Following up on the success of its inaugural season last year, Disney’s HalloweenTime at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure features a lively mix of Disney characters in seasonal costumes, whimsical décor, decked-out attractions, themed shows and tasty treats designed with the whole family in mind. In Disneyland, Disney’s HalloweenTime also marks the return of a Halloween tradition: the transformation of the Haunted Mansion into “Haunted Mansion Holiday.”

Disney’s HalloweenTime at the Resort is part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks and offers parents and children lots of not-so-scary fun in addition to the parks’ many popular attractions.

The fun begins outside the parks’ entrances. Jack-o’-lantern creations resembling Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy adorn the top of the Main Entrance to Disneyland. Across the Esplanade, at the entrance to Disney’s California Adventure park, the iconic 11-foot-tall CALIFORNIA letters are transformed into giant pieces of candy corn.

In addition to the “fruit” of Goofy’s labor on view in the new Candy Corn Acres, Disney’s HalloweenTime personality Jimmy C. Corn will host games and activities in the area. Disney’s California Adventure also celebrates Disney’s HalloweenTime with spooky seasonal theming on the grounds of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, the site of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  And the park’s Golden Dreams Theater will become the “Golden Screams Theater” and roll out the black carpet to present the “Golden Screams Awards Ceremony,” where the audience screams for their favorite foe to determine which Disney Villain will receive the coveted “Chernie” award for “Best Scream.”

Also presented at Disney’s California Adventure is a separate-ticket nighttime event after the park has closed to day guests. Mickey’s HalloweenTreat gives kids and their families the opportunity to dress in their Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat throughout Disney’s California Adventure. This year’s Mickey’s HalloweenTreat will offer tricksters of all ages more treat locations along with fun character encounters and an all-new “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat in the Street” nightly cavalcade, plus interactive games and spirited music.  Older kids and parents will want to experience the heart-dropping Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

This year, additional nights have been scheduled for Mickey’s HalloweenTreat: Thursdays and Fridays beginning Oct. 4 plus Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 29-31. Tickets to this special event may be purchased online at www.disneyland.com/mhtm.

At Disneyland, Main Street, U.S.A., is decked out for the Main Street Pumpkin Festival. Guests are greeted there by Constable Jack O’Leary and Miss Cobbler, who has been selected as this year’s Miss Pumpkin Festival. More than 300 jack-o’-lanterns peek out of shop windows, while festive orange and yellow bunting graces the quaint Victorian buildings. The whimsical 12-foot tall Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern, complete with pumpkin ears, highlights Town Square, smiling at guests as they enter Main Street and giving them a playful wink when they depart.

The Central Plaza of Disneyland, near Sleeping Beauty Castle, is specially decorated with Disney character-inspired jack-o’-lanterns surrounding the famous “Partners” statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. Additionally, the Disney characters themselves get into the “spirit” of the occasion, wearing their favorite Halloween costumes, while meeting and greeting guests.

“Woody’s Halloween Roundup” has taken over Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland.  The Roundup fun includes a visit with the animals in the “Petting Boo,” crafts and musical activities including a Halloween Hoedown and a spooky interactive sing-along version of “Old McDonald Had a Farm” featuring black cats, ghosts and werewolves. Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from the Disney/Pixar Toy Story movies appear throughout the day on stage in comic adventure tales hosted by a guitar playing, storytelling cowboy. The Roundup also features an array of tasty treats to satisfy the most monstrous of appetites, including cotton candy in Halloween colors and Creepy Cookie Critters that guests create themselves. 

Meanwhile, the traditional Mexican “Dia de los Muertos” is being observed in Zocalo Park in Frontierland Sept. 29 through Nov. 2 with banners, lanterns, floral displays, mariachi music, face painting and the “calaca” skeleton figures that characterize the celebration.
Throughout the Disneyland Resort during Disney’s HalloweenTime, families can enjoy unique Halloween-themed food items including Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash, a favorite of Jack Skellington’s pet in Haunted Mansion Holiday, and merchandise including Disney costumes, collectible pins and coins, and a special set of Halloween-themed Mickey Mouse ears resembling a Mickey jack-o’-lantern.

And no Halloween celebration at Disneyland would be complete without the return of Jack Skellington and his friends to transform the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square into the popular seasonal Haunted Mansion Holiday. Inspired by the innovative animated film Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, Haunted Mansion Holiday depicts the holiday mayhem that occurs when Halloween and Christmas traditions collide.

Now the Institute has taken another client: Miami International Airport, which many travelers will tell you needs customer service training like an airplane needs wings. Surveys rank its service among the nation's worst.

The airport's terminal operations employees are taking classes taught by Institute instructors, learning leadership practices, team building, staff relations and communication skills -- many formulated by Walt Disney himself.

"Many organizations think they're different from Disney, and therefore can't learn from an entertainment or a parks and resorts business," said Bruce Jones, programming director for Disney Institute. "But then when they get here and work with us a little bit, they find out ... these principles and similarities are transferable across industries, across cultures, and across different sizes and shapes of organizations.

"Just think of the airport business. The reality is both businesses have millions of people each year waiting in line for a ride."

Disney World and the airport have more in common, including dealing with ground transportation, parking and retail sales. So, it made sense for the airport to seek out Disney Institute.

"They understand how to minimize the inconvenience and maximize the entertainment value," airline industry analyst Bob Mann said of Disney. "It's a reasonably good move" for the airport to hire Disney.

Miami International Airport is a gateway to and from the Caribbean and Latin America. About 32.5 million passengers passed through the airport in 2006, including more than 14 million international passengers. But among 18 U.S. airports with 30 million or more passengers per year, only three airports performed worse in J.D. Power and Associates' 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

"The customer service needs to improve," said Sarah Abate, who oversees commercial services at the airport and took a training class. "Passengers need to understand that Miami is a friendly airport, and we are passenger friendly. Now, people don't get that, or the perception from the passenger is not the same as what we are trying to convey."

Disney started the Institute after it realized it was getting questions from other companies about its customer service. After offering some behind-the-scenes educational tours, the Institute developed its first professional development program 21 years ago.

Many principles taught by Disney Institute are created and tested through research and data collection, including visitor surveys. Trainers average 10 years with Disney.

Early in the training, a handful of Miami airport managers visited the Magic Kingdom, where they were shown examples on how paying attention to detail and removing barriers were integral in making guests happy and keeping them informed.

For example, Disney houses its lockers and wheelchairs to the right of the park's entrance, because studies have shown more people go to the right than the left when they arrive. Cast members wear colorful Polo-type shirts to easily identify them -- a strategy that will be employed by the airport. Store windows on Main Street U.S.A. have names of valuable employees, a reward for service and to inspire loyalty.

A Disney study showed that people who were given hard candy with a wrapper at a theme park took an average of about 27 steps before tossing the wrapper on the ground. Hence the spacing of the garbage cans, which are strangely inconspicuous.

These ideas seem simple but still caught the attention of most airport employees at the training sessions -- although some were seen talking during the presentations. Dickie Davis, division director of terminal operations, said there are plans to, like Disney, clearly display the name of each employee on new name tags, rather than the current hard-to-read security badges.

By the end of September, about 400 airport workers and vendors will have attended classes, and leaders will then train those who work under them. (The training does not currently include airline, TSA or customs workers.) Full-day classes are about $28,000 apiece, Davis said. Four have taken place, and at least eight more are scheduled, with some of those half-day classes.

But how does one answer questions like "What time is the 3 o'clock parade?" and their ilk? Trainer Joel Strack says answers can be sarcastic, angering the customer, or employees can search for the embedded question while also reaffirming the obvious:

"The parade will start on time at 3 p.m. in Frontierland, but it will be at Main Street U.S.A. at about 3:20. You can line up right here under the shade if you want to. Thanks."

The film went on to be seen by more than 200 million viewers across 100 countries.

Cairns believes the film's success is due to its universal themes, which are dealt with in a fun, engaging way.

"It's all about fitting in and making choices. It connects with kids. It examines a lot of the emotions they're going through as they grow up.

"Every generation has a musical, and this is this generation's musical. And it's the school everyone would like to go to."

While some were originally surprised that such a fresh and innocent film could capture the imagination of today's media-savvy youth, Cairns was not.

"The world is a different place but I think every generation went through difficult times.

"Maybe it is a feelgood movie and maybe people do find escapism in it, but I think people have always found that in Disney movies.

"Ultimately, it's a great story, told well.

"If you get the story right with a young and enthusiastic cast, people will respond."

It's a formula that Disney doesn't intend to drop any time soon.

High School Musical 3 has already been announced for 2008, this time as a cinema release.

With books, clothing, an ice tour - due in New Zealand next year - and more than 2000 theatrical productions globally, it seems High School Musical mania is here to stay.

Last weekend the National Youth Theatre Company performed a special encore season of High School Musical at the Civic Theatre, including special sneak peeks of the sequel.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean Suite" experience begins as you ring the doorbell, which plays, "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me," while inside you will find plenty of pirate inspiration. There you will find Old World rugs covering dark-stained hardwood floors, with wooden beams overhead and Spanish colonial-style furnishings. However, this six guest presidential suite has plenty of modern day comforts, including a wet bar, 42-inch plasma TV and surround sound stereo system.

The Captain's Quarters features a canopied four-poster bed with cast iron lighting fixtures and a 37-inch LCD TV. While young pirates will gravitate toward the second bedroom, all nautical-themed, of course.

Furthermore, there are plenty of suite treasures, a replica of Captain Jack Sparrow's revolver, rare pirate figurines, and a replica of the mysterious Davy Jones' "Dead Man's Chest." The suite also boasts spectacular views of the Never Land Pool area below, Santa Catalina Island, the nearby San Bernardino Mountains and fireworks over Disneyland. This room has an especially nice view of the Neverland Pool, complete with Jolly Roger.

Unfortunately, the suite is only available to book by calling our Disneyland Resort Central Reservations Office because it cannot be booked through a travel agent or on-line. Currently the Suite will not be part of any normal contracted vacation packages and it will cost you $2,500 per night, so you better bring most if not all of your gold.

Reservations: (714) 956-MICKEY (6425)
Hotel Operator: (714) 778-6600

Full episodes of ABC programs are available today at AOL Video, and beginning next week ABC's new fall lineup will also be made available the day after their broadcast, according to a release. Generally, four episodes per series will be available at any given time, according to a release.

Shows included in the deal include popular returning series like "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Ugly Betty," and will also include a variety of new ABC shows. The episodes will include up to three interactive advertisements from one national sponsor along with a local ad based on the user's geographic location, according to a release.

NBC Universal announced a similar plan Wednesday, where it will allow users to download many of its programs to personal computers for free for a week following broadcasts. The service is expected to start in November after an October test period, according to the New York Times. NBC's announcement comes a week after it pulled its programming from Apple's iTunes, the Times reported.

Burbank-based Disney-ABC Television Group is a unit of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS).

• It took nearly 3,000 designers and 4,000 construction workers to build the first phase of Epcot.
• 54 million cubic feet of dirt was excavated to build the park.
• Epcot had its soft opening Sept. 28, 1982, at 4 p.m.
• Spaceship Earth, the visual and thematic centerpiece of Epcot, weighs 16 million pounds, measures 165 feet in diameter and encompasses 2.2 million cubic feet of space. The outer "skin" of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,448 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.
• At Spaceship Earth, Mickey Mouse is hidden in his own constellation just beyond the attraction's loading area.
• The fountain at Epcot Innoventions Plaza can shoot water 150 feet in the air -- within 30 feet of the top of Spaceship Earth. If all of the shooters were fired at once, there would be 2,000 gallons of water in the air.
• The ride technology for the Soarin' attraction was based on an erector set model created by Walt Disney Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.
• It took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop Mission: SPACE. The Imagineers' efforts took place over a five-year period.
• At Mission: SPACE, there are 13 quotes by space explorers and visionaries on the attraction's wall of honor. The most recent was added in September 2007 by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, reading "Reach for your dreams . . . the sky is no limit."
• At nearly a mile long and reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track is the longest and fastest ride at a Walt Disney World theme park.
• The body of water at The Seas with Nemo & Friends provides a home to 3,000 fish and other sea creatures and contains 5.7 million gallons of water, one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world.
• More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at The Land pavilion each year are served in Walt Disney World restaurants.
• The Land has a "tomato tree" that is the only one of its kind in the United States. The massive plant has produced a world-record harvest of more than 32,000 tomatoes from a single vine.
• World Showcase promenade stretches 1.2 miles and World Showcase Lagoon spans 40 acres.
• The gardens of Epcot are among the most extensive at Walt Disney World Resort. The themed landscapes are maintained year-round by a horticulture staff of more than 50.
• At United Kingdom's Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in World Showcase, a specially designed ale warmer can heat your Guinness to 55 degrees, the temperature favored by Brits.
• 26.2 miles of bratwurst are served every 60 days at the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion. That, by the way, is the length of a marathon.
• The Eiffel Tower replica in the France pavilion is 103 feet tall.
• The castle in Japan is a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji, known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan.
• A Disney crew carried a 300-pound camera up 4,500 steps of the Huangshan Mountain in the Annui Province to film the Circle-Vision 360 film seen in the China pavilion.
• From bonsai to roses, there's something for every gardening guru at the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Disney horticulturists rotate the crops twice during the festival to keep the 30 million blossoms colorful and fresh.
• Each year at the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, more than 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne are uncorked, 1.2 million hors d'oeuvre plates are served and 100,000 miniature desserts are dished up.
• More than 26,000 feet of lights outline the World Showcase pavilions for the "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" nightly fireworks show -- a string long enough to stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge more than six times.
• Earth Globe is a 28-foot-diameter sphere on World Showcase Lagoon and the centerpiece of "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth." The globe weighs 350,000 pounds and is wrapped in more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes arranged in the shape of Earth's continents.
• Some 2,800 firework shells are used during each "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" show.

Frankly, I am not surprised. Nowadays, lots of carriers offer most of the features with which Disney was hoping to differentiate itself from other wireless service providers. Take tracking software, allowing parents to see geographic location of their kid's cell phone. Sprint offers this, too. Other carriers, such as Leap and Metro PCS, offer lower prices.

Most of Disney's handsets look pretty standard -- no different from other companies'. One exception is the company's Steamboat Willie phone, which looks adorable. I wish Disney had introduced more unique phones like that. I wish it had dipped into its vast cartoon vault more often.

Drama revolves around a Manhattan detective called Nine Lives because of the number of shootings he has survived while on duty.

Pic marks Hensleigh's fifth assignment with Bruckheimer after "The Rock," "Armageddon," "Con Air" and "Gone in 60 Seconds."

Like the protag, "Nine Lives" wouldn't die. Hensleigh first sold the project to Disney while he was a Manhattan-based lawyer out in L.A. to interview with George Lucas for a writing job on "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." Disney's Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Hoberman and Donald De Line bought it, but the contract lapsed. He pitched it to Bruckheimer while they were making "The Rock," but both were too busy to deal with it until now.

Hensleigh has been off directing films like "The Punisher" and "Welcome to the Jungle," while Bruckheimer made the family franchise "Pirates of the Caribbean." Both want to return to summer action fare.

All are part of Disney's HalloweenTime, the second-annual season that brings special events and decorations to both Disney theme parks. The festivities start Friday and continue through Oct. 31.

Both parks transform into seas of pumpkins and scary sites for the season, which Disney tried for the first time last year.

Disney's California Adventure also hosts special costume parties with activities and treats at night starting Oct. 4. Separate tickets are needed. Some nights have already sold out.

Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC TV Group, the first of the major networks to offer its top shows for free viewing on its own Web site last year, said on Thursday its shows will now also be available for the first time on a third-party Web property, Time Warner Inc's (TWX.N) AOL.

The move comes on the heels of General Electric's (GE.N) NBC TV network, which on Wednesday said it will make its top shows available for download to view for free, and plans to create two new original series for the Web.

Taken together, these moves, including NBC and News Corp's (NWSa.N) upcoming online video joint venture Hulu, appear to be an acknowledgment that consumers -- not networks -- now have more control over their programming schedules.

The top three U.S. TV networks, including CBS Corp (CBS.N), have been encouraged by early tests of making their shows available to watch for free on their own Web sites.

These tests have helped boost viewership on traditional television rather than siphon off chunks of their audience, networks have said.

"They're overwhelmed to find out people still want to watch their shows," Forrester analyst James McQuivey said of the networks. Now, "They're crawling over each other to see where else they can put their shows where people spend time."

McQuivey said the bump up in traditional viewership from offering shows for free on the Internet shortly after they air live on TV has been one of the first pieces of good news in the last decade. The big networks have watched viewership erode from a combination of forces -- cable, Internet and video games.

EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME

Networks have tweaked their strategies to address business issues these new technologies have created.

ABC's initial plans last year stoked concerns among its affiliate stations that the Internet would hurt ad sales at the stations.

Since then, special Web video software players for ABC's shows are now available on the television group's affiliate stations and ABC.com, which display local ads based on where the viewer logs in.

AOL will now carry a co-branded version of the same player, which will carry local ads alongside national promotions.

Meanwhile, NBC, which said it did not plan to renew its contract to sell TV shows on Apple Inc's (AAPL.O ) iTunes site, now plans to make downloads of its shows available for free.

NBC.com will also debut two new original series: "Coastal Dreams" on Oct. 2 and an animated comedy series "Pale Force" on Sept. 24.

"With the creation of this new service, we are acknowledging that now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consume their favorite entertainment," said Vivi Zigler, executive vice president of NBC Digital Entertainment.

The shows will be advertising supported and last for seven days. Options to purchase or rent shows and download them to portable devices may come next year.

She was 22 years old when the creators of Walt Disney's classic film, "Peter Pan" tapped her as the reference model for Tinker Bell, said the 78-year-old Glendale resident.

"They put me on an empty sound stage and had me do things, and they filmed me. Then the animators used the film to draw Tinker Bell," Kerry recalled at her home. "But I gave her her personality, her movements, her walk. It's my face too, except Tinker Bell doesn't have a chin."

Kerry, the community grand marshal in Duarte's Route 66 Parade and Classic Car Show on Saturday, was working in local television at the time but had ballet training. The year was 1951, and Kerry heard that Disney was looking for a reference model for the 3-inch fairy who doesn't talk.

The night before her audition, she worked out a pantomime routine in which she fixed breakfast and juggled eggs to music. At the try-out, she was asked to do the famous scene in which Tinker Bell lands on a mirror and sees herself, she recalled.

"I made up my mind that Tinker Bell was 12 years old," Kerry said, "and had never seen a mirror before and had never seen herself before, either."

She doesn't know how many other girls auditioned for the job, but she got it on the spot, Kerry said.

Marc Davis, a legendary Disney animator who also created Cruella de Vil, young Bambi, Thumper and Cinderella, would call Kerry in when they were ready to do the next scene.

"I'd make up stuff out of my head," she said. "Marc would approve it and they'd film it and I would leave."

Before getting the Disney job, Kerry's legs had been named the "most beautiful legs in Hollywood," and Davis imbued Tinker Bell with an unusual degree of sexuality for that period.

He later explained he got away with it by making Tinker Bell womanly from the waist down, but drawing her as a little girl from the waist up.

Kerry had been acting since she was 4. She appeared in several episodes of "Our Gang" and "The Little Rascals" and played Eddie Cantor's daughter in the 1948 musical "If You Knew Susie."

Today she travels around the country making appearances and signing autographs as the model for Tinker Bell.

Disney is making a new animated film, "Tinker Bell," which will come out next year, Kerry said. In the film Tinker Bell will talk and actress Bridget Murphy will provide her voice.

Cockerell will share his leadership advice at the Disney Institute's Executive Leadership Speaker Series hosted by the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce on Friday at the Buena Performing Arts Center.

Cockerell led more than 40,000 employees during his 16 years with The Walt Disney Co.

As executive vice president of Walt Disney World Resort Operations, Cockerell was in charge of operating 18 resort hotels, four theme parks, three water parks, five golf courses, a shopping village and other entertainment venues.

After retiring last year, Cockerell developed courses on leadership, service and life management. His topics for the executive leadership series include:

• It's Your Life: Time/Life Management
• 12 Great Leader Strategies
• Inspiration — The Real Work of Leaders

The first course, based on a system he's learned and used for more than 30 years, will help the "stressed out and disorganized" figure out how to do it all — balance work and family life, plan for retirement and avoid regrets later in life, Cockerell said.

Between dealing with layoffs and trying to be more profitable, many business leaders are "having trouble getting it all done," but it isn't impossible, he said.

Cockerell developed the second course on leadership strategies to train Disney employees in 1995. The course will get people to think about leadership from the point of view of employees.

Inspiring people will be the focus of the third course.

Great leadership is often thinking differently about your workforce, being inclusive and listening to employees, Cockerell said.

Cockerell attributes his leadership education not only to his former employers at Disney, the Waldorf Astoria and Marriot, but also to his mother and grandmother who taught him the importance of the tough and sensitive sides of leadership.

Leadership is similar to being a good parent, he reiterated. It's important to teach children how to make their beds but also how to be courteous and honest, he said.

Cockerell on leadership

• Be the same person 24 hours a day. Don't change when you come to work. Sometimes leaders act unnatural at work.
• Don't ignore people because they don't speak your language. A smile is a universal language.
• Routine is a good thing. Having the right routine in your life can improve your whole life.
• You may not always be able to help someone in need, but you should always try.
• I did the work until I learned to manage. I managed until I learned to lead. I lead until they learned to manage. They managed until they learned to lead. Then I retired!

Based on the award-winning children's book series by Lauren Child, "Charlie and Lola" is characterized by a distinctive, imaginative production style. Each half-hour episode is animated in 2-dimensional digital animation combined with paper cutout, fabric design, real textures, photo-montage and archive footage.

"Charlie and Lola" airs daily at 11:30 a.m., ET/PT during the Playhouse Disney programming block.

"Charlie and Lola" is a production of London-based Tiger Aspect Productions. The series was created by author and illustrator Lauren Child ("Clarice Bean," "Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton Trent"). Claudia Lloyd is the executive producer. Kitty Taylor is the director, and the design is by Leigh Hodgkinson.

Anticipation for the screening has been built with near-military precision - as music videos, public appearances and internet trailers fuel fans' fever.

It is a far cry from the slow-burning, word-of-mouth success its predecessor enjoyed.

The original film debuted with little fanfare on the US Disney Channel in January 2006.

Telling the story of two pupils who fall in love as they audition for a school play, it was just one of 10 such movies created for Disney that year, and its phenomenal success took the corporation by surprise.

But since its release 170 million people in 100 countries have seen High School Musical.

The soundtrack, made up of catchy songs like Breaking Free, has sold more than five million copies in the UK and US alone.

Film number two follows the students of East High during their summer break as they try to find work.

Returning lead characters Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) find their relationship put to the test as the summer progresses.

It has been described as a modern-day Grease - although it has none of the sex, drugs and teenage pregnancies of John Travolta's hit film.

"I think we aimed a bit younger," says 19-year-old Efron, the film's heart-throb lead.

"Kids have new values these days. We represent that. This is a new generation of good kids," he added.

Mobbed

Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega describes the Disney Channel as "a safe zone".

"It is a channel dedicated for children's viewership, so we were challenged to make a film for a very specific audience."

But Ortega, who mapped out the dance moves for Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, admits that High School Musical has "gone beyond" its original target audience.

When the sequel premiered in the US in August, it smashed viewing records for a program broadcast on a cable channel.

Researchers said the audience, which reached 17.2 million, would have been even higher if fans had not held mass "viewing parties" across the country.

Ortega says the unexpected success is "beyond anything that I imagined".

"We didn't go into making High School Musical thinking there was going to be a second," he says.

It is a feeling shared by his young cast.

Ashley Tisdale, 22, who plays the arrogant, scheming Sharpay Evans, says the phenomenon "blew our expectations".

"If that happens here [in Europe], that's amazing".

'So excited'

In an attempt to make that a reality, the cast spent a week in the UK earlier this month, courting the press ahead of the film's European premiere.

They were mobbed by more than 1,000 eager fans at an event in a London record store, and hundreds more turned out to a red carpet screening of the film at the O2 arena.

"They are so excited to be here, it makes us that much more excited," said Lucas Gabreel, Ryan Evans in the film.

But success has also brought large amounts of media scrutiny, in particular for Hudgens and Efron, who also have an off-screen relationship.

Hudgens says her way of coping with the scrutiny is to "stay positive and don't read anything about myself, then I think I'm better off".

But fame has also benefited the star - she released a solo album last year and recently won the Teen Choice award for female breakout artist, beating Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen and Corrine Bailey Rae.

"It was crazy," she says. "I thought Amy Winehouse was winning, I did not expect it at all".

For now, however, her attention is focused on High School Musical.

A third installment of the million-dollar franchise is in development, with filming due to start in January 2008.

There had been rumors that Efron would not reprise his role after the actor reportedly said he no longer wanted to appear in musicals.

At a press conference in August, he refused to be drawn on the issue, stating: "I can't confirm or deny anything at the moment."

But by the time of High School Musical 2's London premiere, he seemed more certain.

The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as the Power Rangers search for the five magical jewels of the Corona Aurora, Crown of the Gods. Long ago, the crown and gemstones were hidden separately to prevent the villainous brothers Moltor and Flurious from using them to further their evil ambitions. Now, with the brothers in search of the crown and its jewels, the Rangers must also search the world from Saint Lucia to the lost continent of Atlantis, unraveling mind-bending mysteries and fighting spectacular battles to find the gems– or the Dark Forces that covet the Crown will be unstoppable.

Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive Volumes 1 & 2 each contain six episodes of the exhilarating live action series, as well as an exclusive installment of two ongoing bonus features. Reserve Ranger Training Course is a five-level, set-top game that challenges players to recover all five jewels (one per volume) in a simulator training course. Ranger Profiles is a five-part series of interviews with the Rangers as they explain their backgrounds, their unique weapons, vehicles and special genetic enhancements, and talk about the powerful lessons their lives as Rangers have taught them.

The Power Rangers franchise emphasizes the power of teamwork, the importance of fighting for what is right, self-respect, self-esteem and self-confidence. The long-running live-action action/adventure series airs over 65 times a week in over 40 territories worldwide and inspired the best selling action figure brand of all time.

The cast of POWER RANGERS: OPERATION OVERDRIVE includes Gareth Yuen ("Dax/Blue Ranger"), James MacLurcan ("Mack/Red Overdrive Ranger"), Caitlin Murphy ("Ronny/Yellow Overdrive Ranger"), Rhoda Montemayor ("Rose/Pink Overdrive Ranger"), Samuell Benta ("Will/Black Overdrive Ranger"), Ria Vandervis ("Mira/Miratrix"), David Weatherley ("Spencer"), Mark Ferguson ("Moltor"), Dwayne Cameron (Tyzonne), Gerald Urquhart ("Flurious ").

The Brothers & Sisters: The Complete First Season DVD bonus features offer a ticket to the hidden heart of the top-rated ABC primetime drama. View an exclusive un-aired episode of the hit show, and explore the "Family Tree" feature, which leaves no Walker family stone unturned, with a backstage peek into the soul of this acclaimed ensemble series. "Behind the Scenes with the Brothers" grants access to the real-life homes of Walker brothers Tommy (Balthazar Getty), Justin (Dave Annable), and Kevin, (Matthew Rhys). "Family Business" introduces fans to Ken Olin's family, the real family story behind the show's success. Other special features include bloopers, deleted scenes and commentary by the producers.

The 6-DVD box set relives the laughs, tears and frustrations of this quintessential post-modern American family, the Walkers. The popular primetime drama explores the difficulties of 21st century family relationships, which can be simultaneously delicate and strong, dynamic and tedious, trustworthy and deceptive. Emmy winner Tom Skerritt ("Picket Fences") is family patriarch William, with Field as his strong-willed wife Nora and mother to the five Walker children.

Kitty (Flockhart) portrays a political pundit who's always been daddy's little girl, while Sarah (Griffiths) balances motherhood with managing the struggling family business. The loyal son and logical heir to the Walker firm is Tommy. Kevin is a gay lawyer struggling to find love, while Justin, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, deals with drug addiction. Ron Rifkin ("Alias") does a turn as Nora's brother Saul, second in command of the Walker family business. "The West Wing's" Rob Lowe plays Kitty's boyfriend Senator Robert McAllister.

AT&T Center officials said they have received overwhelming complaints from fans after pre-sale tickets sold out online after five minutes to the Hannah Montana Fan Club.

Officials said they would like to help, but Ticketmaster is in charge of the Disney star's nationwide show.

"They don't give a specified number of tickets (and) open it up to everybody," John Sparks, AT&T Center General Manager, said. "We have 5,000 tickets available to go on sale with 5,000 that went on pre-sale."

Monique Ramirez, 13, said Monday afternoon that she had eagerly waited first in line to by tickets at an HEB store since 4 a.m.

"I was mad about the fan club," Ramirez said. "A whole week for that ticket sale and not everyone could get (in) on it."

Ramirez said she would do anything to get tickets.

The Center for Management and Executive Education in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach, and the Office of Human Resources are sponsoring the full-day program. "The Disney Institute Keys to Excellence" will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development on the University of Arkansas campus. For more information and to register, call (888) 824-3933 or (479) 575-2856 or go to http://execed.uark.edu

"This full-day event will give area business professionals a chance to discover the business behind the Disney magic," said Théres Stiefer, director of the Center for Management and Executive Education. "Professional development programs at Walt Disney Resort have been extremely popular. Now we are able to offer this program in Arkansas.

Debbie McLoud, UA director of employee development, said, "Participants will discover Disney success stories and learn about management philosophies and behind-the-scenes operations that have made the Walt Disney World Resort a benchmark for businesses around the world."

"The Keys to Excellence" program showcases philosophies and strategies that have made the Walt Disney World Resort a success - ideas that are easily adaptable to other organizations. The sessions take people inside the Disney operation, showcasing on-stage and behind-the-scenes locations so attendees see firsthand how it all happens.

The program comprises four 90-minute sessions, covering leadership, management, service and loyalty # all presented through the Disney style. Participants will discover how leadership has been the catalyst at Disney to drive employee/customer satisfaction and bottom-line results; understand the importance of integrating corporate culture into the selection, training and care of employees; explore world-renowned Disney principles of service excellence; and learn the key practices and principles in building and sustaining loyalty that have made Disney a trusted and revered brand around the world for more than 75 years.

Nancy Hairston, a director in the School for Continuing Education, said, "This is a rare opportunity to get an inside look at how Disney has been so successful. The Center for Management and Executive Education, Continuing Education and Human Resources are very excited to be able to offer this program to the business community."

Registration and tuition fees for the program are $399 per person for the day and include course materials.

Visitors' only brush with science there might involve Epcot's programs to grow lettuce in water or to shape vegetables like Mickey Mouse. Yet more complex, far-less-known, potentially more practical and possibly controversial work has been going on side by side with those show projects for years.

In some of those tiny dishes, within microbiology laboratories walled off from the public, one of Epcot's primary missions is being cultivated specimen by specimen, cell by cell, gene by gene.

Real, high-tech science.

Scientists working in The Land labs for Disney and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service are trying to alter nature's design for the pear tree on a molecular level.

Funded by and operating as a branch laboratory for a research project underway at a federal agriculture laboratory in Kearneysville, W.Va., the Epcot scientists want to create a new rootstock for pear trees that would stunt thegrowth of the trees, making them shorter and easier to grow and harvest, and therefore more productive and more commercially attractive.

And they are doing so by genetically altering the cells of pear-tree root stock specimens.

"It's more than just a show," said Frederick L. Petitt, Walt Disney World's director of Epcot science. "This is pretty long-term research."

Low-profile, but controversial

But unlike most Epcot research -- such as projects involving pest management or dolphin communication -- it risks powerful controversy. Genetic engineering of crops draws a high level of public suspicion and has harsh critics who deride the products as "Frankenfoods."

While the pear-tree work should not affect the genetic makeup of the pears, earlier projects at Epcot have had the goal of designing better food.

"I wouldn't think Disney would touch this project with a 10-foot Cinderella wand, but Disney isn't your grandfather's cartoon company anymore," said Nancy Allen, an activist with the Green Party.

Her group is part of an environmental coalition campaigning against the creation of genetically engineered trees -- though not specifically the Epcot work -- arguing that genetic engineering must be slowed so the consequences can be studied more carefully. "There just is no way to know what is going to happen in the long term, even for the growers," said Anne Petermann, co-director of the Global Justice Ecology Project.

Research-project director Ralph Scorza of the U.S. Agriculture Research Service said he thinks such critics overlook the extreme care taken in there search -- and its potential benefits. That's one reason Epcot's labs were recruited.

"It does give us a chance to talk to people about the whole process, and about the safety of it, and the oversight," Scorza said.

Disney's dream

One of Walt Disney's original plans for Epcot -- which didn't open until16 years after his death -- was that it would be a center of cutting-edge science and technology. Walt Disney's vision was to build a full-fledged city, called the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT for short.

Throughout today's version of Epcot, visitors are treated to "shows" of interesting but often old and relatively simple technology, such as The Land's hydroponics gardens, which allow Disney to grow the world's most prolific tomato "tree" or to create Mickey Mouse-shaped vegetables.

There is nothing simple about the pear-tree project.

"That laboratory in Epcot could just as well be a laboratory down the hall," Scorza said, talking recently by phone from his Kearneysville office. "People are doing the work that we need them to do for our program. It's not made for show. It's real research that we're doing. It's very important for the program. But also, we think, it has a story to tell."

Petitt said the public has raised almost no concerns about the research at Epcot. And the pear-tree project is not the first there to involve genetic engineering.

In the early 1990s, Epcot and the Agriculture Research Service teamed on genetically altered peanuts, to create more nutritious peanut oil. Later, they worked together on genetically altered peach trees, seeking to create peaches that stay firm longer. Epcot's Innovations pavilion also housed a multimedia exhibit espousing genetic engineering for several years and got little public backlash, he said.

Cutting-edge, behind the scenes

Sometimes visitors floating past the laboratories on tour boats in the "Living with the Land" ride or wandering backstage in the "Behind the Seeds" walking tour might see people in white coats doing some sort of laboratory bench-top work. But tour guides often don't mention the work's genetic-engineering aspects, unless a tourist asks.

The scientists are using molecular-transfer techniques to extract from a small, specific weed, genes that are associated with dwarf growth so they can transplant them into the root cells for a pear tree. If the new genes can control the growth of the new culture, they could produce pear-tree root stocks that would produce only shorter-than-normal pear trees.

Contrary to some Internet rumors, nothing from the genetics lab ever is served to people in Epcot restaurants. The work is expected to take many years before any viable rootstock specimens might proceed far enough to out grow Petri dishes or small glass jars.

The development of actual trees capable of bearing fruit likely won't happen at Epcot, Scorza said. And long before anything edible could be produced, the research would have to receive scrutiny and approval from a variety of federal agencies, he said.

After some miserable early failures -- few remember Disney-backed sites Go.com or Toysmart.com -- the Walt Disney Co. is again making the Internet a centerpiece of its future.

Federal agents arrested Tony Guerra, 21, last month in the parking lot of the Disney-MGM Studios. He's accused of seeking out pornography involving babies on Internet chat sites.

On Friday, a federal judge denied his request to move to his father's home in Wisconsin and wear an ankle monitor until his trial.

That's what I was afraid of when I booked the trip. But within minutes of boarding the Disney Magic my worries went overboard. The 13-year-old gave us the heave-ho and the nine-year-old deserted us faster than Jack Sparrow can chug a bottle of whiskey.

Disney Cruise Lines' maiden voyage was in 1998, but Disney has been entertaining us all since Steamboat Willie first whistled his merry tune in 1928. Combining the thrill of sailing through the Caribbean waters and the abundance of activities and entertainment made it easy for all of us to be amused.

Disney has two almost identical ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Nearly an entire deck on both ships is focused on entertaining the kids.

Flounders Reef nursery cuddles the babies up to the age of three. The Oceaneers Club for three- to seven-year-olds looks like Peter Pan's Never Land and is as fun. The play area has slides and rope bridges, a costume closet and games galore. Daily activities change, so expect the kids to come back with crazy crafts every day.

The Oceaneers Lab is for ages eight to 12 and it's out of this world.

The lab is all about science. Buzz Lightyear oversees the bank of computers, lab experiments and crafts while Professor Goo gets the kids participating in experiments.

If science doesn't float your child's boat, then maybe they want to float the entire ship. A new "captains bridge" was installed so budding harbor masters can dock the cruise ship via virtual reality.

Disney has worked hard to retrofit the ships to get those salty sea dogs -- ages 13 to 17 -- grinning.

The Stack (Disney Magic) and Aloft (Disney Wonder) are on Deck 11, but don't expect the teens to be swinging from the sails. Comfy couches, a soda bar serving pop and smoothies, Internet access, huge TVs and all the important (non-violent) computer games needed for chilling out are provided, but so are counselors looking for lazy loafs.

Pool parties and dances are the regular fare, but they toss in crazy events to pry the teens' butts off the sofa.

Prizes are offered to those willing to search the ship for clues using digital cameras, Morse code and international flag codes. Budding film stars or directors can create movies with the finished product given a premiere screening onboard.

Over at Castaway Cay, Disney's private Caribbean island, teens team up (on their private beach) to build rafts from a few simple supplies.

After feeding the stingrays at the Cay, don't forget to watch for Capt. Jack Sparrow. The swaggering pirate is looking for new deckhands to work the riggings of the recently relocated and very scary looking Flying Dutchman. (No, the captain is not Johnny Depp, but a darn good look-alike! And he won't really enlist your teens.)

But what about you?

Don't walk the plank; instead stroll into the recently expanded Vista Spa. The fitness area has doubled, and now includes iPod shuffles loaded with non-Disney workout tunes to rev up your workout.

The new Mediterranean-inspired steam room is totally decadent. The main room has heated stone chaise lounges but little steam rooms offer different scents to cleanse your pores and lungs.

Disney Cruise Line veered off course last year, experimenting with West Coast cruises out of Los Angeles and is sailing in the Mediterranean this summer. Those sailings are proving to be popular, so more West Coast sailings to the Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta are scheduled for the summer of 2008.

Even greater news is the announcement of two new, bigger ships setting sail in 2011 and 2012.

Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, is thrilled with the announcement.

"With a larger fleet, we'll have greater flexibility to offer a variety of itineraries," Rasulo said. "This is a business that our guests love, and we're please to give them more options to explore the world with Disney."

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. At 10:10 a.m., messages to cell phones said, "That's all folks."

It's a pattern that's been reported in other cities on Montana's "Best of Both Worlds" tour, including Minneapolis-St. Paul and Omaha, Neb., according to published reports.

"It's online sales, the big advent in our business," said CenturyTel general manager Mike Cera, who watched the crowd of more than 150 parents and fans gobble up tickets as their numbers were called until computers told the ticket printers no more could be sold. There was a local limit of four tickets per purchaser.

"It does frustrate me," Cera later told The Times. "But everyone knows or has the idea you can buy them on the Internet and through Ticketmaster as well as the building."

Within hours after the show sold out, tickets for the local show were selling on such Internet sites as eBay and StubHub for hundreds of dollars.

Those sales are largely by brokers who buy large quantities in advance and resell them, a practice that has been criticized and questioned by some as possibly violating various state anti-scalping laws. Louisiana has such a law. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to enforce out of state or in cyberspace.

In addition to broker sales, members of Montana's subscription fan club were offered a ticket presale Tuesday.

When the combined numbers of tickets sold over the Internet, through Ticketmaster and the fan club reached the local set-up number for CenturyTel, about 12,000, sales at the center Saturday stopped.

Hannah Montana, in reality singer Miley Cyrus, is leading in sales over such established acts as Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, Céline Dion, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Justin Timberlake, Genesis, the Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder and Rascal Flatts. She outsold Elton John in another market.

Cyrus, the actress-singer daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, will open the concert with hits from "Hannah Montana" soundtracks. After intermission, she'll perform songs from her solo album "Meet Miley Cyrus."

The "Hannah Montana" soundtrack released in October is the first TV soundtrack to debut as No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200.

Her 54-date tour will open Oct. 18 in St. Louis and will end Jan. 9 in Albany, N.Y.

"She's a phenomenon in and of herself. And people are competing for those tickets," said Jess Marlow, CenturyTel's marketing director, noting that the Bossier City venue, like most halls, doesn't sell to brokers.

"They're not 'our tickets.' The show is owned by Disney, and it's their product. We're just the processors of the tickets."

Park spokeswoman Glendy Chu said the accident occurred when the driver, a young woman, hit one of the barricades surrounding the track. She said the woman was not injured.

Chu said the Hong Kong government's Electrical and Mechanical Services Department ordered the electric car ride shut for inspections. Government spokesman Raymond Wong said government investigators have not reported back their findings.

The St David's Welsh Festival will be staged from February 29 to March 2, at the French tourist resort.

And Mickey and Minnie Mouse will top the bill, dressing up in Welsh-themed costumes and squeaking Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

Disney has decided the land of song is the perfect inspiration for a festival.

And to develop the theme the sound of Welsh music and male voice choirs will echo around the resort.

The Welsh Music Festival is running in conjunction with Disney Magic Music days. Guests will be invited to rock the night away with new Welsh bands performing live in Disney Village.

The Welsh Storyteller will bring magical tales and Celtic legends to life. A Welsh Craft and Street Market will offer shoppers tempting treats and handcrafted objects.