca Romijn (XMen Trilogy), and Vanessa Williams ("Soul Food"). "Ugly Betty" is produced by ABC Studios. Ugly Betty: The Complete Second Season on DVD is priced $59.99 (SRP) for U.S.; $79.99 (SRP) Canada, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
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Disney
Tops Hulu; Video Streams Hit 187 Million Wired News - Disney says its video streams hit a record high of 187 million in July, suggesting that the magic kingdom pulled an 80-million-plus lead in streams over Hulu's 105 million streams in July. (Disney's numbers came from comScore while Hulu's numbers were attributed to Nielsen.) The big drivers, according to Disney, were online exclusives related to "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" and the latest Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers music videos. After denying the existence of online video for years, Disney is making up for lost time with an abundance of content. The company's new video portal with "thousands" of videos that can be sorted by character or property, and sorted into custom playlists. "Video is a huge priority for Disney.com," said Paul Yanover, executive vice president and managing director of Disney Online in a prepared statement. "Our commitment to forge new territory in online entertainment continues to be validated by new guest engagement landmarks such as our latest video results." |
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Disney Looks To Jump On The Comic Movie Bandwagon After
Lackluster Summer MTV.com - According to a post on the Disney-centric blog, word around the “House of the Mouse” is that, after a disappointing summer at the box office — led by “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” which earned just $141 million after costing $200 million to produce — the studio will follow Warner’s and Marvel’s lead and look to “get into the comic book movie game,” as Hill puts it. However, Hill make the obvious point that, the problem with getting into the game this late means any and all of the most recognizable characters and franchises have already been snapped up by other studios and production companies. On the other hand, this could be one of the main reasons why Disney recently partnered with comic living legend Stan Lee to bring new superheroes and concepts to Disney (such as the “Time Jumper” franchise). Likewise, this could also mean that their recently announced graphic novel division, Kingdom Comics, could become all the more vital to Disney’s movie plans moving forward. |
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Disney-ABC
Adds Three to Digital Media Team Television Week - The Disney-ABC Television Group expanded its digital media team today with the addition of three executives, the company announced. Karin Timpone joins as senior vice president of product strategy and marketing for the digital media team; Lauren DeVillier joins as VP, digital media, Disney Channel; and Beth Johnson has joined as vice president, digital media, ABC Daytime and SoapNet. All three executives report to Albert Cheng, executive VP, digital media, Disney-ABC Television Group. Ms. Timpone previously worked at Yahoo as chief marketer for Yahoo Media Group. Ms. DeVillier also hails from Yahoo, where she oversaw the Yahoo Kids business. Ms. Johnson worked at Bravo as editorial director for digital media before joining Disney-ABC. |
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Universal,
Disney Bring Digital Theaters G4 TV - Universal and Disney have agreed to join a group of theater chains and movie studios to finance the cost of digitizing our nation's theaters. So soon you won't have the indignity of watching movies on boring, old fashioned film. Digital movies will slash transportation and distribution costs (owners will be able to just download flicks) and also allow for new technology like the coming crop of 3D flicks that would be impossible with film. The plan is for the nation's three big theater chains (Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark Holdings Inc. and AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc.) to convert several thousand of their 15,000 screens next year, with a goal of converting almost all in three to four years. Right now, only 5,000 of the nations 40,000 movie screens are digital, and of those, only 1,200 could play 3D flicks. The estimated 50,000 packages of Nerds sold at movie theater concessions stand annually will be unaffected by the switch. |
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Monday September 8, 2008 |
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Disney
makes family travel to Europe easy, fun HK Disneyland lures Chinese A pirate's life for your little buccaneer PSA Launches to Help Amphibians Disney readies offer for UTV Soft Jonas Brothers Re-script Disney Show Disney Land still shining bright |
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Disney makes family travel to Europe easy, funCNN - There's nothing like a little time travel to get the day started.We've zipped back to the 18th century at Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna to check out what life was like for the 16 children of Empress Maria Theresa, as well as the children who were their servants. The nine 21st-century kids (ages 6 to 12), two guides and me, make our way through the Palace Kindermuseum. We try on 18th-century clothes (really heavy) and wigs that kids wore (itchy!), play with 18th-century toys (no video games) and practice bows and curtsies. Their parents, meanwhile, are taking a decidedly adult tour of the fantastic 1,441-room palace. We sniff the strong perfume that even kids used, since they bathed so infrequently (servants just once a year). We learn that even though royal children had servants to do everything for them (even brush their teeth), they didn't have a lot of time to play because they were expected at court (sitting quietly for hours). Still, our gang decided they'd rather be royals than servants. "You didn't have to do any chores," explained Californian Annelise Williams, 11. The hour-long immersion into 18th-century kids' world proved an ideal way to engage young American visitors. Later, we were treated to a special marionette show where the kids got to try their hand at working the puppets at the palace's Schonbrunner Schloss-Marionettentheater, an apple strudel-making demonstration (with samples, of course). We had an after-hours tour of the world's oldest zoo, dating back to 1752, which was once the private menagerie of the Hapsburg empress and emperor. And we ate our dinner in the glass Palm House where Empress Maria Theresa liked to eat her breakfast. Sound good? Well, this is just the first day of an Adventures by Disney trip designed to de-stress family travel and provide unique experiences families would be hard-pressed to duplicate on their own. Local guides join us at each stop. "And no one has to wear mouse ears!" jokes David Andrews, who is from San Diego and traveling with his wife and four kids, ages 6 to 15. I'm traveling with my 17-year-old daughter, Melanie, and her friend, Hayley Jacobs. I worried this trip would be too young for them but they're having every bit as much fun as the 6 year olds, thanks in part to our two capable and always upbeat guides, 30-year-old Alex Kemper, who gave up law to lead trips, and 23-year-old Trevor Enderby, a Disney veteran. "I liked that they did all the research and we could just go with the flow," said Raj Matharu from Bloomington, Indiana, traveling with his wife and three daughters. "The guides took care of every detail and they made everyone feel special." That included his daughter Simran who turned 10 on the trip and got a locally made gift from the guides. Kemper and Enderby check us in and out of hotels, deliver luggage to our rooms, mark maps if we want to venture out on our own, make dinner reservations (there is plenty of free time), hand out snacks and water and even have sanitizing wipes available for the kids after their visit to the petting zoo. When 88-year-old Velma Williams, traveling with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, worried she wouldn't be able to last on the Prague walking tour, they arranged for a car to bring her back to the hotel. When my two 17 year olds wanted to find a club they could visit in Vienna, they made several suggestions of places suitable for teens. When we cruised down the Danube River, they entertained the kids so the parents could relax on the top deck and enjoy the postcard-pretty views of the villages and fortresses. An extra plus for the children, especially those traveling solo with their parents, is the chance to be with other kids. "She gets bored just with us," said Angela Williams, who was traveling with her husband, 11-year-old daughter and mother-in-law. "And I don't have to worry about getting from place to place or waiting in line. That's a big thing for me." The big thing for Elaine Moore and David Bauer was not having to entertain their 8-year-old daughter Katherine "24/7." They were so taken by the concept that they signed up for a second week in Germany immediately following this trip. By the middle of the week, some of the other families were talking about where they would like to go next year. They've got plenty of choices as Adventures by Disney just announced it is adding eight new itineraries next year -- from a Northern California trip to a Safari in South Africa, from a Boston to New York tour to Alaska and the Alps. There are trips to Costa Rica, Peru, Italy, Ireland and Australia, as well as others within the United States. In addition, they're introducing "signature" trips with upgraded accommodations and unique activities. (A private performance by an African dance troupe or lunch with "John Muir" who helped to establish Yosemite as a national park.) Already hundreds of past guests are rebooking for next year, says Ed Baklor, senior vice president, Adventures by Disney. Certainly any family or couple -- we had two twenty-something teachers in our group celebrating their anniversary (there are also adult-only departures) -- could follow a similar itinerary on their own for less money (these trips average more than $10,000, plus airfare for a family of four. Check out the early booking deals!) But, said David Andrews, "It's excellent value for what you get." He noted that hotels, ground transportation, most meals and tickets to venues and museums were included. That's not even counting the absence of the aggravation that typically goes along with navigating unfamiliar turf with kids in tow, especially when you don't speak the language. "This is the best vacation I've ever had," declared Raj Matharu. Our final dinner was a medieval banquet in a historic house in Prague where a jester welcomed the kids at the door. There was swordplay (the kids were invited to joust) music, a fire-eater, and even a visit from " King Charles IV," who welcomed us to his city. The food kept coming. The wine, beer and Sprite flowed freely. Adults were as wowed as the kids. There was just one downside. "I needed a week in each city," lamented Ralph Williams. |
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HK
Disneyland lures Chinese
The theme park has struggled to attract enough visitors since it opened to great fanfare in 2005, and has faced criticism it failed to understand both the local and mainland China markets. But a shift to more Chinese-friendly marketing earlier this year was reinforced by the appointment of managing director Andrew Kam, whose career has been spent selling another US icon, Coca-Cola, to China. 'I have yet to go into the details of the plan we will set for next year, but it will be fairly aggressive in terms of (visitor) growth,' Mr Kam told a small group of reporters this week just two days after starting his job. 'We are going to invest more resources in developing these markets ... China is the probably the single largest market outside Hong Kong for us - we are looking for expansion there,' he added. Mr Kam said Disneyland would be employing more staff to market the park on the mainland and build better relationships with travel agents. He is also hoping the Chinese and Hong Kong governments will agree a special visa scheme for visitors from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. But cooperation with the local government, which owns 57 per cent of the park, has been strained. Legislators have criticized the US$3 billion (S$4.31 billion) park for being a bad deal for taxpayers who paid the vast majority of the start-up costs. And they have balked at further investment when more pressing concerns, such as inflation, are vexing residents. 'Disney has a huge credibility gap in this ... They got too good an original deal,' said Dr John Ap, an expert on tourism at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University. 'When things go wrong, it has come back to haunt them,' he told wire agencies. Mr Kam insists new attractions are necessary, but there is no sign that 18 months of funding negotiations will end soon. '(Both shareholders) have an interest in making this park work and expansion is part of the strategy that will make this park work for Hong Kong,' he said. But the prospect of any new funding is not helped by a string of controversies over the first three years. A long-running feud with staff unions over working conditions, several food poisoning scares and a mix-up that provoked a near-riot with customers clambering over spiked fences after paying for tickets, forced the park to reshuffle its management team within just a few months of opening. But the biggest question mark remains attendance figures. The management has repeatedly refused to confirm figures despite the huge public investment, but a recent newspaper report said visitor numbers were expected to hit 5.6 million in the third year. This is still well below prior expectations, but would be a jump on the previous year's figure that government documents put at more than four million. Mr Kam said he did not recognize the latest figure and a spokesman would only say there had been 'steady' growth. However, criticism has been muted in recent months, as the management has brought a much-needed focus on attracting Chinese visitors. It produced a beefed-up Lunar New Year program - which it dubbed The Year of the Mouse rather than the traditional rat, and launched new advertising campaigns and a Chinese movie The Secret of the Magic Gourd. But Mr Kam said the park would remain true to its American roots, while expanding its appeal to Hong Kong and Chinese visitors. 'This is a very American icon ... I won't say we are trying to make this park more Chinese, in fact some of the core values of Disney we actually need to preserve,' he said. |
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A pirate's
life for your little buccaneer Theme Park Rangers - I wish my little ones were old enough to not be scared silly by this new Halloween event at Disney World because it sounds really fun for ages 5 to 12. The Haunted Pirate Cruise departs from the Polynesian Resort marina for an hour-and-45-minute trip at 8:15 p.m. on October 13, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 31. The ship sets sail for "haunted islands," otherwise known as the marinas on Seven Seas Lagoon. Along the way, shipmates will hear ghost stories, play games with prizes, and see the Magic Kingdom's Happy HalloWishes fireworks. Each child will receive pirate Mickey ears, a pirate nametag with a pirate name, a photo and candy. Disney veterans may think the Haunted Pirate Cruise sounds familiar, and they would be right. It's quite similar to Disney's Pirate Adventure cruise offered at The Grand Floridian marina on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. On that trip, children ages 4 through 10 ride in a pirate-themed pontoon boat equipped with telescopes and a map to the lagoon beaches to dig for buried treasure and eat lunch (photo above from Walt Disney World). They return to their parents with pirate Mickey bandanas and some of the booty. The prices and time spent with cast members on the two cruises are nearly identical, but the Halloween-themed excursion offers several extras. Plus, the cover of darkness adds to the spooky factor and seeing the seasonal fireworks from the water can't be beat. Tickets for the Haunted Pirate Cruise are $31.95 and must be held with a credit card by calling 407-WDW-PLAY. |
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PSA Launches to Help
Amphibians Disney News - Disney, Amphibian Ark, Conservation International (CI) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have launched a Public Service Announcement (PSA) starring Kermit the Frog and Selena Gomez from Disney Channel's "The Wizards of Waverly Place" calling attention to the plight of the world's amphibians. The PSA began airing on Disney Channel this week and asks people to visit www.yearofthefrog.org to get involved in amphibian conservation . This year has been declared the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address the amphibian crisis and to engage the public in conservation efforts. Frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians are in danger. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) predicts that at least one-third of known amphibian species are in danger of disappearing from the earth for good. "We are honored to have the help of Kermit and Selena to spread the message of amphibian conservation," said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. "Amphibian Ark, Conservation International and zoos and aquariums around the world are working hard to save amphibians." "The disappearance of amphibians around the world is not only a symptom of our impact on the planet, it is also an opportunity to unite in the challenge to do something about it. With nearly two decades of intensive research into the causes of amphibian declines, we are well positioned to implement conservation projects to save even Critically Endangered frogs, salamanders, and caecilians from extinction," said Claude Gascon, Executive Vice President of Conservation International and Co-Chair of the Amphibian Specialist Group. "I cannot say it any better than Kermit did so many years ago: 'It seems to me that if you wait until the frogs and toads have croaked their last to take some action, you've missed the point,'" said Amphibian Ark Program Director Kevin Zippel. "This is the greatest extinction event amphibians have ever experienced and humans have ever witnessed. Since we are the cause, we must also be the solution." Amphibian Ark is a partnership between the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. It was formed to develop, promote, and guide short term captive management of threatened amphibians, making possible the long-term survival of species for which adequate protection in the wild is not currently possible. For additional information about Amphibian Ark please visit www.amphibianark.org. Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas and key marine ecosystems. With headquarters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents. For more information about CI, visit www.conservation.org. Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting an institution dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, the AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, please visit www.aza.org. |
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Disney readies offer
for UTV Soft Business Standard, India - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has approved The Walt Disney Company’s deal to increase stake in Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV Software Communications beyond 15 per cent, six months after the deal was initially signed. Sebi, the market regulator, has also okayed the US-based company to launch an open offer. According to a senior executive from Goldman Sachs, advisors to The Walt Disney Company, the market watchdog has approved the transaction last week. “We will send a notice to shareholders in the next 10-12 days and are expecting to give the mandatory advertisement for the open offer some time this week,” he said. Under the agreement that was signed on February 18, The Walt Disney Company, which holds 14.85 per cent stake in the company, will subscribe to 93,52,500 equity shares at a price of Rs 860.79 a share to increase its stake to 32.1 per cent. The total investment by Disney in the company will amount to about Rs 805 crore. In addition, the company will issue 45,32,000 warrants convertible into 45,32,000 shares to Unilazer Exports and Management Consultants, one of the promoters of UTV Software at a price of Rs 860.79 a warrant, aggregating to Rs 390 crore. Under the agreement, Screwvala will have the first right of refusal to buy out shares tendered under the open offer for the next four years at Rs 860.79, sources said. In case the Indian promoters do not exercise the right, The Walt Disney Company’s sake would rise above 51 per cent at the end of four years, sources said. UTV Soft’s shares closed at Rs 804.95, a decline of 0.5 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The agreement permits the Indian promoters and Disney to appoint three directors each on the 12- member board of directors of UTV Software. Screwvala will be chairman and managing director of the company for two successive terms of five years each. In addition, Disney has invested Rs 119 crore in UTV Global Broadcasting (UGBL), a subsidiary of UTV Software, for a 15 per cent stake and 7,20,000 warrants. UGBL has the option to convert the warrants into equity, taking Disney’s holding to 37.5 per cent in the subsidiary. |
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Jonas Brothers
Re-script Disney Show PR-Inside - Pop trio THE JONAS BROTHERS have reportedly re-scripted their new Disney TV show to mimic the plot of MILEY CYRUS' hit series HANNAH MONTANA. The singing sensations will reportedly play a rock band by night, whose members lead average lives of teenage students by day - a script similar to Cyrus' show about her pop star alter ego Hannah Montana. According to the New York Daily News, the show will be set in a converted New Jersey firehouse and filmed in Los Angeles. Previous plot lines for the series - originally titled J.O.N.A.S. (Junior Operatives Networking As Spies) - have included the trio playing Bond-like secret agents and rewrites are said to have been inspired by comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. The show is scheduled to start production this month (Sep08) before its premiere next summer (09). |
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Disney Land still
shining bright The Move Channel - Whilst Florida has been one of the states most affected by the American property market crisis, experiencing falls in prices of 40 per cent, Government officials are hoping that airport improvement will boost interest in investing in the state. The land of Disney World hasn't enjoyed much stardust of late, as the American tourist industry has taken such a battering due to the global economic situation. However, Orlando Sanford
International Airport in Florida is due to receive new
Government money for improvements that may help increase the
number of tourists flying to the city, which may boost interest
in those investing in property in the state. The local newspaper, the Orlando Business Journal said that Orlando International Airport saw over three million passengers in July, the seventh successive month it has had that much traffic, hinting at a brighter future ahead. |
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Sunday September 7, 2008 |
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Disney cruises are pure magic, even when your day isn't Last Chance for Golden Dreams at Disney's California Adventure Jonas Brothers: No sex, no drugs, just rock’n’roll Club Penguin gets it right |
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Disney cruises are pure magic, even when your day isn't Sun Sentinel - We tried to have a bad time on our latest Disney Magic cruise. Really, we did. Normally low-risk, uber-planning vacationers, we stacked the deck against ourselves with a series of missteps from the second we left the house. That all-important suitcase with the paperwork, cameras and bathing suits? Yep, left it at home, I realized halfway to the airport. The mad dash back to get it, during rush hour, with a crying 6-year-old in the back seat, made us late enough to miss our plane — except it was delayed. (For once, a very good thing.) And those cardinal rules about not traveling during the busiest times for families (Presidents' Day week, also known as the height of cold and flu season — more on that later) and not taking work on vacation? Well, rules are meant to be broken, right? By midweek of our cruise, after a visit to the infirmary with a listless kindergartner and hours spent in our cabin writing on deadline instead of on the deck sunning or splashing around in Grand Cayman, we had to ask ourselves: Why are we still having fun? The answer, we found, is that if you are stupid enough to make vacations hard, it's good to have a fleet of people pampering, feeding and entertaining you 24/ 7. From having your family's name announced over the loudspeakers by cheering cast members when you step aboard ("Now welcoming the O'Connors!") to offering a slate of family activities and creating some of the largest staterooms at sea, Disney caters to tykes and their parents like no other cruise line. "This is a cruise line run by an entertainment company," says author Dave Marx, who just finished the sixth version of the PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line. The key difference is how Disney Cruise Line works for each age group. Here, children are not simply tolerated as pint-sized party crashers. Disney factors in kids in its entertainment and dining. Your stateroom host will know your kids' names before they know yours. But parents never feel out of place on a Disney cruise. Gone is the casino that dominates the center of most ships. In its place are multiple kids clubs, divided by ages, as well as security measures like wristbands to keep everyone safe and accounted for. The Oceaneer Clubs for ages 3 to 7 features a pirate ship playground, computer games, a movie area and space for myriad activities, from Goofy's pajama party to pirate training parties. Across the hall is the Oceaneer Lab for ages 8 to 12, where kids learn to make flubber, build a volcano and line dance. And The Stack hosts the teen club for those 13-17. And for those who aren't yet 3 or aren't potty trained, the Flounder's nursery area is stocked with cribs, rocking chairs, Disney videos and age-appropriate toys. Only the nursery has an hourly charge; the rest of the clubs are included in the cruise price and are open from the morning until midnight or so. Our son, often not a fan of group activities with strangers, eagerly went to the kids' club (after being cleared by the ship's doctor) and even participated in the "graduation" ceremony at the end of the cruise, led by commencement speaker Mickey Mouse. Hundreds of kids from 3 to 17 crammed the stage, singing and wearing graduation mortarboards with ears. And the grownups aren't forgotten. "It's not just a matter that they have the best children's areas afloat," says Marx. "They have adult areas that are equally appealing." Those spaces include a coffee shop, spa, gym and specialty restaurant called Palo. The nightclub area is adults-only after 9 p.m. "For extended families, there's a lot of concern among older adults that they'll be served well. The reality is that Disney probably does a better job than most cruise lines of giving a better experience to older cruisers," Marx says. Three pool areas help to carve out space for everyone. There's the Mickey children's pool, complete with a three-story slide held up by a huge gloved Mickey hand; Goofy's pool for older kids, which is in the center of the ship, with a dance area, hot tubs and movie screen; and the adult pool, reserved for those 18 and up. Another unique feature: All the pools are freshwater — key for kids like my son who disdain the salt water most other lines use in their pools. I lost count at about 30 of how many times he tramped up the slide steps. There's plenty of opportunity for families to play together, too. Daily activities might include kite making, karaoke, dancing together in the family lounge, or taking part in a game show. (Maybe your child will let you dance. Ours commanded that we sit down ... only he was doing the dancing in our family.) A full-size movie theater features Disney films and other family fare. Disney's Walt Disney Theatre, a Broadway-style venue, also offers daily productions. The shows range from those featuring its characters, such as Toy Story The Musical, to comedians and magicians, and are geared for all age ranges. Another unique feature is rotational dining, in which guests rotate nightly between three themed dining rooms (including Animator's Palate, where the decor goes from black and white into color as you dine), accompanied by their servers, who rotate with them each night. There's also a buffet, and pizza and other snacks located by the pools. And for those families like us who end up spending an inordinate amount of time cooped up inside because of illness and work, Disney has designed some of the most livable staterooms afloat, complete with 24-hour room service. Each stateroom has a queen bed that can be split into two doubles, and a sofabed, coffee table and desk that create a living room area during the day. A really handy curtain separates the two areas at night. A split bathroom features a sink and toilet in one small room, and a sink and bathtub in the other. Bathtubs, a rarity at sea, are another family-friendly nod by Disney and a welcome relief for anyone who has tried to shower a slippery 18-month-old. And with all this, if you actually want to get off the ship on its Bahamas, Eastern or Western Caribbean itineraries, Disney makes it easy: It pulls up into port instead of tendering at most every place it stops, including its private island, Castaway Cay (which now boasts the pirate ship set piece from the film Pirates of the Caribbean). But Disney's success has its downside when it comes to families like ours who want to cruise more often. For those used to great deals, Disney's rates come as a shock — particularly at Christmas, spring break and summertime. "The biggest failure is scarcity," says Marx, "and the direct relationship to the rates. If anything, they are too successful. They have a large number of repeat cruisers. It makes it difficult to find bargains." Luckily for Floridians, Disney does target its best rates for them. Particularly during May or early June and September (often the busiest time for hurricanes), Florida resident rates may be available at a fraction of the cost of other times of the year. They are normally released just a few months before cruising. Proof of Florida residency, like a driver's license or state ID, is required. And if a Florida resident rate comes out after you've already booked, Disney will often give you the better price. |
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Last Chance for Golden Dreams at Disney's California Adventure Blue Sky - Today is the last day that "Golden Dreams", one of the opening attractions at Disney's California Adventure will be available for guest to experience. The public will no longer be able to enjoy it once the park closes. Come the beginning of the new year work will begin on "The Little Mermaid" attraction and soon Dreams will be nothing but a memory. If you haven't seen it in a while, or you just haven't seen it at all, this is your last chance. |
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Jonas Brothers: No sex, no drugs, just rock’n’roll Times Online - Jonas Brothers are at least an hour away from arriving at Bryant Park, in New York, yet it’s sheer pandemonium. Quivering girls shriek, shake and wave banners bearing messages such as “Joe, be my lover” and “The Bronx luvs U”. Forlorn-looking discarded deckchairs and empty pizza boxes are evidence that many of these tweens, teens and tired-looking mums have been here for the long haul. “I did the same with Bon Jovi, but I never expected to be doing this all over again,” groans Marie’s mum, who holds aloft a homemade placard reading “Joe’s future mother-in-law”. “We arrived three days ago,” says - well, squeals - Marie, 14, her body emblazoned with hand-painted Jonas tattoos. “There were thunderstorms and we even slept with mice - but it was worth it.” Others, such as Rachel, 19, parked themselves on the pavement after driving from Massachusetts just to see the Jonai perform four songs at this outside broadcast for the breakfast television show Good Morning America. With more than 15,000 people packing into Bryant Park before 5am, it’s the programme’s largest live audience to date. “We were in our hotel room, 70 storey's above the park, looking out at thousands of people chanting our name,” says Kevin Jonas, one third of the band responsible for theMid-town mayhem. “It was pretty incredible.” Excess oestrogen is on display again the following afternoon, when the boys play an intimate show for competition winners in Chelsea. Later, they head four blocks east to Madison Square Garden to perform the first of three sellout shows to more than 60,000 fans. “Playing here is a huge moment for us,” points out an unsurprisingly croaky Joe Jonas a few minutes before taking to the stage. “Growing up in New Jersey, this is the place you always wanted to play.” For Kevin, 20, Joe, 19 and Nick, 15, performing at the Garden is the latest dream ticked off their to-do list. They’re signed to the Disney-owned Hollywood Records, and their perky pop-rock is headline news in America, with a No 1 album, the cover of Rolling Stone and sellout tours under their colour-coordinated belts. Their Disney TV film Camp Rock,which stars Joe as, er, a teen pop star, attracted 8.9m viewers and is the channel’s most watched nonsequel to date. Add to that a forthcoming reality show and a comedy series, both for the Disney Channel, a 3-D film of the tour, a mooted video game and production work on their Camp Rock co-star Demi Lovato’s debut album, and it’s becoming increasingly impossible to avoid this perky trio and their sprightly hair. “It’s been amazing, far beyond what we would have hoped for,” enthuses Kevin, the band’s main mouthpiece. Even in the UK, the Jonases’ popularity is spreading exponentially, with every tween worth their Claire’s Accessories lipgloss as obsessed by them as they are with all things High School Musical. Their show at Islington Academy in April was overrun with flush-faced females high on pheromones, while this week’s performance in Hammersmith sold out in minutes. It’s no surprise that it takes two days of waiting around before one is granted an audience with the Brothers. So high is demand on their time, they’re doing meet-and-greets with some 800 fans, and interviews with press, literally 20 minutes before taking to the stage. How on earth do they cope with such colossal success? “There’s a quote from Oprah Winfrey where she says, ‘My feet are still on the ground, it’s just that I wear better shoes.’ That’s the best way to explain it,” says Joe, the gorgeously coiffed middle brother. His younger, curlier sibling, Nick, the group’s chief songwriter, adds that being related is key when it comes to keeping cool in the chaos. “Because we have each other as brothers, it really helps everything.” Like the Osmonds and the Jacksons before them, the Jonases are a strictly family affair. They are co-managed by their pastor father, Kevin Jonas Sr, while their mother, Denise, a former sign-language teacher, is a regular part of the travel team. Bringing up the rear is younger brother Frankie, 7 (also known as Bonus Jonas), who recently set up his own band, Hollywood Shakeup. Raised in a Christian household in Wyckoff, New Jersey, both Nick and Joe performed on Broadway before Nick made a spiritual solo album, Nicholas Jonas, released in 2005. The boys then formed Jonas Brothers, but were dropped by Columbia Records in 2007. “There were definitely moments where we weren’t sure if we could continue doing this,” Kevin admits of their not-so-overnight success. “It was a learning experience,” Nick continues. “We’re so thankful that we actually had those days, because we are who we are because of it.” For Nick, there was another shock when he was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 13. “Originally, I asked the question, ‘Am I going to live?’ Because I wasn’t educated on diabetes, it was a little bit scary at first. But the doctors told me I was going to be fine and it was all good. It’s an easy illness to manage.” Their recent single, A Little Bit Longer, is about living with diabetes. “I wrote it in about 20 minutes,” he says of the earnest ballad, which contains the breathy closer “I’ll be fine”. When he performs it at the Garden that night, it’s unintentionally hilarious; plenty of pained eyebrows and meaningful glances down . . . pause . . . then baleful blinks back at the crowd. “I said I wouldn’t let it stop me,” he whispers, almost managing a tear. “And I didn’t.” The fans lap it up. They’re a great live act, though, with lots of acrobatics, fireworks, foam and impressive stage sets. While Nick cites songwriters such as Prince and Johnny Cash as inspiration, they’re not too far removed from the McFly school of melody-stuffed guitar. The sound isn’t sonic science, perhaps, but it’s bouncy, catchy, polished pop that they perform with plenty of punch. The first album for Hollywood sold 1.4m copies; their latest, A Little Bit Longer, released in America last month, has clocked up more than 1m sales. More than the music, however, it’s their wholesome, clean-cut, Christian approach that’s a large part of their success. Jonas Brothers are the band parents pray their children worship; watching the machine at work over three days in New York is less sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, more oestrogen, insulin and pop-rock-soul. They don’t drink, smoke or swear, and all three wear “promise rings”, a declaration that they will remain virgins until their wedding day. “That’s personal, so if we could focus on other subjects, that would be great,” says a polite but firm Kevin when I ask him whether it’s a tough vow to maintain. Hollywood is home to fellow tween idols Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens and Hilary Duff, but the label insists it isn’t necessarily the clean living or obvious marketing drives such as the movie tie-in that have created such a musical monster. Rather, it was the way the brothers themselves approached the industry. “[They] were extremely internet-savvy from the beginning, and had a direct relationship with their fans,” says Abbey Konowitch, general manager of Hollywood Records. “As the band became bigger, they expanded these relationships on their own, rather than waiting for the label to do it. Hollywood Records maintained that philosophy by not taking down the hundreds of YouTube fan sites . .. We instead decided to feed the frenzy. Everyone will talk about the Disney platform, which was well coordinated, but it always relied on the momentum of the press and marketing machine behind Jonas Brothers. And when it succeeded .. .” When it succeeded, Hollywood and Disney raked in the multi-millions. And continue to do so. The screaming fans back at Bryant Park have other theories about the Jonas juggernaut. “It’s their hair,” one fan with OJD (obsessive Jonas disorder) swoons. Their funny, charismatic mother, Denise, the woman behind the brilliant bouffants, thinks it’s more to do with good old-fashioned hard work. “I think my boys are smart, they’re very business-minded and they’re tenacious,” she decides. “They never got discouraged - even when they got dropped from the first label, they just kept going. The schedule can be incredibly tough, but they keep going and they seize every opportunity,” she says, before wandering off to feed her Bonus Jonas. The workload does seem unrelenting, and is doubtless key to maintaining the money machine; the day before the Bryant Park appearance, the trio were promoting and doing shows in Boston until the early hours. A short flight later, it’s Good Morning America and a day of solid promo. The rest of the weekend is a blur of shows, lunch with Rolling Stone, PAs at the Apple store and slots on MTV’s TRL show. Despite the punishing schedule, the multiple meet-and-greets, the constant daily grind, the Jonai wouldn’t change a thing. “We have the coolest life, and there’s no denying that,” grins Joe. “We’re very, very happy. We want to do this for ever.” The single Burnin’ Up/When You Look Me in the Eyes is out on Sept 22, the album A Little Bit Longer on Sept 29. Camp Rock premieres on Sept 19. Jonas Brothers play Hammersmith Apollo, W6, on Thu. |
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Club Penguin
gets it right Denver Post - The newspaper industry is constantly bewailing its need for a new economic model, as the Internet upends the old one. Maybe it could take a page from the Club Penguin Times. The Club Penguin Times, after all, is more widely read than New York's Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, or The Dallas Morning News. And it's not even 3 years old. But this weekly "newspaper" isn't tossed onto driveways or sold at newsstands. Rather, it's an online publication distributed to the estimated 6.7 million monthly users of Club Penguin, the Disney-created, snow-covered virtual world visited by more than 12 million kids, who adopt a colorful penguin persona and waddle around, playing games and meeting new friends. Although no one would suggest the Club Penguin Times provides Pulitzer Prize-worthy coverage, it nonetheless attracts 30,000 daily submissions from children, who pose questions to Dear Abby-inspired "Aunt Arctic," compose verse for the poetry corner, tell a joke or review a party or event. Kids from 6 to 14 generate much of the editorial content, which is augmented by staff features like the most recent story about decorating on a shoestring — "a great igloo needn't break the bank." A staff of three full-time workers plus one part-timer sifts through the submissions, searching for those with the broadest appeal and selecting the questions most frequently asked of the advice columnist. As the main source of information about events within Disney's icy virtual world, it boasts the kind of reader penetration mainstream newspapers would envy: At least two-thirds of the players turn to the Club Penguin Times each week to find out what's happening, estimates Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and head of virtual worlds development for the Disney Interactive Media Group. Merrifield said he was looking for ways to incorporate learning — what he called educational "fiber" — in the game, and publishing a "newspaper" seemed an obvious way to encourage reading by offering information users care about. Yasmin B. Kafai, a professor of learning sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, said the Club Penguin Times doesn't have a monopoly in faux news dissemination. The Whyville Times, the paper of record for the virtual world for teens and pre-teens, provides a mixture of standard newspaper features, such as TV reviews, along with reader-submitted essays. Such digital forums can promote literacy, Kafai said, because they encourage kids to do it on their own, without prodding from teachers or parents. Whether the Club Penguin Times will spark a lifelong love of newspapers remains to be seen. "It's too premature to say that," said Sandy Woodcock, director of the Newspaper in Education program, which promotes newspapers as an educational resource. Nonetheless, she described Disney's melding of social networking and news dissemination "interesting," and an approach that merits study. "If the Disney project has a news component and not just a social component, that might be an opportunity for young people to be exposed to information that can help them develop those skill sets — like civic engagement — that can carry them through the rest of their lives." |
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